Enter 2016

Ahhh... here we are. Into the New Year, new beginnings, new ideas, new designs and into getting better at something or into getting better at ourselves. Am I right? Are you reading this and feeling better about YOURself, six days in, have you made any changes? Maybe the fact that so many of us ARE trying to work on ourselves, it is easier to harness the power that we need? Am I wishful thinking? It was from Emoto's water experiments that I learned about these monks who gathered around a small body of water, holding hands, sending positive vibrations and Love into the water, to heal the eco-system within and it DID come back to life!  That idea of many folks working on something together, releasing "strength rays" might just be what is going on at the start of the New Year, far and wide!!  

My_Mama_and_Aunties_in_the_60's_gig_poster

 There's something new for me! I am playing at one of the funkiest little venues in Bern next week. I did a few house concerts over the past while, which I LOVE to do, but sometimes you gotta get down and dirty in a vibey city venue! I have been going to Café Kairo on and off over the past few years. They have the best Open Mic in Bern, for sure, and I am STOKED to hear some new music next Monday, as well as singing my own set after, so if, by chance you are reading this and you are in der Schweiz, come on out, eh?? Getting back to new-ness....Yes, that! We were at a NYE party, a quaint and cozy one, spent with wood-fired pizza, children, red wine and music. It was a beautiful evening spent on the Lake of Zurich. Nearing the end of the evening, or should I say morning (ahem) we played a little game, one that was new to me. Molybdomancy is a form of "telling the future" by melting lead shapes and tossing the melted metal into cold water; whatever shape comes out of the water is supposed to give you a sign of what is to come in the New Year. We all sat around with our shapes and expressed what we might like to see in this year of 2016.

My_lead_future_shapes

What do you see? I posted this photo on my personal Facebook page and received some very interesting ideas, which just remind me that everyone looks at everything in their own way, we are all individuals! These shapes are both mine and my husbands, and I thought it impressive that we had such similar forms. A good start to the New Year, whatever the case! As we were dreaming up new visions for 2016, I thought the most important thing to do for myself is to eat healthier and to drop the junk food. Not sure I will be able to do it, but I will try, darn it! My great-Grandfather, Dominion Botanist, Dr. Hans T. Güssow, (A doctor of flowers! He once came up with the cure for wheat disease, in Canada) Well, once upon a time.. He said EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! With hopes that one day I will actually live by that rule, I am doing my best, for now!

My_great_grandparents_in_Victoria_in_the_1940's

The history before me is epic and I just wish that I could go back in time and ask some of my ancestors questions, even just hearing the voices of those before me.. I wonder what they sounded like, my Great Grandparents... I wonder who sang? Someone must have. Ahhh, sweet music running through the blood of those before me and I became blessed with it. Lucky me.

p.s My new record made TOP 50 ALBUMS of 2015, according to CKCU, a fabulous radio station out of Ottawa, Ontario, Lucky me, indeed!

On the Verge of 2016

What have you done in the past year? Seemingly many are looking at their year, questioning themselves if they have done enough, done well, done better, etc, etc. Have no regrets though, regrets are just things you haven't done yet! At any time you can shape life in whatever way you would like. Yes, you will be thrown a "curve ball" -something that is unexpected, surprising or disruptive-  from time to time, but you can maneuver around it or take it and run! Life is YOURS, and what a wonder it is. Some days are DIP days, but there is so much out there to give you hope, to give you inspiration, to give you joy. DIP days are inevitable, there is so much pain, so much ignorance, so much emptiness, how could we not suffer from time to time? But look at THIS! I came across some Nature Magic the other day and discovering something beautiful and new always puts a smile on my face.

Wisps_of_ice_wrapped_around_a_branch

Nature's_wonder_in_ice_art_form

Lovely_frozen_fibers_of_water_wrap_around_a_branch

Fascinating, aren't they? All of these shots, were taken with an Iphone4. I am amazed at how great they turned out, but this is nature folks, and FREE entertainment, all you have to do is venture outside into the woods. Hoping to find out what these are, and how they are made, I went on over to Wikipedia and found "Hair Ice." Certainly I had never seen anything like it, but there you go, learning something new every day.  Mostly,  I try to learn a new word every day. My husband comes from Switzerland and they speak Swiss-German. If you speak German, you will not understand Schweizer Deutsch. Actually, some Swiss folks can't even understand what their Swiss German speaking neighbours are saying because of the different dialects. It sure gets confusing! Yesterday, I learned a new word, "Abenteuer"... which is actually the same in Hoch Deutsch or High German. Sometimes they do use the same words.

Mount_Pilatus_on_Lake_Luzern_in_sunshine

  Switzerland is pretty beautiful but so is Canada. I think the best thing I did in 2015 was to tour across Canada in the Summer. We drove from Wakefield, Quebec to Vancouver, Island and back. I could (and SHOULD) dedicate an entire blog about that journey, there are so many photos and memories to share! I will never forget that epic Abenteur!! I toured my newest record "Chameleon" over the course of eight weeks. It was pretty incredible, and every kilometer was driven in a 1997 Toyota Tercel. We call her "White Pearl" or "Perla" for short. If one this is for sure, you can do it too. There are inexpensive ways to make it happen, too. When we weren't "put up* by a venue, we pitched a tent. The costs vary, but are anywhere between 18$-30$ a night. So. Totally. Worth. It!!! Pork chops over an open fire and cards by candle-light... ahhh... the memories.

Lindsay_and_Doug_in_Catherdral_Grove

Lately, I have taken to PODCASTING. I try to post one or two a week. Here is my latest one, should you like a LISTEN??

I wonder what 2016 will bring?? Let's make it awesome!!! 

