In Review, 2004

The New Year is upon us. 2005. To be honest, I’m devastated with sadness, not for my personal loss this year, but for the absolute catastrophe in the Indian ocean basin. It is a tragedy like I haven’t felt in my whole lifetime, a massive tragedy of lost souls, lost families, lost innocence in the waves. Waves innocent of malice, simply carrying out the power given them by unseen and distant forces. A reminder of the overwhelming power of the Earth, of the overwhelming reality of our death, a hope for renewal, and a thanksgiving for the life which we have; a precious drop of grace in a sea of despair.

2004 in review:
I began the year in a chaos of feelings surrounding the splintering of a strong relationship. I made amazingly powerful and fleeting bonds with sixteen singers while on tour in New England and England. I rediscovered my love of travel, natural beauty, and singing; galvanizing my commitment to Georgian sacred music while singing and teaching Georgian trio songs on tour. From March to June I lived at home and took care of my ailing father while working construction to support my return to Georgia. Pennsylvania is beautiful in the spring, and we prepared our house to sell in flower blooming season. Dad and I took two trips to Rehobeth beach courtesy of Jeff and Dave’s hospitality with the house, and enjoyed the calming ocean breezes.

In June I made the trek to SouthWestern Colorado for my annual reunion with Waldorf buddies Mark and Jake. Highlights included a four day trek into the canyonlands of SE Utah, gourmet supper for friends, basketball at high altitude, and building a shelving unit for Jake’s ceramics gallery. Mark and I visited Kathleen, Colleen and Steve in Telluride for a day and saw Michael Franti and Spearhead in concert.

In July, I was in charge of moving our furniture and Dads five thousand books to Vermont to our new house in White River Junction which included about four trips back and forth. July we unpacked, and I picked up Mary in Philadelphia coming back from Germany. Together we went to our annual sibling reunion, this year at the summer camp in Virginia where Andrew was camp-counseling. I was able to attend and sing at my friend Lyndsey’s wedding, make an appearance at the Fulbright orientation in D.C. and visit my three uncles in Western Virginia.

This summer was the summer of weddings, all four of them including singing! I've seen so many dear friends, met so many new people, and met old friends in new and refreshing ways. Wes, Jim, and I prepared four Georgian wedding trio songs and provided music for Iain and Cynthia's wedding in Maine, which was a spectacular experience.

In August, Mary and I treated Dad to a ten day Maine coast vacation. We visited our friends the Minogues, Steve and Sue Gramolini, and Wesleyan friends, on Vinal Haven, in New Harbor, and on a lakeside near East Stoneham on the New Hampshire border.

At the end of August I departed for Georgia. I found an apartment in two weeks, started full time language lessons, met my good friend Luarsab Togonidze, and attended the Second International Music Symposium in September.

In October, I was called home to be with Dad, now very sick from brain cancer and related side affects. I was a nurse and a slouch, at once trying to be helpful but also being very depressed that I could do no more for my father or my family while at the same time wishing to be in Georgia where my projects awaited my return. After three weeks home, my father being nearly recovered to his former healthiness, I returned to Georgia. My friends here were overjoyed to see me back.

In early November my father passed away. I mourned here with the help of my dear friend Wesli who has been keeping me company in Georgia for several weeks. I experienced the empathy of Georgians around the supra table as my father was repeatedly honored and mentioned at every gathering. With a special grant from the Fulbright organization, I was able to return to Pennsylvania for three days to attend and help lead a memorial service dedicated to the memory of my father. More than two hundred people attended to honor his life and work.

November and December I was increasingly involved in life here, singing in several services, traveling to several regions of Georgia, continuing my language lessons, finishing my first book translation collaboration with Luarsab, making new friends, and celebrating the holidays with Mark Vorkink and his family who came to visit from Turkey. My dear friend Aurelia who has been living in Georgia for six months returned to the States.

For this coming year, I hope to continue with several projects, including writing a book on the history of chant, publishing a book of simple Georgian chants, coordinating choir tours to the United States, learning to speak Georgian language, becoming baptized in the Georgian Orthodox church, learning a body of Georgian chants, practicing meditation and karate, and hopefully reading the incredible collection of books I have waiting for me on the shelf! I've decided not to go to graduate school next year, and instead keep my options open for next year including my strong leaning towards spending a second year in Georgia. I continue to think about my father, wondering where he is, how he is doing, simple things like that.


To each of you in your lives and goals, let us extend a measure of our hearts for those who have passed away and for those who survive. To the seeking of true spiritual fulfillment in the new year, renewed energy for the hope of our collective futures, progress towards our goals as individuals and as a human beings. A grand New Years cheers to all my friends and family in 2005!