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     As many of you know, both my Husband and I have watched “The Voice” since it first came on the air.  Obviously, as a singer, I find it interesting, but he does, too. We both like the fact that during the “Blind Auditions”, the judges cannot see the contestants. This eliminates the tendency to judge people based on what they look like, how they dress, carry themselves,  how old they are, amongst other things. We are not generally fans of “reality T.V.” per se, as there is a lot of garbage out there, clearly. This show, however, deeply engages us week after week.

     One of the reasons we enjoy watching the show so much is that the coaches – Christina, Blake, Adam, and Cee-Lo – genuinely seem to care about their teams. ( not just because they want someone from their team to “win” the show, but because they truly want to help nurture them as artists ) It is always interesting watching the process, as the artists learn, grow, conquer fears, and try new things that the coaches suggest.

     Both of us tend to root for the “Underdogs” – the shy, quiet people without much self-confidence – often the ones that have had a very hard life, or are a bit older.  I fully understand what it feels like to love to sing more than anything else in the world, but to be painfully shy, and doubt yourself constantly. It isn’t easy, and I commend these people for having the guts to do this, even though it likely terrifies them. I find it very emotional watching their segments, when they talk about how much music means to them, and how much doing well on the show could change their lives. I can only imagine how mind-blowingly awesome it would be to have the opportunity for that kind of exposure and mentoring. ( sadly, there is still no equivalent of this show in Canada )

     Although there are a lot of shy competitors, there are also some that come across as over-confident, ( yes, this may just be false bravado ) even cocky. Some of these people tend to say things in the clips that we don’t think are very nice, especially during the Battle Rounds.  We get that it is a competition, but there is never any need to say bad things about others. Nothing is more of a turn-off than a loud, obnoxious, in-your-face person who basically says they are going to beat the other person, hands down. We always smile when these over-confident people lose to the shy, quiet polite ones. Perhaps they will learn to keep their ego in check, in future.

     As for Season 3 so far, there is a lot of talent !  The Blind Auditions and the Battle Rounds are complete, and on Monday, the Playoff Round began. ( The second part of that will be airing tomorrow night. ) The teams right now are narrowed down to 5 members each.  Blake and Adam’s teams performed on Monday, and tomorrow night, Christina and Cee-Lo’s teams sing.  Starting this week, the audience ( in the U.S.) will  have a say as to what happens – they are able to vote for their favourite contestants now .

     So far, our favourite on Christina’s team is De’borah – she has an incredible voice, a great vibe, and she is completely ” herself ” all the time. It’s like she doesn’t even have to try – she’s just such a cool person. ( and what’s even more appealing is that she is modest and humble about her talent )

     On Blake’s team, my husband and I like Michaela Paige for her unique style, consistently good voice, and her stage presence. Liz Davis is the perfect Country singer, in so many ways, and Terry McDermott is the classic “rocker” that keeps the audience engaged.

     We feel the strongest players on Adam’s team are Melanie Martinez, who has a hauntingly beautiful voice, and fabulous style, and Amanda Brown, who comes across as a seasoned pro. They both seem to be “the total package” – phenomenal voices, they know how to present themselves, work the stage, and capture the audience’s full attention at all times.

     Ceelo’s best team members, in our opinion, are the smooth-as-silk Trevin Hunte, and the funky, soulful Nicholas David.  Both of these guys have unreal voices, full of emotion and conviction, when they sing.

     It will be interesting to see how things play out, over the next few weeks.  One thing is for sure: it will be very entertaining and inspiring, and we will be watching!

     As I have mentioned before, my husband and I are usually lucky to see our friend Brandon Isaak maybe once a year anymore, if that.  Well, 2012 has been a good year so far for “catching up” with our buddy. We saw him playing his solo gig in June at the Garden Bay Pub, then we had the good fortune of seeing him again on July 9th at the very same venue.  This time, he was playing with his friend ( and “Twisters” bandmate ) Keith Picot, as a duo.

     As an added bonus, Brandon had told me that his parents were going to be there, too. I was so excited to hear that, as they still live up in the Yukon, and I hadn’t seen them in many, many years. Ed and Donna took really good care of me that Summer long ago that I spent in the Yukon, and I will never forget their kindness.