Happy New Year,

Love, Lindsay xoxo

A Green Christmas

Looking out the window I see beauty. There are green fields, miniature ponies grazing freely around the house, Christmas decorations and lights brighten up all the houses around and smokes puffs out from the chimneys. Strangely though, it feels like an early Autumn day. From what I have heard, there is warmer weather happening in Europe and Canada this season. It looks like we will have a green Christmas! Admittedly, it took awhile to find the Spirit of this festive season, but thankfully, I found it, or rather, MADE it! It does fall into place a little more naturally when the whole world around me is blanketed in snow. However, once the house was filled with a little Christmas music a la Boney M, and we found a pine tree (which we had to take down, it was strangled around one of our Beech trees in the forest) brought it home and decorated it (Macgyvered it a little to fix up the twisted branches!) schnapps in hand, the house finally feels like Christmas.

A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas_Tree

We were very fortunate to have been gifted a big box full of Christmas treasures a couple of years ago, when, sadly, friends of ours moved to Canada. What a treat though, to have box filled over the years with collected decorations! I haven't had to buy a thing, which is wonderful. I AM however, looking for more twinkly lights that are NOT LED. I find those are so cold, even the "warm" LED lights are not warm at all. So today, I will set out and try to find some to hang on the windows. Nothing like last minute, eh?? In two sleeps, Santa comes. In our family (my Canadian family) it was getting pretty over-whelming, shopping for presents, so we decided many years ago to pick names from a hat and do a "Secret Santa." Here in Switzerland we don't really exchange gifts at all, but we do fill stockings, which is always a fun task... filling it up with little sneaky, playful, artsy, jokey, sugary items... Again, today, is shopping day! I did get out to the market last week, thankfully... The shops will be closed for the next three days, so I better get to it!

A_Newfoundland_Christmas_House_Decoration

I do like to indulge in a personal Christmas gift each year! Not something that I need, but rather a little something that I want, how selfish, isn't it?? This year, I could NOT resist in buying two little magical Gnomes. It would give me great pleasure to find names for these little guys, they are just the cutest little things!! I actually teared up at the market stand, now what am I like?? Maybe we never really do grow up, and most certainly I would hope to hold tight to MAGIC, forever. 

Two_Beautiful_Gnameless_Gnomes

So, I will wish all of you a very happy holiday! I can only hope that everyone will get out there and find themselves a little "Holiday Spirit" green weather or white weather. Most importantly my wish for you is to find some wonderful family and friends to connect with, good times, good food and hopefully, some much needed rest.

Love, Lindsay xox

Walk Towards Love

Babies are born with a clean slate. They LOVE unconditionally, whether they are staring into the eyes of their five hundred pound mother who has three dimensional moles growing wiry black hairs, orange teeth and greasy hair, that baby only sees the Love coming from her eyes, and thrives because of it. My three year old Nephew runs to meet me with open arms and a smile from ear to ear, whether my hair is messy or neat, whether my make-up is on or off and whether or not my sweater has tomato sauce stains; he only sees the smile across my face and the Love in MY eyes. It is profound, to witness this true, unconditional Love and I have to wonder why we don't hold tight to this, hold tight to the purity of the one thing that matters most, Love in and of itself.

Lindsay_and_Cleo_the_Magnificent_Horse

The act of not Loving and treating a person with worth and kindness is a learned behaviour. It is not something that we are born with. It does not come from stardust, to be certain. It is learned, perhaps by that angry teacher who lost his or her self Love years before but continues to spread his negativity in the name of a paycheck. Simple words stick! Who is to know where and when these sad souls will enter our lives, but they do. Sad, empty people who have no self Love are creating babies every second, so you can imagine how most of these children will grow up; (Comedian BILL BURR says it best right here!) But HOW do we turn things around??  Love. Love prevails and can be found in the twinkly star of the night's sky, Love is everywhere.

An_Image_of_Stars_taken_by_the_Hubble_Telescope

Awesome. Love can be found everywhere, but some people would rather stare at nothing, commiserate in their misery over the bad stuff that is going on around them, or the bad stuff that is happening to them. Perhaps they are in an abusive relationship and have become used to living in fear, living in sadness, living as a victim. Or maybe they are living in the depths of despair, caused from childhood trauma, or maybe their best friend died and they can't get out of bed. There IS hope. We are sentient beings, who were born with Love. There are bigger, better and more beautiful things out there to lift you heart up. I promise. 

Rumi_Quote_I_want_this_music

It is very hard to get a strong and genuine point across to anyone today. I have spent hours trying to figure out how to help solve the problems of my Loved ones. Surely what I am saying is truth, yet the poignant words fall on deaf ears. I liken many of these pieces advice or life-experience-stories to that of quitting (or trying to quit) smoking. I smoked on and off for years. I quit a dozen times, but seemed to always start up again (not this last time though, I am four years in!! Almost five as a non-smoking smoker!) We KNOW that smoking is bad! Yet, we continue to do it, and to somehow ignore the signs, and the facts. One day though, we see the light and finally look back and say, yeah, I knew that... I was just a victim and now I am no longer a victim. Bad relationships, depression and smoking can all be compared and I have been a victim of all three. Over and over. Somedays, I find myself drained and dark but I know there is something epic and stunning and soul-fulfilling just around the corner; it's called faith and/or hope. Scientific evidence points to the conclusion that Hope and optimism may be hardwired by evolution into the brain. So there's that. 

We_saved_a_bird_once

So there it is. A few ramblings-on about Love. Hope. Faith. If all else fails and you have to stay in bed, just be sure to get up tomorrow. Tomorrow is always a new day, a day to start over again. Also, fresh air helps, a walk around the block, the park, a walk in the woods. Time spent in nature, for me is in the right direction. But remember, whatever you do, do it with Love, always walk towards Love.