Monday, January 22, 2007

Monday 22 January 2007: Sarah welcomes another Face The Day Guest, Hugo Valcke, and his lovely banjo creations while Heidi is doing her daily task...

Heidi says: just doing my job (Sarah adds: WOW! What a great photo Heidi! Seriously, IAVPOY!

Sarah says:
These photos are from Sunday evening and not from today since my Sunday photo was really from late late Saturday night. If I happen to see Heiditje today, I'll snap a today's shot!
Please welcome Guitar/Banjo fixer and builder Hugo Valcke to Face The Day! He's also the manager of Belgium's beloved singer, poet, artist Willem Vermandere and he's involved with supporting the Buddhist cause (Tibet cause) and busy with highlighting it during the upcoming yearly Ter Vrede Festival in Diksmuide. Last year my mom met him through my husband and they talked guitars. This year, Hugo was nice enough to stop by with two samples of his banjo work, which you can see below. It's such detailed work.
Don't you think that when my hair goes grey and I get a little older I'll sort of look like Hugo? Look at the photo above. We sort of look alike. It's the glasses and hair type maybe. Who knows!
Here is my mom with Hugo. We had a nice afternoon and my mom made us a tasty dinner! I'm really going to miss my mom's cooking! My husband will be lost without all that good food. We have really been spoiled by all these delicious meals. My mom has had as many visitors here as I have. She fits right in. Maybe she's a Belgian at heart - other than being cold all of the time and wearing earmuffs, gloves and capes in my house all day long. I made my mom buy some new clothes! It was time for a little style make-over! She looks young already but now, with the new clothes, she looks even younger. Can you believe she's 64? She looks great for her age.

Above is one of Hugo Valcke's wonderful banjo creations using Mother of Pearl. It's all detailed hand-work. I have to add that my husband's new shirt in the above photo is pretty beautiful too! My husband got a haircut and some new clothes and he's looking great!! In this house, it's like we are all having makeovers. Anyway, back to the banjos!
Above you can see some more precision carving work by Hugo Valcke on the neck of this banjo in progress. Nice job! I wonder how it will look when all done.

Anyway, it was a good Sunday afternoon and evening and weekend in total. I continue to feel awake and alive and pain-free. I still can't believe it! I never thought I'd feel this good again! I am really tired today after the weekend - I won't lie. So I still have to rest a lot obviously and build up my stamina slowly but surely. But I feel like a ball of energy - almost spastic without being able to be really. I know I have to take it slow and easy but my mind is twirling and twirling. It's all good...

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