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| Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash |
“One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the
known coming to an end.”
—Krishnamurti
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| Photo by Edwin Hooper on Unsplash |
I’ve been trying to figure out why I seem unable to get
anything of note accomplished. Could it be because the world has gone mad? For
instance:
- Our local weather has been see-sawing between the 90s and the 70s with violent storms in between.
- I haven’t been to the library since March 14.
- I go grocery shopping wearing a mask.
You’d think I would have extra time on my hands since I
can’t pick up a few things at Target or meet a friend at Panera for coffee—or
do any of the other little things that seem to suck up more time than you’d
expect. Since we are so very, very fortunate to be safe, healthy, and
comfortable during this stay-at-home time, I thought I’d be reading more books,
creating art, and writing like mad.
I’m not.
Huh.
Guess it’s not just “lack of time” that keeps me from doing
the things I say I want to do. What have I been doing? I really don’t know.
I’ve spent some extra time with Tank because he was due for vet and farrier
visits recently. Though honestly, since I’m still doing all the household
things I did before lockdown, I don’t have as much additional free time as
those who are home from their regular jobs. I’m still doing most of my “regular
job,” so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at my lack of increased productivity. The good news is that this week has been better than last week, which was in turn better than the one before.
I see that many other people are struggling with the same
mood and motivation issues during these strange days. If you’re struggling too, you’re not alone. Here are a few
things that have helped me with the disconnect/anxiety/overall strangeness:
- Dressing rather than staying in pajamas.
- Checking in with one or two people every day.
- Checking the news briefly, choosing the least incendiary headlines to click.
- Writing in my journal.
- Going outside for a few minutes to water the plants and seeds, and watch the dog run around.
- Completing one or two small (I mean miniscule) tasks each week. This week I cleaned up some spots on the carpet in the master bedroom and cleaned and conditioned the boots I wear to the barn.
I also found this piece really interesting—the variety of
things people are doing to stay sane. For example, “To guard against lethargy,
despondency and slovenliness, structure feels important: appointments,
schedules, achievable goals, regular activities.” (Simon Armitage)
Or
“It’s important not to beat ourselves up. You don’t always
have to do stuff. Or achieve stuff. You don’t have to spend your time wisely
and productively. You don’t have to be doing tai chi and DIY and artisan
bread-making. Sometimes you can just be and feel things and get through and
survive. It’s OK to just exist.” (Matt Haig)
I’ve spent a good amount of time online, but not reading the
news. I’ve gravitated towards music and happier types of distractions,
including:
70 West End stars perform Les Misérables’ Do You Hear The People Sing
Cast of Beautiful sings “You’ve Got a Friend”
(Can you tell I miss my shows at the Straz?!)
I’ve been listening to this almost every day.
John Krasinksi’s SGN (Some Good News) episodes are lots of
fun. Episode 2 continues my personal musical theater theme with an appearance
by Lin-Manuel Miranda and other Hamilton cast members.
If you’re more into operatic/classical music, click here for
Andrea Bocelli’s performance at the Duomo in Milan.
Meteorologist Jeff Lyons of Indiana has been shooting his
weather forecasts at home, with a little help from the family pet, who has now
been dubbed Betty the Weather Cat. Click here to see them in action.
I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, or next week, or next
year. This situation is unprecedented on every level. I’m simultaneously
terrified and hopeful. I’ve heard about so many generous acts, such grace and
kindness, and I choose to focus on those things rather than the actions of
those who for whatever reason allow their baser instincts to take over. I’m
trying to overcome my own fear and shyness to reach out to see how I can help
others, and I’m doing it imperfectly and awkwardly and often missing the mark
altogether. And I’m especially grateful for grocery store employees who never
imagined they might be risking their lives to check me out at Publix.
I hope you and your loved ones are still safe and healthy, and that you’re about to enjoy a weekend of simple pleasures and everyday adventures. Let me know how you’re doing in the comments below. And if you’ve heard any positive stories coming out of this crisis, please also share those in the comments!
“Be gentle.
Rest often.
Soften,
soften,
soften.”
—Chani Nicholas
Soften is one of
my chosen words of the year. I didn’t expect it to be this essential.
