The Netherlands=

Tulips, Windmills, Wooden Shoes and Mattanja

I met her on a Sunday afternoon. She was easy going, great to talk with and her accent was beautiful to me. Mattanja  Joy Bradley is her name and she is from The Netherlands.

When I first laid eyes on her, she was standing near the merchandise table as the seller was preparing her merchandise and that of other performers for the day. As I overheard her conversation, and her accent, I knew right away she was the one performer for today that I had never met. As soon as I realized she was from The Netherlands, my eyes slowly moved downward to her feet….I quickly discovered she was NOT wearing wooden shoes! I remember in school when we studied that region of the world, it shocked me to think of anyone wearing such odd shoes. Of course, I knew that wooden shoes were probably not practical enough and would be out of style by now, but a little peek never hurts.  Also visions of fields of tulips and windmills everywhere filled my head. I was able to speak to her and welcome her but the whole time my head was full of dancing tulips wearing wooden shoes.

Soon, the show began. It was at my very favorite venue on earth; a placed called Blue Moon Farms or The Frog Pond. Located in Silverhill, Alabama, this farm is opened on Sunday afternoons for half of the year and singer/songwriters are booked from all over the world. Local artists are also booked to add to the awesomeness of it all. Everyone sits on the lawn in their foldup chairs, facing a stand-alone front porch full of very talented people. The show begins early, about 3:00pm and it goes on for at least 4 hours.

To add to the experience, there is a large covered dish dinner inside the farmhouse. Also, there is a small house that is called the sugar shack and it offers fresh brewed coffee with lots of desserts.

A small bunkhouse is located right behind the merchandise stand. It offers homemade jellies and jams that are made locally and for sell at reasonable prices.

There are several dogs that live on the farm, my favorite is a 3-legged dog that lays at my feet and begs to be rubbed.

When the sun begins to lower and the light begins to dim, the trees light up with everything from full sized chandeliers and year-round Christmas lights to lighted decorative balls. The place becomes magical when darkness comes.

This was not my first visit to this wonderful piece of heaven on earth and it will not be my last. The show was fabulous! It included performances by Corky Hughes, Grayson Capps, Kristy Lee, Eric Erdman, Mattanja Joy Bradley and her percussionist. It was absolutely my favorite show so far at Blue Moon Farms.

Mattanja told stories of previous visits to America and she sang her songs beautifully. It was a day to remember. She is an artist to remember; google her, you will be glad you did.

Anyone who is reading this and has not gone to Blue Moon Farms or Frog Pond in Silverhill, Alabama, needs to check it out. Cathe Steele is the owner/operator and she is one of the most delightful people on this earth. She gives 100% of the cover charge at the gate to the performers. She is in this for the love of music and musicians.

How could there be a better experience than what is offered in this little place in Silverhill, Alabama?