Blessings--Part 2

"Blessings" (the new album) was set to release on July 25, 2010. As is the custom these days, I was kind of thinking of doing something maybe extra special for this 4th project. Maybe a gathering of family and friends, in a community hall perhaps, for a pot-luck and a "listening" to the brand new song collection. To me, this sounded like an idea we could pull off--nothing fancy--just time together with "our folks".

Somewhere along that line, Hubby began to formulate another plan. Oh he shared it with me but I *gently* shrugged it off, saying, "Arend, that will never happen but thanks for even thinking about it--It *would* be something--but it will never happen!"

Oh me of little faith. Never tell a determined Dutchman that he can't do something! I must explain right here that my all-time favourite Gospel Group is Jeff & Sheri Easter (there was a *window* in theri touring schedule from Oct. 30--Nov. 11). I've learned and love their music--sang many of their songs at our own musical spot, "Country Junction" (we closed in 2003). I first heard them right here in our own city, in 1995 I believe. As soon as they started to sing (and I don't remember what song it was) I started to hum along. I loved their presence onstage and their love for God rang true and clear!

I purchased one of their CDs that night, and then started my collection. I have (most) all of their albums now and a lot of the lyrics are tucked into my heart. Songs like, "Weeping Alone", >"Handful of Weeeds", "Thread of Hope"--these all spoke to me in a very personal way, reaching down to the very depths of my soul. And so began an emotional time of healing for me. (But that's another story)

Getting back to my original train of thought (ooopss--so easy to stray sometimes), my Hubby knew how very much I loved the Easters. And so, he embarked on Mission Impossible, at least in my eyes ☺

On June 3rd, 2010, at exactly 3:46 PM, this is what Arend sent off to Beckie Simmins (of BSA booking agency in Nashville): "Hi Beckie, WE are going to have a CD release concert for my wife Barb, named Blessings, her 4th studio gospel recording, in Fredericton, NB Canada. She has a gift from God and would love to have Jeff and Sherri be part of this event. What would the cost be to us?
Thanks, Arend Laagland Winder"

This is exactly as he wrote it. That was it. That was his initial contact with the booking agent for the Easters. I read the e-mail, smiled and said, "That's kind of vague, don't you think dear? I mean, 'my wife Barb'--do you really think they are going to come straight up from Georgia for 'my wife Barb'? Even if we lived in the next town, I'm thinkin they would at least have to know my last name" But I was gentle so as not to hurt his feelings, smiled again and said, "Let me know what happens". He nodded and went back to his book work. And for me, that was that. Bless his heart for thinking of me I thought--that was really sweet oh yes, and wouldn't "Beckie" and the Easters also want to know who Arend Laagland Winder was--just sayin....

Now, at this point, I'm (kind of) starting to picture this whole thing--actually happening. A tiny seed was planted here, even in my doubtful mind. "Could he really pull this off?" Naw, but he'll have a story to tell anyway so just let him be....

And, friends, you will have to wait for "the rest of the story" in another post. It wouldn't be fair to Arend to let it all spill out yet.

I will tell you this: for those of you who know how the story ends,
my goal here is to share the "facts"--as they unfolded. I'm still shaking my head, but hey, God does tell us to be bold doesn't He? My husband took that step of faith, and......

Until next time,
Blessings to *you* and *yours*,
Barb

Blessings--2010--Part 1

It was going to be tough to "gather up" all the blessings that I've received over this past year so I've decided to do it in "parts". There have been many "highlights" and I want to share as many as possible with *you*.

First of all, I want to thank my Lord, from whom all blessings flow. Without Him I would be able to do nothing. He's given me music to share with the world and that right there is quite an amazing thing, especially when I think back a few years when this would never have been possible. At least, not to the magnitude that it is today.

