Visible progress on the 7pm project has slowed. Not for lack of interest, more because I am weighing different options to take moving forward. Right now, I do not feel that processing all those old days of cheering is impactful enough. The initial concept works for me, plus I was learning a ton on the fly in doing it. Right now, it feels more like following formula and just trying to achieve more volume of work, as opposed to quality of work.

Other things on my mind are that there was no cheering on either Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, or New Years Day. Folks like Stephanie Zessos, a FEMA Emergency Management Specialist, have told me that this is the way it is with all disasters, there comes a time where the outpouring of good will fades. Here in New York, we are finding ourselves still heavily in the throws of the pandemic. So, I am of the opinion, at this moment, that I should be looking for a way to capture things that are more current. I am still not sure that I know what that is, but I am going to try some stuff.

At this point, I would like to thank all my neighbors and family and friends for being just who they are: caring; resourceful; adaptable; generous folks. Celebrating the holidays in a new way turned out to be great fun. I am very thankful for good health and good fortune. I also miss a lot of people who died during the pandemic. Ironically, almost none were COVID related. I want to make sure that folks who died from causes other than COVID are remembered with the same reverence – and to send a message of empathy to their families who were not able to mourn as they would have preferred, who have been forgotten by the media. You are all in my thoughts.

On the upside, I have continued to learn and do new things. As I am now working, teaching and making everything at home, I have been spending time getting my work space (all 40sq ft. of it) into a good shape. It started with building out a new desk, which then led me into a whole carpentry rabbit hole (rabbet grove?). I upgraded some of my tools and now have a few new projects in process, including building storage/organization for the studio (the 8 sq ft next to my desk which is part of the whole 40 sq feet. I will be posting bits an pieces of the process, resources, and revelations encountered along the way.

Another new thing I started learning about and doing is fermenting/brining vegetables. Last November, before COVID and before it was cool, I started baking Sourdough Bread. That has been super satisfying. I love being involved in a process that is actually alive. Following on, this November I started making Pickles and Sauerkraut. It is truly astonishing to learn that with only fresh vegetables, water, salt and an appropriate vessel, you can make fantastic tasting things – from hot pepper sauce to spicy pickled carrots – and the classics half-sour dill pickles and sauerkraut. Yesterday I took a leap forward and started a batch of pickled beets and eggs.

So, still really busy here. But not doing what I thought I would be doing. And that is all right with me.

Oh yeah – I have been reading a lot of books about musicians – many are autobiographies – many are disappointing. Some have been incredibly inspiring. I’ll do another post on that, perhaps.

To everyone in the world – Let’s lead with Love in 2021
Have a healthy, happy, peaceful, and prosperous year.

Nick