Coming soon to a blog near you!

Keep your eyes and ears open this summer for an exciting blog tour coming your way courtesy of "Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers".  All through the months of July and August, featured bloggers will be giving you the low down on this exciting genre - Edgy Christian Fiction. It'll be a great resource for your summer reading list and will cover topics from Crime, Suspense, Sensuality, Romance, Thrillers ... you name it!  I'll keep you posted as the tour is finalized. There will be lots of great insight from a wide range of Christian authors - both those that are established and those that are just making inroads. (Like me! :) One thing we have in common, though, is - WE LIKE IT ON THE EDGY SIDE!

Procrastination...

Procrastination, my constant friend, is luring me away from what I need to be doing yet again.  You see, I am currently sitting at my computer (where else) after spending almost two and half hours checking my emails, networking on various sites, and generally doing all that other good stuff that seems to take up so much of my time these days. 

What I actually should be doing is finding and compiling all the sound effects and in between music for my Drama troupe's up coming production.  Oops!  The show is in two weeks and I still haven't got the sound for the show nailed down yet.  This is way behind my usual schedule.  A few kids and I just nicely finished all the props and set construction over the weekend. Talk about behind schedule! Fortunately, all the production concerns are fairly simple.  We are doing our usual spring 'One Act Play Festival' on June 9 & 10. This year's show is called "TV Parodies". which is always a fun theme, and in particular its cool because many of the skits etc. are original, written by the kids themselves. (Or at least the ideas came from them ... I did a fair bit of 'editing' :) I am also quite stoked about the Carol Burnett sequences that we are using.  Anyone remember her 'As the Stomach Turns' sketches? They are hilarious! (And yes, we have purchased the rights to use them, just in case anyone asks!) I have a group of 25 kids aged 12 - 16 this term, many of whom are newcomers after our very successful 'Robin Hood' production in January. We decided corporately that just calling ourselves the TRSS Drama Club was kind of lame, so we've officially renamed ourselves 'The KodiActs'.  (Our mascot is a Kodiak bear ...) Anyway, the production is going to take up much of my time over the next two weeks, so forgive me if I don't frequent my blog as often as I should.

The other thing I should be doing is compiling my worship list for this Sunday. Somehow, I have managed to become the sole Worship leader in our church after we suffered a rather nasty split.  The other woman who does it is going to Greece for a month, so it looks like its just me. (And my faithful drummer, and one other guitar player)  I don't mind, really, because I do love to worship and I enjoy leading and playing the piano, but at present I am feeling just a bit stretched ...

Did I mention that I'm doing the sound for another Theatre group's play this weekend?  :) Crazy me, I offered to help out since their regular sound person couldn't do it. The Grizzly Valley Players are putting on a repeat performance of a play that they took to the Peace Regional Zones (and where they won several awards, including best actress - Jean Polawki, and best supporting actor - Tim Favell.) Anyway, I like to support the arts, and their director is always very supportive of what I am doing with The KodiActs. I'll be practicing Thursday, Friday and all day Saturday with the performance on Sat. night.

Hm ... did I leave anything out?  Of course!  Our local fire chief asked me if I would help stage their upcoming 'Mock Disaster'.  Naturally, I said yes, so myself and the Grizzly Valley Player's director are doing all the specialty make-up tomorrow night before the  'Mock Disaster' itself. (An MD is a practice for the Fire and Ambulance Dept.)  The make-up kit is pretty cool - all kinds of prosthetics, crazy oozing wounds... amputations - the works!  It should be fun, but once again DO I REALLY HAVE TIME FOR THIS?!?

Of course I do. Otherwise, I wouldn't be procrastinating by sitting here clacking away on my blog.  Right? Right. Seems we always find the time for the things that we want to do. And in the end, the 'shows' will all go on. It reminds me of a verse which I will paraphrase here  - "Whatever you put your hand to, do it will all your might." (And no, I'm not going to take the time to look up the reference!) Whatever we choose to do in this life - whatever things we busy ourselves with - if they are worth doing, then 'do them with all your might!"  That goes for writing, creativity, teaching, parenting, loving ... even worshiping. So enjoy life, my friends, and make every moment count.

