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Saturday, January 03, 2009

Circle Time: The Show and Tell Weekly Thread

If you're here for the Creme de la Creme, it's the post below this one. I also have a hotlinked icon on the right sidebar with the date and time of the last update. Entries are still coming in and the list will continue to be updated as new ones are added. Check back frequently...

Show and Tell is wasted on elementary schoolers. Join several dozen bloggers weekly to show off an item, tell a story, and get the attention of the class. In other words, this is Show and Tell 2.0. Everyone is welcome to join, even if you have never posted before and just found out about Show and Tell for the first time today. So yank out a photo of the worst bridesmaid's dress you ever wore and tell us the story; show off the homemade soup you cooked last night; or tell us all about the scarf you made for your first knitting project. Details on how to participate are located at the bottom of this post.

Let's begin.

What is the most delightful sound known to man? Yes, you guessed correctly, the Irish Penny Whistle.

I ended up with this beauty of an instrument because I had to live up to my moniker at school which was "the teacher who teases too much." While in Galway on a school field trip (just in case you did a double take with that sentence, it was an experiential education school that had field trips each spring for everywhere from Ireland to Morocco to even Cuba, boycott be damned!), I told the children that I was going to treat them to a true Irish experience.

While they excitedly debated what this experience would be (remembering fondly the day I took them to tea at Bewley's and promised the host my life if they so much as dropped a crumb on the floor and begged and begged and begged until he allowed me to bring 18 middle schoolers in to suck down clotted cream until their heart's content), I picked up the whistle at a music store and tucked it into my bag.

Once back on the bus, I told them that I was now going to treat them to a live show of Irish music. Someone commented that they didn't know that I played an instrument and I responded, "I don't." They were trapped on a bus with this for a solid hour. One of the high points of my trip.



After I recorded that and was waiting for Josh to prepare the sound file, my muse struck me again and I literally figured out this one by ear. I think it shows true musical talent. Josh thinks it's morbid that I tend to sing "The Mermaid" whenever we're on a boat, but there's nothing wrong with playing it in the living room. By the way, that part at the end? I call it my "flare." It's my signature sign-off for every song.



For those who saw my earlier Facebook crowing about playing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and thought they were going to get to hear that treat, I apologize. That was a special on-command performance for Josh and the dryer repairman. But I'm happy to take requests for future installments of my new online show--The Irish Penny Whistle Hour.

What are you showing today
?

Click here or scroll down to the bottom of this post if this is your first time joining along (hint: link to the permalink for the post, not the main url for your blog and use your blog's name, not your name). The list is open from now until late Tuesday night and a new one is posted every week.

Other People Standing at the Head of the Class:

1. Raggedy Ann
2. The Steadfast Warrior
3. Baby Smiling In Back Seat
4. The Johnson Family Journey (Tarah)
5. Busted
6. WiseGuy
7. The Fertile Infertile/Kristin
8. Delenn
9. On The Road to Baby
10. My Reality
11. EG
12. Cara
13. Cara (parenting after loss)
14. Queenie
15. JamieD
16. Mrs Spock
17. Divine Secrets of the Infertility Sisterhood
18. Stacie (Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey!)




Want to bring something to Show and Tell?
  • If you would like to join circle time and show something to the class, simply post each Saturday night (or earlier in the week or on Monday if you can't do the weekend), hopefully including a picture if possible, and telling us about your item. It can be anything--a photo from a trip, a picture of the dress you bought this week, a random image from an old yearbook showing a person you miss. It doesn't need to contain a picture if you can't get a picture--you can simply tell a story about a single item. The list opens every Saturday night and closes on Tuesday night.
  • You must mention Show and Tell and include a link back to this post in your post so people can find the rest of the class. This spreads new readership around through the list. This is now required.
  • Label your post "Show and Tell" each week and then come back here and add the permalink for the post via the Mr. Linky feature (not your blog's main url--use the permalink for your specific Show and Tell post).
  • Oh, and then the point is that you click through all of your classmates and see what they are showing this week. And everyone loves a good "ooooh" and "aaaah" and to be queen (or king) of the playground for five minutes so leave them a comment if you can.
  • Did you post a link and now it's missing?: I reserve the right to delete any links that are not leading to a Show and Tell post or are the blogging equivalent of a spitball.

21 comments:

Raggedy Ann said...

I envy your musical talent! I think you're ready to join the Pogues!

The Steadfast Warrior said...

Three cheers for Mel!! I especially love your flare! :)

'Murgdan' said...

Ahahahaha...awesome. Especially the flare.

AnotherDreamer said...

lol, I too liked the flare. I have a Native American Courting Flute I picked up at a Pow Wow... can't play it very well, but I like to attempt to. Attempt being the key word here. Nice.

Busted said...

My sound isn't on so I can't hear it, but I'm impressed nonetheless!

We have Angel Wings said...

Nice! :) You did a wonderful job.

Baby Smiling In Back Seat said...

I am guessing that you spent more than a penny to buy that whistle.

If Single Ladies is out of the question for requests, how about Crazy In Love? Bootylicious?

Kristin said...

You are awesome...and I love that you made them listen to you for an hour.

Lori Lavender Luz said...

I play the real flute. A little better. OK, a lot better.

Maybe because it cost more than a penny.

But my laugh is nowhere near as endearing.

GINA and KEV said...

The Irish Penny Whistle???

Now that's a first for me.

Obviously not for you...

Nice!

..al said...

Too good. Thx for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I am so glad I wasn't on that bus with you!

Cara said...

Ahh - to hear one of your former student tell the story. I gander it would have a slightly different, flare?

That was hysterical and almost makes me want to grab my flute fromt he the back of the closet - almost.

Jamie said...

I have been inspired. I'm going to find me my very own Irish Penny Whistle right now. Between me and Hubby's harmonica I bet we can make beautiful music!

(Ahhh, the cats are going to hate us!!)

Anonymous said...

Your laughing 'flare' really
brightened my day today. Ta!!

What did you do to load the sound clip? I am now inspired to do my Irish fiddle for show and tell this week, but need help knowing how to post the sound file.

MrsSpock said...

Not too shabby for someone who doesn't play an instrument. Facebook? I just FINALLY joined today. So I have no idea about what you're talking about there.

Stacie said...

Priceless, Mel! You are quite the musical genius! :-)

I totally love that you played for the hour while they were on the bus! LOVE IT!

Dora said...

I LOVE YOUR LAUGH!!

Your penny whistling totally freaked out one of my cats. He circled the laptop, pawing it, trying to understand where the sound was coming from. When I tried to swat him away, he swatted me back.

Last time he reacted like this was over a sound file Julie posted. http://www.alittlepregnant.com/alittlepregnant/files/screech.wav

Bea said...

Ooh! Irish Penny Whistle Hour. I have been waiting so long - my whole life, in fact - for someone to come up with that show.

Bea

Coffeegrljapan said...

The way that you can laugh at yourself and find a way to enjoy life - with something as simple as a penny whistle - it makes me smile. Okay, it made me laugh hysterically!! Thanks for sharing such talent and flair.

bleu said...

CHEATER CHEATER PUMPKIN EATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So not fair I call FOUL FOUL FOUL!!!

I wanted to SEE you play, not just hear you.

I am DEEPLY disappointed.