Das Ist Lustig

Christmas is almost here!  All 4 Advent candles are lit, and we're ready to celebrate the anniversary of our Savior's birth!  No matter how crazy the world gets, we have that firm foundation where we can find rest. 

'Tis also the season for warm cozies by the fireplace, or in the kitchen. Time with family and friends, Gluehwein, Dutch Pea Soup, stark dark Bier, cookies, roasted nuts, refreshing citrus, egg nog, piping hot cinnamon rolls, s'mores over a backyard bonfire... 

What are your plans for Christmas and New Year?  We'd love to hear from you! 

There's one last public show this year -- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 

Wednesday December 28, 6pm - 9pm; Four Calling Birds, and some Christmas favorites with The Duo 

Have something to celebrate?  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate this winter.  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  We tailor our set up and repertoire to your needs!  Maybe a Karneval Party is in your near future?  Let us know if we can provide the entertainment for your favorite fools for deep winter's biggest party in Europe. 

Hosting our trips:  We are planning to go to Germany, The Czech Republic and Switzerland in June of 2024.  We are working on a big 3 week extravaganza for you in 2024!   I will begin building the new itinerary in January.  Stay tuned! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has all sorts of fun things still available. 

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it. 

Behind the scenes:  We'll tell all about Ross' endless repair list, and holiday chaos in the next newsletter.  We want to keep this one short, so you can get on to more important things.

We wish you a Frohe Weihnachten, vrolijk Kerstfeest, Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas, and happy New Year!  Stay healthy, be happy, share a smile with a stranger, Polka On, and "God bless us, every one"!

TIME IS FLYING!!!  I guess it does when you have fun.  It's great to see and meet so many of you at Oktoberfest!  The world around us is wacky and unpredictable, but Oktoberfest seems to be a nice place to escape to, and that escape has been wunderbar with you!  The weather is getting nicer, the Biers a little darker and the food!  Ahhhhhhh. 

October / Oktoberfest performances: 

-- KC Oktoberfest, by KC Bier Co, Kansas City, MO 
Friday and Saturday Oct 7 & 8; The 4 piece band; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, and Valina Polka. 
Friday; 5p - 7:30 at the Main Stage; Opening ceremonies during our break 
Saturday; 2p - 6:30 at the Polka Stage; Folk dancers during our break 

-- Clyde Oktoberfest, Clyde (near Abilene), TX 
Saturday and Sunday Oct 15 & 16; The 4 piece band; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, and Valina Polka. 
Saturday festival open 10am - 8pm  Performance times TBD 
Sunday festival open 12pm - 6pm  Performance times TBD 

-- Tulsa Oktoberfest, Tulsa, OK 
Tuesday - Sunday Oct 18 - 23; The 4 piece band and dancers; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, Valina Polka and dancers from Tanzenfest 
Tuesday is an Oktoberfest dinner in the Lufthansa Biergarten  See website for details 
Wednesday is Corporate night  See website for details 

Thursday 5p - 7p at the Warsteiner EssZelt 
Friday 11:30a - 2:45 at the Warsteiner EssZelt 
Saturday 3p - 7p at the Warsteiner EssZelt 
Sunday 11a - 2p at the Bierstube by Paulaner 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance that is open to the public.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be. 

Pumpkin Spice in the air means Christmas is coming.  Need some live music for your Christmas party?  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate this winter!  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  We have a repertoire of about 30 Austrian, German and American Christmas favorites, even a couple of Christmas songs on the Alphorn and cowbells! 

Looking ahead: 

-- Wurstfest, New Braunfels, TX 

Friday - Sunday Nov 4 - 13; 
Saturday Nov 5, The Little Tent, The 4 piece band and dancers; 4p - 5p, 7p - 8:10, 9:50 -10:50 
Sunday Nov 6, The Little Tent, The 4 piece band and dancers; 2:40 - 3:40, 5:30 - 6:30, 8:10 - 9p 
Tuesday Nov 8, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 6:40 - 7:30, 9p - 9:45 
Wednesday Nov 9, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 6:40 - 7:30, 9p - 9:45 
Friday Nov 11, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 5:30 - 6:35, 8:15 - 9:15 
Saturday Nov 12, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 2:10 - 3:10, 4:50 - 5:45, 7:15 - 8:15, 9:40 - 10:35 
Sunday Nov 13, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 6:10 - 7:10, 8:50 - 9:45 

We like to gather together for breakfast with friends who come in town for Wurstfest.  We're returning to the Golden Corral this year because unlike most of the breakfast places in New Braunfels, they allow reservations, and I've made one for our group.  A friendly buffet is truly the best way to relax together for a leisurely meal together - we can schnibble to our heart's content and go to the festival with a good foundation on which to drink a few Biers!  Would you like to meet us there at 9am on Saturday Nov 5?  Please Let me know by October 27 so I can give them a firm number for our group. 

Hosting our trips:  We are planning to go to Germany, The Czech Republic and Switzerland in June of 2024.  Availability for the services we need to travel in 2023 were already booked up, so we're making a big 3 week extravaganza for you in 2024!   I will begin building the new itinerary in January.  Stay tuned! 
If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and interest in expanding our travel to more places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes!  You can even ask us to organize and host a private trip for you and your guests! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day? 

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it. 

Behind the scenes:  It's been gloriously busy!  But among the glory, there is also heart break.  We now know why our drummer Jeff retired from playing last year after Wurstfest.  He was diagnosed with cancer already well into stage 4.  It has taken over in glands and bones.  He told us he was going to be doing a lot of traveling and camping with his wife Kat, as she was about to retire.  Jeff loves travel, so it was an easy cover to believe.   He did spend a lot of time in other countries and camping around the US up until about the end of August this year.  He is resting, being kept comfortable with hospice care, and in the arms of his wife Kat.  Jeff is way more than just our drummer.  He's become family over the years.  As we hung out with him and Kat on a few days off this year, we had no idea anything was wrong.  He never indicated.  He and Ross went bike riding while I worked on Tomball paperwork, we all cooked and ate together, and he gave me run of the shop's Cajon selection so I could pick the right one for our band.  It's so hard knowing that he's not going to be here much longer.  I can only pray that some of his kindness, humor, knowledge, and experience has rubbed off on the thousands of people who call him friend and fellow musician.  He taught me a lot about performance and stage presence, and encouraged all of my percussion forays.   We miss him terribly, and even more now that we know why he left.  Our band will never be the same, but hopefully we are all better for having Jeff Ryder in our lives. 

We've had 3 days not on stage or the road since September 12.  Today is one of those 3 days.  We just got a last minute booking for tomorrow, so we'll be on stage or driving for work for the next 6 days.  Back On Sunday Sept 25, Ross' favorite workhorse, the Beltuna, (with the awesome Alpine tuning and the rumbly tuba sounds in the left hand) threw a key rod (at least I think that's what it's called).  Normal wear and tear coupled with the extreme heat situations in Texas' summers (temperatures above 90 and direct sun is never good for an accordion) are to blame.  Ross has it taken apart in the dining room as I'm writing this.  He only has a few more hours today that he can spend working on it to assess the repair situation.  Then he'll check the tire pressure on the work van, and water the parched plants.  When I finish writing to you, I will be heading out to run some errands, then do a few loads of Tracht to be washed, ironed and re-packed, gather cold weather gear for the Kansas City run, inventory and re-pack merch, fix dinner, and spend a little time playing with my little pet bird.  We're back on stage already again tomorrow. 

