Getting there!

Blogpost No 10 October 2024

Each month seems to be getting speedier! Do you feel it, too? I will be a tad late with this particular Blogpost but I’ll get it done soon enough. It should be up and ready for your perusal in an hour (written at 3 pm Sunday, Oct 27th!:) - well that ain’t happening! However … I am here now, tap, tap, tapping away on my laptop, trying to dredge up memorable events from the past month.

I have my first reviews of Children Of The Sea … and they are both favourable! Hurrah! I am very grateful to Mike Davies at KLOF Mag and Ian Burgess of Friends Of Fairport. Thank you so much. It means a lot! It is wonderful to get positive feedback from the world at large.

The clearing of Mum and Dad’s home of twenty-eight years is concluding, though it will be a week or more before the last shred of evidence they were ever there is removed. It’s a strangely cathartic experience. At once sad and rejuvenating. Not to mention exhausting. At the same time, I’m prepping for the tour, which is now rapidly approaching. There is excitement in the air. Plus, I set up the PA etc in the empty lounge this week, so I can run through both halves of the show with ease. I still need to practise the guitar chords for the second half … most of the requested songs are getting into shape. A reminder here to get your requests in now, or it will be too late.

Songs so far requested and being honed are: Who Knows Where The Time Goes; It’s All Just Talk, Black-Eyed Dog, We Spoke Today, The Whole Night Sky and Last Chance Texaco. There is also a song from Love Is A Strange Hotel that Mike Andrews asked for, but I couldn’t remember ever doing it. I have since tracked down the original Paul Carrack version on YT to remind myself. I never played it, so there’s a chance I won’t be able to get it up to speed for the Bury Met show he’ll be attending - Mike, not Paul Carrack! But I’m giving it my best shot.

As mentioned before, I’ll be doing different sets of songs in the second half of each show as I’m trying to cover a forty-year span. All-be-it briefly. I’ll just about manage eight or nine songs per night. I’m not saying every night will be completely different songs, but there will be variations for sure. Wish me luck! Shows are selling well, in fact, Bury Met has only 13 tickets left as I type and Birmingham Kitchen Garden has a similar amount and I think Wavendon Stables II was getting close to a sell-out. Wouldn’t that be amazing?! What I’m trying to say is … please, do get tickets to a show sooner than later. I’ll be absolutely thrilled to see you in person - very soon! Thank you.

Here's a request and evidence of me practising! I posted this on Instagram and FaceBook last week, but here is the full-fat greedy ba****d 2-minute version! You're welcome!;-)

Here are the dates!

One of the more poignant phases of dismantling our home is the old, dishevelled Green House. I have LOVED being able to play within its cracked and broken walls. I’ve had many successes. Cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, French beans, chillies and peppers have all been amazing. The few duds were still fun to try: spring onions, Lemon , olive and date trees from pips. There were several apple trees (slight exaggeration on that front, though they’re still alive!) and a pear all sprouted into more than twigs. In the ground, around and about, I had various successes and failures. The first couple of years, courgettes were fantastic, not so much this year. And then, in my first year, I managed to grow not one but three purple sprouting broccoli plants, which were incredibly generous. Onions were very hit-and-miss, though potatoes were always fabulous. And garlic never quite hit the mark, though I loved to see them grow.

It’s been a privilege, to say the least. It won’t hit me till the place belongs to someone else and I will no longer be able to be there any more. That will be sooner than later. I will let you know when it's safe to do so. I'm sure you understand.

I’ve enjoyed early Sunday morning walks with my dear friend Izzy this month. We’ve walked around Druidale several times and more recently explored the gentle slopes of Snaefell, starting from the Sulby Reservoir car park. We’ve been gifted wonderful light and fantastic fungi. We visited and blessed a holy well, which was amazing. Life is filled with wonder. Numerous Green Hut Sauna dips have been experienced, one on the full moon Thursday, Oct 17th (the moon!! OMG!:) and last Thursday, Oct 24th when the sea was blazing orange as we dipped. I just LOVE these experiences. I had morning sessions again both Fridays following the evening saunas - I can’t recommend them enough. I feel AMAZING afterwards. You really should give it a go.