(I will now bid you adieu and go and do my work!!
Tracy

Feature on Dallas Woodburn's Writing Life

I was the feature author yesterday on 'Dallas Woodburn's Writing Life".  You can check out the whole interview by going to www.dallaswoodburn.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-with-tracy-krauss-author.html

Interview with Author Michelle Sutton

I'm very excited to interview author Michelle Sutton on my blog today. Michelle is the author of over a dozen novels including It's Not About Me (2008), Best-selling Danger at the Door (2009), new release In Plain Sight (April 2010), and Never Without Hope (July 2010)

Welcome to Expression Express, Michelle! 

What makes your writing different from other Christian romantic fiction?
I tend to get more honest with the reader when I'm in the characters' heads. I explore what people really think, not what we wish they would think because they are supposed to or because they are Christians. I have my characters also do what most people would really do. To do this I have to set the story up so that the reader sees it as a reasonable action, even if they don't like the choice the character made.

What is your definition of edgy?
Anything that would cause you to personally e-mail me and said, "I can't believe you put that in your story! Bravo!" tips me off. Seriously, I just write the world the way it is, not how Christians are supposed to be. My characters make mistakes and get messy and then suffer the consequences. Hopefully it will be bad enough that the reader will never want to go there themselves because it looks too painful.

Describe your latest novel for us.

It's about a couple that have been married for 13 years but it's all told through the wife's POV in the first person tense so you ARE the character. She is at the stage in her life when she wants more intimacy and her husband can't seem to do it anymore, so she wants him to get help. Like most men, he ignores the problem, which means he also ignores her. Since women's self-esteem is connected to their desirability in marriage, she starts to feel defective, or like something is wrong with her. So when a younger man comes along who is also not getting his needs met at home, they agree to meet each other's needs. It starts out thrilling and becomes a huge mess when her life explodes in her face. But you totally see what drove her to do it, not that it made it right. You also see how things slipped downhill until she was in so deep there was no way out without risking everything.

What has been the response to this book so far?
So far no one has told me I can't possibly be a Christian and write this stuff. So that has been a relief. However, even if they did, it doesn't change the fact that this story is inspired by my Lord. Many women have told me it's helped them either personally or because they are going through something similar with a friend who could benefit from reading my book. It has real ministry potential, which is my intention. I never write merely to entertain. I want readers to really think about their lives and their faith as well.

Tell us more about some of your past novels.
Where do I begin? I've written YA, Romantic Suspense, Women's fiction and category romance. All of my novels have some element of romance (usually pretty intense) and typically read in a suspenseful manner in the sense that you have to find out what happens next so you keep reading until you realize it is 4 AM. I get this comment frequently. The latest I've kept anyone up so far has been 5 AM.

You have written for both teens and adults. What made you switch to a more mature audience?
I've always written for adults. Even the characters in my YA novels were 19 and older. I wrote them for college aged youth.

What inspires you in your writing?
I ask the Lord to give me a story and when one starts brewing in my head I write it down. Sometimes I let it simmer awhile, but eventually I write the story.

Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
Probably Francine Rivers because she's not afraid to write it how she sees it.
What advice do you have for other authors?
Keep writing and don't compromise who you are just to sell a book.

Tell us something about your life outside of writing.
I'm a social worker. There is no way I could come up with some of the stuff I write without some frame of reference for the dysfunction. Everything I write has some element of real life in it, usually someone I know or have known has gone through something very similar.
Do you have any advice for other Christians?
Be real around your unsaved friends. They know when you are faking it. Taking off that white-washed mask of perfection will lead more people to Christ than pretending to be something that they know you are not.

Thanks, Michelle.  It has been an honor to host you on my blog! For more visit Michelle's website - http://www.michellesutton.com/

Apex Reviews Interview

Thought I'd post this "Official Apex Reviews Interview": Tracy Krauss (And The Beat Goes On)
It should be coming online soon to a web/blog/site near you!

Tracy, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to sharing more about your book with our readers.What inspired you to craft such a clever, thought-provoking tale?

The book actually 'came at me' from many different angles.

When I first became a Christian, I was confused by the incongruity between what I had been taught in school about the universe - ie: evolution over eons of time - and a Creationist viewpoint. The two just did not seem to mix. This got me researching the topic, and to my surprise there was a lot of really interesting evidence to explain and support the idea of 'Intelligent Design'. I think it is a topic that a lot of Christians avoid because they don't want to get labeled as 'quacks' or they just don't want to take the time to explore the evidence for themselves. I do not claim to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but it is really hard to simply ignore some of the compelling evidence that is out there. One of my goals was to get people thinking about the topic, rather than try to explain anything in a definitive way. I'm not sure anyone - evolutionary scientist or young earth creationist - can really know for sure how the universe came to be. But dialogue on the topic can only be a good thing.

