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As some of you know, I am currently working on my first ever writing attempt. A novel called “Days with Indigo”. This novel is what I’d call plain old fiction. A lovely story based heavily on characters and story. In my last update, I had only gotten to chapter 22. I have since written part three which consists of chapters 23 through 29. I felt it necessary to do “parts” to show breaks in time or to imply to the reader that they may want to rest before heading onward!

I’m now on chapter 31 in the final part. Part 4. This is where all the mysteries need to resolve, or get so deep that you just know it’s not going to be figured out. It’s a hard thing, writing. I know plays, movies and such are usually in three acts, but I felt this book needed to tell me what it had planned and I needed to not hold the reins too much. History be damned! In doing that, I have really become attached to my beloved cast of characters. I don’t just love them. I am in love with them. I think part of me isn’t finishing quickly because I don’t want it to end. Once I finish this book, that’s their entire world. It will go no further. Kinda depressing, huh? I had toyed with making Indigo have a sequel, but after having a chat with War-N, I realized that would be an easy way out. I’d get bored upon writing another book with the same base characters. So, I will not be making a sequel. I’d rather long for a character and re-read a book than to think “Oh. It’s them again.” Plus, I have so many other new characters to invent after this book. I love writing in this way, and I think this won’t be my only novel attempt. I may not jump into it immediately after Indigo is finished, but I certainly feel that writing is high on my list for things I want to continue doing.

I’ve learned a lot, and will likely learn even more in this part, while writing this book. It’s very odd that your mind can make decisions that you didn’t think you’d make for a character. You sit and ponder scenarios and it’s funny the ones you choose. At least, it was weird for me. I thought things like “Oh my goodness! I didn’t know they were going to do THAT!?!” and I was so happy when I’d feel that way. The characters have truly become real in my mind. Should I be scared?

I have an actual journal that I started when I began writing. I’d write out what I planned to do, then I’d write why I didn’t do it that way, and finally I’d write about my great surprise that a character did something in the book. It’s very funny to go back and read it now. NONE of my original ideas have stuck! They’ve all transformed into something else entirely. I love that! My heart is so invested in these people! I know them all so well now. It’s a fabulous thing, this writing business. I’m glad I have the opportunity to do it.

So, the end of 2009 will indeed be a busy, busy year for me, and for Hungry Lucy. Things are definitely churning and getting to a good place in music land as well as finishing the book. What a lovely productive year here in Hamilton! But, I still have test first drafts to do and then all the formatting, editing, printing and such before the book would come out. I don’t see the HL album and the book coming out at the same time. It would be lovely, but I don’t think it will happen.

To my delight and surprise, another musical friend has written a book. Andy Deane of Bella Morte has published his first novel titled, “The Sticks”. Apparently, he’s got many more to publish, too! Great news, Andy!! Isn’t writing great?!? Congrats on your writing. I need to pick up a copy of “The Sticks” for myself! If you don’t know of Andy or Bella Morte, get acquainted! Andy is such a lovely person and whenever we’d play with them, I’d always feel better just seeing them. He, and all of Bella Morte, had the power to lift the mood to lovely pretty quickly.

In family writing news, War-N’s niece Siobhan has written her first novel as well. I’m not exactly sure on the details of that yet, but the book is called “The Darling Rebels” and will be out later this year! I was so happily surprised to hear about her writing and publishing a novel. I can’t express how proud I am of her!!

So, there’s that. I’m well on the way to the finish line of the first draft. I can see it. It’s a little blurry, but it’s there! I had a deadline of July 1st for my first draft. I really don’t know if I’m gonna make it? But, I am trying my damndest!

So, this summer, find a good book to sink your teeth into. There’s nothing like an indulgent day of reading, sipping iced tea and falling into a world created by someone else. When it’s done right, you never forget how it feels. I guess there are a lot of things like that, yes? Enjoy the summer!

Much Love,

Christa Belle

So far this year, I have done a bit of this, and a bit of that. If you’ve been reading my blogs/articles here, I’m sure you already know what I’ve been up to. So, I shan’t bore you with the details. Just go back and read if you’re interested

Between tasks, I have taken a few pictures here and there. Below I have discussed a few of my favorite shots, and why they are my favorite shots. Honestly, I thought I’d have more than this. I was surprised at how few were actually my favorites! So, does this mean I’ve been lazy? Or, am I just ultra-picky when it comes to my own photography? I think, for my sanity’s sake, I will choose the latter.

This first shot is of my beautiful boy, War-N. I had seen these pictures in my head for months. A dark subject, light in the eyes and a slight feel of something not quite right. Kind of like an immigrant being shipped away for no particular reason other than him being foreign. Despite him being wronged, in this fictitious story in my head, he still has the glimmer of hope in his eyes and nothing will defeat him. I think this translates very well to War-N as a person right now. No matter what he goes through, nothing defeats him. And, he has the light of the entire universe in those eyes. I think he’s magick.

Technically, in these photos, I used something I’ve never used in this way before. We have a large projection screen for our live shows (when we do actually play live!) to display our videos. This screen is set up in the basement from where I played movies at Halloween. It dawned on me “huh… it’s a good light spreader, so why not use it as a backdrop?” It worked so well! Even lighting from behind with my cheap and cheerful hood lights makes for a smooth backdrop. You can use a small spot for a lovely vignette, or use a bright light for a soft, dreamy white. Amazing! Why had I never done this before?? I dunno. But, I’ll certainly do it again!

Back in March, I did a pretty massive photo shoot with/for my newest nephew, Micah. Shara, Chris and Micah all came up and we had a lovely day of shooting inside our house. Then, we took a trip up to Oxford where I got many favorite shots outside. Oh, and we all partook of some Starbucks. Hee hee! It was a great day with the three of them, and War-N, and I look back on it very fondly. We walked around the Oxford streets enjoying the unusually mild March weather together. I love the big, old trees up there, so I thought it may work for a good background for Micah. It most certainly did.

So, I had a lot going on at the time and I had to put off doing the printing and such until after another task was done. So, it built up on my shoulders as a heavy task (in my mind), but then, as I was doing it, I fell in love with these pictures all over again. When it came time to actually choose a favorite, it was very difficult. I loved them all. Mr. Micah is such a beautiful baby! All of my nieces and nephews are incredibly beautiful. It’s almost unnatural!

