you.....are on my mind


February 24 - yesterday.  Was and is a big date now for the Hardy family.  3 years ago yesterday, my nephew Trevor was killed...   hit by a drunk driver.  He was just approaching his 19th b-day.We gathered last night at his parents, Stephanie and Arwit Dueck to celebrate his life and remember him. It was a great time.  But of course filled with pain as well.  


And today....February 25 is the 11th month anniversary of the death of my nephew Christian, 17 years old...son of my brother Randy and his wife Ingrid.  We are approaching the 1 year in March and part of me can't believe that he has been gone this long. 


For both of these families, they have had to face shocking loss, unbearable grief and the choice of how to now live.  To choose LIFE in the midst of such sadness and loss takes incredible courage and dignity and strength.  To observe this in people you love is truly inspiring.


The question has come to me - how will you then live?  How will we all live?
There is a quote by St. Irenaeus that has come to reside deep within me - 


'The glory of God is a human being fully alive'


To be fully alive is perhaps the best answer I can give....to choose to be present, to choose life, to choose gratefulness, to choose to take risks in following dreams and passions...to fully live....is how I can say to these two boys I love.......Trevor & Chris.....you are on my mind

A Journey into Gratefulness

'Do you think this just another day in your life? 

 It's not just another day.  It's the one day that is given to you. 

Today.  

It's given to you.  

It's a gift.

It's the only gift that you have right now.

And the only appropriate response is

gratefulness'  

Brother David

I am inspired every time I take the time to listen to Brother David and his invitation to a daily life of gratefulness and to be present - to fully engage with what is right now.

What am I especially grateful for today?

amazing friendships

dreams being realized

generosity of strangers and loved ones

photography by revival art studio  www.rastudio.ca

a tribute to my mom.....

This week my dad turned 80 and I wrote a bit about him.  But now I also want to write a bit about my mom and what I am so grateful for in my mother and how these elements have influenced my life and this Love Shines CD.

As a child one of my best memories of my mom is following her through the woods of Harrison Hot Springs.  She would go many Saturdays into the woods to collect ferns, moss, pussywillows and wildflowers in a huge basket she would carry with her while my brother Randy and I trailed behind.  At home she would turn these wild elements into enormous displays of nature (and works of art) that would greet people at church the following morning.  As my brother and I would follow mom in the woods I remember sometimes being afraid of wild animals.  There were stories of bears and cougars around Harrison and I was terrified of meeting my end along a lonely forest trail.  But my mother seemed to have no concerns such as these - she not only walked in the woods, she marched in them as if she owned them.  My mother loves the  outdoors and has never been one to show much fear.  If she wants to go somewhere, let nothing stand in her way....even a bear.   Mom has also spoken lovingly of her childhood in the prairies and walking out in the open spaces by herself.   I don't think she was afraid then either -  she loved and still does being outside in nature - and celebrating the beauty that she finds.  She has built enormous gardens, made special places for birds to come, and makes an effort to go walking outdoors as many days of the year as her health and the weather allow.

I think mom's love of the outdoors got into my skin and down into my bones.  Breathing that wondrous fresh air every day, looking at the amazing mountains around me in the Fraser Valley, and spending regular times walking in the woods has become like my daily cup of coffee....how could I survive without it?  ( I definitely CANNoT survive without my morning coffee!)
Mom - thanks for your enthusiasm for the beauty that surrounds us and having the eyes to see it and appreciate it and for taking me into it.
There are many more things I can write about my mom - but that is for another day and another blog :-)

APRIL 16th - YOU ARE INVITED
LOVE SHINES RELEASE CONCERT

Well.....a major step has been taken and the Matsqui Auditorium has been booked for a LOVE SHINES CD release event on Saturday, April 16th at 7:30 pm.
Tickets and posters will start going out next week - but I wanted to announce the date today to let people start to know.
More info to follow next week!

Song Stories #11
The Journey of Being Known - and the story of the bent over woman

