Friday, September 19, 2008

One New Spooky Kitty

Some days some things happen that you just didn't see happening when you woke up. It went like this...

Boss came home from an errand and said he had stopped by the Humane Society and picked up the latest "We need Supplies Badly" list, and I should go shopping when I had time and take them things.

No time like the present, I thought, and off I went. All would have gone as planned, except I thought I might go visit with the Kitties before I went home. They like that. I like that. I want them all.

And then Something fell in love with me. And I it. Never saw it coming.



I did what anyone would have done. I got the Hell out of there. Talked with Boss, (that's his foot in the picture) and then went back. Surely I was mistaken, yes, I have wanted on more little one. Yes, I had wanted a rescue rather than spending so much on another Bengal. But, not this moment.



The first time I was there and played with her, she was the sweetest little lover, and when I put her back, she was so surprised. She KNEW. She was half mad, half indignant. WHY was I putting her back when CLEARLY she born to be a Halloween Kitty and love with me.



Only 12 weeks and had been in the shelter for a month. Waiting for me. I explained about the Bengals.. She countered by doing the Halloween Kitty move across the floor sideways.Clearly, SHE wasn't worried, why should I be?



She's every colour. All her legs are different, she is a crazy wild mixed up Kitty. I asked Boss what her name was, and he said she is a Calico, call her that. Callie, I thought. More like Kali, I say, the little Demon hadn't stopped running at full speed (still hasn't) They called her Princess at the Humane Society.

By the time I got home, she had her name. Venus and Mim love her, and are happy to have a sister. (Ok, I made that up, but no one is DEAD.)



Meet Princess Kali-licious.

Love, I'm quite Mad, and New Kitties,
Lorraine

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Squirrel Eating Sunflowers of Doom

(Well, perhaps not, but what a great title for a post, eh?)

Since I posted last night, I have gained a another Follower. I had two. Now I have three. Following along after me in the shadows...Cloaked in Darkness, and feeding on the moon. Reveling in the night and all the promises that it holds in the Garden!

Yup. Those are my Followers all right.

(not sure what the Google Followers are, there were a lot of them, weren't there? If someone could explain..)

I might not have mentioned it, but that Haiku War last night, while I was away, was the BEST! And you did make me proud Fiends, and then some.

I have two more night garden poems for you tonight, but first, I thought we should have photos, and I was going to just nip over and steal some from Nathilie, as she is very good with them, but then I told Aleta SHE could not go off and steal things, so I thought I might better make an attempt...Challanged as I am in the matter of picture taking, but these were fun.

(Something tells me I have a seriously limited time to get this Sunflower Photo right....)

Here's the little darling in it's entirety....



And then I started playing around with it, and turned it into this....



And not to go all artsy on yourselves, it just struck me that the stories these two photos tell are so completely different, and the feelings they stir up are exactly opposite, yet completely the same.

Ok, Might have lost it, and y'all most likely learned these things in Photography 1101, but I never noticed things like this before. Someone can explain it to me, and tell me what I am trying to say here.

(And yes, I have been struggling with French Verbs all day, and am reverting to Y'all for the remainder of the night.)

Now, as promised, two more Night Gardens...I am so loving seeing these, and if you are thinking about doing one, remember, no right or wrong. No good and bad. Here you will get only love and support for whatever art you are doing. The important thing is to DO it. And then go and do it again. If it is your heart, how can it be less than beautiful? (hey if I can wax philosophical about sunflowers, you can go out on a limb too!)

Love and Art...
Lorraine


From Gayle:

Wait, what...?

The first time you left I fell down on the driveway and cried

The second time you left I fell down on the bed and died

The third time you left I (already being undead you see) hurt somewhat less

The fourth time you left I yelled and screamed and tried not to obsess

The fifth time you left I had my gift and had to make good

The sixth time you left I finally understood

You don't love me

Right?


Time to go

I plant sunflowers to remind me of life in the sun

Who will enjoy them now

Others will

Just as others enjoyed you when I thought I was alive

So many others

I hear that there are cactus in the desert that look dead during the day but bloom at night

Big beautiful full white luscious Queen of the Night flowers

I think I will move to the desert

And let the others have my sunflowers

And you

Gayle

And from Val...

Once, the night desert was nearly our death.
Sand ran in sheets of sharp water down our
dry skin; flooded through my clothes and parched mouth.
Adan cursed me. Hot wind whipped my mare's black
hair, and her bridle sang, as Bilal prayed.
His muezzin's call now: God, give us water.

It was two days since we last drank water.
Two days off our path. I wondered when death
would come to claim us. Perhaps if we prayed
devoutly, Bilal said, we would find our
way to a riyadh. But in a storm's black
night, all prayer is only sounds in a mouth.

Giving up on God, I covered my mouth,
the better to keep my hot breath's water.
Adan fell deeply into a cold black
mood, muttering how he might bring me death.
We had long since passed any hunger; our
swift end a fate for which I now half-prayed.

Through the wind, I saw a dark wall, and prayed.
A sharp shout burst from Adan's cracking mouth,
and he scaled the smooth walls using our
backs. His voice was sweeter than fresh water,
then silent. Had he been found by his death?
I lifted Balil, a shadow in black.

