Happy New Year!

So many things have been going on. I feel as though I've been caught up in a tornado and I'm being swept around into many different places. Last Sunday I returned from one of the more relaxing vacations I've ever taken. I went to a spa with my mother and sister for a weeklong indulgence. It was heaven. We were in the mountains outside of Guadalajara, Mexico at a natural hot springs. It was rustic, beautiful and best of all, relaxing. I had the best time hanging out with both my sister and mom. It's not often that we can all get together at the same time for an extended period. There was lots of hiking, swimming, yoga, massages and some very serious Scrabble playing at night. I definitely want to return there again.

When I returned home everything seemed to hit the fan. The press release for the new CD needed to be finalized and a grant proposal needed to be completed by a Jan. 11 deadline. And on top of that, teaching, rehearsals and gigs. Needless to say, I was extremely busy all week and now today I can finally stop and come up for some air before it all begins again. Maybe I can even finally clean up the chaos that is my house.

I played two gigs yesterday; One lunchtime concert at Stanford hospital and then the other at the Hedley Club Lounge in the De Anza Hotel. Both gigs went very well. It was fun getting to play with Murray, Peter and Paul after not having seen them for a month. Since it is my birthday tomorrow, I decided to play a trivia game with my audience last night. I asked two questions about myself and whoever got the closest answer won a free Azucar de Amor CD. The first question was how old I will be tomorrow! Now, what woman in her right mind would have people guessing her age? :) But I never said I was in my right mind! I got some pretty funny--and flattering--responses to that one. And no, I'm not going to tell you how old I will be tomorrow--you'll just need to figure it out for yourself! The other question was where I was born. No one could figure that one out either. Nevertheless, I gave out two of the new CDs that have not yet been released. Hopefully the two people that received the CD will let me know what they think of the music. I'm extremely excited about this CD and it is already generating a buzz and excitement. I can't wait until it is available online, in stores and at my gigs.

Now comes the preparations for the release of the CD--concerts, promotion, radio. The next few months are going to fun, busy and exciting.