In the past couple of weeks, I have been gearing up for many things. I’ve been working on getting things ready for the garden, working on my Cemetery film and preparing for my youngest sister’s baby shower (for which I’m making the cake). This is not including any Hungry Lucy work, so my brain is a bit of a fast track at the moment!

So, I went to the Spring Grove cemetery yesterday to try (yes TRY) to shoot some video and a bunch of pics. As you can see, it was a very sunny day and I got loads of “sun beams” in pics where I didn’t necessarily want them. While I got to shoot pictures, my camera batteries in my video camera died flat. BOTH of them! I got a few panning shots of trees and such, but not much else. As I got lost in the midst of Spring Grove (which is VERY easy to do!), War-N called me on my cell phone. I had a nice little chat and suddenly, mid-sentence, my phone died. Plus, I had to pee so bad!! Knowing this may have scared War-N, I eventually found a payphone (you know they still exist, yeah?) to tell him I was ok. And yes…I found a bathroom, too It’s now 50 cents to make a local call. Crazy!! Now you can’t even tell someone “Here’s a quarter. Call someone who cares!”. You’d have to say “Here’s 50 cents. I’m awfully sorry it costs so much, but call someone who cares!”.

Blah, blah, blah…I went to cemetery #2 near Sharonville. I don’t know the name of it off the top of my head, but it’s one I frequented when I worked in the area. An old friend introduced me to this cemetery, but you’ll find out more about that story in the future film!

Anyway, I used to go here and have lunch in my car and then walk amongst the stones. I wrote a lot of poetry in this cemetery. One in particular I remember being inspired for was a poem called “Perrinne”. I thought it was a very lovely last name that I had seen on a headstone. I’ve always remembered the first line “Perrinne, you soothe me, calm me down. When things have gotten too busy…” and I sometimes go back to that statement and can find calm in the stone of Perrinne. Anyway, they have some of the oldest stones I’ve seen in this cemetery. It’s a blend of old and new stones from plot to plot. You can’t even read some of them anymore. I find this so sad. Even graves aren’t permanent. But whacha gonna do? It’s stone. It does what it wants.

Now I am preparing my seedlings indoors in a flat, in the typical fashion, under a grow light. I hope no one suspects me of growing anything of an illegal nature! We do live across from two cops and they can see my seedlings here in the library from the street. If they insist, I shall show them my tomatoes and peppers!! I had thought about starting other seeds indoors, but the other things I’m growing are all best when directly sowed. These are things such as carrots, lettuces, peas, beans and a few flowers (cornflowers, sweet peas and the like). I must say I’m absolutely dying to get out back and garden like mad! But, I must have patience. That’s the one thing gardening has taught me. As much as I may want to, you just can NOT rush things in the garden. So, I shan’t.

In my “cake trials”, as I have been calling them, I am trying to make the ultimate shower cake. I started with a Martha Stewart recipe straight from her Baking Handbook. While it was “ok” I knew I could do better. So, I replaced the cake base of Martha’s with an elegant White cake recipe. The Lemon Curd layers stayed the same and I made a straight Vanilla Swiss Buttercream instead of my first Lemon Swiss Buttercream. Cake #2 (pictured) was a definite improvement over cake #1. BUT, I still think the buttercream could be much better. It still had too much butter, which made it a bit greasy, and it didn’t have the fluffy whiteness I was hoping for. So, I shall do one more icing trial and hope for the best. I must say. Swiss Buttercream isn’t that easy! I find it wonderfully challenging. I was, however, quite pleased with the white cake I made. It was so light, moist and full of flavour. I also learned that Lemon Curd wasn’t that difficult to make. Guess what I won’t be buying as much at Jungle Jim’s?? So, in a nutshell, the cake making is going very well. We ate that one up real nice!

Ahhh…that’s better. I can’t stand having all of this stuff stuck in a deadly loop in my brain! Best to get it out and talk about it. Meanwhile, at night I’m dreaming about dried-up seedlings, lop-sided cakes that I can’t ever finish icing and a swamp of a garden that spits out whatever I plant. The brain is a weird, marvelous, quirky thing. Mine has certainly had it’s share of activity lately! I love being so busy, but sometimes my brain won’t rest when I need it to. But, it’s worth the weirdness. I’m getting things done! Now, on to a recording session for Hungry Lucy tomorrow. I’m quite excited about that, too!! But first, a grocery shop is a MUST!

May you have a splendid weekend!

With Love,

Christa Belle

Today, January 31st, I feel very much calm and happy. I had breakfast with my War-N and that always makes for a good day!