As I sat back to really look at the pictures, I got a true “picture” of what I had been doing. So often we get engulfed in tasks and lose sight of the outcome. I found it a huge help to take pictures of my progress, and that truly made me see that I had done a good job. The photographs were different, but went very well together when viewed in mass. I had taken a fair amount of color out of most of them, so to get them looking like a “set” or a certain “mood’ felt very good to me. Plus, Shara (my sister, Micah’s Mom) loved them. That was the most important thing. I think Chris (Micah’s Dad) did, too. I hope so!

So, this was my pick for favorite picture from his photo shoot. I had trouble with the shadows on his face in this set on a few, as I was shooting manually and forgot to adjust the shutter once or twice. Oops! But, I got most of the details to a good point. I chose sepia for a select few that gave me problems. Sepia seemed to smooth out some noise and really made the skin tone glow. Plus, I like the dark branches, old with age and wisdom, against the newness of Micah and all he was experiencing. He’s a bit of a silly boy and I had a hard time keeping his tongue out of most of the pics! This one was like a nod to the tongue. It’s there, but not enough to overshadow the rest of his personality. He’s so cute I can hardly stand it!

Then, we come to my favorite pet shot (you had to know a cat picture was coming!). I hate to say I have a favorite of our three boys, but I do. Don’t worry. Pullo and Sebastian all get plenty of love, too. We’re all a big, squishy family here! But, ever since we took in Peanut and Sebastian a couple of years ago, Peanut and I developed a special bond. As reluctant as I was to love another kitty so soon after my dear Chloe’s death, I eventually let Peanut in, and he’s definitely my favorite now. He kept on pushing to be loved by me. He sat at my side, even as I cried cursing the fact that he wasn’t Chloe, and he just wanted me to love him in return. Not long after, he was victorious. I love them all tremendously. But, I do have a special soft spot for my big, furry, fearsome kitty. The biggest baby in the house. My Peanut.

This shot was on a very sunny day. I tried to sneak up on them as the three were lying in the sun. I got down to their level and just started shooting. Peanut, and Pullo, got up and started posing for me. Sebastian couldn’t have cared less. He was sunning himself and wasn’t going to be bothered to move at all! I got this one of Peanut and it just does something interesting if you look for a little while. His eyes are so focused, yet not. You feel you could just climb into his fur and go to sleep. I often wish I could. I find the picture so hazy and so dreamy. I just love it. I didn’t adjust anything. I love it exactly the way it is. Blue cast and all. I rarely ever do that. I like it!

Then, we end with a cake shot. After the Harrison 40th Anniversary Party, I still had left-over ganache so I thought I’d make a cute little “Bird’s Nest” cake. I made it while Peter & Carol (the aforementioned Harrison’s) were here for a CND day (that stands for cuppa, natter, dinner, if you didn’t know. I highly recommend having one with close family and friends!). I had made the actual cakes before they got here, but hadn’t glazed it yet. I think part of why I remember this so fondly is because we all gathered around the cake as I glazed it and them we proceeded to take some cake scraps and dip it in the ganache and top it with a bit of left-over coconut and ate it up real nice. Part treat, part naughtiness. It was just fun to be messy together and enjoy a stolen treat! In all honesty, I think the scrap feast tasted better than the assembled cake. Funny that.

So, I have so many undiscovered favorite things to look forward to this year. I hope you find some favorite things in your daily life. Nothing beats a stolen treat, a hazy picture that takes you right back to a moment, or the way your special someone looks in a photograph. Though nothing beats the real thing, it’s nice to be able to look back at a moment in time.

Much Love and Fond Memories,

Christa Belle

Over the last week, I’ve had a wonderful time with War-N on a small vacation. We didn’t go anywhere as you would on a “typical” vacation. Instead, we stayed home doing the things we love to do. War-N worked on music nearly every day while I split my time between gardening, giving my thoughts on the music work War-N had done (which was EXCELLENT!), a tiny bit of writing work and some other rather non-creative things like laundry and some fun cooking and such. We even cooked dinner together. Awesome!! It was lovely just being able to be together during a normal week but surrounding ourselves with whatever we wanted to do. No plans. No expectations. Just creative loveliness. I do get spoiled by having him all to myself. I’m glad to have that luxury whenever it presents itself!

So, one of the things we did was an impromptu photo shoot. I was the subject and War-N the photog. He shot many, many photos, but I found this one said a lot to me when I kept going back to it as a favorite. I don’t usually even like photos of myself, but I think there’s something to be said about the person who can see inside you the most getting a good picture of you. War-N does seem to capture a certain something about me that no one else can. I think that speaks volumes. Plus, I actually like it!

Cb Shadows

The only adjustments I did (in Aperture 2, of course!!) was that I brought the red channel down and boosted the luminance of the red channel to even out the skin tone. The original was a bit orange, so lowering the red helped. I brought the mid-tone shadow levels down a bit to make richer blacks and I think the adjustments gave it more of a “glowing” mood without adding my usual “diffuse glow” to smooth out the skin. I didn’t want too much glow. Just the suggestion. I love that you can still see my dark hair against the dark wall, but the mood is still very much a shadowed picture. Great job, War-N!!

One secret that I’ve used the last few years is parchment paper on a plain old aluminum hood clip-on lamp (like the ones you use on fish tanks and such). The parchment paper (unbleached) really softens the light, and the paper is meant to withstand high heat, so it’s a perfect match. Cheap and cheerful! To that lamp, I add a dimmer and used two lamps on either side of the body. One on the lower body, one on the face. It’s a bit tricky for exposure at times, finding the right angles and light strength, but enough play will get what you want. I keep the ISO low so as not to get too much noise in such a dark setting. Even with my beloved Nikon D300, I still get the ever-annoying noise in some situations with a high ISO. Blargh!! So, this was just on 250. Also, a tripod is always a good suggestion when using low light. War-N managed to hand-hold this one, but you can still see a slight blur in the eyes. Luckily, it actually adds a certain something to this shot. A few more from this series may come to light, as it were, because there are still quite a few I liked. We both had a ball just hanging out, drinking chocolate martini’s, listening to Goldfrapp and taking photos. It was a grand end to a wonderful vacation. We were together. We were home.

