Grateful We're Not Dead

A Country Party Band with a wicked sense of humour and a social conscience

As The Year Ends

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Grateful We're Not Dead

Grateful We're Not Dead - Bruce, Gord, Al and Don

2011 is quickly drawing to a close. And what an eventful year it has been. Grateful We’re Not Dead was slow off the mark owing to some health issues for band members but we came back with a bang. Even though we didn’t get started until April, Grateful We’re Not Dead will have entertained at 18 events during 2011. Now that may not sound like many but when you consider the fact that we entertain for free and pay all our own expenses, the costs can mount up, especially when you factor in the cost of transportation.

To summarize our activities for the year:

  • Two fund raisers for Ottawa Valley Aid For Chernobyl Children, North Gower, Ontario
  • Mufindi Orphans Canada Annual Fund Raiser, Manotick, Ontario
  • The Denan Project Fund Raiser, Ottawa, Ontario
  • Department of Peace Fund Raiser, White Lake, Ontario
  • Rahane Cowboy Classic, Franktown, Ontario
  • Private Party, Seagrave, Ontario (4 hr drive from Ottawa)
  • Carleton Place Manor, Carleton Place, Ontario (4 shows)
  • Orchard View Living Centre, Manotick Station, Ontario (3 shows)
  • Lanark Lodge, Perth, Ontario (1 show)
  • Starwood Nursing Home, Ottawa, Ontario (1 show)
  • Annual Music Night Christmas Party, Ottawa, Ontario
  • Private Party, Ottawa, Ontario

The two major fund raising events were the Mufindi Orphans Canadaevent in Manotick (over $8,000 at the event) and the Denan Project Fund Raiser in Ottawa (over $6,000). When we see these returns as part of our efforts, it makes the band’s time and participation worthwhile. We’re not sure if Grateful We’re Not Dead is paying forward or paying back, but we are enjoying a lot of personal satisfaction.

GWND - Merry Christmas

So as the sun sets on 2011, Grateful We’re Not Dead would like to extend a big Thank You to everyone who has helped out during the year and to wish each and every one of you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR. With a bit of luck you’ll see us around in 2012.

Grateful We’re Not Dead
Al Owler, Bruce Penniston, Don White, Gord Breedyk

GWND On Google Plus

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GWND - Orchard View - Boob Hats

GWND performing J.D. Wilson's "Boob Song"

Grateful We’re Not Dead, being a social networking savvy band, now has a page on Google+. If you have a Google+ account, please feel free to drop by the Grateful We’re Not Dead Google+ page for a visit and add us to one of your Circles. While you’re at it, you might as well check us out the Grateful We’re Not Dead Facebook page and click the Like button.

We’re Back In The Game

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Grateful We're Not DeadGrateful We’re Not Dead has been maintaining a low profile so far this year. One of our own, Gord Breedyk, underwent some serious surgery and we’ve been waiting for him to recuperate. You can read about Gord’s ordeal at Prostate Cancer Personal Journey. This is certainly a worthwhile read for any man and for women concerned about what their partner may have to go through.

Gord has recuperated to the point where he can play his light weight travel guitar and of course, it didn’t effect his voice. The surgeon’s knife didn’t slip so we still don’t have anyone in the band who sounds like Emmylou Harris. As you can see by the calendar over there on the right, we’ve got a number of bookings for July. Actually, more than enough for us old guys. The gig in Seagrave entails a four hour drive and an overnight stay. We’ve been asked to play for this party for three years now and decided we better do it while we still can. It should be a lot of fun.

So that’s where we’ve been for the last few month’s. Not gone, just in-waiting.

Hope to see you somehwere soon.

Don

New Facebook Page

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A few years ago I set up a Grateful We’re Not Dead Facebook group which managed to attract a fair number of members. This week I received a notification that Facebook would be archiving groups that used the old group format and suggested that we move to the new group format. After due consideration I decided to set up a Grateful We’re Not Dead Facebook page. That done, it took less than 3 hours to get the 25 Fans required to register gratefulwerenotdead as the username for the page.

The Boob Hats

If you feel so inclined and have a Facebook account, drop by Grateful We’re Not Dead Facebook page, click the Like button and become a Fan.

See you over there,

Don

A Shocking Revelation!!!

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Grateful We're Not DeadJust a quick post to point you to a shocking revelation concerning Grateful We’re Not Dead. In fact, it is so disturbing to the eyes that we had to publish the information on a different site. If you feel you can face the truth, check it out.

But be afraid, be very afraid!!!

You have been warned!!!

Season’s Greetings

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Seasons Greetings
Grateful We’re Not Dead would like to take a moment to wish everyone all the best for the festive season. We would also like to thank you for the support you have given the band’s fund raising efforts during 2010 for our favourite charitable causes. We hope to see you frequently during 2011.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
from Al, Don, Gord and Bruce
Grateful We’re Not Dead

P.S. Wouldn’t you like to find one of those boys wrapped up under your Christmas tree?

Progress Being Made

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Grateful We're Not Dead
I’m making progress on the new Grateful We’re Not Dead website faster than I anticipated. In the process I’m also getting a better handle on using WordPress 3.0 to develop a website. It seems that the new version is incorporating more content management capabilities. I normally use Drupal or Joomla as Content Management Systems for website seeing as my days of hand coding in HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc have been put behind me, so employing WordPress as a CMS has been interesting to say the least.

If you see any glaring errors in the site please feel free to contact me at gratefulwerenotdead@gmail.com.

If your interested in having Grateful We’re Not Dead perform for your charity, fundraiser, private party, etc you can contact us at the same email address.

Don

Welcome To Our New Home

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Welcome to the new, revised home of Grateful We’re Not Dead. Over the next few weeks we’ll be implementing a lot of new features including mp3 files, videos, lyrics, etc.

If you arrived here via a link in a search engine and could not find the page you expected to land on that is because all of the old pages have been deleted and new pages will be taking their place.

We hope you’ll drop by on a regular basis to see what we’re up to.

You have a good day now, ya hear.

Don