November 21, 2012
Farm Heaven, ON

I have escaped the big city for some country air. It was seriously necessary, and quite overdue.  I can feel the life force creeping back into me at last... molecule by molecule, breath by breath. It lives! I'm all curled up by the wood stove, coffee cup and laptop, with a fine view of the bird tree through the old farmhouse window. We've had many feathered friends come to visit today, and I'm getting to know them all by name. Two beautiful blue jays abound, one hairy woodpecker, a black-capped chickadee couple (who sing my favourite song...) and our newest little amigo, the handsome dark-eyed junco.

Not to mention the red-tailed hawk I found out in the back field. Well, first I found the wing. Then the other wing. Then the talon. Then the head. Something mysterious happened in those woods, I reckon. And I am putting the pieces together... Last time I visited Farm Heaven the hawk gave me the gift of a tail feather. I have honoured it ever since. This time the gift was more significant. Captain Dirt hauled out the bucket and is now preparing the remains for display in her illuminated bone case. But I claimed the talon as my own. Besides its pointy prowess at putting my guitar nails to shame, I could not help but notice that it formed a perfect flamenco hand.

It was a beautiful drive up from Toronto on the weekend. The stark palate of winter field and sky was magic through my rose-coloured glasses. I forgot how much I love this time of year. It was a celebratory voyage for Ladyship the Van and I, as she just turned 22,222 kms on her one year anniversary of being mine! It's a magical life. We had a fabulous time together and listened to my Amelia Peabody mystery audio books all the way... As always, I am brushing up on my detectival skills for practical purposes. For there may be a mystery waiting just around the corner, dying to be to be solved.

However, I haven't solved too many cases yet this trip -perhaps one or two- as I've been focusing primarily on the revivification of my person. This called for a hearty batch of magical warty pumpkin soup, the cure for everything that has ever ailed me! I have been caring for said magical warty pumpkin ever since I adopted her at the St. Lawrence Farmers Market a month ago. She was the mascot for our Halloween Masquerade show and shall live forever in memory, if not in photographs. She was delicious.

Beyond culinary creations, the agenda for my country convalescence reads as such:

- Take leisurely walk through crisp sunny woods
- Listen to classical music while sipping cranberry toddies (feel rather pleased with yourself)
- Practice guitar
- Set up photo studio for Captain Dirt & The Skirt photo shoot tomorrow night!

I think I can handle it.

And speaking of photos, and detectives, I have just begun my newest Adventures in Sweetland photo series "Sherlock Sweetland." (Obviously.) Thus far the camera has caught me at the scene of the crime, and in transit to my secret agent Russian power plant meeting, or about to get beamed up by a spaceship. You decide. Even more mysteries coming soon...

Scene of the crime. More Sherlock Sweetland here. 

This letter may self-destruct, or not.

xo

La Sweet

March 3, 2012
Brooklyn, NY

It's Saturday night and only just past the witching hour... And I'm already back in my hotel room. I'm such a good girl. It was a long and successful day in New York City! Sunny, mild, and thoroughly replete with beautiful people, raw oysters, and polka-dots.

I left the Great White North on Thursday, one day later than I had planned. Waited out the big Leapday storm front that blew through, then hit the road on Ladyship's first official roadtrip! I've said it before, but I LOVE MY NEW CAR. And it's a good thing, cause mama's goin' for a loooong drive.
Next stop, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Then onto North Carolina, Tennessee, and all the way to Texas! Just in time for SXSW.

Tomorrow night I'm playing a sweet little show in the city at Caffe Vivaldi... one of my favourite spots. If you're anywhere near Manhattan, New York, please come by and say bonjour!  Other than that, I'm pretty much on vacation. I'll be spending my time reposing on sunny park benches, hiding in dark alleys, and enjoying a multitude of cultural attractions. Photographs sure to follow... I imagine.

And speaking of cultural attractions, last night I took myself on a date to a Pat Benatar concert! Seriously. I've always loved her. Since the first time I saw the We Belong video on MuchMusic, back in the day. In the light of it's crisp-white ripped-sheet dreaminess (with the occasional chartreuse punch) I became a fan forever. She still sounds great.

The highlight of the concert for me, however, was a true moment of  Sweetlandish magic. Pat's longtime guitar player and husband Neil Giraldo was about to throw a guitar pick into the audience. At that moment I decided that it had to be my new lucky guitar pick. So I looked up and smiled from the middle of the crowd. Somehow Neil spotted me and mouthed "Do you want it?" I nodded. He said, "Put your hands up." So I did. He threw the pick and it flew over rows and rows of writhing arms. And it hit me in the face. Any guess as to what song they were playing? Seriously.

And that's not even the punchline of the story, as after the pick hit me in the face it disappeared into the void, and I couldn't find it anywhere. I made a joke to the woman standing beside me that I would "probably find it later."  But I was confused. How could the lucky guitar pick God giveth, and then taketh away so quickly?  Well, I was right. Getting into the bath last night I found it. Neil Giraldo did in fact throw a guitar pick across a crowd of people and right down my cleavage. Seriously.

The End.

xo
K

I ♥ NY. 

December 1, 2011
Toronto, ON

Gentle Readers,

It is I, your delinquent Sweetypie with tales from far and wide. Or perhaps, just tall tales. You decide. My sincere apologies for the delay in updates lately. I plead intensely artistically focused, and impressively social! You would be proud. And you did miss an important thing or two while I was busy being so busy. But here's the Coles Notes version. I played incredible shows with the likes of Micah Barnes, Jess McAvoy, Andrea Ramolo and Cindy Doire (more to come on all fronts!) As well, I hosted a slough of highly attractive house guests, rocked Halloween like only a drowned sailor girl can, cooked innumerable feasts, practiced loads of guitar, digitized my entire music collection, read my Sherlock Holmes like a good girl, ran through forests with happy poodles, wished upon a star, celebrated 11-11-11, and placed a beautiful model ship in my office window as a symbol... My ship has come in. Seriously.

So, the big news in Sweetland is one of epic proportions. Aurevoir Ruby the Van! You were the best horse ever. 7 1/2 years, 300,000 kms, and a whole world of adventures later... we say goodbye. Now I get to introduce the world to LADYSHIP.  All sexy soccer mom spy on the outside, and Venusian palace of delight on the inside (photos of her glory to come!) Together, we shall conquer the continent. Spring tour can't come too soon.

And until then I sure have my work cut out for me. A couple new albums, a book of my photography, new videos, and a motherload of flamenco dance classes later, we'll be good to go. It also looks like I'm going to be sitting in on guitar (studio and live) with some pretty amazing artists in the coming months and year. More info on axe-slinging sideperson Sweetland coming soon. We all know that sometimes I just want to wear a wig, stand in a dark corner, and play some serious guitar.

And so be it. 

Hope you can make it out to an upcoming show!

Lots of love from the big city,

x
K

P.S. I promise to write soon. And check your mailbox for postcards!

A handsome ship on the horizon!
More fall photos here.