The Retreat Day with the amazing Rosemary O’Donohue last Saturday was simply Divine. The energy in the hall by the end of the day was incredible. We all left floating on air. More of this please.

OK, I think I managed to remember all the goodness that occurred during October. It’s good to be reminded that life is full and delightful much of the time. Thanks for that.

Next month, of course, I’ll be gigging! The Blogpost might be a little later, even than this one, but it will be packed with all sorts of joys to share. I’ll be uploading videos throughout the tour, so please do drop by FaceBook or Instagram if you’d like to see those as they appear.

Apart from that, till next time, stay well and keep rising above the turmoil.

Much love

Christine x

The times they are a changing ...

Blogpost No 9 September 2024

I feel as if the last month has been chock full of all sorts of events, but when I look back, very little seems to have taken place.

There were several birthdays right back at the beginning ... my dear friend, of 52 years, Claire, celebrated in style by renting a Beach Hut at Port Erin. It was a filthy day! Grey skies and intermittent showers but the hut made it easy to party. We ate cake, played Trivial Pursuit (trivially!) and some of us even dipped. It was great.

Weather-wise, the beginning of the month (after Claire's birthday!) was beautiful. Warmth and light in equal measure and one particular Friday, (just before Bob’s birthday) we took advantage of a glorious day with heady temperatures of 23C! Bob and I headed south, away from the North West winds blowing through Kirk Michael. It was the perfect thing to do. At Port Erin and Port St Mary, the air was still; the sea was sparkling, and the beach was empty. We discovered a wonderful new restaurant in Port St Mary called Kellas which is stunning. Delightful, quirky decor, patio dining (fully booked when we arrived - c’est la vie!) And a lovely menu. We returned the following Wednesday to celebrate Bob’s birthday. While the sun had turned down the heat somewhat, it was still bright and beautiful and we LOVED our posh nosh lunch. We’ll definitely be back.

This past week (several weeks later), we had a miraculous seven days straight, of beautiful, soft, bright sunny days, blue skies and very little wind. Yesterday made up for that in spades but we didn’t care … we just had a week of unbridled weather-related-delightfulness. It really doesn’t take much to make us happy. A little light, a few laughs and the sparkling sea.

Talking of the sea … I’ve dipped most days when there wasn’t a storm brewing. I’ve also enjoyed weekly sauna/dips at Fenella Beach with various mermaid friends. The Green Creek Hut company is fantastic. My favourite experience was at 6.30 pm on Wednesday this week. It was the calm before a very stormy day and Fenella was perfect although it was raining steadily the whole time. Plus, the sauna was very fairy-like with under-seat lighting which I hadn’t experienced before. There’s nothing quite as heartening as coming out of the water (not that cold atm!) And getting into a roasting hot sauna, listening to the rain drumming on the roof whilst looking out to sea as the storm clouds gather. You have to try it!

There was, of course, Autumn Equinox! I celebrated it in style with some of my soul-sister-witchy tribe. We sat outside in the field with a roaring fire for about five hours. It was a joyous affair filled with magic and laughter. It is so good to honour and respect the natural order of things, especially in the arms of Nature and with dear friends. I wish you all a happy Equinox as the seasons pass. The nights are darker the temperatures drop and the fiery leaves of wise, sentient trees fall to the damp ground. Our celebrations took place on one of those perfect Autumnal days when the wind was soft and the sky blue, with just a hint of scudding clouds making great art out of the sky. My life is blessed. I wish the same for you.