In all my years of taking photos, and being in them, I just find I get the results I want when the mood is darker. I like the mystery. I like the shadows. I like that it brings out beauty that usually stays hidden, or it hides things that are unflattering and brings forth the true beauty of the subject. We aren’t all models, and we shouldn’t be. We need to find our true beauty, accept it and embrace it. Find the best angle. Find the best light. There are so many extraordinary pictures still waiting to be taken. We should all just go for it!

As we get back into the mode of War-N working and me being here, doing what I do, we come to terms with the fact that it has to be that way… for now. No matter what life throws at us, we have each other. When things get dark, we meet in the shadows and find the light together. Sometimes, all we need is a tiny glow to find our way back home.

Find your darkness. Find your light.

Much Love,

cb

As some of you know, we are having some (more) garden work done in our entire front, sides and back garden! The first time around, the installation of the rock walls a couple of years ago just didn’t cut it for the needs of our garden. I’ve been trying to do my part and “Go Organic” for the entire garden, and it just wasn’t there until now. Not only was I afraid of any and all fertilizers, I wasn’t properly feeding my plants and this wasn’t a good thing. I went “natural” in the opposite direction by doing nothing except watering and hand-pulling weeds. That’s not what Organic gardening is. So, I’m still learning, but have really gotten the concept now and am well on my way to being a proper gardener.

Today held a MASSIVE installation of 25+ yards of homemade compost, a whopper of a huge bag of sterile compost for the existing flower/herb beds, 104 pine needle mulch bales and a Dingo and a very large caterpillar device. Not to mention the 5 people it took to get it all done today. The work isn’t quite finished, but it’s well on the way to completion. Even with 5 people, it’s hard to do that much shifting and scooping in 6 hours. I will post a final “after” shot so you can get the entire scope of what exactly has happened (if you even care! ).

I mentioned what they put in, but just listen to what they took out. They brought three massive landscape trucks, one being a literal dumpster size, and they hauled out two trucks of nasty, mucky clay and rocks… and a fence panel that just had to go! With the entry to our back garden now open, it feels so much more grand and more welcoming. It was past time to take down the barrier. It’s going to be really something special getting it to come to fruition over the next few years. This was a brilliant first step.

Marvin, the owner operator of Marvin’s Organic Gardens, was at the helm, followed by Ricky organizing all duties to be done. They worked splendidly well all together, a total of 5 people, and it truly seemed like they all respected each other, and the plants. They were all very careful not to disturb a newly made nest of a Robin on the fence post. Marvin drew it to everyone’s attention right as I told him. I watched in sadness all through the week building up to the work day, hoping she’d wait until after the digging and noise, but she laid her eggs and sat for two days and nights right before they got there. I do hope she returns and the two blue eggs hatch and fly away someday soon. I know she came back soon after they left. Perhaps she’s there now?

My first experience two years ago, with the “rock wall” project, I didn’t feel this way about the crew of the other landscape outfit at all. I almost felt I was just barely tolerated at my own house and felt I was intruding and not welcome if I came to see what was going on. But this time that wasn’t at all the case, thank goodness! Marvin and his crew are fabulous to work with on site. There’s never a wrong question and they actually want you to be happy. What a concept! I’ve been going to Marvin’s place (greenhouse/garden center) for many years now. I will continue to go back and promote them in any way possible. It’s not just about the work they do, it’s about what they plant along with it. Hope.

My “other parents”, also known to most people as in-laws (but I hate that term), Peter & Carol also had their garden done by Marvin last Fall. They are loving the spring flush of bulbs that Marvin and Ricky planted. Plus, all of their new plants are doing very well. Their Hellebores are spectacular!! Now, they will have a relatively maintenance-free garden full of life and color. It’s because of them that I learned of Marvin in the first place… a flier in the mail that Mummy Carol thought I might find useful. Boy did I!! I’ve never been so grateful for a flier in my life! Now, we all share a love of Marvin’s Organic Gardens. It’s the only place we’ll get plants from now on!

So, as they left for the day, I joyfully went out, wellies on feet, and began uncovering some of the little babies that were under their fresh mulch. The thing about the pine straw mulch is that it’s so easy to cover and uncover a plant without disturbing the plant itself. I’m loving it already! So, I’m winding around, plant to plant, making sure everything is ok. And, happily, everything is. War-N watched me from the kitchen window enjoying the joy I expressed as I tended to my babies. It has already given both of us so much joy and it isn’t even finished yet! Not one new plant has gone into the ground yet, but I feel that the garden has already benefited tenfold just from today alone. Things look greener, seem more alive and look much, much better. Step two with a few plants and re-seeding all grassy areas will follow within a week or so. I get to meet with Marvin again to decide final plant choices this week. That’s the ultra fun part. Plants!!

In the meantime, Marvin gave me a task list of things I need to do before they come back. Excellent!! One of those tasks is that I get to build another new rock wall in front of the house. I’m building it out of existing rocks that are around my trees and such. Turns out I wasn’t giving my trees enough of a “ring” around them for growth and water absorption. One of the many lessons I’m learning. So, I’m getting them away from the trees and building another raised bed for compost and new plants. When it’s all nice and done, it’ll just be grow, grow, GROW!! This has forced me to really clean out the garden and all that will remain will be … a Garden! No storage bits, extra wood pieces left strewn about, empty pots, messiness and the like. Only a nice, glorious, healthy green space full of life. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. A true garden.

It’s funny… as Marvin & co. were cleaning up, one of our neighbors had been watching the process. He is a very nice man that I’d waved to on occasion on our nightly walks. Very friendly guy. He was very interested in what they were doing and asked (rather forcefully, but nicely) that Marvin come to his house right after he was done here. So, Marvin did! He was dog tired, but off he went to help another potential customer. I do wonder what time he and Lily (the wonder-dog) finally got home?

So, this will be a good garden year for me. I’m constantly learning and constantly hungry for more information that I can learn about organic gardening and plants in general. I used to think I was too old to learn new things a few years ago. Turns out, I was just trying to learn the wrong things. If there’s no interest, there’s no learning. It just won’t happen. I never want to stop learning. That much, I know.

I shall report back again when the project is complete. There will be some grand photo “before & after” shots. It’s so amazing I can hardly believe it’s finally happening! Even War-N is excited to see the final product. Even at this at this stage, he’s so impressed!

And whether you garden or not, enjoy the great outdoors and all it has to offer. There’s something for everyone… somewhere.

