New Music Monday - BOY

I have a confession to make.

I have a really big crush on a boy.

Okay, well, not a boy, but rather BOY, the German duo Valeska Steiner and Sonja Glass...another musical gem I discovered courtesy of You, Me, and Charlie.

These lovely ladies' debut album Mutual Friends is not yet available in the US, but that hasn't kept me from rummaging up every song of theirs that I could. And I love what I've found!

There's some songs that are boppy and delightfully catchy, like "Little Numbers"

I don't know about you, but I definitely want to start carrying around a mini piano with me everywhere I go.

Others, are insightful and relatable, but still beautifully catchy, like "Army" and "Skin".

But I think my favorite thing about many of their songs, like "Waitress" and "Drive Darling" is that they express a lot of the same sentiments that I have about life right now too. Songs about trying to find yourself as you make that transition into the real world, setting off on your own, and waiting for your life to really start.

These lovely songstresses write beautiful songs that I think just about everyone can relate to, or at the very least will make you smile.

I'm "waiting for things to explode" for these gals when the rest of the world gets a taste of their music!

New Mid-Season Shows - Smash

You're probably thinking that I must know some powerful people in high places to get to see the premiere of Smash three weeks before it's heavily promoted premiere date.

Well, I do not. But some powerful people in high places did think that it would be a good idea to release the pilot online and offer it as a free download on iTunes three weeks before its Feb. 6^th premiere date.

At first, I didn’t really see the logic behind this. Shouldn’t they want everyone to watch the actual premiere so that the show gets good ratings? But then I realized that it was actually a pretty brilliant move. Because here I am writing (and thus promoting) about the premiere before it airs, which will perhaps lead to some people watching it who might not have otherwise.

Yup, I’m playing right into their little evil plan.

Although, the creators and producers must be pretty confident in the show to make a bold move like that. But, to be honest, I can’t blame them. This show has some big names attached. It did, after all, stem from one of the many ideas rolling around in Steven Spielberg’s mind, who is also billed as an executive producer. The cast also includes a range of acclaimed individuals, such as Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, Brian d’Arcy James, Christian Borle, and Katharine McPhee. Not to mention, the filming quality is more in the ballpark of movies rather than television.

"Smash" is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire - to be a "Smash." The series centers on a desire to create a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe - written by the successful songwriting duo of Tom (Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, "Legally Blonde: The Musical") and Julia (Emmy Award winner Debra Messing, "Will & Grace"). Julia recently began the process of adopting a child with her husband Frank (Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James, "Shrek The Musical") of many years, but her focus is torn when she has the opportunity to write another Broadway hit. A rivalry soon forms for the lead role between a youthful, inexperienced Midwestern beauty Karen (Katharine McPhee, "American Idol") - who is trying to find fame in the big city against all odds - and stage veteran Ivy Bell (Megan Hilty, "9 to 5: The Musical"), who's determined to leave the chorus line and finally get her big break. A tenacious producer Eileen (Oscar winner Anjelica Huston, "Prizzi's Honor") discovers the "Marilyn" project and jumps on board with a brilliant director, Derek (Jack Davenport, "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) - whose talent is matched by his cunning and egocentric amorality.

Did I not mention there is singing?

There’s singing.

I don’t mean that everyone suddenly bursts into song and dance in the middle of the street (although I do think that that is perfectly acceptable behavior)...it’s a show about a Broadway show, so of course there will be singing.

But please, please, please, do not compare this show to Glee (and I in no way mean that as an insult to either show). Yes, they both have singing, but, in my opinion, the comparison ends there.

As a lover of all things Broadway and theatre related, I had high expectations for this show that I didn’t think it would live up to. And, I have to admit, most of this had to do with the fact that I was pretty dubious of Katharine McPhee as the star of the show. Yes, we know she can sing, but act? With this kind of heavy-duty role and among a cast of Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winners and nominees?

But, she proved me wrong. While, this was still only one episode, I thought that Katharine McPhee did a pretty darn good job of living up to the high-pressure role.

Overall, I’m pretty excited to see how this show goes. Anjelica Huston and Debra Messing both delivered top-notch performances (I also really enjoyed Megan Hilty's performance as Ivy!). The songs were well-written and performed, and the storyline and characters were well built-up and developed. You will particularly enjoy the show if you are any kind of theatre nerd.

