So, as some of you may know, I’ve been going through a bit of a difficult time lately. I certainly won’t go into much detail here, but it all boils down to too much stress sneaking up on me and then attacking with a vengeance! Sources of this stress were: Facebook, Twitter, completion of my book, completion of the HL album, my worrisome nature and not really dealing with the past. So, I’m taking steps to fix this.

This morning I deactivated my FB and Twitter accounts and it felt wonderful. More stress just floated off of my shoulders. I did like Facebook at first, but it then became a magnetic presence more than a joy. I found myself biting my tongue over people’s posts, wanting to say far more than I ever really did. Why? It was their post, not mine. See, there was the stress. I was so focused on what someone else thought about Michael Jackson’s death, or any number of other topics, that I didn’t tend to my own needs in real life. Yes, I know FB is real posts from real people, and people I know at that, but it’s also a safe little world that you never really have to leave if you don’t want to get out of your chair that day. I felt myself being “sucked in”, and it fed my ego in a very uncomfortable way. I thought “I wonder if anyone commented on what I said/posted yesterday?” and if they didn’t, it was almost worse. No one cared. It was just a big ball of unwanted, stressful agony! So, I stopped. I’m not saying it’s wrong, please don’t interpret it that way. It’s just not for me. Twitter wasn’t nearly as invasive, but it just had to go, too. They’re all distractions from life for me. I was totally fine, and more productive, before they both came along. Besides, with all that twittering and commenting, I have been coarsely neglecting my own beloved site! I’m back now, and will post once every couple of weeks or so when I have something to report. And those word count guidelines on FB and Twitter, well, I just couldn’t be my rambling self and say what I really wanted to say! Where’s the fun in that?

In more positive news, I’m doing so much better. I’ve been reading a wonderful book on anxiety (From Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett) and it’s helped me tremendously. We all have issues we need to work on and mine have just reached the point where I can’t wait any longer. I have to fix this stuff now. I want to be happy, bright and not wallow in the past or the darkness any longer. I’ve spent way too much time there already. My Mom was right. The thirties will do a number on your mind. It seems to be when the past really catches up with you. That is certainly the case with me. The unresolved is a real bitch!

In garden news, things are still a soggy mess on our lower back level, but it will be ok in time. I have many plans for my good beds and that’s what I’m going to focus on. I’ve ordered quite a few Strawberry plants (three different varieties, 100 plants in all!) and another David Austin Rose, aptly named ‘Strawberry Hill’, which I plan to plant in the empty bed by the contorted Mulberry tree. I figure that Roses and Strawberries do so well in my garden that I can just go forward knowing I’ll have a great harvest! Plus, I can never get enough of those lovely berries. I also love sticking my nose deep into the lush cups of soft rose petals, taking in their heavenly aromas. These are pleasures I never tire of.

This is ‘L.D. Braithwaite‘, another David Austin variety. This is one of my favorite garden friends. He produces heavily and keeps on going all Summer long! Even in a windy spot, he flourishes. He’s a keeper! I love ya, L.D.!!

Amidst these new plantings, I think I’ll plant some more tender herbs, too. I have all of the staples covered, so I might try some Tarragon, Chervil, Dill and anything else that strikes my fancy. I just love a mixed bed! I may try some veggies in little nooks of unused, sunny space, as Marvin suggested, but we’ll see. I’m definitely in a Rose & Berry mood this year. I can almost taste the warm, sun-ripened berries plucked right from the garden. I can see it now: I stand there, berry in hand and ankle-deep in lush plants, and close my eyes. I bite. The berry flavor shoots straight to my taste buds, exploding with succulent sweetness. I sigh that sigh of absolute joy and savor every bite. Bliss! As any gardener knows, there is nothing sweeter than that. I must have it!

I know it’s cliche, but gardening really does help clear the mind. As I weed my garden, my mind gets clearer as well. I start envisioning new plantings, mature growth of my still-forming teenagers, and it lifts my heart. My goal is to spend more time outside when weather permits. I’ll probably be all tan (a farmer’s tan at that) before I know it. Oh, how very sexy!

