(I was told I should tell this tale!)
After I left Montreal, I headed to Calgary to meet poets.
(Also: On the flight my wallet was lost/stolen and my cello broke in half. I taped it.)
Though wallet-less and heart-hurt from my cello-injuring flight,
I went to Wreck City & Hung out with glorious friends I lived in the bush with.
Wreck City was some of the best public art I’ve ever seen.
Then, my lovely friend Steve found me.
You might know him as The Naked Poet.
We stayed up all night getting kicked out of hotel rooms with 76 year-old poets who first kissed Andy Warhol the day JFK was assasinated (John Giorno), the lead of DOA ( Joe Keithley) calling this building
The Death Star.
(ominously, on the backside of this SunCore building is this tiny tree-hugger sculpture)
The Scots Makar Liz Lochhead Canadian Legend bill bissett; Pop Icon John Giorno (was in Andy Warhol’s first film); Poetry Demi-God of USA Bob Holman; DOA Superstar Joe Keithley; and Renowned Scots Makar Liz Lochhead
I spent a day in the foothills with a lovely photographer in her strawbale house
Parts of wallet were found!
Then & I headed through the mountains with my lovely poet friend, Steve .
Beatboxing and delight ensued.
I set up shop in his attic and started writing songs!
We arrived just in time for the blossoms.
And had lots of Creme Brulee.
And Then:
I ARRIVED AT THE HAMMOCK!
Right off of Commercial.
And found a soul mate.
At home, we collectively run a third space called The Open Mic House.
While during the day, I work with local government, businesses, not-for-profits and communities.
AND HERE
I found the most wonderful of ladies,
Who also works for government/with kids during the day
And runs a third space out of her home.
She healed my heart.
Made me re-appreciate the esoteric.
And was excellent heart and mind medicine!
Heidi is the sort of gal who melts your heart, and sends you down dark alleys to find Sauna trucks and have heart-to-hearts.
Heidi offered me up her lil’ crawl space to make music,
And I tried to make it the place where I could make music!
and walk down the street to sweet dance nights at The Friendship Centre on Hastings with old friends & new
(if you want a happy Julia, feed me Bannick)
and sassy lecture series’ on Copyright and rotisserie chicken picnics with a lovely former neighbour.
This is where my heart grew, and I felt my life turned around, slow, focus and I felt the best possible type of blossoming and growth.
THEN
after biking around the city and asking anyone I saw with a bowed instrument
“WHO IS THE BEST Person to fix a cello in this town?:
And they all pointed to the same fellow:
I had the great pleasure of meeting Gerard Samja!
Who fixed my cello BEAUTIFULLY for far too little, secretly re-haired my bow (for free!) and was an all-around beautiful human.
If ever you need a Luthier, find this fellow!
I co-worked at The Hive, and met old friends and new.
And found the Beautiful Pam Cooley of CarShare Halifax was around and quickly found her and her beyond-beautiful posse of powerful Vancouver women!
Then! Took the ferry to the islands!
Then I ate Poutine & drank milkshakes with Raffi on Salt Spring Island.
And! He runs some awesome childhood programs!
Then, I had a rendezvous with my The Beautiful Wild Animals, my dear friends Jacques & Carly.
Found my italian pasta-to-die-for pal Maximilliano,
had a wonderful bath with bald eagles overhead, and watched an otter family come home after dark
while false fluorescents glowed.
Played with glorious creatures in Victoria, Dirty Grace & Janice Lee
(also the best playing piano of all time)
Then headed to Duncan and stayed up writing songs all night with the ultra-talented sweetheart Hebbeca and my dear friend Kurtis.
and ran around in the forest a wee bit.
Took the ferry back to my Hammock Home!
Found one of my favorite families in the world in Vernon (just for one night !) and my rideshare there and I sitting-danced to Dance Mix 95 through the mountain roads.
We also saw the Bluesmobile
Played a farewell show at The (beloved!) Hammock. There was a huge potlock, where all my swell Vancouver buddies came out and met each other, and to hear me play.
Jacques (my favorite of fiddlers!) and Frankie Frankie, the freestyle beauties downstairs & many others jammed into the night. Heidi handed out arrow head necklaces, Steve wrote & performed beautiful poem
and it was the most perfect of goodbyes.
Then I Headed to Montreal to be with my love, and Ottawa to be with my Dad & his lovely lady!
What does the future hold, you ask?
Beautiful New Brunswick.
