It has been eight months since I last updated my blog. Unfortunately, I had little time for writing for several months after Christmas 2018. This got me out of the habit of writing my harping blog, but I am back at it again, because I have so much to share now! I'm going to briefly describe my experiences over the past several months, and then will resume writing weekly on topics of interest to new harpers.
We had decided to move from a large home to a smaller home for our retirement years. This meant lots of upgrades to our old house, lots of downsizing, and lots of work! We began prepping for the move in earnest just after Christmas, after close to a year of gradually addressing problems and decluttering. The house went on the market in late January of 2019. It sold just about immediately, which meant that we had to find a new house rather quickly. All that was accomplished in March 2019, but the house that we bought (for a very good price), also needed quite a bit of work. Actually, it still isn't all done, but we're not in a rush at this point. I did basically stop playing the harp for about six to eight weeks, but I didn't let the move hold me back too long!
Shortly after downsizing (which reduced our expenses a bit), I began taking harp lessons with Christy-Lynn Marais. I'll be writing a post specifically about her lessons and what I learned with Christy-Lynn. Because my teacher decided to visit the United States during most of the summer months (here in the Northern hemisphere), I ended up with a new teacher, Anne Crosby Gaudet starting in June. I'll be staying on with Anne now that I've made the switch. Many of my posts will be about the new things I'm learning with her.
Before I sign off for today, I do want to share something very important. And that is the role of a mentor. I wish that I had started off with a teacher, even though it is a big investment. I can't stress this enough! The progress I am making now (after having to correct my technique) is much faster and more enjoyable by far. I feel like months were lost by muddling thought on my own. I am glad that I did eventually take the plunge and will continue with this as long as my finances will allow.
