Music is a BIG part of my life. I tell folks that it soothes my soul... so true. I'm editing this a few days after my Mum's funeral. I found myself in the Briggate in Leeds today, feeling a little lost, a little down. I was supposed to be shopping but I was drawn to the music of a very talented young singer, Tristan Mackay, who goes by the name The Bedroom Orchestra. I sat there enjoying him for two whole hours. So worth the stay and definitely worth checking out the songs on his page. Here's a clip I found on YouTube showcasing one of his own songs, "This Old Heart" and a cover of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight".
Thanks, Tristan. I'll be watching out for you.
There's so much I enjoy out of life but there are a few things that give me great pleasure. I get such a kick out of meeting new people, both in my every day life and those I come across in my virtual world on the net. I love to write, and really lose myself in a good story or a great movie, I love to cook, AND eat! I adore my family, who give me tremendous joy. And then there's Tilly, our Westie, the brand new addition. She's changed our lives so much this year. I thought it was worth bringing this little video clip from a recent blog onto the front page
It's been over 18 months since I set up this page... how time flies when you're having fun, eh? I've been a lot more active on the Internet... and it takes up an amazing amount of time... mostly in the wee small hours of the morning. I've joined Facebook, Stumbleupon and can also be found tweeting away to my friends on Twitter. Oh and by the way... what would we do without Wikipedia!!
More recently I've been exploring the fascinating world of free podcasts, both video and audio. Who knew there was so much free stuff out there. I've listened to many and here are some of my favourites.
Two fellow Canadians, Rod and Chrystal, produce a really fun show... it's definitely worth checking out some of their episodes. You can check them out on their blog website The Life of Spaguyswife
(and just so you know, the phishing message is a security feature that I just can't get around. Thanks, Tom!) My personal favourites from the SpaPeople are #3 One Tequila, Two Tequila, #7 Pushing Buttons and #12 Call of Duty Widow... watch this space, I could add more ;)
(What was that guys...Podcast groupie?)
I've been listening to more and more of a wide range of podcasts... so many... so little time. You can subscribe and download any of these shows directly from iTunes.
These are some of my favourites that have captured my interest...so far. I've lifted most of the descriptions directly from their sites... heck of a lot easier for me!
2guys1brain... Out of all the podcasts I've listened to, this one has to be my absolute favourite. The 2 guys, Andy and Randy, work for the Sheriffs office, and on this podcast they discuss life behind bars with some of the country's most interesting citizens... the criminals. It is often bloody hilarious!
For Whatever Reason
features Tim and Nannette, who say “What happens when you find yourself nearing 40 and you listen to far too many podcasts? Easy - you convince yourself that you’re interesting enough that other people would actually care enough to listen to what you have to say. It’s an illusion, but it’s our illusion.”
Tastes Like Burning is a commentary on life by a couple of super guys, Tim and James, who have been together for 10 years now. Funny? Sure! Irreverent? Of course! Politically correct? Don't count on it!
Shelly’s Podcast, the juggernaut of all podcasts, winner of the Spring 08 podcast peer award, features Shelly Brisbin and her husband Frank. It's a (mostly) weekly personal podcast by writer Shelly Brisbin. Topics tend to include technology, life observations, restaurant reviews, and politics. Shelly has been writing about technology (including 12 books) for 20 years, and makes her living as a writer and editor in the trade publishing world. Shelly is editor-in-chief of Blogger & Podcaster magazine.
The Redboy Podcast features Redboy, and Absolute Amy podcasting from the cornfields of central Illinois. Join them every week for fun, games, and news of the weird. They say they give absolutely no guarantees on quality or that you will get any entertainment value from this podcast.....but you never know.
Aaron Bates produces a super podcast called The Big Show He mixes it up with guest hosts and it's great fun to listen to them... and like many shows out there all kinds of things are covered, but whether they talk about their personal lives discuss politics, quirky national news or play songs from independent artists you can always be sure of a laugh. Aaron first became interested in podcasting after reading a magazine article about the death of radio. He downloaded his first podcast and said “it was amazing. People could say whatever they wanted, and it was a way to speak out.” I had the pleasure of meeting him in Vegas at the 2008 New Media Expo. A whole lot of fun.
One video favourite is Diggnation, with hosts Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose. Their weekly show, available on iTunes, is both informative and bloody hilarious at the same time. Here's a small clip... Alex totally losin' it over some remark made by Kevin.
diggnation guinea pigs .. Add to My Profile | More Videos
Music
Yes, music... still a big part of my life. It's always been the voice for me. It gets me before anything else... the first thing that holds my attention. So loving artists like Sam Cooke, Etta James, Ray Charles, Freddie Mercury, Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone was second nature.
