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!

February 14, 2006
London, ON

Happy Valentines Day, my sweeties. Am hittin' the road ASAP southwards to Virginia. My best friend Jenny is getting married to singer-songwriter compadre Chuck Brodsky this weekend in a wee special ceremony down in the holler. So looking forward to all the celebrations! Will certainly report on the adventures that transpire and will be posting photos for sure (u know me.) Wishing you all beds full of roses and wine.

xxx Kristin

July 17, 2005
Cranberry, PA

At Motel 6... encore. Soooo sleepy again, but at least no odeur de wet doggy this time. Adventures have been seriously good- and highly adventurous. Left the holler this morning en route back to my home and native land. Yayyy Canada. Spent the last week at Paul Reisler and Julie Portman's Songcamp intensive in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I had the most incredible time, learned absolutely tons and met the most amazing people. Wrote some damn fine songs too... I highly recommend this experience for songwriters of all levels. It was so good for me! Next stop: Torontonia for a little Canada AM morning television... and I ask- why can't morning television be on in the afternoon? ... Zz z z z z z z z z z z z 

At the Blue Ridge School for boys... (don't ask)

September 22, 2004
Still down in the holler...

HAPPY AUTUMN EVERYONE. 

Here I am still, in the little log cabin in the mountains. Never did make it down to Asheville due to unfortunate amounts of hurricaning. Instead, we decided to stay here and make sure the roof didn't blow off from one of the dozens of tornados that touched down in the area. It would have been truly tragique if we came home to kittens in the land of Oz. I have been making good with my "time off" by working like crazy. Have been designing posters and flyers for gigs and practicing praticing practicing like a total nerd. My dad (because he's the best) found me a Learn How to Play Flamenco Guitar DVD set from Homespun Tapes. It rocks, and I'm learning tons. Just wait till I put on my Flamenco shoes with the clickety-clacks and begin singing, playing and dancing all at once... Yeow! Can't wait.

We're having an Equinox bonfire party this eve. Too bad yer all so far away!!! xox

 
Kristin will be showcasing at the upcoming
NEMO Music Festival in Boston.

September 22, 2003
Gid Brown Hollow, VA

Greetings again, from the wet wilds of Virginia. I'm back in the hollow after a truly insane trip down to Nashville and all points in between!! Had a serious blast at the Nashville New Music Conference meeting crazy talented (and rather stylish) folks from all over. Then I headed up to the Bristol area for the Birthplace of Country Music and Carter Family museums. Got to take Maybelle the Van to see where Maybelle Carter (her namsake) was born and it all began... Got back just in time for Hurricane Isabel who ripped through Thursday night leaving us with no power or water for five days now (and no end in sight...) Guess thay can't figure out where the power lines got knocked down so they've been combing the mountains with helicopters all weekend. So I'm livin' it up in ye olden way in the little log cabin in the hills reading books by candlelight and haulin' buckets of water in from the swampy pond to flush the potty. Since the hurricane I've had three gigs in the area (all which thankfully had power for the PA) and I can drive into town to get hot coffee, so I've really got nothin' at all to complain about. Except maybe the little kitten Evilina who keeps catching mice and snakes and giant elephant beetles (and I mean GIANT) that I have to take away from her and then deal with. Ew! (Good thing I'm a brave one.) Will be here for another week of writing retreat and rehearsing and then heading back to Ontario for the fall. (gotta be somewhere with power and cable in time for the season premiere of Angel... Very Important.)

love'n kisses, K

Once upon a time in a little cabin in the holler... more photos!