Hey it's good to be back home again....

May allowed us to take a little break from the routine and the hussle that we've been experiencing for the past several months, so we used some of our accumulated airmiles and flew out to the coast for five days. There were a few reasons for out breakaway. One was that we sit on the network of a gentleman with an intellectual disability who now lives in the community, but spent the majority of his childhood and adult years living in an institution. He had been saving for his dream vacation of seeing the west coast for almost five years. We had planned to go out with him last year to support him in fulfilling this dream, but three days before we were to leave, my Dad has his stroke, and our lives changed forever. Our friend was very understanding of the situation that we'd been put in and we postponed the trip. It was decided that this year we had to make his dream happen, so we arranged a staff person to go with him so that he could drive out and take in all the sights he'd been envisioning. In helping him to plan the trip, we realized that we really had been looking forward to being with him when he experienced so many new things, and he'd made it clear that he'd been looking forward to sharing the adventure with us last year, so we decided to do what we could, and flew out to meet him for the whale watching, the first taste of crab, the Victoria wax museum and harbor. It was a small part of his journey, but it was wonderful to be able to share that and fulfill the commitment that we'd made to him. It was also really heartwarming to watch the eyes of a 52 year old man light up like a child's soaking it all in and savoring the reality of his dream.
The second phase of our getaway was to have an early anniversary seafood dinner. My brother made the mistake of telling my husband about this great buffet they had been to in Washington state, where there was the biggest, most succulent pile of king crab legs you'd ever seen! You don't tell my husband about things like that without causing some sort of stir! So we justified it by piggybacking it on the trip with our friend and a visit with my brother. Thank goodness for the airmiles is all I can say!
The little breakaway was great, but for some reason, this time I just couldn't wait to get home to my little corner of the world. There seemed to be more noise, more people, and more traffic than I ever recall...or maybe nothing's changed except that I now realize where I'm meant to be and what it is that soothes my spirit. Regardless, no matter how much we enjoyed the events that drew us out there, returning home was sweeter than I ever recall it being. In fact as I sit here writing, I have my office window open. There's a slight drizzle of rain, and a chorus of birds singing their hearts out. In amongst thier symphony, I just heard the first vehicle drive down our road that I've heard so far today, excluding the bus that picks Shane up for school. Now that's my kind of traffic jam! Mybe it's just that everyday I'm just reminded a little more about how blessed I am with where I live and what I do have right here. John Denver said it best...it is good to be back home again!
Later,
Lynda
www.musicwriter.ca

Femme Fix!

"It's a femme fix, it's a night on the town,
A chance to kick my heels up, a chance to let my hair down,
A chance to hang with my lady friends, the ones that let me be....
Who I was before the mrs. and the mamma, who I was when I was simply me!" (LDT)

And what a hoot of a night it was! Friday night I performed at the ACL Brandon Femme Fix. So much fun and such a great reminder of the great circle that I'm a part of! I had the opportunity to spend the evening with over 150 other ladies from the Westman area, among them some of my oldest dearest friends, my daughters and some wonderful new friends I've been blessed by lately!

This was the 7th year that ACL Brandon has put this event on as a fundraiser. I had the opportunity to introduce some of my material to a new audience, but I also had the chance to have some fun with Lisa Koch's "Middle Aged Woman". It was so much fun to perform and so well received...what a blast! There's definitely going to be a Lynda Dobbin-Turner Table there again next year whether I'm performing or not!

Nice quiet rainy day today. We've been looking forward to this first spring rain. As you stare out the window, you can almost see the colors turning ever greener before your eyes, and realize that you made it through another one! Whew!! Actually, except for the occasional really, really cold day, I can't really complain about the winters we've had the past couple of years, even though I do. They have a beauty all their own, and with each season we're able to appreciate that I think.