Much love to all.

cb

Over the last few weeks, War-N, his brother David and I have been rehearsing for a musical performance for their parent’s 40th wedding anniversary party. Along with that, I have been making plans to make their anniversary cake. The party is over now, and all went off without a hitch. The music of Studio II (David and War-N’s band from the 80’s) was absolutely wonderful and we also performed a handful of songs as Hungry Lucy. It was much fun despite the nerves associated with playing to a room full of people that you actually know! It’s much different to play to family than strangers. I prefer the latter. But, it went very well. We all had fun and the cake was adored beyond my wildest expectations. I was even asked to do a wedding cake, but I kindly said no. I’m not that skilled just yet!

The cake plan definitely took a lot more out of me than the music does. I’m used to planning for shows. But, the cake. Well, that was much different. It all started when I offered to make it back in late 2008 when Peter and Carol first started talking about it. The plan went through many changes and looked as if it wasn’t even happening a couple of times. But, it did indeed happen, and I think they both had a loverly time.

So, I did a “cake trial” back in January and the decision was so easy for them. I made two options. One was a chocolate butter cake with a raspberry white chocolate buttercream icing. Carol loves the combination of raspberry and chocolate, so I was attempting to find a good marriage, if you will, of those two flavors. It didn’t quite work, and it was ugly! The taste was great, but something about it said “little girl’s birthday cake” and it just put me off to look at it. Then, the second option was one I just thought of as I browsed through my cake cookbooks and magazines. I wanted something classic, but rich and elegant at the same time. A “Yin and Yang” kind of thing. I know how well yellow butter cake and chocolate icing went together, so I just came up with a version of that. The end result was the classic yellow butter cake with a chocolate-sour cream icing. Then, on top of that, was a medium chocolate ganache coating. It sounds as if there would be way too much chocolate, but believe me. It worked a treat! I did such a thin layer of the chocolate-sour cream icing that the total of the icing and ganache was the perfect thickness to accompany the cake. P&C loved it, so that was the main concern. The extra compliments from guests were truly, and literally, the icing on the cake!

What was interesting was that when the four of us (Peter, Carol, War-N and myself) did the cake trial, we all agreed unanimously that the yellow and chocolate was the clear winner. I totally thought we’d go through a few trials to get the perfect combo. But, no. And, we’re all chocolate lovers, so the choice for yellow cake was a bit of a surprise for all of us! That said, I think the chocolate butter cake is still fabulous. Just not with the raspberry concoction I put it with.

I know I must be a true foodie because I was so incredibly turned on by the texture of this yellow butter cake batter! It looked, and felt, like yellow velvet. So smooth and so luxurious when I poured it into the pans. Oh my! It’s because of the “butter cake method” that the texture was so different. I know have that under my belt no problem after making a total of 7 individual cakes! It’s just that one extra step in the beginning that makes all the difference in the world in the texture of the cake. Instead of a creaming method with the butter and sugar first and then adding the eggs and vanilla etc., you treat the flour, salt, baking soda/powder as the sugar and cream the softened butter with that first with a bit of the liquid (in this case, it was milk). You actually beat it on medium speed for about a minute before adding the remainder of the egg yolks, milk and vanilla. Usually, you don’t want to over beat a cake mixture or you develop too much of the gluten in the flour. But, since you’re using a cake flour here, there’s not as much gluten in soft wheat anyway. SO, this actually helps develop texture. Bizarre, ay? Big thanks to my kitchen book of choice when baking cakes, “The Cake Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum. It is truly a book to treasure and learn from! No matter what baking query I search for, there’s always a solution in this book. Even with all of my other “professional teaching books”, I learn more from the lovely Rose than anyone else.

So, weeks went by with no activity, as the party was planned so much in advance. I had the design in my head and tried to relax about it until I needed to get started. Then, the party was a couple of weeks away. I went out and got my new large cake pans, an awesome heavy duty cooling rack and all the things I needed for this massive cake. Then, it was the week of the party. I began shopping for my ingredients three days before the party. I can’t tell you how many times I went back for yet more chocolate! I melted over ten pounds, and used about seven total! Butter was a huge ingredient, too. Many pounds of that were used. Despite all of that melting and working with the chocolate, I still want more! Isn’t it beautiful?

The baking begins.

I started baking cakes on Thursday, then again on Friday. By the end of Friday I had everything assembled and crumb-coated and then the cakes were all safe and sound in the fridge (after we re-organized everything to clear off the shelves!). This was the first time I had done a cake with simple syrup on each layer. It really does help to keep a large cake moist! And the crumb coat made the ganache really stick to the outside of the cake. I still need a lot of practice with smoothing it out, but all in all, I was quite pleased with how it turned out. I chose not to do piping, as I’m not that great at it yet. I coated the cakes in the ganache Saturday and then added the final touches to the cake later on Saturday at the location. I decorated the cake with these tiny little chocolate drops (by Leone Torino, an impossible link to find in working order!) and candied violet petals. The combination of purple and chocolate brown were quite lovely together. It looked so sinful all assembled and sitting pretty. It sat high and mighty on a white marble slab, as it was the only thing big enough to hold it! The lower level was 12 by 12 inches. No cake plate I had would do the job. I needed a marble slab anyway, so that was a bonus for me It was admired briefly before being cut into pieces and devoured by the guests. I did a pretty good job cutting it, too. I surprised myself! The main trick is not to go too big with the pieces.

I loved how the candied violet petals sparkled in the dim light. The flash made the finish on the cake look rather strange, but that’s the price you pay with semi-shiny chocolate and a straight-on flash! My bounce flash was dead. Silly me.

The party came and went, but part of the cake is still present at Peter & Carol’s! They had a whole lower level left, plus a bit of the second tier. I don’t think they were complaining that they had extra cake.

I learned a lot from this experience. I learned I could totally get into doing this as a career choice, if I had a staff and a place to do it. I learned that over-estimation is bound to happen and you will have left-over cake (but better too much than not enough, right?). I learned that things always take longer than expected and, thanks to War-N, I stayed on schedule!! And, I learned that nothing is perfect. It doesn’t have to be. It is going to be eaten after all!

As a musical performer as well, I had a ball playing with War-N, and David (we did a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” as all three of us, and it were lovely!!). I didn’t use my in-ear monitors, and it felt so much nicer. I was nervous, but I let it feed me rather than bring me down. It was a wonderful night, even when my feet were on fire with pain! I didn’t sit down until near the end of the party. What was I thinking??

