It has been a very good week teaching songwriting here at Sorefingers music camp in Hampshire, UK. Some mighty fine songs have been born out of the class. I am so proud of my students, and as usual, I learned as much from them as they did from me.

Carpe Tea-em.

English dusk. Having a great time teaching in Hampshire.

A song for Easter that I learned as a young man in Arkansas. youtu.be/W1UTQVNrFms?...

We ate dinner at the Elvetham Hotel in Hampshire last evening. It is a beautiful building with magnificent grounds. The tree pictured was planted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1591. Sorefingers Music Camp begins tomorrow. I am teaching songwriting, and looking forward to the week.

Early morning walk, and Carpe Tea-em. Hook, Hampshire, UK.

"Go climb the highest mountain. I may not get there with you. Go cross the harshest desert. I may not get there with you. Go swim the deepest ocean. I may not get there with you. But I will join you when I can." I wrote this song in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Gone 58 years today.

It has been a day of delayed flights, and rebooking. But I made it through security, and am ready to start my journey to the UK. Big thanks to some mighty kind @deltaairlines gate agents at RDU for their help. Traveling mercies, please.

Benchwarming. Waiting for Rex Rehab Center to open. Sessions are going well.

I miss hearing Walter Cronkite on a space launch. Godspeed, Artemis II.

Just at the mall here in Raleigh. They have an Easter Bunny photo op set up in the courtyard. By my count, old Peter Cottontail terrified about 3/4 of the kids.

Iced Coffee Diem.

I have to say that I'm not looking forward to all the April Fools jokes tomorrow. Unbelievable things are already happening every day. How about instead of playing "gotcha," we just double down on being kind to each other? Sound like a plan?

You knew this was coming. 🤣

Passover starts tomorrow. I'm going to paint my doorposts with love, so that hate and intolerance pass over. Chag Pesach Sameach to all my friends who mark these days.

Meeting a friend in Chapel Hill for lunch. What a beautiful day!

Newberry Archive. Wedding portraits of my grandfather, Sterling P. Newberry and my grandmother, Dollie Ethel Potter. I see so many dear family faces in them.

Here is something from a King worth remembering... "We may have all come different ships, but we're in the same boat now." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

On my walk today. Get outside. It is good for your insides.

This made my day... Literally. Happy Joe Day to all who celebrate.

Tea-Diem.

I am up early this morning to take a friend to his eye surgery appointment. Coffee Diem in a bit.

Get outside. It is good for your insides.

Coffee Diem.

I have added a couple of items to my travel kit, and feel lucky that I can adjust a bit and stay on the road. Heading to the U.K. next week to teach songwriting. The list... Stetson - Check Banjo - Check Guitar - Check Merch - Check Luggage - Check Tanita Travel Scale - Check BP Monitor - Check

Augustus McRae wisdom... "If you want any one thing too badly, it's likely to turn out to be a disappointment. The only healthy way to live life is to learn to like all the little everyday things, like a sip of good whiskey, a soft bed, a glass of buttermilk, or a feisty gentleman like myself."

One in the plus column for Delta.

"By making everything a daily story instead of telling a broader one about this guy being out of his mind & a danger to us all, journalists show they’re still worried about coming across as partisan. They’d rather write down what he says & assume people can figure it out. But obviously many can't."

Coffee Diem.

The amount of yellow haze filling the air is just a pollen. [RIMSHOT]

Did my first out of town show since my stent, and lived to tell the tale. I am living proof of heeding signs that something was not right. If you experience chest pains, sweating, aching jaw, or nausea (those last two are often how women present) get checked out. I want you around for a long time.

Getting ready for a day (and evening) of fun at Queen City Music Studios in Staunton, Virginia.

Always something on the road... A propane truck had a leak, and a spark led to a fire. First responders and local fire departments here in Lynchburg did a great job containing, and they eventually put it out.

Pleased to report that today was my first 10,000 step day since my stent was put in Feb. 6. The walking and exercise program is doing me good.

The U.S. Senate needs a John Betterman.

Perfectly said.

On the road to Staunton, Virginia for a weekend show. Thanks @Enterprise.

Well, Senator.... We're waiting.

No green beer for me tonight... Those days are long gone. Accordingly, no green face in the morning, which is a definite win. It is amateur night for drinkers, so please be careful out there. And, if you need to, call me and I'll give you a ride home. Some distance restrictions apply...

There is still time to sign up to join Mike Compton and me on a tour of Ireland this summer. Many thanks to Chris Keenan for putting this together! We are going to have a big time. Makes a great St. Patrick's Day gift! www.irelandalongtheway.org/comptonnewbe...

Seeing opera and the ballet was life-changing for me. It taught me that art flows around and through us, and I use that every time I pick up a banjo or write a song. Misty Copeland's performance at the Oscars was the real deal, and it is fitting that Timothée Chalamet was front and center for it.

To my friends in the eastern U.S., please keep a watch on the skies today. Charge your devices, and make sure you know where the safest spot is at home or work if the weather turns.

First dusting of pollen on the windshield today. So much green, just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

Imagine that everything he promised his base turning out to be a lie. Shocking. Just shocking.

Caesar: What are you holding there behind your back? Brutus: I have no Ides what you are talking about. [RIMSHOT]

I'll be in Staunton, Va., next Saturday (March 21) for a daytime songwriting workshop and an evening concert at the Queen City Music Studios. You can sign up for the workshop and concert, or the concert alone. Please join me!

At the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, VA.

I am in Johnson City, Tenn., working with students in the Bluegrass and Old-Time Music program at East Tennessee State University. I love this part of my job!

Wayback machine... Spring, 1979. Chez Coffeehouse, Columbia, Mo. Photo - Dawn Hinshaw.

Coffee Diem from the porch.