STORM-WAITING IS THE NEW STORM-CHASING

Hello friends,

This is your mid-summer hello.

Life certainly is busy! I took my kids on an impromptu trip to Halifax last week where they experienced both air travel and the ocean for the first time. I am surprised by my own spontaneity and sometimes that possibilities for experiences are closer to my grasp than I often imagine. Fate, seat sales, good luck and good health all play factors in being able to strike parenting gold from time to time. 

I was so fortunate to spend the day with my "Only of Earth" collaborator Karen Baer, who not only sheds light on life and love, but we also can sort out a few ideas very quickly by simply being together. We are talking about the first book form of “Only of Earth” being a chapter book, as they are beloved by my kids and I often think there aren’t too many chapter books for young girls than address the female experience with humour and resilience. I try not to comment too much on future plans, because they can always change. I will say though that Karen found me the most amazing dagger and they let me on the plane with it, like it was meant to be.

I’m ramping up for a few solo shows this month. One takes place this Saturday, outdoors in the wilderness near my house. Details are in my tour dates…and then it’s down to the USA to play a few house concerts to some truly lovely fan/friends. One in Brooklyn at Paul’s house and one in Bethlehem PA at Tom’s house. Here's a shot from my show with Danny Michel aboard the ChiCheemaun ferry which did go great. 

I’ve had a bit of time to be on the air at CBC and they are very nice about letting me pick all my own music. I get to champion local up-and-comers and also play some legends…and I’m getting the feel for how to match music to the show. A few past shows featured some sad news of folks passing away, and it’s often not the time to slot in an upbeat tune about feeling good. A few songs I picked for those moments were “Don’t Need a Reason” by Beth Orton and  “I Wish You Would” by Ryan Adams. I’ll be back on the air August 27 through August 31, so tune in if you are in the area or just look up Listen Live CBC London. 

A little sneak peek at the show from NY is in Rare Songs, and soon there will be video to go with it. In my next update there will be a love song shared…right now it’s in an unshareable out of tune state… but that’s what happens when inspirations strikes, you just lay it down however the hell you can.

Love you all and thanks for being there for me. I’ve had quite a month of navigating relationships new and old, and I believe more than ever that the only way through anything is love and kindness. And waiting out the storms. Stay strong.

Emm