$25 · "Hey, there's no violin in this case! / "A Useful Musician" -- Louise Holland

This warm, often humorous, 50+-year collection of annual letters describes the happy challenges of raising a family of seven who share their music in dozens of settings, as well as dealing with school and church responsibilities, sports, Times Colonist routes, and small businesses. Its title is the dismayed exclamation of the eldest child (then 11) who opened her little sister's violin case just ahead of a family performance. One does not have to wonder what their accompanist-mother's response was to the situation! Reader responses range from "very friendly and engaging," "sweet and funny," and "very interesting," to "inspiring," "hilarious," and "thank you for sharing the joy."   The book, 7" x 10" and 410 pages, includes letters from the 1960s to 2018 and many photos. It is available at (250) 479-3068 or bandlholland@shaw.ca for $25. Background information: After about 10 years of sending out annual letters, in the early 1980s there were many suggestions that they be published. This did not happen until twenty-five years later, with the first edition in 2005, and a second in 2008. This third, and probably final edition, published in 2019, includes letters written over a period of more than 50 years. Also, a little companion book, or "prequel," is available. "A Useful Musician" deals with the writer's early life growing up in the Royal Oak area and her involvement in music from an early age, and the opportunities and activities country living offered. This little book is available in two versions. The first deals with the 1940s, '50s and '60s, leading into "Hey, there's no violin ...", which starts in the late 1960s; the smaller book serves as a companion to the larger book. The second version, a stand-alone book, is made up of the first version plus over 120 excerpts dealing with music, taken from "Hey, there's no violin in this case!" These books may be purchased from the author (phone number and e-mail address given above). Cost of the first version is $9; the second, $12. Funds received from the sale of these books go to the Canadian Foundation for the Children of Haiti (cfchcanada.ca).