5 hrs later embers arrived

In honour of the changing seasons and in keeping with this glorious time of year ... here’s a seasonally appropriate song that Michael Fix and I performed in 2019 - the last tour I performed in the UK! You’re welcome :-) x

In more land-related news, the greenhouse is starting to wind down, though the tomatoes are still ripening on their vines. I took all the frilly foliage away to allow the toms to do their thing. No need for more growth now, simply redden themselves ready for sauce making. The cayenne peppers are actually ripening too! There are at least four on their way to being fire-engine red. This makes me very happy. There are a few cucumbers yet to harvest, and maybe enough salad leaves for a couple of mealsas well. Apart from that … it’s almost time to clean up and clear out that gorgeous space. This will be the last time. I will miss the joy of sowing seeds and watching them do their miraculous thing. It’s been an absolute joy and privilege to tend the land and use the dilapidated but generous greenhouse these past few years. The times they are a changing. And that’s OK. All is well, all shall be well.

I had a wonderful dream this week about Sweep! I was surprised when he showed up. I remember exclaiming, “Oh darlin’, you’re still alive! How wonderful!” … his tail wagged ridiculously and he let me hold and stroke him. I was filled with joy. It was such a surprise and left me feeling giddy all day long. Who knew?

Some of the things I conveniently forget about are tedious and no fun whatsoever. My sister Diane, and I are Executors of Mum’s Will and as such are required to take care of all those pesky processes required by law blah-blah-blah. Diane is already more capable than I will ever be, however, I'm stepping up to do my part and attempting to be more adult in all those necessary ways that red tape demands of us. Don’t worry tho, I'm still refusing to grow up! Promise.

I have been in touch with all the venues on the November tour, created Events pages on FB, booked hotels where necessary and started collating songs. I even put my guitar nails on. They lasted a week before falling off one by one. I used them twice! So much for practising. I will get more polished before too long - honest! I promised behind-the-scenes videos last month … well, maybe this coming month I’ll make good that promise. My head is often scrambled but I think I’m doing OK most of the time.

One of the songs I’ll be attempting to re-learn is Jim Croche’s Time In A Bottle. I’ve had to watch a video of myself playing it from a performance here on the island in 2006! I can just about make out how I’m playing it! Wish me luck:

Before I go, this is a gentle reminder for you to let me know if there are songs you would appreciate hearing when I’m on tour. I started a list a while back and now can’t find it! Songs I can and will definitely/probably/maybe play are:

Gear Gyn Ayr, Guilty, Who Knows Where The Time Goes, Broken Bicycles, Waiting For My Prayer, It’s All Just Talk, Warm Love Gone Cold, Kicking In My Stall, Quiet, We Spoke Today, Love Me Like A Man, Tracks Of My Tears, How Far To The Horizon, Simple Again, Hymn To Grace, Kinder Heart, Do It Again, Vincent, Boulder To Birmingham … there are others I will add as I go along but for now, these I can handle. Thoughts?

There will only be time to play 8 or 9 songs each night in the second set, which is why I’m considering several set lists to use so I can perform as many as possible over the 15 shows. Please do ask for others if you’d particularly like to hear them. I can’t promise they’ll all get an outing but I’ll do my best to make it happen.

I'm looking forward to another gorgeous Retreat Day with my dear friend Rosemary O'Donohue on Saturday, October 19th at The Sulby Village Hall. If you're on the island then please do come along. It is always a beautiful experience. I LOVE them. Here's a link to book your spot: RETREAT DAY

Apart from that … like I said, there’s not much going on.

Thank you as always for taking the time to check up on me. Soon we’ll be able to do that in person! It’s been 5 years since I played in the UK. Feels like eons some days. And other times it’s like yesterday. I truly hope you can make it to a show. I’m so looking forward to it.

Till next time, stay well and keep rising above the turbulence.

Endless blessings.

Christine x

RIP Precious Sweep

Blogpost No 8 August 2024

I have very sad news to report this month. I’m sorry to say that Sweep, Dad’s, then Mum’s (and mine and Bob’s by default) lovely black and white Border Collie, became very ill (he was recently diagnosed with a heart condition) and died last Friday (23/08/24).

