Writers Almanac

The holidays can feel like one giant To Do List, so I'm truly grateful for the calm beauty of music first thing in the morning, aren't you?

I admit it.  December is not my favorite time of year. With so many cards to write, gifts to wrap, cookies to frost, and extra church services to plan and direct, I often feel overwhelmed by what feels like a month-long To Do List.  That's a terrible thing to say, but I know I'm not alone. A survey conducted a couple of years ago by Harris Interactive showed 90 percent of respondents experience stress during the holiday season. 

Monday, April 11th is the birth anniversary (in 1891) of one of my favorite composers, Sergei Prokofiev. Okay, there’s some confusion here since, if you follow the Gregorian calendar, it’s April 23th.