photography by Revival Art Studios  www.rastudio.ca

Today Shaw Cable is airing a segment on me, my career of teaching piano, and the journey into my own music.  I have watched the clip twice now before anyone else will see it.  Part of me is terrified for anyone to watch this.  The camera comes very close to my face - revealing all my imperfections!  If beauty is skin deep - then I want to run and hide!!!!  I've struggled often with my appearance ( as many of us do!) ....and it is intimidating to allow the public to come so close to me.  However, a comment has been ringing in my head that a close friend spoke to me last week:  ' Cathy, trust your presence.'  What kind words - and words that bring me back to truth - that it is our essence that we bring to each other and that is truly 'beautiful'.
To know our own inner 'beauty' is a difficult journey for most of us - it sure has been for me.  My inner heart has been 'bent over'.  One day when I was struggling in particular with my life and how my heart was feeling - I went deep into the woods of Mission for a walk.  I poured out my heart there.  And then I saw this big stick and felt compelled to take hold of it and walk with it.  As I walked with this stick, these words poured over me; 'Rise Up Woman- Rise UP'.  Wow - to be called to rise up - lift my face to the sky and stand tall - when I sure didn't feel like it!  But it was a call to me - and I had a choice in how to respond.  I have realized at times it is almost more comfortable to stay 'bent over'.  I am less visible there, I can allow self-pity there, I am not responsible there - I remain a victim.  When I lift my face up and stand tall - I take my place and bring my presence.  This is terribly frightening - to be fully present.  But I am learning it is also a great gift.  It is a gift to myself, to others and to the One who gave me breath.  To live small and bent over is to disregard the gift of Life that has been given.  To embrace this Life in me - means saying YES to being fully alive and allowing others to come close to that Life in me....and allowing you to see me on Shaw Cable!!!
You will see my imperfections - but hopefully you will also feel my 'presence'....which doesn't have an image factor value placed on it - which is incredibly freeing.

Here is an excerpt of the words to the song that is on the Love Shines album that came out of that experience in the woods;


Rise Up  (and it is the black soul woman in me who sang this song - you will see!)


when my heart was troubled, I went to the woods to pray
when my heart was troubled, I went to the woods to pray
In my darkness You sang to me - woman, I have set you free
Take off the chains of sorrow, remove the veil of fear
find you courage, find your strength
lift your voice and stand up straight - Rise, I'm calling you to rise


rise up woman, rise up
rise up woman rise
rise up woman, rise up
rise up woman rise

there is a Gospel story from Mark 13 where Jesus healed a woman who was 'bent over'. He broke all the social taboos by speaking to her, inviting her to stand with the men and also touching her.  I love, love, love this story and it has also become my story in this song.

Happy 80th Birthday Dad 
Stories for Love Shines - the blessings from my father.....


My father turns 80 today.  It is a huge milestone to reach 80 years of living.  Dad has experienced cancer for the first time this past year and gone through 2 surgeries but is coming out strong.  He has been determined to live life to the full and has stayed active in any way he can.
As I have reflected on who my dad is, I am grateful for many qualities he has.  One quality that has been a real inspiration to me is his love of staying physically healthy and strong. He learned to ski in his 40s and continued that sport until last year - he hopes to hit the slopes again.  He plays tennis, bikes, and loves a vigorous round of ping pong.  His activities have put him in the top percentile of his age group with health and given him a wonderful quality of life.

Another gift my father gave me was his own journey in following his dreams.  After being a pastor for many years and then a counsellor, he decided to go back to college and become an ESL teacher.  To make a decision like this at 65 years of age takes a lot of courage, sense of adventure and determination.  To pursue following the Love shines project - I have had to face the fear and thought in my head - I AM TOO OLD - it is TOO late for me to dream.

But knowing that dad kept dreaming about new things and then trying them out has been an encouragement to me in my own life to take risks and to try.
Perhaps the greatest gift he has given me that has influenced my life and is truly a part of the Love Shines album. The gift my father gave me is his life of prayer.  As a child, if I wanted to find my father, I would look for him in his home office.  Many, many times I would silently open the door to find my father on his knees by his office chair.  He would be holding his head in his hands and all was still and quiet.  As a child and teen I knew that my father greatly valued his spiritual journey and that it was the centre of all the decisions he made.  He sought through prayer to find strength, direction and wisdom for his role in the community and his personal life.
One way that dad pursued his life of prayer would be to go away for personal silence at retreats throughout the year.  It would be time set apart from schedules and demands and would be filled with time to listen and to rest.
It has been a discovery for me in my 30s that this practice of time set in silence is a powerful gift.  These times for me have become like anchors in my life....setting my course and giving me stability.  It is a gift to know that my father also lived this way and maybe without realizing it, set an example of a lifestyle of prayer.



Happy Birthday Dad - thanks for all you are in my life.