Those guys at NBC certainly do know what they are doing. It’s a pretty safe bet that I will watch the pilot again when it premieres Monday, Feb. 6 at 10:00 p.m.

If you also are curious and do not wait until then, you can watch the episode online here or here, or download it for free on iTunes.

Who knows, maybe Smash will be a smash!

The City of Lost Secrets

Katie McVay is the author of the novel, The City of Lost Secrets, her first in fact. She is also a fellow Pottstown Town Square blogger, and my co-worker and friend. Which is why I was very excited to read The City of Lost Secrets when I learned that she had written a book. I was also blown-away and very impressed when I learned that not only had she written the novel, but she had also self-published it. Talk about fighting for your dreams!

Here is the book synopsis:

"Scholars have all but written off the Talpiot tomb--unearthed 30 years ago in Jerusalem--as a typical Jewish burial cave, not the rumored lost tomb of Jesus Christ. But chick-lit writer Mara Beltane, looking to reinvent her career and escape memories of a failed marriage, hopes to prove the tomb is the real deal and turn it into a best-selling thriller.

While in Jerusalem, Mara's research is thwarted by Israeli archeologists intent on protecting the tomb--and complicated by her feelings for Dr. Uri Nevon, a professor and biblical scholar with a hidden past who aids her research. But Mara keeps digging, and soon enough—-with Uri at her side-—she finds evidence that could prove the tomb is indeed legit, information that would rock Christianity to its core. As the stakes grow higher, and with authorities closing in on them, Mara must face the question that brought her to Jerusalem in the first place: Are the rewards of writing a best-seller worth the risks of revealing long-buried secrets—secrets that will jeopardize her career…and her life?"

Sounds pretty interesting, right? Along the lines of The Da Vinci Code, right?

Right!

I was certainly not disappointed when I read Katie's book. It had the same sense of mystery and adventure, with elements of religious history conspiracy, like The Da Vinci Code, but unlike The Da Vinci Code, the main character is one very determined female.

You know who else is one very determined woman?

Katie!

While I was reading her novel, I don't know if I was more fascinated by the story, or the fact that someone I know wrote such a great book (with more on the way!) and had the courage and determination to make her dream come true by publishing it herself. She made her own fate rather than letting other people determine it for her. Good for you Katie! 

We should all take your page out of Katie's book!

Not literally though.

I can't wait to read the next installment of Mara's adventures (which is being written right now!) and I encourage everyone to read The City of Lost Secrets, which you can find out how to do right here.

Again, congratulations Katie on such an astounding accomplishment!

Also, a quick shout-out to another friend and blogger (you just can't escape the blogosphere), Michelle, who helped Katie with editing. Us girls/bloggers are taking over.

New Music Monday - Lissie

Have you ever heard of Lissie? Well, you should, cause she is awesome. She's totally taking names and making a name for herself. 

She is (as I'm starting to notice most of the artists that I feature are) a folk-rock singer who has found indie-fame with both her 2010 album, Catching a Tiger, which manages to be eclectic, upbeat, and sweetly forlorn all at the same time, and her 2011 covers EP, Covered Up With Flowers, which features live covers from Kid Cudi to Metallica to Lady GaGa.

Look and listen!!

I can't wait to see what Lissie produces for her next album that will be released this year!

New Mid-Season Shows - Alcatraz

Who’s ready for all of the exciting new mid-season shows?! Me, Me, Me, Me, Me!

Okay, confession time: I stopped watching Person of Interest. I know, I know, it really is a good show, I will not deny that, but I just could not get hooked.

Luckily, it was J.J. Abrams' mid-season show that I was more excited about seeing, when he announced his newest projects, than Person of Interest.

 

But, it may have had a little something to do with this guy:

Seriously, name one LOST fan who did not love Hurley!

But the premise sounded pretty fine and dandy too!

"From executive producer J.J. Abrams comes ALCATRAZ, a thrilling new series that follows a unique trio investigating the mystifying reappearance of 302 of Alcatraz’s most notorious prisoners and guards, 50 years after they vanished.


