Jimmie Rodgers....when I saw the date of that, I googled him because the Jimmie Rodgers I knew and loved ("Honeycomb", "Oh, Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again", etc.) wasn't even born in 1928. "My" Jimmie is listed as a pop singer, whereas the Jimmie Rodgers who did "Blue Yodel" was a country singer who died in 1933. FYI, the two are not related. Just a little Monday-morning trivia.

When a cousin gave us an upright piano when I was 4-years old, I taught myself how to play using ancient sheet music and old grade school music books left in the piano bench. I could read music before I could read books. Then I had piano lessons once a week in music class in grade school for several years. That was the beginning..... When I was 13 I borrowed a guitar, restrung it, bought a Chet Atkins cord book from the store where I purchased the strings and taught myself how to play cords on the guitar. I already knew cords on the piano so it was a good transition. I could transpose music to a different key from what I knew from playing the piano. I remember those raw finger tips until I learned the G, C, D7 cords so I could play a song - in fact, a lot of songs with those three cords. Now I have a uke my daughter brought back from Hawaii and it's been fun learning the cords for it. And thanks to the magic of the internet, I also found lessons on-line for both guitar and uke I found helpful. I still like the guitar more, especially a 12-string (which gives me the illusion I'm better than I think I am (LOL). I'm with Snidely on this one, I don't particularly care for the sound of a ukulele. I play it for my own amusement. I played the guitar at school functions with friends as a teen, church, and other functions over the years. Senior Citizen groups love me when I bring a group of children to sing - especially Christmas songs. I'm more of a sing-a-long player. I brought a dulcimer home from Nashville on a visit several years ago, and it was easy to learn. The man who was selling them gave me a few pointers and I had it mastered on the 12-hour trip back to Kansas. Ironically, the dulcimer purchased in Tennessee was made here in Kansas, not far from where I live. I tried a friend's 4-string guitar once. He liked it because he has small hands. I found it "odd" to use since I learned on a 6-string, but was able to play it after a few minutes. Not as rich a sound as a 6- or 12-string. A 4-string guitar may be another choice if you are already acquainted with a 6-string. I would go to a music shop with instruments and give different things a try before buying. -Grainlady

I still don't see how water on the inside sill could be caused by the stucco installation if flexible self-adhering flashing was properly installed over the nailing fins. Has that been eliminated as a cause yet? I am suspicious that self-adhering flashing might not be used in this location. IMO exposed sealant is little more than a gap filler in the long run since the sealant will eventually need to be removed and replaced. Such details are inappropriate for buildings that will not have on-going maintenance programs, budgets and building managers. There is a price to be paid for clean modern minimalist facades and the systems are changing so fast its difficult to understand how to install them. It wasn't so long ago when window manufacturers refused to provide installation advice but then they discovered they could use it to void warranties. I think they are by far the poorest source for that kind of information. If they knew how to build buildings they would design better windows.

I don't have any more songs for this at the moment, and so if someone else wants to start part II, feel free. I'm getting packed to go back to L.A. this morning and won't be around.