The warmer, sunnier months are ahead. I’m charging toward them with great expectations! I’m on the mend, and I’m just around the bend.

In whatever you do, take care of yourself. That is the most important thing!

With all of my undying love,

Christa Belle

Well, where to begin? It’s been a hell of a ride this year. While it may not have seemed a busy year to the onlooker, or listener in the case of Hungry Lucy, it has, indeed, been busy underneath the veil! But, this isn’t entirely about what I’ve accomplished. It’s also about what I’ve enjoyed.

In early 2009, I went to the cabin, in the woods, in Tennessee. With me were my parents (George and Sharon), Warren’s parents (Peter & Carol) and, of course, Warren. When six people share one space for 4 days, one of two things could potentially happen. One, they could feel trapped and proceed to infiltrate the space with negativity and general unpleasantness. Or, two, they could embrace the chance to get to know each other and learn more about one another. Happily, it was number two in this scenario. Warren brought along enough musical equipment to write and record if the mood struck, and boy did it strike! Every few hours he’d go up into the loft, bang out a tune, and then come back downstairs and join the rest of us for a while. I loved that he felt comfortable enough to listen to his musical need and go do what was natural for him to do. No one minded that he would, occasionally, and without warning, just go upstairs and not come back for a few hours. It was great! I even had the inspiration from those few songs to write stories to them as I previewed them in Warren’s headphones. A few of those turned out to be on the new album (which will be released in early to mid-2010), and were written from such a pure place. For me, as the lyricist, it was immediate reaction to the music that inspired the vision in my head. That, in turn, made the words flood out in story form rather than lyrics. We let those “cook” once we came back home and they became yet another form of Warren’s original piece. That’s one of my fondest musical memories of the year… working with Warren in a cabin in the woods, and then again at home with new inspiration for music. It really is powerful to create music away from your usual environment. There was something very pure and special about the whole process. It was beautiful.

So, we all chatted, played games, cooked together and just enjoyed time as six individuals, learning more about each other. Mummy Carol with her crosswords and books, Papa Peter with all of his questions and stories, and all of us just enjoying the company and the quiet of the woods. I immensely enjoyed my Dad teaching me how to play Poker, and not doing a bad job at all, I must say! In recent years, I’ve become very close with my Mom and always jump on any chance to get a little closer with my Dad. I was happy for that time. I’ll take more of that, please! I’m excited to say that we get to do the cabin thing again in early 2010. Wheeee!!! Who knows what this visit will bring? That’s part of the fun. No one knows.

In non-musical news, I did manage to finish a second draft of my novel-in-progress, “Days with Indigo”, before the mad rush of the holiday season. My goal is to release the book mid-2010. Completing the final draft is a bit slower than I’d like, but it’s progress nonetheless. I’ve posted many updates on the book, so I’m not going to ramble even more at this point. All I will say is that the feedback I’ve received from some volunteer readers (one finished the book and the second is currently reading it now) is very positive at this juncture in the draft. The scary thing is, I think I may have managed to actually write a good story! I can’t tell anymore. After reading and re-reading it so many times, the story is a little lost on me. But, the feedback is good! To have actually done this much really makes me feel great about accomplishing something of my own, on my own. Speaking as a person who usually has so many “ideas”, and doesn’t see many of them come to fruition, it’s a shock to the system to have come this far on something I simply wanted to “try”. Try, I did.

In non-HL music news, I fell deeply, happily in love with Fever Ray. This was all thanks to a twitter posting from Imogen Heap (another music love of mine, and Warren’s) who had mentioned how cool the video “When I Grow Up” was. I knew this woman had talent way beyond the usual musical realm. Her music comes from somewhere deep, hidden, beautiful and weird. And, the funny thing about me is, I usually LOVE to sing along with artists in the car. However, with Fever Ray, I just want to hear her voice and the music. She makes me shut up. She makes me listen. She makes me wonder. Then, the opportunity to go see her perform in Chicago presented itself. We jumped at the chance! We met up with our friend Sam, and some of his friends, in Chicago and had a great time before, and during, the show. I just adore being able to spend time with friends that I don’t get to see very often. I think the show was made all the more special because of who we saw it with. It was a lovely experience. Lovely memories. Music has such power, no?

