January Greetings!
It’s a strangely warm, rainy day in Memphis, a good day to stay inside and catch up with you. Not much news thus far in the New Year because I’ve been slowly recovering from a couple of pesky physical challenges. Nothing too serious, and I’m doing well, thank you. But I’m also acutely aware of how fortunate I am to have access to quality care. (And I sure wish that was true for everyone.)
Not too much news yet in this very-new-year, so let's knock it out...
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CONTENTS of This Very Short Newsletter
1. Two-three seats now open for April Ireland tour (details below)
2. Ireland & Scotland tours web pages (updated)
3. Off to TX for writing retreat & concert
4. California shows in March
5. TK Poem of the Month: Cat Man
6. Wisdom for writers from John Edgar Wideman and Barry Lopez
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1. Upcoming April Ireland tour: now room for 2… or maybe 3 more folks
IF you feel the tug to join us, I just learned that we have room on the bus for 2-3 folks. (That is, we can now make available 2 single hotel rooms… or 1 single room for one person and 1 double for 2 people.)
IF you feel the tug, please email Vicki Belinoski with Inishfree Tours ASAP to let her know of your interest. To do that, send to...
vicki(at)inishfreetours.com.
Would be a good idea to also copy her at...
vicki(dot)inishfreetours(at)gmail.com
FYI, our 2023 dates are April 18-27, 2023, and we’ll be exploring Counties Dublin, Waterford & Clare.
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2. For Ireland and Scotland 2024 tour dates & info: Visit my updated web pages…
a. For info on 2024 IRELAND tour (June 23-July 4, 2024) to Counties Cork, Kerry & Clare, click HERE.
b. For info on my 2024 SCOTLAND tours(April 19-29, 2024 and May 1-11, 2024), click HERE.
Needless to say, hosting these tours is a continual joy... and I don’t take it for granted!
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3. Off to Blue Rock, TX!
Starting this Sunday evening I’ll be joining a small group of writers for a week of songwriting (and a concert) at Blue Rock Artist Ranch & Studio in Wimberley. If you’ve visited Blue Rock, you know what a special place it is.
For more on all things Blue Rock, click HERE.
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4. Two TK solo concerts in CA in March
I'm really looking forward to this trip. Here’s the scoop:
Friday, March 10, 2023 7pm
The Ugly Mug
4640 Soquel Drive
Soquel, CA, 95073
For more info, click HERE
Saturday, March 11, 2023 8pm
*The Barn
Gilroy, CA
*for more info please email Shauna Jamison at shauna(at)tomkimmel(dot)com
…and she’ll send you a link for making reservations at The Barn.
NOTE: I’m very much open to adding another area show or two while I’m out that way. To inquire about booking or hosting me, send an email to Shauna at shauna(at)tomkimmel(dot)com
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5. TK Poem of the Month: Cat Man
Obviously I’ve been inspired by my pets over the years. Maybe if I keep going I’ll have enough for a book? That's unlikely, but they keep coming. And man oh man, I love my four-legged family—and I sure miss them when they’re gone.
Cat Man
I’m a cat man
and a dog man.
Way I see it
a soul can love dogs
and cats, and thus
cover a lot of ground
in the field of love.
People say
cats love no one
but themselves. Not so!
They love the way they love.
—with pure, wild cat love.
And for those
who don’t feel it
where they feel the world,
now maybe there’s an empty space,
and hey—we know
how Nature feels
about a vacuum.
So heads up,
you dogs-only people,
the sands beneath your feet
could be shifting
—not that a cat
is due to arrive, but maybe
some even stranger
heart-stretcher
is slipping in under the radar.
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6. Wisdom for the New Year
As I’m heading off to a writing retreat in a few days, seems like a little perspective on writing is in order.
“Good writing is always about things that are important to you, things that are scary to you, things that eat you up.”
—John Edgar Wideman (b. 1941), author
“"Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion."
—Barry Lopez (1945-2020), author
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Cheers Everybody! Here’s to a sweet year unfolding from here.
TK
PS Thanks always to the folks at Elixir Strings for keeping me playing the world's best strings for over 25 years.