From inside the walled garden's leaves, all black
I heard Balil, who -- of course! -- knelt and prayed,
giving thanks for God's mercy, staying death;
while Adan's curses flowed, a river's mouth
of profane praise for the fountain's water.
Hands raw, I climbed in the garden of our

shaken faith and doubt, where at last all our
hungers were sated. But seeing the black
desert outside -- with no hope, no water --
how many others were exhausted, prayed
out? The water dried to dust in my mouth.
I saddled my mare and rode to race death,

to tell the lost of water and of our
lives spared from death, in a black night's garden.
Come, I prayed, my mouth dry; find what you seek.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I Have Followers?

Hmm...When I go to my Blogger Dashboard, it now says I have two "Followers". Followers, eh? As opposed to you run of the mill Fiends? What do Followers DO, besides the obvious? Do they get to help me? Carry things? Or just follow where I may go....

Which is currently off to French class, then dog school, and then to Minneapolis for the night. I have to meet a plane at 5:00am tomorrow morning. A welcome chore, but an early one. I can't comment here from my phone, tho I will be reading them. If you want to talk about me like I am not here, or do some stalking, now is your chance.



This is where Cuthulu-carrot came from. It is a mess. And full of creeping things. Very creepy. But surely the Mandrake Root Trapped in a Carrot's body was a fluke...There could not be anything ELSE in there I am sure of it. No, it only FEELS like somethings are watching me when I go out and harvest.....(Cue music and stay tuned for what Might happen next)

If I could see what I was taking a picture of when I took pictures, this would have been a GREAT shot. As it is, here is half a flower.



Remain as sane as you can, my dear Fiends, while I am out in the world. I will be watching. Make me proud!

Love and Magic,
Lorraine

Monday, September 15, 2008

Three New Friends, Two Bands and a Carrot

I promise you, we will get to the Carrot. No scrolling down! The music the last few days was too beyond cool to gloss over it. And I made three new friends and got to meet them all in person for the first time.

I had no idea who exactly Bela was playing with tonight, but I love whatever he is doing, and so never looked it up. Turned out to be Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet. I have no idea what kind of music that was, but Great Fods, it is my new favorite.....

Maybe Chinese-Bluegrass-Irish-Gospel with something else thrown in? Never heard anything like it. Two banjos, a fiddle and a cello and some amazing vocals.

Listen....


Told you it was cool. Amazing players all. The second funnest surprise of the night (the first would be that "Aisle 1 row A" is every bit as cool as it sounded when I picked up the tickets) was that we were sitting next to Dave Stenshoel and his wife. Dave is, among other things, the fiddler from Boiled in Lead, and more to the point, the man who taught me to play Irish music, long, long ago. Very fun to see them again.

Meeting Bela in person was perfect, one of those, oh, yeah, I Know you and we have a lot to talk about sort of meetings. An exchange of swag, and way to little time to talk. Looking forward to next time, to be sure...

(This is my "Oh Fod They Are Taking My Picture Face", as Boss calls it. Mainly we were trying to smile and talk at the same time.)



As I said in the comments, The Shondes Sunday night were well worth staying up WAY too late for. Kind of Post-punk-meets Klezmer and gives birth to something new. I am really looking forward to seeing what they do, they are onto something new, and very cool.

Here's me with new friends Temin and Eli after the show...



I had a letter this morning,and I want to share it with you all....It's personal to me, but I feel you, my Fiends, need to share...

(Bare with me here, Carrots are online more than you can know...)

Here it is:

Dear Quiche (if I may be so bold as to call you so..)

I want to thank you for your efforts on my behalf. It is because of you, and your Fiends, that all of my hopes, and dreams and wishes have all come true! I have been misunderstood, laughed at and reviled. I am a Mandrake Root Trapped in a Carrots body and had despaired of ever finding and living my destiny...I was meant for greater things, I was meant to live on, in the hopes and dreams of others like me, and gain lasting renown....

I have achieved all that I could ever dream of. And my people, others like me, now have hope that it IS possible...

I will live forever, in joy and triumph!!!!!!


And I thank you.


And so, life is good. Love, Music and Living Your Dreams,
Lorraine

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Out For Some Rock!

Quick post before I nip into town to see The Shondes. Yes, I am going out, and not to a gig! Is this what people mean by a social life? Hmmm...May not be very good at it as three of the five people I was going out with had to cancel. I don't think it's me tho....But, before I go, a few pictures for you.

Gayle sent me this today and I thought it was such a nice picture I would share. So serene I look, so calm, so very musical!

Not!



And some way too cute of the Mighty M taking Cabal for a walk, with Cabal being fine with it except desperately trying to keep by me...



And finally, mostly for Boss, as he can see my blog, but not his.....



Cabal seems to be eating better now, and happier. I swear he Knows when Boss is coming home soon. Tonight tho, he could eat his chicken, but only if he took it outside, and ate it in the rain. Of course.

Right. I'm off, I'll let you know how the music was when I get home, but I suspect I will tell you, it Rocked!



Love and Music,
Lorraine