You know, I nearly forgot that Warren and I saw Tori Amos again! After Fever Ray, all past performances kinda fell away from memory for a while. I absolutely LOVE Tori, but I must admit that I preferred seeing her with just her pianos at a previous concert. The 2009 show was definitely more of a “rock” performance, complete with a full band, and seemed more showy than I was used to with Miss Amos. It was great, but I did find myself ready to leave before the end. All in all, I love whatever she does. She’s a HUGE inspiration of mine, and I admire her greatly. My own fault was that I didn’t allow the show to be its own experience. I expected what I saw before. Have I learned nothing over the last few years? No two performances are ever the same. Nor should they be. What a silly girl!

Then, we got to go to England! We stayed with Warren’s sister, Tracy, and her husband Tony. Such a great pair of crazy kids! I could totally see living there in the future. No problem whatsoever! It was so nice to troll about the South Shore, Tony at the helm, taking piccies-a-plenty and enjoying time with T&T, being so silly and having more fun than should be legal! It’s just so lovely to have such common ground with people and not be afraid to be myself. I can’t even describe how I felt while I was there. It was so lovely. I absolutely adored it. Every moment was a treasure. Best of all, Warren got some time with his sister. That’s always a welcome treat. It’s so lovely to see, too. Since I was the part-time “car wife”, as Tony called it, Warren and Tracy sat in the back seat together when we went on car trips (I get insane car sickness, so Tracy happily gave me the front seat. Thanks, Trace!) and they would chatter about together, like kids. Cute doesn’t touch it. It was extraordinary. I could really go on and on about that trip. Again, I want more of that, please!

The holidays have come and gone with much visiting of family from near and far. We had multiple gatherings for November and December. No stone left unturned. I have a large family. It takes a friggin’ village to get us all together! Actually, we ARE the village! Martin’s, Harrison’s, and all he branches in between. We met briefly, laughed and loved, and will hold that moment in time for a little while until we see each other again. As my Aunt Tommie said earlier this year, “All this because two people fell in love all those years ago.” It’s so easy to forget the simple things like that once people are gone. They are the reason we are here. We will always be tied together. Always.

On a more personal note, I turned 35 this year. I don’t know what power this number has, but things are happening to me that I didn’t expect. I almost believe there’s been a switch turned inside my brain. In point of fact, inside my heart. I feel different within myself. I feel, well, like a more concentrated version of myself. The ideas I have are actually becoming something other than just ideas. They’re becoming physical things I can see, hear and touch. I’m not complaining. I find the whole thing rather fascinating! I don’t want to die not doing what I intended with my life. I’m only just now understanding that my purpose in life is to tell stories. Whether that be in music, books, photos, films, whatever. I need a vehicle to tell a story, and I have many within my grasp. How cool! If I want to say something, now is the time! Now’s my chance!

Also, with 35 I realized I wasn’t the physical “me” I wanted to be, nor what I used to be in my younger days. Who says Vegetarians can’t be unhealthy? I’m a pasta addict. Bread, too! So, I’m trimming down and staying a whole hell of a lot more active! Then, I decided, after much debating, to chop my hair off again. It had been many, many years since I’d done this, so I figured why not? Plus, I’d colored it earlier in the year and I never quite got it to a happy state for me. It was dragging me down, making me look old. So, I cut it off. Like, OFF off! I loved it at first, as one tends to do when making such a drastic change, and felt it lifted a weight off of my shoulders. I felt better. I even looked better. But now, after time with short hair once again, I feel the pull of a desire for that which I do not have. Long hair. I knew it was inevitable, but I didn’t know when it would strike. It has indeed struck now. But, no matter. It is, after all, only hair. It will grow back–and probably in less time than I expect! My family is known for how quickly our hair grows. It’ll be back before I know it! Such a fuss we make over appearance. When it comes down to it, it’s really not that important. It’s what our hearts say that matters. I can hear mine now.

