Hi everybody, this is the end of the year letter I sent out to all my local IL fans, but I wanted to send it out to everybody else as well..... big apologies if you have written me recently on the myspace and I haven't been able to write you back right away. I do my best....

I hope you all had a nice holiday. These are the days of the year that are some of my favorites... The days between christmas and new years. Festive still, but quieter and unrushed. There will be hopefully some time for reflection, creativity, some old movies, a little outdoor fun since the coldest days are still yet to come. I always wish that the week between christmas and new years would last at least two weeks.

I have been thinking about how fast the time is flying by. The big decorative pumpkins on my concrete steps are now looking like deflated beachballs. Very sad and almost disgusting looking. Their removal will necessitate a big flat grain shovel. It seems like just last week that I hauled them up from my neighbor's pumpkin patch in the holler, in early October. Now in the last breath of the current year, its almost scary how much time went by in just a few blinks of an eye.
I hope this has been a good year for everyone. I sure appreciate all the folks that come out to our shows, and thanks also to all the new people who have signed up to get my silly little emails. We didn't cover quite as much ground this year as in the year before, but we did meet quite a few new friends, and sure appreciate each and every one of you. I have to apologize right here and now for being lame with answering all the email greetings within a respectable amount of time. I wish I had four of me. Then I could just sit here on the couch and write songs or paint paintings, and I could point fingers... I'd have one of me doing the myspace, youtube, and emailing and booking, another of me cleaning, renovating my old farmhouse, and another of me out there exercising the horses and clearing fencerow and running around making social calls on all my good old friends that I owe visits to. But there is only one of me, so I am left to juggle a million things, and a lot of stuff just sits on the back burner til it starts to mold or turn crusty depending on the humidity. I just want to thank all the folks that have written me, offered advice and good cheer, or even emailed me a joke, funny animal photo, or outrageous video link. Thanks for checkin' out our youtube vids, and my paintings, or putting your 2 cents worth in on the discussion board. Thanks especially to everybody who came out to the shows and hollered out a request or even took home a cd. That's so great, and I am so grateful.

The one me that does exist made the decision go into the studio this coming week and start to record some new songs. I was at a friend's house on Christmas, and in the bathroom was the Farmer's Almanac for 2008. I randomly opened to a page, and there was a table for the whole year, with the best days in each month for doing a particular activity, from fishing, to planting, to starting or ending projects. It said that December 28 and 29th were the best days this month to start a new project. Coincidentally, (though we all know there are no such things as coincidences) I had booked the first recording date for the 29th. The Farmer's almanac never lies so I feel good about this. Of course, there is no telling when it will end. I will have to consult the almanac for 2009 or 2010 for the best days to choose as a deadline.

So, that's what's happening. I want to tell everybody that we will be heading south to Florida in a couple weeks to play on a "bluegrass cruise" with 9 other bands. I will be giving a songwriter workshop and Robert will give a guitar workshop as well. This cruise will be flanked by 6 house concerts throughout Florida and Georgia, including the towns of Tampa, Ocala, Rockledge, St. Augustine, in Florida, and Gainesville and Milledgeville in Georgia. Please check out the complete details on my myspace page if you know anybody in those areas who might be interested in any of these shows. The dates run from January 15 to January 25th with possibly more coming in.

I want to wish everyone on the email list a very very happy new year- best of health and happiness, and success in everything you attempt, no matter how small.

I am looking forward to seeing you all next year somewhere down the trail. Please keep in touch.

Love, wil

hey! what did the monk say to the hotdog vendor? Make me one with everything.