As the long weekend draws near I am thinking of the peace, space and gratitude of the cottage. Time to 'let go' of schedules and just sit and 'be'. I will take small canvases,paints, my current books and my journal.....nothing else to do up there but sit quietly and look out at the Lake watching and waiting for the Loons....and of course, our music....the Loons love Pink Floyd!..as do we! Everything falls away.....

celebrate the Summer Solstice!!! Have you ''planted'' your ''seeds of Intention''yet? The Summer Solstice is symbolic of agricultural growth and is the perfect time to reflect on the ''wonder and mystery ' in the your life....express gratitude for the many blessings and cultivate a vision for all you would wish yourself...and others. It isn't too late.....take time to ponder, dream....and create the life you deserve!! Our potential is unlimited....Spread the joy!!

ok...so I know it's finally Summer!(sssshh!!)...but fun and colour are not seasonal as far as I am concerned.......this is one of my funky fibre purses.....of which there are many.....oh the joys of fibres....you can literally do anything....and if you don't have any ideas...just play with it....it is absolutely guaranteed to make you feel better.....rasta wools, sari silks,buttons,velvet....endless possibilities!! Funny how i am inspired to knit in the Summer...not the Winter...Creativity does not differentiate....we can create anything....any time......just be there....lose yourself in the moment and experience that place of joy!!! It is a choice!!

the journey IS the journey!!! I have to remind myself each day to celebrate the day...be in the moment...explore,express with wonder!!!

Beautiful Summer skies!!!

Goddesses galore!! It is the time for all Goddesses to step forward and celebrate your unique, strong, inner essence....the beauty that you were born with ....this painting is an early part of the process of dancing Goddesses....(much more paint, layers were added as is my want....) can you spot the Amazing Frida Kahlo in there? Who could not be inspired by this woman?....so this painting is now is now in private collection in the boudoir of my friend Janine.....amidst all her fabulous colourful,ethnic artefacts! There is a 'rumbling'...a wave of Goddess energy....pure, joyfull,creative, and supportive.....can you feel it???

Well ....seven months later here I am trying to blog...thought about it sooooo many times but it has not felt right....we lost our computer during the move(as in...it died on us!!)...and we now have the use of my step-daughters computer(thank goodness) but I still have not figured out yet how to download/upload the more recent photos....and...I haven't taken many lately as my camera chip is full! This is the stuff that leads to major procrastination for me...and of course, is a great excuse.....i do feel the need though to connect back in...even if this is it for now(no pics I'm afraid!)....I will figure it out and look forward to putting my most recent inspirations up for all to see......are you still out there???
You sort of wonder who is checking on this stuff....though I have to say, I love it when I get a blog e-mail from one of the sites I am a member of....just love to see what everyone is up to....Jessie Lilac for sure...in England, with the Spring flowers already coming in.....oh we have a long way to go yet but I have to project far into the future and believe that Spring is around the corner....just to get through my day
So....what have I been up to all these months? You may well ask....mostly just really celebrating and feeling the gratitude of being in our wonderful new home....the space is amazing!! I love it and thank the Universe every day for this opportunity to spread my wings.....I have the space to do that now....we have a fantastic music room....and I have my studio space upstairs with a big picture window....and it is right here in our home....can't get better than that!!
Have enjoyed enormously singing in two big gigs(in the sky!!)......in the Fall....one private one at the Toronto Yacht club and then two weeks later at Sticky Fingers in Barrie......7 of us in the band....what a hoot....amazing experience......I loved it!! Even got to do  Rock n roll Zeppelin!! 
Have been to 5 jams....a very different experience but lots of fun too.....then got really sick, lost my voice and my purpose......and rested for two whole weeks.....it was all I could do.....needed that though....and now..I am back....and am prioritising and feeling better about things.....intentions of being more pro active....but in all the right places....taking time for myself too....not spreading myself so thin....
So....going forward....breathing deeply, and slowly.....and taking time to smell the flowers(where are you flowers??).....will get those photos transferred and onto this blog....lots to show you.....keep in touch...