As we sat and talked, I realized how unusual our relationship really was. I always hear people say how “marriage is hard” and I just don’t know why? I know we don’t have kids, so that is a different scenario. But, to have to “work so hard” to be with the one you love…well that just seems so strange! My Mother once told me that the more time I was married, the more time I would appreciate having to myself. Sorry, Momma. I don’t feel that way yet. I’ve been with War-N for 10 years now and I still feel the butterflies when he comes home. Whenever this “work” is supposed to come into play, please don’t tell me. I’ve avoided it thus far and we are both the better for it!

I think maybe people work too hard to make something work that shouldn’t. “They say” it’s all about sacrifice, compromise and all that jazz. Why? If you aren’t with someone who appreciates all of your quirks, methods and madness, why are you with them in the first place? And before you say something, no. This isn’t a ramble about how perfect my marriage is. I’m simply going through the thoughts in my head trying to figure out what a “normal” marriage is judged by. And I’m certainly not judging anyone else’s marriage. Just thinking out loud on my blog. That’s allowed, right?

I also feel like there’s a difference in “working things out” after an argument and “working to stay together”. All couples have arguments, no matter how big or small, and have to find a resolution. But, to have to constantly find a way to want to stay in the same house? That must be a terrible feeling. Well, I know. I used to feel that way long ago, before War-N. That brings me back to a comment War-N said this morning about how divorce can be a good thing. For example, in the 50’s and 60’s people just didn’t divorce. It was not done! It was looked at as a sign of giving up or abandoning your spouse and family. But, I have learned that it can also be a sign of giving up on yourself if you DON’T get a divorce. Complacency. How terrible!

I think this came about by watching the film “51 Birch Street”. A WONDERFUL film! It’s a documentary about Doug Block and his family. I’ll say no more than that, as it will ruin it for anyone else. I’ll simply say you MUST see his brilliant film and learn everything you can from it!! I certainly have. Not just as a viewer, but as a future film-maker.

So, I hope I am never “normal” (I haven’t been by any standard thus far!) and continue to live in a calm world with my non-normal husband. Life is what we make of it. If someone is always telling you to give in, compromise or not be yourself, where is the life in that? I’m very luck to have found War-N. It wasn’t an easy road at first, by ANY means.Obstacles everywhere. But, as our buddy Clete Francis said, “If we can get through this, we can get through anything!”. You said it, Clete!! I think that’s why we’re such a strong couple today. We learned what we were early on. We embraced it and never looked back!

I hope you, yes you, are happy and know who you are within yourself. That’s the key to finding true happiness!

Much Love to everyone!

Christa Belle

As some of you may know, I recently did a DVD project for my close family and friends. For the last three years, I have done an “end of the year” project documenting events of that year. Well, the one I did for 2006 never got given to anyone, so I decided to make a ultimate DVD set of the years 2006 & 2007. It is now finished and either in the recipient’s hands, or on it’s way to them.

To describe how I felt while editing all of this material would take a long time. I’ll just say I re-learned a few things that needed re-learning. All of the people in my life are so precious to me and sometimes a video is my only way to communicate that. Yes, I communicate my feelings through music, too. But, I feel pictures and video say things that songs cannot. That said, I also made a soundtrack for the “first flush” of recipients to enjoy. Since I wasn’t selling this DVD, I just wanted to make each person a “mixed cd” in Soundtrack style. I know, I’m rambling. But who cares??

So, the design for the cover was very important to me. We had used a technique with Thorn Apple (collaboration band I was involved in) years ago where we decided to print on vellum. The look is very beautiful and ethereal. I went back to that technique and feel it made the picture look like an old Polaroid transfer or something. I LOVED it!! However, some folks couldn’t read the text, as it was a bit faint on the vellum with all that black ink. So, I made a second version on crisp white paper. It’s much more legible, but I don’t like it nearly as much. I gave the first recipients the vellum variety and the people more concerned with the reading the crisp variety. I actually remembered to make myself a copy this time, too! So, I made a vellum version for me

The picture on the front of the DVD is my Grandparent’s old porch in Athens, KY. I was VERY fortunate to go and take pictures before the whole area was torn down. I still miss that porch, place and, most importantly, the people. I often go back to Athens to the cemetery, the old town streets and buildings and just re-connect with my childhood memories. I sit on the rock wall, staring up at the stars and know there was a lot of love here once.

There is also a school in Athens, which I believe will also be torn down, that I made a menu picture on the DVD. I had taken pictures there on a recent trip to Lexington and it was perfect for a Menu backdrop. One more lovely tie to the past. Great!!

