I am so grateful that it is possible to connect with you in this way. I have been thinking a lot about listening these days. Listening to myself, choosing who I want to listen. Choosing what I want to listen to. I love to talk and that is the skill that I have developed. I have realized recently that I am a good speaker and I love to do it. I was so looking forward to doing that mid-March. I was booked to present my Signature Concert to a group of United Church folks. In my Signature Concert I speak continue reading…
adult contemporary
Stop Pushing
The end of February is fast approaching. I have continued to spend time thinking about how I want to spend my time. Yes well I like to think, being a libra and all. I realized at the end of January that putting out my EP in April was too quick. I had been already to go- I had contacted the reproduction guy and the bio writer as well as the artist. Then I realized no – I had been pushing once again. I promised myself when I retired that I would try to use my energy in a different way. continue reading…
Showing Up and Letting Go
It is the last day of 2019 and I have been reflecting on this past year and the past decade. The themes for 2019 have been showing up and letting go. I have realized that it is so important to show up. I experienced this intensely when I went on tour in May. The connections I made with old friends and new fans were inspiring and hopeful. I had a house concert in May at a friends home where about 15 old high school friends showed up. I went to a church school for most of my high school years continue reading…
Being in Nature
I had the most amazing opportunity this past weekend to spend time in nature and be with a group of songwriters! We had a time of connection and reflection. I wrote a couple new songs, songs that mean a lot to me. I was struck so much by the fact that the extra supports were so helpful- meals being provided and yoga, hikes and True Nature Writing. The writing really opened things up for me. I got writing about things I had no idea needed to come to the surface and it felt like once this happened there was more continue reading…
Reconnecting and Touring
I have been busy finalizing things for the ten days that I will be away on tour. I have six shows in that time period and will be visiting friends and family as well. I seem to be able to do this every time I go away on a short tour. I am extremely grateful for the friends that have stepped up to be hosts for a couple house concerts around the Calgary area and for the friends that have offered me a bed as well. It is a very rewarding experience to be reconnecting with folks from my high continue reading…
February is the month of love
February is the month of love! I think we can view this more broadly than romantic love as love can show up in our lives in many ways. I have been playing different love songs for Wednesdays with Wanda this month and when I played a show in Saskatoon I tried to think about different types of love and love songs. I played some songs about romantic love, the good and bad sides as well as some songs that I love. I had a few lovely moments at the show in Saskatoon. A two year old and his dad come continue reading…
Transitions
I realized a few weeks ago that transitioning out of my life as a nurse was going to be a little more challenging then I thought. I will be retiring July 1st. I have been so tired from my work as a nurse that I had assumed that there would be no issues with this change. Then I realized that I have a lot of pride in what I have done in my nursing life and that I wanted to leave it in a thoughtful way. I have come at this in a couple of ways. Firstly, I went to continue reading…
Christmas is nearly here.
Christmas is nearly here. I decided this year I would play a few shows during December as part of my music biz plan. People like music at Christmas and I had a Christmas single to play so it seemed like a sound decision. I have enjoyed playing although I have only just gotten into the spirit of the season. I received a couple Christmas cards a couple days ago and that helped. It is interesting to sing Christmas tunes and not actually be in the Christmas spirit. It was fun to have people sing along. It was also a stretch continue reading…
Christmas is Coming
We are in the month of November, Halloween has come and gone and Christmas is just around the calendar. That’s how things are for those of us in Canada. Remembrance Day was this past Sunday (Veterans Day in the United States) and we don’t talk a lot about Christmas until we are at least past November 11th. When I mention to people that Christmas is very close, there is a variety of responses. There is either joy at the idea that their favorite time of year is here or dislike at the mention of it. Christmas brings out feelings like continue reading…
New Season, New Beginnings
It is eleven months since my album Shifting Sands was released. It is nearly impossible to believe that it was such a short time ago. I have come to love and understand these songs more and more as I play them. As I head out on my tour/trip I understand again the words of the song Thanks Past Me. I find myself almost daily being grateful that I can depend on something I have done or learned in this past year. I bought some new sound equipment yesterday and was proud to realize that I do understand some of the continue reading…