Musical watershed

Hello again

At a ripe old age I reached a musical watershed this week.
It was my Mum's 75th birthday the other day. She lives about ten miles south of Berne and has a great circle of friends, most of them women she has spent hours every week in her keep-fit classes. (Have no fear, I didn't go around clicking my camera in everyone's face.) Once a year some of them go off on a man-free skiing week in the Bernese mountains. She always comes back refreshed and recharged. Seems they have a lot to laugh about during that week...
As has been her tradition for the past twenty years or so, she invited her friends round for a leisurely breakfast starting at about 9AM. On previous occasions, she asked one of her sisters to help, or one of her daughters-in-law, who are home makers and tend to be more readily available than her busy, self-employed daughter.
This year she asked me to go out there. I was glad for once to play the role of the perfect daughter. It was a pleasure to help set the table and serve coffee and tea, croissants and cake so that she could focus on her guests. My father played butler, taking everyone's coats and umbrellas (it was a damp day but not too cold).
Her women friends turned up in numbers. At one point, there were ten of them enjoying their food and drinks and chat.
When everyone had gone home to prepare lunch for their husbands or families, I gathered all my courage and took out my flute to play a few tunes I've been practicing over the past months.
It wasn't perfect but Mum was delighted and this has given me a great boost. I'm not used to playing to an audience and was quite nervous. I played a few Scottish and Swiss folk songs and ballads (the Scottish ballads Sae Will We Yet and Follow the Heron among them, two pieces I've learnt by ear from The Unusual Suspects's fantastic CD, Live in Scotland).*
I might now actively try and find someone to partner me on the piano or guitar.
I'd love that.

* http://www.unusualsuspects.uk.com/cd.html