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us, and it is wonderful to get to see so many of you at the Oktoberfests!  We hope your Autumn season is going well.  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger, and love those around you.  You never know when they won't be there any more.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon!

Howdy Friends!  And welcome to our new Friends! 

Somehow we've made it through August here in Texas without a storm in the gulf, got some much needed rain, and more moderate temperatures than we're used to for August, at least here in the Houston area...  I wonder if that trend will hold for September?  Football starts up this weekend, and so does Oktoberfest!  We hope everyone has stocked up on their Dot's pretzels and Altstadt Biers! 

We've been rehearsing a lot this past couple of weeks, and I've been playing catch up in the office.  18 hour days are stacked high, and I need some sleep before hitting the road Thursday.  Maybe Ross will drive? 

September / Oktoberfest performances: 

-- Walburg Fest, Walburg German Restaurant, TX; free admission 
Friday  - Sunday Sept 2 - 4; The 4 piece with Ross, Robert, Rick and Valina. 
Friday 7pm, Saturday 6pm and 9pm, Sunday 12pm and 3pm.  All sets 45 minutes. 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Wednesday Sept 7, 6pm - 9pm; The Duo plus Kelsey on horns 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill; 734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; 
Thursday September 8; 6pm - 8pm; The Duo plays Stubenmusi 

-- Grapevine on Main , 5120 Main St, Chappell Hill, TX; 
Friday September 9, 7:30 - 10:30; The Duo plays Wein, Alphorn and Song 

-- Addison Oktoberfest, Addison, TX; 
Thursday - Sunday Sept 15 - 18; 
     Valina also serves as MC at the Musikzelt 
All shows are at the Musikzelt with the 4 piece band: Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Michael Bahan and Valina Polka. 
Thursday; 7:45 - 9:15 (Thursday Free admission) 
Friday; 7:15 - 8:15  tickets required 
Saturday; 2:00 - 3:45 & 7:15 - 8:15  tickets required 
Sunday; 2:00 - 3:45 (Sunday Free admission) 

-- Oktoberfest at Fresh By Brookshire's, Fate (near Dallas) TX; 
Wednesday Sept 21, 5pm - 8pm; The Duo 

-- Oktoberfest Ft Worth, Fort Worth, TX; tickets required 
Friday and Saturday Sept 22 - 24; 
     Valina also serves as MC Thursday - Saturday 
All shows are in the Spaten Halle with the 4 piece band: Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Eric Miculka and Valina Polka 
Friday; 6:30 - 7:45, 9:45 - 11:00 
Saturday, 3:00 - 4:00, 5:00 - 6:30, 8:00 - 8:30 

-- Oktoberfest at Das Manor Haus, The Houstonian 111 N. Post Oak, Houston, TX    All inclusive package, reservations required 
Sunday Sept 25; 3pm - 7pm with the 4 piece band; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, and Valina Polka.  See the website for ticket information. 

     Valina also serves as MC 

-- Oktoberfest at Union Kitchen, Houston, TX;   All inclusive packages, reservations required 
Tuesday Sept 27; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Kingwood Location: 23918 US-59 North, Houston, TX 
Wednesday Sept 28; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Memorial Location: 12538 Memorial Dr #10, Houston, TX 
Thursday Sept 29; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Katy Location: 9920 Gaston Rd #100, Katy, TX 

-- Saint Arnold Brewery Oktoberfest, Saint Arnold Brewery, Houston, TX 
Friday - Sunday Sept 30 - Oct 2; The 4 piece band and dancers; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, Valina Polka and dancers from Tanzenfest 
Friday & Saturday from 6pm - 9:30pm in the Biergarten. Free Admission 
Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm in the Bierhalle. Ticketed event 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be. 

It's never too early to think about hosting that Christmas party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate this winter!  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  We have a repertoire of about 30 Austrian, German and American Christmas favorites, even a couple of Christmas songs on the Alphorn and cowbells! 

Looking ahead: 

-- Saint Arnold Brewery Oktoberfest, Saint Arnold Brewery, Houston, TX 
Friday - Sunday Sept 30 - Oct 2; The 4 piece band and dancers; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, Valina Polka and dancers from Tanzenfest 
Friday and Saturday 6pm - 9:30pm in the Bier Garten - Free Admission 
Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm in the upstairs Bier Hall - Tickets Available 

-- KC Oktoberfest, by KC Bier Co, Kansas City, MO 
Friday and Saturday Oct 7 & 8; The 4 piece band; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, and Valina Polka.  Times TBD 

-- Oktoberfest at Union Kitchen, Houston, TX; See the website for ticket information. 
Wednesday Oct 12; 6:00 - 7:30; The Duo; Ella Blvd Location, Houston, TX 

-- Clyde Oktoberfest, Clyde (near Abilene), TX 
Saturday and Sunday Oct 15 & 16; The 4 piece band; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, and Valina Polka.  Times TBD 

-- Linde Oktoberfest, Tulsa, OK 
Wednesday - Sunday Oct 19 - 23; The 4 piece band and dancers; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, Valina Polka and dancers from Tanzenfest 
Times TBD 

-- Wurstfest, New Braunfels, TX 
Friday - Sunday Nov 4 - 13; 
Saturday Nov 5, The Little Tent, The 4 piece band and dancers; 
Sunday Nov 6, The Little Tent, The 4 piece band and dancers; 
Tuesday Nov 8, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 
Wednesday Nov 9, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 
Friday Nov 11, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 
Saturday Nov 12, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 
Sunday Nov 13, Stelzenplatz, The 4 piece band and dancers; 

Hosting our trips:  We are planning to go to Germany and the Czech Republic in June of 2023 if health restrictions on travel stabilize and are dependable.  The trip is going to be about 15 days on the ground in Europe from June 6 - June 22 (dates still approximate)  Stay tuned! 
If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and interest in expanding our travel to more places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes!  You can even ask us to organize and host a private trip for you and your guests! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day? 

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it. 

Behind the scenes:  I turned 50 back on the 16th of August.  We partied for days with some of y'all who came Friday the 12th to the Grapevine in Chappell Hill, then recorded the vocal track for our original song Tomball Y'all with the Round Top Brass Band on the 13th, then listened to some friends play live music, and drank a paloma, performed and partied at Krause's on Sunday with cake and more of you, drank margaritas after the show, had a nice breakfast on Monday and leisurely walk with friends who came all the way from OK, floated the Comal for a couple of hours, ate hamburgers with friends, got home Tuesday and had steak with the family, continued the party at the various rehearsals we've had, It's been a pretty awesome birthday month.  Except for gaining a little weight from all the celebratory foods and drinks, I don't really feel any different than I did when I was 49!  Inside though, I'm still about 5.

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us, and it was wonderful to see so many of you on my birthday weekend!  We hope your Labor Day weekend will be blessed and restful, or exciting depending on your wishes.  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon!

Howdy Friends!  And welcome to our new Friends! 

