This site includes the postings from the Irish Aires email list. This includes a listing of Irish/Celtic events in the Houston area and other information that the Irish Aires radio program posts.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Melody's Harp Store Web Site's Problems



 
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March 23, 2013

 

Dear Friends,

 

As you may have noticed, both of our web sites are not functioning - folkharp and afghanpressmusic. It is a scripting issue. No products have been lost or customer information compromised. We have been working on it consistently. That is the short story. The long story is.... well, let us not go into that. Too much typing on my part and a lot of very uninteresting, yawnful jargon. So, since there are very few orders coming in, like Zero, John has time to practice cello and I have time to write this note. Maybe it's like being retired?

 

So since we can't advertise anything right now,  we'll talk about important things.  Firstly, we hope that you are well and happy, centered and grounded, and enjoying the things that enlighten and fulfill you in every way.   

 

For years we produced a printed catalog.  Because producing a publication of that magnitude requires almost full time attention, we have chosen to concentrate on our web site instead (which is not working now ironically). Many of you miss the pictures of our pets.  I hope this catches you up on what has been happening in the little world of Melody's. 

 

John and I both just turned 58. I bought him a box kite for his birthday.  

 

John has been into music in a big way lately. A couple of years ago he met up with his HS best friends whom he hadn't seen in years. It turns out that for many years they have all lived in the same area without knowing it. They had played music in HS,  and that tradition has been revived. They practice here at the shop, and John has added bass guitar and keyboard to his guitar playing. He also received a cello for Christmas 2011 and is getting pretty good at it.

 

 

 

 

Reba Punching BooksOur faithful employee, Reba Lunsford, is still with us thankfully. She is the patient one on the phone, the order puller, the paper and spiral binding purchaser, the calming influence in the shop, the animal communicator, the order processor, the gentle advice giver, the printer, the puncher of holes for binding Afghan Press publications, the music organizer, and the list goes on.... Her husband George comes almost every Friday and we have lunch. On rare occasion, we play Uno. So on Fridays if you want to call and place an order, please refrain from calling between 1 and 2:30 because it may interrupt our Uno game. <VBG>

 

Melissa Berger, grand student of Mary,Melissa Bergerformer student of Karen (who  used to work here) and almost graduate of Texas Tech returns this summer and we anxiously await her arrival. She's very organized and always keeps busy, helping with Afghan Press Publications and everything else. She'll stay here in Cypress and do her student teaching in fall. We're glad she'll be just down the road!

 

Our Mendelssohn, age 12, is recovering from demodectic mange. It is not contagious, and is generally brought on by stress or vaccinations. Mendelssohn had both last summer with a tumor removal surgery, at which time he was given a rabies vaccination. The surgery went well, the vaccination was an assault on his little body. We tried holistically to treat it for 8 months, and finally had to use a worming medicine called ivermectin, in very large doses. Since starting this protocol, he has improved greatly and we expect a full recovery. Mendelssohn has gone for many trips delivering foster and rescue dogs to their new homes, and up to Milwaukee where he has a second home with his Auntie Diane (Radspinner). He enjoys walks and rides in the car.  
Mary Holding Ricky at Lure Coursing 
 Our Ricky, age 7 Afghan Hound Rescue, is a champion lure courser. He's slow because of arthritis (poor nutrition the first 2 years of his life), but he is right on the lure. He came in 3rd place at the National Championship in 2011. Seriously, he has so many ribbons I don't have room for them. Very few rescues run in these races, as far as I know. He gets pretty wild out there.   We are very proud of him. Because of his very long spine, wewatch his pain level. Drops of wintergreen oil work great on him. He lets us massage it in, then goes to bed - our bed - right in the middle.

 

   

 

 

 

 

The cat - Spark Plug!.  Very strong personality and still insists on going outside. He has done remarkably well over the past 12 years. He does what he wants - when he wants. He is the alpha figure at our house. Yet he has a calming influence on all here. He's very good with all the foster dogs we have had (see below). Pretty much now he hangs close to the house, and we actually wish he would refrain from leaving the back yard, but having tried to keep him inside some 11 years ago we found is not an option if we wish to retain a semblance of sanity at our house.

 

Foster dogs - we have fostered over a dozen in the past 2 years. Some of them stay a long time, like Raskal, who came it at 155 and HW positive. John worked with him and his weight went down to just over 100, and miraculously he became HW negative without the typical treatment. Because we work on Saturdays, we can't always attend the Meet & Greets where fosters can meet prospective owners, so one of the volunteers took him to a Meet & Greet for us. We received a text from her, very unexpected, saying that someone had fallen in love with Raskal. Oh boy did they ever! So Raskal has a great home now and John is so proud of him.

 

We made YouTubes of some of our fosters and they are at a Pinterest Folder here. You Tubes really help prospective adopters get a better feel for the dogs than just pictures.

 

Last summer we adopted Sassy, now known as Spirit. Spirit is one of the most beautiful Goldens ever, but she has a propensity for severe anxiety and thunder fear, making herunadoptable. We fostered her twice because of this. In many discussions, we were enlightened that when dogs (like children), are moved from place to place, this causes mental and emotional duress. We decided that it was in her best interest to stay with us rather than risking yet another rejection; plus we have gotten used to her behavior. It is unpredictable, as sometimes she doesn't react at all. We have tried a lot of different remedies, including energy healing on her. Her improvement his been significant.

 

And then there is Joey, who came to us as a practically hairless, small full grown golden rescue from Brady, TX. Well apparently he just needed some good nutrition because now he has so much thick red hair it is crazy, and he is a normal size. We used to call him Little Bit, but that doesn't fit anymore. We think he is maybe 4.

 

I, Mary, spend summers in West Allis, WI where all my family is (sister, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew, 2 great nieces, many cousins). And generally where the hot Houston-type weather is not. I am privileged to help my sister care for our elderly aunts, and I also get to visit with my first mother-in-law, my harp teacher and my friends from HS, college and the harp community. It is good to connect with family and friends, and helps me to stay grounded. I have a tiny trailer home there in a retirement court, and my yard is secluded so it is quiet - really quiet! Often I hear the train whistle from the zoo, which reminds me of my childhood days. I am able to take 2 dogs so John isn't left with all the crew. The former owner planted beautiful hostas, and my neighbors are very pleasant, helpful and funny. Funny ha ha they make me laugh. My best friend from HS is cantor at Saint Sebastian, and sometimes I play harp there with her. I have high speed DSL and work on "Melody Stuff" remotely. 

 

So that's what's going on here in the little world of Melody's Traditional Music. I have just been informed that our Afghan Press Music site is now functioning correctly. Does that mean I have to go back to work?

 

 

 

 

 

Melody Productions Inc. | Afghan Press Music for Harp |  http://www.folkharp.com
Mary Radspinner | John Gill owners
melodytradmusic@gmail.com

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 jay

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