Lost in the frenzy of coping with the Covid-19 situation is the fact that April is National Poetry Month in the United States. Several times on Catching Happiness, I’ve posted about incorporating poetry into one’s life in simple, non-intimidating ways. (See “It’s National Poetry Month—No Foolin’” or “10 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month.”)
In fact, now seems like an excellent time to return to
reading poetry. I find it calming and soothing—and slowing down is necessary in
order to fully appreciate the layers of meaning in many poems. In particular,
I’ve been meaning to revisit some of Robert Frost’s poetry after visiting one of his homes in September of 2019.
In the meantime, here’s a poem, courtesy of
americanlifeinpoetry.org, to remind us that even in the face of “interesting times,” some rituals remain.
Introduction by Ted Kooser: That sage curse, “May you
live in interesting times,” has been upon us for the past few years, but here a
Kentucky poet, Jonathan Greene, offers us some reassurance that there is order
in the world. Greene has a special talent for, and love of, short poems, and
this is a good example of his work. This poem is from his most recent book, Afloat,
published by Broadstone Books.
The Return
We are heartened
when each year
the barn swallows
return.
They find their old nests,
teach their young to fly,
lining up on the barn roof
for their first flight.
They remind us,
for now, some rituals
of this good earth
continue.
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry
Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It
is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska,
Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2018 by Jonathan Greene, “The Return,” from Afloat,
(Broadstone Books, 2019). Poem reprinted by permission of Jonathan Greene and
the publisher. Introduction copyright ©2020 by The Poetry Foundation. The
introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate
Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not
accept unsolicited manuscripts.
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| A little bit of spring from California a couple of years ago |
Life continues to feel surreal. Most of us are down to
visiting the grocery store and staring at our own four walls. My big outing of
the week is a trip to the barn to take care of Tank. If I happen to run into
anyone, we stand at least six feet away from each other and shout pleasantries.
Weird.
Nearly everyone I know and the
majority of the people I follow on social media or the Internet is relentlessly
trying to remain positive and encouraging, and I could not be more grateful. My
mother-in-law sent the whole family an email with only these words:
THIS WILL BE OVER
AND
WE WILL BE THE BETTER FOR IT.
I have no idea what life will be
like once this is “over.” Will it ever be over? Did someone hit a reset
button somewhere?
I’ve been too tired and distracted to do much of anything,
and even my reading has suffered. I don’t have a lot of work deadlines right
now, but I do have personal writing projects I’d like to pursue, and I can’t
seem to motivate myself to do them. I’ve tried breaking them down into smaller
and smaller bits, but so far haven’t found a small enough bit to accomplish.
But today is the start of a new week, a week in which I
will continue to enjoy simple pleasures and maybe even an everyday adventure or
two—for example, I need to pick up a few items at the grocery store today—wish
me luck! I will try again to be more productive with my time, whether I
use it to clean up a mess (have you noticed the Persistence of Messes even in
times of pandemic?), or to write a haiku, or to otherwise play around with
words hoping to find the magic combination that resonates in my mind as being
something I want to share.
I will read books from my unread shelf, and library books
that have been stranded with me. I will take Luna for walks, and brush Prudy.
Tank is scheduled to have his yearly vaccines this week. I will make dinner,
and do laundry, and otherwise keep our home a place of safety and comfort. My
husband’s business is considered essential, so he is still going to his office,
though it is closed to the public and only one other employee is working there
with him (the rest are working from home).
I will take it one day at a time. Life goes on, even in
these strange days.
And how are you doing?
While avoiding too much news, I have found some solace
online. Here are some links you might find inspiring or helpful:
If you have extra time on your hands, you could do worse
than joining Yale University’s “The Science of Well Being” course, available
free through Coursera.
“Pandemic Positivity” downloads from Positively Present.
I’m partway through watching this TED Connects video with
Elizabeth Gilbert.
And finally, I leave you with this, the best thing I’ve seen
online all week (thanks for sharing, Kerri):
“Chasing petty happiness pushes greater
happiness out of reach.”
— Gretchen Rubin
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| Seen on my walk this morning |
“We either make ourselves miserable or we make
ourselves strong.
The amount of work is the same.”
The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
Are we there yet?
