I am in the middle of a trip to the UK. It is always interesting to travel and see things from a new perspective. As well, to be reminded that there is more then one way to do things. This can be as simple as how people eat their food. Apparently I don’t use my fork and knife quite right as compared to people here. I would have never guessed this was a difference in the past. I had a colleague review my album Shifting Sands recently and I was so pleased with the review. What struck me was the continue reading…
Camping in a Tent , a Gig and Connections
I drove the highway from Ravenscraig towards the Cypress Hills and I could feel my body begin to unwind. Concerns I had been obsessing about seemed to lose their intensity. I found my tenting spot when I got to the park and got set up. My body relaxed even deeper into the nature that surrounded me. Then there was time spent hiking in the trees. Wildlife seen on the road near the park, coyote, deer and a hawk reminded me of my place in the universe. A Moose showed up on the road as I drove back to the park continue reading…
Building Community and Trusting Oneself
Hello on this first Wednesday of July. I have a lot of things to look forward to this summer plus I have had a great first half of 2018. I have been performing a couple times a month which is way more than ever before and I am grateful for all those opportunities. The show that I am reflecting on today is one that our songwriting group just had on June 20th. We had our wind up which we celebrated by putting on a showcase which included nine of our songwriters. We were fortunate to do so at a local continue reading…
This is what I know
This is what I know. That is quite the statment to start with but hey if Oprah can say it so can I… This week has been one where I have continued to think about creativity and hopefully practice more of it. As well, I have gone down memory lane as it was pride week here in Regina. When I first came to Regina I was starting a new life alone. My sons had stayed with their father in Montreal and I broke up with my partner shortly after coming here. I remember the pride events that I took part continue reading…
Taking Time, More Thoughts on Self Care
I found myself with time last week. I had five days off from my nursing job and had intended to drive to Cochin where our cabin is north of Saskatoon. I sat with myself and realized that the energy it would take to drive etc was more then I had. I decided that I wanted to stay home, get myself more organized and rest. I had loved being at the lake the week before and I realized it wasn’t what I needed this time. When I was at the lake, I had these crazy thoughts going through my mind that continue reading…
New Perspectives from the Badlands
I went to the Badlands last weekend for a music festival. It was a fundraiser for an old school house that is now a museum and it is situated in the hamlet of East Coulee along the Red Deer River. The Badlands and the valley are very cool with formations in the hills that look like dinosaur feet, old coal mines, hoodoos and this gorgeous river that runs along the river bottom. New views and new perspectives. The music festival called the East Coulee SpringFest takes place in the school museum along with the town’s community center. There is magic continue reading…
Spring has Sprung
We have gone from winter to very warm spring in one weekhere in Saskatchewan. It is lovely to have no snow and it is also a jarring transition. I keep thinking about transitions, both in my music life and in my nursing and home life. They can be jarring. How can I smooth out the edges? In performing how do I transition easily from one song to another, giving myself and the audience time. I am so aware of any silent spaces, as I allow myself to really prepare for the next song, to let go of some of the continue reading…
Unforeseen Circumstances
I have been reminded this weekend about life having unforeseen circumstances. We were driving home and my mother called me and said your Dad is being sent to Regina because his nose won’t stop bleeding. Wow, I was not expecting that as we were only a half hour from town and we were expecting to be celebrating my Dad’s ninetieth birthday the next day. Okay change direction for the weekend and focus on my Dad in a different way. My family has spent some time together this weekend as many of us were already gathering when Dad needed to go continue reading…
All of a Sudden
All of a sudden two weeks has passed and it is time for me to write another post. I have done some fun things these past two weeks, shared a new song with my songwriters group, had two paying gigs and had an interview with a freelance journalist about my music. Who says the Universe is not helping out. When I asked the journalist how he found me, he said he found me because another musician he interviewed was following me on Twitter… Wow. I also heard from my sister that they continue to play my music on my hometown continue reading…
A Week of No Social Media
I have been doing the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron these past few weeks and during one of the week’s activities she strongly suggests not reading. The book was written 25 years ago so social media wasn’t a thing and I figured a break from that would be very beneficial and it was. I immediately had more space in my brain and way more time then I would have anticipated. The other thing I have noticed now that the week is over is that I am back to a lot of my old habits. Checking Facebook especially when I am continue reading…