He came into our lives at the beginning of 2017. Dad had deeply mourned the loss of his last dog Peter, who’d made it through to 16 years old. Dad was devastated and couldn’t think about another dog. He was persuaded to adopt about 18 months later and Sweep took up the space in his heart that so needed filling up. Sweep did it completely! We were told Sweep didn’t take to men very well as he’d been beaten badly (how does that even happen?!!) and that he was calmer around women. Turns out that Dad made him feel totally loved almost straight away and he was the only person Sweep felt safe with. It was a lovely development in what turned out to be Dad’s last year. I’m so grateful Dad had that unconditional loving relationship to his end. He loved animals so much. And Sweep reciprocated beautifully.

Once Dad had passed, Sweep became Mum’s constant companion and as Bob and I became Mum’s carer’s it became our joy to walk, feed and have fun with Sweep. He was a balm.  I can’t begin to tell you how delightful he made me feel! I regularly got out of bed at 6am in order to walk him before I got in the sea. Without fail he made me smile. Even in wet and windy weather, which is a fairly regular occurrence here on the tiny isle! I loved him. And he came to love me. But it took time.

I wrote about how our lovely neighbour Jill offered to look after Sweep when we travelled to Australia earlier this year. When we got back she blurted out: “Can I keep him?!” She already had two dogs, one of them, Connie, is a smaller version of Sweep and he absolutely adored her! He spent most of his time chasing her, chasing a ball. We couldn’t have been happier for him. He had an idyllic six months as part of Jill’s amazing menagerie (3 dogs, 3 sheep, 2 Shetland ponies and a horse!). I walked him several times in the last few months and each time relished that spontaneous smile he provoked. I had the most wonderful cuddle with him the day before he left us. I hope you appreciate the video I’ve put together in honour of Sweep. I’ve used the demo (imperfect!) version of So Brave which I wrote about my Dad and has the line: “I walk the dog and sit beside you ..”

Bob, at Jill’s request, dug a grave for him on Saturday (24/08/24). He said the act was full of love and very cathartic for both him and Jill and that Sweep just looked peaceful and at rest. A little while later I planted a pear tree next to him, one I’d grown from a pip. It seemed appropriate. I sang and said a few words of gratitude and love. Pets are precious, even when they come into your life unexpectedly. Rest easy now Sweep … have fun with Mum, Dad and Peter. We miss you.

There was one bright moment the first weekend of August when I was invited to sing at a local charity concert in Sulby. My lovely friend Judith Ley does a show every year to raise funds for the local parish’s community work. I offered to do an abridged version Of Children Of The Sea. Also on stage were the superb (award winning!) Lon Vane ladies Choir. The whole event was a delight. A great reminder that I love performing live. It bodes well for November.

The rest of the month is a blur. There are so many changes afoot yet so little outer movement. Plans are forming and there’s the small matter of a tour in November. All in good time. Right now is a strange, formless, liminal space. I’ve lost my mojo somewhat. To be expected of course but it’s uncomfortable and exhausting at times. I feel unable to make it any different, so I’m rolling with it. This too shall pass. Your kind thoughts are always appreciated. Thank you.

The greenhouse is still being generous and supportive. I love it in there. Dipping in the sea is still very much a life affirming practice with the added joys of a sauna most Fridays making it all the more rich and enlivening which I need right now, more than usual. All is well all shall be well.

I will be back with a bit more verve next month. Promise. There are many things to do before shows start in November and though that’s still a ways off … it will come round super-quick! Tickets are on sale everywhere now … please check out the tour dates. I’d love to see you. I’ll be posting a few more behind the scenes videos soon and brushing up on songs to sing in the second half of each show.  All in good time.

Oh I almost forgot ... the most exciting news of August is that Children Of The Sea is finally available at Waterstones Douglas IOM! I'm thrilled!

Till next time, stay well and keep rising above the turbulence … it can be a little bumpy but we'll get there in the end.

Sending you all much love as always.

Christine x