What The Funk?

Good day, wherever you happen to be reading my note, I wish for you, that it is or has been a pleasant one. In such crazy, uncertain times, moods, I am sure are fluctuating. Let us all hold on to a little bit of good faith and to the knowledge that we have come THIS far, surely we can keep moving in the forward direction! When I put my energies into worrying, time and experience tells me that it really doesn't do any good. But still, we worry. When I look back at my life, I see that everything, even the bad stuff, has brought me to where I am right now, and any regret I have is really only something that I haven't done yet. Basically, I am here, I got through, and you, reader, are also here and you, too, got through. We humans can be quite resilient and we forget that sometimes.  It has been a bit of a murky month for me, but with the Spring flowers, my colours, as well, are starting to reveal themselves. 

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To be honest, I have never really been much of a "sharer" of my problems. I have always been more of a listener, and as early as the age of nine (from what I remember, maybe even earlier) I have been trying to help others in figuring out how to live. My Mum's nickname for me in this case "Dear Abby" rings true, even to this day, there are three women, living in three different countries who are on my radar to check in with. Mostly, I have been lucky in life, and I am very grateful for the great chances I have been given and for the rare opportunities I have allowed myself to take. Life on the whole has been very good to me, and I feel guilty when I don't recognize this, daily. Sometimes though, there is an emptiness that tries it's best to hollow you out. And the big "E" was working on me for the past few weeks. So I reached out.

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It isn't often that I vent on Facebook. It isn't what I like to do. There is SO much crap on there, trying to bring everyone down, that I do not want to add to the pile of suspicion that it sometimes is. Don't get me wrong, there are some amazing articles that add light and knowledge to my life, as well as MANY things that inspire a giggle or two. Also, I think it is a wonderful way to connect with people, even in "little black letter" form, a hello is always nice. Not to mention learning new things about my friends and seeing how their life is unfolding through photos. There are many reasons why I like this Social Media platform, and of course the ability to share my music is number ONE on that list. Reaching out for personal "healing" advice is not my forte. But I did. I let myself be vulnerable out loud. And I am writing today, to thank each and every one of you who responded with some good ideas, giving me a few rays of your light.  The question was "How do you get yourself out of a funk?" The response came in for days, and all that Love, lifted me up. To know that I have people supporting me from around the world, means endless life possibilities. Sometimes you need another person's perspective to fit your "ducks" back in line. 

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What ARE the best ways to get out of a funk? Some say, dive INTO the funk, get to know it, find out all of it's distinct details, get to know the WHY and work on it, bit by bit. Some say PLAY the funk! Find some good music, turn it up loud and get busy moving to it's rhythm, shake it out! The most common piece of advice in my "Funk" thread was to get out into Nature as much as possible (which is pretty easy around these parts, I must say!) As you can see from the above photo, I received a pretty Lovely message, some may say a sign of sorts, that indeed, I am on the right path. So, once again, thanks for beaming some light at me, it has NOT gone unnoticed... 

I received a pretty sweet video during this time, one that we recorded a couple of months back featuring a new song of mine "Electricity." The theme behind the song is one of First Love, those sparks that happen between two souls who have found True Love. My friends join me in the harmony of it all, and I think you might like this little ditty *Live off the Floor* just click on this link for a dose of sound! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrnnnFtEuVA&feature=youtu.be and please, share away!

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Thanks to Christina (Rykka) and Timo (Timothy Jaromir) and to Tonstudio, Kawaii Sessions and Patric Menzi for the sweet little recording of some 'Lindsay Live.' Thanks for listening and reading. Onwards and Upwards HO!!!

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!

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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...

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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

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

Dream on Dandelion

One_Spring_Wish

As a child, I used to think the only thing a dandelion was good for was for picking and wishing on. I dreamed a lot on dandelions. Now I know those weeds full of wishes are not at all just for dreaming on. A dandelion is one of the first flowers to pop up in the Spring time, one of the first food for the bees. SAVE THE BEES and let those flowers grow! I always wondered how they shape-shifted from their bright yellow petals into those fluffy wishes. It all seems a bit like magic...perhaps the act of nature being nature is a bit magical in and of itself? Here is a time lapse video to show you HOW this wonderful feat happens! 

There is this super Lovely gravel road that weaves through the forest, where I like to do some thinking. Yesterday I was trying to come up with an idea for today's Blog Post. I got to thinking about who reads my posts, and where they are when they are reading. I thought about my podcasts (which you can listen to here) and tried to picture the various places that people are listening from; kitchens, cars, living rooms, offices, headphones, speakers, stereos, lap tops..... I tried to envision you and my mind went into over-drive, thinking about all that! It was an eye-opening moment for me, thinking about you, out there. Recently, I have been realizing more and more the connection we have to one another. It is a delicate idea, one with many nooks, rivets, streams, routes and roads, similarities and differences, nuances, dreams, ideologies, moods and more....but here we are. Somehow, through these words and/or music, we feel and we imagine, together, but a thousand miles away.

So, I will paint you a picture from yesterdays 'outside moment' in the forest. Spring, 2016 in Switzerland...