photo by Darrell Lecorre

Song Stories #10
Love Shines

This song has a long and continually emerging story - I will share some of it here.
It was the last day of recording the 'trust...inspirations from taize' CD (fall 2008) when I was in the studio with Philip. We were working on the last song and I remember thinking to myself that I had just used up every last drop of material I had - and there would be nothing left after this moment.  Philip received a phone call then and so I took a break and lay on the floor in the studio and rested.  In that moment, light shone through the window onto my face.  As I received the light coming to me, the first part of the Love Shines song just came to me.  I was so gripped by the simple melody and simple lyrics that when Philip did get off the phone and we had to get back to work, it was hard to concentrate.  So, Philip helped me by recording a few lines of what I was hearing so I would remember it later and come back to work on it.  And that is what I did and how the song became a song.  It became a sign of hope to me that my songs were not yet over and that song-writing days were still in the works for me.  I had dreams of embarking on my own and creating a Love Shines album - but it seemed like a daunting task.
In early March of 2010 I went to see my friend Christina Kautz in Florida.  As I walked into her home, she had all this imagery of stars and moons.  Immediately I wanted to sing for her the Love Shines song, but I didn't have my ukulele and she didn't have a piano - and so I let it go.  Then bizarre moments started to happen!  She was planning on taking me to a house concert with Victoria Vox, who I didn't realize at the time is a uke musician who was flying in for this event.  Victoria flew in a day early and we happened to run into her.  I found out she played uke and she graciously showed her instrument to me and I asked if I could play Christina Love Shines.  Victoria listened as I played and then told me about a Ukelele compilation album happening and the cut off day for entries was in 2 days and she thought this song would be perfect.  So, she asked me to sing it again and she recorded it on Garage Band on her MAC laptop and then we sent off the application.  Love Shines was accepted for this uke album, Song Still Remains,  which came out later in 2010 and thus the 'single' became born which helped me continue to dream about the larger project.
Just before I was to professionally record the single with Philip, my dear nephew Christian died.  I was so devastated that I cancelled the recording.  I just didn't know how I could do it.  But after two days, I realized that Chris would have wanted me to sing and to do my best and to bring the message that Love Shines.  So, I called Philip back and told me this, 'of course you need to do this Cathy.  This is exactly what you need to do.'  So, I recorded this song in the midst of intense funeral preparations and sang this at Chris's funeral.  I will never forget that moment.
So - this song is full of story - joy and heartache.....all of life.

here is an excerpt of the words:

Starlight  
Starllight
Starlight shine on me


Moonlight
Moonlight
Moonlight shine on me


Sunlight
Sunlight
Sunlight shine on me


Source of all light shine down
Source of all light shine down 
Light shines and darkness flees
Source of all light shine down
Source of all light shine down
Source of all light shine down on me

Song Stories #9

It was the afternoon the day of Myron Berg's funeral that Philip Janz, Boris Sichon and I were working on the song Prayer - which is a chant I wrote this past year.  Boris plays the didgeridoo as a low drone while I sing the chant overtop.  The low drone takes me to ancient sounds...sounds I have heard from other cultures and time periods.  It was a 'moment' during recording when Philip and I looked at each other and each expressed the same thing - 'I was thinking of Gillian'.  Gillian is the wife of Myron, who stood and expressed such deep love for her husband that very morning at his funeral which Philip and I both attended.  So, Gillian, you were on our minds and hearts as we recorded these sounds and words and as you choose each day to 'breathe'.  But I hope these are words that we can all resonate with - we all have a choice each day how we will choose to live.

In the video above, you can get a taste of the world music that Boris has in his fingertips.    At about the 4.30 minutes mark you can hear him play the didgeridoo which we have used on this  piece.  

Here is an excerpt of the words.......

As I breathe in a new day before me

I breathe in Life

Fill me with courage to face the unknown

I breathe in Life

Fill me with wisdom for each step ahead

            I breathe in Life

Deepen my roots that I may taste joy

Deepen my trust that I may know peace

            I breathe in Life

            I breathe in Life 

excerpt from Prayer from the Love Shines CD

My Daily Woods - My Daily Bread

So, since I've been talking about my woods a lot - I thought I'd take you right into them. February 1st was a beautiful sunny day and so here is a little clip from my walk that day.

It is hard to really explain what these woods have come to mean to me, but I will try to express as best I can what I have learned and absorbed from this beautiful place.

 Life is beautiful - when I take time to really look...and take in the sky, the mountains, the trees, the eagles.....there is so much beauty.  I am invited to celebrate this beauty. It is a gift for us all.

If I am able, I long to absorb this beauty and carry it within me.  The openness of the sky, the strength of the mountains, the dignity of the trees, the playfulness of the birds.

When I walk with Indie in the woods, she teaches me to be present in the moment.  No use thinking about yesterday, or worrying about tomorrow.  Right now, there is a stick to chew and a trail to run on.  let's enjoy NOW!  There is something about being fully present to the moment that is full of joy.  It has been a hard place for me to find, but a dog always lives there it seems! So, Indie is my teacher in finding the present moment and leading me to gratefulness.

This week I brought two camera crews into my woods!

Jason Brown from Revival Art Studios was shooting pictures for the Love Shines CD project.  His photography has won many awards and is absolutely captivating.  I am so honoured that Jason and Darcie are adding their talent to this project.  You will see some of these wood shots on the CD Jacket!

  

Shaw Cable also came this week for an interview!  They interviewed me about my work and this will be aired in the next couple of weeks - will be posting more about that!  We ended out time with Shaw Cable following me out to the woods!  