When San Francisco Police Department DET. REBECCA MADSEN (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a seemingly impossible suspect: JACK SYLVANE (guest star Jeffrey Pierce), an Alcatraz inmate who died over 30 years ago. Given her family history – both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, RAY ARCHER (Robert Forster), were guards at the prison – Madsen’s interest is immediately piqued. When the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent EMERSON HAUSER (Sam Neill) tries to impede her investigation, she becomes doggedly committed to it.

Madsen finds herself working with an unlikely partner, Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast DR. DIEGO “DOC” SOTO (Jorge Garcia), to help piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The two discover that Sylvane is not only alive, but he’s loose on the streets of San Francisco, exacting decades-old revenge and leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn’t aged a day since 1963, when Alcatraz was ruled by the iron-fisted WARDEN EDWIN JAMES (Jonny Coyne) and the sadistic ASSOCIATE WARDEN E.B. TILLER (Jason Butler Harner).


Detective Madsen and Soto must team with Hauser and his associate, LUCY BANERJEE (Parminder Nagra), to stop Sylvane’s vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca’s own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. Because even though he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won’t be the last to reappear from Alcatraz.


During the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Hauser has been awaiting the prisoners’ return for nearly 50 years. Soto will witness his life’s work – the history of Alcatraz – come alive, while he and Madsen fight to keep the country safe from history’s most dangerous criminals."
- FOX.com


Alcatraz premiered this past Monday (taking Terra Nova's slot ironically enough) with a double episode, and I must say that I was hooked right away. Yes, I admit that I am a bit biased being a Abrams' fan and Jorge Garcia admirer (my brother actually met him in a bar in New York City one time!), but I think that this show has a lot more staying power than shows such as The Event and Terra Nova.


Why? Well, I shall tell you why.


Alcatraz certainly carries a lot of the same hallmarks as past Abrams' series, particularly Alias, but with some LOST thrown in for good measure. The main character is a bad-ass, independent woman who is dead set on finding out the truth about her past and the criminals who threaten her city, and there are also elements of FBI conspiracy (Alias). There are elements of mysterious time-travel that is not completely explained but that occur on an island (LOST).


While there is a strong main storyline thread that keeps you guessing (although the creators promise answers in the not too distant future as many people complained was the problem with LOST), each episode focuses on a different prisoner...similar to crime shows, but a really really cool crime show with criminals that are from a different era!


It is for these reasons, that I think the show has staying power...each new episode has its own interesting story that eventually all add together into a one main interesting story. I just hope this pattern continues...I need J.J. Abrams and Hurley in my life...


You can see if I'm wrong or right by watching Alcatraz on Fox, Monday nights at 9:00.


Photos courtesy of fox.com

How to See "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" With Really Trying

Have you ever rushed?

Not the super duper un-fun kind.

The slightly tiring, but oh-so-incredibly worth it kind.

Rushing is when you wait in line at the box office of a Broadway show, the morning of the show, for a chance to get partial-view tickets at an extremely discounted price. This past Saturday, me and my three closest friends all “rushed” to see “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” on Broadway and it was so much fun and so magickal.  Here is the timeline of our little adventure:

Friday

9:00 p.m. – I and my fellow PA’er arrive in NJ

11:30 – I and my partners-in-crime go to sleep

Saturday

4:30 a.m. – Wake up

5:17 – Run (literally) to catch, and nearly miss our train (Mr. Conductor, thank you for not actually leaving without us, but there was no need to be that rude)

6:30 – Arrive in The Big Apple

6:45 – Get in line for tickets at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre Box Office...behind a group of girls who sprinted past us to get in line ahead of us

6:47 – Contemplate our chances for actually getting tickets when the box office opens at 10:00 a.m., considering we are the 70^th people in line

7:00 – Learn that the people at the front of the line have been camping out since midnight

7:01 – Contemplate how these people who have been camping out since midnight managed to stay warm/safe

7:05 – Contemplate whether or not The Gentlemen’s Club next to the theatre lost some business overnight as a result of the long line of young girls standing in front of it

7:10 – COFFEE

7:55 – Watch as small children are dropped off in Range Rovers and Mercedes for their classes at the Broadway Dance Center, the door of which my popsicle-friends and I are blocking

8:00 – Lose feeling in toes despite two pairs of fuzzy socks

8:30 – Lose feeling in fingers despite wearing two pairs of gloves

9:00 – Glare at all the well-slept individuals who are being dropped off to join their friends in line ahead of us

9:30 – Shiver n’ Shake!

