The View from Here

Outside the UAB Department of Music after an afternoon recording session.

It is that time of the semester where everyone- students and professors alike- are stressed and exhausted, counting the days until the Thanksgiving break. The last weeks have been filled with wonderful things; recital tours, Dan’s retirement, my book going to print…and anxiety-inspiring things; deadlines, hearing issues, and training to take over the role of Associate Chair of the Department of Music as of January first as a wonderful colleague retires (exciting, but scary, too- big shoes to fill!). As always when times are stressful, I count on my home to be an oasis, a place of healing and reflection. It has never let me down, and in this season of change, its gifts are particularly beautiful.

Fall views…

I have been trying some new things to help deal with stress, including the goal of doing yoga every morning for at least sixty days straight. There is something magical about practicing yoga and meditation in the wee hours of the morning, the house so very quiet, my space lit only by the glow of the fireplace. I have passed the twenty-day mark now, and I am feeling the positive benefits of my daily practice. It is helping me to find a better place in so many ways; a good first step on the right path, setting me up for more healthy changes to come.

Time with Dan and our beasties has also felt more medicinal than perhaps ever before. I feel such gratitude for our little family and the comfort, laughter, and joy that they bring to me. Even Shiva has softened a bit, truly becoming a part of the family in every way. I’m so glad that we didn’t give up on her.

Sweet Sophie…

Making time for a visit with friends this weekend has been good, too. I am such an introvert and too often hole up at home when I’m not working, doing my best to recharge for busy days. We were happy that the weather cooperated beautifully when our friends came so that we could enjoy the evening on the decks, starting with Dan’s special ‘Danhattans’ at sunset on the top deck, and followed by an amazing dinner grilled by Dan.

We are the Disneyland of Southside thanks to Dan’s lighting design skills.

Dan and I have always said that we can get through anything as long as we could come home to each other and our peaceful home. I find that the older (and wiser?) I become, the more I rely on the grounding that my time at home brings to me. As the wonderful madness of the holiday season approaches, along with all of the new adventures headed my way on the horizon, I am going to make a point to really appreciate the peace of our home, so infused with love as it is…Something I never want to take for granted.