ah, the Midwest

I am back home , here in the Midwest after the very best week of all in California. Many thanks to Christy for driving thru the SNOWSTORM to get me from the airport, and many thanks to Northwest Airlines for the upgrade to First Class. If one HAS to leave, that would be the way to do it.

Just heard from our friend Kitty, who did the most wonderful photo shoot with us yesterday , on top of a mountain in a park. We haven't seen the shots yet, but it would not suprise me at all to find they are the most magic , lovely , fey photos anyone has ever taken of us. And we have had some rather wonderful ones so far. I never felt so relaxed during a shoot as I did yesterday. Malena of course, has modeled for years and is amazing at it, and we have worked out the best way to make me look like something other than a stick of nerves, hee-hee, but this shoot with Kitty was the easiest , and funnest thing ever, like playing. Kitty is so very much fun and we adore her SO, she made me feel like the slinky-est coolest thing ever. I can't wait to see what we look like thru her eyes.

Next time I go back we will get Mimi Ko, another California girl, in on the action, that girl is going places with a camera!

Malena and I spent the rest of yesterday working on practice tapes to give to Adam Stemple, who is playing with us at the Garrison Keillor gig in two weeks. Adam ought to enjoy figuring out the songs quite a bit ( good thing he is Amazingly talented ) as for some reason my mic did not not pick up my vocals and the only thing that came thru on the tapes, for the most part, is Malena's harmonies. I have to learn how to use this 4-track thing, Really!

(I ought to mention that a tape with only Malena's harmonies is miles ahead of many things I have heard in their entirety. Oh yes. And yes, just as soon as we have something good enough, we will be putting up MP3's on the website.)

I am missing California , and my bandmate , quite a bit just now, but glad to be home with all the cats, who actually seemed to have missed me. Christy has been laughing at me for talking to my tomato seedlings , but they did quite a bit of growing these past five days and I thought they deserved a little praise. Perhpas it was the fact I adressed them as " Dudes" that did it....

Love and snow and hopes of a Garden here,

Lorraine

Pianos and Little Cars

Still having the most fun ever out here! Malena and I went and saw Tori in concert last night. She is one of my favourite performers ever, always has been , and last night was one of the best concerts I have ever seen her do. It was just her and her piano, which I love best. She was on fire, magic, wonderful , fun, silly and , well, just plain magic. I am in awe of her and am greatful every time I can see her play. Could have listened for hours.

It was lovely too seeing everyone at the show. Photographer Mimi Ko was there, I don't know why I didn't remember she lived here , but it was a lovely suprise running into her, and of course seeing Kitty Cat is ever wonderful, cozy, sweet and like coming home to a person you Need to see more of. I finally got to meet a band I have been listening to on and off for several years now, The Endless, very nice to meet you Adrianna and Dave ( sorry if I am spelling your name wrong, Adrianna, and Dave, I might have got your name WRONG, I am SO bad with names, drop me a note if it is not Dave and I will correct that.... ) And a Very big thanks to all of the Neil fans who came up and said hello and wished us luck on the cd! You made us feel so very loved!!!!!

Almost as cool as the show was the fact that Malena let me drive her little Miata home from the concert. Heady stuff for a girl from the Midwest, tooling up Sunset Blvd in a sports car at one in the morning. Oh yes!!!....My Flash Girl bandmate, Emma Bull, used to live out here and always wanted a car like that to drive around in, and I say to her now, that Emma, you were right, NOT an over-rated expierence.

Today is a photo shoot with our Kitty Cat and maybe Mimi Ko, who has , I believe , been talked into coming along and taking some shots as well. We are going to be the best photographed band ever, these two have Vision!!!

Love and pianos ,

Lorraine

All dressed up and everywhere to go!

I used to wonder, with a certain amount of envy , why my bandmate Emma from the Flash Girls , and then our friend Kitty Cat and now Malena, all always seemed to be so perfectly dressed. All three of them had the coolest clothes, and funnest things, things I had never seen in the midwest, let alone could afford to buy. Magic, wonderful, beautiful, cool , hip , funky, fun wonderful clothes. Sigh, I would say, to myself, I guess I just don't have it in me.

Well, now I know the secret. Now I know. Two words people: Fashion District. Ye gads, block after block of shops right in downtown LA ( maybe downtown LA, I am a little hazy yet on the geography out here in LA yet ) of the funnest shops ever. Things I have seen in the Midwest, for three and four times the price, for sale right on the sidewalk. You can buy long velvet capes with lace in deep purple velvet. ( yes, I did ) green silk dresses, long swirling skirts , velvet pants, the best scarf EVER for your friend Betsy Stemple's B'day and the coolest belly dancing belt sewn all over with sparkling things, coins and a floor lenth net skirt and silver jewels. ( all of them I did )

And more. I am sure of it. There is a pile of clothes in Malena's sewing room, which I have taken over, the size of a small hut. And I am not yet broke. Tho I would be if I lived here, no doubt about it. Might well be why Emma moved to Arizonia.

Of course Malena bought quite a few wonderful things as well, ( Jacket: silk, red and black, feathers, sparkling things , still in awe I am ) so I am certain never to catch up, and I have no doubt when we see Kitty Cat tomorrow night that she will also be dressed most elegantly, but then, for once, so will I.

And when I go back to the Midwest, and work in the garden, file books in the library or stop by the farm store, I myself, will no doubt be the best dressed girl going. Oh yes!

Love and light and cool clothes for all!

Lorraine