The internet is an incredible place. I first saw Melanie Whitson's art on facebook, in a Scotland group. Her clean, beautiful drawings truly capture the essence of place. My favorites? While they are all so evocative, her Leanach Cottage at Culloden has grasped my heart. I feel the wind blowing across the battlefield, smell the smoke and humanity, and remember moments of history, both large and small. 

Music for shifting times. Four years ago, when we chose the title for this series, we could not have known what lay in store. There is no need for me to rehearse those events for you, and in any case, you will see them as you choose. Several threads which I would encourage you to follow, though, and which run through the music we have been sharing with you over these years are respect, reflection, connection, integrity, and peace.

You stumble through your days, got your head hung low
Your skies’ a shade of grey, like a zombie in a maze, you’re asleep inside, but you can shake away
‘Cause you’re just a dead man walking, that’s your only option, but you can flip the switch and brighten up your darkest day.
Sun is up and the color’s blinding, take the world and redefine it
Leave behind your narrow mind, you'll never be the same

Nora Martin Hall is a contemporary representational painter working primarily in oil paintings, and utilizes a wide range of techniques, from classical painting methods to photorealism, creating trippy, large-scale portraits and installations. Requiring thousands of hours of focused training and dedication to execute, she blends the innate need to be spontaneous and reckless, too. 

In the northern hemisphere, it is winter. Winter has many faces and facets. As you travel through winter, you may well experience all of them. I have always enjoyed winter's aspects of quiet and the season's call to reflection; you may experience this time of year differently. There are holidays and holy days of most faiths; there are secular celebrations; there is the turning of the year. This music will help with the journey.