Where has the summer gone?  Here in Houston, the temperature has dropped from 103 to 78 (first big rainstorm for the whole area in months is happening right now!), and the kids are going back to school already!!  Oh my, it's been a while since we visited.  We didn't have much time to spend on the computer while in Europe, or on the Road Trip in the US, and I've been very busy playing catch-up.  We apologize for not being in touch for so long! 

After being gone for a while, we now have a couple of weeks worth of rehearsals and a few performances scheduled, all ramping up for Oktoberfest. 

August performances: 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill; 734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; 
Thursdays August 11 & 25; 6pm - 8pm; The Duo plays Stubenmusi 

-- Grapevine on Main, 5120 Main St, Chappell Hill, TX; - come check out this brand new venue! 
Friday August 12, 7:30 - 10:30; Wein, Alphorn und Song 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Sunday August 14, 2pm - 5pm; Valina is celebrating her 50th birthday! The Trio with Ross, Kelsey and Valina. 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be.  

It's never too early to think about hosting that Christmas party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate this winter!  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  We have a repertoire of about 30 Austrian, German and American Christmas favorites, even a couple of Christmas songs on the Alphorn and cowbells! 

Looking ahead: 

-- Walburg Fest, Walburg German Restaurant, TX; free admission 
Friday  - Sunday Sept 2 - 4; The 4 piece with Ross, Robert, Rick and Valina. Schedule TBD 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Wednesday Sept 7, 6pm - 9pm; The Duo 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill; 734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; 
Thursday September 8; 6pm - 8pm; The Duo plays Stubenmusi 

-- Grapevine on Main , 5120 Main St, Chappell Hill, TX; 
Friday September 9, 7:30 - 10:30; Wein, Alphorn and Song 

-- Addison Oktoberfest, Addison, TX;  
Thursday - Sunday Sept 15 - 18;  
     Valina also serves as MC at the Musikzelt 
All shows are at the Musikzelt with the 4 piece band: Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Michael Bahan and Valina Polka. 
Thursday; 7:45 - 9:15 (Thursday Free admission) 
Friday; 7:15 - 8:15  tickets required 
Saturday; 2:00 - 3:45 & 7:15 - 8:15  tickets required 
Sunday; 2:00 - 3:45 (Sunday Free admission) 

-- Oktoberfest Ft Worth, Fort Worth, TX; tickets required 
Friday and Saturday Sept 23 & 24; 
     Valina also serves as MC Thursday - Saturday 
All shows are in the Spaten Halle with the 4 piece band: Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Eric Miculka and Valina Polka 
Friday; 6:30 - 7:45, 9:45 - 11:00 
Saturday, 3:00 - 4:00, 5:00 - 6:30, 8:00 - 8:30 

-- Oktoberfest at Das Manor Haus, The Houstonian 111 N. Post Oak, Houston, TX    All inclusive package, reservations required 
Sunday Sept 25; 3pm - 7pm with the 4 piece band; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, and Valina Polka.  See the website for ticket information. 

     Valina also serves as MC 

-- Oktoberfest at Union Kitchen, Houston, TX;   All inclusive packages, reservations required 
Tuesday Sept 27; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Kingwood Location: 23918 US-59 North, Houston, TX 
Wednesday Sept 28; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Memorial Location: 12538 Memorial Dr #10, Houston, TX  
Thursday Sept 29; 6:30 - 9:30; The Duo; Katy Location: 9920 Gaston Rd #100, Katy, TX 

-- Saint Arnold Brewery Oktoberfest, Saint Arnold Brewery, Houston, TX 
Friday - Sunday Sept 30 - Oct 2; The 4 piece band and dancers; Das ist Ross, Robert Herridge, Rick Weiss, Valina Polka and dancers from Tanzenfest 
Times and admission information TBD 

Hosting our trips:  We just returned from Wisconsin and the Germanfest!   We had a lot of fun (with Ross and Valina in the driver's seat) of a luxury 15 passenger Mercedes Sprinter! We ate at 3 amazing German restaurants, 2 Dutch restaurants, lots of regional fast food places, a few classic Route 66 diners, and had some good festival food too.  We saw a one of kind Bone museum and met the curator who started it all when he was very young.  We toured the history in the Steamboat Arabia museum in Kansas City, Popped around Pella checking out all of the Dutch heritage that has been preserved there, had a pizza party surrounded by pipe organ music, relaxed and learned about Hermann, MO, had an adventurous ride to the top of the Gateway Arch, Drank pure German craft brews made right here in the US, flash mobbed the KC Bier Co,  and saw the Schurzenjager up close and in person at the Milwaukee Germanfest!  The Alex Meixner Band was also there, and rocked the house.  It was fun to see his northern fans and make some new festival friends. Even though we were there for 3 days, we barely got to see everything.  We even had some fun stopping along old Route 66 to check out the tourist traps.  There are a few photos attached below.  We are planning to go to Germany and the Czech Republic in June of 2023 if health restrictions on travel stabilize and are dependable.  The trip is going to be about 15 days on the ground in Europe.  Stay tuned! 

If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and interest in expanding our travel to different places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes!  You can even ask us to organize and host a private trip for you and 15 - 20 guests!  

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day?  

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it.       

Behind the scenes:  Ross and I are finally beginning to catch up on the piles of paperwork that have built up over the summer while we were gone.  Our trip to Europe was a fact finding trip, but also a family reunion.  There was a lot of time spent unplugged just being with cousins and making fun memories together with people we hadn't seen in far too long.  The stories of all the adventures are just too much to try to share here, so I will direct you to drop in on our social media where we have already shared a few stories and photos.  When I have a day to spend gathering a lot of the information to put in a blog on the website, I will, but it could take a while.  I am attaching a few photos below though!  Rehearsals with various drummers who will be working with us this fall start next Wednesday.  Some rehearsals will be at our home, and others will be in San Antonio and Austin.  Also next week, I'm turning 50!  Since my birthday falls on Tuesday the 16th, we're celebrating on Sunday the 14th at Krause's Cafe in New Braunfels.  We're playing from 2 - 5.  Kelsey is joining us on horns.  We got a hotel room so I can drink a few after the show, then maybe float the river on Monday.  We hope you can come join us for the party! 

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us!  We hope you had a good summer with loved ones and some leisure time to rejuvenate for the festival season.  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon! 

Howdy Friends!  And welcome to our new Friends! 

June is almost here, graduations and proms are happening all around us, and it's finally raining a little in Texas!  Are you ready for summer?  I saw a joke on the social media this morning that "Texas weather is still in pre-heating mode". 

We're sending the newsletter out a little early this time, because we have a lot going on at the beginning of the month, and want to make sure you have time to plan if you're able to come join in for some of the fun.  We'll be in Florida Father's Day weekend for performances, then in the Netherlands for a family reunion and some future tour researching from June 23 - July 12.  Subsequent newsletters this summer may be a little off of our usual beginning of the month schedule.  We might even send one from Europe!  You're hopefully going to be out and about this summer as well, seeing friends and family you haven't been able to see in a couple of years! 

