Faye's Feedback

My exercise routine usually consists of my treadmill in these dark, winter mornings, but the other day I was lured by the warmer weather to walk outside. I came upon an icy patch on the sidewalk and felt my left foot slip forward, and my right foot swung into the air. I knew I was going down, but the sliding of my foot stopped abruptly, and I slowly lowered the raised leg, amazed and in shock. There was no reason that I should have kept my balance in that peculiar position. I should have been flat on my back, with my head hitting the ice. I continued on my walk, feeling like I was not alone. Once the shock started to wear off, the tears started flowing down my cheeks in thankfulness, and the song, "To God Be the Glory" sprang to mind. Good thing it was still dark out, and no one was around to see me... So this weekend I painted a picture - just for me. It is to remind me that I am not alone - He goes "Before Me", just as He did when my husband Wern died in 2002,...

While I love my job, (like I mentioned in my last blog) it can certainly deal it's own handful of stress, and last week was a doozey. I didn't know how much I had been holding until the weekend began. I know that I paint to release stress, but this weekend I couldn't stop - it was like a very urgent regurgitation of everything inside me - all at once! Saturday started as usual. One painting was finished by mid afternoon (The Cleansing). After dinner, I was driven to the canvas with another idea that was knocking on my brain cells. Luckily, Darl was busy with some shelving renos, so I didn't feel like I was neglecting him. The second painting was finished in two hours (The Firmament). Sunday I woke early and started the third painting. I tried to stay away from the canvas for the afternoon and evening, but it was really hard! (Really, I tried - only sneaked in an hour). Thankfully, Monday's Louis Riel holiday afforded me a few more hours to finish this last pie...

It was a very good day at work today. Steve Bell came into the office for the afternoon and asked us if we'd like to hear a new Valentine song that he wrote for his wife.... ;) My new assistant Sabrina, Dave and I listened as Steve sat down with his guitar and played the poetic, reminiscent and slightly cheeky tune. Have I mentioned that I love my job? One of the best perks of working at the Signpost Music office are these moments where we sit, listen to new music with virgin ears, and later watch the process of a raw song develop into a polished and layered recorded composition. Steve was explaining to us how a new melody usually has a word or note sequence that will at first make us question if we like the song, and then after listening a few more times, we get used to it and either decide we like it or not.  It's the same thing with a painting - we will look at it for the first time and see one thing that may irritate us at first, and then as we take a longer lo...

I had a rare day off yesterday, and after my massage, hair appointment and fantastic coffee from a new place on Main Street called "Parlour Coffee", I sneaked over to the Winnipeg Art Gallery for a quick view of William Kurelek's exhibit " The Messenger". Mistake. I didn't allow enough time to thoroughly peruse the exhibit, although I'm so very glad I went, since the man's genius inspired me in many ways. What a great way to start the new year! At the exhibit, I was standing with several people in front of a complicated and very detailed painting representing the results of a nuclear bomb upon the Hamilton/Toronto area, and a woman nearby said, "I certainly can't see this one in my living room." This comment made me ponder the meaning of art in general. I have learned so much about art in the last little while, and realize that there is so much about art that the general population doesn't know. It's like Kurelek's pain...

In reading what I wrote in my journal at the beginning of 2011, I realize now that I was very pessimistic about the coming year. I didn't feel confident about the future in many aspects of my life, except for the security in the love of God and my marriage. Those two things I clung to with ferocity. Renovate: A women's Bible study at my church on the "fruit of the spirit" fed me spiritually as I struggled with issues of pride and forgiveness.I devoured helpful books like Laying My Isaac Down and Healing Soul Misery , and books by Frank Peretti dealing with spiritual battle. I bought a beautiful piece of racu art - a clay "spirit shield" by local artist Gloria D'Neve, to remind myself about the armour of God , and the spiritual swordplay going on behind the visible world. I learned to pray deeper, drink deeper from the Word and release myself through painting. While I still have a long way to go in my faith journey, it is a joy to discover the surpris...

I have always absolutely LOVED Toronto! I have so many happy memories of visiting the area - most of them had been in my past (I was born in the area), and with my late husband Wern Kliewer. A couple of years after he passed, I went to Toronto by myself for a weekend to do some of the things we used to do together on visits, and to relive memories. It was a very therapeutic time, and I even repeated the visit to see "Mama Mia", the Abba musical. Wern and I had been in TO just a couple of months before he died - our last trip together. This time I was in Toronto for an entirely different reason. My boss, Steve Bell was going to perform at Massey Hall for the first time with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra! My husband Darrell and I booked the weekend to see this prestigious milestone event  in Steve's career as a three day romantic getaway for the two of us. Oh - what a weekend it was , culminating in attending the rehearsal with the Toronto Symphony on the afternoon on D...

Imagine a beautiful old city, buildings restored from years of past conflict. The weather is sunny, warm and there's just a slight breeze. There's an old cathedral, street vendors and people selling fresh caught fish in the local market. But something is different. When you arrive in this city, you receive a report on how to stay safe. Girls are not allowed out alone as soon as it gets dark. You are warned not to look people in the eye because that is seen as a sign of aggression. You will immediately be asked if you have a problem and you must reply "no". You are told never to carry much money or valuables on you, and many more useful hints. You see, the criminals are absolutely fearless in this city. They do not care about being seen, about injuring their victims or anything else. There is only one active church in the vicinity. That first day walking around town, you will quickly see that while the criminals may be fearless, the rest of the population lives in...