The Kitchen Musician ~ August 2025
Hello Friends,
Join me in my New Hampshire cabin kitchen for a new song on the eve of my 49th wedding anniversary! It’s the August edition of The Kitchen Musician.
Index
NEWS:
THIS MONTH’S MUSIC: “It’s Always Been Good”
UPCOMING SHOWS
FEATURED NON-PROFIT: The Greater Boston Food Bank
Tom and Margo in Switzerland, July 2025
News:
I have recently returned from an extended break to celebrate our daughter Mally’s PhD graduation from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), followed by a stay with our son Andrew and his family in Zurich, Switzerland. My break from music was extended a month longer as I brought back a stubborn respiratory virus, which is still lingering (though I am improving steadily).
My voice is returning just in time for a couple of shows in New Hampshire. Join me?
Upcoming Shows
August 24, Sunday, Peterborough, NH, 11:00 AM: Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm.
August 30, Saturday, Keene, NH, 5:00 PM: Keene Music Festival.
Sept 7, Sunday, Rockport, MA, 3:00 PM: House Concert.
October 18, Saturday, Monterey, MA : 7:00 PM: Fundraiser for the Monterey Meeting House.
November 21, Friday, Dedham, MA, 8:00: Cosy Sheridan and I return to the Third Friday Coffeehouse series at First Church Unitarian in Dedham – joined by Charlie Koch and Seth Connelly. Don’t miss this one!
All show details can be found at upcoming shows.
This Month’s Music: “It’s Always Been Good”
℗© 2025 Tom Smith (ASCAP)
After returning home from Europe, Margo and I have settled into rustic life in our cabin in the woods of Jaffrey, NH. We will be here mostly through September. Our little cabin is situated on 3.5 acres in the middle of over 200 acres of nature conservancy land. Life here is both simple and complicated – simple in that we don’t have many of the worst parts of civilization, yet complicated in that we don’t have many of the conveniences. Still it is a great place to focus on what is important in life, to slow down and to feed my creative spirit (in between cabin repair jobs.)
Tom all set to clean out the gutters among the mosquitos and hornets! – Photo by Margo
Of course, I forgot to bring my video recording equipment on this trip, so I went old-school and recorded my new song with just my phone. The setting is our cabin kitchen. That is pretty much the whole thing – a stove and a sink, with some shelves to put stuff on and counters to assemble meals.
Next week, Margo and I celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary, and the 50th year of our engagement – and THAT deserves a new song! Long time fans may recall that I wrote “One More Sail Around the Sun” for our 35th wedding anniversary. Now having been together for 50 years, my new song on this topic is decidedly less romantic, yet still heartfelt; and of course with our longevity, I think I have the right to include a verse of advice for young couples in the early stage of their life journeys together.
I am so grateful that although “it hasn’t always been easy, it’s always been good.”
May it always be so for you too, whether you are in a relationship or not.
Steady on!
Tom
(If so inclined, I invite you to leave a comment by scrolling to the end of this page.)
Featured Non-profit: The Greater Boston Food Bank
The Greater Boston Food Bank “works passionately to end hunger across Eastern Massachusetts by providing our neighbors in need the healthy food and resources they need to thrive… Your support enables GBFB to distribute healthy food to neighbors in need as well as nutrition programs and resources for sustained, healthy lives and healthy communities.”
Please join me in supporting The Greater Boston Food Bank, or click to find a food bank in your area.
Tom Smith
August 15, 2025It’s Always Been Good
© 2025 Tom Smith (ASCAP)
I’m half of a couple
We found each other somehow
And built a life together
Fifty years now
I would go fifty more years if I could
It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been good
REFRAIN:
It hasn’t always been easy
But it’s always been good
I’m the one who wakes up early
With a long list to do
I fix her morning latté
Strawberries too
While she plays her favorite word games on her iPhone machine
Sometimes we share a muffin, if you know what I mean.
Oh how we love our muffins
If you know what I mean.
We are equal partners
Like the best couples are
She cooks every dinner
While I play my guitar
But I do all the dishes. That seems about right
Because we don’t want to eat hot dogs every night
If I cooked that’s all we’d eat
Every night
So to all you young couples
I’m looking at you
I have no advice
To guarantee you’ll get through
But if you asked me to tell you one thing that we’ve learned
Every good deed gets one back in return
Every good deed
We live our lives by this creed
Every good deed
Gets one back in return
I’m half of a couple
We found each other somehow
And built a life together
Fifty years now
I would go fifty more years if I could
It hasn’t always been easy but it’s always been good
Betsy Trimble
August 16, 2025Perfect!! You both are a beautiful example to “you young couples”. I wish you many more Happy Anniversaries,
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025Thank you Betsy. You and David certainly set a longevity goal for wedding anniversaries. Blessings to you and your family.