With much of the US (and the rest of the world) either “social distancing” or “sheltering
in place,” all you extroverts and work-outside-your home folks must
be going crazy. While my day-to-day life hasn’t changed that much (I
admit I miss the library), I can certainly sympathize with the frustrations of
having your schedule turned upside down, and having to fill hours of the day
productively rather than stewing and worrying uselessly. Yes, of course, you
can binge watch TV or movies, or read, but here are a few more simple pleasures and everyday adventures for while you’re sheltering at home:
Bake something. Blow the dust off your bread machine (do
people still have those? I do!), mix up a batch of your family’s favorite
cookies, or use up the over-ripe bananas in banana bread. I find baking very calming,
not to mention yummy.
Take a walk in nature. Obviously, you should only do this if
you can do it safely, but there really is something so uplifting about getting
some fresh air and sunlight. (Plus, you probably need the exercise—see first
suggestion.)
Take an online art class. Laure Ferlita’s online watercolor classes are fun, accessible, and reasonably priced. She just launched a new one
last week, Spring Wreath. (No affiliation except friendship!)
Doodle with Mo Willems, Kennedy Center Education
Artist-in-Residence. Primarily aimed at kids, but still fun for adults! As he
says, “You might be isolated, but you’re not alone. You are an art maker. Let’s
make some art together.”
Watch and listen to the Berlin Philharmonic in their digital concert hall, free for 30 days, if you register by March 31. So soothing.
Participate in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Stay At Home Book Tour.
The first event was today, but there’s one every day this week, and if you
can’t join live, there will be replays available. Learn about it here.
Fill your mind with positive, encouraging, and uplifting
things, like:
This post, by Dani DiPirro of Positively Present.
This interview with author Rebecca Solnit. Her book A Paradise Built in Hell, “describes how in the aftermath of natural and
man-made disasters…human beings tend to respond by banding together, not
tearing apart.”
No doubt this is a hard and scary time. Let’s get through it
together. Share the things that are helping you in the comments below!
“We are not going to change the whole world, but we can
change ourselves and feel free as birds. We can be serene even in the midst of
calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil. Serenity is
contagious. If we smile at someone, he or she will smile back. And a smile
costs nothing. We should plague everyone with joy. If we are to die in a
minute, why not die happily, laughing?”
—Sri S. Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras
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| Luna and I are working at home |
Here in the U.S., things are getting weird. Fights are
breaking out over toilet paper, businesses and schools are closing, and a new
term has entered our vocabulary: social distancing. The COVID-19 coronavirus is
wreaking havoc all over the world.
And my library just closed. Now it’s getting serious.
I don’t mean to make light of this situation—it’s the
strangest, scariest thing that’s happened in my life, except for 9/11. I’m not
especially worried about catching the virus—I work from home and don’t spend
much time with people other than my family and close friends—but I do worry
about my husband and son, who work with the public, and my older family
members, some of whom have health issues. I’m also deeply concerned about what
will happen to the economy after this is all over.
Following the news has made me anxious and depressed at
times. But I remind myself that living is risky. Virus or no, any one of us
could be struck down at any time—we just don’t think about it that often. Our
attention turns to the fragility of our way of life, and life itself, when
something like this happens.
We always have a choice, however. We can let the coronavirus bring out the
worst in us, or the best. This is our chance to work together to reduce the
spread of the virus and help each other along the way. As usual, our attitudes
are key: can we remain positive in the face of fear and uncertainty? Can we
pause and notice the simple pleasures we’re usually too busy to see and savor?
Can we use this time to become more thoughtful and real?
While we’re walking this hard road, here are some things we
should remember:
- Follow instructions from authorities regarding social distancing—if we have the virus but don’t realize it, we can spread it.
- Don’t hoard. Buy only what we need and leave the rest for others.
- If possible, help those in our community who may be dangerously isolated, especially the elderly.
- Remember that this won’t last forever.
- Try to stay in the moment and avoid “awful-izing” about the future.
We can also remember those who are being hurt economically
by this shut down: small businesses, authors’ whose book tours have been
postponed or cancelled, artists and crafts people who make a portion of their
income through teaching or shows, performers who may not be paid when their
productions go dark, servers who miss out on tips, parents who can’t afford
childcare for kids who are unexpectedly out of school. Keep your eyes and ears
open for ways to help if you can.
