Well, maybe not so crazy when I look at what those 2 years has included...
- I sold my KW condo and bought a teeny tiny single-family home in a neighborhood called Bahama Village. Although I had a few lovely neighbors in my last neighborhood, with whom I am still friends, it was very focused on seasonal rentals. In my new neighborhood, I am surrounded by full-time Key West residents, and wonderful, wonderful neighbors who are becoming family to me. And I wake up every single day amazed and beyond grateful that I am in a single family home--which, by the way, includes less square footage than I had in my NYC apartment!--instead of a condo, with condo rules and regulations...and owners. This little home is darling. And the spare square footage is supplemented by a covered back deck that is almost as large as the home itself! Didn't have THAT in NYC...!
- I wrote music and lyrics for 2 new musicals with 2 different librettists. (While continuing to try and market MARY - A MUSICAL!)
- One of the new musicals, CONCH REPUBLIC (The Musical!), book by Monnie O. King, was produced by the Key West FRINGE Theater in 2013.
- The other, A DOG STORY, book by Eric H. Weinberger, was optioned for production by the Waterfront Playhouse in 2014.
- CONCH REPUBLIC will be produced by the KWFringe again in 2014!
- I had major roles in 3 musicals, and mounted and produced my own cabaret show.
- I had to say goodbye to my little Aria in 2012. So, so hard. So much sooner than I was hoping I would have to do that. Thank God for the support of this Key West community as I adjusted to life without her.
- I made several stressful trips to Texas to spend time with family, some planned, some not:
- My sister was diagnosed with brain cancer this year. She is fighting hard, and the treatments are so far keeping the cancer at bay. She's strong, surrounded by an amazing tribe of family and friends, and I have every confidence that she is destined to live a long life still. But it's been a battle for her, and for her husband and (grown) children, and will continue to be for some time, I'm sure.
- My mother has been in an assisted living facility for 2 years now in the same town as my sister. But now that my sister has her own health issues to tackle, I've needed to step in to take care of more of the logistics of my mom's needs. So, lots of time on the phone, with her, and with her doctors, facility providers, insurance support lines, etc. And when she broke her arm--a week after my sister had brain surgery--I had to fly down to deal with the hospital and her rehab, which had to happen in her apartment rather than in a rehab location.
- In March of 2013, I found that my heart had finally healed enough to open up to a new baby: a little Yorkiepoo whose name is Kaya Piccolina Morgan. :-) Kaya is a derivative of "Cayo" from "Cayo Hueso" aka "Key West." Piccolina means "wee one" and sounds so much like "piccolo" that it's my musical nod in her name. She is full of HAPPY!!! All the time! Having a puppy has been exhausting (I'm 12 years older than last time I had a puppy, for heaven's sake!) ha, but she is bringing such joy to my life. Very different than Aria, for which I'm grateful, because I can appreciate her for herself.
There's information throughout my website and on my calendar (to the right) about the musicals and the shows. I've also created a Facebook page for myself as a composer/lyricist, and am keeping that much more up to date than this blog will probably end up being. So, to keep current, look on Facebook for Gayla Morgan, Composer/Lyricist.
But I'll still occasionally check in here. Hopefully to be more candid and less formal than on the shows' websites or on the "official" FB page! The bottom line is that I still pinch myself each morning to make sure I'm not just dreaming this amazing life in Key West.
I hope each of you have such joy and amazement in your lives, too!
