An Orchid and A Song

My_First_Orchid_Bloom

My_First_Orchid_Bloom

I was gifted an orchid plant a few months ago, a friend was moving her office into her home and had too many to keep... Sure why not! I was always under the impression that orchids were hard to take care of. I was wrong! Just one bath a week for a couple hours and presto, healthy plant. Fast forward a few weeks, to Valentine's Day....We found out (yesterday) that most roses, imported to here (Switzerland) are grown in Kenya, Africa. A place where water is sacred and scarce, is using said water to grow roses to be imported to Europe. So a few people get jobs, tending to and growing roses, but so many more are fighting for fresh water. Money over water is never a good thing. I would choose water, every time. The same day we decided to "say NO!" to these 'Fair Trade' roses, our Orchid bloomed for the first time. Timing is everything, and once again, we were given a sign that we are on the right track.

The_begining_of_bloom

The_begining_of_bloom

2017 has been good to me, musically speaking. It is always tough, finding the time and discipline, the inspiration and creativity to sit down and really focus hard on writing a song. I seem to get halfway there, and then a new idea comes up and I put aside these quarter/half songs, and soon there are over a hundred halfsies just waiting for completion. Well these days, I seem to be able to focus more and entire songs are born. As an example of my first song of 2017, you can see it and listen to it here: "Flip Side"  it was inspired by having to leave (loved ones, loved places, whatever, leaving something over on the other side and we'll see you on the flip side!)  It isn't easy, bouncing between two countries, always having to say good-bye, but on the other hand, always having to say hello!

Still_shot_from_Flip_Side_Video

Still_shot_from_Flip_Side_Video

Sometimes opportunities present themselves. I had the fortune of recording a music video with Kawaii Sessions, a wonderful studio concept, live off the floor, video shoot in Wattwil, Switzerland. Some musical guests joined in and we played two songs, two takes each. We had an hour and it seemed to go alright! One would think that singing/performing two songs, live off the floor (twice) that an hour would be long enough! Alas, we were finished with only seconds to spare! What you see here is Art in itself, raw and live. The first video: "Two Minds" was released yesterday, Valentine's Day, so that was a nice surprise. Thanks to Patric Menzi and all those at Tonstudio, Wattwill for the sweet recording. And a BIG thank you to my special guests: RYKKA, Timothy Jaromir and Nicci on Electric Guitar.

Behind_the_scenes_at_Tonstudio

Behind_the_scenes_at_Tonstudio

Sometimes you wonder if anyone is listening at all! It has been YEARS of trucking through the ups and downs of a music career... Ultimately I do it for the music, in and of itself. As Sting once said, Music is it's own reward! Thankfully though, it does seem like some are on board with me. What a waste if I had to do it all alone! So when I woke up yesterday (again, Valentine's Day,) to being recognized by an acclaimed Swiss Music Website, I was feeling pretty good! A nod in my direction (regarding the music I create) is always welcome. So thanks for the SHOUT OUT Mx3...  "Love yourselves & each other folks, happy valentine's day with our great 'HOT TODAY' artist Lindsay Ferguson, listen here!"A fitting day to be a HOT artist ;) Once again folks, it's all about the timing. Thanks for reading and we shall see us next month? 

Ghosts From the Past, Do You Believe?

A_young_Lindsay_in_the_Gatineau_River_w_Mutti

A_young_Lindsay_in_the_Gatineau_River_w_Mutti

Many many moons ago, I used to live on Queen's Road in St. John's, Newfoundland. My two room-mates and I shared an awesome home with high ceilings, a fire place, bay windows and a back porch, all within seconds to work. We all worked in the service industry and there were aprons, black clothes and change scattered all over. It wasn't in our interest to be clean freaks, but rather to have fun. And fun we had. All of us in our twenties, we were experiencing life on our own with no parental help and all the freedom, hope and aspirations we could bear. When we moved into our three story 100 year old house with majestic staircases, beautiful moldings and bright windows, we were all wide eyed and bushy tailed. Three single women interested in boys, music, wine and take out, we had nothing to lose.

