Ride on...Last post of 2024

Here it comes….the snow….another year…. (which really, is only about 8 months long now, let’s be honest). I’m happier to look up at the snow on the mountains than I am to see the first snowplow bill for my road. I can wait for that. But my oh my…..it’s a beautiful sight.

I’m vowing to get this letter off this year - I have an hour left. I’m not one for NYE parties or resolutions, so I’m happily home alone. But there sure is a tall and mighty “should” pile that I could easily pick from if I were inclined to make resolutions. It’s relentless really, and though one never knows how much time one has to get to the pile, the phrase “my days are numbered” keeps seeping into my consciousness. As it happens, I’m currently reading Liane Moriarty’s “Here One Moment” (highly recommended) about the lives of a plane full of people to whom a fellow (psychic-ish) passenger goes the length of the plane delivering each their predicted age and manner of death. Though that sounds like a dark premise, it’s in fact a compelling glimpse into how each passenger handles the forecast. But I digress….already?? (Ooh- a sneaky pun!)

There are a few people - some whom I’ve never met, and some good friends - who have been cheerleading me to finish the book I’m been working on (hardly diligently) for at least a decade. I so appreciate their tenacity. One in particular, Canadian music journalist David Farrell, the editor of The Record, and FYI Music news and the only person to ever hire me to write (articles for the magazine), was tremendously supportive. David passed away two weeks ago. It was a shock to so many, and strangely I feel like I let him down. I’d like to make up for that. In fact. I’d like to morph “someday” to “soon” to “now” to “done”. But these 8 month long years are not helping! And that pesky need to sleep - so annoying (while also delicious) in all the precious hours it gobbles!

I’d love to eliminate “should” from both my inner monologue and my own Ms. Preachy Pants tendencies. Okay, maybe I should make a list. Oh geez….I’m in a spiral here!

So - we made it through the year. Well done everyone. I’m no clairvoyant, but I’m surmising that the next four could be weird. So let’s huddle together and crank up on hope and caffeine and make some good music, share our stories, and ride on together as consciously and positively as possible.

Shows are coming - which I will list below, but in the meantime…Brio wanted me to include what is either his personal statement on the holiday season, or his dedication to hanging on to his holiday spirit. You be the judge….

See you out there - somewhere, sometime, and please do stay in touch. I love hearing from you.

Happy Trails, (not proof reading or sending a test - I’m livin’ on the edge baby!)
Shari