Treats

It's 10 am on a cloudy fall Saturday morning,

and I am curled up in my bed, reading proposals.

Really interesting proposals, 

about all sorts of interesting people and places.

[Treat: I love reading about really interesting people and places.

Extra Treat: I love being curled up in my bed, 

reading about really interesting people and places.]

Technically they're for work, and technically I believe in no work for the weekend, but this week I was heavily imbued in the process of writing my own proposal/article, 

and my desk was covered in my own thoughts instead.

[Treat: To have stretches of daytime, 

in my office, to think, to read, to write.

Extra Treat: To think read and write 

about stuff that I find to be really interesting.]

That stuff that I find really interesting has to do with children, and how they learn, and how they enact their musical beings.  Which would explain why, yesterday afternoon, when I found my house absolutely packed full with my favorite little people, and their siblings, parents, and grandparents,

converging together for a Halloween piano party, 

I found myself thrilled.

[Treat: To sit on the floor in the middle of my living room, surrounded by my favorites, 

for the purpose of sharing our music with each other.

Extra Treat:  To experience the holistic essence of a musical life, complete with snacks, costumes, apple peeler demonstrations, and generations sprawling everywhere.]

And then, after I vacuumed [note to self: when having a rocking piano party that includes massive amounts of both children and popcorn, put your vacuum on 'immediate need' alert...], 

I rolled out the door for a Messiah rehearsal.

[Treat: To spend a few hours under the direction of a brilliant conductor and musician, making some beautiful music.

Extra Treat: To soak in the always-amazing-to-me reality that my fingers can move in such a way that beautiful sounds meet my deep soul need.]

And through it all, as I read, think, gather, play, I think:

My life is one big treat.

And I am one grateful girl.