I don’t know how this will come out, but I often feel like the family documentarian. I feel like I am preserving my own life as it happens and I can look back on it any time I want, or need, to feel my human connections. I called the DVD set “Laughing through the Tears” because that’s what everyone says they do when they watch my little films. “I laughed, and cried, and laughed some more” and so on. So, the title was born. Plus, it was a line in Steel Magnolias that I just loved. A scene in the back yard where Dolly Parton’s character says “Laughter through tears is my favourite emotion.” I have to agree 100%.

So, I will continue making memory archives and living life as if each day is my last. I’m not going to waste my time “saying” i’m going to do something. I’m going to actually DO it. My wild heart is finding it’s beat once again and isn’t afraid of what’s to come!

Much Love to everyone, everywhere!

Christa Belle

Before you think I spelled it wrong, I didn’t! I made invitations using the art of Edward Gorey, so nyah! I would show it, but I’m afraid I’d be committing some unspeakable copyright infringement. I don’t wanna disrespect the “Ed”, so I shan’t.

Anyhoo, most of the party went according to plan. I didn’t get my menu tags out in time, so there were no labels on the food. But, I think people could tell what most things were, so it was all good. It was a family affair with most of my family attending. The few that weren’t there were missed. Hope they had fun with their other plans Below is War-N as “Undead Priest” and Peter as “Dracula”. Later on, you will see the Devil Woman, too!

I set the mood with a bunch of candles, orange & purple string lights and a few special items, like this picture I was given while on tour with my band, Hungry Lucy. I met this guy, who was in a band also playing that night, and we started chatting about photography. He happened to have his portfolio with him and offered me an original work! I gladly accepted and had him sign it for me. I thought choosing a photo of him, by him, was highly suitable. It marked the occasion nicely. He, Feightner, was such a nice guy and so humble about accepting compliments on his work. It was all stunningly gory, and beautiful. I thought it fit in well with the party and offered a very special touch!

I set three tables with different things. One Vampire table, one Ceremonial table and one Skull table. Each of which are below in corresponding order. I liked the ceremonial table the best just because I LOVED the photos of it!! Plus, I discovered a great way to use napkin rings as votive holders! I had them beside me on the table, before it was dressed, and I thought “Ooooh…that would be nice!”. It was, and I was happy Also a great use of cheesecloth, don’t you think??

Then, there was the food. I made Rabbit Poo, Spider Legs (complete with cheese body), Pond Scum, Plasma Fizzures and everyone else brought many more gross-sounding, but delicious, food! I was so busy that I couldn’t take photos at the time. But, Mummy Carol (Devil Woman in the photos) managed to come through for me as she shot a lot of photos that evening. Thanks Mummy!!

The Rabbit Poo was the most labor-intensive thing I’ve made in a long time. Basically, it’s tiny hand-rolled truffles served in a bed of toasted coconut. You can see a cup of it in the above picture, next to the spider, in the silver muffin cups. I figured the best way to serve them was in a bundle, as I didn’t think tons of fingers on the truffles was a very sanitary thing. Eew!

I’m not including a lot of the pics of other people, as I don’t know if they’d want to be online for the world to see. But, everyone looked so great! My youngest sister, Shara, had the best, most original costume of the night (in MY opinion). She was a Deviled Egg! She had on white scrubs, red devil horns and a tail. She completed the look with a yellow yolk on her belly! Brilliant!! But, here’s me as a Murdered Faerie. War-N did my hair, as I couldn’t get it large enough!

Here’s Dracula and Devil Woman together. Other attendees included a different Faerie (My eldest sister, Angela. We were both Faeries and didn’t know it!), an Undead Swamp Creature, Murdered Al Capone, Tina Turner, Dark Angel, the Pig from Saw, Ghost, Death, a Hot Mummy and my Dad as himself! What a list of visitors, ay?

Then, we put our projector and fabric walls to good use for a background. We played the old movies Nosferatu, Dracula and Frankenstein. We put music to it (a LOT of Skinny Puppy) and it made for a great feel.

Overall, a great night! I, as the hostess, had a few things I wasn’t happy with. But, hey. Whatcha gonna do? Everyone had a great time, so that’s what matters!

Enjoy the pics, even though they are posted rather late, and I’ll talk to you again very soon!

Take care,

cb

When I was a child, I always remembered being fed biscuit after biscuit…usually covered in homemade sausage, or sometimes hamburger, gravy. While I don’t eat sausage or hamburger anymore, I still indulge in biscuits on days when I need to feel more connected to my family. Granny Martin (Clara Belle, who I was named after in part) made buttermilk biscuits by hand more times than I, or she, could ever count. We all ate them happily, greedily and sometimes we had just one too many. Oh well! We were never hungry at Granny’s house

As I got older, I realized how much talent you really do have to have to be a cook for 11 people on a daily basis! I don’t know how Granny did it. Anyway, I got curious on a few of Granny’s tried and true recipes that I had lived on for years and wanted to know how I could make a few at home. One day I asked Momma how she made them. It’s one of the classic responses that you get when asking for a family recipe, “Well, I don’t really know how much she used of this or that, but we can guess.”. Momma did a very good job showing me, here at my home, and my first batch turned out pretty good! Even Daddy liked them! I made sure I had Strawberry Jelly on hand for my Dad Momma makes them often too, so she was the perfect person to ask.