We as Hungry Lucy performed 5 songs on our own. It was nice to perform even a tiny set like this for friends and family. It was just enough to make me want to play more! Obviously, Peter and Carol took this shot (not sure which??).

With all the ganache I made, extra for safety, I had a ton left and decided to make truffles on a day-to-day basis. It went well with extra remnants of the plain, pretty cake dusted with a cinnamon/cocoa concoction. With a cup of tea, of course. No complaints here!

Now, I move on to my gardening project, finishing my book, finishing the Hungry Lucy album and a few other projects in between. 2009 is an ambitious year. I’m up for the challenge!!

This was my favorite shot that I took. Its of War-N, of course, and I just love how he looks so damned happy playing music. Suitably donned in his “Hacker” shirt. Oh, my beautiful boy. You sure do know who you are!

Now, if only I had a slice of cake…

Much love and peace,

Christa Belle

As many of you know, I don’t enjoy eating out in restaurants that much. I admit I was a bit harsh in my last posting, so I wanted to take the chance to apologize to Basilico for that. They are new, so I need to give them a second chance.

With spring and warmer weather well on the way, we’ll all get the chance to use our own veggies and fruits from our own gardens! How wonderful that is to walk out into the garden and come back into the house with an armful of produce that you’ve grown yourself. Beautiful! For me, there’s nothing like cooking at home and enjoying the food I cook! I wasn’t always a cook, but I did want to be a chef when I was a kid. Funny that, ay?

Who knows what a ripe strawberry should look and smell like? If you’ve ever sniffed the strawberries in their plastic boxes at the supermarket, and I always do, they often smell of nothing. That should be a big indicator to what it’s going to taste like. Probably nothing. I do know that strawberries are shipped from everywhere on earth year round. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you could grow your own and taste the pure strawberry-ness for yourself, you’d never want to get them from a store ever again! A ripe strawberry should be red all the way through, minus the hull bit, and not hard. I’m sure you know what it’s like to cut the top off of a strawberry and it seems more like you’re cutting an apple. Right? Eew!

However, there are things you can do to make even the most cold, hard strawberries into a suitable feast any time of year. The trick is macerating and soaking. If you put the hulled, cut strawberries into a bowl with a bit of sugar (organic and natural, if you can) and a bit (a couple of tablespoons to a 1/4 cup, depending on how many berries) of either red wine or balsamic vinegar, you will have berries that taste nearly like they were ripened in the sun. There’s something in the wine and vinegar that allow the berries to give up some of their hidden flavors. It’s very interesting! When you choose this method, it is often best served with something else, like a scone and clotted cream, for example. You won’t get that freshness that is undeniable when you pick a berry and eat it right where you stand. I swear… NOTHING beats that! I can’t wait to do that in a couple of months! I hope to grow a few more varieties of strawberries this year, too. I have my sister’s strawberry transplants she planted with me, which are divine, but I’d like more berries after June! Unfortunately, War-N can’t eat strawberries. I wind up eating them all myself, when the birds don’t get to them first. Oh darn.

Another comfort of mine is making any sort of pasta dish. Just the act of combining the pasta with the sauce in the pan is heaven to me! I love to twirl the pasta, and I NEVER cut my long pastas!! It is a sin! My favorite long pasta is Bucatini. A long, thick spaghetti-shape with a hole through the center. There are a few varieties of “holy pasta”, but Bucatini is pretty easy to find. I’m sure you know where I get mine… at The Jungle. My Italian brand of choice is Rustichella d’Abruzzo. This is what is pictured. You can see from the texture of it that it’s going to be great. A general rule of pasta is that if it’s smooth, brighter yellow and more plastic looking, it’s not going to offer as much flavor and texture. The rougher and paler yellow it is, the more it’s going to meld with your sauce of choice. But, I won’t go into all the rules of pasta. There are so many! I just know on any given day, I could happily eat Bucatini with Browned Butter and Mizithra cheese. A dish I was introduced to at The Old Spaghetti Factory, but I made it at home and I have made my own version that I like even better! I found the Factory didn’t brown the butter as much as I do and it didn’t have that full flavor that I got at home. And, I found I loved it with the Bucatini rather than just Spaghetti (which the restaurant does). I also add a bit of parsley at the end with the butter (careful, it splatters like mad in a hot pan!) and I use white pepper. It adds a different kind of heat than black pepper. Incredible. I also do something the Factory doesn’t do. I make the pasta/cheese mixture pretty dry in the pan and then add the secret ingredient… pasta water. This melts the cheese further and it gets much creamier than the restaurant version. Just that tip, and using less butter than they did, made this dish jump off of the plate, or bowl rather! I am always happy when I make this. But, I try not to eat it more than once a month or so. It’s a bit high on the caloric scale! I may try adding fresh Asparagus to this dish. I have a feeling it would be a great addition. Plus, a veggie addition wouldn’t hurt at all!

Then, there are dishes I make when I miss certain people. I was introduced to Pineapple and Rice by my dear friend Christopher long ago. We used to eat it often with just a sprinkling of salt in his parent’s kitchen. As I get older, and Chris and I aren’t together as much, I find myself making it when I miss him. Now, I make it a little differently, but I still sit and think of him as I enjoy it. I call it CBCB Pineapple Rice. You can make it with instant rice, or Basmati (which is almost like instant), or you can take the time to steam some Japanese Short Grain white rice. Which ever rice you choose, you won’t be disappointed! Just make the rice according to package directions (for which ever rice you choose), set aside with the lid still on. Meanwhile, take either fresh pineapple (I did in the above picture) or canned pineapple chunks, drained, and saute them briefly in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. High heat will give you a nice caramelization on the pineapple making it even sweeter. Then, I add my little bit of heat. I add hot chili flakes and sea salt. Combine the cooked rice and steaming hot pineapple and enjoy. It’s a very good dish with little to no fat and it’s very satisfying when you want something sweet and savory. Oh, Chris. I do love that you introduced me to this wonderful combination! Thank you