I guess it all comes down to where I allow my focus to lie. For now, I’m letting the focus be on creating. I have so many stories I want to tell, and I have no intention of slowing down. If anything, I need to pick up the pace a bit! I do have a rather relaxed schedule. I need not take it for granted.

Here’s hoping 2010 brings a sense of completion for both myself as a new Author, and for Hungry Lucy on our 4th full-length album! Also, I hope that it brings more time with friends, family, and enjoying life rather than wishing any time away. I’ll try to savor. I’ll try to be diligent. I’ll just try and be me.

Be you and know that I love you for what you already are. No change is necessary.

Here’s to a wonderful 2010!

With Much Love,

Christa Belle

Greetings, my friends. October has arrived. I adore everything about this month. Everything. Even my house knows how much I love October and all the creepiness it can bring! I don’t need no stinkin’ fake webs when I have such glorious beauties adorning my home.

I arrived home this morning, from a lovely breakfast bagel with Warren, and found a dainty, dew-wearing web on our mailbox. To add to the October-esque/Haunted House feel, our mailbox is all but falling apart! It never fails that as soon as Autumn hits, our doorway, mailbox and every corner we have gets adorned with the silky tangle of a spider’s handy work… or is it silk-spitting-butt-duct work?

So, to add even more loveliness to this mood, it’s “pea-soup” out there this morning with fog. I walked to the front entry and found multiple Grasshoppers looking back at me. For some reason, they don’t bother me. Even if I get them on me, I don’t mind. I know they won’t hurt me. This guy was slowly walking up a stalk of Russian Sage (they walk really slow, like a Chameleon. It’s so cool! But if they jump, watch out.), but I moved when he did. Hence, blurriness. I still like the “alien” quality the picture has. Soft, yet creepy.

However, I looked down to see another poor tail-end of a grasshopper, deep inside a thick web, being devoured by a large, yellow & black-bodied spider in my Rosemary. Yikes! Again, he knows he is welcome at my house. I don’t want a spider on me (minus the cute little silver spider earring I wear in my ear), but I have a huge amount of respect for spiders. They do great things in the garden. And, I always try to “catch-and-release” them if they are inside the house. But, sometimes, Pullo finds them first and eats them. I can’t count how many spider legs I’ve found lately. Gross! By the way, the pics I took of the spider didn’t do it justice, so I left him out. I think you could imagine him on your own, yes? Hey, is that a spider on your back?? WATCH OUT!! Man, I love Kids in the Hall.

So, it would seem that Autumn has arrived. I hope it really has. But, being in the MidWest, I know no good weather lasts forever. We may hit 90 again before Autumn truly arrives. One just never knows.

Enjoy October and all the misty goodness it brings. It’s going to be a busy one for me, and it ends with a trip to England! Not too shabby.

Happy Hauntings,

Christa Belle

Hello children! And how are you today? ………. GOOD!!

So, another posting here on my safety raft that is christabelle.com. I haven’t been coming in here much lately as I’ve fallen victim to the FaceBook forum. I joined, and I like it. There. I said it! My name is Christa, and I’m a FaceBook-aholic! (hears in head: “Hi, Christa.” from the other junkies!) I’m enjoying connecting to people I haven’t heard from, nor seen, in years! I like that part of it. But, I don’t like that an hour or so has passed, within what felt like five minutes, as I sit there looking and searching. It’s a bit of a life-sucker. I need to practice control. Make a schedule, if you will, as War-N does. He’s always a good guru to go to when I’m feeling all fuzzy and uncertain. One of the many reasons I love him!

Aside from that, I will be meeting with an editor in a couple of weeks to give him a few chapters to edit and proofread as a sort of test for both him and myself. If I like what he does, he’ll edit the whole thing. If not, then I guess I find another editor, yes? But, I don’t think that will be the case. I just have a good feeling about him. So, I’m excited about that! I’m anxious to get “Days with Indigo” off and running. Right now, she’s just sitting there waiting to be revised and perfected. At least she’s not going anywhere. That’s the beauty of a story. There’s really no rush. It’s not all that time-sensitive. It’s still a story, and it will be years from now as well. It’s only me that is impatient. Not the book.

