Summer Strum Monday Missive #10 - 5th June 2017 - a big ball of Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey

The Secret of Time Warping is Teamwork

Aagghhhh! There are just not enough hours in the day. I have what I have wished for for so long - a three day weekend and whilst the Strum organisation is in full swing it has been a true godsend. For now Monday has become my full-on Summer Strum day, or as I now call it my "sit on my arse in front of a computer screen or three (if the ipad is out as well!) day. Last Monday I sat on my arse for literally 7.5 hours. I then got up and spent 15,000 steps walking the long way round to a friend's house to collect the boys! I nearly killed myself it was so hot! Today I have sat on my arse for a little less (5 hours but counting - actually I am standing up at the kitchen counter right now). I will try to write a moderately entertaining missive between now and cooking tea, have a bath and then go to uke practice. Sorry kids - you'll have to entertain yourselves ... at least there are no after school clubs to go to on a Monday - phew - every cloud!

What have I done in those 5 hours and counting? I was going to time how long I took just sitting around waiting for websites to load, for computers to switch on, for documents to save, for photographs to upload but I figured that would be a bit sad! It was a lot of time btw! Well - today I are be mostly (sic *Fast Show*) sorting out the Festival Programme: writing copy, finding photos, chasing folk for bios, chasing other folk for advertising - if you know any local businesses that you think could benefit from an advert please feel free to push them in our direction**! It is all coming together nicely and is a job well done so far :-) I just wish there were more hours to get it well and truly ticked off the list.

Can you believe where the time goes? It's June already and the 5th of June at that! Five days have elapsed since the month changed from May to June! I know that's how it happens but why does it have to happen so quickly? That means one month and 2 days until we blast into action and pull off another fabulous festival! My planner says ADVERTISE ADVERTISE ADVERTISE and that's just what we will be doing between now and then.

I am just so glad that Pat and I don't have to do all this alone! Because, you know what? We couldn't ... there are just not enough minutes in the day! So a hugemungus (made up word) thank you to you folk who have helped out with all this -  designing, tweeting, facebobbing, emailing, bike deliveries - you are all truly wonderful human beans (and shouldn't truly be spelt with an 'e'? Truely - it looks so much better!). We cannot express how much we appreciate you.

If I could have a super power it would be a mash up (cos I like a mash up, me) between altering time and SuperSpeed(TM). Between the two I could get all the mundane jobs out the way quickly, then expand time so that everything that needs to be done for the strum gets done in a timely and meticulously-organised fashion (instead of repeatedly saying stuff like "oh bugger we didn't get those flyers printed again". I would create bigger pockets of time to practice the ukulele (!!), exercise (would I though?), plan lovely things to do with the kids, see more of my family - all the stuff that takes back seat to the mundane. Of course I would get to pick people to enjoy this time warping with me because where's the joy of doing everything by yourself? I like my own company I really do but there's a beauty in teamwork - triangulating problems and ideas, brainstorming over a drink or two (that, of course, is not how the Summer Strum is organised! No sir!). Together, with the right team, is the only way to get stuff done well and we are super lucky to have a damn fine team of folk working behind the Summer Strum scenes :-)

So there is one last bit of teamwork we want to ask of you ALL this month - pretty please. Can you shout about the Summer Strum wherever you can - if you need flyers to hand out or posters to put up please holler and we'll get some to you. The more people that know, the more people will come to listen to you play, will come and buy things from the hard-working craftspeople selling their wares, will attend the workshops (more on these soon); will buy raffle tickets and pop their spare change in the charity buckets. By working together as a great big team let's make this Summer Strum the busiest yet where we make everyone feel welcome and part of something bigger :-)

That's all I have time for folks! My tardis awaits - see you next week xx

Em and Pat xx

**We are now offering a quarter page for eating establishments that wish to offer a voucher for all you hungry Summer Strummers.