When I need to bake, but I still want pasta, I have the perfect solution. Timballo! It’s a traditional Italian dish, usually made with a variety of meats, but I make it vegetarian with a few homemade “meatballs”, a few veggies, the usual cheese suspects (smoked Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano) and a Penne or Mostaccioli pasta. Any short pasta will do. Although, that said, I believe the traditional Timballo is made with homemade Garganelli, which is an egg-based pasta. I must post the actual recipe to Timballo some time. It’s a long one, so you definitely wan to take a day (or even two) to make it… like for a Sunday Supper or special occasion. Perfect! You can either make the crust out of fresh pasta or use a crust like in Pizza Rustica (another of my favorites!). On this particular day for the photo, I used a flour crust. Not quite so traditional, but still fabulous! You will love the “oooh’s and ahhhh’s” you get when you cut into this bad boy. Magnifico! If you want to drool over this dish being prepared, amongst many other fabulous things, I highly recommend the movie Big Night. Turns out a lot of people and restaurants have a Big Night Night and make Timballo. It’s such a wonderful foodie film! My uncle, Steve, suggested I watch this film. It’s now in my top ten! It’s like food porn! Me like

At the end of the day, you will have an empty plate. This should be one of the happiest moments for a home cook. Well, any cook really. It’s a great feeling to know everyone enjoyed their meal and are satisfied. I often don’t bother with dessert because the meal is so satisfying. Anything else would puncture the beauty of the dinner. And, maybe, your stomach! But, a nice fruit dish to cleans the taste buds would be a perfectly suitable dessert.

I guess the main point of this posting is to say that if you can share a meal with people you love at home, it’s such a wonderful thing. And, if they aren’t with you physically, you can eat a meal that makes you think of them very fondly. It’s their memory that feeds me. That’s why I love it so much. I guess, also, that’s why I don’t enjoy restaurants. I just don’t get that same good vibe. It makes sense now. If I couldn’t cook, I’d be very sad indeed.

So, I shall post more and more new dishes as I make them with my (hopefully) fresh from the garden produce! The closer to nature your food is, the better it is for you.

With much love and respect to all!

Christa Belle

I haven’t written in a while. So, I thought I’d share some things I’ve been pleased with lately, and things I have been NOT so pleased with. Let’s start with the good, shall we?

War-N and I rarely go to movies unless it’s something that really makes a statement on a large screen. So, we went to see Coraline in 3D last weekend. While the visuals were stunningly awesome, I felt the movie lacked a lot of the good character depth that the book had (which is usually the case in any book-to-movie scenario). Neil Gaiman’s vision just in his head was much more representative of Coraline and her story. I can always go back and re-read the book if I want to see Neil’s world again. Thank goodness for great books!! While that was meant to be a positive, it did sound rather negative, huh? Well, I mean no harm. Just preferred the book. I absolutely appreciate the work, and talent, that went into this animation. It’s absolutely amazing and I felt like I was inside the screen with her. I loved that the fabric was real, along with everything else, and you got a total sense of depth on the screen. Just not within the story.

Something else that I liked was working on new tunes with War-N. But, again, this had a sense of sadness within it. I think we’re both (War-N and myself) realizing that Hungry Lucy won’t go on forever. It’s becoming so much more difficult just to write a song. We’re not forcing it, and that’s saying a lot about us as a band. Who knows where the road will lead. It’s been a long confusing one for HL the past 4 years. But, we’re not in the ground yet!

Then, we come to something I didn’t enjoy… and I’m not alone in this. I had been so looking forward to trying a new Organic restaurant here in Ohio… in Mason, actually. Its called Basilico Organic. I thought it would be a lovely, cozy place with wonderfully prepared organic food that warmed your soul. I was absolutely wrong. The environment was so sterile, bare and unfriendly. Not to say the people weren’t friendly, but they were strange in their approach. Also, they mention a Vegan menu, there were no Vegan items on the menu at all. First, you go to the “ordering station”, place your order and then put a number on the table. No glamor there. Not to mention you couldn’t read the menu to save your life. It was so small! But, the prices would indicate something fabulous was going to be arriving at your table. But, no. Nothing spectacular at all. I know, I know. I have HUGE expectations of restaurants that tout anything to do with Organic or Natural. Neigh, ANY restaurant! They should know better than to serve what they gave us. It was edible, and the flavor of my Pesto was ok (a bit too much garlic). But, War-N’s cold (yes, it wasn’t even hot) pizza tasted like a party pizza that is $2 at any grocery store. Our dining buddies, Peter & Carol (War-N’s parents) both had a Spicy Vodka Ravioli and Carol’s was more like a soup! Peter’s barely had any sauce. The sauce ratio was so off it was embarrassing! That is a HUGE no-no in any restaurant. You just don’t do that. So, THIS is your idea of Organic dining? Well, I think you’ve got it wrong. They gave a false impression with the “dough twirling pizza maker” who basically just pounded on his dough and chucked it into the wood oven. Yes. A wood oven that produced a cold, flat, tasteless pizza for War-N. Pathetic. They were obviously overwhelmed, but I give them no sympathy. If you want to run a restaurant, you better damned well know how to do it! I heard a few people complaining about the service and the time it took for their orders. It was a lukewarm experience. Oh, and the TWO tv’s in the restaurant. That’s just so classy for an Organic eatery. My overall rating is about 2 stars out of 5! I won’t be going back.

I have never liked the whole tv in the restaurant angle. I thought the idea of a restaurant was to go and enjoy your company. Not watch tv during dinner (I’m guilty of this, too) like a lot of us do at home. If I ever ran a restaurant, I’d abolish all electronic devices inside. I miss the days of casual elegance. Simple tables, warm atmosphere and the ability to hear the other person you are dining with. Wait… when have I ever experienced that?? Ah yes. Pitrelli’s in Mason is a much happier choice if you want to dine in Mason. It is the environment I speak of. The food is good and the service is always friendly. Also, if it’s great Indian you’re after, Raja India in Mason is great or it’s sister, and first of the two, restaurant Ambar India (my favorite) in Clifton.

