Winter

We’re getting towards the end of February which means we should be thinking about spring, but since we’ve been watching the Winter Olympics I still have winter strongly in my mind. Winter has always been a mix of fun and hard work in my mind. When I lived at a ski resort there was excitement every day that there might be great skiing with fresh snow, and there wasn’t much downside because everyone loved the snow and the adventure it brought. But winter has always meant scary roads and having to change plans around the weather. Sometimes it meant shoveling snow day after day and chipping ice just to maintain a driveway so I could get to work. Wearing extra layers and heavy boots is also a little more work. But in the beginning of the winter it means the holidays and lots of fun. Even in February I love the beauty of winter. Fresh, undisturbed snow is so beautiful, and frost and ice on the dried grass and trees is delicate and striking to see. It’s a whole different world. And the variety of the seasons is something I really cherish. When I talk to friends who live in areas where there isn’t much seasonal change they often talk about how boring it is to not see those changes. So I’ll take winter and enjoy it. I do prefer the fall overall, but I’ll love winter too!

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What have I been up to?


I had 14 senior facilities last week. That sounds like a lot, but they went by so fast with so much fun. I ended up doing a lot of Mardi Gras songs all week which were full of energy and joy. I think my folks really liked them! I love playing for them.

My Wednesday online show was cabin songs, and it was so much fun. There are some great songs about cabins and that wonderful feeling they bring when you spend time in them. Check out the show if you’d like to hear some of them - https://www.facebook.com/tommunch/videos/1221946313443136/ orhttps://tommunch.com/online-concerts I think that everyone enjoyed it!

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests as always, and what a great night it was! We had most of our regulars tuned in, and it was full of wonderful requests and good vibes. Such fine times!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’ll probably start bridging into some Irish tunes. I love Irish tunes so much, and there is only a small window when people really want to hear them - just like Christmas songs. I do have an Irish guitar that I love to play, and I’m always ready to pull it out and go to town on some great Irish tunes.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be winter songs as I wrote about above. I’ll try not to make folks feel too cold! It’s really neat to think about the beauty of winter and the difference it brings to our thoughts - good and bad. There are some wonderful tunes. Come on out!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I usually say this is the highlight of the week, and it often is. There’s such a warm camaraderie in the group that gathers around me and supports each other and the music. You’re always welcome!

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That’s it for this week. I did hear from Bruce in Cuchara about booking 2 dances in July and August at the Community Center for Dennis Mills and me. Those are always really fun nights. I’ll let you know when we pick the dates. I hope you got a chance to watch the Olympics and to revel in the joy and adventure those athletes feel. It was grand! Have a good week, and I’ll ring in again next week.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of winter songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, February 25, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, February 29, Just kidding - March 1, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Cabin

I was asked to do a show at one of my senior facilities recently with a cozy cabin theme. I had so much fun finding songs and playing them that I thought it would be a great theme for my Wednesday online show. I have spent some of my favorite times in a cabin whether it was in the mountains or at a lake or ocean shore. There’s just something so enchanting about a cabin with its simple ambience and rustic feel. It’s filled with a nostalgia for the historic past when folks lived closer to the land and were more self-reliant. I sometimes long for those days. I can remember quiet mornings with the clouds hanging low in a meadow with an ancient fire crackling in the fireplace and damp boots drying by the door while a map was laid out with wonderful plans and adventure waiting. I’ve even had a hand in building ia cabin, and it makes me feel connected to my ancestors in a deep way. “Away, away, come away with me, and I’ll build you a home in the meadow.” Sounds good, doesn’t it?

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What have I been up to?

I had 10 senior facilities last week including 1 new one on Valentine’s Day that went really well. I played love songs for all of them, and it was so good spreading some love and warm feelings. I so enjoy playing for these folks. 

My Wednesday online show was also doing love songs, and it went so well. There were lots of great requests, and I think we did Saint Valentine proud. I love this group. 

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and I did a lot of Mardi Gras songs in addition to some great requests. What a night!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 14 senior facilities this week, and I hope to play Mardi Gras songs for at least a few of them before Fat Tuesday is over. There are so many fun songs for Mardi Gras. 

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be cabin songs. I had thought about doing Mardi Gras songs, but they don’t mean as much once the day is over. So we’ll do cabins songs as I wrote about above. There are so many songs that make me think of the fun and warmth of a cabin that I know it’ll be a good time. Come on out if this sounds good to you. 

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and this is always the highlight of the week as the friendship and camaraderie flow with the good tunes. I love playing for all of the Munch Bunch, and you’re always welcome!

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That’s it for this week. It already feels like winter is waning here even though I know we’ll get some snow and cold coming. It even rained overnight a couple nights ago which is very odd for us in February. I hope you are healthy and happy even with all the angst in the world. 

