San Fran

Äventyr i San Fransisco.
Hälsar på hos god vänner och ska få möjlighet att träffa representanter i Idle No More-rörelsen. Kanske hinner jag kika på en bandlös banjo också.
Med jetlag och mycket att bearbeta hade jag en helt fantastisk dröm inatt. Med en dröm i drömmen.
Cirklar ska slutas.
Nu börjar det!

#peaceisthenoblecause
#SanFran

Summer with light nights, singing and dancing

Dearest blogg readers,

What happened in your peak of summer?
Did you celebrate summer solstice?
See any midsummer fairies?
Met the bear up in bear country?
I wish I did.
At least we saw bear poop in the forest.

Leo sniffing out big shit.

Right now, lovely August is covering us under her wings.

What do you wing?
What's now, what's created now?

I'm working every day with creative writing.
Not so fast today, because I struggle with a cold and fever.
So I go with the flow.
Gathering thoughts, pinning down some pictures from my dreams.
Taking small notes.
The dog needs walks and I marvel at the jungle I'm living in.
In the linden trees thousands of honey bees
sing their song.
I brought my tuning fork with me to listen carefully
to what notes they sing.
Soon this blooming is over for this year.

Living now.
Visioning forward. 
Learning from what happened.


Here's a little retrospect what happened in June-July.

My cd Vida was released on Spotify in the middle of the summer riddle.

Thank you photographer Maja Tekla Jonsson!

Midsummer light nights. Picture taken at 23.39:

Summers journey stop #1 was to dance boogie woogie in Herräng. And of course some lindy hop and blues dance and balboa too. Oh what a lovely week! We are so blessed. My daughter and I in a camping tent and spending day and night to dance.

The journey continued to the vast forests and hills and valleys where I come from. I was lucky to spend some time with my scythe, visiting goats on a mountain farm, fäbod, and walking to the top of the world.

My scythe.

Making traditional messmör.

In the turning of July into August we were blessed with a blue moon and Irmelin performed at Urkult Festival in the high north. There I had the most amazing birthday celebration and enjoyed it very much to welcome a new turning point in my life.

Nämforsen stone carvings from the time of the first people.

Ylva Varik artistry.

Att vara tant är att få göra vad fan man vill.

To be an old lady is to be allowed to do what the *#-/* you want.

My antennas are up in the air. Some questions are going to be investigated.
Some lyrics are going to be written.
Some more music will be transformed from the dreamed into reality.
Some future journeys are going to be planned according to the golden map of the inner landscape.


Come rain come shine, life takes us on an unpredicted journey.
Family, friends and love.
Some endings and some beginnings.
Reunions, a break-up.

I pray our hearts continue to be tender in the sometimes hard world we live in.
Let's be curious.
Let's walk in peace.

Eva

Colors and beauty

If you are the photographer of this beautiful pic, I would be happy to know who you are and give all credits to you.

Good morning out there. Or should I say good day?
Not in a long time I have felt so great need for a long sleep morning and today I could have it.
No alarm clock. Sleep as long as I want.
To bring in some new fresh energy I chose the photo of this woman today.

The last two weeks has been a lot about starting up a new youth club for girls where I work in Hjällbo, swedish church. Main goal is to get new friends and get energy through laughter and doing fun things where everyone is respected for who she is.
As a leader I work a lot with having the girls talk in rounds where everybody speak and is listened to. It has to do with building up confidence and empower the dreams the girls have and make them believe in themselves.
This form of girls clubs excist in many places around the world and I have books and material to get inspiration.

This new started group has chosen the animal bear to be our symbol and group name. The more I think of it the better it is. The bear is about strength and courage, and having access to your dreams. The bear hibernate through the winter and is therefor living in the dream in a remarkable way. A bear can be a cosy cute teddy bear when needed and it can be big and powerful when needed.
The bear is a holy animal in many cultures around the world. The sign for bear in sign language is to draw a cross infront of your face.



Piet Hein (1905-1996), a danish poet wrote:

For you english speaking people I can recommend website Piet Hein.



Happy weekend everybody!
Eva

Winter solstice

Darkest day of the year.

Solstice meaning in Latin: to stand still, as in when the sun stands still before reversing its direction.


Join in for the new dawn, the returning of light.
Celebrations of many diverse kind is happening all around the world. In Idle No More movement there's a call for joining in local events (all around the world) of drumming, singing, dancing. Wish I could be there. My part taking will be listening to music and writing on a future project.

We have about 6 hours of daytime in Sweden this day. So I light my candle and have one more cup of coffé.

Up in my head

The last few days I've had my share of catching a cold. We all have to go that road sometimes.
It gave me a welcome break to stop for a while and reflect, slow down, make minimum effort.