Secondly, "And The Beat Goes On' is actually the sequel to another novel called "Play It Again". Both books stand alone, but in the first one, Mark Graham (the protagonist from "And The Beat...") is an eleven year old boy who likes rocks and bones and arrow heads. The first book is the story of his parents, an ex rock and roll junkie and a stodgy accountant, who find that appearances aren't always what they seem. It seemed natural that Mark become the main character in a novel that dealt with archeology, so I used him as the bridge between the two, twenty-some years later.

For those who may not know, what exactly were the Nephilim?

There are a couple of different views on this. The Nephilim are mentioned in the Bible as a race of giants that came out of the union between 'gods and the daughters of men'. Little else is said, so some scholars speculate that they were just men who had turned from God and called themselves 'gods', while others actually believe they were demonic beings or fallen angels. Naturally, there is quite a lot of debate on the topic. (Christians don't like to agree on most things!) So once again it is up to one's interpretation. As a bit of a Sci-fi/fantasy buff, I prefer the latter of the two explanations.

What is it about the ancient creatures that compelled you to write specifically about them?

I did not want to write about the Nephilim too definitively, so I tried in my prologue - the only place where they actually appear - to be vague enough that either camp would be satisfied. (Fallen angels vs. super humans) It was not my intent to try to explain who the Nephilim were, per se, but to use them as the vehicle through which to explore the greater topic of Creation as a viable explanation for the origins of the universe.

Why do you think the topic of religion remains such a heated, controversial one?

Obviously, it strikes at the very core of who we are as human beings. If we choose to believe in a higher power - even a 'Q-like' omniscience (Oh, oh! My Star Trek days are showing...) then we are faced with all kinds of other questions about our purpose here on earth. In a Christian context, this demands action as well, for if we acknowledge God as real and therefore sovereign, we must obey His commands, not the least of which is to surrender our lives to Him. It is very difficult for a person to acknowledge the existance of God without then submitting to His plans for your life. if one chooses the other side of the fence, then morality is totally relative and human life (all a happy accident) has no more meaning than anything else on the planet. It's a paradox, really, because we all want to control our own destiny, but at the same time there is comfort in believing that a supreme being is watching out for us. The origin and meaning of life has been man's hottest topic as far back as recorded history.

What kinds of responses have you gotten to the book thus far?

I have been very pleased by all the positive responses I have gotten from readers thus far. It's always a risk - putting yourself 'out there' - and I was somewhat apprehensive at how this novel would be accepted. On the one hand, there is a very strong evangelical element to the book, so I was worried that people would be turned off by that. Even as a Christian myself, the last thing I want to read when I'm reading fiction, is something that preaches at me. So I tried to avoid that, and I am told that it does not come across that way. (Phew!) On the other hand, there are some elements in the book that are 'edgier' than most Christian fiction would normally allow, but again, I have had nothing but positive comments in that regard. I believe a story needs to sound real and believable, so my characters are not sugar coated, but are flawed human beings like the rest of humanity. Finally, I wanted to present the case for Creation in a way that did not sound pedantic or overly scholarly. I ultimately wanted to write something that would be thought provoking, and that might foster further research and discussion on the topic. Again, I have had great reviews on that score and so far no one has come forward to say 'You've got that all wrong!' Hopefully, that won't happen, since, as I said, my purpose was not to try and sound like an expert; it was just to tell a story.

What's the main message that you'd like readers to take away from the story?

I want people to think about Intelligent Design as a viable alternative to the evolutionary propaganda that is being pushed on most other fronts - with or without any attachment to religion. Obviously, though, there is the redemptive aspect to the book which is very important. People need to know that there is hope, no matter where you've come from or what you've experienced in life.

How has your publishing experience been thus far with Strategic Book Publishing?

Strategic has been extremely helpful and professional. I would recomment them to anyone, especially new authors, because they know what they are doing and were there to help every step of the way, which is something newbies really need. I am very grateful for everything they have done in getting my book into print and then helping with the marketing etc. which is huge.

What are your long-term writing/publishing aspirations?

