It's that time of year again…the start of the (American) winter holiday season, and the culturally-ordained time to give thanks!

This year a big thank-you goes to my wonderful Patrons, whose financial support of this blog through Patreon keeps me researching and writing as well as providing a level of emotional support that's really helpful for a freelancer during those times when I'm curled up alone trying to work and wondering if anyone actually values what I write or appreciates the enormous effort that it takes to blog for nearly nine years and well over a quarter-million words.  Your support says that you do, and that's valuable far beyond the money involved.

My Patrons are formally listed year-round on a special page, but for the record:

To Alan, Bill, Eleanor, Heath, Jennie, Ken, Mady, Max, Pete, Randi, Richard, Roberto, Rostik, Serge, Tammy, and The Anonymous Patron – 

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your continued support.

I also want to add a special thank-you to my friend and sometime dance partner Irene, whose reaction to even my craziest ideas has consistently been unwavering emotional support paired with solid advice and practical assistance that has been absolutely critical to so much of what I've done this year and for the last dozen years or so.  Help me work out tricky dance techniques?  Drape a skirt ruffle?  Translate some nineteenth-century German?  Take in my cats for a month while I roam around teaching dance?  Keep an eye on my entire life while I'm overseas?  Fly to Ukraine to partner me at a waltz weekend?  

She does it all.  I quite literally couldn't do what I do without Irene.  No words could possibly be adequate, but…

Thanks.