I feel like this summer has been one big race to the end of July. That’s not to say that I haven’t been trying to live in the moment (whatever that means, since all we DO is live in the moment we are in…) but that there are so many things happening at the end of July and then in August that constant preparation and practice has been required, which makes the end of July the goal, which makes the summer a big race. And today is one of the big goals along the way, for my little sister Carrie is visiting and staying overnight with me and playing a concert with her trio at the Tavern of Fine Arts. I’m finishing my house cleaning and preparation (okay, so house cleaning isn’t exactly a forte of mine, but I do my best, or at least kind of my best) and hoping to get a good amount of practice in before their arrival.

Sometimes I feel that I am torn into many different pieces and directions, often failing to do any one thing good enough, much less all of them. And then other times I feel that indeed I can do all of these things, and more, and that I have spent my whole life building the skills required and working towards it. Right now I feel like my efforts toward the play have been really working out and that I am doing far better than I hoped. I feel underprepared for the upcoming recital, for a variety of reasons, but I know it’ll be a fun performance anyway, and that sometimes it’s good just to get up there and play for people. Let me remember that summer is not the best time to schedule a solo recital! I feel like I’m finally getting on top of my teaching scheduling for the fall, and I’m ready for our trip in August, for the most part. All the planning and lists are there, and after Carrie leaves it will be time to start actually pulling items off shelves and putting them together in piles or boxes. So perhaps, when I list it out like this, most of what I’m doing is happening well enough, some will work out in the end (another week is key to recital preparation, I think!) and other things aren’t entirely up to me, for instance, I can only hope that my students don’t suddenly come up with activities that conflict with their violin lesson time and expect me to fix it. (Lesson scheduling is always a very elaborate house of cards.)

I decided to socialize last night rather than get a good night’s sleep, which was needed (all work and no play makes hannah a dull girl?) but is definitely making the morning more challenging. Probably the cause of my rambling introspection as well, and will also accompany me as the excuse as to why I don’t have any photos here—I just haven’t uploaded anything recently! Trust me, once I get to traveling soon I’ll have so many pictures. And I have still been posting on instagram, so check me out there 🙂 Time to work now!