This afternoon I played my last performance of the Nutcracker for this season. This year's performances really went quickly; I can't believe they're already over. I think part of the reason it seemed so quick was that my stress level was way down this year. My fingers are mostly doing what I ask them to do, and this year they're also feeling much more loose, less like I'm pushing my fingers through wet cement. I didn't quite hit my goal of being able to meditate my way through the whole show, but I actually got fairly close. This year was the first year post-MS that I played all of the notes in the first violin part as written. Last year I still had to leave out a few.
Now that Nutcracker is over, I can get to work on a couple of the really hairy violin parts I gave myself (or that Mike requested I play) for TML. And I can get going on my two big Winter projects: getting more consistent on the violin and going down the stairs more smoothly. The stairs will be pretty easy if I can get myself out on ice skates regularly (last year I noticed that just one night of ice skating really did good things for whatever muscles aren't quite firing correctly on the left side). The violin will be harder, since it requires more practice time. But my stand partner in Nutcracker is also looking to improve her violin skills, and she is also one of the nicest people I know. We decided we're going to be practice partners.