Although I will miss seeing Arlo at the church this year, I'm thinking it will make Woodyfest even more special than usual, and I'm hoping to make my annual trek there. I have a room, and that's a start! In the meantime, I'm gonna study the list of performers who will appear at the Guthrie Center this summer, and pick one or two shows I'd like to go to, so I can still enjoy some good music up there and support the church. I've always liked Jimmy Webb, and have never seen him. I wonder if I could make the 2 1/2 hour trip home after a show without falling asleep?

Oh. Ok. Yeah, when traditions fall over, people feel badly. Time for new traditions I guess.

Actually, not a bad idea at all! There is a place in the East Mountains called Manzano Mountain Retreat and it's VERY inexpensive and beautiful. We can all have a Blunder there for the ABQ Balloon Fiesta! Great thinking, Shelley.

Yes, thanks to the Wiz. And Arlo too. Or we wouldn't all be here,,,

The two main things I'm sad about are

(1) The people I can only see once a year, at the Fall Revival. The Troubadour Series looks REALLY GREAT this year, but it's another thing to fly up there for one night's show, and maybe see a few people we know and love rather than being with a BIG bunch of them, from all over, for the long weekend. If you're within a few hundred miles of the GC, it's not such a stretch, and I hope everyone who can go will go to some of the shows, and while you're there, send the more far-flung Blunderites some vibes (and hug George for us, and say Hi to Todd).

(2) My yearly trip "home" to the GC has kept me going through some pretty tough times. I will miss the sense of renewal I get from being in the Church.

Missing Arlo is not listed because we will still see Arlo (and the family--yay!) at least twice this year; in Austin and at WoodyFest--more times, if we're lucky.

I hope nobody takes this as grousing. It's not intended that way. I'm grateful for the wonderful times we have had at the Fall Revivals and hope there will be more Revivals to come.

well the way i read it, it's just this year that's impacted by arlo's expanded schedule.
So next year, we could all be looking forward to the Revived Revival! (catchy name, feel free to folk process it arlo!)

Shelley, I feel exactly the same way as you. Going to the church concerts means seeing friends I don't often see, helping out at the church, and feeding my soul, all at the same time, so I am sad there won't be any this year for those reasons. I hope that the Guthrie Center can raise as much money this year without Arlo's concerts as it would with them. As for seeing Arlo, if all goes according to plan, I'll see him at Woodyfest and Carnegie.

It just hit me. Folks could have an Arlo or Blunderite convention. Many fandoms have conventions. Like there's Beatles, Monkees, Starsky and Hutch, and Star Trek conventions aws well as conventions in other fandoms. I've been to 2 or 3 Monkees cons, a Monkees and Beatles con and some record collecting cons and a Monkees Beatles fans get together. You could have the con around a show of ahis or even have one at the church. Having one at the church would be a good fundraiser for them. Most cons charge something to cover their costs and if one was held at the church, they could maybe charge like $25 per person or so and the proceeds go to help the church. Just an ideqa. If folks hate it, my apologies. I probably couldn't go but this is jsut an idea to help folks out...

May even be paving the road to some kind of hall of fame...

[["(1) but it's another thing to fly up there for one night's show, and maybe see a few people we know and love rather than being with a BIG bunch of them, from all over, for the long weekend.... (2) My yearly trip "home" to the GC has kept me going through some pretty tough times. I will miss the sense of renewal I get from being in the Church." - Shelley C.]]

Shelley that is so true - and NOT only that - but for the last 10 years in a row, I have faithfully spent my last one week of vacation heading north (colder). There is no way when I have an opportunity to extend warm weather instead of extending cold - that I would come to the GC to see someone perform, (that I've probably seen at some other revival, during the year).

My only - here comes my whining...is - if the decision was because of contractual stuff - I wish we had known when it had first become evident. Last November, I had wrote my request for vacation - two weeks in July of 2010 - and told everyone I was coming to Okemah for the first time....(I need two weeks to do Oklahoma - we take the train due to costs). Then I thought about not spending every minute possible with my friends up at the church in October, (the Thursday hoot, etc) and in early February I changed it to one in July and one in October. This is, of course, irreversible, because no one else wants an October vacation (any more than I do). So, now, I dont get to see my friends either time.

I saw Arlo & family in Princeton (sort of) and will probably see him at Ramapo College (weather permitting - Larry -stay on stand by). I also usually go to Carnegie (My hometown) with John in November.

It's the friends that have been cut out of my schedule this year.

So, no, I won't be in Stockbridge this October.

Anyone up for DC or DisneyWorld (or the Bahamas) in October? (I keep getting more south as I think about it.)

DC is twenty miles from me...I'm always up for DC! And we have our very best weather in the fall...low humidity and good temps! Anyone up for DC in OLctober??

i can't say i'm totally bummed by the October date being missed this year, since i have such difficulty making up to the church that weekend almost every year for one reason or another... and this year became no different when I received a wedding save-the-date notice in the mail this past week for (you guessed it) 10-10-10. Since it's a family event, it'll fill the weekend...
so thanks to arlo for making up my mind for me, sort of...
and if you folks would like to try and arrange a tailgate somewhere, sometime, OTHER than Columbus day weekend, well maybe I'll try to not miss it!
It's hard not getting to see all my blunderfriends

I've never been to the church, so am not quite going through the emotional turmoil everyone else is experiencing.

I can, however, vouch for DC in October -- best time to come here, as Sue said, because temps are lower than summer but usually still nice (60s and 70s) and humidity is low, plus it isn't tourist season so you're not dealing with a bunch of crazed parents and kids.

Plus, we've got lots of free museums with Guthrie-connected stuff, cocoa bars, room to walk, good theater, free (and not free) music...and I think there's a Guthrie connection to the O Street Mansion (at least to Sarah Lee, who recorded a song for them -- see #4 at http://www.ostreetmuseumfoundation.org/recordings/ ). It is a very cool place -- I saw SL and Johnny do a concert there last year (and met a bunch of customs officers who were their biggest fans).

Living here in MD, I'm totally down for a DC area Blunder gathering...