Dog has to be walked, and that's about how much I get out in a day. But when Göteborg weather looks like this it's very short walks and the dog runs back home again.

I've spend some time listening to music. Found this favourite again. Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I love her guitar solo at about 1.40 in to the clip.




My brain has always been spinning a lot. That's the way it goes, I'm creative that way. Voices talking all the time up in my head.
I've just turned a little bit to a different direction, and it makes me vital in a good way.

Instead of figure it out - live it out.

The words come from Chase Iron Eyes. Thanks a lot for sharing this perspective. It takes some time to really let it sink in. But I'm working on it.
Chase Iron Eyes is doing great work to put an end to the stealing of children from his community, listen to him here:



Greetings on the day before winter solstice.
Eva

Autumn gold #snyggtmedute

My dogwalks, my prime time.

This is where I breathe fully deep.
My inspiration.
In spiration.

Eva

Dynamic work, love my work

Last week was a over dose of administrative work, wich is normal from time to time. Reports, applications, making half year book-work of economy, buying a printer, restoring my broken Sibelius-program.

For the broken Sibelius-program (writing music scores on the computer) successful restoring I owe my thanks to computer wizard Pär Johansson! Feels great to have Sibelius again! I made all music notations for my book Bröllopssånger och Kärleksvisor in Sibelius, and soon after giving away all my material for the making of the book, this Sibelius-program broke down completely. Exhausted program maybe?

So this week starts totally different. To balance up I've made yoga, been singing, prepared for my lovely choir Lei-La tonight. I go out in the sun light and sing for myself, the birds, insects, plants and trees around me.

Yesterday I spend the afternoon walking 3 hours in the forest, in sunshine on magic path systems leading up to a small remote lake. Two women and three dogs having the most lovely time in the fresh air. And this is for free! It's there for us to enjoy.

Today started just great as well. In the morning I had a good time making music with Sara, preparing some ideas of music for Myst.
I also got a phone call wich was very inspiring, on the subject "The mysteries of human voice".

Winter images, I love grey and green!

Two warm weeks took away all snow. But today it's minus degrees again and a wonderful day for a walk.
Sun and snowfall at the same time.
I have to hurry and get out immediately.

Some spend their time creating a good looking home.
I like to spend time on finding out good music.

Walking the dog gives me some clear thoughts and fresh air.

Many shades.
Instead of just black and white, we are surrounded by the many shades of colours. I wish we could look at life the same way. See all the nuances.

Step by step, finding how to live a life with creativity at center, and also let go of the same when it turns to a squirrel wheel in a crazy world. Life is much bigger.

Eva

Wim Wenders desert dreamlike images

How come deserts plus good music makes such a good combo?

Until the end of the world


Paris Texas. Desert scene again. Beautiful music by Ry Cooder.




I'm working on some really interesting music now, modal music for voice, oud and upright base. This beginning of a new year has really come with some new energy. At the end of last year I felt deeply tired after releasing a book and recording a cd, plus many tours, travels and concerts. It's good to know then that the energy can come back, even if it takes time. I'm taking it a bit more slowly now, knowing better now how stress can sneak up on you.

Oh, I'm lucky to have so good role models among my collegues, people who teach me how to take time to reflect and reduce schedule in order to be able to deliver something and be happy. You know who you are :-)

Eva

First of January with some mountain music with Maxida Märak

Today is easygoing,1st of January, sleeping long and having a day in the sofa....mmm, nice!

On new years eve we spoke about resolutions and we could agree that we identify areas where each person want to higher or lower the ambitions.
Theese ambitions apply for me:

* Slow down the speed a bit.
* I want to cook more food with good real seasonal vegetables, meat, fish. Less factory made food.
* I want to be daring and without compromises in my music. Simplicity, space.


I've been asked if I do new years resolutions. Yes, I guess I do in a way, but it's an ongoing process. I have my own manifesto that I re-evaluate from time to time. It's hand written in a black book where I add new thoughts, or old thoughts that are important to me. Sometimes it's principles I've found, sometimes it's rooted in my own earlier experience and follows what occurs in my own development. I love to share "seeds of thought". I love to read what other people have been thinking. For 2013, let love and tolerance start within our own thinking.



Don't judge...
Let go of expectations.....
Have acceptance for things that happen.....
Trust that the unexpected things that occur in your life has something to do with your own growing.
Have the courage to make the decisions.
Accept what you can't change and learn to see the difference between what you can or can't change.
Life is abundant. Instead of seeking for having as much as possible on behalf of others, there is plenty and enough for all if we share.