Before we started Momma gave me the facts she did know and the technique of forming the biscuits. Really, they HAVE no form. They are what you call ‘drop biscuits’ and you pretty much drop them in the pan and that’s the shape you get! But, Granny had a special way of dropping the fairly wet dough onto a pile of flour, picking it up, and then sort of tossing it from one hand into the other, from above. I’ve gotten pretty good at that and I think it’s so much fun! Who says you can’t “play” with your food? The trick is that you can’t leave it in your hand so long that it wants to ooze back into liquid form before you get it to the pan. They spread out very quickly, so you have to work fast. The more you can get side by side, the taller your biscuits will be. Momma said Freda, my Aunt, makes one smooth top biscuit! She’s got that technique down pat.

As I stood at my baking counter, watching Momma, it took me back to watching Granny make the very same biscuits. The only difference now is that I didn’t have to stand tip-toe to watch Momma as I did with Granny. The curiosity and wonderment were still there though. It was lovely! We stood, side by side, forming the biscuits. I’d say “How big?” she’d respond “Well, what’s in the spoon looks about right, but add a little more.” We went on and made a large tray of these lovely babies. Thanks, Momma!

Of course, no one’s biscuits turn out quite like Granny’s, but they are all made with the same special Martin Family ingredient…Orneriness!. We’d be damned if we were going to fail at making biscuits!! You can’t bring a Martin down, easily. Now, I make my biscuits in the same bowl that Momma used to showed me how. Yet another form of tradition. I do a few things differently, like using Olive Oil instead of Vegetable Oil, and I don’t use a lot of self-rising flour, so I make my own when I need to. Granny always used White Lily Self-Rising flour, but I don’t. I use half All Purpose Organic flour and half 00 Italian flour and it makes for a very light biscuit. I guess, really, I “Italian’d” mine up a bit!.

Ok. I’ve totally gone around my initial point! So, on this particular day, I was in the mood for some homestyle comfort food. Buttermilk Biscuits are the ultimate for me. Instead of a plate of heavy gravy to smother my pretty butter-top biscuits, I decided to just have them slathered in butter and honey. Can you say YUMMMM?? Plus, it was so easy. I have made them quite a few times now, and it’s just second nature.
There is no real recipe, so you just make however many you think you want and it’s very easy to adjust the quantity as you go. Need more flour, add more flour. Need more buttermilk, add more. It’s really that easy. In total, there are 3 ingredients (5 if you make the flour self-rising). None of them have an absolute amount. But, once you get the feel for it, you never forget.

Something else I like about homemade biscuits, as opposed to restaurant biscuits, you don’t get that nasty “Grease Teeth” feeling after these. Nothing but clean flavour. So many times in “big chain country cookin’ restaurants” I’ve had the saddest biscuits I’ve ever tasted. How some restaurants can call what they make food is beyond me!! I always prefer to eat at home whenever possible. Yes. I am a food snob!

Back to the biscuits… There is a debate on the oven temperature. I usually do 425 F, but sometimes I do 400F. As long as you watch them, it really doesn’t matter. I would stay at least at 400 F though, otherwise they get gummy and bouncy when you bite into them. Generally, they need 15 to 20 minutes to cook.

Earlier that week, I had made yet another Martin Classic ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ and I can’t tell you how friggin’ good they were!! Of course, I made them in a cast iron skillet Granny would be so proud. I sat and ate my non-greasy tomatoes with ketchup (weird, ay? ketchup on TOMATOES??) and could just see my Dad in his t-shirt at the dinner table. I just love when food evokes such memories. But, the tomatoes were from my parent’s garden. They came up for my birthday and brought a bounty with them. I’m gradually cooking the tomatoes where I can. Thanks guys!

Even though all of my grandparent’s are gone now, I can remember them through their gastronomic lineage…or fond foodal memories When I think Vegetable soup, I think Mimi. When I think Buttermilk Biscuits, I think Granny. They were both such amazing cooks, and they are still teaching me today. They always will. “Lord-a-Mercy!!”

Much Love,

Christa Belle

posted to Stories to Share @ 6:25 am

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June 26, 2007

Takin’ the Hot Rod for a Spin!

posted to Stories to Share @ 2:52 pm

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