I realize it’s been a month since my last update, and I’m looking back at the past 4 weeks, knowing that the time since should have been the worst weeks of my life. There were so many tough firsts that came clustered together in that period, and although there were many, many tough moments, there has been a continual stream of small miracles, and unexpected opportunities that have allowed me to come out the other side of the tough stuff, feeling supported, loved and confident that the universe is conspiring to make it okay again. Even the creatures of nature seem to be in on the conspiracy offering me opportunities and glimpses of their majesty that continually remind me of how beautiful the world outside our door really is. I don’t know where to start with all that’s been happening.
....waiting for the Fulford Ferry, Christmas eve Morning, 2009
Maybe the first of those occurrences would have to be the beautiful Christmas Rose that appeared on the tree outside the house on December 23rd. If you read the November journal you’ll understand….as I was steeling myself for the holiday season one more beautiful pink rose appeared, so we added it to the wonderful bouquet that Cecil got me for our holiday center piece and it graced all the days of the holidays, travelling with us to the mainland and back again. My brother and his family provided us with a place to celebrate, and we started some of our own new traditions.
My beautiful Christmas rose, amongst the Bouquet of Roses Cecil got me.
A wonderful friend who has helped me through much of the last year because she’d gone down this road before me suggested that we light candles to represent those missing from our holiday table this year, and that helped. We took time away to go take some amazing pictures, went to a movie in an actual theatre for a change, and just did whatever we had to to get by…..and it worked. Friends and family near and far connected closely to ensure that I made it through, and for that I’m forever grateful.
...a candle for Shane, a candle for Dad and a candle for Mom turner.....
We took time away to go take some amazing pictures, went to a movie in an actual theatre for a change, and just did whatever we had to to get by…..and it worked. Friends and family near and far connected closely to ensure that I made it through, and for that I’m forever grateful.
A beautiful reflection taken from the new Golden Ears Bridge.
Another amazing thing that happened was because of a friend I’ve never personally met, but who has been an integral part of my support network over the past many months. Tom Mortensen stumbled across my website several months ago while exploring country music. What he found was a life very different from the one he enjoys in New York City, working out of Manhattan. But beyond the differences, we’ve also found commonalities in our love of music, of writing, of family and of what matters most in life. Among other things, Tom writes for a local magazine called “Forest Hills Celebrity & Entertainment”, and asked if it would be okay if this year he did an article about Shane and our journey together, celebrating both Shane and my music, titling it “Just One Life”. What an honor! And what a great job he did of celebrating Shane once again. To see the magazine and article in its entirety, you can go to http://www.foresthillscelebrity.com/FHC_Issue_20.pdf . Thanks Tom!
Forest Hills Celebrity Cover, Holiday 2009
About a week before Christmas I also got an email from Kevin Mills who hosts CRFY Radio’s “Made in Manitoba “series. I’d tried to connect with him prior to coming to the coast in the fall, but was unsuccessful. When he emailed he said we could do the piece over the phone as I wasn’t going to be available personally for a time. My understanding was that the segment was going to air on January 24th, so I didn’t say too much to anyone, but then on January 16th I found out that it was being aired the next day! The bad news is that it didn’t give me too much of an opportunity to give folks the heads up that it was going to be on the air, but the good news was that it was aired the day before what would have been Shane’s 18th birthday, and helped once again to celebrate him and his lessons…also the really good news is that CFRY radio now has podcasts of the “Made in Manitoba” segments that they do, so for anyone who’d like to catch it and didn’t get to hear it on the air, you can listen to it by going to http://www.portageonline.com/
Another miracle happened in late December. Maybe some of you remember the story of how I connected with a gentleman in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. Tony was writing a book about his Lavenham, and wanted to gather information on other Lavenhams of the world and stumbled across my website. I was able to help him gather information for the book he was writing, and in turn he was able to get my music played on BBC radio in England. We’ve continued the friendship, and when my new cd came out in September, Tony said that if I ever came to England, he’d love to organize a concert for me in the beautiful old church in town that was built in 1530!
This year’s happenings didn’t make it look like that was going to be possible for some time to come, because running away from home can be expensive to put it mildly, but the week before Christmas we were at a friend’s house and said that our next trip would have to be to England when we could manage it. I’d looked up the airfare and it was going to be about $1900 for the two of us to fly, so it was something we’d have to work towards. The next day I went to the local grocery store and checked out my lotto 649 ticket. It won $1993.70! I took that as a very clear sign that maybe we shouldn’t be putting off this trip any longer. When we contacted him to tell him that things could work we found out that things needed to happen sooner rather than later, so we’re off to England on February 8th! Serendipity keeps stepping in and connecting us with people in such a way that the majority of our trip is being accommodated by people that have offered us places to stay and opportunities to tour! It’s been amazing, and the most amazing part is that I’ll get to meet this man who has been such a strong supporter for so long from so far away! What an honor!
Lavenham, Suffolk, England Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
As I mentioned, nature is also conspiring to offer me gifts for the spirit. We go out walking for an hour every morning here, and many times I’ll take my camera along. Last week we walked past a tree where an eagle just sat and posed for as long as I wanted to snap photos.
Bald Ealge posing on Walker's Hook.
The next day a hummingbird who has been spending the winter in our yard decided to simplify my picture taking and perched on the feeder for ages while I snapped away.
The Anna Hummingbird who has made our front yard her home this winter.
Last week a great Heron posed for me when we were touring around Sayward.
. However, Tuesday night offered the most wonderful gift of all! Cecil called me to bring my camera down to the water in front of the house and take some pictures of the star fish that were visible as the tide was out. It was an incredible, still evening, and every rock we looked at had star fish, rock crab and all the other sea life that becomes exposed when the water recedes. As we sat at the waters edge my ears started picking up a subtle ‘piffffttttttt’ in the distance…and I thought to myself “that sounds like whales!”, but everyone has told us they’re not usually around this time of year, nor do they frequent the channel we live on. But as I listened, the sound continued to increase in numbers and intensity…and as we squinted across the channel towards Galiano Island we saw them….a pod of orca’s making their way south. I cannot adequately express my excitement! It was the one thing that I’d wished to have happen all winter…every time I sit at this computer looking out the window, or every morning when we walk down to Fernwood pier as part of our daily ritual….Mother Nature must have heard my silent plea, because there they were in all of their majesty. For anyone that has ever tried to photograph whales, you’ll know that the chances are slim of getting a good picture from that far away, but I did get a picture of one dorsal as it went past across the way…luckily I have dozens of pictures from going out whale watching last summer to refer back to. For this time….I have the memory, and an experience that many who’ve lived here for years have not been graced with. I truly am blessed!
Pod of whales off the coast of the San Juan Island, seen while touring with
Outdoor Visions Whale Watching out of Salt Spring Island in July 2009.
If you want to see the whales, make sure you call Ian of Outdoor Visions!!!
One of the pictures I'm most proud of....didn't even notice the breach until
reviewing the pictures later!!
reviewing the pictures later!!
