Every year my repeating New Year’s resolution is to unsubscribe myself from all the mailing lists I’ve been dumped on over the past year. This year, I aim to:
- Reduce my use of plastic. Most plastic-79%-ends up in landfills or as litter. Revoltingly, we ship much of it overseas, and then complain that third-world countries dump that waste into the ocean. There are many uses for which plastic is unparalleled; for example, plastic wrap has revolutionized food storage. But there are places where we use tons of it for no good purpose. Despite the bottle return on plastic drinking bottles in many states, 80% of one-use plastic water bottles end up in landfills. And nobody can convince me that water stored in plastic for months is as healthy as the stuff that comes out of my tap.
- Practice scales. I used to sing-a lot. My voice went to wrack and ruin after my first cancer, and old age and lack of practice haven’t helped. But a little work will go a long way towards mending a broken voice. Now, to find the time.
What are your New Year resolutions, if any? Whatever they are, I wish you a blessed and happy new year.
Registration is now open for workshops in 2026! Reserve your spot:
- Advanced Plein Air Painting | Rockport, ME, July 13-17, 2026
- Sea & Sky | Acadia National Park, ME, August 2–7, 2026
- Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air | Berkshires, MA, August 10-14, 2026
- New! Color Clinic 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
- New! Composition Week 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026
Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace:
Practicing scales should be on my list too. COVID lockdowns of churches played a big part in my voice’s decline – no hymn singing, no choir practice. I sing and I sound like a boy whose voice is changing, and my vocal range has shrunk discouragingly. Guess I need to exercise the vocal cords.