I've been writing for about twenty five years now, so for me this has been a long haul. I did not begin seeking publication, however, until about five years ago, and boy did I ever have a lot to learn! Naturally, my dream is to be able to quit my day job and write full time. However, in the mean time, old habits die hard, and you can be assured that I will clacking away at the computer, future contracts or not! I have finished three other novels which I am currently seeking publication for, and have three others in the works. (Along with another dozen outlines!) I've also written and produced many full length plays which I hope to see published soon, and I am working on an illustrated childrens book based on a song that my late mother used to sing called "The Sleepy Town Express'.

In addition to being an author, you're also a high school teacher. Please share more with us about your endeavors in that field.

I love teaching and come from a long line of teachers. (Four generations to be exact.) Right from the moment I was in teacher's college and doing my practicum, I knew this was the profession for me. I enjoy the teenage years, believe it or not, (I don't have the patience for young children that aren't my own!) since they are old enough to converse with on an intelligent level, but still impressionable enough that one can really make a difference in their lives. I took a long sabbatical to raise my four children and even ended up homeschooling them for nine years until I went back to work full time. My area of specialty is Fine Art, but I have been blessed to teach all of my favorite subjects like English Literature, History, and Drama. I have also run an after school Drama group for the last nine years, which takes a lot of my time, but I love doing it.

How can our readers learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?

I currently have two blogs. www.tracykraussexpressionexpress.blogspot.com where I blog about everything from writing to art, music, theatre, and all my other creative pursuits. I also have an AEG author blog www.krauss.aegauthorblogs.com which is affiliated with other Strategic Publishing authors. Stop by either and leave a comment!

How can they contact you directly?

I can be contacted directly through email at tracy.krauss@gmail.com The novel "And The Beat Goes On' can also be purchased directly by going to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/AndTheBeatGoesOn.html

Any final thoughts you'd like to share?

Thanks for your thought provoking questions. I hope that in some small way I manage to inspire those who take the time to check out my novel.

Thanks again, Tracy, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!

Ups and Downs of Life in TR

Living in a remote area has its ups and downs.  One of the obvious ups is the beautiful scenery and close proximity to nature. (I'm talking about REAL nature, not a groomed park!)  On Wednesday, after much coercion, I went for a walk with some of the other teachers from my school.  There are several women who work there that are serious fitness freaks, (and I mean that in a positive way :) but unfortunately, I do not fall into that category. I really want to be healthy, but I've just never been into sports much. Anyway, they like to 'raz' me a bit because I'm always too busy with an art show or a drama practice to go walking with them.  (I always have a convenient excuse...) So on Wednesday, I promised I would go along for their nature hike.

Yeah ... I'm sure they planned it ... we didn't just go on a little walk, we went on a hike through the bush for about an hour - up and down hills etc. Seriously, I thought my legs were going to burn up!  THEN we still had to turn around and come home!  I tried not to whine too much and I'm too proud to stop for a rest.  I survived, however, and surprisingly I wasn't that sore the next day. It was very beautiful and fresh and invigorating and we didn't run into any bears. :)  I might try to go more often.

There are many other advantages to living here, as well. In a small town, you get to know people very well and it is easy to get involved in the community.  We are also close to our children (relative to the Yukon where we used to live) so that is a bonus.

BUT ... let me rant for a moment about one of my pet peeves of 'country' living.  The internet sucks!  I have been so frustrated lately with our service, and for anyone who has sent me emails (inteview questions and the like) I apologize because my internet service has been down for three days in a row!  I have a huge back log of stuff to go through, and when you are supposed to be networking and doing book promotions it is obviously impossible.  Argh!  Of course, even when things are up and running as they should be, it is so darn slow!  The internet service we had in the Yukon was better than it is here! You have no idea!  Anyway, enough about that. Suffice to say that it causes me considerable frustration.

On an exciting note, it is the weekend (Yeah!) and my husband and I are heading out to Edmonton to visit our daughter, Eliza. She just got back from a holiday in LA.  She won some tickets to see the Broadway show "Beauty and the Beast" which is coming to Edmonton, so we are going to go to it with her.  In fact, my husband is standing over my shoulder right now telling me to hurry up, so ... guess I won't be getting to that backlog of emails for a few more days. Ciao!

Great New Review!