Things have slowed down a little...purposefully. I'm glad for that. I'm glad for the opportunity to sit by the fire and not feel guilty that I'm not doing more of something every single minute. It's hard to give yourself permission to do that, but I think your body just finally says to you, one way or another, just sit and be still for a while now! I'm finally ready to listen again, and to put it all in perspective. I feel better all ready.

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks. There's some neat stuff going that I'm a part of. I'll make time to fill in the blanks as the days go by, no more posting once a month!! There's too much to say and share!

For now, I have a young man waiting for his Mom to come and hang with him for a while. Today is the perfect day to do that.
L
www.musicwriter.ca

Feeding your spirit

I think it happened at about 9:30 am last Saturday morning when I felt something just snap. The pace of the last 3 months had been starting to overwhelm me, but it was that day I realized that it really all had become just too much. I felt myself panicking internally over things that didn't merit panic, and I realized I'd lost my balance, I was toppling badly, and at risk of crashing. Something had to give.

I've been reorganizing my days in my mind in the hours since then, and am finally getting to the place where the plan can be put into action. Sometimes it takes a little space and time to make the changes that you need to see in your life. I got through my commitments that were scheduled up until Tuesday night. Celebrated the end of the chaos by melting into the concert, then went back to the hotel and reaffirmed for myself what really matters.

I love to walk, so today I reinstated my morning walks into what needs to happen for my spirit to feel honored. It was a great, great walk. I started out by walking through the cattle pens where two new calves had been born in the night. As much as I claim I've had my fill of cattle, I know deep down I still have the passion that was passed down through my generations of doing a job well raising them, and the satisfaction of seeing them awakening to the first hours of their new lives.

After the check was done, I headed south to the edge of what we all call the escarpment. I doubt that's the right name, but who cares. It's a high ridge that overlooks the Assiniboine River. My neighbors are cottagers from Winnipeg, the Kowalchuk family. Years ago they took to mowing a trail along that ridge that runs from their quarter along mine. I'd forgotten what a great place that was to be until this morning.

I headed up to what I call Winston's Point (my next album will have a song that explains that). The picture I've inserted today shows you the beautiful view that we enjoy from up there. I spent a little time leaning on the inukshuk that we have up there in memory of my first husband, Greg Dobbin. I read the plaque and remembered once again how deeply those that are ingrained in our hearts are still loved. It struck me once again how brief this ride on the big wheel is.

I followed the trail all the way back to the Kowalchuks yard site then headed for home. I remembered how blessed I am. I reminded myself how much of my life is spent running from point "a" to point "b", and how often the important things get shelved. I'm going to have to start working to make sure that stops happening.

It was a great walk. The grass was greener. The leaves are all opening. The songbirds have returned and were singing their hearts out. My spirit and I were reconnected. I have to consciously find ways to ensure that we stay that way.

I've been realizing a lot lately. Like how how many of the things I long for and dream of I already possess. I just need to open my eyes and realize that more often.

Lynda

www.musicwriter.ca

Jann Arden, JP Hoe

What a great night last night was! Last night I had the chance to sit back, wind down and enjoy an awesome concert at the Westman Auditorium in Brandon. I needed that night so badly...and I needed the reminder of balance that it gave me as well. Jann Arden was incredible as always as she delivered 2 1/2 hours of her best tunes, new and old. Her band and her humor always take you to the place your heart longs for. It was wonderful.
JP Hoe was also a wonderful surprise! I'd heard him breifly as part of one of the sessions at last years WCMA awards, and was suitably impressed then, but last night he gained a whole new following of fans in the westman area! His terrific voice and his mastery of the accoustic guitar made for a wonderful opening act. Good sense of humor too! All in all, the night just made me want to go home and write, and play, and remember what it is that feeds my soul.

Balance continues to be a struggle for me these days...I keep promising myself change, but I don't seem to be able to deliver! The hours of work are overwhelming, my guitar sits untouched in the corner of my room, my sense that something is missing continues to grow, but change is in the wind. Spring brings a renewal of spirit, hope, promise, and dreams.....I feel the rejuvenation within.