     He also mentioned that I was finally going to meet his “Girls” – meaning the lovely Patti, and their beautiful Daughter, Kiko.  ( you just have to hear his song, dedicated to her – “KIKO” )

     As always, we arrived at the Pub early to make sure we were able to get good seats. We chatted with Brandon and Keith a bit, then Brandon told me to go over to the Dining Room side.  His parents were having dinner over there before the show, and he knew we’d be anxious to see each other after all these years. I totally welled up with tears when I saw Ed and Donna – they looked wonderful – just as I remembered them. We did a lot of hugging and talking, and it was so great to see them – brought back so many happy memories. Patti and Kiko arrived at their table a few minutes later, so I got to meet them for the first time – both such beautiful ladies ! Shortly thereafter, their dinner arrived, so I headed back over to the Pub side – it was almost show time.

Donna and Ed Isaak and Heather Doré

Keith Picot, Ed Isaak, and Brandon Isaak

     I had to work the next morning, so we hadn’t planned on staying too late, ( it’s about an hour drive home on a very long, winding road ) but we were having such a fabulous time, that we just couldn’t leave. I was so happy to be spending time with Ed and Donna, as well.  As usual, we stayed until the end, then I got my traditional pics with the Boys.

     It was really hard to say “Goodbye” to Brandon’s parents, as I don’t know when we’ll see them again. ( but we agreed that it wouldn’t be nearly as long next time ) There were many more hugs, and I struggled to hold back tears once again.  What an amazing night !  This is what life is all about – spending time with good friends, listening to fantastic music, food, drinks, the perfect venue, and a warm Summer breeze … it doesn’t get any better than that.

Brandon Isaak, Heather Doré, Keith Picot

     If you are new to my blog posts, then you may not know who my friend Brandon Isaak is. ( a.k.a. “Yukon Slim” )  To give you a little bit of background, you may wish to read my two previous posts about him: Yukon Buddy , and Yukon Buddy Part 2 – The Twisters.   That way, we can just continue with the story …

     So, the last time we’d seen Brandon was in 2010, with the Twisters, at the Garden Bay Pub.  We didn’t get a chance to see him play at all in 2011, so that was a bit of a drag.  Brandon is always posting his upcoming gigs on Facebook etc., and when I see these, I always ask him, “When are you coming to play on The Sunshine Coast ( of B.C. ) again? “.  Well, a few months back, I got a response: he was going to be playing a solo gig at Garden Bay for the Pender Harbour Blues Festival.  It was going to be a “Dinner Show”, on the restaurant side of the Garden Bay Hotel. ( we usually see him on the Pub side )

     My husband and I thought this would be pretty cool for several reasons: we’d never seen Brandon play on his own before, we’d never eaten on the other side of the venue, and it would mean a really nice night out for us.  June 2nd was a sunny Saturday, and the drive up to Garden Bay was absolutely wonderful.  We got there a little early,  I had a drink on the pub side first, then we moved to the Dining Room.

     We had a lovely little table with a great view of the water.

Our Table At Garden Bay Restaurant

Yukon Slim and Heather Doré

    Recently, I had some time off work, and my husband and I decided to take a few days away not too far from where we live.  We drove up B.C.’s Sunshine Coast to Egmont, caught the Earl’s Cove Ferry, and in just 50 minutes, we were at the Saltery Bay terminal. This is one ferry I’d never been on before – it was nice – a smaller version of the ones I’m used to, but a lot more peaceful.  Once we disembarked, we drove for about 1/2 an hour, then stopped in Powell River for coffee and a snack, and to look around a bit. Turns out they had a few stores we don’t, so I was happy we had checked it out. I ended up buying a few items that I really liked, so it was well worthwhile. I liked the vibe of the town – had a really good feel to it, and the scenery and people were lovely.

     After that, we drove for another half hour or so, and reached our destination – Lund. I had booked a few nights at the historic Lund Hotel , so we could have some quiet, relaxing time away.  Our room was overlooking the water, had a King sized bed, both a large bathtub and a glass shower, and a nice balcony with a great view.