And take care of our physical and mental health by finding
positive ways to release fear and tension. I stress cleaned my closet and
dresser this weekend, a job that has needed doing for months. I’m eyeing my
office next—it would benefit from a deep clean. And I think working out would
be a better way to cope with stress than eating barbecue flavor potato chips,
which I don’t really like that much anyway but they’re salty and crunchy
and…well, you get it.
When the weather and situation permits, step outside for a
breath of fresh air. Wash our hands more than usual (and apply hand cream
after!). If we find it’s getting to be too much for us, set limits on checking
updates and avoid inflammatory articles. And every time we read something
scary, look for a positive story—such as “Coronavirus sparks an epidemic of people helping people in Seattle.”
While we wait for world to settle down, here are some links
you might find helpful:
Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project has some
excellent suggestions about how to stay as happy and calm as we can be
in this situation here.
Modern Mrs. Darcy (whose own book tour has been cancelled)
is hosting a Stay at Home Book Tour. Sign up for this free series of events, which will take place over the week
beginning March 23.
Working at home? Click here to download Jamie Varon’s Work From Home Survival Guide.
How to Touch Your Face Less (since touching your face is one
of the main ways you can infect yourself).
And from Catching Happiness:
I sincerely hope you’re all healthy and safe. If you feel
like sharing, let me know in the comments (or hit reply if you’re receiving
this via email) how you’re coping with coronavirus fears.
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| Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash |
I don’t know why, but I love Leap Day (February 29). Maybe
it’s because it’s like being given the gift of an extra day, and who doesn’t
wish for one of those now and then? Maybe because Leap Day is a once-every-four-years pause. The usual 28 days of February are done, and March hasn’t started yet.
This year’s Leap Day sort of snuck up on me while I wasn’t
paying attention. I’d like to make it memorable, instead of a typical Saturday
of chores and whatnot, so today I’ll have to get my backside in gear so that
today’s work doesn’t bleed into tomorrow, as has been known to happen. Or I’ll
have to let go of something—or both. Either way, I plan to celebrate Leap Day,
but not by making it into a full-blown, drive-myself-nutty holiday, complete
with its own to-do list and 10-point plan. Rather, I have two simple
suggestions for how to celebrate Leap Day:
1. Be kind to yourself. Sleep in a little, take a walk in
nature (if your weather allows this), spend time doing something that feeds
your soul. Eat some healthy and delicious food. Give someone a hug. Even when
the world feels dark and scary, most of us still have so much to appreciate and
enjoy, so many people (and animals) to love. I’m going to try to fill it with
simple pleasures—things like starting a jigsaw puzzle, reading (of course), and
enjoying our current cooler weather.
2. Be kind to others. Smile, hold a door open, allow another driver to merge into your lane, thank someone, post an uplifting thought on social media. A little kindness sends ripples out into the world—imagine what it would feel like if everyone were kind just for this one day. Maybe at least some of them would continue to be kind the next day, and the next. (Click here to see 10 ways to spread kindness.)
2. Be kind to others. Smile, hold a door open, allow another driver to merge into your lane, thank someone, post an uplifting thought on social media. A little kindness sends ripples out into the world—imagine what it would feel like if everyone were kind just for this one day. Maybe at least some of them would continue to be kind the next day, and the next. (Click here to see 10 ways to spread kindness.)
If we use the pause of Leap Day to recalibrate kindness, to
ourselves and to others, we’ll all be a lot happier.
It’s just a suggestion.
How do you celebrate Leap Day?
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| Lisa Unger with yours truly |
It’s been far too long since I allowed myself either an
artist’s date or a Field Trip Friday, so today I rolled them into one and
headed to Tampa for a Friends of the Library event featuring bestselling author
Lisa Unger.
Unger is the author of 17 novels, her books have been
published in 26 languages, and she’s been nominated for multiple awards,
notably two Edgars* in 2019, an honor only a few authors can claim. She describes her work as “character-driven psychological suspense,” and I can attest that her books are hard to put down. I've only
read a few of them, so I was excited to see how many I have left to enjoy. My next read will be the signed copy of her most recent book, The Stranger Inside, that came home with me!
