Timelies all!

2016 keeps going with the too soon celebrity deaths. I saw Purple Rain in the theater when I was in high school.

Aww.

Y'all, I can tell I'm not doing well because the act of printing up mailing labels sent me into a meltdown. Mailing labels!

But here's the deal. After fifteen years doing this work, the SO & I are getting ready to call it a day for the Traveling Music School. Our sabbatical last year taught us a lot of things, but one of the things that was clear was that we could not keep doing this level of emotional labor for the rest of our lives. So this year we drew it back, restructured, reworked things. But the upshot is, I think we're about done with what we want to and can do. I'm working a summer camp back in Indiana and then we'll finish out the next full school year to keep our promises to our kiddoes. The SO picked up part time work and then was immediately (four months! it's ridiculous!) promoted to department supervisor, in a company that exists all over the country. I entered the inaugural songwriting online degree program at Berklee School of Music and hope to complete my bachelors in the next year.

At that point, we'll be moving in an easterly direction. Nashville? Memphis? Memphis is, to the minute, exactly between Dave's mom's place and my mom's place, about six and a half hours each way. The SO's job will likely allow us to make a relatively smooth transition, and I'll be continuing with my songwriting career goals, with the intent of piecing together a music industry career long-term. Gotta give it the ol' college try sometime, eh? Either way, my earning potential will be bettered by completing my degree, and there are more jobs pretty much anywhere than where we are now.

So we're in a big ol' pile of transition, and toward that end, I am writing the letters to our supporters over the years and...mailing labels with all the people who have known and loved us and our kiddoes all this time...and people who aren't on those mailing labels because they're not with us anymore...and Prince died...and my dad...and hello, meltdown!

Our news isn't quite public yet, so please don't mention it on social media until you see us put it there first, but I figured it was time to let all y'all know, since you've been with me this whole walk.

I have been buried all day at work, which for once was a good thing, because I got to be unsad for a few extra hours.

I hope Lee is going to get her VW bought back.

Fuck yeah!

Oh, you're leaving the desert, Liese. I feel like I'm losing a high-heat/low-humidity comrade.

I am so incredibly sad. What Teppy said about Prince and Bowie is true for me, too. I just ... he was the immortal one for me. And a true genius. Weirdly, not weirdly, who knows, it was the purple Google logo that made me cry.

Liese, that's a big change but it sounds really positive! Yay!

love and support Liese. That is a lot of change, but good for you all to recognize what you need and can do.

Oh wow, Liese. That will be a huge transition. What Rebecca said.

Wow, Liese! Exciting and hard and interesting!!

Liese, I saw this yesterday, and it made me think of you.

{Liese} lots of love to you and the SO through all of your transitions.