Well, I do have my opinions. You have yours. I think we’re all entitled to speak our minds. At least I give good praise as well as bad reviews! I’m just being honest on my perception of my experiences. People have done it to me in the music world… so, I think that’s only fair. I can dish it out, and take it

To end on a much higher, positive note, Spring is in the air! I have so many things I hope to do. I got an estimate to help clear our drainage problems once and for all. I’ll hear what that estimate is later in the week. My good gardening guide Marvin, of Marvin’s Organic Gardens in Lebanon, came by to do the estimate for me. He and his assistant Ricky, and Lily the dog, spent two hours with me chatting about what we could do, should do and may do in the side and back yard. I absolutely love Marvin and all he stands for. He’s taught me so much over the years whether he knows it or not. He’s my gardening angel. I’ve never seen such passion in anyone in any other trade. He wants the absolute best for the environment and wants to make it right from the start. A rarity in any trade. So, if you need gardening work done in the Cincinnati area, I HIGHLY recommend Marvin and his crew to assist you!! If you’re looking for a healthier way of gardening, this is the place for you. Give 10-10-10 the boot and learn what organic fertilizers are going to treat you right! To quote Marvin, “Out with the old, in with the ancient!”. Go organic. It’s only natural! That’s their motto.

Well, time to start the tasks of the day. I hope you and yours are well in this fluctuating climate. Enjoy the Spring, if you wish, and know with each new season we get new opportunities to learn from nature. I’ll be utilizing this way of thinking as much as I can. A better earth is better for us all.

Much Love (Organic and Vegetarian!!)

cb

It’s late, and I’m so tired that I can’t sleep. The old “toss and turn” monster reared its ugly head. I tried to go to bed after a normal day of activity and an evening of great company, wholesome veggie food and a bit of wine (not too much). Despite my sleepiness, my brain will not allow me to sleep. So, I’ve been up, alone, browsing through old pictures, videos and missing old friends. I tried, in vain, to be productive. It only made things worse. So, I thought I’d write a bit and then try, once again, to sleep.

In my daily life, I’ve been noticing little black shadows surrounding me again lately. I have to look two or three times to make sure a person isn’t standing at my window or hiding in a corner. These little ones are a bit strong! I’ve seen about four today, or yesterday rather, and saw about the same amount the day before. I’m no stranger to this, as I’ve seen it often in my life. I’ve just had such a long period of inactivity since we moved into this house (about 5 years) that it surprised me. So, why am I suddenly seeing things now? I haven’t the slightest clue. But, after a visit from my Eldest Sister today, she said that she, too, had been “active” in her vision too. Well, that helped it make a bit more sense. In our lives as a family consisting of a lot of “visionaries”, we often see things in a sort of cycle together. We either dream the same things near the same time, or start seeing things that we can’t really explain. It never fails that we do this in pairs, or often times, all four of us. My mother, my two sisters and myself. What was even weirder was that I had just written a chapter for my book and it was about an older sister coming to visit one of the characters out of the blue. Then, literally less than half an hour later, my sister called to say she was coming up the next day. I haven’t seen my sister since December, so a sudden trip was totally out of the blue! How connected are we? Coincidence? I think not.

So, maybe the shadows were just a sign of a visit from my sister. Or, are they the shadows of my own mind playing tricks on me just to remind me that I’m never alone? I’m never really sure what I’m seeing at times like this. But, for whatever reason, it does make me appreciate life a lot more when it’s happening. I find it mysterious and wonderful. It never scares me. Maybe something just opened back up inside me and I can see all the spirits that have been hidden from my view? I guess I’ll never have an explanation. But, it’s nice to wonder what it’s all about.

I feel calmer now and a lot more relaxed. Writing about things does tend to help quite a lot… even if no one ever reads it. My eyelids are certainly much heavier. I hope that’s a good sign.

As a little side note, I used to fight the word “blog” when I wrote on here with my little stories and “articles” as I chose to call them. But, hey. I’m facing up to it. I’m “writing on my blog”. Dude. I’m bloggin’!

Also, War-N has been trying to help me get my proper gallery up and running for this site. I am a hard customer, so he’s told me I’ve been very reluctant to post many pics lately as I don’t want to put some of my recent “collections” in the format of a regular post. They deserve a nice gallery, and War-N is helping to make that happen. Thanks, War-N. As usual, you help me get things done. You rock, sweetie!

Speaking of the galleries, this will (hopefully) coincide with a new look for christabelle.com. I’ve liked the trustworthy WordPress way of posting, but it’s never looked as I intended. Again, War-N is helping with that. I know a hungrylucy.com revamp is also in much need! But, we’ll finish the album first and then handle the website. I think completing the album is more important right now. Don’t you? The album is only the tip of the iceberg. Oh, just you wait!!

Well, I think I feel much better now. That’s nice.

Goodly night,

cb

As some of you know, I’ve been writing my first novel. It’s titled “Days with Indigo” at the moment, but may change. I doubt it, but one never knows. A great alternative title may smack me in the face as I’m writing that I didn’t think of! But, for now, that’s what it will be called as far as I’m concerned.

So, I’ve gotten up to 22 chapters. Part 1 was chapters 1 through 10, and part 2 is chapters 11 through 22. I’m not going into it thinking each part will be a certain number of chapters. I’m just going and seeing where it takes me.

What I didn’t expect is to have a sudden realization this morning that I so obviously should have seen. To give an example, the main characters are Chloe and Indigo. Chloe is in a wheelchair and Indigo helps to take care of her. You can probably already see the realization now. Anyway, in the above picture, my Mimi (Grandmother) is in the wheelchair. That’s me, bad 80’s hair and all, on the couch. It didn’t hit me that I, in fact, was Mimi’s Indigo. I had been writing from Chloe’s perspective and didn’t really think about myself being Indigo. This isn’t to say that the book is about me and my grandmother. Not at all. I just found certain characteristics to be similar, and the presence of the wheelchair, of course. It’s like that old saying that says something like “if you want to hide something, put it in plain sight. No one will think to look there.” I wouldn’t have found myself in Indigo at all. War-N saw it, but I didn’t. Weird.

This writing process has been made even more emotional for me lately. I had recently watched a speech by Elizabeth Gilbert on TED.com, sent to me by War-N, and I haven’t wanted to stop writing since! It did me a world of good and I totally got what she meant. Thank you, Miss Gilbert. Ole!

After I finished part 2 yesterday I was so emotionally drained that I couldn’t bare to start part 3 just yet. I had to allow the characters to gel and settle into their current environment before I yanked them back out again and gave them another adventure. They were tired! I know that may sound weird, but that’s how I felt. I needed to feel the sadness and write from that same perspective later today. It has certainly worked.