Eagles and Ukeleles and Zip Lines

June 2010 I was at Whistler and facing a huge fear of heights as I was strapped in the harness for the longest and highest zip-line in North America.  It is called, 'The Eagle'.  After you are buckled in, you have to walk down some steps and then basically leap into the open air trusting that the harness will not break because if it does, you are 20 stories above ground, going over a huge gorge between two mountains.  I was so freaked out.  I went up and down the stairs about 3 times and wanted to back out.  Finally I realized that the only thing holding me back was fear itself.  I decided to trust the harness and trust the guy that put me in the harness! And jump!  I screamed all the way across the gorge!  I'm quite a chicken I guess - but no, actually in that moment...I declared myself an 'eagle'!  I was 'flying'!!

As I stepped out with the Love Shines dream this fall, the feeling from that zip-line kept coming back to me...and I realized I needed the same courage as I had in that moment - the courage of the 'eagle' to leap off of what was familiar and 'fly'.  I found this artwork on Pender Island by Christian Riese Lassen, which then became symbolic for me as I entered the recording.  I have looked at this art every day in my office and have asked for 'courage to fly'.

Last week, my new ukelele came.  I am really, really pumped about this uke.  It is a very good looking instrument - I mean no embarrassment at all about this baby!  I thought, maybe I should name this thing!  So, I picked up the label that came on the uke and on it was the word, 'Aquila'.  I decided to look it up on Google.  

To my shock, the definition of Aquila is:

'EAGLE' in Latin!

It is also a constellation - and the song that I play the uke on is the 'Love Shines' - all about starlight!  Isn't that CRAZY?????

Singing with Rebecca; 

Winter is Over

Song Stories #8 for Love Shines

When I was a young girl, I loved to sing. I would often sing alone on Saturday mornings in the parish church that was on the same property as my home.  It was my job to dust the pews and window ledges but instead of working, I most often swirled my dust cloth around and watched the dust particles dance in the sunlight that streamed through the yellow stained glassed windows.   As I danced with the dust particles I sang. Those are some of the most precious moments of my childhood.   My singing was hidden to most, except for my well-intentioned father, the one who heard me in these moments.  He would ask me to be quiet as he prepared his sermon on the other side of the wall in his office.  A child can so easily be overlooked in the area of their greatest longing.  It has been a long journey back to find this girl inside of me, the girl who loved to sing.  She became buried under a lifetime of not really knowing how to listen to her own heart.  However,  I have found her again and the passion to sing has been reborn in me in a profound way.  When people hear me sing, they assume I've been singing all my life. I have to tell them - no, it has been a long journey to find my voice and to let it out again.

Rebecca Sichon is a 9 year old friend of mine - she's also a student of mine, studying singing and piano.  I love her dearly and I love seeing her passion for music.  I have seen how she feels music deeply and loves to express it through her voice.  She is emotional and expressive.  She has a heart to communicate ideas through music.  I want to encourage her to follow her heart, to listen to the passion she has and to fly with her dreams of singing.  I think you can see why this is important to me!
It was my delight to include Rebecca on the Love Shines recording.  you will hear her voice on a new version of 'Winter is Over'.  It couldn't be a more perfect song for Rebecca to join me on - here is an excerpt of the words:

the winter, long winter
is over
the winter, long winter
is over
sing, sing sing


winter is past, a new day dawns at last
hope for tomorrow
an end of sorrow
beauty for ashes
springtime has come


excerpt from 'Winter is Over' from the Love Shines CD


Rebecca has recorded a few other songs that were written together with her sister Natalie.  To hear some of these songs, go to:  Rebecca & Natalie

What would this project be without community?
I want to profile some people that have been unbelievable gifts to me in this process - and whom without I would not be where I am today.

I've been dreaming about this CD project for 2 and 1/2 years now.  When I realized I would have to raise the funds for this, I was pretty overwhelmed and didn't know what to do.  I decided to call on 3 friends to meet with me.  They were to tell me if I was completely crazy and I should end the dream right there - or if I should take some steps towards the project.  These friends were Evy Klassen, Heather Maddox and Bev Holmes.  These 3 women were fantastic.  They were blunt, honest and straightforward.  They said, 'you are not crazy' ....now here is what you need to do.
We made a plan of communicating the dream to my community and planning 3 concerts for the fall.  Bev hosted the Mission concert, Heather helped me by forcing me with vision statements and letters, Evy and I talked almost every day and she constantly encouraged me to not give up.
I formed a 'fellowship' of people that created a wider circle.  These people offered notes and words of encouragement, many of which I posted in my office to read on my 'bad' days.
I stepped out with the three concerts.  Kevin Boese was an incredible support for these 3 shows, supporting me on his guitar and great musicianship.  Boris Sichon helped me with song arrangements and brought an element of theatre and entertainment with his participation in the 2nd and 3rd shows...playing everything from the bones to the beautiful duduk.   Jon and Joleen VanDykle joined us as well for the 2nd and 3rd shows with great vocals, bass, and piano accompaniment.  Joanne Abraham and Theo Loewen joined us on the 3rd with extra percussion and sound help.  We had so much fun together and connected with so many great people from the community.
I realized through all the communication and concerts that this CD project was 'about' community - me connecting with a larger circle and not just doing something on my own.  This music is about 'us'.  This music is about our shared humanity - our struggles, our longings, our hopes.
Having to reach out and ask for help and support, even though it was incredibly hard and humbling, ended up being such a great gift.