     After we had checked into our room and unloaded our things, we went for lunch downstairs at the Pub, right in the Lund Hotel.  ( They have both a restaurant and a Pub on site )  It was a hot, sunny day, so we sat out on the patio, and I couldn’t have been happier. ( you know I love my sun   I had one of the best Spinach Salads I’ve ever had – it was unreal.  We did a bit of ” people watching ” , and enjoyed the view of the water, and the boats coming and going. Since we knew the weather was supposed to be “off and on” during our stay, my husband suggested we change into our bathing suits, and take a water taxi to Savary island.  The water taxi place is literally steps from the Hotel, and we were lucky to be able to book something fairly soon after lunch.

     I’d done some research about Savary Island - most descriptions say that it is similar to a tropical island, and there is some of the warmest water this side of Mexico. That, coupled with some white sandy beaches, and I was sold … It only took about 7-8 minutes in the power boat to arrive at the Island, so that was nice. We’d booked our return trip in advance ( that’s how they do it ) so we knew we had a few hours to enjoy. I found a nice stretch of beach, lay out my towel, and basked in the sun. My husband went snorkelling for a while. It was a perfect afternoon.  Hot sun, and relaxation – no stress, no worries – these are the things that make me happy. It was so nice to lay on a beach and not have anyone nearby. There were other people around, but it wasn’t crowded and uncomfortable, like at many beaches we’re used to.

     I was really glad we went to Savary Island on that first day, as  the weather ended up being the best of our time up there.  We both loved it there, and thought we may even like to stay there for a few days another time – they do have some Bed and Breakfasts there.  I would definitely go there again – it was just beautiful. ( and I didn’t see a single mosquito – seriously )

     The rest of our days and nights were spent taking it pretty easy – walking around looking at all the boats, visiting the well-known Nancy’s Bakery, the Art Gallery, eating incredibly delicious ( yet very reasonably priced ) meals at the Lund Hotel Pub, sleeping in, watching the sunset from our balcony …

     We had wanted to do some kayaking while up there – particularly around Desolation Sound, but the weather was a little too unpredictable.  We didn’t want to book something, then have lousy weather.  This was a good decision, as one day it rained a little bit, and the other was grey and breezy, and the water rather choppy. We both love to kayak, but if you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before, and hoping for nice scenery, going in bad weather doesn’t make much sense.  We decided to go on a dinner cruise up to Desolation Sound, instead - good choice.

     The scenery was beautiful, the food was great, and the people running it were polite, courteous, and professional, and lots of fun.  It was a good way to see the things we wanted to, and stay warm and dry.

     An interesting fact about Lund, B.C. is that it is the “end” of Highway 101 - or some like to say the beginning.  It stretches from here to Chile.

     Here is a picture of the Lund Hotel:

     To sum up our time in Lund and on Savary Island, I have to say, it was just what we needed.  These are places to go to relax and unwind, and enjoy being in/on the water.  If you are lucky enough to have a boat of your own – this is paradise.  The people are friendly and down-to-earth, the food was amazing, and I have a new favourite cocktail: The Lund Sunset.  Speaking of Lund Sunsets, those were absolutely gorgeous, as well …

     For those of you that didn’t know, I started a new workout routine that has a nutritional component to it, back in February.  I think I was just about 3 weeks into it when I wrote my first post about the P.I.N.K. Method.

Heather Doré P.I.N.K. Method 1

     I finished the program around the third week of April, after completing the initial Reset Phase, and Phases 1, 2, and 3 ( with Resets in between ).  I have to laugh now, looking back on my original post where I mentioned that some of the workouts in Phase 1 were challenging … I had no idea at that point what was in store for me. Phases 2 and 3 really ramped up the workouts, and not only did I notice lots of great changes in how I felt, but suddenly, my clothes were all enormous on me. This meant I had to go shopping – what a drag.

     I was down a couple of pant sizes part way through Phase 2, and went out and bought 4 new pairs of dress pants for work.  A few weeks later, I went down yet another 2 sizes, and got more pants. After completion, I’m down 2 more sizes.  I’ve lost a total of 28 pounds, which seems crazy, as weight loss was not my intention at all.