This year marked the 4th release of a new album for me, simply entitled, "Blessings". I tried to pick songs that spoke to me about how God has touched my life through music. He's given me "Peace", strong arms to "Lean on" an eternal home (Beulah Land), songs that speak of His grace (I Need you Now, I Want To Thank You)--and one of my favourites, "Blessings".

How could I not believe that God is real and lives now and forever? He's "Brought me This Far" not to leave me and that's a testimony song for me--Amen!! I will sing "Until Then" and proclaim that "He'll be the One" when we need help in any situation. I pray these songs speak to your heart--that "What Judas Didn't Know" is made known to you--There was and is forgiveness for our sins--can I have an Amen!!

I'm already working on another album--but, I'm getting ahead of myself. I will share my "most wonderful news" with you over the course of the next few days and weeks, so stay tuned my friends.

BTW--feel free to share this with your friends on facebook--It's a "good thing" to spread good news around!!

We'll meet here again--soon ♥
Blessings,
Barb

I Remember When

1. I could buy an ice-cream cone, a soda and a bag of potato chips, all for 25 cents.

2. My Mom drove our VW for an entire week on less than $2.00 worth of gas--don't you wish that could happen today??

3. Catching fireflies was the best excuse to stay up past 10 on a warm summer evening--ahhh, I must go out tonight and relive that memory...

4. I could attend Bible Camp for 7--yes, SEVEN days and nights for $7.00--Yes, SEVEN dollars.

5. My grandparents would take us fishing and we'd cook our trout catch right along the brook in a cast iron fry pan--thick slices of Gram's homemade bread topped off our feast--Yummmm
6. Making homemade ice-cream in my Grampie's hand-crank freezer was the best birthday present!!

7. Our teacher (at the one-room schoolhouse) took the entire student body (30 students maybe??) on a hike into the forest behind the school so we could all help cut down the Christmas tree for the Christmas concert that would be attended by the entire community--I totally love this memory..

8. Elvis made his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

9. We got our first dial phone that hung on the kitchen wall--of course we never got to use it much with 10 other families on the "party line".

10. Wading in the brook in the summer kept us cool, while we made bracelets from dandelion stems--we actually wore those things until they fell off.

11. I mowed the lawn with a push mower--that is, a push mower "not" powered by gas but by my very own muscles only--I'd love to find one of those things today and push it again...

12. A week's groceries for two cost less than $10--in the early 70s that is--that included lots of baking supplies and treats..

13. My Mom used to give us home perms--until...that fatefull perm gone wrong happened in my Grade 10 year in high school. That was the END of home perms for me!

14. We made our own fun--in the summertime we waded in the brook, climbed trees (sometimes in our bare feet), had peanut-butter & Jelly sandwich picnics under a shade tree, laid down on the grass and "imagined" what shape the clouds were--in the wintertime we dug snow tunnels in the HUGE drifts, skated on our road when school was closed due to freezing rain, took our dog sliding on a snowy afternoon--those were the days my friend ♥

15. I "preached" a mighty fine sermon to my fellow "one-room-school mates" after being to a "tent revival meeting" (even had a few converts) ☺

16. We only had 2 channels to watch on TV--and were quite content with progams offered, but seldom watched in the summer months.

These are just a few memories from "back in the day" that make me smile--hope the same goes for you,

Blessings,
Barb
PS: This was written (perhaps) summer of 2009, but I wanted to finally share it with "you"

Comtemplating Life: Birth Month

As I'm writing this post (longhand) in one of my favourite corners of our home (my reading/writing nook), I'm reminded of a comment one of my sisters made a while back, that went something like this: "You must be getting old because you're saying "years ago" a lot".

I admit that at first I was (a bit) insulted (sorry sister if you're reading this) even though she said it in fun. Not many of us (women) want to admit our age once we hit the "39 and holding" mark. I remember sitting in my doctor's office on my 40th birthday, crying my eyes out and the doctor asked (gently) if my age was bothering me. "Everything is bothering me", I replied. But that's another story.