Some other names...
my cool dog park friends that offer friendship and support - Craig, Laurie, Dave, Darrell, Robin, David, Lia, Leah, Anne and others that I can't remember names at this writing :-)
Nik - more about this amazing woman in another blog!
Kelley - who has listened to lots of 'rough drafts'
Lorie, Eden, Joyce K (who baked like mad for Abby concert), Elsie (hosted Chilliwack concert)
Kendra - who gave the first pre-order on-line and has encouraged me so much!!!
and many many others.....

Love you people!!!!!

             Photograph by Revival Arts www.rastudio.ca

      Love Shines Song Stories #7

This past summer I was on Pender Island when the phone call came that the whales were coming.  There is a phone chain thing that happens on Pender when whales are spotted coming around the island on the east side.  Then the word gets spread and everyone makes a dash to this special spot on the west side where the whales come very close to the shore.  We all felt like kids as we dropped what we were doing and dashed to the vehicle, drove like crazy, ran out to the shore and then waited with the rest of the community.  It was such a fun atmosphere with old and young filled with anticipation together.  After around 20 minutes, the cry came - 'there they are'.  We enjoyed a wonderful show especially when a baby whale kept leaping over and over again.  A sense of wonder came over all of us, touching the beauty of nature.  I often feel this way as I look at the night sky, spend time in the woods or feel the strength of a powerful storm.  The day with the whales was especially inspiring and the day I started working on this song, I Sing With the Earth.  

I sing with the earth

I sing with the sky

I sing with the whales as they sail by

I sing with the trees

I sing with the dawn

I sing with the stars all night long

Creator God who gives me life - you call my name

Creator God  who I can't see - you call my name

I sing with the earth

from mountains on high

in valleys below this glorious sky

I sing with the birds

I sing with the sea

I sing with the sun shining on me

excerpt from I Sing with the Earth - from Love Shines CD

As I was preparing for recording, I came across a Hebrew prayer phrase;

Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh Adonai, Tzva'ot. 

It intrigued me and I looked up what it was about and ended up having this great connection with a Rabbi in Vancouver who helped me understand the vastness of these words.  (Rabbi David Mivasair) These are the words of the prophet Isaiah as he is 'undone' in the presence of the Holy.  (Is. 6)  These words are his response..... and (in very simple terms-as Rabbi David and I talked for a very long time about these words!) convey that the whole world is filled with the glory of God.  This is what I also feel when I am outside and in nature and what the heart of this song is about.  

I have incorporated these Hebrew words into this song and had so much connected with an ancient language as I sang.

Love Shines CD Stories

Working with Philip Janz

There are people in your life that you realize are huge gifts.  People that push you to fulfill your potential - not 60%, not 80% but drive you to your 110%. Philip has been that for me with this recording - pushing me, driving me, expecting the best that I can be and can give to this creative project. This is exciting and also at times exhausting. However, I am so grateful. There are not many people that I can count in my life that do this for me

and so again I become a student, a learner, and realize I have been given an opportunity to grow and develop.

Philip has huge musical talent. He is an amazing pianist, drummer, vocalist as well as being one who records, produces, mixes and engineers a complete project from A-Z.  As the producer, he must have the big picture in mind at all times as well as a zealous determination for the smallest detail. Philip is able to hold both of these aspects at the same time and brings his passion to both the overall vision and the miniscule detail.

However,  I think the greatest gift Philip brings is his ability to listen to the heart of the musician and honour the story they are bringing into their work. It would be easy to impose his own ideas, creativity, and plans into another persons work as he is so incredibly gifted and creative. And he DOES offer his ideas and suggestions and critique in a very open way. However, Philip offers this with kindness and with great respect for the love of creating the best in what the musician has offered.

I am very grateful for this recording process! The past 8 days have been intense vocal days and I'm heading into the last session tonight. They have been some of the best days of my life.

Philip - thank you.

(Photographs by Revival Arts www.rastudio.ca)

my brother, Randy Friesen, made this video of me and Philip working together this past Saturday - ENJOY!!

Song Stories #6
Love Shines CD

Joy is coming

In this video you get a picture into the studio on Friday night when Boris and Philip were going at it working on a whole range of songs. I joined them for a bit of wine and sushi! In this video they are working on the tune, Joy is Coming.
Boris Sichon has been a huge part of this album. He has listened to all the songs and offered so much wonderful feedback and input. He is an amazing musician that has travelled the world and learned from many musical masters. His talent and expertise is a treasure that I deeply value. But more than that, Boris has believed in these songs and helped me to follow my heart with this dream of Love Shines.