Late May / June performances: 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Wednesday May 25, 6pm - 9pm; Polka Wednesdays with The Duo 

--The Sauer Kraut Grill,734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; Stubenmusi (pub music) with the Duo 

Thursdays May 26, June 2 and 9;  6 - 8pm 

-- Rudi Lechner's Restaurant, 2503 Gessner, Houston, TX; 
Saturdays May 28 and June 11; 6pm - 9pm; Das ist Ross, solo 

-- Shiner Spring Picnic, KC Park, 102 South Ave G, Shiner, TX; 

Sunday May 29; 10:30am - 1pm - Outside; Wake up with the Das ist Lustig Duo and Audience Participation Specialists, then stay all day and enjoy the polka party with many of your favorite Texas polka bands!  Free Admission! 

-- Boerne Village Band Abendkonzerte, Gazebo, Boerne, TX; 

Tuesday June 7; 7:30 - 9pm;  Das ist Lustig Duo specialties show complete with Tanzenfest AND concert by Boerne Village Band! 

-- Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe, 205 East 1st Street, Sanford, FL; 
Friday June 17; 7 - 10pm, Saturday June 18; 1 - 4pm & 7 - 10pm, Sunday June 19; 1 - 4pm & 6 - 9pm; 
Dinner and a Show with Das ist Lustig Duo!  Bring Dad for Father's Day and make sure he gets a Boot of Bier! 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be. 

It's never too early to think about hosting that Christmas party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate next winter!  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  We have a repertoire of about 30 Austrian, German and American Christmas favorites, even a couple of Christmas songs on the Alphorn! 

Looking ahead: 

--The Sauer Kraut Grill ,734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; Stubenmusi (pub music) with the Duo 

Thursdays July 14, 21; 

-- Schulenburg Public Library, 310 Simpson St, Schulenburg, TX 
Wednesday July 20, 10:30am; Hop on the virtual carousel for a musical ride around the German speaking countries of Europe! 

-- Momma's at Sengelmann, Main Street, Schulenburg, TX; 
Wednesday, July 20, 6:30 - 8:30; Dinner and a Show; 

-- Road Trip 2022!  Stops in Oklahoma, Missouri and Iowa, and featuring 3 days at the Milwaukee German Fest in Wisconsin! 

Monday July 25 - Friday August 5; Details HERE; Lots of live music, lots of German and even Dutch restaurants to visit, wine tasting, and parties! 

Hosting our trips:  We're going to Wisconsin for the Germanfest!   Won't you join us for this fun Road Trip?  We have FOUR spots left!  This classic American pass-time takes us across 7 states in 11 days!  There's lots of fun planned for your exclusive group of 10 or less travelers (with Ross and Valina in the driver's seat) of a luxury 15 passenger Mercedes Sprinter!  Most importantly, we'll get to visit several German, and even Dutch restaurants along the way, see some amazing history in the Steamboat Arabia museum in Kansas City, taste some great wines in America's original wine valley, Hermann, MO, have some German pure craft brews made right here in the US, and experience one of the best German festivals the USA has to offer, the Milwaukee Germanfest!  They're celebrating their 40 year anniversary, and have invited the Zillertaler Schurzenjager to headline the event!  The Alex Meixner Band will be there as well!  We'll spend 3 days visiting the festival, and you'll need all that time to experience everything this event has to offer.  See the attached brochure for details, itinerary, and pricing.  There are a few other photos attached as well to show you a little bit more of what we'll get to see and do together!  Contact Valina for a registration form! 

If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and interest in expanding our travel to different places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes!  You can even ask us to organize and host a private trip for you and 15 - 20 guests!  We will be returning to Germany and Prague in the summer of 2024 if things stabilize.  Stay tuned! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day? 

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it. 

Behind the scenes:  Ross and I just celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary, and our band is celebrating 15 years together!  Yes, we met because of the music.  I wanted to start a band, Ross had the right style and attitude, we got along like a song, then after several months of working together, I went on a vacation with my parents.  3 weeks in Europe, and all I could think about was Ross and how I wished he could be there too.  Ran up quite the phone bill on my dad's cell phone too... We started dating in July 2007, got engaged in November 2007, and married in May 2008.  It's been a fun ride!   Otherwise, we've been battling the usual home owner battles - critters getting in the attic uninvited, and having to deal with that, cooking, cleaning, yard work, etc.  Working on the Tomball Christmas festival already - nearly ready to get the bands on contract.  Then, will start on next March's schedule.  Ross has been planting some more baby trees.  Tiny little sprouts right now!  I don't know how something so big and strong can start out so tiny and vulnerable!  He's a green thumb for sure.  I stay far away from his little plants, because I don't do well with them.  I almost killed a century old Aloe Vera... Ross saved it, and it's now flourishing! 

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us!  Have a blessed Memorial Day weekend with a little time to reflect on those who gave all for our amazing country.  We're excited to have some of you along with us on our road trip this summer!  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon!

Howdy Friends! 

May is here and it's already hot in Texas!  How has the spring been treating you?  Did you get some bluebonnet photos this year?  They sure were pretty! 

Ross and I are a few days behind with our paperwork.  I've been in overdrive, organizing a road trip for this summer (more on that below), and we didn't have internet access for several days while working out of town last week in New Braunfels, Muenster and Schulenburg.  Then we took a couple of days off this weekend to spend with family, and go out social with friends.  Our Niece was baptized on Saturday morning, which was a very happy occasion.  After that, we went to the Polish Festival to eat as much as we could, and to listen to the amazing musical stylings of Tekla Klebetnico.  Oh my, what fabulous music!  It was so good, we needed more, so we returned on Sunday after church.  Seeing friends, making new friends, eating Polish food and having a little time off put both of us in wonderful moods, and has us ready to take on the stack of work to be done! 

May performances: 

--The Sauer Kraut Grill,734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; Stubenmusi (pub music) with the Duo 

Thursdays May 12, 26;  6 - 8pm 

-- Rudi Lechner's Restaurant, 2503 Gessner, Houston, TX; 
Saturdays May 14, 28; 6pm - 9pm; Das ist Ross, solo 

-- White Horse Tavern , 400 N Main, Burton, TX; 

Sunday May 15; 6 - 9pm; Dinner and a Show;  $25 admission includes Allison's home cooking.  She will serve a pork steak meal with German potatoes, red cabbage and dessert.  Call / text ahead to make reservations: 979-277-5768.  The shopping will be done a couple of days ahead of time - make sure she has enough on hand to serve you. 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Wednesday May 25, 6pm - 9pm; Polka Wednesdays with The Duo 

-- Shiner Spring Picnic, KC Park, 102 South Ave G, Shiner, TX; 
Sunday May 29; 10:30am - 1pm - Outside; Wake up with the Das ist Lustig Duo, then stay all day and enjoy the polka party with many of your favorite Texas polka bands! 
Free Admission! 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be. 

Host your own Backyard party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate this summer!  There are a couple of Saturdays left in June and August, and they could be yours.  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  It's always a great time to celebrate good times together accompanied by a little Bier and happy German folk music!  ...of course, in August, you might want to party in air-conditioned comfort.  We do house parties too - we're even housebroken! 

