I guess I’m one of those people who like a Top 10 List – what can I say?

2014 was a pretty decent year. It had some fun pockets of rising high, but it also had the plunges. These may not be the best photos of the year literally, but the sentiments that go along with them are. Also, they’re not numbered in any particular importance.

Weddings!
I played some lovely weddings in 2014, solo harp, or with my cellist friend Maria. This is a photo that I use on my new promotional postcard, taken by Malcom Smith.

Therapeutic Bedside Music
I began Level 2 in the Harp for Healing Program to become a Certified Clinical Musician (CCM). Right now I play weekly at Highline Hospital in Burien. 2015 is the year I’m looking for paid work in this field. I look very forward to bringing therapeutic to hospitals, hospices, nursing homes and elsewhere and having folks get in touch with me about having harp come to them!

Songwriters Showcase
Back in February I played at Egan’s in Ballard with a small group of three other songwriters. I was immensely pleased to be on the ticket with Cynthia Alexander, Cynthia Marie and Camelia Jade & Mike Antone.

Stephen Goes Back To Painting
When I met my husband 10 years ago, he was a full-time illustrator for print advertising, magazines, books, and fine art. Since that time the market for his work has taken a deep plunge and he’s moved to web design, consulting, logo design, marketing… the whole package deal for start-up and small businesses. One of those businesses in early 2014 was Majdor. This client wanted him to paint a piece for the cover of the home page, as well as design the website and other marketing materials. It was wonderful to watch him create art again! Zephyr thought he did a good job too.

Birthday Recording Session
My Early-March birthday comes at the armpit of winter. The time when snow gets ugly and melted, when the sky constantly drizzles, and when there is only a faint inkling of crocuses starting their accent. It seems like the world is so dull. By February, I begin to feel trapped by winter – but then I turn the calendar and my birthday saves me! With its celebration of cake and kinship, it truly feels like I survived another year! This year, I went to Carkeek Park with my friend Julie Baldridge and picked up flotsom garbage from low-tide. Then, we came back to my place and did a recording session. It was a fabulous day.

Goodbye Franklin Cat (2007-2014)
Franklin left us the week before Halloween. Franklin (aka Good Buddy, Buddy, Bud, Frank, FranKitty, Franklin Delano RooseKatz) is really really missed. He was slighted his nine lives! Troubled with several health problems, we just couldn’t fix his collapsed lung. He was such a special, gentle cat – never a swipe, claw or hiss. He went out to “In A Silent Way” in the end. We took this photo the day before he died.

Now I’m Fine
I am honored, thrilled and left with a loss for words about how grateful I am to be a part of Ahamefule Oluo’s Now I’m Fine. With four amazing shows in early December, we sold out On The Boards before we began. Reviews were terrific and to make maters even more exciting, the album (which I also recorded on this summer) was simultaneously released and has been attracting a lot of positive attention. I didn’t even realize it, but this photo below was chosen to be the cover spread of On The Boards’ season booklet.

Port Townsend Getaway
This is sort of personal, but my husband Stephen and I haven’t had a childless getaway in four years. There’s a lot of reasons for that, I won’t share, but I wanted to post this photo because it captured a certain bliss and spontaneity we’ve been able to retain for 10 years.

Drumming at Folklife
Space Needle. Cute kid on a drum set. Folklife Festival. This photo kicked off summer.

Neighborhood Shot
I took this on a random day in the fall, after spending all day cooped up practicing or working on the computer or being mom in the house, this was my 15 minutes to break away outside alone! The afternoon lighting was eerie and peaceful and made me feel very content to live in Seattle, my rainy home.