This song is the most recent song that has been written for this album. It is simple and reminds me of the time I spent in Africa in my early 20s where i enjoyed beautiful rhythms. I wrote this in December at the beginning of Advent.... Advent reminds me of all the things we are waiting for, longing for and that we hope for. Underneath our waiting, I've become aware of a deep sense of joy. Joy is coming and joy we can taste even now if we pay attention. So, it was with a lot of joy and hope that this song got recorded - and a lot of fun!

Love Shines

Song Stories #5

Sing a Song

Many people in the Lower Mainland have been aware in the past few weeks of the sudden death of Myron Berg due to the traffic accident that happened just after Christmas. I knew Myron from working at House of James Bookstore over 20 years ago. We worked together for one year - he was the 'cool' guy in the music department. Then about 4 years ago, we reconnected when I started teaching 3 of his children music lessons; Lauren, Bryn and Taeryn. I got to know Gillian and the whole family for around 2 years and enjoyed quite a few musical events together.

I wasn't going to put this song, Sing a Song, on the album but then two things happened - one was celebrating the 18th birthday of Christian Friesen on January 14, my nephew who died last March and being aware of the Berg family as they mourn the passing of Myron. (funeral for Myron tomorrow, Jan 21) I realized again that so many of us experience death as a part of the life we are living now. We are all holding someone in our hearts that has passed one. I sang the song for Philip as a last minute possibility and he said YES - let's do it.

When another nephew, Trevor Dueck, died 3 years ago, I created a Service of Remembrance ...a musical evening to help us honour and remember loved ones who have died. On the 2nd year of this concert, when I was cleaning up after that evening, the reality of my own passing became more clear. That night I could not sleep and wrote these words, only to sing them before 1500 people a few months later when Chris died. I also sang them at a Haiti Memorial Fundraiser concert after the earthquake.

As I recorded the song today , my heart went out to the Berg family as they release Myron and love him. My heart sings for Chris, my beloved nephew....my brother Randy and his wife Ingrid and their son Max who are journeying through this grief.

These words are now part of the Love Shines CD project.....

here is an excerpt:

excerpt from

Sing A Song....

sometimes I think about that day

when I'll have wings and fly away

to a place I've never been

never known, never seen

It is a mystery, this life

one day I'm here and then I'm gone

and when that day, it comes for me

I ask that you would sing a song......

sing a song from your heart

through the veil from which I've part

sing a song that is true

and I'll sing ....back to you....

excerpt from Sing a Song from the upcoming Love Shines CD

Song Stories #4

Hope of My Dreams

(The Mountains Call)

I am captivated by the mountains.

I am captivated by sky.

I am captivated by eagles soaring

over my head as I walk in the open field behind Heritage Park in Mission.

I am captivated by ocean, rivers, lakes.

This song holds the sense of awe that I feel each day as I breath deeply of fresh air and take in the beauty that surrounds me.

I originally wrote this song on Bowen Island in August of 2006. It became part of the 'trust' CD recording that came out 2008. That CD was nominated for Inspirational Album of the Year by the Gospel Music Awards of Canada.

In May of 2010 I led a Taize Evening Prayer Event up at the glorious Westminster Abbey of Mission. The acoustics in that space are so delicate and wondrous. Kevin Boese played acoustic guitar and I sang this song as an opening for the evening. Today we recorded the song just like that - acoustic guitar and voice - simple, spacious, open and mystical.

Here is an excerpt of the words.....

The mountains call

out to me

and they declare

through their beauty

of One who is

beyond all things

Giver of Life

Hope of my dreams

thanks to Debbie Klassen of Chilliwack for the amazing photo!

Love Shines

Song Stories #3

Every Time

I must say I've always loved Black Gospel music. There is something about the energy of it that just makes me want to move, to dance, to shout and to laugh. A few months ago, the old melody of 'Every time I feel the Spirit' came into my mind and my toes were tapping in seconds. For weeks I could not get this tune out of my mind and body. I looked up the old tune and found the words on the internet. I loved the chorus, but the words of the verses were not ones that I could resonate with - so I decided to write my own lyrics to this wonderful melody. I've brought this song now into various settings and the response has been that people want to dance, to celebrate and to engage with the song. I'm so excited to share this new arrangement of 'Every time'....

here is an excerpt of the new lyrics...

when life's burdens

weigh down on me

when life's burdens

weigh on me

I hear a whisper

calling to me

'remember sister, you are free'

and every time I feel the Spirit

movin' in my heart

I will pray

and every time I feel the Spirit

movin' in my heart

I will pray

Song Stories for Love Shines

#2

Courage For Today

I love so many different genres of music. As a child I was exposed to a lot of classical music as my mom listened to CBC radio 2. Often I would lie down on the carpet and let the music wash over me as I listened deeply...even when I was 5 or 6. My parents also enjoyed a lot of 'gospel' music so I heard a lot of 4 part harmonies and traditional choral sounds. In my youth I learned to love jazz music, pop music and gained more appreciation for classical music. Through my twenties and through living in Uganda for 2 years, I was exposed to traditional folk music and ethnic sounds. I have loved learning about all these sounds and how these different genres can express so many of our human emotions and experiences better than we can with our words.

