My Life In Pictures

We have floated on over into Autumn, and Summer, as per usual, has flown. For any readers who have visited from time to time for a new blog, apologies to you and hopefully you haven’t given up completely! This past weekend I shared a show with a new found music maker from England, living in Germany, Ben Meech. Thanks for the kind words, Ben. Sometimes all it takes is someone saying “Go for it! I will read your blog!” .

So here I am once again, after many moons and MANY life experiences, it’s hard to know where to start! Many times I thought of writing about our tour through the United Kingdom (mostly Scotland) but I was waiting for the wonderful Canadian musical website “Roots Music Canada” to post the blog I wrote for them, “A Soul Full-filling Tour in Scotland” which you can read here.

We spent six weeks on the road, driving through the U.K in a 1996 Mitsubishi which we Lovingly named “Gypsy Heart” or Gypsy, for short. I recommend this journey for any and all. There is just SO much beauty around every corner, I had NO IDEA the majestic beauty of Scotland. It simply blew my mind…..

Loch An Eilein Castle, just outside of Aviemore, Scotland

We did a LOT of wild camping, and saw a LOT of castles! Loch An Eilein Castle, (which I could swim to) is just outside the town of Aviemore (which reminded me a little of Banff, Canada.) I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Speysound, a local (and wonderful! community radio station) while there.

We toured a LOT of the country and one of our destinations was Urquart Castle, on Loch Ness. Once upon a time this castle was inhabited by the Grant family (my mother’s side are the Grant’s) so naturally we had to go have a tour!

Naturally, I had a swim in Loch Ness it was a MUST!! So coooold, but refreshing. No Nessie sightings, either.

Living on the road and camping in a tiny home on wheels, I might just have to devote an entire blog to just that subject but if there is any desire at all to do such a thing, I say go for it. We had a solar panel, which helped immensely, charging our Ipad/Iphone and the wee cooler (fridge) we took along.

We played a good few shows and really got to see the ins and outs of Scotland (again, to read more and look at more photos, click on the link above re: Scotland Blog on Roots Music Canada.) Of course we also had to take in a Whiskey Tour, which lead us to Talisker, the Lovely distillery on the banks of Loch Harbort, on the Isle of Skye. What a spot and I had no idea how it all went down. Yummy stuff!

Talisker Distillery

Also, we climbed a mountain. My first ever mountain! It was pretty much the hardest physical thing I have ever done. At the time I thought “GET ME OFFA THIS THING!” And I was cursing life. But the next day, as we were driving away from the area, I saw that majestic mountain from a whole new perspective and it got me thinking that I might even try doing another one sometime. Ben Hope…. A gorgeous rock!

Holding on for dear life at the top of Ben Hope 937metres

Moving on from that EPIC adventure in Scotland, and onto some great news…

After months of waiting, I finally received a few boxes of freshly pressed brand new CD’s. A lot goes into the manufacturing side, not to mention the performance side! There were NERVES let me tell you. The past winter, I had a concert in the city of Bern with a fellow (wonderful!) songwriter Peter Finc, who happens to also record LIVE SHOWS! Double whammy of goodness… So we recorded this “Live In Bern” project And I am happy with the way it turned out, even if a few of my nerves are present… You can order a copy from ME personally and I will send it to you snail mail style. I am not releasing this one online. Just shoot me an email lindsay@lindsayferguson.com

Onto deliciousness… We are into the third year now, of having a garden/food forest. It has been so generous this year. Every day heading outside with a basket, collecting free organic, no pesticides, food grown from seeds. It blows my mind. My husband is more the green thumb but slowly I am getting into it. I SURE Love to cook and prepare the stuff. Small miracles in the back yard…

Calendula and Green Onions

Oven roasted potatoes and beets from our garden

The last weekend of Summer, 2018 was a goodie. I had the opportunity to sing in Osogna, Ticino, Switzerland. It is the Italian part of Switzerland, you have to cross the Gotthard pass (mountain) to get there. What a weekend of beauty. From mountain water pools, to balmy nights eating figs to glaciers…

I welcome Autumn. It is my favourite time of year. I look forward to the nights geting longer, making pumpkin soup, eating by candlelight, wrapping up in sweaters and scarves. Hikes through the forest in the Fall, there is nothing like it! I am happy for it’s arrival and that I too, am here to enjoy it.

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!