I Laughed, I Cried, I Sang

I awoke this morning to a text message that was worded so beautifully that I just had to share....

"Hey song bird, I bet it was nice to feel the wind blowing through your wings last night!"

Boy was it ever.

Lindsay singing in the garden at Mokka in Thun

Like everyone else, we have been through some drastic changes, haven’t we? I am not sure they have come to a screeching halt and that life is anywhere near to returning to what it was, not that it should… but I digress… It has been almost a year since I had a set, a stage and audience to myself and I pretty much convinced myself that I was okay with that. I dove into new things; I studied Ayurveda, I bonded with Mules, I learned about healing herbs and flowers and plants (it is a never ending path of wisdom and greatness, let me tell you! I have jars and jars filled with Mother Nature’s gift, waiting to be steeped into tea, or tinctured or oils, salves and creams… but I digress!

Red Clover is a plant ally! She is great for osteoarthritis, arthritis, hair health and is even great for hot flashes! Pick some, dry it, jar it and then figure out how Red Clover can work with you!

Last evening was a highlight of my singing career. It gave me an insight that I truly could not have known before The Great Pause. I am aware that it feels good to share music, and to be appreciated for it. That, I have learned over the years. That “certain something” you can’t quite put your finger on, the energy which dances unseen (though certainly felt!) between us… I have and always will enjoy that, and to be sure, I appreciate you, too. But last night, it was like those already great feelings were exaggerated. The insight was the realization that I had really missed playing more than I thought I had. It was like a kind of reunion with an old friend, an old friend that I didn’t know I hadn’t seen? It’s hard to explain what I mean, but I felt high and nervous, almost like it was the first time I walked onto the stage at the Black Sheep Inn (the Black Sheep Inn is a very famous venue in Canada.) Imagine, after years of doing this, I got to fall in Love all over again. I felt like a kid in a candy shop., and there was even CANDY too!!

Imagine my surprise when I arrived into the green room to a plate of candy with a donkey in the middle? I took it as a great sign of what was to come, considering I am, after all, a Mother Of Mules (follow me and my mules on Instagram /motherofmules

I arrived in Thun on a swelteringly hot day. When I get hot I turn red, red, RED!! I was a hot mess! The only thing that can tame Hot Messy Sweaty Lindsay is cold water and I wasn’t prepared to jump into the Aare which runs through Thun and is currently very very cold. All this to say, upon entering the garden at Mokka Bar I forgot about the heat, and was quickly enchanted by the fairytale-like and whimsical space I would be spending the next few hours in. I had to remind myself to breathe, to try to stay calm and to NOT SPEED UP THE MOMENTS!! Coffee in the morning would come soon enough. They even had the biggest vase of fresh flowers that I have ever seen, to accompany me on stage. I was back home.

My first stage in a LONG time at Mokka Bar in Thun

As I mentioned before about the Black Sheep Inn, the Mokka Bar in Thun is just as sought after for performances and just as professional. It is not easy to get a gig there, mostly you just have to know someone because the emails are too many to really keep up with and the level of talent requiring gigs is also top notch. By luck, perseverance, hard work and never giving up, I worked with someone in the past who happened to whisper into the ear of the booker about this Canadian musician now living in Switzerland. Needless to say, when I got the invitation, I didn’t even check my schedule before I said yes. I was THAT sure. To be welcomed back into the Singing Game, in a place like this has reignited the fire in me, that had definitely, over the past year, dwindled into a spark. I am so grateful and feel more alive now!!! How in the world could I have ever forgotten, but I kind of did. I filled up my days with other things, beside travel, touring and booking. To be sure, the music never faded and I was fortunate enough to write quite a few new songs! I worked really hard to get those new songs ready for my Mokka Show (without having to read the lyrics) and what a delight, that I had such an amazing green room to practice them in!!

Behind the scenes where the magic lives, in the green room. If only these walls could talk!

I was going to post a few photos to my social media, with a shoutout of thanks to all who came to listen last night, but I thought, nope, this post needs a bit more thoughtful, with a little more poetic care. After all, we are talking about the best thing human beings ever invented, MUSIC! I didn’t realize how big that gaping hole was (life with NO LIVE MUSIC) until I stepped up onto that magical stage last and the wind stirred, and really did blow through my wings. I won’t ever forget that fresh feeling, like finding new love again, and I won’t ever forget how truly profound music is to us all. Sometimes when you study music and work at it, you lose sight of the true gift that it is.

Travel In Time

Travel has always been something that I have longed to do. When I was seven years old, we (my family; Mum, Dad, brother and I) flew back to Bermuda. My brother and I were both born there, but I returned to Canada when I was around four years old, which leaves a lot to be imagined and much less to be remembered. That flight back to my first home felt like my first time in an airplane; the feel of the smooth seat covers, the glide of the window shades; up, down, up, down, the neatly bundled airline branded silver cutlery, the tidy meal tray, the metal/canvas/bizarre liquid smell of the plane, the discovery of how to balance ear pressure with a simple yawn, and the view! The view out the window, seeing the world from above; the tiny cars, the plots of land, the lakes, the bizarrely beautiful cloud formations....

Fraser_River_and_British_Columbia_from_above

I have always wondered, what is it that makes people want to stay in one place? MONEY problems aside (because there is always a way to get what you want i.e Cigarettes and alcohol come to mind.. where there is a will, there is a way!) I am guessing the main reason people tend to 'stay put' is fear. Fear of the new, fear of change and fear of the unknown. You would be surprised at how YOU you still are in other countries. You do learn new things (language, geography) meet new people (keep in mind there are all kinds everywhere; energy stealers, bartenders, constructions workers, writers, dancers, dunces, artists, arses, buskers, bakers, jokers, joggers, liars, looters, snobs and stars: just like at home!! You will be introduced to some local culinary deliciousness', you will be in awe of new (and very old) architecture and you'll feel SOMEwhat different in a new country but that is likely due to the THRILL of being somewhere new and far away from home. To be sure, however, you will always be YOU, wherever you may be.