Apex Review Of And The Beat Goes On
      Reviewed by Josee Morgan
      PR Log Press Release - May 10, 2010
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 4.5 Stars

CLEVERLY CRAFTED TALE OF ANCIENT BIBLICAL MYSTERY
When archaeologist Mark Graham unearths the remains of a pterodactyl at a dig site in the mountains of Zimbabwe, his discovery isn’t all that remarkable – that is, until he sees the remains of gigantic human bones buried beside it. Suddenly, speculation begins to mount about the true nature of the fossils, with most opinions pointing to a mythical ancient race of half-god, half-men known as the Nephilim. However, as he wends his way through the ensuing web of deception, sabotage, and betrayal, Mark struggles to preserve not only his momentous discovery – but also his very life..
Cleverly crafted by author Tracy Krauss, And The Beat Goes On is quite the satisfying read. Ostensibly a mystery/suspense thriller, Krauss’ engaging narrative is more a subtle commentary on the fundamental tenets of Creationism; however, rather than coming off as preachy or pedantic, Krauss provides the reader with solid facts and historical evidence that anyone will find it difficult to ignore – regardless of your personal belief system. As such, Krauss successfully engages the imagination while simultaneously provoking higher thought, a feat difficult for even the most seasoned writers to achieve.
Enlightening and entertaining, And The Beat Goes On is sure to provoke many a heated discussion throughout the faith community and beyond. An enjoyable, recommended read.

To view the original review go to
www.prlog.org/10670942-apex-review-of-and-the-beat-goes-on-tracy-krauss.html

The Doreen Method - A Recipe for Life

The Doreen Method.  That's what we call it at our house when I cook something strange or new off the top of my head, or sew something without a pattern, or clean in a haphazard whirlwind .... or do just about anything in a somewhat off the wall and non-traditional way. It's a tribute to my mother, Doreen, and in a few minutes you'll understand a little more fully the full connotation of the phrase.

Oh ... so this is a Mother's Day post ... ? Who can resist writing something on Mother's Day? It's the perfect ready made topic - the subject of countless poems, cards, letters, sermons, tributes ... the list is endless. So, (heaven forbid I come across as cliche!) I'm going to add to the plethora.  Now, for those of you who truly know me (I mean the REAL me as opposed to the cyber me) you know that I CAN NOT abide anything SAPPY. I am not the sentimental type - never really have been, and never really will be - and too much 'flowery' stuff just makes me want to roll my eyes. I'm not the one who enjoys all those fuzzy email forwards, folks. (Sorry if you're the one sending them, but you can stop now!) So why, pray tell, am I bothering with a Mother's Day post?

I'll tell you why.  My mother was the most awesome, unique, creative, wild, crazy, loving, off the wall, caring, artsy, forgiving, nut case, wonderful women I've ever had the pleasure to know. Really. I know what you're thinking. We all think our own mother's are the best - or at least we say those kinds of things on Mother's Day ... especially when our mother's are dead and gone, as mine is. It's easy to remember the good traits and amplify them to some degree. So forgive me if my memory is somewhat biased.

But, cutting past all the platitudes and nice fuzzy feelings, my mother truly was an inspiration to not only me, but many other people, including family, friends and former students.  You see, she really wasn't perfect, but it was the way she embraced life and saw the beauty and creativity in things that I think inspired so many.  She was a teacher, an artist, a musician, a mother and grandmother, a prayer warrior, and a true and loyal friend. Somehow, she had a knack for making everything into a creative adventure. Some might even have called her eccentric. (Okay, maybe even a 'loon' as my brother in law so affectionately likes to say!)

Let me give you some examples. As a dutiful wife in the fifities and sixties, she managed to keep up with the expected house hold chores, but she was never one much for canning, sewing, baking ... all those things a 'good' wife did.  She was much more apt to play with her kids - create magical forts out of blankets, or have impromptu picnics on the kitchen floor.  She never shied away from building, sewing, painting, or creating if it meant some kind of fun and creative project that we kids could share.  I remember how she created 'treasure' out of tin foil (I think) and put it in the root cellar that we had for potatoes and such when I was very small.  We went down there together and with wide eyed amazement, she showed me the buried treasure that she had found! No matter what magical adventure she created, I always knew it was just a game - but I enjoyed every moment of those fun filled childhood trips invented by my mother. I wonder how many mother's actually take the time to play with their kids any more?  Usually the best times were those that were fairly impromptu and had little in the way of preparation.  Her vivid imagination was enough to spark the ongoing 'play' when she had other chores. I never remember being bored as a child.