My_old_house_in_St._John's

My_old_house_in_St._John's

Strange things used to happen in this house. We would be sitting on the couch talking about all things interesting within the circles of our small world and both candles on either end of the mantle piece would spontaneously go out at the same time. One morning I awoke to find the flowery gold framed mirror, which I had purchased for pennies at a garage sale, turned upside down at the end of the stair well. All of us were in awe of the little and unusual happenings within the walls of our quaint home. Soon thereafter one of us found out that the home had been lived in for more than fifty five years by the same family and that the maternal head of the family had passed away while enjoying a bath, only six months after the death of her husband. Turns out she died of a broken heart A story of true Love at its finest. One of the girls lived in her room and would wake to the sounds of keys jingling in her bedroom door and then the sound of footsteps walking on the wooden floor beside her bed.  

Through_the_keyhole

Through_the_keyhole

Most things could be explained... wind, imagination, dreams, etc etc. It wasn't until one afternoon, a few hours before I was to start my late night shift down on George Street at one of the finest, dirtiest, coziest, pubs in town, that I decided it was time to face my fear and take a bath. Showers were easy enough, I could get in and out as fast as can be, lights on, music blaring, no problem. On this day, however, I had the place to myself and was craving the hot comfort of a soothing bath. So, I got the water to temperature, put the plug in and walked away. When I came back to swirl the suds around, I noticed the water was tepid, almost cold. I never thought much of it, maybe I had the cold water tap turned too far on??? I took out the plug and released the water down to it's home under the streets and tried again. Turning the hot water tap on and sure that the cold water tap wasn't turned too far to the right, I found the perfect temperature and plugged 'er up again. I walked away. When I came back to check, the water was cold again. I was feeling a little uncomfortable at this point. So I drained the water once more and this time, barely added any cold water, the water was so hot coming out of the tap, I could barely touch it. When I reached down to insert the plug in, I actually felt the water turn from hot to cool. There would be no bath for me. Showering was fine. I had a shower and left.

Vintage_clawfoot_tub_w_shower

Vintage_clawfoot_tub_w_shower

I was freaked out.  To be able to have a shower, no problem. One hot water heater in the house. Plumbers have scratched their heads in trying to explain this one. The next day I told the girls that I tried to have a bath. In unison, the colour drained from their faces and together they said "But you couldn't!" They too had, unbeknownst to each other, also tried drawing a bath on different occasions and were also unsuccessful. A week went by and my friend, the one living in the same bedroom as the couple who had passed, went to have her Tarot cards read. After the reading, the "seer" told her that she could see an elderly woman's energy around her with the name of Jo. She said that Jo was lost and needed to find her way. Relaying that the elderly woman who had died in the house that we were  presently living in (and less than a year before,) the Medium instructed all three of us to tell Jo, who's actual name was Joan (!!) that she could leave. She could go home now. I was a little more freaked out that the other two girls, so I could only talk to Joan when I was exiting the house myself... "Okay Joan, you can go home now! This is not your home anymore!" I would say, as the door behind me closed....

A few months went by and we all left that house to leave for an epic  Spring adventure to Ireland. But not before, around Christmas time, I was sitting in the living room, counting my float and I heard people walking up the stairs. I leaned over the banister and saw the look of awe in the eyes of who I assumed to be the family of one of my Newfoundlander room mates.... I went upstairs to interrupt the 'getting ready for work' rituals of one of the girls, who hadn't been expecting anyone. We went down to greet the guests but they were consumed by the house, talking about where "Mum had the Christmas tree on the other side of the room" and "Oh! This clothes closet used to be the pantry" and so on... turns out Joan's children weren't ready to spend their first Christmas away from the house they grew up in......

Years later I often think back to that moment, when complete strangers entered "our" home without knocking. How could they knock on a door they had freely run in and out of for their entire lives? One day, maybe I might find myself in the same situation in a 'what goes around comes around sort of way??? Well. The day finally came. Eight years after my Grandparents left their (our) family home, (death comes to us all) I had the chance to return to it and all of the memories within. It was a soulful experience and I am pretty sure my Mutti (Grandmother) was right there with me, feeling all the feels. Being in that home after all these years, this past Christmas was most definitely a Holiday highlight. The way the front door creaks when it closes, the weight of the wood stove window when you try to shut it, the heaviness of the sliding glass doors out to the balcony over-looking the Gatineau River, the scent of the laundry room (and the original orange wall paper, still there!!) The sticky cutlery drawers... All those memories... Living on.....

