June 1, 2011

Rappahannock County, VA

It's true. I'm down in the holler again. With the cow cries and the fireflies, the Virginia pine and Virginia wine. Well, actually it was Virginia sparkling wine. And it was delicious and served to me by dear friend, teacher and mentor Paul Reisler when I arrived on his doorstep. I'm staying at Paul's glorious sprawling manor for a week of rest, writing, and hopefully artistic productivity! This house is a magical sanctuary of art and inspiration. I'm quite sure I can make anything happen here.

So how about that weather? It's H-E-double-hockey-stick hot in the South and has been for a good week. Even though I wake up in the morning too hot to sleep and by mid-day my brain has melted into a shadowy puddle of its former self, I am just so happy to not be cold! I'll take it. And the heat wave is an excellent excuse to drink beer before cocktail o'clock, and hose yourself down in public. And jump in the river! As if I needed an excuse...

Since last we met my adventures have been many. Left Asheville full of peaches and grits and arrived  in Savannah that evening. Have been listening to Nancy Drew audio books in the car which has been hilarious and seriously entertaining. The Sherlock Sweetland in me still likes to get her detective on on a regular basis. Not to mention it's excellent research for the young adult mystery series I am going to write soon ... So stay tuned!

Savannah was beautiful and enchanting and my gig was amazing.  Thanks so much to Bill de Young from Connect Savannah for writing such a wonderful article in the local entertainment paper. And not to mention, putting me on the cover! That was a surprise. It was a bit surreal to walk around a town where I'd never played before and see my face on every street corner. I secretly liked it.

The morning after my show I took myself on a romantic picnic to the famous Bonaventure Cemetery, site of my "famous" Girl with the Spanish Moss Hair photo from many years back. Me and my tempeh salad sandwich curled up by a nice comfy grave and had a good think. And I wrote some magic postcards while I was at it. (Check your mailbox, you might get lucky!) After that it was a quick drive to the ocean so I could at least stick my feet in ... Then, a whirlwind trip up to Chesapeake Bay for family visitation and some oh-so deliciously deep-fried seafood. Yum!

And now it's now, and I'm about to tuck myself into bed with Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces and ponder the mythical metaphors of my life. And then hopefully have sweet dreams...

Nighty-night,

x
K

P.S. Just posted new photos from my Southerly Adventures in Sweetland!  Have a peek here.

 Old Savannah in the mysterious light of night.

More tour photos here!

April 6, 2011 

Toronto, ON

I seem to be right where you left me. A white sheepskin rug, a Halloween mug of Dreamland tea, a pad of post-it notes, an almost-empty bag of Soma chocolate-tumbled hazelnuts and a fresh black Sharpie.  Looks like there's some righteous plans at work in this sweet Sweetlandish mind of mine. But righteous plans and sweet dreams have never been in short supply. It's what we do with them that counts. Obviously. So no matter how many times I write down in point form:

- Book Fall tour

- Tone abs

- Save the world from evil

- Write that book you've been threatening for like ever

It matters not ... Until I do it.


Out of the corner of my eye I'm watching Ingrid Bergman atop a French hillside fully clad in serious armour.  Her portrayal of Joan of Arc (in the 1948 film of that name) was apparently her life's ambition. In fact she wanted to play said saintly saviour so badly, she formed her own production company and made the film herself. Now that's follow-through. Not to mention the grand powers of manifestation exhibited by Mlle d'Arc herself:

- Hear voices
- Believe them
- Do as the voices tell you
- Save the world from evil. Or at least the country ... from the English.
- Get sainted

Is sainted even a verb?  I conveniently forgot that whole unfortunate execution part. Cause that's not part of my plan at all.

So on this fine and glorious Spring eve, I pledge to continue to act upon my will. To fantasize, dream, plot, manifest and do as the great Joseph Campbell says ... Follow my bliss.

And so be it.

x

K

P.S. Amazing show this Friday at The London Music Club with the dashing Rob Szabo! Yeah, baby. For more details visit my Tour page.

October 9, 2003
Poplar Beach, ON

Oh Glorious Day!! My aunt and uncle have graciously let me come stay at their beautiful cottage while they gallivant about Italy. Lucky me. Soon as I got up here my whole body just went Ahhhhhh and I'm starting to remember about important things like breathing and resting and eating.... Mmmmmmmm. It feels SO good to be back in the homeland after six weeks on the road. The whole tour itself was an incredible journey of epic proportions with all the critical and necessary mythological elements: 

1) Hero leaves home on journey to save the world from evil (whilst looking super fine) and will hopefully stay alive long enough to throw the bad nasty precious ring into the fire pits of Mordor.

2.) Hero faces many challenges along the way and is waylaid by great tempests and the irreconcilable wraths of Nature. Next, Hero is stricken by thunderbolts blazing down from the hands of the Divine. Then, Hero encounters no-good evil-doers and small creatures in need of large amounts of saving.

3.) Now, Hero is forced to face the very darkest depths of him/herself and in the struggle is nearly lost forever.

4.) Hero has many subsequent enlightenment's, nearly dies only once or twice then surely manages to overcome all obstacles with irrepressible strength and will.

5.) Hero makes it to the final feared and coveted destination, has one last catastrophic moment of pivotal melodrama then manages to save the world from the undesirable encroaching apocalypse. Good one!

6.) Hero returns home in wicked need of a shower, has a delicious meal of roasted organic root veggies, gets many kisses from the dog, and will never EVER again be the same.

The End.