9:58 – Realize that we are now at the middle of a line that extends the entire block from 8^th to 9^th Avenue and is at LEAST 150 people in length

10:00 – Begin to move ahead in line

10:04 – Panic...we did not want to have put ourselves through all that for nothing!

10:06 – Glare at the sprinting, line-cheating girls in front of us as they hold up the line to take pictures
10:15 - Have a minor heart-attack as the box office announces that the matinee showing is sold-out
10:16 - Continue to have heart palpitations as we watch the last 10 people in front of us get tickets
10:19 - Huge moment of relief, catharsis, and excitement as the sprinting-girls tell us to go in front of them because they can only see the matinee, which puts us at...
10:20 - We reach the box office window and officially secure four tickets (originally $145 each) for $30 each
10:21 - I literally skip for joy down the street
10:25 to 12:00 - Thaw
12:00 p.m. to 7:20 - Frolic around Times Square to keep warm and in order to avoid giving in to sleepiness
7:25 - Gawk at line to get into the theatre that wraps around the building and gawk at the OTHER line that wraps around the other side of the building of people waiting at the stage door in preparation for the end of the show
7:35 - Gawk at our incredible seats.

SEE?

7:45 - "Did somebody say Draco Malfoyyyy?"

8:00 to 10:30 - Watch an incredible show with an outstanding leading man, continue to be in awe that we are close enough to see the sweat and bruises of the actors, be slightly embarrassed for my generation as girls practice inappropriate theatre-etiquette throughout the performance, and smile and laugh the entire time

10:45 - Get practically crushed to death by the mass of people outside theatre waiting outside for the star of the show to make an appearance

10:46 - Decide to call it a night rather than confront the mob of die-hard fangirls

12:06 - Deliriously board a train while  we all still exclaim over how great and funny both the show and it's star were

1:35 - 21 hours later, with stiff and sore muscles, heavy eyes, tangled hair, and happy happy happy hearts we (finally) go to sleep

Sorry that was so long, but it was a very very long day.

You are probably wondering why me and my friends would put ourselves through that and why so many people put themselves through an even longer ordeal than we did.

Well, I'm just guessing here, it may have had a little something to do with this:

Who knew Beau Bridges was so popular with the younger crowds?!

If you did not hear, Darren Criss of Glee and A Very Potter Musical fame took over for Daniel Radcliff as J. Pierpont Finch, the lead role in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", for a three-week run from January 3 to January 22. 

And the Gleeks and Starkids came out in full-force to show their support.

My friends and I are all theatre geeks and have been talking for a long time about going into the city and "rushing" a show, and as we are also Gleeks and Starkids (we also saw the stupendous Lauren Lopez...Draco Malfoy from AVPM!), Darren Criss's short run was just the kick in the pants we needed to finally go through with our plans.

And as cold and exhausted and sore as we were, we genuinely enjoyed every minute of the day. There is certainly something to be said about sitting in the cold, on a New York City sidewalk, for hours with your friends. It's something I think you can really only do when you are young. Plus, it felt special to get to see someone we admire in a live performance, that will only ever take place for a short period of time. And let me tell you, it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime performance. Darren Criss's enthusiasm, humor, charisma, quirkiness (I still maintain that he is my kindred spirit in awkwardness) and exceptional talent were perfect for the role. The rest of the cast, Beau Bridges, Rose Hemingway, and Christopher J. Hanke were also absolutely wonderful. Darren Criss, or not, it was a great show!

The experience was something my friends and I will most certainly repeat, although next time I don't think we will have to get up quite as early to fight off any fangirls. It was a special day with my dear friends that I will always remember.

I think a Broadway show is something that everyone should experience at one time another (that may just be the drama nerd in me talking, but give it just one try), and the option of "rushing" makes it an affordable (and memorable) option for everyone!