This year of 2009, in this (glorious) month of June, I will celebrate (Lord willing) living on this earth for 56 years. Not a milestone, per say, but I'm following another sister's example by observing the day of my "birth" for the entire month. Yes, I thought it was a bit of an extravagant idea at first, but I've since latched on to the concept.

Why shouldn't we look back and remember how we got to this point in our lives, this place of maturity (questionable in my case), of accepting who we are (somewhat); this moment of realizing life has its sweet times, as well as the sad?

Sometimes it does just seem like yesterday (not "years ago") that I was counting down the days and hours until the end of the school term. My birthday falling on the end of the month was always a great measuring stick for that highly anticiapted event. The long summer days of running barefoot in the clover field, pigtails swinging, were (unquestionably) the most magical of my childhood.

Wading in the stream that ran along our property, climbing trees, picking wild strawberries just because I loved to--that "movie" playing in my mind brings joy mixed with a few tears, and lots of sweet sighs...ahhh..

Then, I fast forward to present day. Ouch!! We are bombarded with economical downturn, images of war and poverty and crime and.......Wait a minute...what happened to running barefoot in the sweet summer breezes? Have we lost the "innocence of life" and replaced it with modern technology? My answer is, "Only if we want to".

No, we can't make the tragedies of this crazy and wild world disappear. But we can choose to appreciate where we've been, who we've become, who and how we love and cherish. It's not a matter of a click of the mouse, it's a "matter of the heart"!

After almost 56 years to reflect upon, I'm choosing to honour my "birth" day by celebrating life! And not just for the month of June, but from henseforth. I'm going to hug a little more, treasure the tender moments a little more; laugh, cry and shout a LOT MORE!! I'm going to sing, jump, skip, play, soak in--a WHOLE LOT MORE!!

And...I'm going to spread it around. So, don't be surprised if I call sometime, out of the blue, and ask, "Would you like to come over for tea in the garden?". Then we'll dance on the lawn, laughing like children, because 'we can'.

I hope you celebrate your "birth" day (and month) with those you love and cherish, this year and forever!!

Blessings to you and "yours", Barb

It's Been Tooooooo Long

I'm not going to even mention that I've not written anything on this Blog in months--I'm not even going to try to make up for time lost, or words not spoken. Let's just begin a new page.

Sometimes God pulls a fast one and draws us out where we wouldn't otherwise go--know what I mean? He places people and events in your life to bless you in so many ways, you are totally blown away and think, "I did NOT expect or deserve any of this".

That has been my "scenario"--let me explain.

On September 3, at around 7:15 that (Wednesday) evening, as my Hubby and I were basking in the warm sunshine on our back screened-in deck, the phone rang. "Probably a telemarketer" was the look we gave each other, and stared at the phone. Hubby, at the last minute, decided to answer and it was "the" call that forever changed my life as I knew it!!

The previous Saturday, (Aug. 30) I had, under great pressure from that (loving) husband of mine, auditioned for a singing competition called, "Gospel's Dynamic Duets". Just let me tell you that I am NOT a competitor--never have been. I like to enjoy life as it is--just let me stay in my box where I"m comfortable and content--you know that place?

Anyway, I (kicking and screaming) agreed to go to this audition, all the way listening to that old devil tell me, "This is not for you, so don't expect anything". And that quite often works if I let it--the old devil knows me, but doesn't have as much power over me as the migthy God I serve--Amen!

So, with this picture in your head now, I walked into a hotel in Halifax, telling my Hubby I would (honestly) do my best, sing my heart out and that would be that, right? We, after all, had a mini holiday planned right afterward and would be staying in a B&B in Lunenburg (that was the "carrot" that Arend dangled in front of my nose--sneaky but it worked).

The judges gave me favourable comments, and told me they would be in touch with me, probably via e-mail. Secretly, I checked my in-box for the next few days and nothing new or starling appeared so the enenmy had apparently won this round. I shrugged it off ( in front of Arend that is) and said, 'Life goes on after auditions"--no big deal."