Looking ahead: 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill, Thursdays June 2, 9, July 14, 21 

-- Boerne Village Band Abendkonzerte, Gazebo, Boerne, TX; 
Tuesday June 7; 7:30 - 9pm;  Das ist Lustig Duo specialties show complete with Tanzenfest AND Boerne Village Band! 

-- Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe, 205 East 1st Street, Sanford, FL; 
Friday June 17; 7 - 10pm, Saturday June 18; 1 - 4pm & 7 - 109pm, Sunday June 19; 1 - 4pm & 6 - 9pm; 
Dinner and a Show with Das ist Lustig Duo 

-- Road Trip 2022, 11 days Dallas to Milwaukee with stops in Oklahoma, Missouri and Iowa;  Highlight of the trip is Germanfest in Milwaukee! 
Monday July 25 - Friday August 5; Lots of live music, lots of German and even Dutch restaurants to visit, wine tasting, and parties! 

Hosting our trips:  We had to postpone Germany again, so we're going to Wisconsin for the Germanfest instead!   Won't you join us for a fun Road Trip?  This classic American pass-time takes us across 7 states in 11 days!  There's lots of fun planned for an exclusive group of 10 travelers (with Ross and Valina in the driver's seat) of a luxury 15 passenger Mercedes Sprinter!  Most importantly, we'll get to visit several German, and even Dutch restaurants along the way, see some amazing history in the Steamboat Arabia museum in Kansas City, taste some great wines in America's original wine valley, Hermann, MO, and experience one of the best German festivals the USA has to offer, the Milwaukee Germanfest!  They're celebrating their 40 year anniversary, and have invited the Zillertaler Schurzenjager to headline the event!  We'll spend 3 days visiting the festival, and you'll need all that time to experience everything this event has to offer.  See the attached brochure for details, itinerary, and pricing.  There are a few other photos attached as well to show you a little bit more of what we'll get to see and do together!  Four spots are already sold, so contact Valina for a registration form! 

If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and interest in expanding our travel to different places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes!  You can even ask us to organize and host a private trip for you and 15 - 20 guests!  We will be attempting our visit to Germany and Prague in the summer of 2024 if things stabilize.  Stay tuned! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day? 

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it. 

Behind the scenes:  Like I said above, we just had the most wonderful weekend visiting the Polish Festival in Houston and listening to Tekla Klebetnica.  That is one heck of a world class duo.  It was also a wonderful treat to see so many of you at the Muenster Germanfest last weekend!  We had a crazy split shift style schedule, but it provided us a nice long day on Saturday to visit with everyone.  Something we both have been craving for a long time.   Ross' shoulder is no longer in constant pain, and he's gained most of his strength back.  I'm glad to see him able to relax, and able to lift heavy stuff again.  I'm strong, but not as strong as he is, and our equipment is heavy!  As many of you know, Jeff retired from drumming, so we've been searching for a new drummer, or two, or three.  Lynn had to back out of the performance with us in Muenster, so we asked Paul from the Alpenmusikanten to sit in with us, and what a treat that was!  I think Paul has a sixth sense for what's going to happen in songs.  It was like we'd been playing together all along.  We've continued our drummer search, and will be welcoming Eric Miculka back in the band for Fort Worth Oktoberfest, and hopefully Wurstfest.  Rick Weiss will join us for some of the Houston shows, and long road tours to Clyde, TX, Tulsa OK and possibly Kansas City, MO (all of these tours are currently in negotiations), and Michael Bahan will be with us in Addison, Tx.  We'll have our first rehearsal with Rick this Saturday, and we're excited.  He's worked with Robert Herridge, who will be in almost all of our Oktoberfest shows this fall.  The fall season is shaping up to be great!

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us!  We hope some of you will be able to travel with us this summer.  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon!

Warmer weather and brighter days are around the corner.  According to that pesky groundhog, there are 3 more weeks of winter to go, but here along the Texas gulf coast, we should reach 80 degrees later this week.  Like everyone else, we are also looking forward to better weather, open windows, fresh air, and green grass.  Our bikes miss us and are waiting in the garage by the door, wagging their tail lights and looking expectantly at us!  Ross' shoulder is feeling much better, there's lots of work going on around here, and finally some rehearsals too!  

March performances: 

--The Sauer Kraut Grill,734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; Stubenmusi (pub music unplugged) with the Duo 
Thursdays March 3, 17, 31;  6 - 8pm  

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Wednesdays March 16, April 20, May 25, 6pm - 9pm; Polka Wednesdays with The Duo 
Spring break and St Patrick's week... A couple of Irish tunes might find themselves in the mix... 

-- Tomball German Heritage Festival, Market Street between Elm and Pine, Tomball, TX;  
Friday March 25; Das ist Ross, 6:30 - 8:30 in the Heritage Center 
Saturday March 26; Das ist Lustig Band, 1:45 - 3:15 & 3:45 - 5:15 at the Grady & Sandra Platz; With Robert Herridge on Fiddle and Glen Renfro on drums 
Sunday March 27; Das ist Lustig Band, 12pm - 2pm at the Grady & Sandra Platz; With Robert Herridge on Fiddle and Glen Renfro on drums   Link to full schedule from Valina's desk HERE 

-- Volksfest Deutsches Haus, 1700 Moss St, New Orleans, LA; 
Friday April 1, 6pm - 9:30 and Saturday April 2, 3pm - 4:30, and 6:30 - 8pm; The Duo. 
Admission and Covid info on their website 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be.  

Host your own Backyard party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate this spring!  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  It's always a good time to celebrate good times together accompanied by a little Bier and happy German folk music! 

Looking ahead: 

-- Volksfest Deutsches Haus, 1700 Moss St, New Orleans, LA; 
Friday April 1, 6pm - 9:30 and Saturday April 2, 3pm - 4:30, and 6:30 - 8pm; The Duo. 
Admission and Covid info on their website 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill Thursdays in April 14, 28. 

-- Krause's Cafe, 148 S. Castell Street, New Braunfels, TX; 
Wednesdays April 20, May 25 6pm - 9pm; Polka Wednesdays with The Duo 

-- Momma's at Sengelmann, Main Street, Schulenburg, TX; 
Wednesday, Apr 27, 6:30 - 8:30; Dinner and a Show; 
April 27 is Koning Dag (King's Day) in the Netherlands, so Dutch folk music, wooden shoes, and the color Orange might well be part of this show! 

Hosting our trips to Europe   Both trips for the summer of 2022 are still reserved, and a couple of rooms have become available.  Would you like to travel with us to Germany and the Czech Republic, Tuesday June 7 - Tuesday June 21, 2022?  Or to the Black Forest and Switzerland June 22 - July 7, 2022?  Our small groups have a ton of fun together!  Can't choose?  There is an option (and a discount) if you go on both trips.    The number of guests for each trip will not exceed 20, so there is plenty of space to spread out.  If you're interested, let us know soon!  https://www.prostyall.com/lustig-tours-holiday   Our bus company and the hotels are optimistic that most restrictions and possibly even quarantines for Covid may be lifted by the time we travel.  However, now there is war in the Ukraine, which could spread into Eastern Europe.  We are keeping a close eye on the developments, and will be making an informed decision of whether to travel or not toward the end of March.  In the mean time, we are still hoping to go.  

If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and some interest in traveling to different places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day?  