Not only did I finish part 2 yesterday, but as a wonderfully indulgent mind-numbing treat, I thought I’d watch a movie. I wound up watching Evening and just cried like a baby by myself with Peanut on my lap. I had seen this movie three times before, but I react so differently each time I watch it. I know the story had a lot to do with it. My book, and the movie, make me think of Mimi. I have never gotten over her death, and probably never will. That isn’t to say I haven’t been affected by the other many, many deaths in my family. I most certainly have. But, there’s always a certain person in one’s life that they have a strong connection to. I was always with Mimi as a child and she was my everything. I was fascinated by her and everything she did. To me, there was no one else that could compare. Plus, you know how it is with your parents as a kid. You don’t appreciate what they did, and went through, for you until you are much older. But back then, Mimi was the top for me. I so wish she could be here to read my book when it’s finished. I think she’d like it, and she’d tell me if she didn’t! She wasn’t shy to voice her opinion.

What I have found very bizarre hen writing is that I forget my fingers are doing anything. I almost feel like I’m writing with my mind alone. I get into such a trance while writing that it kinda freaks me out when I go back and read what I’ve written. I think it’s because I can see it so clearly in my mind, as a scene/movie, or whatever you want to call it, and I just know what’s going to happen next. That doesn’t happen as much with lyrics. But it does often happen when performing live or when recording vocals. But this… well this is just fascinating to me as a first time writer. I love this process!

So, when the book is done and the story goes out to other people, I hope they can see the love that it was written with. It is certainly a tribute to loved ones, here and gone, as so many of the things I do are. But, the story is completely its’ own thing. I certainly drew from life to get the richness of the characters. I really don’t think one can write a completely new, fictional character without SOME similarity to someone else. I don’t think it’s possible. And with such wonderful people to draw from in my life, why fight it?

Finally, I hope that wherever Mimi is, she can see me happy and doing what I want to do in life. I often feel her presence and know she’s with me. I’ll always remember walking by the pond in the cemetery, the very same cemetery where her gravestone lies, and knowing she was always right behind me… watching me and keeping me safe. People will come and go, but they are never forgotten.

Much love to everyone, everywhere,

Christa Belle

It’s me again. Still here. Been somewhat busy writing. Now, this writing I speak of is lyrical, musical and literary. While War-N and I as Hungry Lucy are still gathering songs together for our album, we still haven’t really begun the hardest task of finalizing everything. It’s so easy to write and get things to a solid state, but then, the harder work comes in. Making final decisions on where breaks go, what instruments work, how many harmonies and whether the song still sounds good after all that. Then, we have some other wonderful side things going on that we want to do, but that will unavoidably put a bit of a hold on more progress. Not enough to bother with, so no big deal there. Who knows. Maybe it will help us see more clearly when we return to it? It’s pointless to try and figure out why one weekend brings two complete songs and others bring nothing. It’s all in the moment and what those moments bring. You just can’t plan it. Believe me. We’ve tried!

Secondly, my literary writings are going very well. Up to a beefy (or soy based) 18 chapters now! I didn’t quit… woo hoo!! I don’t even want to think that my story wouldn’t get finished. It would hurt way too much. All I can say is that it has taken turns I never thought it would and I am thoroughly enjoying this writing business. I always wrote poetry in my youth… I think I can say that now since I no longer have true “youth” any longer. And ya know what? I don’t want it back. I’m very happy at 34 years old and wouldn’t have it any other way. Anyhoo, I never really wrote much in the way of stories in my teens and twenties. Poetry is very different and requires a different discipline. I’m liking the novel way of writing very much. I can really get into telling the story instead of making sure it fits into a rhyme scheme or something like that. I can just write and write and then go back and edit later. It’s not better than poetry, just very different. It’s wonderful! As of now, I’m well on my way into the heft of the story and I already know how this book will end. I do know that I believe it will require a series to get all of the story told that I want to tell. Awesomer still!! I’m already thinking on how I will release this monster of a book once it is finished. I think having released all of the music ourselves in the past, I can better deal with releasing a book independently as well. But, mayhaps I should just finish it first and then go from there, yeah? I’m always a step further in my head than I should be. Can you tell?

Thirdly, there is something I do want back. My natural hair color! I got a little crazy due to a wild hair up my ass recently and decided to go partially red on me head! I liked it at first and had grand visions of doing more colors and cutting more and more off to end with a final shave. Well, that plan quickly went right down the old crapper. I’m so sick of not seeing my true self in the mirror. I never thought in a million years that I’d miss seeing “me” so much. I thought about having less hair as well and realized that was no longer what I desired. I’ve done all that and don’t need to revisit it at this juncture. I found it rather refreshing and lovely that I didn’t want to not look like me. Mission accomplished in a weird way. So, I go back to black (or dark brown, really. I’m actually highly allergic to black hair dye! Oh, the horror!) this coming Wednesday and I can hardly wait. I see myself in the mirror this way and just don’t like it at all anymore. I keep waiting for the girl I know. She’ll be back very soon. This is what I looked like at the first day of the red phase:

Not bad, but just not me. Plus, I feel so bad for red heads now. Its incredibly hard to find anything to go with my hair in the clothing department! My trusty blue shirts that I love so much look so disgusting against that red. Ack! Plus, I can’t wear my fave red lipstick at the moment because it looks absolutely horrid with the red in my hair! My admiration goes out to redheads everywhere for looking as good as you do. I can’t pull it off. I’m a brunette. And for the first time in a long time, I’m realizing how special that is for me.

In more personal news, I have been happy to see so many people in the world embracing our new President. I am one of them. I think I’m just more quiet about it. I love that he’s president now. That’s about all I have to say about that. Yeah, I totally Forrest Gump’d it! Now, where’s my box of chocolates?? Oh yeah. It’s in California

In general, I feel happy but a tad nervous. I’m up at nearly Midnight (you see, this is late for me because I am getting old!) because I started thinking of all of these things War-N and I have, and need, to do. That made me wake up and not be sleepy any longer, as I tend to do. And, while I want to do these things, I am so nervous that I’ll screw something up. I just hope everything coming up turns out well. That’s all I want. Geez. We do get ourselves in quite a state worrying, don’t we? It doesn’t help anything and we know this. But, it’s hard to stop it happening, too.

So, that’s my ramble for the week. Still missing “Tea” and looking forward to it’s return.

Hope you all have a great February! I intend to in a major way!!

Good Night. Sleep Tight.

Much Love,

Christa Belle