     After the program is over, you can do the ” 7 Day Shred” if you are within 5 pounds of your “goal weight”.  Since I didn’t plan on losing weight, and I already lost plenty, I didn’t do this.  I just went straight to “P.I.N.K. Preservation”, which is basically your long term plan for maintaining your new shape, and healthy lifestyle.  It is pretty straightforward: you continue to make healthy food choices, control your portion size, monitor your weight ( if that is a concern ) and stay active for life.

     I was pretty much “winging it”, and just decided to continue eating as I did while on the program, and cutting my workouts down to only 3 ( 1 hour intense sessions ) per week.  I was hoping this would maintain things, and that I wouldn’t lose any more weight. At first, I continued to lose a few more pounds, but thankfully, I seem to have “levelled off” now.  Obviously, everyone is different, and has to figure this out for themselves, to see what works for them.

     I am fortunate – I have never been “overweight” in my entire life, but clearly, I wasn’t in the best shape I was capable of being. I only know that now, looking back, and knowing how different I feel. I am stronger, more fit and healthy, and I don’t ever want to lose this feeling. This is a lifestyle change, plain and simple. It feels good to do something for yourself – most of us tend to neglect ourselves – caring about your health and well-being is important.

     So, whether you have low energy, want to lose some weight, or just start taking good care of yourself, I would highly recommend the P.I.N.K. Method. It truly has changed my life, and I feel great!

Heather Doré P.I.N.K. Method 2

     I recorded my first CD back in 2005, called “I’m Beginning To See The Light“.  Most of the songs are 1920′s – 1950′s Big Band/Swing/Lounge, and by far, my favourite song on that CD is “You Belong To Me”.  I’m sure the first version I ever heard of that song when I was a little girl was Dean Martin’s.  It was only a few years ago that I heard the version I would come to love most – that of Jo Stafford.

     Of all the songs I have recorded, this is the song I get asked about most.  A friend in White Rock told me he heard my version of it played at someone’s Wedding, and it seems to be a favourite at Karaoke – especially for the people who were around when the original was recorded. I was asked to sing it at a Wedding last year, as well. It was recently put on a Jazz Lounge Compilation CD in Taiwan and China, which was pretty cool.  ( Disc 2 Track 8 )

     A D.J. in Buenos Aires, Argentina dedicated half an hour to my CD shortly after it was released.  José Luis Ajzenmesser had a radio show called “La Guagua” , and it was mostly Jazz. He contacted me to let me know he wanted to feature my CD, and he played several songs from it during the show. He mentioned that he loved my version of “You Belong To Me” a lot, and that was evidenced by the fact that he played it twice that day. I thought that was pretty awesome of him – a complete stranger, doing so much for me, simply because he enjoyed my music. That made me feel really good.

     The very first time one of my songs was played on the radio in Canada – it was “You Belong To Me”.  Well-known Bandleader Dal Richards kindly played it on his radio show in Vancouver one night, and gave me a nice little intro.  ( His wife used to be a regular customer of mine when I was a Cashier at a grocery store – a very lovely lady. ) Heather singing on the radio

     I have sung a lot of songs before that one, and since, but to this day, I think it is still my favourite one to perform. It has always meant a lot to me.  That is why, for my 100th Blog Post, I chose to write about this song I love so much.  Thanks for listening.

     My good friend and Producer Jarome Matthew and his amazing team at Pro Soul have just sent out a Press Release for my most recent song, “Cool and Careless”, to various press and media.

     If you haven’t heard the song yet, you can listen to it here. Here’s a bit of background to how the song came about.

     I just found out about this, and there are already several links to it online. I’d like to thank Jarome, and the Pro Soul Team, for all their hard work in promoting my latest track.  I would also like to thank all of you that have already downloaded the song, and written so many amazing e-mails to me about it.  It’s always great to hear your feedback, and your continued support is much appreciated!

     You can read the Press Release here.

     We have known Rose Schwarz and her family for about 3 years – we met them shortly after we moved up here to B.C.’s Sunshine Coast.  They are good, decent, hardworking, kind, generous people, and they have been through so much in the last few years.  We care very much about them, and that is why I am writing this post.

     Rose suffers from a very rare disease called gastroparesis, and as a result, is unable to eat. ( she survives via a feeding tube )  She is constantly in pain, and suffers a variety of symptoms – none of which are pleasant.  Because she is so tiny, people wrongly make assumptions that she has an eating disorder. If they only knew the truth, perhaps they would be more compassionate.

