January 5, 2021
Toronto, ON

Happy New Year, dearest friends.

Hope this finds you safe and well wherever you may be. I imagine that most of you had somewhat strange and solitary holidays like me. Although, I admit I found them rather cozy and in the end quite relaxing… I actually had so much fun on New Year’s Eve home alone it might be my favourite new tradition. I went all the way and cooked myself an epic feast of mushroom risotto with seared scallops and broccolini, then went for a long leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood. The streets were so quiet and desolate I hardly even recognized my own city.

I walked all along the lower east side of downtown, Canary District, Distillery, up through the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood to the still-blooming rose gardens of St. James Park. Hardly a soul in sight. Somewhere near Parliament St. I crossed over the hidden waters of old Taddle Creek —one of Toronto’s lost rivers— and made my way through the unassuming Big Wax car wash parking lot, where once stood our first legislative building the Americans famously burned down in 1813. But you’d never know it. I also strolled passed my favourite coffee shop, french fry stand and countless restaurants I used to frequent once upon time, now all closed up. I imagined the ghost of myself in Balzac’s Market Street working out a Globe and Mail crossword in pencil while putting away a couple quality mini donuts. This seemed as far away to me as Taddle Creek and The Battle of York… Something that happened long ago.

However, I can’t say that all the changes in my pandemic-world life have been for the worse. I’ve had loads of time lately to properly practice (guitar, dance, castanets, recorder… with apologies to my very patient neighbour!) as well as work on new creative projects. The songs for the next and final instalment of my Trilogies EP series are coming along beautifully and I’m really excited to share them with you all. I also have another quarantine video project in the works, relatively in the same vein as the Sunstone video I released in the Spring. Although decidedly colder. The new video does feature a soprano recorder performance and thus I’ve been hiking all about the wilderness with my little Mollenhauer trying to capture some good footage. I only feel a little sorry for the poor unsuspecting folks that happen upon me there blowing my heart out.

For more on all my adventures and photos from the Land of Sweet have a peek at my personal Instagram, Sweetlandish Productions Facebook page and of course, the dog. I also recently made my first Spotify playlist —a platform I definitely have mixed feeling about— but still had lots of fun doing it. Check out Kristin Sweetland’s Guitar Magic for a collection of all my instrumental guitar compositions from back in the olden days to my most recent Trilogies EP release.

Stay tuned for more on all fronts coming soon. Till then take care and lots of love!

xox
Kristin

On the set…. Thar she blows!