New Music Monday: Midnight in Paris Soundtrack

It’s certainly not a secret how much I enjoy jazz and “big-band” music; Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Etta James, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra...I could listen to them and only them for the rest of my life.

I also love Paris and the fact that many of these artists spent time in that magickal city and their music was influenced by those times.

I recently watched Midnight in Paris (wonderful, watch it if you haven’t yet) and probably fell in love with the soundtrack more than I did with the actual film!

What other movie scores and soundtracks are just as wonderful as the film?

You, Me, and Charlie

A few months ago, I wrote about how much I adore the lovely Dianna Agron's blog, Fell Down the Rabbit Hole.


Well, a few short weeks ago my little magick-unicorn-loving heart was overjoyed when Dianna launched her new website You, Me, and Charlie:

"You might wonder, what is www.YOUME&CHARLIE.com?

Well. There is that little blog of mine, which started out as an artistic retreat while traveling in Australia to promote the show. Any of you that followed [felldowntherabbithole] were privy to pictures I was taking, music I was listening to, books I was reading. Due to your enjoyment, and your want to be involved, over the past couple of years I have received the most amazing mixtapes, books, photos…all from you! You were sharing the things that drove you artistically, because I was doing the same. It touched me and still does to this day, every time.

Because of this, I wanted to turn the little blog into something slightly larger. This is a space for YOU and ME. Our space is….CHARLIE. Again, if you followed the blog, you know that the header reads, [Dianna Agron, but you can call me Charlie.] I guess I have never really felt like a Dianna. I suppose that is because my friends and family all call me Di, babe, kitty, lamb, all those special nicknames that only your loved ones could possibly coin. I didn’t realize it at first, but it seems as if I had taken a liking to the name Charlie for longer than I can remember!

Upon looking back at old school papers, stories I wrote, screenplays, you name it, I have always used the name Charlie as one of the main or ancillary characters. About five years ago, a psychic came up to me as I was walking down the street and said a few things to me, one of them being, “You have someone named Charlie that looks out for you.” I didn’t know what she was talking about, I don’t know anyone by the name of Charlie. Much later, I starting looking at old papers, found the name here and there, and thought of that psychic. I joked to myself that perhaps, I was a man named Charlie in a past life?? Then, in Scotland last year for the holidays, another psychic told me that, “Someone by the name of Charlie holds a very special place in my life.” How could I ignore all of this?

All of you lovely, magick, wonders of this world, the ones that correspond with me in such unbelievable ways…this is for you. Without the arts I would not wake up each morning with the joie de vivre that encompasses my entire being. I would feel flat as a pancake. Because of the work I do, I get to hear some of the most moving stories, moments of your life…things I am grateful to hear from you, share with you. It blows my mind, each and every time. To know that the show I’m on helps so many people get through hard moments in their life? To hear that people like seeing what I’m going to post and often discover new artists? I never could have dreamed how lucky I would be, as I am, today. I want you to join me now. Let’s share this space as an art collective. There’s enough negativity in this world to smother all of us into a state of infinite sadness. Why not counter that? That’s what this site is for. I hope it just does that.

Thank you all for your constant love and support. Thank you for embracing the moments where you can simply LET LOVE IN and BE LOVE.

xx Dianna, although sometimes I’d like to say, Charlie."

(No, thank YOU Dianna, sometimes Charlie!)

You, Me, and Charlie is divided up in to different sections, and I admit it can be a bit confusing or overwhelming at first. A friend even said it was kind of like visiting Wonderland, so it's strangely fitting, but once you become well-acquainted with Charlie, you will be the best of friends. There is something for everyone.

There are spaces for the "Ladies" and the "Fellas" with fun advice and thoughts.

"Put Your Best Sock Forward"

 If you are looking for a laugh, you can look in "For Grins" for cute and silly pictures and video clips.

"Yo DJ" introduces new musicians, puts together playlists, and sparks conversation about music or lyrics; and "Mona Liza" showcases the work of new artists.

"Page Turners" offers wonderful book recommendations and poems (or story-time with Di!), while "Just Reeling" suggests top-notch films, both of the past and present, as well as inspiring and fun short films. 

  

"Point and Shoot" displays lovely photographs from both professionals and contributors.