The air is fresh. Once in awhile a waft of perfume floats by. I stop to smell the flowers. The ground beneath me crunches and a stone flips into the back of my boot. I walk for a little while longer before the rock wedges itself in a place that I can not ignore. I take off my boot and try to balance myself on the uneven country floor, I free the stone. The sunlight spangles through the tree branches, up at their tops you can hear birdsong serenading each other. The trees sway in the slight wind and blossoms sail down to the ground. I catch one and think of someone I can no longer see in real life. Love in memories. In the distance there is a chorus of bells, low notes sway from the cows and high notes swing from the sheep. A farmer, plowing the field has caught my attention. I peek at him through the trees, he does not know I am there, he is far away and looks about the size of my finger. He slices the long grasses and places them in a way for easy drying, to be fed to his animals, later. As I walk further, I notice much of the grass needs to be hayed for the animals, but not before I get in there and pluck a few of the wild flowers. As I am picking, I am thinking about my child hood and how I would stop on my bike ride home from school to pick some lilacs for my Mother. The scent of lilacs takes me right back to that corner where the dark purple blossoms meets the white and I am thrilled at the thought of my Mama's smile. A car drives by me, as I am waist high in tall grasses and I wonder what they are thinking and if they are thinking about their childhood as they see me holding wild flowers. Perhaps I have inspired them to decorate THEIR kitchen table with these flowers soon to be gone (eaten.) I catch myself thinking too much and start to focus on what I see around me. Something to help me calm the noise inside. I hear the bells again, and I see an apple tree up ahead with three types of blossoms. This apple tree will have three kinds of apples growing from it, and I think of my husband, showing me how to tie (and eventually grow) different breeds of apples together (on the same tree.) The world surprises me more often than not. 

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I am thankful.

GreeNER

Lindsay_connected_to_Mama_Nature_in_Flowers

Recently (more and more!) it seems like I am being reminded daily, by the Universe, that what we do, how we choose to live our lives each day has an effect on our land and world. Yeah, I don't want to be preachy, but lately all the signs being thrown in my direction are "be better to the planet"  and, in turn, "be better to ourselves." My guess is that we aren't being forced to learn about the Environment in school and instead it's an elective? In my experience, I never knew ANYTHING about it when I was growing up. I used to think that throwing a cigarette butt out the window was totally okay! I never felt an ounce of guilt about flicking that toxic P.O.S to the ground (I know better now, also, I don't smoke anymore.) But it never mattered to me, and now, as "Future Lindsay" I am astonished at myself for the lack of care, which is, inevitably tied into the lack of education. I mean the amounts of chlorine I used to swim in daily, the amount of 'OFF' bug spray I would let seep into my pores on a daily (Summer) basis. It is unimaginable now that I think of it.

The sunscreen we smear all over our kids is also crazy (zinc aside, HERE is an awesome article) All the tests they do which connect cancers to the shit in that cream that go directly into our bloodstream... and from the get go! Right from birth! Bug Spray, Sun Screen, Hair Spray, Anti-Perspirant... what we do to our food! Processed, frozen, canned, greased. What are we like?? We are bombarded daily with facts, lies and opposites. Do this, don't do this!! How are we supposed to make healthy, right choices when there are so many options tugging us in various directions. What is right, what is wrong? (I read once that 'there is no right,  there is no wrong but YOU know what is right, and you know what is wrong.) I get that somehow, and I have really made a conscious effort follow my gut instinct more. The way I see it, is, our instinctive nature is really a super power that we all have. So let us be more aware of this super power, listen to it, USE it!  

After watching the Documentary "COWSPIRACY" (and being a meat Lover) I realized that it will take a LOT more than flicking off a light in a room that we are not using, picking up (and disposing of) the garbage we find in nature (though, that DOES help, check out the initiative my friend in Thailand has started,  he is a 'Trash Hero' check out his site HERE.)  or turning off the tap when you are soap-sudding up in the shower/brushing your teeth... Yes, SO much more MOSTLY in the form of cutting back on our meat intake  (which we are now doing in our house-hold.) Creating a new habit in your life, in those "small" ways of recycling, composting, gardening, walking more, using public transit... eating less meat... They all seem like easy enough ways to help out ourselves, our planet, our land, our life, yet so many folks out there must be unaware! I see more Tim Horton coffee cups discarded on the side of the road, dotting farmer's fields, scattered in ditches and it's 2016. I mean, again, what are we like??  Is it lack of education? We must be more vocal about teaching our children and our friends how to dispose of garbage and how to use less plastic (without seeming so preachy or snobby.) I am not a snob, but I feel so passionate about this subject and I get so heated about it that I am sure you can "hear" it in the tone of this essay. Sorry to make you feel uncomfortable, eh?? Here is a link to my friends website where your WHOLE LIFE can be transformed... "Life Without Plastic" is amazing. I bought a glass straw for my nephew, and it DOES crash to the ground and NOT smash into a million pieces. The bamboo toothbrush works wonders as well.

Yes, EVERY little bit helps, and starting this new HABIT for ourselves is what is going to help us in the end. A little extra discipline can and will lead to bettering ourselves and our environment. Do not be afraid to stand up for our Mother Earth (in turn, standing up for our Life longing for itself!)

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It goes without saying that eating local based and seasonal based foods is also something we could do more of. For years, it never once occurred to me to read the labels. The other day even, the sight of Asparagus had my mouth watering so I grabbed a bunch... then I saw it was from Mexico so I put it back, deciding that SOON it will be in season, and I can wait. It came a LONG way to Europe and who knows if the standards used to grow food in Mexico (or China for that matter) would be legal in Switzerland (or Canada for that matter.) If we read labels and start buying more local food, we would be doing what is right. Plus, helping out a local farmer is BIG time awesome. So to sum it up, buy local, eat less meat and try to use less plastic. Tuck a bag in your purse or in your car and use IT instead of another plastic bag that will never ever compost. The world does not need more plastic... 

END RANT.