Hi all! Due to a few personal life things, it's been awhile since I've felt well enough to do a week in review. It's been an interesting few weeks. After taking a few weeks of medical leave from work to recover from a procedure I had, I returned only to find out that we're working from home again most days. This is great for me, as I'm realizing that even though my recovery period is technically two weeks, I'm still easily fatigued and need to take things slower these days. I'm thankful for the the time to move a little more slowly as I continue to regain strength.

Yesterday was my annual Lord of the Rings-o-thon. It's a holiday tradition that I've thrown for at least 10 years. And though we couldn't gather in person, I was heartened by all of the people who Zoomed in so that we could be "together" and maintain the holiday festivities. It was a really fun day and a reminder of how little rituals make all the difference when the world around me feels out of balance.

I also had my first lesson with a young, top-notch violinist who I've admired and respected for a long time. Y'all, my world was SHOOK. The lesson went beyond my expectations. She has so much knowledge, and is so good at communicating that knowledge in a clear, warm way. It's a completely different vibe than I've had with most of my violin teachers, and one that is much needed at this point in my life. I could go on about how damaging harsh teachers can be to young, developing musicians, but I'll leave it for (maybe) another post. Suffice it to say, I'm so thrilled to be mentored by such a warm and supportive teacher at this stage in my life.

Here are some interesting things I came across this week...

My favorite Christmas song got an adorable, illustrated music video!

I love the design of Cris Wood's Envelope Dress, and she's offering a class on how to modify it to have sleeves.

There's now an International Society for Black Musicians, created by Dalanie Harris and Katie Brown who are also creators of the Classically Black podcast!

Another reason to move to Japan - IKEA's first veggie dog bitstro in Shibuya!

My beautiful friend Monique and her colleague are offering this meditation circle for the solstice, and it's free!