Just as there is value in welcoming beautiful art experiences into a crowded life, there is much to be said for adding in a balance of duty. The Joy of Djembe Drumming Ensemble is one such group to which I’m committed. The word is out. We get asked to play for more events than we can accept and those we attend are followed by more requests to play. Extra gigs means extra practices, soaking up previously free Saturdays. Four-hour rehearsals might seem grueling, but it’s all joy. We are a family created from a group of musicians, many of us have been together for ten years. Our training paid off on Saturday as we played for a local kids’ music festival. What fun to see the children’s faces light up as they discovered the magic of making their own beats. It was a long, but beautiful day – a marathon of music for which we’d been training and way more fun than running twenty-six miles or so. Committing to such a group soaks up time, but it pays in dividends of fun, a necessary ingredient for a balanced life.
Quote of the Week…
“Christmas is a tonic for our souls. It moves us to think of others rather than of ourselves. It directs our thoughts to giving.” B.C. Forbes, 1880 – 1955
Delight in the Light…
Yesterday was Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, and yet, it falls during the season of light; candles in various faith traditions flicker amidst strings of bulbs adorning houses and trees. While my family celebrates the birth of the Christ Child (in faith-based as well as commercial traditions), I appreciate and respect other…
Patty Mayeux Blog 
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