Last night the Salish Sea Players performed at the Norse Home on Phinney Ridge. I have wanted to play a concert there for a long time. When I was much younger I would perform there quite often with various groups, and my most memorable performance, the performance that really taught me about the power of music, was on the Norse Home’s nursing floor (I’m not sure it’s there anymore). A pianist and I performed the Tchaikovsky violin concerto–I actually can’t believe that I used to perform that piece, but there you go.

But the BIG reason I wanted to perform at the Norse Home again was because that is where my little Grandma lived for the last few years of her life. They were so good to her.

My Grams came to every concert I played growing up and was so supportive and always had good observations (of course, it was always that I was wonderful!). She would say “I don’t know anything about music” but she DID. She came to the USA from Norway when she was around 14 years old—probably around 1912 or so–and went to live with some of her older siblings who had come over earlier. I’ve heard it was a musical family—her brother played violin and Grams played an instrument like the auto-harp—and they would play for dances. I think she would be happy that I came and played at the Norse Home.

The Norse has been updated but it still feels the same—warm, spacious, and inviting. A beautiful wide open dining and entertainment area right when you walk in the door and the ceilings are really high. You can see the Olympic Mountains from the back part of the building. Spectacular. Our audience last night was so energetic and they asked lots and lots of great questions. I think Fred really enjoyed himself because he was slipping in a few more of his jokes than usual—the audience and I were giggling every time he stood up to speak! One of my favorite comments of the night was that the Salish Sea Players put on a very “folksy” show. I think Grams would have approved!

The first picture is of my Grams, Sally Covin,  after she had moved to the Norse Home.
The second picture is of Grams and me celebrating our birthdays together (they were two days apart)—this must have been December of 1971!!