In Hungry Lucy news, things are really going well. I won’t say much more than that, but we’re nearly done with all vocal recordings now. Only two more to go. Woo hoo! Oh, the album got a new title. It was going to be “The Standing Ones”, but that time has passed. It spoke to us in a new voice, and therefore, gave War-N a great new title. I think his choice was a good one. I like it much better with the new name. But, I shan’t spoil it. No more news. I’ll wait until it’s finished now!

Speaking of HL, I really miss doing the podcast. But, you see, there’s a glitch. War-N doesn’t. He’s happy to be done with it. So, what to do? I have had thoughts of making my own podcast with just me and a few guests now and then, but I don’t know if it would be well-received after so long out of the podcast world? People are used to the duo, so would they embrace me as much as they did the two of us? I don’t want it to sound “hollow” or one-sided. A lot of thinking to do. What to do… what to do?

In photo news, I’m anxiously awaiting a new lens for my D300! I had ideas of photos in my head that would require me to get a wide angle lens. I’ve wanted one for years, but never did anything about it. So, no better time than the present! Plus, I will need it to shoot some new HL shots soon. Oh darn! I had looked into the Nikkor AF 14mm/f2.8D ED lens, but it isn’t really meant for the newer version Nikon cameras (which the D300 is), since it was made in 2000. Because of that, there’s a 1.5% differentiation from body to lens. Within that, the 14mm then becomes a 21mm and doesn’t offer the ultra-wide angle that I desired. Not to mention it was very high in the cost department! But, it would have been worth it. It’s an amazing lens! So, I went to my friend Pete at Cord Camera, the one in Kenwood, and he steered me in the right direction, as he always does! I have ordered a Tamron SP AF10mm-24mm/f 3.5-4.5 Di-II LD lens that will make the same 1.5% difference, but then equals a 15mm angle. Not far from the 14mm I was searching for. Make sense? Oh, and because I still have my older Nikon cameras, they WILL work with the 10mm for any film work I want to do. Awesome!! Plus, I get an added expandable option with a short zoom. Flexibility is always nice. With the money I’m saving, I may just get a new flash to go along with it!! I’ve got some good options! Thanks, Pete!!

All in all, things are happily busy at the moment. But, we still take time to relax and enjoy being “War-N and Christa” and not spending all of our weekends as just Hungry Lucy. There is a big difference. We recently went down to the Serpentine Wall at the edge of Cincinnati and walked over the Purple People Bridge to Newport. It was a lovely Saturday together at a place we both hold dear. We should do that more often.

Hope you are well and happy out there, wherever you are. I don’t know about you, but I’m already looking forward to Fall! And with it, many new exciting happenings!

Much Love,

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

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

If you are amongst the handful of Hungry Lucy fans out there, you know we have temporarily stopped our podcast in the hope to use that time on Sunday to work on, and finish, our 4th full length album. While this tactic is working, I just wanted to voice that I miss the hell out of our podcast and can’t wait to return to it! But, as War-N said to me not too long ago “You can’t have your puddin’ until you finish your firsts.” I was just in my iTunes, updating and such, and just really missed our podcast.

So, for those of you out there that may miss it as well, take comfort in the fact that I’m so longing to get back to Tea with you guys! I miss it just as much as you do. But, this deprivation has made me appreciate it even more. When we do return, we’ll have so much stuff to say!!

If you need to hear friendly voices in the meantime, I suggest the following Podcasters who have the skill to draw you in and make you feel good with their tunes, stories and lovely voices!

Three From Leith – The always lovely Grant Mason who has sent quite a few great new tunes my way!
This American Life podcast – The incomparable Ira Glass and his shared stories from people around the world.
Chillin’ with Lovespirals – Anji Bee and Ryan Lum out in La La land tellin’ everyone what they’re up to. Great music, good wine and fun tech toys!
Bloodwire – Fellow Electro-musicians, and dear friends, who do their semi-regular podcast about once a month.
The Smiths Occasional Podcast – Two crazy kids, nearly as crazy as us, and their occasional (it’s in the title!) podcast. Always a quirky, fun listen!
You Look Nice Today - An insanely eccentric podcast! Three guys, a rambling story and brilliantly odd things going on! Beware the Tang Tangs!!

