Let’s Rock 2025 with Gratitude

As I write this annual New Year’s post, it’s the last sunny day of 2024. When I woke up, I imagined I’d want to write a post reflecting on the ups and downs of the year, goals, and aspirations. But as I was walking our family dog, Callie, it hit me: With all that’s going on in the world now, gratitude is the most important thing I can write about.

Everyone has good days and bad days, good years and bad years. Between my mother’s health issues and the divisive state of U.S. politics, 2024 felt incredibly hard at times. I found myself sinking into irritability over the hard things and devastating losses. Yet there’s still a lot of great things that happened in my life, and on Rockmommy:

• I released my first fully solo single, “Dairy Queen” (Pilot Light Records) in May, and welcomed a new guitarist into my band Trashing Violet.
• My suburban mom gear reviews and guitar blogs about Gibson vs. Epiphone ES-335 and Stratocaster vs. Tele fueled exciting conversations and feedback.
• I interviewed more than 3 dozen individuals and bands for Rockmommy, including The Cocktail Slippers, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Britt Lightning, John Legend, Jessie Baylin, and Miko Marks. I also wrote a couple of articles for The New Haven Independent and other outlets — while continuing to make music, teach guitar, and support my family.
• I spent the summer taking longer walks with our 3-year-old dog Callie, and continued these longer walks through the fall.
• I enjoyed outdoor and indoor adventures with family and friends I love dearly, and realized there’s no place like home. I love living in Fairfield, Connecticut, so much. It’s not my Maryland hometown, but it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived.

I’m so grateful that I get to do this blog, and this life. I am a mother, wife, professional writer, musician, guitar teacher, and daughter. I have a home and food. I have so much love in my life. I hope that in 2025, all of you feel the same gratitude. I hope all of your big rock n’ roll dreams come true. Thank you for reading my little blog about motherhood and music. Here’s to an awesome year of plugging in and turning up the volume on all the good things to come.