I am not a strong blues piano player, but I do love the blues and had fun learning the basic 12 bar pattern a few years ago and passing that on to many students.

A couple years ago I realized that the blues really hold a wonderful tension between major and minor tonalities and feel 'honest' about expressing what it is to be human.

This summer around a campfire at Alice Lake near Whistler, BC, my friend Kendra asked me how I was doing with grieving the loss of my dear nephew Chris. Chris died on March 25, 2010. He was a very special nephew to me - one that I could punch (even though he was MUCH stronger than me) and tease. He was passionate about life and was fun to be with. I loved him fiercely. When Kendra asked me that, I had no words.

How do you express how you feel?

Words feel cheap

and empty.

I said Kendra - I have nothing to say - but I can sing a song.

So I asked Nathan (Kendra's husband) to get his guitar and start playing the blues.....

and this is an excerpt of the song I sang

Courage for Today

My heart, my heart

is heavy

My heart is heavy with burdens

Strengthen me,

Give me courage for today

My soul, my soul

is weary

My soul is weary with sorrow

Strengthen me,

Give me courage for today

(excerpt from 'Courage for Today' to be released on Love Shines)

Chris's birthday is this Friday, January 14th. Loving you buddy!!

Song Stories for Love Shines

Song #1

I would like to share some of the stories of the songs that will be on the Love Shines CD.

I Bind My Life to Love

Several years ago I was in a personal crisis. At certain moments I wondered if I was losing my mind. I was so afraid and so anxious. I wanted to know that everything would be OK, but there were no guarantees that anything would be OK ever again. It was during this time that someone introduced me to a prayer that was inspired by the prayers of St. Patrick. Over the years, I re-wrote it in my own way using imagery that was powerful for me. In the summer of 2009, I realized I wanted to share these words with as many people as I could. These words have impacted me over and over again for over 11 years. I decided to make these words into a song I could sing and give as a gift. When I wake up in the early hours of the morning and can't sleep, these are the words that are often on the edge of my lips. These words have given me hope, energy, faith, and light. I trust the power of Love in my life and so it has become a gift to entrust my life to Love over and over again. The blessing of this has been unexpected joy and deepening peace in my daily life. I'm so excited to share this song on this album!

here is an excerpt of the lyrics:

I bind my life to Love

I bind my heart to Love

I bind my feet to the path Love has for me

I bind my life to Love

Happy New Year!!

the Love Shines Recording

is happening - starting January 7th, 2011!!

This is a dream coming true - taking about a year and a half for it all to come together.

I'm so excited to share 12 original songs

with all of you!!

Hopefully I'll have the CD ready for sale in March.

For regular updates go to:

facebook updates

Love is Shining!!!

Love Shines CD Project Update

Thanks to so many that came out to the 3 concerts of the Fraser Valley. I have been very encouraged to go ahead with the Love Shines CD project and recording dates have now been set for January 2011 - with release happening probably in March 2011.

It has been a fall of taking risks and not knowing where that will lead me. At times I have been terrified to take another step and to put myself out there with sharing my vision and my heart. However, there is something life-giving with taking risks and learning to be OK whatever the results. I've learned a lot from this process!

I've also learned that I deeply value the community around me. I've realized that this project is coming out of a community of support and friendship - not just an isolated dream. This is a powerful shift for me and one that energizes me as I step into the next part of the process of going into the recording studio.

Thanks to so many that have given financially to this project. I am about half-way there with the funds I will need. If you would like to be a part of this, please go to

Love Shines CD Project

This Saturday - November 13, 2010

7:30 pm

Love Shines Concert & Dessert Evening

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

Free event - with opportunity to donate to the Love Shines CD project

I will be joined by...

Boris Sichon (world percussionist - amazing musician!!!)

Kevin Boese (amazing singer/songwriter & guitarist)

Jonathan VanDyke (amazing vocalist and pianist)

Joleen VanDyke (also amazing vocalist and pianist)

We have a great set ready to share with you - and the passion to share songs of hope, inspiration & healing.

Please come & share this wonderful evening together with us! We want a PACKED house!!

RSVP kateajhardy@shaw.ca

Venue: Highland Community Church

3130 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, BC V2S 6A8

3 upcoming concerts

3 evenings of sharing my heart in song - songs of hope for the Love Shines CD

YOU ARE INVITED!!