"People don't make you angry, they don't make you happy. They are simply invitations. Notice whether you are reacting or responding. Oneness ALLWAYS applies." -MahaNomi

Some days ago I discovered this lovely singer from north of Sweden, Maxida Märak. I'm very happy to find this music, it's a unique collaboration and new interpretation of mountain music. I just love it.






Maxida Märak & Downhill Bluegrass Band

Eva

Songs of light in the darkness

Tonight at 18 at Lärjeåns Trädgårdar (in Angered, tram 4, 8 and 9) I will sing and tell stories of old Christmas folk music. It will be only me singing a solo performance.


The main theme in all the songs is the star, the light in the darkness. The child is in the center. The new born is fleeing with his parents to a neighbour country to escape death. It's a story to be re-told many times, and with archetype dimensions.

I can imagine that many many generations has found a comfort in singing about the light in the darkness when the season here in the north brings out so little daylight.

This year I find I'm quite well suited for experiencing the cold and the darkness. It's not a big problem at all. I find it like a reason for slowing down, take a little time off, it's ok to have a bit of a "winter-sleep" like the hedgehog and the bear do. Thanks to my little dog I have more walks outdoor and I try to make the long walk in daylight to get som good rythm in the day. Oh, how I love to feel the fresh air when it's snowing and minus degrees! It's marvellous!

I wish you all a good day on the 5th of December.

Cassiopeia-inspiration

Today has been a day for new songs. Walking and singing, seeing the flowers of the forest and in the garden. Tiger lilies, linneas and unknown beauties.

In the morning I gave myself a word for the day: everything I do today, I will do it in exactly the right time - without stress.

Like the turtle Cassiopeja walks with Momo through the rushing city, in the book Momo by Michael Ende.

Do you have a favourite way of returning to kairos time, time when you fully experience life, with no stress, the moment of now?

The work I've done today, I did it with joy. Cleaning the house a bit, also with joy. No stress, just letting each moment be, like in mindfulness and the idea of being focused. Experiencing life fully.
After lunch I took a long walk with the dog. He's so happy when he can run free in the forest!
The old path to the mountian farm where cattle was taken in early summer:


Stone bridge for the cattle while "buffring" on the summer path:

I've seen many stones today, maybe this one the biggest of them?


And I wrote a paper letter to a dear friend, an old friend who I know would have enjoyed the forest so much this day.

Eva

Allotria top score in Irmelin food guide

Irmelin food guide visits:
Ravintola Allotria, Hämeentie 68 00550 Helsinki, phone: 050 579 1400
www.allotria.fi

We have become perennials at the charming restaurant Allotria in Helsinki. We discovered this pearl on Wednesday when we performed there at Perinnearkku folk music club. After that we just kept coming back, for the most delicious food in creative combinations of tastes. Eva and Maria has tried several of the dishes in the menue, Karin stayed with her delicious salad, wich really means highest score for a salad!


With the flowers we got at todays concert, we are happy and starving after really good performance!



Mr Billy Kelly, who served us food and always being so nice to us. The staff working there has treated us in the most friendly and generous way. We've talked about Finland, Ireland, Faroe Islands, music, culture, food and all things that makes life nice. And today we had the chance to meet the chef shortly and thank him directly for the lovely food. I hope he will put his recipies in a cook book one day, hope it's written in english! The chef is from Boston, US, so that's not too far away guess.


Cucumber sorbet, salmon with rubarb sauce, delicious tastes all the time. Find the menue here: http://www.allotria.fi/?p=alacarte
Below, time for coffé and desert, this is the vanilla icecream with olive oil, made by a italian guy in town.


Karin and Maria chilling out after concert.

Shadows and light.

Below (and behind the roses): The stage where we performed on Wednesday.

Tonight we work on an application for a new Irmelin project.
Keep up the good work!
Eva

Sailing out this year: part 1

Seems like this year of 2011 turn to be a year with a boat theme. I try to summon up all inspiration for tomorrows concert at Galtabäck boat museum, and it's huge this time. I've recieved so much connected to boat trips I can fill endless of concerts with the music I feel inside. Irmelin started in January this year to sing sea shanties, preparing for both live concerts and recordings. North Sea Stories. Keep watch for that!

And tomorrow it's time to do a completely new concerts with Pers Nils Johansson with sea shanties, and it's not the same repertoire as Irmelin do. There are incredibly many beautiful songs from the sea. Some songs tell about heroic seamen who has to endure storms and thunder, even die for the sake. Some are about love, and longing for your sweetheart who is far away.

Now this summer, it's boats wherever I go. Here's where it all begun, in June.













Ahoy everybody, sing out loud and sail along!
Eva