December 14, 2016

Where DOES The Time Go??

December 14, 2016

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!

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...

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!!!

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

November 2, 2016

Lindsay Ferguson

Good Things.

November 2, 2016

Lindsay Ferguson

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...

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!

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!!!

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.

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.

April 20, 2016

Lindsay Ferguson

A Grüningen Session

April 20, 2016

Lindsay Ferguson

Hello and Happy Wednesday to all of you readers out there!

Thanks for stopping by for your weekly dose of the happenings in the "Land of Lindsay"

Perhaps this is your first visit? Glad to have you and I hope you will return! I am just a girl who likes to write; blogs, songs, letters and more, and here, you will find a little of life insights, from my point of view or sometimes something akin to a diary entry! If you are looking for MUSIC; you can find LOTS of that here too. Just head over to the LISTEN tab and you can listen away...

In the meantime, people often ask me what it's like playing in Switzerland! Well, some gigs are, of course better than others, just like anywhere else, but this past weekend, it was quite a Lovely and unique place that we played in, and I thought I would share some photos.

This is Timo, a.k.a Timothy Jaromir. He is a Swiss Singer & Songwriter who has some great tunes! Check him out! He asked me to sing with him this past weekend in the small and Lovely town of Grüningen. I was amazed at the sights of this town! Quaint would be a good word for it! Here are a couple of photos of some of the houses around..... Quite "typical" to what we North Americans would envision when thinking of the Lovely country of Switzerland.

I was lucky to arrive at the right time, when the "Schloss (castle) Museum" was still open. I had a gander and was easily amused at what I found!

Eventually it was time to play some music! We had a wonderful time playing as part of the "Grüningen Sessions" which is a night of music that happens about eight or nine times a year. The session of sounds takes place in various settings around the sweet town and on this particular night, it was in the Wy Galerie, and we were surrounded by wine! And no, the wine did not stop flowing! Thanks, Susan! Haa. And a big thanks goes out to Caroline Edwards, a brit who decided to bring music and culture to this little town, a few years back. We musicians LOVE people like you! It is always great to play to a town of music Lovers. And thanks to Timo for asking me to sing along. It is always a pleasure.

Thanks for having us and this will most certainly NOT be the last visit to Grüningen :)

-one weeks later-

Yesterday I found out that I WILL be returning, to the Wy Galerie as part of Grüningen Sessions on Saturday October 1st, 2016!! Right on, eh??)

xoxo

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