 "In Motion" consists of lots of "motion" content: little kids dancing, ballet photographs, musical clips, and more.

 You can find daily sources of inspiration from, believe it or not, "Daily Inspiration". 

If you have ever wondered how the opposite sex thinks and what they may secretly want you to know, just take a gander at "She Says" or "He Says". 

Looking for some fun facts? "Did You Know" is the place to go.

Interested in making a difference? Check out "For Good", yes you should.

But the best thing about You, Me, and Charlie, is that anyone and everyone can contribute to the site. Most of these contributions are presented in "We Say" (fitting, yes?) and mainly consist of others wanting to share moments of beauty and happiness with everyone else, but readers can also share their interpretation of "who" Charlie is and what it means to them in "Charlie", as well as contribute to each and every category.

  

To me, Charlie means a place where we, the lovers of beauty, the magick believers, the laughers, the creators, the singers, the grateful and appreciative, the ones who fell down the rabbit hole, the dreamers, and everyone in between, can come together to share our happy smiles and moments of beauty with each other. A place where we can share with all of the other Charlie's of the world. 

I promise you that everyone will find something to smile about at You, Me, and Charlie.

I know that the corners of my mouth start to twitch every time I even type the words.

I may sound a bit ridiculous for talking about just a website, but I like being ridiculous every now and then. Plus this website is everything that I love, and it would and will do many many people a world of good just by visiting. Just a visit with you, me, and Charlie.

All images from youmeandcharlie.com

New Music Monday - Ben Howard

Time to get back in to the swing of things.


There is something very bittersweet about January; no holiday season to look forward to anymore, but a perfect time for fresh starts, new beginnings, and quiet clarity.


And with that unsolicited moment of reflection, I'm going back to my weekly New Music Monday posts.


This week, Ben Howard.


Ben Howard is a "indie-folk" singer-songwriter from Devon England. I recently learned of him from the my favorite-est website of all time (that I will tell you about tomorrow), and instantly fell in adoration with his voice (very James Morrison-esque), and simply the feel of his music.

I love how he seems so gosh-darn happy

His album, Every Kingdom, has great variety, from serene and mysterious, to stirring and heartening.

You'll be humming these songs all the day long!

New Year's Resolution - Go Lightly

I'm about a week late with this...but better late than never.


I don't normally make resolutions because I typically end up forgetting them. But this year I decided to make a resolution as well as a bucket-list for the year of things I would like to try to do, and write them down somewhere where I will see them to remind myself.


My resolution is to be more lighthearted; to spend more time enjoying those small, happy moments every day rather than wasting my energy worrying about the big things that I have no control over. If something is not meant to be, it's not meant to be and I don't want to waste even a few precious seconds beating myself up over things when I could spend that time laughing or making a happy memory.


I want to wear dresses just because, sing and dance at my desk at work, jump in every puddle I see, climb trees, swing on swings, and play to my heart's content.


My bucket-list for the year also plays into this since I want to spend my time actually doing the things that I always dream about doing. But if I don't do them this year, or ever, that's okay.


Ready? Here we go:

1. Laugh and smile more, worry less
2. Spend more time with my family and friends (this includes being better at responding to emails, phone calls, etc.)
3. Teach myself to play the guitar (I sorta already started trying this one at the end of 2011)
4. Run a half-marathon (hopefully to be followed by a marathon in a future year)
5. Go somewhere (preferably another country but anywhere will do) where I have never been before
6. Purchase a Digital SLR camera so that I may better capture those "small, happy moments" that I try so hard to catch, but fail to, with my camera phone/point and shoot
7. Go to more shows (music, musicals, plays, etc.)
8. Catalog more moments through writing, pictures, etc.
9. Try something new as often as possible
10. Write a book, or simply write
11. Find more time to give back

I have many things, both big and little, that I would like to do in the next year, but most of all, in order to do all those things, I simply want to remember to be more 'go-lightly'.

In fact, I encourage everyone to be more lighthearted this year. It is not easy thing to do in the face of all of our daily, and yearly, challenges, but give it a try. Smile even when you don't feel like it, and take every opportunity you can to laugh. 

Go-Lightly...But don't smoke.

Happy New Year.