I can’t believe a year has come and gone again. My Birthday is in December, and more than New Years Eve, I take December 14th as the day to take stock of the year that has been. I made two lists. One for Great Things and one for Not So Great Things. Life will always be a mix of both.
I do this partially as a way of remembering what was really satisfying in a year, because that seems to be forgotten first. But also to see that what was bad, wasn’t that bad. And as all great champions know, if you can notice what you did that didn’t work, you have a good chance not to repeat it. Year end is a good time to celebrate what you loved, and a fine opportunity to assimilate the learning.
Pretty Great Moments this year
Opera Workshop St. Andrews By the Sea – Working with young singers on the craft of living a creative life and building a successful career
Loved the food at St. Andrews. Lobster every where!
Opera Nuova-teaching voice to up and coming singers and giving classes and one on one sessions on How to live as a Creative Person.
North By Northwest on CBC Radio One- Life Coaching columnist: I’ve only been doing this for four months, but it has been so wonderful. I feel like the tools I’ve offered have made a difference. The letter I have received have been terrifically encouraging.
The day that I got a free gift card while on lunch from CBC. A&W root beer is my favourite!
Guest Hosting for CBC Radio 2 and Saturday Afternoon at the Opera and In Concert: When I do this job I laugh a lot, hear great music and write a lot. It’s a pretty rich few days. Love this.
Spark Festival: I didn’t do much performing this year, but this was a highlight. My own little video and audio mashup that I created and sang for. Only 6 minutes long and created for a specific site in the basement of The Belfry Theatre, it was thrilling, creepy, and challenging. I’m doing a new piece this March.
My daughter was the usher for my show. She is wearing my mother’s wedding dress.
Teaching Connections at the Canadian College of Performing Arts: Working with ambitious triple threats on the art of acting and singing in a workshop style class has reminded me why I love music, performing and the unique style of communication that it creates.
Sunday Edition Documentary-The Gift on CBC Radio One: I’ve been a fan of the show for years. Creating a full length doc for this show, and one that was about a good friend and his journey to find out about the mother he never knew through the music she made, stands as one of the highlights of not just this year, but of my life. Telling the story of another was an honour.
At the local museum in Smithers they had a jacket from on of the girls in the choir.
My friend and the subject of the doc, Rob Gloor, in studio with the Harmonette albums.
I learned to crochet. I made two scarves and here’s the wool to prove it. 
What about the Not So Great Moments this year?
Some things resulted from the random chaos of living. You can’t always like what you get. Some things are still very much in my control. So staying on the list for the next year are those things I want to do more of and didn’t quite manage last year. I call these intentions, rather than resolutions, which I wrote about this month on my blog. For me, holding intentions are powerful.
I want more:
QiGong/Yoga
Create more radio documentaries
Create my own podcast series
Camping
Time in the outdoors
Write that book I have in mind
Develop and tour a new one woman show
These were glasses I wanted but didn’t have the budget for this year. Ah, the cats eye style. Next year!