Seasons Greetings from ATX!

Helloooooooo strangers! 

Been a hot minute since I last wrote, so it seems like it was about time to drop y'all a line, let you know how life has been since I up and moved down to Tejas! 

In the first two months, I've played 17 gigs at 13 different venues, and have 13 more on the books so far for the next couple months. Not quite at my 15-20 a month goal just yet, but not too shabby a beginning, if I do say so myself. I've been greeted warmly and supported by the lovely people around here, finding a few good open mics and already receiving some referrals! Aside from some asshat stealing some gear out of my car last weekend, really everything professionally is looking up up up! 

Creatively, it's been a pretty fallow last couple years (there was a pandemic, don'tcha know, not to mention some personal upheaval, and that has played hell with my mental health and creative drive) but I can feel some ideas starting to try and wrestle themselves out of my tattered brain, so hopefully the (slightly) slower winter season will offer me some space to tease them out a little bit. Nothing would give me greater joy than having a new record to share with y'all, so I just...gotta write it! (and then figure out how to afford to make it, of course, but baby steps, baby steps). I do have a handful of unrecorded tunes, so there's always that, but: feels like it's time for something new. 

Austin is a really interesting place. More sprawly than I was expecting, but folks: the breakfast tacos. The BREAKFAST TACOS. The people are kind, far fewer of them Open Carry than I expected (tho admittedly I've mostly only been in Austin, which I'm assured "isn't real Texas"), and even driving outside of ATX I'm pleasantly surprised how few T***p signs I've seen. I've found a bunch of cool bars, great breweries, I can walk to pho for the first time in years... and, well, I regret to inform you that "but it's a dry heat" is a real phenomenon. We'll see how next July strikes me, but even 85 here feels better than 75 in Philadelphia. I've also been struck by the humor in the road signs: "Slow Down: You're Already In Texas, Y'all" pleases me, as did the Thanksgiving weekend's "The Turkey Says: Buckle Buckle". I'm also quite fond of 

LITTERING 
IS 
unlAWFUL 

So anyway. I miss you all very terribly, and a special thanks to all who've reached out and stayed in contact: I'm REALLY bad at that, as you no doubt know, but rest assured that you're all in my mind and heart (if not in my text threads) (speaking of which, text me! It's the best way to stay in touch. Don't have my number? Ask!). 

I truly hope that each and every one of you has a safe and happy holiday season, that you and yours are getting your vaccines and boosters, that you're all being as kind to each other as you've always been to me. World needs more kindness today than ever. 

Loves and Kisses and All the Best Wishes, 

JH

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