Anyhoo, just letting you know, I miss Teatime with all of you. We’ll be back soon. I promise.

Much Love,

cb

Just a quick little post to mention a couple of things. First off, I just watched the somewhat recent documentary following David Lynch called Lynch (one). As some of you know, those of you that know me, he is my favorite director. Just in the few personal-type things I’ve watched, and read, I have learned so much. He never ceases to amaze me by what he says. War-N said “I wouldn’t like to work for him!”. I can certainly see why. I wouldn’t want to either. At least, not as a fellow director… someday. When someone has such a strong idea, drive and ideal of how things should be, nothing will do but what’s inside that person’s head. No room for company in there, and there shouldn’t have to be. One person’s vision is just that ONE person’s vision. I’d like to think I will have that kind of vision one day. The kind that makes everyone around me want to help me get that vision and do whatever it takes. No matter who is around me, I want to do the work and do whatever it takes. I have great support already. With that, I can go very far.

In other creative news, I’m very happy to report that I am now up to 14 chapters in my “Days with Indigo” novel/story. I don’t write everyday, as I should, but when I do it’s so easy and gentle in my mind. It isn’t hard at all. I do often wonder if that means anything… like if it’s easy, it’s not good. But, I’m choosing to ignore any such thoughts and just do what seems to be a very pleasant thing for me to do at this time. I’m so involved in the characters and the story and this world I’m creating seems so absolutely real to me. I see it happen as I type… like a movie. I have always seen the scenes as they come to me. No problem. it will translate very easily when that time comes! I can sense who is going to talk to me on each chapter and it’s so intriguing and lovely. I just visualize and type as fast as I can. Editing comes later It’s quite interesting. On certain days I’ll think “Well, I miss Indigo today, so I’ll write something to do with her.” and the story just comes so naturally. I’m really loving it! I often get so busy with tons of projects (as a LOT of you out there know!), and while I do have more than the novel/story going on right now, I feel I’m so involved, yet separated, with this idea. It comes back to me whenever I need it and doesn’t go away if I can’t get to it at the time. Not much else like that happens to me. Sure, I get ideas for pictures, videos, short films and music, but it often goes away as quickly as it came. Not with Indigo. There’s something magick in this new world for me. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds!

In closing, I just wanted to thank War-N for everything he does for me everyday. Also, thanks for helping me proofread “…Indigo” as it forms. It absolutely thrills me that you like it as much as I do!! Now that we’re thinking “logic-ally”, I think we’re both on a great path. The best part is, our pathways run side by side.

Much Love to Everyone!

cb

I don’t know where to start? I feel inspired, excited, alive and nauseated! It’s only half past midnight on a Friday night/Saturday morning. I’m the only one up, except for the cats, and they are looking at me like I’m crazy. Yeah. I’m the crazy one while Pullo chases an acorn around the house! The nausea has come from a bit too much red wine and not enough water. Urgh. And, my sleepiness has now gone away completely. Bummer.

So, I started the day at Panera with War-N. I already new I wanted to go out today. I needed to do something creative that wasn’t related to any of my other projects going on. So, I packed my camera bag and off I went. I drove around the back roads near my neighborhood and found a lovely old abandoned house (the above photo). In my younger, more adventurous days, I wouldn’t have hesitated to go on inside and make myself at home. But, with past experiences being my teacher, and more common sense creeping into my aging brain, I decided to stay at a safe distance. Believe me, I really, REALLY wanted to go inside. But, I didn’t. Plus I knew not what was lurking inside. It was like one of those Terry Gilliam movies (Tideland, for example) where the strangers within were looking out at me, wondering, just as I could have unknowingly been looking in at them. Someone had to win, and I didn’t want it to be them. So, I stayed out of psycho-maniac grabbing range! I took with me only my camera and a feeling of confidence. I did still have some photographic adventure left in my mid-30′s body, and mind. I miss the jolt of finding something I want to take a risk on to get a good photo. While this photo isn’t bad, I see a few things I’d want to go back and fix. The blown out sky, for example. It is nice, but featureless. That brings me to my next point.