But slowly worries clouded my focus, my husband got sick, and my life was suddenly filled with other stuff... trying to keep my head above water, running our business... and the music started to disappear... My life long romance with music died and I found myself in a total music rut.
But then one day I heard a voice that stopped me in my tracks... Elliott Yamin was singing “Moody’s Mood For Love” on a TV show that I’d honestly never bothered with before. American Idol had been a distraction… a bit of a laugh, something playing in the background. But hearing him sing that song, I knew I’d be a fan for life.
Music once again took on a new dimension, and for reasons I cannot fathom, I’ve completely changed the way I hear the notes. I can't explain it. It once again lifts my soul. This whole experience has led me to rediscover music and singers I'd forgotten about and through the friends I've made since, I’ve been introduced to some amazing artists. It's been a wonderful journey so far.
Here’s Elliott performing at his first solo concert in Richmond, Virginia in October 2006 Elliott Yamin
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I’ve had a wonderful time discovering exciting new artists like Anthony Hamilton, Amy Winehouse, Divine Brown and the wonderful Paolo Nutini - I went to see him in Vancouver last year. He's really good!
I’ve recently found the amazing James Hunter! Just listen to him. I'll be looking out for his next tour here too.
James Hunter EPK
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And don't know if we'll ever see a CD from Amy Belle. She was so amazing in your first concert performing with Rod Stewart at the Albert Hall in London. It totally blew her away... just a week after he heard her singing on the streets of Glasgow!!
Rod Stewart & Amy Belle - I don't wanna talk about it
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I’ve loved so many different artists over the years… The Beatles, Sting, Rod Stewart, Bjork, Georgie Fame, Nina Simone, Crowded House just to name a few, but it never ceases to amaze me just how much talent is out there waiting to be discovered. And when I do find them, they deserve to be promoted as best I can. Though I very much doubt if there will ever be another Freddie Mercury!
Movies
I have way too many favourites to list them all here but memorable films I love include Crash, Children of Men, Kinky Boots, The Philadelphia Story,The Crying Game, Funny Girl, French Kiss, Witness, Murphy's Romance, Witness, Of Mice and Men (with John Malkovich) Shawshank Redemption, Shirley Valentine, A Star is Born (with Judy Garland and James Mason)
Oh, and I love pretty much anything with Hugh Grant - Notting Hill, Love Actually and especially Four Weddings and a Funeral. Although I love this film for the humour I found this scene so incredibly moving. John Hannah is wonderful!!
Oh... I could go on. I'm constantly amazed at just how much joy I get out of the movies.
Television
TV?... When do I have time!? OK... BBC stuff first - Judge John Deed (Martin Shaw is brilliant!), Silent Witness (love Tom Ward!), Spooks, Ballykissangel (first time I ever saw Colin Farrell). I also like So You Think You Can Dance, Cold Case, CSI Las Vegas, Shopping Bags, ER, Grey's Anatomy, Friends, Medium, Lost, House...
Books
Some favourites are David Niven's "A Moon's a Balloon", Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Yes I Can" "Exodus" by Leon Uris, "Class: A View from Middle England " by Jilly Cooper On Writing, a Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Anything by Ken Follett
Heroes
My lovely mum... It was her strength alone that stopped my heart from breaking when I lost her this year. She had always been so strong and it didn't stop even at the very end of her life and I've always desperately tried to emulate her courage and persistence.
Mum found herself suddenly single again at the age of 60 and decided it was time to start traveling. She found a lot of joy in not letting anything get in her way and her journeys to places as far flung as Rome, Rio, and Rangoon have been quite inspirational. Her spirit has always been amazing and I'm hoping I will be following in her footsteps.
I've been thinking about this and I realize that I look on my whole family as heroes. We've all been through so much and have stayed so strong supporting each other and kept me sane. My family!!
Lorna's Details
Status:
Married
Here for:
Friends
Orientation:
Straight
Body type:
Average
Ethnicity:
White / Caucasian
Zodiac Sign:
Cancer
Smoke / Drink:
No / Yes
Children:
Proud parent
Occupation:
CEO
Lorna's Companies
Anatech Anatomical Technologies Inc. Richmond, British Columbia CA CEO www.anatechinc.com
from 1987
Lorna is still lovin Paolo Nutini's "Sunny Side Up"... changing things up with another track... Posted at 4:39 AM Oct 27 view more
About me:
So… this is about me... Hmmmm... where do I start?