Forget_Me_Nots

Forget_Me_Nots

Where DOES The Time Go??

Good Day, fine readers. It is a good question and one that we ALL ask from "time to time." I will not try and explain it away, surely not, as it is one that I too ponder on, more than just occasionally. There was a blip in space where we weren't thinking of the speed or the flight of moments... ahhh to be a child without worry once more! But let us not go back nor look back too often, and instead let us go onwards and upwards!  

Life has been generous and kind as of late. I wonder sometimes if writing that out loud will screw up my serendipity but in the same breath, I have to wonder why we 'shouldn't' speak of our proud moments, and the greatness that life brings? In a world filled with 'bad news' being the norm, something inside me feels sheepish when discussing my rewards from seizing the days. More often than not (truth!) I am a listener and a helper to those in need and discussing the wonders of "me" doesn't always seem to be the right time. So, today, on MY blog, I will write about the latest flow in my life stream....

Firstly, I have to reminisce over one of my favourite nights in a long time.... It isn't always that I collaborate with another singer/songwriter, not sure why, but after our performance at MOODS in Zurich I really must change things! Thank you ever SO much to Peter Finc (and to Nicole Johänntgen for the suggestion.) I have said it before and I will say it again, having a SUPERB room fitted with a great sound/light system and an attentive audience is one of the BEST. THINGS. EVER for a musician. What a great spot and congrats to Nicole for getting residency at MOODS and having us as the Special Guests. We each played 6 of our own songs, which meant I had to learn 6 new songs! As you can see from the next two photos, there was Joy, to be sure!

Lindsay_and_Peter_on_stage_smiling

Lindsay_and_Peter_on_stage_smiling

View_from_Above_photo_credit_Seraina_Kurt

View_from_Above_photo_credit_Seraina_Kurt

Music isn't the only thing that drives me. FIRST thing is Love. Could you tell? I am also a fan of the arts & crafts, markets and all things nature. So this is what I do, mostly; Love, create, be in nature, cook and try to find things to stimulate my eyes and senses. Every year there is a market in Bern called Zibelemärit (here is a brief WIKI on that!) but if you don't wanna click I will give you the short of it. After a fire destroyed a large part of the downtown in Bern in the early 1400's, it was allowed that other cantons be able to sell their farmer's wares in Bern while it was being re-built. The Onion Market is renowned for it's chains of decorated onions and happens every November. Kids and adults throw confetti and the entire old town is COVERED in the stuff. They also sell (fresh/soft) Nougat, which is the main reason I went in to the BIG and WAY over-populated market. Here are a few snaps...

Insanely_amazing_nougat

Insanely_amazing_nougat

Decorated_delish_colourful_onions

Decorated_delish_colourful_onions

Onion_art

Onion_art

What a unique experience indeed, and filled with colour and amazing vibes. It is the third Monday in November, every year, so come to Bern, eh? In the meantime, if you are reading from Canada, I have a gig coming up in Wakefield at The Legendary Black Sheep Inn. It is a rare gem of a music venue, along the banks of the Gatineau River and a place filled with all sorts of Magic residue. Pints are pretty good too!!! I was listening to CKCU (Ottawa's Loveliest community radio station which is near and dear to my heart!) and heard the music of Lora Bidner and thought JEEPERS, I wanna hear her live!!! So I invited her to come along and SHINE on the same night! We play on Thursday, December 22nd. Show starts at 8:30pm and I am on first. So please come join us and we will give you some Light on a dark and cold Winters' night... Can't WAIT!!!

Show_Poster_designed_by_Lora

Show_Poster_designed_by_Lora

Thanks ever so much for reading. I hope to keep up with the monthly blogging, and in turn, hope you will keep on stopping by for a short glimpse into the life of this Canadian Songstress living abroad! In the meantime, I am counting the HOURS now, til my return to my home & native land, Canada. Hugs and Love xoxo

Good Things.

Lindsay_on_a_hike_refreshed

Lindsay_on_a_hike_refreshed

Well hello there everyone! Happy November! I always liked November, most likely because my Mum used to make sure my Birthday celebration was epic and it was always something I looked forward to. It sits perfectly in the middle and my brother's (and as it turns out, my husband's) sits nicely at the end... There were always parties in November, so having fun in this (otherwise dreary) month (for most!) is something I have become accustomed to! Not that I am forever looking forward to my birthday as I get older (and wiser?) but the habit has just somehow stuck. And lucky for me, I suppose! 