I had a great girls night out last night. Thanks Janis! It's amazing how connecting with someone whose appreciation of an art lifts you up! It was great.

I'm looking forward to this weekend as well. Friday, May 4th, I'll be performing at the Femme Fix in Brandon. It's an ACL Brandon fundraiser that promises to be a hoot! Ladies only...sorry guys! I've been busy squeezing in rehearsal time enroute to my various destinations, singing my heart out behind the wheel. It garners a lot of strange looks, but it centers you to what you love at the same time.

Life is amazing as always! The business is a little overwhelming from time to time, but I know that it's starting to wind down, so that makes it manageable. The bathroom turned out amazing! I can spend hours just sitting in the tub enjoying my new surroundings...and I don't even need to be having a bath to do it!! The yard is greening up, and a new season is upon us. I'm also really excited about a call I received the other night from Home Routes, with the hope being that over the next year or so I'll have the opportunity to host some house concerts at the farm. What a cool concept! What a neat way to keep a finger on the pulse of the dream! What a life!

Later,
Lynda
www.musicwriter.ca

Life in the fast lane

Wow....the end of March! I can't believe that it's been another three weeks since I found the time to sit down, catch my breath and follow my dream. Somethings gotta change, because I'm starting to feel that disconnect with my spirit that leaves everything off balance. The past several weeks have been incredibly busy with work, all in a good way, learning tons and moving forward, but incredibly busy none the less. Two weeks ago I added up my work related hours and it came to 69 for the week. Too much, especially considering when the work is done, the family still needs to be afforded the time they deserve. By the time that's done, there's definitely no time for Lynda. So, I'm making myself an April Fool's resolution (New Years ones don't seem to cut it for me somehow!) and starting tomorrow, things are going to have to be different. I know there will be struggle, and there will be guilt about the pile not done, but as I always say, I only have about 10,000 days left on this earth if all goes well! How do I want to spend those days?
Spring break is almost over, calving is underway, Tin Pan South in Nashville will be just about finished (so I can quit whining about that) and time moves on. Most of our snow birder friends are back home or on their way, so our little town is coming to life again. All is well, and busy beats bored.
I think that's all I'll post for now. We have a busy day ahead (I've decided that maybe leaving my posts till the end of the day isn't the wisest, as I can never keep my eyes open!). We're off to the big city to look at new bathroom fixtures. We didnt' get to Florida this winter and we didn't get to Nashville, so darnit we're going to get an upgraded bathroom! Some of it is indulgence, a lot of it is necessity. When this house was constructed in 1950, I don't think indoor bathrooms were necessarily thought to be a priority. When it did go in, it was quite compact. Compact is okay, but now that we have 2 wheelchairs in the family, it just doesn't work anymore, so it's time to make some changes. I'm excited because a wider room means a longer tub!! Whoohoooo! Life just keeps getting better I swear.
Promise I'll be back soon...then I'll fill you all in on the Femme Fix!
Later,
Lynda
www.musicwriter.ca

