I have had a lot of chances during this last month to experience some new connections and for this I am very grateful. I just finished a trip to the UK where I met my first grandchild. It is impossible to express how grateful I am for this new person who has come into my life. The most amazing things are often the ones you don’t expect. I had never really thought about being a grandma but here it is and it is so cool, new connections indeed! Before I left for my trip to the UK, a wise friend continue reading…
adult contemporary
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…
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…
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…
All Things Creative
I just reread my last blog post and ideas that I shared there have been put into action. I decided to redo, The Artist’s Way, a Julia Cameron book that has supported me in the past and is doing so again. I am giving myself the time that is needed to nurture my creative self. I am sharing this journey with a group of other artists. I realized as January came to a close that I needed to refocus. I wanted to be clear about why I am doing what I am doing. It is so easy to get pulled continue reading…
Time is What we Need
Growing up folks had a difficult time with my last name so they opted for groundhog. Well, as a child growing up this wasn’t very complimentary. I realize now that they do tell us if spring is coming fast or slow which seems to me to be a helpful skill. And here we are in Saskatchewan in the middle of a not so nice winter, extreme cold, rain and ice. This is a rare combination for us. We usually deal with extreme cold but don’t have it mixed in with ice or rain. I have been very grumpy about continue reading…
Where are you Going?
In the plane going to Montreal last month I started to seriously think about 2018 plans. Now for those of you who know me on a personal level you know that I love to plan. I think it helps me to feel more secure. Even when the plans might change. I noticed that I had a lot I wanted to accomplish in 2018 and it helped me think about the realism of my plans. Balance these past six months has been a challenge. Family, nursing work, music biz. I hope next year to be a bit more balanced, however as continue reading…