I used to put my birthdate in here... but thought the better of it! But Leicester General Hospital slap bang in the middle of England is a good place as any to start my story... although I was conceived in Malta… (what’s that? TMI?) So, I worked out a while back that I’ve moved seventeen times in my life… so far. Let’s see: from Leicester to Portsmouth, then Singapore (Dad was in the Royal Navy) back to Portsmouth, then Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, Crawley, Sussex (ran a hotel there - ever seen Fawlty Towers? hmmm... I'll have to write a few stories about that place. Our son was born here... then we got married there. I actually did write about that and called it A Fawlty Towers Wedding... you'll find it on here. After this little episode in our lives, we moved on to Southampton, then Gosport (daughter was born there), Portsmouth (damn, just couldn’t stay away! Life is good anywhere near the sea and the Solent is first class for diving, sailing and generally messing about anywhere near the water.) There are so many stories in me about our lives during this time. I've managed to get a couple down for posterity, including my very first blog here A Holiday in France... check it out, you might find it amusing. ;)
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Padstow, Cornwall - absolutely amazing place. Lived in a cute little furnished cottage over the winter there. But then when spring came around the rent quadrupled. Moved into another house, shared with another couple, two more friends, two dogs, two cats... all in three bedrooms but NO furniture! One of the friends was supposed to be picking up a few things at an auction. She came back with... a bloody piano!! Crazy woman. But we had some great times with the piano. Hmmm... sounds like another story coming on. I'll get working on that...
Then came Grimsby, only for three months, thank heavens... horrible, depressing place.
Then it was finally time to make the break and leave our homeland. We'd been working for an American diving equipment company... which went tits up after a year in business... So, with no job and little hope left for us in England, we decided on Canada and moved to Richmond, British Columbia. Probably cried for the first six months... but eventually got over it. 5 houses later we found ourselves in Tsawwassen, B.C.
Yes, finally, and maybe for the last time, we've put down some roots. This is an amazing place and I never cease to be astonished by it's beauty.
A friend of mine, Lance Blackwell has recently made the following film. It was shot against a backdrop of the wonderful wildlife and breathtaking Pacific storms in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
It's the story of one man's dream becoming reality in the creation of a world-class walking experience along a spectacular nature trail skirting one of the most rugged and beautiful coastlines on the planet - The Wild Pacific Trail. It's narrated by Jason Priestley and is an absolute treat to watch... I think I'm here to stay!
Yep, pretty much all done with moving. I could write a book about it! Hey! Sounds like a plan...
I'm glad we've finally settled here. British Columbia is beautiful so I thought I'd show you some photos I've taken over the last few years of this amazing place.
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changing things up here with some pics of my boys...
I keep pretty busy with our business and having fun with my grandsons and living life in general, but one day, maybe when I retire from the rat-race, I hope to go back to my painting. When the time, the inspiration and the inclination all click in together.
Who I'd like to meet: update: February 2008... I've been taking a lot more notice of the American political scene this year. Can't honestly say I've felt the same about the political scene here in Canada. Guess I'm the first to admit I'm not a political person, But this race seems different somehow. I really like to meet both Democratic candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (read Hillary's book... AND enjoyed it!) I'd like to ask them both a few questions.
Even more interesting would be to meet Bill Maher, and hear first hand his thoughts on everything. I just love that guy's take on life! Sorry if this offends... don't play it if you don't like him... I'm not holding a gun to your head.
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Others I'd add to the list are Sting, Bono, Hugh Grant, Hugh Laurie, Sydney Poitier, Paul Newman, Harry Windsor. I've always felt a connection to young Prince Harry.
We lost one of the greats in the music world last year... Pavarotti. Actually, two greats as we also said goodbye to James Brown a couple of years ago too. So, to honour them both I thought I'd post this amazing duet. Probably one of the most unlikely I've seen in a while. Take a look.
I also think it would be fascinating to meet Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey,
Oh and I just love Sandra Bullock. It would be a total hoot to meet her!
Of the folks who have passed on I would have loved to have met David Niven, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diana, Princess of Wales. And here's a few of my favourite quotes... it would have been interesting to meet any one of the following people:
Dorothy Parker -
"That woman speaks eighteen languages, and can't say No in any of them."
Oscar Wilde
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
Nick Diamos –
“Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by stupidity.”
Jimi Hendrix –
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”
Aldous Huxley –
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
Quincy Jones -
"Not one drop of my self-worth depends on your acceptance of me."
Well, first of all,you are very ADORABLE to say those nice things. OK, will get on it asap re. iTunes. I do hope ur expectations r met w the new CD - it's awesome, dude. Amicalement, Susie
Great new Picture, you got a beautiful smile :) Yes, you had commented about the cats-kittens. I have had some friends comment about your pic, they are adorable. We still have a bit to go before we are moved entirely and it is getting OLD-DAMNIT! TTYL, HUGS FOR U 2 Cath
Lorna, I loved your blog about Tilly! The vids are precious, especailly the last one! LOL! We have a couple furbabies that like to get all messy like that too! We miss you at the Flip.