Stuart Stotts
August 16, 2025What a touching and beautiful song. Congratulations to you both.
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025Thank you my friend. Grateful for each passing day.
Diane Batt
August 16, 2025Fabulous Anniversary Song! Happy 49th +1 – DB.
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025Thanks for listening, Diane!
Marc Bridge
August 16, 2025Another beautiful classic by the master folksinger, humdinger! “It hasn’t always been easy but it’s always been good” congrats on 50 yrs together! ❤️
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025Thank you Marc. Always good to know that you are at the other end of these blog posts. I hope you are still singing and writing songs. Carry on!
Peggy Bright
August 16, 2025Tom, you and your songs always make me feel happy. Thanks for the story in your song, for the great playing, and congratulations on your (unbelievably!) 50th anniversary!
Tom Smith
August 18, 2025Thank you Peggy. Let’s keep putting one foot in front of the other. 🙂
Steve Rapson
August 16, 2025Rosemary probably would eat hot dogs every night. Lovely song, Tom.
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025Ha! She doesn’t like cooking every night? In truth, I do take the lead on breakfast when the family stays over with us. Best to you both.
David Wilson
August 16, 2025Bravo, Tom! You’re an inspiration. Amazing how much we have in common: MIT, LCA, teaching, 50 years; Michele cooks dinner while I play the piano, & I do the dishes so that we don’t have hot dogs every night; in the morning she does her word games on her iPhone machine (I do them on an iPad)- and it’s always been good!
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025We are brothers in so many ways, Dave. Gateful for all of it.
Ginny Amsler
August 16, 2025How lucky you are to have each other. I’m happy for you both and, to be honest, I’m envious! Hearts sharing music and life.
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025Love to you, Miss Ginny. Keep on the sunny side of that island. <3
nyanna tobin
August 16, 2025Congratulations! I think of all the good vibrations and joy you and your family have shared over many years and I smile. Many More!
Tom Smith
August 16, 2025Thank you Nyanna. I hope all is well with you.
Peggy Bright
August 16, 2025oops 49th wedding anniversary, 50th of your engagement!!
Galen Brandt
August 16, 2025Oh, Tom, I love this song. What a wonderful, sweet, funny, honest, heartfelt tribute to an always been good 50 years. Happy x50 Anniversary to you and Margo.
Tom Smith
August 18, 2025Thank you Galen! Is always good to hear from you. I hope all is well with you.
Carl Beverly
August 17, 2025As usual, so well written. Heartfelt is the perfect word. I love the lightheartednss, felt the sincerity and saw my wife and I in your words. Congratulations Tom
Tom Smith
August 18, 2025Thank you, Carl. I look forward to seeing you at the Keene Music Festival later this month. Sing on!
Cali
August 21, 2025Good morning Tom and Margo ! Congratulations on 50 years together! I love your new song to celebrate! You are so lucky to have this love! Here’s to many more!
Tom Smith
August 25, 2025Thank you for listening Cali. We all try to carry on. 🙂
Al
August 24, 2025What a blessing to have had you in our lives for 45 of those years Tom and Margo! As it happens, Susan and I will also be celebrating out 50th anniversary next year (and, same as you, 50 years together in 2025). How about the four of us doing something to celebrate? Ah, but there’s the rub –with us on the Left Coast and you on the East. As you know, Tom, I am a singer (i.e. in SF’s Loose Licks Jugband) and an aspiring (for 70 years!) guitar player — who remains at the rudimentary end of that continuum. Hence, this query: Are you playing C, G, D on this poignantly prescient song? Love to you both from the Sierra. Al
Tom Smith
August 25, 2025Hi Al. Great to hear from you! I hope all is well with you and Sue. Would love to get together, though now that our son is no longer in San Francisco, not likely we will head out to the west coast any time soon. Maybe we can do a virtual meet-up?
Is great that you continue to sing. I used to have a string band, which is closest I came to a jug band. Yes, I am playing “G shapes” with capo on fret 5 because I like the way the notes sit for my flat picking style. That puts this in the key of C. The shapes I use are G, C, D (but if you rather play this without the capo, use C, F, and G).
Tag Vennard
August 25, 2025CLAP CLAP CLAP! Bravo Tom! Another beautiful song that touches the heartstrings! <3
Tom Smith
August 25, 2025Thanks Tag. Always good to hear from you, but too long since we shared an open mic. Cheers!
Paul Weilage
August 25, 2025Great Song such a wordsmith
Tom Smith
August 25, 2025Thanks Paul! I hope all is well with you.