May 26, 2006
London, ON

working... working... working....
xxx K

May 18, 2006
Poplar Beach, ON

Am back up at the cottage for five more days of solitary work and hibernation. This is likely to be my last solo voyage to Poplar Beach as the cottage is getting sold soon! (boo.) But I am so so so grateful for all the magical and incredible times I have spent here over the last 15 years. I will never forget. I have been deep deep into my writing and studies this trip. It has been totally drippy wet and unfortunate out, so I haven't been spending much time running about the forests and beaches. Instead I have been focusing inward and soaking my brain full of new knowledge. Have been working on a bunch of new tunes- both vocal and instrumentals. Am writing a song in honour of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and my favourite poem Kubla Khan . It is for him and all other artists and poets who had -and still have to- go to the very deepest darkest writhing pits of torturous artistic despair in order to birth their great art. But I'd know nothing about that... xo, K

May 2, 2006
Poplar Beach, ON

LOVE the spring, all the wee trilliums abloom and little birdies aplenty. Am at the cottage on Lake Huron for some more crazy-making creative hibernation. This always involves various kinds of writhing and flailing and tearing of one's hair out (and often -in the finer season- some serious barbecuing and triple-fermented beer-drinking) ...until you finally arrive at some crafty and glorious self-satisfied epiphany. Love that! Worth it every time. Makes me want to do gymnastics at sunset on a cliff edge, (see below) -o yeah!

Purrrr. xxo

April 27, 2006
Toronto, ON

Sunny and glorious, so happy to be back in the city. Am updating this page with all the journals and photos I haven't been able to post of late due to my far-away from technology travels... All has been so good and hope you enjoy reading (and peekin' at) all the fine trouble I've been up to. More news from the homefront on future endeavours, new album update and some new website features coming soon! Stay tuned! xxoo K

A Streetcar named Sweetland... more Toronto photos

April 22, 2006
East Lansing, MI

Hanging out in my super-sweet hotel suite after playing an afternoon gig at the Creole Gallery for Ladyfest Lansing. It was a crazy day in downtown Lansing as the streets were all blocked off and closed due to some serious protests and scary rallies goin' down... It was like a total ghost town in the middle of a gorgeous spring Saturday. Very strange. My parents came to town for the weekend to see me and visit my dad's old scholarly haunts at Michigan Sate University. A serious honourable mention for the most fun I had in Lansing goes to James Keelaghan who happened to be playing a gig for the Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse the night before my show. He had me up for a spontaneous rendition of Battle Hymn with him and bassist Hugh McMillan. The show was amazing. James rules. So much fun. xxx

April 16, 2006
Gid Brown Hollow, VA

 

In Virginia briefly to pay my final respects to my best friend Jenny's little 317 year old cabin in the holler. In February she married singer-songwriter Chuck Brodsky and now they're gonna find themselves a little dream home somewhere in North Carolina. Adieu Virginia, Bonjour Asheville. Sweet! I will miss it here, but I look forward to visiting them down in that gorgeous place. Had a superb Easter dinner tonight at the home of Paul Reisler and Julie Portman, two of my most beloved performatory and musical mentors. Food was delish. How I have grown to love Virginia -and the amazing people here- since i started visiting Rappahannock County 5 years ago. So so so so unfathomably beautiful. I will always come back here, forever.

Adieu, Adieu Virginia... (for now) more photos

April 1, 2006
Zihuatanejo, Mexico

I have been in Mexico for a week performing at the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival. Am having the most fascinating adventure. The festival is AMAZING and I can't believe the incredible talent of all my fellow performers. I had not met or heard any of them before I arrived in Zihua and have been absolutely blown away. Just to name a few, check out Jocelyn Celaya (kicks unbelievable ass with her "Radical Classical" performatory glory), David Feder (incredible, incredible) Ricardo Sweatt Rodriguez (magical acoustic fusion) Michael Kent Smith (musician/artist extraordinaire) and Lee Barbour (sweet sweet jazz.) Not to mention everyone else... Mexico is so beautiful and the people here are just lovely. I have been minorly suffering with heat-stroke and a mild bout of foreign-country-itis (translation: my body hates food.) But have been enjoying lotsa fresh coconut juice (chop the top off a coconut and stick a straw in it-style...) and have been doing much lazy pina-colada beach lounging. The ocean is perfect temperature for floating.... Mmmmmm happy girl.

The view from here... more photos