‘Tis the Season! 2

Time has been flying by… Summer was full and wonderful, as was the fall. I recently returned home from a stretch that had me playing in 5 provinces and 2 States, with plenty of flights and car travel taking me to and fro. At one point I thought my butt was going to turn to mush from all the sitting and driving! 🙂 Good thing I got a bit of exercise running through airports hoping to make my connections. Nothing quite like running with a banjo on your back. I attempted to entertain delayed passengers with my banjo at the George Bush Airport in Houston… wish I could have captured that on video!

I now find myself alone in my rental house, doing a massive purge of everything I own, organizing items and getting things ready for storage. I’m moving out of where I’ve been living for over 6 years and it’s amazing the amount of stuff one collects. I’m feeling mixed emotions… Moving is stressful and exhausting and overwhelming, and I’ll be house-hopping until I find a new place to call home. But purging is helping to lighten things a bit — it feels good to take stuff to the Sally Ann, knowing someone else will be able to use something that has been weighing me down. Purging, packing and moving is also a time when we find out who we are. The “things” we surround ourselves with, be it furniture or books or instruments or knick-knacks, say a lot about ourselves. I for one have a hard time letting anything go, I tend to hold onto things, thinking these items are going to offer me some kind of security or sense of home. The concept of home and family has been something that I’ve often struggled with, of learning how to feel at home with myself, no matter where I am. Because I travel for a living I’m constantly staying in other people’s homes, and so many have welcomed me into their families as well, and it has helped me maintain a sense of belonging when I’m on the road. It’s when I get home to where I live that I often feel out of sorts, I start wondering where I belong, where I need/want to be, who I want to be with. I think this is something that all humans struggle with at points in our lives — where do we belong, who is our family, where is our home. Deep thoughts to start the holiday season 🙂

Before I sign off, I’m offering some Spectacular Seasonal Specials on CDs and merch! If you’re looking for something unique and fun to give to friends and loved ones this holiday season, I may have the answer! Check out the photo above: there are LOADS of fun colourful socks for him and her, even for babes and toddlers, as well as cool t-shirts, hand-screenprinted posters, and of course CDs!  Reviews of the new album are coming in, and all I can say is WOW. One reviewer in New York called it a Certified Desert Island Disc!  If you’re interested in purchasing something for the Season, I can mail items to you gift-wrapped, signed and ready to go. Payment can be made via PayPal as well as with Credit Card over the phone (in a few days I’ll be ready to accept cards)!! All prices are in CAD$ and include GST; all you need to add are shipping/mailing costs. Here are the deals:

CDs $20
Shirts $25
Socks $10

Deals!
CD + Socks = $25
CD + Socks + Shirt = $45
Shirt + Socks = $30
2 CDs = $30

Even Better Deals!
2 CDs + 2 pairs of Socks = $45
2 CDs + 2 pairs of Socks + 2 Shirts = $80
2 pairs of Socks + 2 Shirts = $55
5 CDs + 5 pairs of Socks = $110
5 CDs + 5 pairs of Socks + 5 Shirts = $200
10 pairs of Socks + 2 CDS = $100

Send me an email – cara@caraluft.com – and we can sort out how to get these gifts to you!

Heartfelt thanks to all the promoters and hosts this past year, and to the best fans a folkie could ever wish for…

Much love, peace and hope to you all this holiday season,

Cara