I'm tired. Weary, quite frankly. This past year has been one crazy thing after another. Chaos reigned. Sometimes life as we've known it gets blown out of the water. We cope as best we can. And life is now different. We're somehow changed internally. What looked one way may now look another. And we need to rest. Recouperate. Convalesce. I find I crave solitude.

We live in Baltimore, MD which became the snow capital of the United States in February. Or so it seemed. Back to back storms deposited about 35 inches of the stuff in our area.

We frequently have many deer in our yard, on the driveway, by the garage and in the woods. Where do they go when the weather is so awful? As the snow is slowly melting and the grass begins to peak out of water logged ground, the deer make their first appearance in weeks. Their fur is thick and very brown and they are trying to find something to eat. It's not easy.

I think all of us feel undernourished at this time of year - not enough sunshine, too cold, too windy, some of that SAD stuff going on. Will Winter e v e r end.

It seems I'm tuning myself and my clients for a little Spring energy. A softening. An easing of Winter's challenges. It's the time of promise. Underneath all that snow is new life. Not quite ready to brave the elements just yet. But it won't be long.

Come to the orchard in Spring.
There is light and wine, and sweethearts
in the pomegranate flowers.
RUMI

I know, I KNOW! This has NOTHING to do with the work I do. But this little youtube presentation is so charming. And we have a Corgi. And it's my birthday so leave me alone about my postings.

I love this! My birthday is tomorrow, Feb. 4th.

Response to January 29th's posting:

“We are (on the Eastern Shore) MD; probably have 7 inches of snow... lovely... and the music you posted of this day matches the symphony God creates in softly falling snow beside waters of the bay gently lapping the shore. Thank you for adding beauty to our world."

This is a new piece of music I've chosen to learn. It's quite elegant and refined and requires a different quality of hearing in order to play it well. That ear must be located in the heart because by the end of the piece I find myself very moved.

Quoted from Wikipedia 'Preludes, Op. 23 (Rachmaninoff)'
"The "Russian" quality of the Op. 23 preludes is often noted by listeners: after hearing Boris Asafyev play the preludes, the painter Ilya Repin noted a streak of Russian nationalism and originality in rhythm and melody. At the same recital, Vladimir Stasov praised the characteristic "Rachmaninoff sound" and unusual and innovative bell-like quality of the pieces, and Maxim Gorky simply noted, "How well he hears the silence."

I'm learning to play this. Brahms Rhapsody Op. 79 No. 2. It's big, bold, beautiful and mysterious.

My hands hurt.