Cue the happy music

I haven't played violin regularly for more than 20 years, but with Abby starting lessons, I decided I wanted to be able to play with her. So off we went to the violin repair shop to get my violin checked out. I also had my bow rehaired, picked up some rosin and a decent shoulder rest, and had one of Earl's bass bows rehaired, too.

Four hundred and fifty dollars later, I have an instrument that's playable again -- new sound post, bridge adjustment, new strings, new case, and of course a rehaired bow. And it's almost absurd, how happy I am. Violin was nearly my least favorite thing as a teenager. I put it down when I went to college and never picked it up again -- except for a couple of years ago, when I felt like fooling around with it. I sounded terrible, and now I realize it must have been the lack of good hair on the bow.

So I'm Twinkling for Abby, and playing other greatest hits from Suzuki books 1 and 2. Nothing too complicated, of course, and I've noticed that my left hand gets tired pretty quickly. That's good; I can sympathize with Abby when she tells me that practicing is tiring.

Here's a photo of the little violinist. Maybe I'll get one of us playing together someday.

Abby, pre-Twinkle