After we enjoyed lunch provided by local restaurant La Segunda, Unger shared some of her background and her writing process. Then she
took questions. After her talk and the question and answer period, she signed
books and chatted with attendees. Her husband kindly took the photo of us
together that you see above.
A few things that I found especially interesting:
Her family moved a lot and Unger was frequently the new kid.
“The page was my first home,” she said. (Me, too!)
She’s been a writer all her life (“I don’t remember a time
in my life when I didn’t define myself that way,” she said), though she didn't
think she’d be able to write for a living, a belief influenced by her engineer
father who didn’t think writing was a job.
She inherited her love of story from her librarian mother,
who shared all types of books and movies with her daughter as she was growing
up. Of her mother’s bookshelves, Unger said, “If I could reach it, I could read
it.”
After attending college in New York, where she studied all
kinds of writing from poetry, to screenwriting, to journalism, Unger took a job
in book publishing, because it was the closest thing she could find to her
dream. She worked in publicity, helping authors with book tours and planning
events, and was so good at it that her time available to write kept shrinking.
Eventually, she had an epiphany. “I was in the wrong job and
I was with the wrong guy. I wasn’t doing the thing I wanted to do. I’d never
even tried.” She decided she could live with failure, but not a “slow fade to
nothing.” She kept her job (but broke up with that guy), and started writing
every day, making it a priority to work on a novel she’d started at age
19. One and a half years later, at age
29, she finished.
When Unger completed her novel and went about trying to find
an agent for it, she admits she was scared. It wasn’t just her book that was on
the line, it was her identity: “Who am I if I am not this?” she said.
Fortunately for all of us, that book found an agent, and that agent got Unger a
two-book deal. Angel Fire, the first of four books in the Lydia Strong
series, was published in 2002. (Miscione is Unger’s maiden name.)
It takes her nine months to a year to complete a first
draft, followed by several more drafts, as well as “the second part of the
creative process,” which she explained is the discussion and incorporation of
notes she receives from her husband, editor, and agent. These help her
manuscript to become the best possible book. It takes another year between when
the book is first turned in until it’s ready for publishing. She never opens
the finished book, because by then there’s nothing she can change about it!
She met her husband at Sloppy Joe’s in Key West. It was love
at first sight, at least on her part, she said. They’ve been married for 20
years, and have a 14-year-old daughter.
On writing books:
A lot of people want to write a book, even make plans to
write one. It’s an accomplishment just to finish a manuscript. Whether or not
it gets published.
You should do it because you cannot not do it.
Getting published is beside the point. It’s always about the work, the writing.
I’ve been feeling very blah about writing lately (witness
the lack of entries on this here blog), and while I’ve been making it a point
to sit down to write something nearly every day, I’ve definitely been
lacking a spark. I’m so glad I took the time to go to this author talk, because
not only was Unger herself charming, warm, and easy to approach, she inspired
me to come home and sit down in front of my laptop. It’s a start.
*Edgar Allan Poe Awards, presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America
To learn more about Lisa Unger and her books, please visit
lisaunger.com, or her Amazon author’s page.
Regular readers of Catching Happiness know that I usually
choose a Word of the Year to guide me. This year is no different—in fact, I
have two words that I will be keeping in the forefront of my mind as I navigate
2020.
This year, I’ve chosen the words free and soften
as my words of the year.
Free
Initially, I chose free because I’m going to do something
this year that will make me feel more free—I’ve decided to stop coloring my
hair.* I got my first gray hair at age 21, and though it took many years for
more grays to appear, I’ve been coloring my hair for a good long time now, and
I’m tired of the process. After I read about a possible link between breast cancer and permanent hair dye, that was it for me. I’m done. I have an aunt who
had breast cancer, and I don’t need any more risk factors.
Thinking about no longer coloring my hair led me to thinking
about what else I’d like to be free of. Things like expectations, caring what
other people think about how I look and what I do, stories I tell myself that
hold me back from having the happy life I want. I want to feel free to explore,
expand, give, express my creativity, enjoy my simple pleasures and everyday
adventures.
