"That accident is what led Rick back to music," said Georgianne. "He decided then that life was about family, and we were spending too much time doing useless things." They determined to go "back to a simpler way of life," she said. "I began making bread by hand again. We got a beehive. We made yogurt. We grew an herb garden and vegetable garden. We also read books out loud."

"We started telling stories, dancing, and making our own music to entertain ourselves," added Rick. He took up guitar again. Erica began learning violin in fourth grade. "Annalee didn't want to be left out, so we bought her some jaw-harps," said Georgianne. "That same year, in some crazy inspired moment, Rick bought me a mountain dulcimer as a 15th wedding anniversary present," she said.

A few years later, they gave their first public performance, at the Long Island Traditional Music Association members' concert. "We thought we were going to do three or four songs, but got there to find out that only us and one other person came to perform," said Georgianne. "So we played for 45 minutes. We had so much fun, we continued doing it."

Four CDs and hundreds of concerts later, they are still having fun together, delighting their audiences with music, stories and dancing.

Traditionally, they wind up their shows with a performance of Appalachian flatfoot dancing--Rick strumming his guitar while each of the ladies does a clog dance with such energy and rhythm that you'll be glad someone is keeping this folk art alive.

The Homegrown String Band and its fans celebrate something they call "unikewity" (based on Annalee's child- hood mispronunciation of "unique"). They define it as "the special quality that makes you you, the part of you that is extraordinary, one of a kind, unique."

This band has plenty of that, and they share it, giving their audiences an hour or so of joy that they can choose to take home with them and keep on living.

Steve Dunham lives in Spotsylvania County.