As I gazed upon the old, falling apart house, I thought of the current state of Hungry Lucy. Before you get upset thinking I’m insulting my own music, I’m not. I found it beautiful and full of secrets. Sure, it’s getting a bit of age on it, but it’s that very same age that’s making it turn into something else entirely. Something mysterious that holds new surprises around every creaking board and broken window. I have all of this excitement and mystery in our music world to enjoy and bring to life at the moment. And, honestly, it’s nice to just have it to myself and War-N. It’s not ready to be seen, nor heard, for fear of sharing too much too soon. I think that has been a downfall of HL in the past. Not in a major way. But, enough for people to always rely on us to give it up to the public whenever there is something even slightly new to share. Well, not right now. You must wait, as we have waited. You must crave, as we have craved. And most of all you must long for completion, as we have longed. When it is ready, it will be well worth the wait. Plus, it will be so much more than you have ever expected from Hungry Lucy in the past. There are so many ideas swimming, it would be hard to explain. All I will say is that I have had so much visual inspiration and it will be fully utilized when the time comes. Plus, the music is a wonderful new experience as well. Oh, what fun we’ll have when The Standing Ones rise!

In my other projects, I am making some progress. I’m currently working on my “end of year” video project of family videos and events from this year. This is, by far, the most difficult one yet. It’s so difficult, I postponed the viewing until February. December is never easy to maneuver, so I figured why kill myself just to make a holiday deadline. So, I moved it up to be it’s own thing. Not related to the rush of mad December. It will bring our family together to share in the short film as a family. Nothing else surrounding it to take away from the love that it always provides. Well, except for some yummy food to go along with the show Our family is ever-growing and it’s nice to step back and watch them watch their progression. It always amazes me the reactions I get. It’s always something I can be proud of, and I didn’t want to compromise it by rushing it along. so, I think it’s going to be my best one yet. In fact, it may be the last one for a while as I have so, so many things in mind for 2009. But, I won’t go into that just yet. One must complete a thing before talking of another. I have learned that lesson again and again!!! It only leads to disappointment.

Today also held my getting film back from the lab. Yes. I still shoot film! Still one left to pick up next week (a color roll of 120), but I got my 2 B&W 120 rolls to scan and play with. My hope is to set up my wet darkroom again very soon. Just have to organize it and make it happen. But, I just didn’t want to wait for these negatives to be processed. I wanted to show them to my family soon, as one is a family pic. We don’t have many of those these days as we’re all so busy! So, it was nice to get one with the entire immediate family. Lovely!

I’ve been shooting mostly black and white with my old Yashica Mat 124G TLR. Basically, it’s an old waist-finder twin-lens camera that is so quirky it’s ridiculous. I love it! The beauty of this old baby is it was modified before I bought it used. An old doctor had it and, for whatever reason, gave it the capability to be a multiple exposure camera. So, it has this little silver loop that you pull to reset the shutter. Then, you can do as many exposures on one negative as you want. I have a multi-exposure I took recently that I can’t wait to scan and experiment with. From the looks of the neg, I think I done good! The color roll I’m waiting on is a little set of pics I shot of War-N out in the snow. It was such fun shooting War-N just as a subject. Not for Hungry Lucy. It does seem to turn into something else when you know what it will be for. I liked the randomness of it all and just playing outside in the snow with my husband. Thanks, War-N. I now we were both freezing by the end of it!!

So, I’m having fun, getting inspired daily by tons of outside influences and generally enjoying life here in Hamilton. The sky may be blown out, but that just means there’s no limit! I can’t wait to see what the next few months hold. Some very exciting things on my list. I also can’t wait to share them all.. when they’re ready

Until next time, I hope you are well, happy and where you want to be.

With Much Love,

Christa Belle