This is what our house looks like this morning as we wait for our keys to the new house...sometime today!!! Very excited! Our little house is devoid of personality now as it sits patiently in limbo and awaits its new owners to fill it with joy and pride and appreciate its unique beauty as we have for the past 7 years....which brings me to add that this is the longest I have EVER lived in a house in my life! I have moved constantly over the years, sometimes many times a year whilst living in London England, as my cousin will attest...she had an address book just for me...but here I settled and healed and am now ready to take flight and continue my journey....thank you pretty house....

These are some of the things that have kept me 'sane'(barely)...over the last few weeks as we prepared to move house and all the complications with it..I walk whenever I can through Fairy Lake, a few minutes from where I presently live.....fortunately I can still do that in the new house...not too far away...I have already measured the steps it takes to make sure...don't you love winding pathways that lead to ''who knows where?''...reminds me of my sojourn in Rome almost 22 years ago(really!!)...I loved getting lost and always took the narrowest streets that looked like I would never find my way out again...it made me feel fearless!...and of course.....beautiful flowers...they stop me in my tracks daily and now I have my fab new i-phone I can take photos anytime...of anything...and I do! These were at the end of my street in one of the most beautiful gardens in the neighbourhood

on my easel.....new painting ''Journey to a new land''......this painting evolved very quickly after many feelings surfaced around our moving house.....not something I want to experience again in a hurry.....but the painting was my saviour....and needed its expression...it is another journey into the Hebrides heritage and a powerful story that had to be told on canvas and through the process of ''letting go''...

knitting pixies at the cottage....

pics from the most amazing show ever!! The second leg tour of Roger Waters with ''THE WALL''.....we saw it over a year and a half ago ....could hardly believe it then....a few changes and it is still the best live performance of anything I have ever seen...his values, his message, the reality ...THE MUSIC ....has more relevance today than when he wrote it...so poignant and powerful.....I could see it again and again.

put more feeling into it!! Singing at Covernotes ....pics by local photographer Greg King

recent gig at Covernotes....

the lovely and talented Anna....

Well...here we are again...a whole month later....just a 'mug' shot of us at a recent gig at Covernotes....this must have been one of those loud songs judging by my expression.....we love to play here....always a great atmosphere and good coffee, Joe on guitar(and Mandolin on occaission)....have done another gig since and have a couple upcoming....busy time in between selling and buying a house...the move is now imminent....just two weeks away....it has been a long wait....Am i packed?? No....but I am ready....we are so excited to get into the new place, and especialy the new music room where we can play to our hearts content ....

The very talented and awesome painter Katja Van Den Enden talking to a fan in participation of her recent Toronto showing at the Gladstone Hotel.......really great show and an amazing turn out...another one in September..watch out for this...or go to katjavandenenden.blogspot.com...to see more pics....

this one is finished......different..I was in a happy place...''Cast your nets wide''...

detail of a new painting I am working on...

some pieces I've been working on today at my studio...so many other things I could have been doing but I gave myself the time...I am doing this more and more lately...listening to my intuition....doing what feels right to me at any moment...today was ''letting go of fear!'' day....I did good!!

these are close ups of some very layered, raw, fibre pieces I was working on today...this canvas is 36'' x 6'' a real journey on this one ...experimenting and joyfull.....just going with the flow...

nature is so amazing!!

last weekend we went to the cottage near Huntsville for my birthday and as always we visit the wonderful ''Circling Hawks'' as a treat....just so I can walk through the Labyrinth...bought a few pieces that resonated...a native rattle with Buffalo white calf woman painted on it...another book by SANAYA ROMAN....new age and wonderful...more healing card decks....and a new journal which I started at the cottage...always a beautiful experience there....very rustic and relaxed..away from all the trappings of our fast paced society