Holiday Updates!

Happy Holidays from Florida!! - Photography by Darren Stone

So much has happened since I last updated my blog... sorry I've been absent but...well, my boyfriend arrived and it's the holidays so I've been happily preoccupied!

I finally got a car!



Her name is La Hondra, show some respect to her. Thanks.

My postcard from James Lake arrived in the mail...



Those who are close to me know that I love the written word, and I enjoy sending hand written mail, including postcards. I follow Frank Warren's "Post Secret" blog regularly, so to be on a postcard is a huge thrill for me. Thank you James!!

Here is some fantastic fan art & messages I got on Christmas Eve while performing at Epcot. They were done by a little brother and sister :)

I've worked Christmas Eve before, but never Christmas Day. It was weird, and hard to be away from my boyfriend - since he is here visiting me, but the audiences were in great spirits so the day went by easily.

Disney knows how to do Christmas, and has been doing it since the day of the American Thanksgiving, so for the real day to come and go was interesting. It felt like it was 'about time' that it happened. Being away from my family and friends was weird, but the Internet is good for keeping a close eye on each other ;-)



Check it out!
I can be heard on the latest podcast by Accordion Noir Radio. Thank you Bruce and Rowan!




Here is the link to the podcast, as well as their website: 
http://accordionnoir.org/drupal/node/253


Arigato Takane for my cute Mr. Santa friend!

Yoi otoshi o!

24 Hours

I am going to be much happier in 24 hours. My boyfriend is making his 5000 mile way to see me. This Accordion Girl will feel more complete soon enough :)

There's nothing like being in a pic for the Vancouver Sun's Pride Parade story, with my bf in the background. Fun!

Orlando is crazy right now (all the time, actually) with all it's festive Xmas shenanigans going on. We'll have a great time trying to figure this city out, and avoiding the endless strip malls.

Photo by Darren Stone

Here I am with my old band from Victoria BC, from the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival in 2009.

Check out 3:53 in to the video.



I'm such a gush, but it's very sweet to have the moment I met Mr. Stone on a Youtube video :)

Patience for the Accordionista

Go be a foreigner somewhere. I dare you. You might learn something about yourself.

For me, I am learning that I have a lot more patience than I thought was capable or possible ... when you're in the deep South.

I was brought up in a highly European influenced household, and all my extended family would say the same. There are mindsets, points of view, and attitudes that are instilled in me which had me feeling out of place in Canada, and longing for the Motherland. Now living in Florida, USA is a whole other story!

I have been having some intense moments here where I feel so overwhelmed by all the Americans I am surrounded by. Hearing their accents, and their political, religious, dietary, and celebrity gossip points of view scares me.

Many don't realize that I am an alien here, being white gets you dismissed, although they often ask if I'm French, or a model or a dancer and that I must not eat. They demand to know how old I am, or if I am from the "French Canada", if I have a boyfriend and if he's going to move down here soon, or what the name of my haircut is. Do I eat cheese soup, and do we still have those ketchup flavoured potato chips, I must be a great skier and love hockey, and of course... 'you people' say 'eh' a lot, and that I must be used to this 5'C weather/windchill of -frozen'C (which is something in the 50's if you understand Fahrenheit) because I'm from "CANADA". Canada, by the way, is that massive country above the US.

Patience. Deep breath. In. Out.



Did I mention it's the same temperature here, if not colder, as my home city back in Canada? My boyfriend is arriving soon for a 3 week visit, and I cannot wait! Especially because he has my winter coat and sweaters packed in his suitcase for me :)


Okay. Enough of my deep South rant....

They're grammar good!

No really! I'll stop ;-)
 
"There is no such thing as a model or ideal Canadian. What could be more absurd than the concept of an "all Canadian" boy or girl? A society which emphasizes uniformity is one which creates intolerance and hate." - Pierre Trudeau

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I acquired Ableton Lite and Logic Pro 8 in the past week, and am looking into audio inputs and mics now. Along with that I am still battling to take the final plunge into having mics installed in to my accordion.

I'd be interested to hear about other accordionists experiences with mic installations? Which mic system did you end up going with? How is the sound? Tips and thoughts please!

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Another thing I acquired was another Internet stalker! Gotta love Facebook! And yes, 'another'. Gentlemen, learn some online etiquette.

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Until next time, eh?!

Morning light, Mr. Peterman, Buckwheat, and midi giggles

You look so beautiful in the morning light.

I love the mornings here. Opening the french doors to my balcony, warm air coming in to my home. Good morning :)

My third accordion (14.5 pound black Hohner) lives in a closet, locked up, in the trailer where my dressing room is at work. I am playing the living daylights out of her.

John O'Hurley aka Mr. Peterman, walked past me at work yesterday. Not much to report, just that we all said 'hello' and he called The Ziti Sisters "...a lot of red".  And yes, our menstrual cycles are now matching up with each others - the Ziti's, not John O'Hurley and I.

Meeting Buckwheat Zydeco is way better though, especially when I watched my Mother bring him back inside of the Ambrosia Centre, from his touring van, holding each other's hands. Oh Momma.

Did I not tell you about that? Ya. My Mom and I danced it up at a Buckwheat Zydeco show last fall 2009. Afterwards my friends Aaron Watson and Alfons Fear and I chatted up some of the band members.

My Mother grew impatient about meeting Buckwheat Zydeco himself, and disappeared to then return with them holding hands and laughing together. She brought him over to me and he and I chatted about the accordion, and what I do as a performer.

He was lovely to me, and very encouraging.

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Hee hee hee, check out what I consider hilarious today, and the ridiculous/shameful midi-accordion on the track:



Of course there is a part of me that wishes I had created this.