Starting the Process

Eskey’s Ridge

Our first meeting happened just as it should…on the front porch at my mother’s, sitting in the porch swing, watching summer come to life on the peaks and valleys of the sweeping vista spread out in front of us. After much paper rustling, page turning, cigarette smoking, laughing, listening, talking and generally enjoying each other’s company, we managed to make a schedule for the songs I am going to learn. No lie, I suddenly realized what a daunting task this project has presented me with. I am excited, of course, but also a little nervous. What if I am not up to it? What if I end up embarrassing myself and, even worse, embarrassing mother? What if Donna Ray (Donna Ray Norton) would have been the better candidate? If you haven’t guessed it yet, I do have a nasty habit of second guessing myself. I want to be perfect at all things from the outset and, if I am not, then, by Ned, I ain’t doing it. I am also struggling with some feelings of guilt that I haven’t already tried to do something like this with mother before now. How could I have wasted so much time? Hopefully, throughout this project, I can learn how to give my self some grace…a learning curve as it were.

SIDE NOTE: Eskey’s Ridge came from my cousin Donna Ray and I calling Mother S.K (and her mother L.J).