THE Violin

He Who Must Be Obeyed had 'the violin' in the car and was waiting form me to return from a breakfast with a group of retired highschool teachers. We went to Neilsen's violin place downtown. It is going to be fixed. With a smile, we were told it was a Pre-WWII Japenese violin and he would reglue, restring and replace the chin rest for a paltry $50. The bow was not worth rehairing.

I love going there, rows of violins for sale, new cellos, lots of charming photos of violinists who came to perform in the Orphium, glue vats, all the assorted impliments of an ancient skill. Who knows when we will get it back, that wasn't even discussed.

No wonder so many Asians are excellent violists. Japan made the instruments with the little yellow labels that attrack so many ignorant Americans. "Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonensis, Fasieabat Anno 1734" my foot! Didn't those folks worry about false advertising? The son who wishes he could have it, will have it. Without the bow unfortunately.

This morning I read a Nebraska Governor's Lecture in the Humanities in 1997 by Martin Marty. He gives a nice concise overview of Nebraska's pioneer writers, Cather, Morris, Sandoz, and Neihardt and Rolvaag. I feel the same connection to the prairie.