Happy New Year!

Well here we are heading into 2022 and the global pandemic is still wreaking havoc on our ability to gather in large crowds - mainly indoors. The good news is that since my post last year, we now have a safe and effective vaccine. As we head into 2022 it looks like outdoor festivals are gearing up as people can show a vaccine card and or just stay 6 feet away from one another in outdoor settings.

Lets all hope things continue to get better so life can return to a new normal and our music and performance friends can earn a living doing what they love and share their gifts and inspire us with their artforms.

Here's my 2021 in review - I basically have moved outside for pretty much everything - it was my coping mechanism to get through this hard time. Nature is free - go out and embrace her!

(Photo Collage: This year I visited my friend who runs the Native Justice Coalition based in Manistee, Michigan- where we watched the 4th of July fireworks from the pier after riding our bikes through town. In June I celebrated the Solstice or in Latvian "Jani" at my local Latvian Camp with my good friends - we enjoyed the lake, refreshments and of course the traditional Latvian foods and flower crowns worn to celebrate life. Later in the summer I took a solo trip to Glen Arbor where I had some great visits with my friends Sugar Maw and Robert - who run Big City Blues Magazine. We celebrated Sugar Maes retirement from her service as a case worker at the very lovely and delicious LaBecasse restaurant off of Glen Lake. That's us with Champagne at the table together. Later in the year as winter moved in I was able to see my brother for the first time in 12 months in Fort Myers, Florida. the visit was awesome and it was great to hang out right before Thanksgiving. To carry the Champagne theme forward we had some at Christof's restaurant on McGregor in Fort Myers - another amazing outdoor seating venue!)