WOW! it's December already and the Winter Solstice is fast approaching (December 21).That is also the shortest day of the year but the good news is the very next day the light begins to come back and the days start getting longer..Yeah !

Here at Poplars the critters have been busy getting ready for their winter sleep.Mrs.Raccy has been busy in the garage getting her nest ready for her new offspring which are usually born in early spring and on the pond the muskrats have been stocking up on plant stuff which they keep in their bored out tunnels in the banks of the pond.Bambi and his family have been happy that they can easily graze as we have yet to have snow(this time last year we had about a foot of the stuff). The Wild Turkeys are also thrilled about this. All in all life here at Poplars is going along quite smoothly.

As 2009 comes to a close I have been reflecting on the kind of year it has been. I have travelled a fair bit with "The Legend In Black Show" to such places as New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,Ohio,Illinois,Wisconsin,Los Vegas and of course all over Ontario. I myself have done some solo performances such as my Performance/Talk called "Where Do Songs Come From" and will be doing a tour of this music appreciation program in Eastern Ontario in the Spring. My tour to India will probably take place in late fall 2010 as the record company and I are waiting to see how well my CD "Love Is All There Is" sells there.( it was just released there in October/09).I was also very pleased about my song "You Are My Woman/You Are My Man" being chosen as a semi-finalist in the prestigious UK Songwriting contest. Also in 2010 I will be going to the UK to record with the legendary record producer Charles Foskett who has recorded many top name artists including two of the Beatles. Needless to say I am very excited about this.

If you still have some Christmas presents to purchase please consider buying a CD.They will provide many years of listening pleasure and all musical artists whether they are a big star or a small independent like myself really appreciate that as it enables us to keep writing and recording for you. My CDs are available on line at
http://www.kateashbycraft.com/buy_the_cd.html  or if you live in the Stratford, Ontario area the following local stores have my "Love Is All There Is" CD : Gentle Rain on Rebecca St.,Treasures and Fanfare Books on Ontario St. and Music in Sebringville.

I would also like to tell you about a compilation CD that I am on and where you can purchase it. This CD is made up of musicians from around the world who have joined together to record this for World Peace. The money from this CD goes to different peace initiatives. For more information go to www.butterflyspirit.org The song that I submitted "Loving From A Distance" is also on my latest CD "Love Is All There Is ".

Well that's it for now and I want to close by thanking the media, my family, friends and fans for your continuing support. It is gratefully appreciated and I wish each and every one of you Peace, Joy and Prosperity in 2010 !