When I looked up the definitions of free, I found some
additional food for thought. The online definitions, from Merriam-Webster,
included: enjoying civil and political liberty; enjoying personal freedom;
choosing or capable of choosing for oneself; made, done or given voluntarily or
spontaneously; relieved from or lacking something, especially something painful
or burdensome; not bound or contained by force; having no obligations or
commitments; not impeded or obstructed or restricted; capable of moving in any
direction; frank/open; overly familiar or forward in action or attitude. As a
verb, free means to relieve or rid of what restrains, confines, restricts or
embarrasses.
Soften
Soften came to me one day when I was struggling to make
something work. When life doesn’t immediately cooperate, my tendency is to
tense up, struggle, and use force when I should soften and ease up. Maybe even
let go. I’m often reminded of this in yoga class when I have a muscle cramp and
must soften my pose or come out of it altogether. Softening—my attitude and my
actions—causes me to slow down, and often averts an impending accident
Words working together
I believe that the combination of free and soften indicates
to me that I want to explore being more flexible and relaxed. How this plays
out in real life, with its work and responsibilities, remains to be seen. How
can I have self-discipline but not too much, also remains to be seen.
Did you choose a word of the year this year? What do you
think it means for you?
*Apparently, “going gray” is currently A Thing, with books
and blogs devoted to the process. While I’m not planning to share much of my
own transition publicly, I’ve heard that the process brings up a lot of
emotions and beliefs about femininity, aging, etc., so it’s possible that I
will eventually write about it. (And, of course, when my hair is fully
transformed, I’ll have to post a new profile pic!)
 |
| Photo by Vika Fleisher on Unsplash |
Is it too far into the year to tell you Happy New Year? It
feels like 2020 has gotten off to a sleepy start for me, personally. I had one
writing assignment to wrap up from the end of 2019, and now that it’s done, I
can catch my breath and do some reflecting and planning. I went through my
calendar/planner from 2019 and jotted down notable events and thought about the
accompanying emotions. It was a full year.
I’d still like to set some new goals, and do some additional fun visualizing stuff—and hopefully, I’ll get to that soon. I’ve been jotting down possibilities, and will fill out my “20 for 2020” list to hang on my bulletin board. (Make your own, or download a free printable, like this one—no affiliation.)
I’d still like to set some new goals, and do some additional fun visualizing stuff—and hopefully, I’ll get to that soon. I’ve been jotting down possibilities, and will fill out my “20 for 2020” list to hang on my bulletin board. (Make your own, or download a free printable, like this one—no affiliation.)
If you’re still in a contemplative mood, here are a few
recent Internet discoveries I’ve found thought-provoking or otherwise worthwhile:
While the New Year is already here, you can always decide to
get rid of one (or more) of these “8 Things to Get Rid of Before the New Year."
One very simple way to review the old year and approach the
new year, from Sandra Pawula’s (Always Well Within) Wild Arisings newsletter:
“I began the 2019 review process informally a few weeks ago by jotting down a heading in my journal called ‘Good Things 2019.’ I placed things on the list as they came to me day-by-day day. I also put in a second heading around the same time called ‘Let Go Of 2019,’ which I approached in a similar fashion.”
I love this quote, from Rainbow Rowell
When you make your list of things to do in the new
week/month/year, do you plan for joy, not just work or accomplishment?
According to, Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful, we should! In “Planfor Joy, Not Just Goals,” she writes,
“When we’re children, joy seems effortless because someone has planned it for us. As we get older, we can either believe that life has gotten less joyful, or we can take charge of planning it for ourselves.”
She continues later in the post,
“Scheduling in joy is making a promise to yourself that it will actually happen. Productivity experts suggest putting everything that matters to you on your calendar. If you schedule business meetings and exercise, you are calling these out as important. So why not also give your joy this same weight by putting game nights or reading before bed into your calendar too?”
I’ve already started participating in the Unread Shelf Project. Things have Gotten Out of Hand in the purchased-but-not-yet-read yet
book department.
It wouldn’t be Link Love without a post from Raptitude.
Check out “How to Go Deeper in 2020.” Deeper was my word of the year in 2017
and I’m tempted to revisit it.
Just discovered the delightful NPR Tiny Desk Concerts. I hadn’t heard of 99 percent of the musicians represented here, but I’ve enjoyed every tiny concert I’ve listened to.
What are some of your plans for 2020? I’d love to hear
about them in the comments.
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