As we catapult into spring, (forsythia just blooming this moment..in coastal Maine! on April 8th!), I am looking back at the last month, and am grateful for so many aspects of my life here in this small town. To my hometown high school jazz band leader for creating one of the most dynamic jazz bands, and combos in the state, in any division, and entertaining the masses.  Kudo's Mr. O.! And to my wonderful husband who leads the elementary jazz band (and is feeder to this high school) ..Hooray for keeping jazz alive and well among the young'uns.!
Grateful to the island arts group on Deer Isle who put on a wonderful community production of "Sound Of Music"..live wonderful music as well.  Grateful to my bandmates, and the dancers who come to support our contradances..they are the inspiration. Grateful to the authors and poets who help spark my inner flame..this winter particularly Terry Tempest Williams, Mary Oliver and Georgia Heard.  Grateful for a warm home, warm food, the love of my family. 
My daughters..barefoot on Easter Sunday..through a yellow field by the ocean, to the root of a cathedral pine... youngest running the length of the lavender grey tree shadow, ocean sounding, crows watching in the forest edge at a distance, warm wind and sun, scanning the water for seals, a whale, an eagle, some sign while walking back along the shore, eyes searching for a heartstone, or a gold glimmer...but all is the ordinary beautiful, and at once, all these things I was searching for, become manifest, if only in my mind.   A  family of humans gathered together,  in love,  the capping waves and the bobbing of old wood and the constant wash of water over barnacle rocks at tideline.
Other young artists, musicians..making the bold leap of "being an artist in the modern world".
Fellow peninsula resident and yoga teacher Charlotte Clews quotes Martha Graham on her website,
"There is a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one you in all of time, this experience is unique.  If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost, the world will not have it."

Grateful...as Jean Ritchie sang in her "Blue Diamond Mine" song,  "Oh, fall on your knees and pray."