As an artist, my mother would paint just about anything she could get her hands on.  Rocks, doors, walls, stair wells - even entire buildings! She painted many murals over the course of her life, some on the sides of old buildings (long before this was a common site) and painted every backdrop for every figure skating carnival/church concert/school play for decades. Of course, being the creative free spirit that she was, making a mess was usually a hazard of the job. She was not known for being pristine!  So what was her solution?  Well, if there wasn't anything else suitable, she could be found wearing a pair of underpanties on her head to keep her hair clean!  (True story on more than one occassion!)

She was also 'famous' for her fabulous bedtime songs.  Bedtime rarely took place without a story or a song or both.  One that she was especially reknowned for within the family was an old thirties song called "The Sleepy Town Express".  It was this very song that I sang to her as I sat by her bed during her last hours on earth.  She fell asleep to it's tune at around four am.  The next day both of my sisters and my two female cousins reported being awakened at that hour 'dreaming' the song.  I am currently painting a series of pictures based on this song that I hope to have published as a children's book.

I could just keep rambling on and on.  As a teacher, History, English, Science, all came alive with her imaginative projects. She loved putting on class plays and musical projects at both school and church.  She continued to invent stories and imaginary worlds with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and always came to visit armed with a new craft or some other fun and messy project. Somehow I feel as if I am not truly expressing how truly individualistic and inspiring she was. She was a maverick for her day - into health foods and yoga (standing on her head each morning) back in the sixties and seventies long before either of those thing had become mainstream.  Her artistic nature and creative talents inspired me to pursue my own life of creativity, although I will admit that as a teenager I was sometimes embarrassed by her free spirited and artsy ways.

I've long since gotten over that, obviously. As I get older I see more and more that the old saying that you get more like your own mother is true. In my case, I say 'bring it on'. I would be honored to be like her in any small way and to carry on the legacy of creativity that she embodied. Even more than that, however, I want to be that kind of woman of faith.  When she came to Jesus, after searching and experimenting with all kinds of other religious philopophies, she embraced her faith wholeheartedly and set such a high standard that I am sure I can not ever measure up.  I've talked about all the fun and freedom that she projected, but hers was also a life of great sorrow and personal pain. (Another story for another time perhaps) Despite her own tragedy and mistreatment, she was steadfast, loving and forgiving. She was an uber-prayer-warrior if ever there was one, and I know for a fact that it was her tenacity in prayer that brought me to faith in Christ, as well as my then boyfriend. (Who later became my husband) He always cites her as his spiritual mother and one of the most influential people in his walk with Christ, and I know it's true.  She was a shining example - all cliche and fluffiness aside!

So, to end this blog, let me just say, "Long live the Doreen method!" This is our family's affectionate way of saying, "If you don't have a recipe, make it up; if you don't have the directions, experiment; if you like something, do it; if you feel like singing/painting/ whatever - go for it." This is a tribute to her - Doreen - that fearless woman of faith that paved the way with a life of creativity and inner joy that still stands above the crowd as an example that I am proud to emulate.

Silk, Elvis and the Hockey Playoffs ...

What, pray tell, do the above three things have in common?  They are all part of another busy weekend here at the Krauss house! On Saturday I attended a silk painting workshop that was held here in town courtesy of local artist Mila Landsdown.  In the end I came home with a beautiful piece of wearable art and had lots of fun to boot.

Tonight we are attending a concert thanks to traveling musician - 'Gospel Elvis'.  I won't pretend I don't have my doubts, but apparently he is good and some Christian friends of ours have given him the thumbs up, so we'll have to see.  He came to our church this morning (not dressed as Elvis, thank goodness!) and played some mean Gaither style piano.  The Gaither's aren't my favorite, but I do appreciate music of any style when it is done well, and this definitely was.

And what can I say about hockey?  Yes, it's that time of year here in Canada, when most people are glued to their TV's almost nightly (or even at other odd hours ...) following the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Of course, most people around these parts are rooting for the Vancouver Canucks, (it's about time they won!) and I would venture to say, are also pleasantly surprised by Montreal's strong showing.  Hm ... two Canadian teams in the finals...?  We can only dream.  I'm not a big hockey fan, as a rule, but it's hard to remain unaffected at this time of year, especially at my house, where my husband and son are avid fans. 

So, if you hear me singing an Elvis tune and waving a silk scarf while watching a hockey game, you'll know what happened. :)