May 25 is my birthday! I just turned 40!! And now, in no particular order, here are 10 songs I’m dancing to, with a glass of Riesling in one hand and a corn dog in the other:

1.    Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 52.    Attention – Charlie Puth 3.    Staying Alive – Bee Gees 4.    Lots of Drops of Brandy – The Chieftains 5.    Vogue – Madonna 6.    Despacito  – Justin Bieber/ Luis Fonsi/Daddy Yankee 7.    Wanna Be Startin Somethin – Michael Jackson 8.    He Shall Purify – Handel/Quincy Jones  9.    Gangnam Style – PSY 10.  Miss You Much – Janet Jackson

We had a great summer of stay-cationing with lots of videogaming and trampolining at home. We also went to the mall and visited Grandparents in Manhattan Beach.

My daughter Felicity turned 12 this month! She is my happy hope! I’m proud of Felicity for being accepted into the California School of Arts – San Gabriel Valley to study musical theater. Both she and her younger sister started at new schools last week.

I start back teaching at Harvard Westlake next week. Plus, this Sunday is my last Sunday as music director at Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Monica. My first Sunday at Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church Pasadena is September 9.

The first 4-6 weeks of the school/church year are notoriously stressful for our family, as I’m sure it is for most families. This year is no exception, but new settings add an element of hope to things.

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