Look_Ma_it's_me_being_me_on_Georgian_bay

People who don't tend to travel, romanticize travel. Folks tell me how they long to see the Louvre, or the dreamy Eiffel Tower (neither of which I have seen, yet) I hear about all these fantastic fantasies of wine-tasting in the South of France, or inhaling the salty beach air of the Bahamas (also things I have yet to do.) There are an incredibly and over-whelming amount of destinations out there to discover. You can not know the feeling of walking the length of the Berlin wall in the rain or the enormous orchestra of sound from tree frogs at night in the tropics, or the taste of freshly caught Digby scallops pan-fried in butter, or the feel of the slippery rocks of the Giant's Causeway underfoot, or the immense magic behind the walls of a an eight hundred year old castle, or that satisfaction of seeing an entire train shooting across the fields of the Canadian prairies. You will, most definitely FEEL a great many things when you leave the comfort of your own home, but least of all fear. And, if you are lucky, those romantic notions you dream up might actually be real, somewhere, out there.

Me_and_a_massively_huge_Douglas_Fir_in_Cathedral_Grove

Foodie With Me

Working in the service industry for SO long, meant that I rarely cooked. I would eat out most of the time and only really had ingredients in the pantry/fridge for making wraps or Breakfast. I was really good at rolling a wrap together and even better at throwing together a good ole fashion Canadian Brekky. I was, after all, mostly single. Being in a relationship changes all of that! Somehow I always knew that cooking for two would be WAY better than cooking for one. I am really amazed though because now I Love to cook! I must thank all of the former chefs that I have worked with over the years, all of those dead evenings where I watched you and asked a million questions, well some of it stuck!! So, Thanks :)  Today, I thought to share with you a few of the STAPLES in my kitchen and perhaps I can inspire you to create some greatness in YOUR kitchen!

Delicious_cheese_fondue

I guess cheese has to be the number one staple in our fridge. We have often said that we would pick cheese over meat, if we had to give up one or the other. At any given time there are three types of cheese in the fridge; Buffalo Mozzarella, Feta & Gruyere. Feta goes great in a salad and wonderful in an omelette. Fresh mozzarella is great with basil, tomato and a little olive oil/balsamic drizzle. Gruyere (or if you are partial to cheddar) goes great with anything; potatoes, bread, pasta and more. Cheese is essential. If you are cutting out bread and sugar etc, here is an excellent recipe for a bread-less pizza .... Steam a head of cauliflower, and when it is fully cooked, crumble it all up with a hand mixer or whatever you have. I find a hand mixer works wonders with EVERYTHING from making a smoothie to pulverizing hard bread into bread crumbs. When the cauliflower is cool, add a cup of shredded cheese, parmesan works well! Add a bunch of parsley, one egg and some pepper. Flatten it out into a nice circle pizza shape, bake in the oven for 20min then add your toppings and bake for another 15min around 375. The thing to remember is to squeeze out or pat out as much of the excess water from the cooked cauliflower as possible (before mixing in the other ingredients.) The crust will be too flimsy/moist if you don't.

Cauliflower_pizza_crust

The next essential thing I have in my kitchen is fresh LEMON!! Lemon is so good for so many things; curry, salad dressing, lemon water, fried fish and my favourite thing to make from scratch: Mayo! Here is my easy peasy recipe for mayo...p.s it is REALLY good and the texture is, I promise, the same as store bought. The great thing though, is that there are no "e's" in it i.e nothing fake!! Only yum and I have no guilt eating it. I tried making it with many types of oil (Olive, Avocado & Canola) and the best by far is Sunflower oil. So, get a mixing container (a hand mixer comes with a container) Mix together one egg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and just over a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, then in a slow line, pour in one cup of the sunflower oil. It takes less than ten minutes to make and will keep in your fridge for at least two weeks. Again, when you pour in the oil, do it SLOWLY.

Home_made_mayo_on_a_spoon

Besides the regular stuff like eggs, flour, milk, butter etc... It is great to have a few spices/herbs/seasoning stuffs on hand. Cumin powder is a delicious add when you are making scrambled eggs,  hot sauce (sambal oelek or sriracha) is great with hash browns or added into any sauces at all, depending if you like it a bit hot. Odds and ends in your fridge can be crafted into deliciousness at all times. I find fresh herbs are great in salads, like a heap of basil or cilantro chopped in there... another amazing add for a salad (even as a snack!) are roasted sunflower seeds with a few splashes of soya sauce. SUPER easy to make but you have to stay on them, don't leave the kitchen or they might get too brown. Sautée the raw sunflower seeds in a frying pan on medium-high heat, high heat will burn them (no oil or butter needed, jus ton their own.) Throw them around in the pan til they get golden brown on both sides, when they do (about 15min) splash in a bit of soya sauce... QUICK, take your wooden spoon and push it along the bottom of the pan to get all the soya sauce up and mixed around... It will burn on the pan if you don't stir it all in (about three or four more minutes.) Friends with peanut allergies... apparently this snack is also a really great salty "nut" alternative. Let them cool and munch away!! 

Golden_Roasted_Sunflower_Seeds

Yes, cooking is fun!! And WAY cheaper than eating out all the time.

I hope I have inspired some new ideas for you today....

Enjoy and revel in the yumminess!! 

xoxo

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. 

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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.