     Rose has endured many procedures and surgeries in the quest to find a way to make her life less difficult, but so far, nothing has really helped.  It has all come down to a surgery that is booked for April 25th in Calgary – a gastroectomy, which will mean removal of her stomach. Her esophagus will be attached to her small intestine, and eventually, she’ll be able to actually eat small amounts of food for the first time in ages.

     The bottom line is: the family needs help with funds to get to Calgary, meals, accommodations etc.  They don’t like to ask for help, but this is their daughter’s life at stake, quite literally.

     Next Saturday, there will be a Fundraiser for Rose at Robert’s Creek Hall, from 7:30-11:00 p.m.  Tickets are $20 each, and include entertainment by some wonderful local musicians, as well as a Silent Auction.    Tickets can only be purchased in advance at: Gaia’s Fair Trade in Gibsons, MELOmania in Roberts Creek, or Strait Music in Sechelt.  It will be a fun night out, for a very worthy cause.

     If you are unable to attend but would like to help, cheques can be made out to “The Rose Fund” at the Sunshine Coast Credit Union, P.O. Box 375 Sechelt, B.C. V0N3A0.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

     Here are a couple of more in-depth articles recently written about Rose: in the Coast Reporter , and in The Province.

     As I’ve mentioned, we know Rose personally, and think the world of her. She is beautiful, intelligent, creative, funny, and has so much to give to this world.  I hope that some of you out there are able to help out – it would mean so much to them, and to us.

     Thankyou for taking the time to read this, and for your kindness and compassion.

     We love you, Rose !!!

     As you may recall, I was really excited last year when the show “The Voice” debuted.  I felt it was about time that there was a show that gave artists of varying ages and appearances a fair shot at being “heard” as a singer. Since the judges’ chairs are turned away from the contestants during the “Blind Audition” rounds, they must decide only by what really counts: the voice.  People can not be discounted simply because they may be perceived as “too old”, or because they may not “look the part” for whatever reason.  ( yes, it’s sad to say that even in 2012, some people still judge others based on first impression/looks – hard to believe some are still that shallow/superficial ) This show caught our attention because it was different, and focused on the singing.

     Season 2 began a few weeks back, and I have been so busy recently that I’ve had to play “catch up”, watching taped episodes.  A couple nights ago, we finally watched the first of the Battle Rounds, which was interesting.  The teams are led by Christina, Adam, Blake and Cee-Lo again, and they each have 12 singers.  Now that we’re into the Battle Rounds, each team will go from 12 down to 6 via weekly duet battles. ( over 4 weeks ) Once again, the artists work with both their coaches, and celebrity advisors to prepare.  This year, they are: Lionel Richie, Jewel, Alanis Morissette, Robin Thicke, Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Babyface, and Ne-Yo.

     Each coach hand picks 2 members of their team to “battle” by singing a song together, then they must decide who goes home at the end of the round.  Last week, Christina’s team saw Chris Mann vs. Monique Benabou singing “The Power Of Love” ( Celine Dion ), and Christina felt that Chris did a better job.  We felt that Monique showed more emotion, but it’s not up to us. The best battle of the night, by far, was when Anthony Evans  and Jesse Campbell sang “If I Ain’t Got You” ( Alicia Keys ). Christina chose Jesse as the winner of that round, which we also disagreed with.  That one was pretty close, but we felt that Anthony did a better job. Either way, it was definitely the most interesting part of the whole show that night – both guys really “brought it”, with power and emotion, and connected with the audience – beautiful stuff.