But, God had a plan, and that September 3rd phone call proved that. Oh, yeah, who was on the phone, you ask? It was one of the producers of GDD, telling me I had the opportunity to go to Ontario (Lake Simcoe) and be part of "Camp" week along with the other people who had auditioned at the 3 major cities across Canada and had made it to the next round!!! I also need to tell you right here that as I was hearing this from the reciever glued to my ear, I was thinking, "Is this a mistake--maybe he's called the wrong number?" But he did have my name right. I calmly told him "Thank-you for calling--Yes, I will come to Camp week, yes, I understand I will have the opportunity to audition (again) to make the top 20, and yes, I will see you in a couple of weeks".

I hung up the phone, shook my head and walked into the kitchen to tell Arend the details, more or less asking him if I had done the right thing by agreeing to go to Ontario. Well, if you've gotten anything from the past Blog posts, you know that husband of mine is my "Dreamer" of dreams for me and never gives up on encouraging me every day to sing and write. I tend to not take him seriously (at least some of the time) but on this occasion he responded in true "Arend" style. "YES"!!!!!!! That was his confirmatin I had indeed "done the right thing".

There were appointments to be made, phone calls, arrangements for our cat to be cared for, shopping (for me) and chores to be completed around our property if we were going to be away for a while.

On Sunday morning (September 20th) at 6:40 AM, we pulled out of our driveway and pointed our van in a westerly direction, with the final destination being Jackson's Point on beautiful Lake Simcoe, about an hour north of Toronto. And as they say, the rest is now history. I will tell you more about our adventure in the next post--I must get to work now--lots to do around this big ole house. Besides, I need for you to drop by again, now that I've gotten back in the writing mode. Pray that I will continue to tap these keys.

Until the next time, Blessings to you and "Yours',
Barb

Bithdays are treasures

I called my Dad this morning to sing Happy Birthday to him--it's a family tradition I like to keep going by calling as many family members as possible on "their" special days, no matter where they are.

I knew from talking to my Mom that Dad is getting less and less enthusiastic about celebrating the "candle count" and would just as soon forget about the years adding up. Well, I tried to convince him that this day is, always has been and should continue to be applauded and welcomed with joy. "You're still here Dad, you can still walk and talk, jump if you want, garden, see and hear, spend time with your family and friends--what more could you ask for?"

He got kind of quiet on the phone and I thought maybe I had overstepped my bounds--I hope not. As a lady (daughter & mother) who's going to be counting 55 fingers and toes this year, I've figured out that age is not just how you feel anymore, it's all about attitude. And I have to admit I may have more of that than I should.

Having said that, if I can keep it (outlook, mindset, perpspective--AKA attitude) in the positive lane, by encouraging others, lending a hand (and a shoulder now and then), loving those who mean everything to me, I'm certain I can live (if not longer) happier and more comfortable with each year than I was with the last.

But this post isn't supposed to be about me--I wanted to wish my Dad and any others who may be reading this today (or anytime) a blessed day of not just counting candles but counting blessings.

Look around you--what do you see--what do you hear? Who makes you smile, who challenges you to learn new things, what has enriched your life over this past 12 months? I don't believe any one of us could not think of at least a few times when we realized it was "grand" to just be alive.

Yes, there is a lot of sadness, sickness, turmoil and on and on it goes, in this world, and we know there always will be. Unfortunately we have no power to stop misery as long as we live. However, we can choose to seek the "sunshine" on a dark day; sometimes all it takes is for us to pick up the phone and talk to a friend. Or, in my case on birthdays, sing.

Birthdays can, and are meant to, be a perfect opportunity to reflect on our lives, on the "living" that we've done and the living left to do.