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it.       

Behind the scenes:  I think we told you about our drummer Jeff retiring so he can travel with his wife Kat, who is retiring this year.  They're headed to Peru in just a few days!  Well, as a result of him retiring, we are searching for new drummers.  We just auditioned Lynn and had a good time working through some stuff together.  We're looking forward to her being on stage with us at the Muenster Germanfest in north Texas April 22 - 24!  We're auditioning a man named Michael from Austin in mid March, and hope to add him to the performance rotation as well.  We've already interviewed each one of them and had very good visits.  The fall calendar is filling up nicely for the 4 piece band!  If you know someone who is a drummer who enjoys polka and folk music, let us know if they're looking for a band to work with.  There is no such thing as too many drummers who know our material!  Ross has been pretty busy building a cabinet for the smaller equipment we've been purchasing; He's been cutting the wood we salvaged from the neighbor's bed, fitting it, gluing and fine tuning.  The components will fit perfectly and hopefully the cabinet will be something even I could handle by myself.  I've been busy getting paperwork for Tomball put together.  Most of the contracts have gone out, many are back before the due date, and the schedule is jam packed with great entertainment!  Ross has been doing physical therapy for his shoulder for about 3 weeks now, and the improvement is great!  He's not in pain any more, and has gained most of the range of motion back.  He's carefully doing his 90 minutes a day to work out the entire area so he'll get his muscle tone back, work the scar tissue out, and protect the small tear the MRI found.  The doc is great, and is working with us to minimize our out of pocket.  By that, I mean that he's not insisted on another $160 office visit to tell Ross he can take the next step in the PT.  He's very good at listening, and knows his craft.  We're thankful for some new jobs coming in, so we can continue to cover all expenses!  This past weekend, we took a couple of days off to visit a friend for her birthday.  I also had the pleasure of judging the State level German contest.  This time I got to judge polka bands, and I was in excellent company!  The other judges who volunteered their time were Brian Berlin, who we know through the old accordion studio Shelia Lee had, Alfred Tapia from the TubaMeisters, and Alex Meixner.  It always just makes my heart fluttery happy when I see youngsters choose to take on the difficult task of learning the folk music that I love, and they do it as an extracurricular activity.  So many of those students have gone on to graduate, then become involved with other German heritage things around Texas.  It's good for them, and good for the community. 

Attached photos: Ross sanding the bones of the new cabinet for our smaller sound set up.  Enjoying dinner with John from Altstadt Brewery, his wife Deborah, and Chef Eric at the Sauer Kraut Grill.  The flyer for the March 16 show at Krause's Cafe.  

Our hearts are heavy with the overwhelming violence and destruction in the Ukraine.  We don't have direct ties to anyone there, but we have friends who do.  Our prayers are with all of them, and with any of you who have loved ones in the region.  

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us!  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon! 

Howdy Friends! 

Did you see your shadow on Wednesday?  February is in the Haus, and it's ccccooollldddd everywhere in the US!  ...except maybe Hawaii... How is this new year treating you so far?  We're a little late getting this letter out...We had the alarm set to play "I Got You Babe" to wake us up, and well...  

Things around here have been okay.  We've been busy with behind the scenes work, and we took the 5 vacation days we were talking about!  More on all of that below. 

February performances: 

--The Sauer Kraut Grill, 734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; 2nd Anniversary Party, Fasching and Valentine's celebration! 
Saturday Feb 12  1pm - 7pm  With Auf Geht's duo and Das ist Lustig duo! 
* * * Wear a funny costume and enter the German "Mardi Gras" costume contest!  * * * 

--The Sauer Kraut Grill,734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; Stubenmusi (pub music unplugged) with the Duo 
Thursdays Feb 3 & 17;  6 - 8pm 

-- Momma's at Sengelmann, 531 N Main Street, Schulenburg, TX;  Celebrating Fasching here too, so come prepared to be a little extra foolish! 
Wednesday, Feb 23, 6:30 - 8:30; The Duo 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be. 

Host your own Backyard party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate in late winter or early spring!  We can play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  It's always a good time to celebrate gemutlichkeit together accompanied by a little Bier and happy German folk music! 

Looking ahead: 

-- Sauer Kraut Grill some Thursdays in March; Dates TBD 

-- Tomball German Heritage Festival; Saturday and Sunday March 26 &27 with Robert Herridge on fiddle and Glen Renfro on drums 

Hosting our trips to Europe   Both trips for the summer of 2022 are still reserved, and a couple of rooms have opened up.  Would you like to travel with us to Germany and the Czech Republic, Tuesday June 7 - Tuesday June 21, 2022?  Or to the Black Forest and Switzerland June 22 - July 7, 2022?  Our small groups have a ton of fun together!  Can't choose?  There is an option (and a discount) if you go on both trips.    The number of guests for each trip will not exceed 20, so there is plenty of space to spread out.  If you're interested, let us know soon!  https://www.prostyall.com/lustig-tours-holiday   It continues to look bleak in Europe right now, but our bus company and the hotels are telling us that things will most likely be back to pretty normal in the spring and summer.  In the mean time, we are still hoping to go.  We are keeping a close eye on things as they develop.  Some countries are beginning to drop mandates, however, we are speculating how stable things will actually be.  A final decision will be made before the beginning of April. 

If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, requests to do a Christmas Market tour, and some interest in traveling to different places around the US.  We tailor these trips to your wishes! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts; including the brand new "Das ist Ross" shirts!  Hat pins, and CD's that can make lunch at the office a little more like a Biergarten! Who doesn't love a 45 minute escape mid-day? 

Social Media:  You can still find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it. 