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of cabin songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, February 18, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, February 22, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Switching Gears

I want to write this week about making decisions about switching gears in life. I’ve always had a hard time changing things up. I stick with things long after most folks would give up. In some ways that’s admirable, and in some ways it’s not very wise. I like to serve and I like to help, and sometimes I’d rather do that than to venture out on a new path. My father-in-law used to good-naturedly tease me about how many places I had played music that had closed underneath me. That hasn’t happened in a while now, but I still think of that. It takes time to establish something worthwhile, and even though I’m not the best promoter, I do like to take the time to develop ideas and places. Luckily people have always seen my heart and have known that I am there for them. More and more, the aches and pains of age are catching up with me, and I know that someday sooner than later I’ll have to slow down. Jen is often reminding me that we want to do some traveling and that I have a lot of extra equipment and junk that we (I) should move on to a better home. I’ve always thought that I would play music until I was unable to - sometime in my 70s or 80s. I do watch my friends doing lots of cool things in their retirement like taking summer jobs in the mountains or traveling to some really cool places. Others keep inviting us to visit, and I have to tell them I’m still working. So when do you decide to slow down and switch gears? I’ll be 65 in April, and I remember that my dad retired at 66. All my siblings have retired, and Jen hasn’t worked outside the house in 10 years. (I’m fully aware that she still works harder than me!) If I don’t retire I’m afraid my body will make me regret it. So this has been on my mind a lot as I wake up to aches and pains and watch my voice and fingers struggle. If I start to sound really awful I hope you’ll let me know that it’s time!

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What have I been up to?

I had 7 senior facilities last week, and I throughly enjoyed them all. I had to reschedule one so we could take Beau to a specialist to check out several lumps under his skin. They all look benign, but we’ll have surgery on him Tuesday to remove them so they don’t affect his love of taking walks and playing. He’s a good boy, and he deserves the best.

My Wednesday online show was love songs, and we definitely played some great ones. I would bet that half the songs In the world are about love, or at least it seems that way. Everyone really got into it, and I was so happy to be in the flow of love.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and we were missing a few folks due to the Super Bowl, but we sure had fun with some new songs and obscure favorites. I love this group! 

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities even with one cancelled for Beau’s surgery and one cancelled for budget reasons. I love playing for these folks, and we’ll be doing love songs and songs for Mardi Gras as well since it’s only 3 days past Valentine’s Day this year. I have 3 special shows for these facilities on Valentine’s Day.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be love songs once again to celebrate Valentine’s Day. These songs are so joyful and uplifting, and I’ll hope you’ll come out and enjoy them with me.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests with an emphasis on Mardi Gras songs. These nights are always pretty special, and the folks in this community are so welcoming and supportive that it’s always a great time. You’re always welcome, and give me some requests if you have some.

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That’s it for this week. I appreciate you so much, and I thank you for reading my ramblings. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of love songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, February 11, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests with a lot of Mardi Gras songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, February 15, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Love

My show this Wednesday is songs about love, and of course I’d like to say something meaningful about love. I’ve written about love many times before, and I do think it is ultimately the most powerful force in the universe. For Valentine’s Day we’re thinking more about romantic love, but love can be generalized into caring and regard for each other since it shares the core of what romantic love is as well. Why do we have so much trouble practicing love? Religious theory stresses that we are sinful and incapable of showing love to each other without divine intervention. I don’t believe this for a second because I see the love that is expressed between people with no religious background and also in nature where animals that are supposedly dumb express love towards each other all the time. No, I think love is a conscious choice based on awareness of others and the bigger picture of who we are and where we are on this planet and in the universe. Those who don’t practice love are unwilling or incapable of showing the understanding that all things work together either in harmony or in dissonance. We are here in this life to figure that out, and some people just don’t get it. I know that it is a process, and I know that it took me a while to get it, but I don’t understand why we don’t stress it more and make it even more a part of our culture. There have been times when we have really tried. When I sing some songs of the 1960s and 1970s I’m almost surprised at the blunt lyrics about loving each other, and I lived through those times! Think of songs like “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles, “Love Is the Answer” by England Dan and John Ford Coley, or “What the World Needs Now Is Love” by Jackie DeShannon. I still treasure those songs, and I still believe that they were on the right track. It’s funny how we get cultural notions about certain things that then dominate our conversation even when they are misguided. We also let louder voices often change our culture when we know better. But love is patient and love is kind, and so we tolerate everyone until things can get better. Love is the main thing in life. If we don’t understand it here then we will all understand it someday. Show your love, folks.

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What have I been up to?

I had 7 senior facilities last week, and I had such a good time providing a lift and some smiles to these folks. One of the shows I did was “cozy cabin” songs. I had a lot of fun getting into the feeling of being in a mountain cabin on a winter day. I even learned a couple new songs.

My Wednesday online show was my original songs, and everyone really enjoyed it. I forget how much I like to play my own songs and tell stories about them. I should do it more often.

My Sunday online show was doing favorites and requests, and there were some wonderful requests including some ‘60s protest songs and a few new songs. It was a blast!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 7 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to them all. I had to cancel one for our dog Beau so he can get a lump checked out on his side. We’re hopeful it’s just a lipoma (fatty deposit) and that if it requires surgery that it won’t be too much of an ordeal for him. I may need to take some time off for treatments though.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be love songs as I wrote above. I’m not sure what type of love songs we’ll do (romantic or general), but it will be a sweet night of good stuff! Come on out!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and  there is never a shortage of wonderful requests and songs for this night. I’d love to have you in the audience if you’d like to tune in!

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Going forward

I did schedule the Yellow Pine barbecues for this summer on Thursdays from June 11 to August 6. Stay tuned for more, and call them up if you want to book some time in their cabins or come to the barbeques. 719-742-3528

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That’s it for this week. I love and appreciate you. I hope you are healthy and happy no matter what life is giving you.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of love songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, February 4, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests 

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, February 8, 7-8:45 pm mountain time