After the storm

Here it is March 6, the days just keep marching by, it's mind boggling. We're just finished digging out from a 3 day storm, and waiting to see what the rest of March has to offer us. I'm hunkered down in a quiet corner in Brandon. It is amazing what a wireless internet option can offer you in this day of ever changing technology. I'd applied myself in the hotel I was staying at until checkout time, then meandered around the mall for a very short time. When you have all you need in life, what do you shop for really. With hours left to fill between meetings, I headed back to the restaurant of the hotel I'd been staying in to have lunch, and lo and behold, here I am, wrapping up 2 hours of actual online work, and now posting my journal. Man, I know lots of you are used to this wireless world, but for those of us who have spent our technological years plugged in, this is amazing!
Like I said last post, music is suffering right now, but life is moving forward. I just spent 2 hours participating in an online course I'm taking, with people from the corners of the world. How crazy is that! It's really great to know that the goals that I'm chasing to advance life for the people I know that have disabilities are being chased by people all over the world. Maybe all of us together will hold the key to seeing change in our life and time.
Been a wild week. Work has taken the front seat again, but we also had fortune shine upon us also. I was struggling to get home in a nasty blizzard last week, when my husband called me to tell me he'd just received a call from a hockey club that he'd purchased a draw ticket through. Can you beleive that that ticket won him a brand new 2006 GMC Sierra 4X4 extended cab!!! wow, we the WayWaysecappo Wolverines are our new favorite hockey team...and we don't even watch hockey, but go WayWay GO!! I'm so happy for him. No one deserves it more than my man...he always puts the rest of the world first. It's his turn to enjoy something. Even last fall we started looking at upgrading the old truck that we have, and he decided it was more important with the amount of travel that I do in my job, that I have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, so he put me first, and decided to wait. It's almost like his patience was being rewarded. Nice to see.
I also had the opportunity last night to meet someone I've been communicating with via email for over 4 months with but never even actually spoke to. It was really great to finally get to meet the gentleman who worked so hard at perfecting my website and his wife. It's funny how close a person comes to the vision you have in your mind sometimes! Right down the the color of their hair.... It was great to finally put a face to the name and the signature. I know I've bragged about Heartland Graphics before, but honestly, it's been a great first experience for me to work with someone who understands all of this stuff so much more than I do. Thanks Chris, and great to meet you Susan.
Gotta run, once again, my time has slipped away. I'm just so glad that I found a break in my day to slip away to where I long to be!
Later,
Lynda
www.musicwriter.ca

Time in a bottle...

Wouldn't that be just about the sweetest thing in this crazy, fragmented world that we all live in these days? To be able to bottle it for the times when there just isn't enough, to uncap when you need the chance just to catch your breath... I could sure use some of that concoction of late.
I realized that I haven't had the opportunity to post for almost 2 full weeks. I shouldn't say that there hasn't been any opportunity...several nights I've sat down to try and clarify on record my thoughts...but my mind is just too tired. It's tired tonight as well, but I thought I'd better get back on the horse before I forget how to ride!
I'm hoping that things will ease off in the near future. I recently received a promotion at work that gives me a new half-time position...which is great, except that I'm still doing my full time position while everything gets sorted out. When Friday rolls around and I'm dead on my feet, I realize it's because I,ve been putting in some horrendous hours while I try to learn the new and maintain the old. I think it's getting easier, but there are still several busy weeks ahead. It's all okay though, I'm happy to be in a position of learning again. I always enjoy learning.
Music has taken a real back burner this past month while I sort out the business end of my life. I miss it, but I can't think about it...it causes too much pull on my heart. The only music I've been able to squeeze in was when I sang at an elderly aunt's funeral last week. It was odd, sitting at the front of the chapel, waiting for my turn so I could sing "Amazing Grace" and "In the Garden" in her honor. It occured to me that Auntie Kae Frizzley was the first person ever to have asked me to sing at a funeral. It was for her father, back in 1973. I was 12 years old, and I think those were the same songs I'd done then. As I sang my songs, I looked around at the faces of the friends, family and neighbors who had gathered to celebrate her life and mourn her passing, and I realized how many of those faces I've sang my songs for during their time of loss. It used to be if I was finding it difficult to sing at such an emotional event, I could pick out a face among the crowd for whom I'd never been asked sing in honor of a loved one for. I could focus on that face that didn't hold that connection, and I could get through the tough part and carry on. I realized last Friday, that there are getting to be fewer and fewer faces left to focus on...I guess I've been doing this for too long. Still, even when the going gets tough, I try to remind myself that it's the very last thing I'm ever going to be able to do for someone I cared about, and usually that sees me through.
I'd like to write more...sound more philosophical and intellectual...but I'm tired. Again! So, instead I'm going to retreat to the comfort of my bathtub, and prepare for the next three days on the road. With any luck I'll find the time and energy to post from there. If not, know you're not forgotten.
L
www.musicwriter.ca