Behind the scenes: We finally got a few days off!  We've been pretty busy "upgrading" some equipment;  We're actually purchasing more equipment that will allow us to provide a smaller set up in small venues.  I've purchased a cajon and am learning to play some simple drum patterns with it.  We're learning a few more songs that are not as German as our regular repertoire, so we can maybe expand to playing music in a restaurant without the German theme.  We got to spend a lovely Sunday evening with our friends Robert and Marie Herridge to listen to accordionist Stas Venglevski when he was in Houston a few weeks ago.  When vacation really started, we went for a date to see Mike Stroup play some old cowboy music, then we headed for the coast down south to do a lot of nothing.  We relaxed in the hotel room binge watching tv shows we'd not seen in a long time (it rained all day that day), we napped, we walked to dinner, we walked the beach, we slept, we fed the seagulls, we bird watched, we at some more, we napped some more, and walked on the beach some more.  We road tripped our way home, making stops on Goose Island to see the Big Tree, some Whooping Cranes, then drove over to Indianola to read the history boards there. We bought a ton of citrus on our way home from a fruit stand south of Kingsville.   It was quite nice, and we stayed within our budget!  We're already dropping coins in a jar to save up for the next time we can head down there for a few days.  South Padre in January may not be sunny and hot, but it's affordable, quiet, surrounded by nature, and amazing food at really low prices in Port Isabel.  The down side is Ross' shoulder had another flare up on a Sunday afternoon in mid January.  We had just made a little birthday video to send to a friend, and as he set the accordion back down in its case, he said "oUCH".  He was in so much pain the following Wednesday when we worked at Krause's that I had to do most of the lifting.  We had excellent help from Debbie, Sheryl, Kelsey, Rodney, Gregory, David, and a few other friends who's names I can't recall at the moment.  Despite the pain, the show went well, and it was a fun evening with lots of friends.  Most people could not tell from Ross' playing that anything was wrong.  He really does love to play music for an appreciative crowd!  We were able to get him to the Doc on Feb 1 - the first apt available when I started calling on the 20th of Jan.  There is nothing wrong with the bones thankfully!  Feb 5, he'll have an MRI, and Feb 11, he'll get to follow up with doc about the MRI results.  At least at this point, the pain has subsided to a dull ache, and he can sleep at night.  For a few days, he couldn't sleep the pain was so bad.  He has lost a lot of muscle tone, but the Doc isn't worried about him continuing to play, as long as I can do most of the heavy lifting.  Thursday night's show at the Sauer Kraut did not seem to change the way he felt, and he played like nothing was wrong.  We also purchased some new speaker stands that have crank assist, so neither of us will need to lift those 60 pound things up over our heads any more.  We'll still need to lift them, but only up to about chest height.  You can't be wimpy if you wanna play music for a living, ad we feel like we have another good 15 years in us!  Feb 5 is a busy day, Ross' MRI in the morning, and I'll be judging German contest.  It was supposed to be in person this year, but because of the covid spike, it's all online again.  Ross and I made a short music video, with Carl's help, to send to the kids to watch when their results are announced.  It breaks our hearts that we can't meet those kids in person at their contest this year, but hopefully some of them will come to Tomball and earn some donations for their club.  They deserve the adoration they will get from the audiences for their dedication!  I love getting to see results of their hard work.  This year, I'm be judging folk dance and vocal solo.  Otherwise, the evening of Feb 5 will be date night.  We'll head out to the SPJST to hear Squeezebox with Mollie B and Ted Lange.  Ross feels like he can dance, we love the music, and the friendships with everyone there.  Otherwise, I'll be back in the office next week working on Tomball paperwork, and getting our tax stuff together for our CPA.  Ross will be working with a young accordion player who has asked for some pointers on Tuesday.  Then he'll begin testing the new equipment and building a small cabinet for it to travel and go on stage.  We got most of the lumber he needs from a neighbor throwing an old solid wood bed frame away.  yeay reduce - reuse - recycle! We'll also be interviewing and auditioning drummers.  Our drummer Jeff is retiring from playing music on the road, and the spring festival season is already peeking around the corner at us.  If you know someone who would love to drum in a German folk and polka band and spend a few weeks on the road each year, let us know! 

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means a lot to us!  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger.  We hope we get to "prost y'all" sometime soon!

Oktoberfest is past.  Ach du lieber, how time flies!  BUT Wurstfest is around the corner!  The roller coaster continues, with the loss of a friend, the birth of our Niece, and the continued craziness going on in the world around us.  We're so thankful for the feeling of happiness when seeing crowds of smiling faces who left the outside world outside for a moment.  We're exhausted, and we're thankful to each and every friend, client and guest who made that possible!  We can't wait for Wurstfest, and should be rested up, laundered and packed just in time!   I've said it before, but will say it again, it has been "prima" to see so many of you these past months!  Thank you for coming out, and thank you for your support! 

It has been a record season!  We were blessed to play 28 shows in 31 days in October!  That adds up to 54 hours driving to and from venues, 96 hours of load in, set up, sound checks, packing and loading out, 70 hours of actual performance time, and about 40 hours of maintenance / repairs, turn around between shows, office, errands, lawn and home care.  We're energized and ready for Wurstfest where we have 19 shows for you to choose from; each one will be a little different from the rest.  We're excited to have Jeff drumming in every one, Robert Herridge on fiddle in a few, Randy Adams on trumpet in a few, and dancers on the weekends!  When are you coming?  Do you have a special request for a song you'd like to hear?  We'll play it for you if we know it! 

If you are planning to attend Wurstfest and would like to join us, we're having our annual "Wurstfest family reunion" with friends on Sunday at 10am at Krause's Cafe in New Braunfels.  You're invited to join us!  Let us know by Friday Nov 5, so we can claim enough space for our group.  It's always fun to spend a leisurely breakfast together before the glorious chaos of the festival!  Here's a link to their menu:  https://www.krausescafe.com/menu/   They accept cash and credit.  Parking is possible on the street and in the bank lot across the street if Krause's lot is full. 

November performances: 

--The Sauer Kraut Grill, 734 Crabb River Rd, Richmond, TX; Stubenmusi (pub music unplugged) with the Duo 
Thursdays Nov 4, 18;  6 - 8pm  Keep an eye on the calendar in case there is a date added near Thanksgiving. 

-- Wurstfest, Landa Park, New Braunfels, TX; 
Das Kleine Zelt: 
Saturday Nov 6; 6:05 - 7:05, 8:40 - 9:35, 11pm - 12:00;  Ross, Robert, Jeff, Valina & dancers 
Sunday Nov 7; 3:30 - 4:50, 6:30 - 7:30, 9:05 - 10:00; Ross, Jeff Valina & dancers 
Stelzenplatz: 
Tuesday Nov 9; 6:45 - 7:40, 8:55 - 9:45; Ross, Robert, Jeff & Valina 
Wednesday Nov 10; 5:30 - 6:25, 7:50 - 8:45; Ross, Robert, Jeff & Valina 
Friday Nov 12; 5:30 - 6:35, 8:15 - 9:20; Ross, Randy, Jeff & Valina 
Saturday Nov 13: 2:10 - 3:10, 4:50 - 5:45, 7:15 - 8:15, 9:40 - 10:35; Ross, Randy, Jeff, Valina & dancers 
Sunday Nov 14; 2:15 - 3:15, 4:50 - 5:50, 7:30 - 8:30; Ross, Randy, Jeff, Valina & dancers 

The homepage of our website reflects every performance except the private ones.  Often when we're on the road, we don't have access to update our facebook pages, but will always (as long as my cell phone works) update the home page on our website if there is a last minute change.  You're always welcome to give us a call or send a text if you want to make sure we're going to be where our calendar shows we're going to be. 

Looking ahead: 

Sauer Kraut Grill Thursdays Dec 2,16,23,30; possibly special shows for Holiday dates, we'll update the web calendar when we know more. 

Dec 11 - 12; Tomball German Christmas Market; Times and stages TBD; The 3 piece band with guest drummer Glen Renfro 

Friday Dec 17; Bavarian Brauhaus in Bryan, 109 N Main st; 6:30 - 9:45; The Duo 

Wednesday Dec 22; Krause's Cafe in New Braunfels; 6pm - 9pm; The Duo 

Wednesday Dec 29; Momma's At Sengelmann in Schulenberg; 6:30pm - 9pm; The Duo 

Host your own Christmas party!  Call us for pricing and availability if you have something to celebrate in December!  We're available to play for you as a duo unplugged, or we can bring the sound equipment and specialty folk instruments.  Nothing says Christmas like German Christmas carols played on Accordion, and even Alphorn! American ones played on Accordion and cowbells!  Need an authentic European (Dutch) Saint Nick?  We can offer him as well!  Our Saint Nick is fluent in Dutch and German, and knows the history of how Saint Nick came to be. His beard is real, and his robes are hand made. 

