Here’s a new idea to cope with the pandemic — hold a neighborhood gathering allowing for the recommended 6 foot spacing, invite some local musicians to perform in your garage and set spectators up on the driveway.

Spectators can dance to the music, sing along or just basque in the music and relax and think of pleasant vistas. Most of those attending plus the musicians themselves are great fans of old time music. Listening, dancing and singing along is such a pleasant experience.

My sister and her husband held a concert to cope with the pandemic and it was a grand old time. Jim and Eileen Zimmerman are always the innovators of interesting things to do and this idea of listening to down home and pleasant music is such a joy.

You must remember that we old folks never tire of old time music. The songs are just so familiar to us and we never tire of hearing them. This event found most of us singing along with the musicians. I suppose this kind of music will eventually disappear from our society as it already appears to be slowly falling out of favor. I’ll bet many of those in attendance tune into KSJB in Jamestown, N.D., on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. to Polka Party with hosts Clarence and Audrey Sayler spinning the old time tunes over the airways.

For the lovely Mary Ann and I, we love to do the two-step, waltz, and even polka although couple times around the floor doing the polka and this aging writer is done and must find a place to sit down immediately. Yes, these aging old bones appear to be wearing out and movements are not what they used to be?

We were royally entertained at this local concert by Jeanette Robb-Ruenz from Ellendale, N.D., on the accordion, Ellie Rud, of Aberdeen, on the accordion, and Willie Blumhardt, of Ellendale, N.D., on the steel guitar.

You may have noticed Ellendale was the prominent address as the Zimmermans were farmers for decades in the Ellendale area before retiring here in Aberdeen.

We got to meet some of the neighbors and some were old friends and folks we knew very well.

We met Zona Habeck Schanzenbach who was a ninth-grade algebra student of mine when I taught math at Ipswich High School and other neighbors. We also got to visit with local volunteer Lynn Hanson and saw Pauline Fischer, a friend of ours from our church.

Nuff said.