October 30 in Chilliwack with Kevin Boese

home of Walt & Elsie Goerzen 46400 Stevenson Rd Please RSVP 604-858-9679

November 6th in Mission with Boris Sichon & Kevin Boese

Heritage High School - Drama Studio -7:30pm

November 13th in Abbotsford with Kevin Boese - Cale Stanage opening

Highland Community Church 7:30pm

for more info: please e-mail me at:

kateajhardy@shaw.ca

Love Shines CD Project

Your partnership in songs of hope
to be released Spring 2011

...a musical venture with the passion to bring hope, healing, and inspiration

I have an opportunity to record songs of Hope, Healing and Inspiration in January of 2011.

I am so excited to share these songs with the community, but I know that I need the support of the greater community to help make this dream a reality.

This album will be filled with original songs that have come out of the stories of life these past 2-5 years. They are unique songs that connect with our souls and our journey; big and gentle sounds coming out of deep joys as well as deep sorrows. They are sounds that call us to live with authenticity, trust, and hope. They also invite us to taste of Love shining even in our darkest moments.

These are songs I want to share with as many people as I can. We all need songs to sing in our darkest hours that call us into deeper truths and freedom. These are songs that have come to me like gifts and have powerfully touched my own life and I want to share them with the world.

if you would like to partner with me in this project- go to:

LOVE SHINES CD PROJECT

Listen to Love Shines Single

Gratefulness

Life is full of twists and turns these days. Our family is still reeling from the loss of my nephew Christian, who died in March of 2010. Going through summer holidays without him around for certain events was painful for us all.

This summer brought to our attention that my dad is suddenly dealing with colon cancer and my mom's leukemia is also very present. Dad had to have two unexpected surgeries in this past week and mom is at the doctor's today about her leukemia. Then my sister-in-law Ilona found out this past spring she has serious breast cancer and has been undergoing treatments all summer and is also facing surgery.

How to respond to ALL of this at once is simply overwhelming on many days....but this photo hopefully reflects my response. Here I am with my nephew Graham, son of Ilona. He is 10 and was over to hang out with me one day this summer. We had fun and enjoyed being together.

To be present to the people around me, to be grateful for the beauty that is here even in the midst of suffering, to offer the gift of kindness and simple expressions of love.....this is what is important. And then - to be GRATEFUL in this moment for what is right now.

the labyrinth





the symbolic walk of choice & letting go

Life is funny sometimes. You have these moments of utter clarity about the next step. And so you make a choice to make that step and then suddenly it seems you are going backwards and wondering what just happened. It seems that life is full of choices, taking risks, moving forward into the unknown - a sign of personal freedom to affect the outcome of one's life.....choice. And then there is this flip side - how things just seem to happen and you find yourself belly up - or face in the dirt. How did that happen? It seems that there are situations completely beyond one's control - and that one has a choice in that moment too - to accept the reality or to fight it.
When I walk the labyrinth, I remember all these things - my choices as well as the circumstances in my life I have no control over. The labyrinth seems so symbolic of stepping forward yet at the same time experiencing going backwards while still moving towards the centre. It is an interesting experience to walk in 20 minutes what can be so symbolic of life itself.
It seems like a journey of trust - trusting to take risks and also trusting in the moments of surrender to what is beyond me.

If you get a chance - walk the labyrinth.......I'd love to hear how your expereince is!

Love Shines.AVI

Brother Roger has become a spiritual guide in my life.

I recently discovered these video postings that are now being made public. Have a watch

http://www.taize.fr/en_article10037.html

Maybe Brother Roger will inspire you also....... I love this man!!

"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it stop me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do" Georgia O'Keefe

So, now that you know how I feel :-),

I am inviting you all to the

Love Shines Concert -

Cathy AJ Hardy & Friends

on June 26, 2010

8pm

St. Andrew's United Church in Mission

I am excited to partner with some great musicians to share with you the songs that mean so much to me! Boris Sichon is a world percussionist who plays all sorts of instruments from around the world. Kevin Boese is a fantastic acoustic guitarist and songwriter....and there are others too who will join me.

This evening will be a collection of my own compositions and other songs that mean a lot to me.

There is a suggested donation of $15 at the door.

Look forward to seeing you!

Taize Evening Prayers at Westminster Abbey, Mission
Saturday, May 29, 2010 8pm-9pm

Why come?
This hour is filled with song, prayer, silence and open space.
This hour is for you to drink in beauty, rest and soul-food.
The songs from Taize are like simple phrases, that when repeated a few times, become something a person can meditate on.
For example, the Latin phrase will be sung: Da pacem cordium
This means.....Give peace to every heart.
To sing this together is prayer....
We all hold the stories of our lives; joy, pain, thankfulness and sadness...
We all long for peace of heart and peace of heart for those we love and peace of heart for all humanity. In singing this simple phrase together, we pray together something powerful.
In the words of Richard Rohr; prayer is not seen as telling God what to do but "to experience our dependence on the great mystery".
Acoustic instruments such as harp, guitar, recorder & violin will be played during the service.
I will also be using a new singing bowl (new to me that is) that is over 100 years old.