In progress

I am prepping the dining room for the photo shoot. This project is important to me, so I'm putting some thought into it in hopes that it will be helpful to Kat, but without stepping on her toes & her vision. I plan to put subtle homages to my sister, both grandmothers, Ma, Pa & Mayumi. Naturally, ATM & I will splay our things in hopes that we represent ourselves accurately. This is harder than I thought it'd be! Electric excitement!

I must boast; our reward for taking care of things in a timely manner is not having to do a mad dash during the holidays. All but one gift has arrived & Christmas plans have been solidified. I must thank ATM for his excellent partnership -- I would go insane & nothing would be done if it weren't for our teamwork. I'm serious, you get us on the same page, THINGS GET DONE. I just wanted to express gratitude because sometimes, taking care of business can be stressful.

So, I am working on a toast for new year's eve. There are arcane things from the past -- letter writing, calligraphy, formal invitations, please & thank yous, and Perry Como, to name a few -- that I adore & would love to see a comeback. I feel that a heartfelt toast can be a lovely thing to do for your friends & family, If you're not careful, you can look like a smug jerkface, I suppose. But, our new tradition of going to the Thompson cabin in Ferndale is one of my happiest times in my life. A toast is appropriate. Here's to year three! Cheers!

"I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year than with a group of people who have been such an important part of my past and, if the heavens are smiling on me, will be an equally important part of my future. Here's hoping the new year will bring each of us good health and happiness."

I am almost finished with a mix that I wanted to give before Thxgiving, but it didn't feel finished, so I put it off. I've since added some songs, all I need to do is arrange it. I'll admit, the mix is pretty pedestrian. Living with a serious musician that knows his stuff has made me really shy, but I think I'LL LIVE. Heh. Let me know if you want one!