I'm in the KFC in town today (yes, I occasionally succumb), and someone asks "Is your name Joe?" This opened up a conversation about how this person has come to several Mainstay Monday shows, and how much he enjoys the Mainstay, in general. It's a thing. The Mainstay is a unique and wonderful venue; magical, even. In a little tiny town in the middle of nowhere, at the end of the road; and known across the country, even around the world. Now well into it's third decade, the Mainstay has earned a reputation for having top quality performers, whether local/regional, national or international. You come to the Mainstay, you see a strong show. It's a reputation that, I'm proud to say, Mainstay Monday has earned as well. As we near closing in on completing our first year of Monday shows (we began on Memorial Day, 2016, with a 15 week "trial" schedule), we're hitting a stride, learning as we go, and continuing to grow. So many wonderful experiences already, and  many more to come. From finding new creative spaces in duo performance with regional and national artists, to providing opportunity for quality local performers to push their own boundaries (and often, mine); each Monday is it's own unique, and often memorable, experience. Each week a show of substance, each week it's own thing. Personally, there's an important lesson in all this. When you allow something to come into being, organically, rather than deciding what you think ought (or you want) to happen, and then let it be what it is, you may find that providence reaches beyond understanding, and what you never would have thought of (or would have believed you wanted) may be what was waiting to happen all along. And waiting, most of all, for you to get out of the way. Bloom where you're planted. Be where you are. Amen.