First, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and a joyous holiday season!

It has been a while since I last posted. I've had a lot of things happen in my life since then, a lot of good things which have occupied my time, leaving little computer time for me to post. I won't go into the specifics of it all, but I will say that just when I was at the end of my tether, and it seemed that life was no longer going to allow me conditions necessary to pursue performing, a breakthrough came; I thank God each and every day for it. It was one of those small, but significant breakthroughs that allow one to continue on their journey. As a result, I am surrounded most of my days by people who are in the arts, who nurture my creative soul like life-sustaining water. We laugh together, cry together, share concerns with each other, advise each other, encourage each other, and affirm each other. When we leave each other, we do so bolstered for an "outside" world that finds it difficult to understand the way we think, operate, and prioritize our lives.

I have already set goals for myself for the coming year, some of which I've begun to achieve. God has lately placed key people in my life to spur me onward, some are new associations, and others are rekindled associations. I am, admittedly, a very cautious, and fiercely independent person, but these recent events in my life are teaching me to recognize the hand of God in their occurrences.

I don't know how often I will be able to post updates on my journey, but please pray with me that the time between my posts will be spent making progressive steps towards my goals.

Note:  My next post will be of my thoughts on the recent passing of Shirley Verrett.