Love the word. Love the ax. Anne got me a little koa ukulele (ooo-koo-lay-lay) back in March, when we were in Honolulu. It's awesome. Now, there are the $10 ukes you can get at tourist traps or on EBAY. Can't even keep them in tune. Then there are the real ukuleles starting with mahogany and spruce axes made in china-nice enough, but they don't appreciate. Then there are the koa axes, wood harvested in Hawaii, shipped to china, parts cut in china, shipped back to Hawaii, assembled and finished in Hawaii. That's what I got-affordable, sounds great, and appreciates over time. Then there are the ones completely made in Hawaii-sound and priced like national treasures. Gotta get one of those some day.

In six weeks, I've learned "Something in the Way She Moves," "You Are My Sunshine," about a half dozen hymns, and IZ's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Sweet.