Stress-Free? NEVER!

In my last post, Aria and I had just moved into our new home. A week later, we were gone. For a month. Working and visiting friends and family. It was a wonderful, busy, fulfilling, exhausting month of reconnecting. I was so grateful to have had the chance to go.

Of course, I jumped right back into the thick of things upon our return in mid-August. :-) And--although thankfully we had no actual hurricanes during Hurricane Season!--the hurricane of my life and activities hasn't stopped since! Check my calendar to the right and you'll see why...

And the calendared events are only the visible, attendable evidence of the many many artistic opportunities I've been pursuing:

• My KeyWestViolinist.com business is growing slowly but surely, yay! So I've been playing occasional weddings, and have several contracts for early 2011 already.
  
• I've also continued to promote MARY - A MUSICAL by marketing it to theaters and applying to additional awards programs and contests...and that meant recording additional demo tracks, which concluded VERY successfully this week thanks to the fantastic talents of Frank Galgano (producer, actor/singer, engineer) and Matt Castle (music director, actor/singer, pianist), the co-owners of CustomBroadwayMidi.com--and truly amazing friends.
• And I'll be substituting as organist/cantor at my church while the regular organist/music minister takes a well-deserved vacation over Thanksgiving. I had *just* begun to start playing as a sub in NYC after a hiatus of about 15 years. I'm pretty excited about getting the chance to play again...especially since it won't be a regular commitment. :-)
  

In non-business life: I've been so busy and overwhelmed that I recently realized an entire day had gone by without me paying a BIT of attention to little Aria!!! Which is--of course--COMPLETELY unacceptable. I made a promise to myself that day that I'd reorganize my life so that a walk with her every day became a priority. So far so good. :-) We walk often to the marina nearby on the Gulf. But I also bought a cute, "Conch"-y bicycle and Aria (in a backpack front-loading pouch--pink, natch!) and I bike occasionally now over to the Atlantic for a glass of wine on Salute's outdoor porch on the beach...ahhhh...

I'm also getting to know my neighbors better--all of them really generous, sweet, good-hearted people. I'm sooooo grateful to be in this neighborhood! In fact, my nearest neighbors (in the condo complex and next door) are gathering on the next-door porch tonight to watch the Locals' Fantasy Fest Parade tonight (yes, Aria, too!). :-)

Fantasy Fest starts "The Season" here in Key West. Last year, I wasn't really part of KW texture enough to be swept up in the holidays. It'll be a discovery this year--one of SOOOOO many.

And yes, I'm still loving it!!!

(My suspicion, based on the last few posts, is that I won't be posting again until 2011...so, just in case, WARM holidays to you from Paradise--make the most of the magic of the Love in this special season!)