     Adam pitted Tony Lucca against Chris Cauley, and they sang U2′s “A Beautiful Day”.  Tony came out on top in that round – again, a fairly close one, but we felt Tony was slightly more “polished”, so we agreed with Adam.  We felt the song choice was kind of boring, though.  ( don’t get me wrong – I like U2 – I just feel they have a lot of much better songs )

     Blake decided that Adley Stump and RaeLynn from his team would sing “Free Falling” ( Tom Petty ) ( another song we aren’t crazy about ) and he chose RaeLynn as victor.  We felt he made the right choice: Adley definitely has a bit stronger voice, more experience, stage presence etc. but RaeLynn has this incredible quality to her voice. She is also just so young and fresh and brimming with promise. I’ll be interested to see how things go for her. Next, he paired Jordis Unga with Brian Fuente on “Ironic” ( Alanis ), and Jordis took that round. ( as an aside, I have to say that I absolutely loved the scarf that Brian was wearing !!! )

     Cee-Lo chose Cheesa ( pronounced “Chessa”, despite the spelling ) to perform with Angie Johnson, doing “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” ( Bonnie Tyler ).  Both ladies did well, but Cheesa came out on top in that one, which we felt was correct, as well.

     So, we basically agreed with all of the judges’ decisions, with the exception of Christina’s, on this particular night.  It was a good show – again, some song choices were rather – how can I put it – not very exciting, but that’s all a part of it, I guess. If you can make even a somewhat “dull” song sound interesting, then you have something special, right?

     The Battle Rounds continue for 3 more weeks, and the Live Rounds begin Apr. 2nd.  The Official NBC site for “The Voice” is here. Please check out the show, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on how things are going.

     My Husband and I are like most people – we try and take care of ourselves, despite a busy life. We make an effort to eat fairly healthy foods, get exercise, and some proper sleep. We love the outdoors, and enjoy hiking in the fresh air and sunshine during the Spring and Summer. When it’s warm out, taking care of yourself seems so much easier!

     Once the cold weather hits, it’s natural to crave “comfort foods”, and just want to stay in where it’s warm and dry. Whenever I start eating the wrong kind of foods, and exercising less, my energy level just goes way down, and I feel sluggish. This has been the case the past couple of months – I have just been feeling kind of “blah” after being really sick for a couple weeks over the holidays. It’s not just a physical feeling – it almost feels like you don’t care about much of anything, and one day just blends into the next. Clearly, this is not a nice way to be feeling.

     Every couple of years, we try and mix up our workout routine. There is nothing worse than getting bored of something, because naturally, you won’t stick to it. We used some exercise videos about 4 years ago which were really good, then we bought a home gym and used that for a couple of years. The time for something new and different is here once again.

     We were watching Dr. Phil about 3 months ago, and he had a show about a new workout/nutrition program aimed directly at women, called The P.I.N.K. Method. It looked really interesting ( and fun! ) so I went online and did some more research on it. I liked what I saw, so decided to order it for the New Year. I had planned on starting in January, but ended up getting so sick in Dec/Jan that I had to wait a while to get my strength back. The last thing I wanted to do was start something when my body wasn’t ready for it.

     I started the Reset Phase at the start of Feb. – this is a time period before you start the workouts, and all you do is eat better, and consume fewer calories. I repeat – there is no working out during this Phase. The length of your Reset Phase is determined by your height, weight etc. My main purpose for doing this workout program is to get my energy back, but I have to tell you – they were not joking when they said that you will likely lose some weight even in the Reset Phase – I certainly did. I couldn’t believe it – I was not doing anything different, just eating much better. ( and I have to add – they have lots of “menu suggestions” and recipes, so you never get bored, or feel you are “missing out” on anything.)

     After that, I moved onto Phase 1 of the Workouts. There are 3 Phases, and each one lasts 3 weeks. After each Phase, you go back on Reset for a few days, to let your body recover. On a normal week, you work out for 6 days, and get one day of rest. I have just finished my second ( of 3 weeks ) of Phase 1. The food is delicious, and the workouts are great – challenging, yes, but awesome!

     Most importantly, I am feeling much better, both physically, and emotionally. My mood has improved drastically, and I can actually fall asleep at night – often out of sheer exhaustion, but I’ll take it, as a chronic Insomniac! I am really enjoying The P.I.N.K. Method, and would absolutely recommend it to any ladies out there who are looking to get rid of the Winter “blahs”, or if you feel the need to do so for other reasons. ( health/weight loss etc. ) The bottom line is: it works!

     Like I said, I have done the Reset so far, and am about to start week 3 of Phase 1 Workouts, but I’ll keep you posted as to how things go. If this sounds interesting to you, you can find out more about going P.I.N.K here.