Gardens, Rain and Rock-n-Reels

I had thought to spend today in the garden, burying soaker hoses and planting all the little guys that have been showing up from various Heirloom Seed companies, but true to form here in the Midwest in the Springtime, it is raining. At least it isn't snow....

Actually I am not to depressed about this, as a nice day indoors relaxing before the gig tonight is right up my alley. Four nights in a bar is hard work. Tonight is the last of them, and it has been a lot of fun. I really enjoy the Irish bit with Folk Underground, we have a lot of fun and people seem to be haveing a great time as well. We have been pulling out some of the Western music we learned for Texas and it has been going over better than one would expect with the Irish music fans
( with the possible exception of the weirdest version of Ring of Fire ever attempted, hee-hee, sometimes the muse is there, and sometimes not ) . Word has it that Sharon Stiteler , Bird Chick to the Stars is coming down tonight, and so I am sure we will be doing her a version of "El Paso" ( WHY she likes this song is beyond me...) But it will take up a great deal of time, which is all to the good when one has to play unti 2:00am.

Malena has been with us via cell phone every night, hearing a different part of the show each evening and chatting with just about everyone on the breaks, all very fun. She has , she tells me, also been doing a great deal of work with her herbs and bathe salts and teas and such for our shop. I can't wait until it is up and running, she keeps sending me samples to try ( I am making out like a bandit here ) and I have yet to find any that aren't wonderful. This morning's bath was one called "Sunshine in my Soul , which is think is my favourite yet, and quite reconciled me to the lack of warmth and sun outdoors.

We have been chatting with Chris Ewen from the Future Bible Heros this week about the cd. Besides doing the music for several of the songs, ( for certain a new Neil song called , for now , " the Dark Sonnet ) he is also helping us with the cd booklet. He did booklets for the Flash Girls and Folk UnderGround, and we are SO lucky to have him back, glutton for punishment he is . He is hard at work on his own solo cd, which from what I have heard is going to be rather wonderful, I will be certain to post info on that as it comes in. He keeps threatening to come out here so that I can play on it, something I am quite looking forward to.

Malena sent him tapes this week , so he got to hear her sing for the first time. There is something very special about Malena and singing. One of our fans , who heard her for the first time at Mini Con said that " She sang like an Angel " ( This a big , gruff, very manly man ) Another said she had a " F*ck All Amazing Voice " ( this an eloquent man with a way with words ) I actually asked her to be in a band with me BEFORE I heard her sing and a good thing as I am not sure I would have had the nerve to ask someone that good , that magic , AFTER I had heard her, tho by that point she was already my best friend so I suppose I could have gotten over it..

I am very lucky to have her. We are very lucky to have eachother and all of the people who are helping us make this MIRROR MIRROR dream a reality.

We hope you will like it too.

Rock-n-reel,
Lorraine