Happy New Year to all!     I am blowing the dust off of my blog tonight to celebrate the gratitude I feel for this last year - good and bad - and the beginning of a new year with innumerable fresh starts and opportunities.   I am glad to be alive on this planet and surrounded by beauty and love.   There are things that have troubled me this past year (demise of democracy, personal mild, chronic depression, lack of physical well-being in some ways, loss, worry), but I take those as the price I pay for the music, the parenting, the experiences of beauty in the form of books, TV shows, conversations with friends and family, teaching, amazing students with fresh perspectives, and experience of the natural world.   I paid attention during many moments of this year.   I practiced self-compassion.   I practiced compassion.   I laughed.   I also cried.   I stopped striving so much.   I practiced mindfulness and gratitude.   The equanimity meter moved up slightly this year.   Lots of stuff was still a slog through the mud.   Lots.   Sometimes, I didn't handle it.  But, I shook myself off and picked myself up and here we are at the end of the year!

I have some plans and some optimism going forward into 2019.   I am going to take some proactive steps here in January by following a Clean Eating challenge with some friends.  It is for 30 days,  and I can do anything for 30 days.   It will be hard work.   I am not counting calories, but I am putting some intention and thought into what kind of food and supplements that I am putting into my body.    And, I am following a plan that allows me to just follow through with some shopping, preparing, and supplementing according to a plan that is given to me.  I don't have to create it from scratch.   This is good.  I need someone to tell me what to eat for a while.     I will keep you all updated.

I am going to strap on the old Fitbit again in January, but I can't focus on ALL. THE. THINGS. at once so I am just going to track the steps and try to get out walking more and maybe fit in a yoga class or gentle weight lifting session here and there.   Maybe I'll focus more on goals in that direction in February.  

I am still working on the self-compassion, both personally and professionally.   Hope to have an article written (and ready to shop around) by the end of February.   Have applied to another conference that will occur this summer.   Am not daunted by any rejections of this nature.  I will keep trying to refine the work and spread the word - to both musicians/music students and others.  

Things that will keep me going in the New Year:   The Great British Baking Show (OMG, I love it SO much); Yo-Yo Ma's continued existence on the planet and his inspirational work;  a January performance of Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn; a stack of books (I will recount my reading adventures here on the blog as well - am finishing up A Gentleman in Moscow); learning Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time (a bucket list item); working on a recital with a violist/violinist friend; learning some music written by Mélanie Bonis, a composer I recently encountered (early twentieth century; French; female...) whose story and music have appealed to me; planning a trip to Yellowstone and Glacier National parks this June/July with my family; RBG; the possibility that someone, somewhere, sometime will be our next President and get this guy out; re-reading  Little Women with my girl; increasing my science skills by working on some projects with my brilliant son; spring; decluttering some closets and drawers and other such dark areas in my house/life; filling up the under inflated tires in my bicycle and hitting the trail now and again....  

So, folks:   If you are reading this and have some interest in me and my musings, I thank you.   I am glad to be your friend.    And let's ring in the new year with style, shall we?