Hosting our trips to Europe   Both trips for the summer of 2022 are close to capacity.  Would you like to travel with us to Germany and the Czech Republic, Tuesday June 7 - Tuesday June 21, 2022?  Or to the Black Forest and Switzerland June 22 - July 7, 2022?  Our small groups have a ton of fun together!  Can't choose?  There is an option (and a discount) if you go on both trips.  There are two double rooms left available on the first trip June 7 - 21.  The Swiss tour June 22 - July 7 has two double rooms available.  The number of guests for each trip will not exceed 24, so there is plenty of space to spread out.  If you're interested, let us know soon!  https://www.prostyall.com/lustig-tours-holiday 

If you'd like to join us for travel in the future, we'd love to hear from you!  There have been requests to return to Austria, The Netherlands, and also requests to do a Christmas Market tour.  We tailor these trips to your wishes! 

Website:  You can always find out what's happening with us at http://www.prostyall.com.  We update our calendar as information becomes available, and always keep the upcoming gigs and last minute changes on the home page.  The shop page https://www.prostyall.com/shop has koozies! (they fit party cups, pint glasses and Wurstfest cups!)  The famous "Prost Y'all" sign is in stock and available for sale too!  Won't that look awesome on the wall of your favorite relaxation spot!  We also have shirts, hat pins, and CD's that can make great gifts for your Biergarten loving friends.  Christmas is coming!  Spoil them with something they can't find at the stores! 

Social Media:  You can find us on Facebook, and Youtube.  You can subscribe to our Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/valinapolka , friend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valinapolka  "like" us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prostyall/  We have an instagram, but don't know how to use it. 

Behind the scenes: 

  Did we tell you about all the crazy fun on the road these past few months?  (Besides Ross' injury, which thankfully is fully healed!)  Our drummer Jeff celebrated his birthday this year playing at Saint Arnold's Oktoberfest with us. Our fiddler Robert celebrated his birthday rehearsing for Santa's Wonderland.  His big season starts on Sunday Nov 7, so he'll only be with us on the first Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Wurstfest.  As luck would have it, the hotel we stayed in during the Fort Worth Oktoberfest was just a little less than hospitable to us - well, pretty nasty to all of the performers who were staying there.  Long story short, they messed up all of the reservations for the various bands staying with them, and kept pushing us out of our rooms in to other rooms. Finally kicking Jeff out completely while he was heading to the festival to work on Saturday.  Friendly to business travelers indeed.  Don't ever stay at the Courtyard by Marriott on I30 west near NAS JRB.  Absolutely awful!  The only person who ever greeted any of us was the night janitor.  The desk personnel were rude to Jeff as they moved him THREE TIMES in 2 days, then just fully threw him out.  Jeff did nothing wrong, and we've never met someone who didn't like Jeff.  The hotel made the mistakes in the reservations, and caused problems for other bands too.  We have yet to hear all the stories.  They also locked Robert out of his room at 6am Sunday as we were trying to load out to head to Houston for a show.  Jeff slept in his car after working in Fort Worth all Saturday, and driving to Houston for the Sunday gig.  The elevator buttons did not work properly, and by Sunday morning, the only way to get an elevator on the ground floor was to go up the stairs and come down in it.  Fun fun!  Got lots of exercise while staying there for sure!  Lost precious office and prep time too with all the room moving.  Anyway, then a couple of weeks later, Ross and Jeff went for a late night meal at a Waffle House in OKC.  They ordered drinks and food, were sitting and talking, and realized after about 30 minutes they still were not receiving anything to eat.  They then noticed the stove was not attended.  Shortly after that, the staff asked everyone to leave.  Aint nothing like getting kicked out of a Waffle House at 1am when you're hungry and tired after a 3 hour show in Louisiana, followed by a 10 hour drive, followed by a 3 hr nap, followed by a 3 hour load in / sound check, followed by a 4 hour show...  I wasn't there, they dropped me off at the VRBO.  I was tooooo tired, and so glad I didn't go, cause I just would have had a toddler style meltdown.  I'm hyper, but at 30 hours of no sleep, I tend to revert to my inner 3 year old for etiquette...   I've been busy busy in the office with invoices, paperwork, continuing Tomball planning and tour plans, turning merch around for shows, laundry and ironing, mowing the grass, raking the leaves... this life is still not really that glamorous!  I do the yard work during the season to spare Ross' shoulder injury, and allow him time to keep his accordion chops.  Although he spent several hours today sewing his lederhosen back together.  The other half of today, he spent making a birthday cake for his Mom.  We'll do some rehearsing tomorrow morning.  Music is not learned once and then performed forever, it is a constant living thing to maintain on a daily basis.  Back in Tulsa last weekend, while jumping around on stage leading the Zumba Aus Tirol, I felt a "pop" in my left calf, then pain.  I flat footed the rest of the performance, and headed over to first aid to make sure I didn't pull a tendon or ligament.  Those were intact, but there was definitely pain when I flexed the muscle, so I stretched good, kept the muscle warm, and finished the last two sets with a little less bounce than normal.  Took some ibuprofin and kept drinking tons of water, and it was already much better the next day.  People often ask us why we don't drink much on stage.  Well, part of that reason is that what we're doing is athletic in nature.  I am very glad I didn't damage the muscle while tipsy, because I likely would have pressed on and caused more damage.  Plus, it messes with the vocals, which after half a liter, I tend to be unable to support properly (you should hear my badly executed high notes in Sweet Caroline, HA!) I noticed this week Saturday that it felt all normal again, so I guess it's healed just in time for Wurstfest!  It truly has been a whirlwind month, and interesting too. On the 31st, after we finished playing for a very successful and well attended Lutherfest, we finally got to go meet our new niece Jane.  She's 11 days old now!  We sat on the front porch with my parents, my brother and his wife, and the baby, people watching as the trick or treaters came and went.  Most were cute, most were polite.  One couple was old enough to drive, and were celebrating date night... Parked the car, got out, picked up some candy, went next door and got candy, got back in the car, and moved on further down the street.  Can you imagine?  At least walk!  Seeing all that candy, Ross and I got the bright idea to stop in to Walmart on the way home for Reese's peanut butter cups, Almod Joy, and Candy Corn.  We said "trick or treat" just like we're supposed to, but the lady at the check out said "nice try, that will be 8.92."  No free candy date night for us.  :\  We bought the candy, came home, fell asleep on the couch watching Young Frankenstein.  A good Halloween if you ask me!  We'll probably close the office for a day or two after Wurstfest, and head somewhere quiet for a day to let our brains and muscles rest.  But then, we'll begin rehearsals for Christmas music.  We can't wait for Christmas! 

Always allow joy and hope to be in your life!  We pray every day that health and strength will remain for our friends, family, fans, and ourselves, so we can continue passing happiness on to others.  We thank the Lord every day for the talents he loaned us and the people he has brought around us.

That's all for this newsletter.  Your support and friendship means so much to us!  Stay healthy, stay safe, share a smile with a stranger, and we hope we get to "prost y'all" at Wurstfest!