I know you may be thinking, "Get off your soap-box lady", and so I will now. I still want my Dad and you too, to have an amazing time on the day of your birth. Spend time with someone you love or perhaps someone you don't even know (volunteering). See just how meaningful this day can be.

Blessings to you and "yours", as always,
Barb
PS: I don't have a picture of Dad blowing out his candles, so I decided to post a few favourite flower photos--enjoy And Dad, if you're there, I haven't told anyone how old you are--only my age. And remember, you're still young--only 19 years older than me

Grandma "Firsts"

After almost 55 years here on this earth, there're lots of "snapshots" in my mind of memories that are unique to my "scrapbook" if you will.

I've become a grandmother, and it seems like a brand new "era" in the life and times of Barb Prosser Winder. How did I get to this point and what lies just beyond the horizon? We all know that only God has the answer to the future, but upon reflection of the past, I can certainly share a few moments that stand out for me. And I don't mean I'm going to try to recall my "life's story" in a 600 word Blog post. No, I have a specific goal for today, as the title of this entry suggests.

Last April 17th, I got a phone call that started me on a journey that not only changed my life, but changed how I look at the span of time that God has given to me, to do with it as I will (with plenty of guidance from Him of course).

I heard the words, "Mom, you're a grandmother" and my heart's natural rhythm sped up, my hands started to shake, I couldn't speak English (kidding). I could NOT get in the car fast enough and make the 50 minute trip to the hospital where I would meet this newest member of our family and fall in love at first sight (You can actually refer back to June 3, 2007's post entitled "Grandma Time" to get a sense of those warm fuzzy feelings).

Riley Derek Johnston has taken hold of his Nanna's hand and heart and has given new purpose to this grateful soul who now can NOT imagine life without him.

From his first visit to our home, to this very moment on this stormy March evening, there's this tenderness that just "happens" whenever I think about his little chubby fingers reaching up to touch my face. I don't think I could ever really explain it to my son, or anyone other than maybe another Grandma. "It" turns us to mush, makes us act sillier than usual and just plain flips our boring life upside down.

The first time I held him in my arms, the first time I got to show him off at church, the first time I sang onstage with Riley in my arms, the first time I dipped him in our pool, the first time I recorded with him on my lap (this past November I released a Christmas album and Riley's picture is in the insert).

The first live radio gig with my precious grandson sitting on my lap, reaching for the mic--It's all captured in snapshots. In fact, I made an album for my son and his girlfriend, gave it to them for Christmas and Riley's Mom sat with tears flowing down her cheeks as she turned the pages in that album. I had enlagements framed for them and Jackie had them hung as soon as we walked out the door that day I think:o)

Whatever life holds from here on out, whatever "stuff" happens, nothing can ever compare to the new "firsts" that have been given me over these last few months. God has blessed me in ways I could never have imagined or dreamed of, and all the money or fame in the entire world could never even come close to topping that.

I'm so thrilled to be a grandmother--it's a title I carry with bliss etched forever on my face and down to my very core.

Maybe it's because I've been reading a book by Karen Kingsbury this week--the father of the Baxter family makes scrapbooks of letters that his wife had written over the years to him and their 6 children--that has made me appreciate my own "place" in this world. The place where love lives and keeps us going, where "firsts" mean more love and appreciation for the blessings we can count, starting with the awakening each morning to a new day.

And, if you've read any of my previous posts in the last few months, you also know that my Hubby's daughter has given us a beautiful grand-daughter to love and spoil. She'll be 3 a few days now and is the light of our lives (I did NOT want to leave her out of the picture because she's so very special to me--just as special as Riley). We've enjoyed many visits from her as well--"play-dates" they call them now.

I will include 2 or 3 photos of these darling grandkids. Just before I close though, I must thank these children of "ours" for bringing these delightful little humans into the world. Life will never be the same, since that "first" look at those new grand-babies--Love it, love it........Blessings to you and yours......Barb
okay, there are 5 or 6 photos-- Grin