As I may have mentioned before, due to the lack of inspiration to write, weekly, I have decided to write monthly (for now) instead! Tuesday nights used to scare me and I would wake more often in the night, wondering about what words I would choose to string together and similar questions would always arise... What is the point? Why does it matter? So, rather than stress about subject topics and self-deprecation, I decided to let it go a little. I feel much better for it and now look forward to sharing some tidbits with you, instead of that weird feeling of being forced to (which I conjured up all by myself!) Isn't it funny how we are given this gift of life and we try to sabotage our very own happiness through excessive over-thinking and over-analyzing? I wonder if this creepy disposition stays for life and I wonder where it and when it started growing from!! Enough about that. Today's post is about good things. There are so many of the opposite trying to penetrate and drown my brain (our brains!)daily, so why not focus on the light instead? At least for today. At least for now. At least for the duration of this letter...

My_First_Ever_Home-made_Pumpkin_Pie

My_First_Ever_Home-made_Pumpkin_Pie

I may have mentioned previously that we had our very first (Permaculture) garden this year. My husband researched this type of garden (which, after initial set-up) does not need to be (or very rarely needs to be depending on rain) watered, and no weeding has to be done! It was a food forest to be sure (thanks to Geoff Lawton of Australia for the immense inspiration and to Sepp Holzer of Austria!) and we ate from it for months. Among many of the delicious edible and life-giving plants, spices, fruits & flowers to be consumed were PUMPKINS!! We grew many of these big round and heavy gifts, and I have been creating so much greatness with them! I tried my hand at baking my first pie (which soon turned into PIES plural) and had great success. I used a tip from my Uncle who mentioned that his Mama (and my Granny) used to put maple syrup in to give it that extra magical flavour, and it worked! Thanks Uncle Peter!

Coprinus_Musrooms__Edible

Coprinus_Musrooms__Edible

One of the most delightful things to do while hiking in the forest, is to stumble upon a patch of edible, wild mushrooms. Truly, this simple and natural thing just gets me right where it matters! Isn't it funny that my Great Grandfather, Dr. Hans T. Gussow published a beautiful (hard cover) book all about mushrooms?? I suppose some things (passions!) DO run in the family! Well, pictured above is the "Shaggy Mane" or the "Inky Cap" mushroom (or in Latin, Coprinus.) I posted a photo of one that I had come across, and was quickly tuned-in by many that it was indeed an edible (and delicious) mushroom but... There are rules to this one.... For instance, very quickly it become in-edible. When it starts to turn "inky" or that dark purple -you see the beginning of that in some of the mushrooms in the photo above- they lose their deliciousness. Also there are some very important characteristics which it has, to determine whether it is the real thing or an intruder! When you find the good ones (all white and shaped in a VERY phallic symbol I might add!!) all you need is a frying pan, some butter, salt and pepper. Voila! A delicacy! Thank goodness for Social Media, otherwise I would not have been enlightened to these small wonders!!! 

A_bench_on_a_lake_with_Mountains

A_bench_on_a_lake_with_Mountains

Sometimes you have to go out in search of stimulation all by yourself. I find being alone can do me wonders. I Love some alone time, being alone does not always equate with being lonely, to be sure! This bench, along the shores of the Lake of Thun is a spot that I Love to sit in wonder and breathe in all that is right about the world. There are just so many things to be proud of, happy with and inspired by, sometimes you just need to search for it and remember! Clarity comes to me beside the water, more often than anywhere else.

Lindsay_Live_at_a_House_Concert

Lindsay_Live_at_a_House_Concert

And, of course, the stage. Or rather, Home Sweet Home. When I have a listening crowd and we are together within a musical journey, this gives me the most feels. There is something about that secret and silent energy that flows between the musician and the music Lover. It arrives in the form of Goose Bumps or heart pumps but when it comes, I am at my soulful-est. I am ever so grateful to have been blessed with the gift of music, and even more so at the acceptance from my family, peers and fans, who continue to encourage me to keep going at it. And go at it I do! There is a deeper feeling now, as I get older and surface things no longer matter as much. The music will and always does speak louder.

 

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