Happy Birthday Daddy!

Dear Laird,

I wish I could be with you on your birthday today.  But, since I can't be there in person, I figured I would use the internet to heckle you from afar.  How did you get so old?!!!

Below I've posted a small 'Birthday Concert' for you.  I hope you enoy it, and I hope you have a great birthday.
Love you!
Hurricane Kate

Even the Bad Notes:

 

Bluegrass Babies:

 

A Simple Country Song:

http://youtu.be/M1es9hYXe9k

 

You’re Gonna be a Grandpa!

 

Homesick-- but working on it!

Dear Laird,

Sean and I have been battling some homesickness lately.  One of our weapons in the battle against missing North Carolina has been music.  I wrote this song this weekend as a coping mechanism.


We really like our new town so far.  We miss the geography in the mountains, but mostly we miss the people.  As we make friends here I'm sure it will get a little bit easier.  In the  meantime, we had a brief but exciting occupation of raccoons in the attic.  C-Monster was pretty excited about that one! We finally trapped them using a cunning combination of wire cages and cat food. Turns out, raccoons love cat food..


Miss you, love to Mamma!

-Hurricane Kate

The River of Jordan

Dear Laird,

Whew!  I am so glad that you are out of the hospital! It was a little bit creepy that I wrote this song the day before you got sick, because the song is about dying. Gross!  I sat out on my porch WEEPING like a sissy as I wrote this a few Sundays ago.  I kept thinking about sinking into the mud and thinking of my life and all the things i would miss.  It's a little morbid actually.  Anyways, I LOVE you, and can't wait to see you, mamma, and the whole clan next weekend for your birthday.

S-word and C-Monster send their love,

Hurricane Kate

Tropical Adventure

Dear Laird,

We had an adventure last night here in the USVI! As you've probably seen from the radar, the weather down here has been pretty terrible.  The locals all said how much they needed the rain, but from our point of view it has been kind of a downer. Yesterday we made the most of it and went for a long hike, at the end of which the sun actually came out for a bit to allow for some snorkeling.  The trail head we put in on was very remote and located on a "jeep road" so you can imagine how happy that made Sean. All in all, we made the best of the day, but we have been really REALLY wishing that we had taken some guitars down here with us.  We talked about it, but we decided we didn't want the hassle and the risk to the guitars in the airport.  Anyways, we showed up instrumentless, like fools.

After our hike, we went to a burger joint in Coral Bay called Skinny Legs, which is popular with both the locals and tourists.  We had the good fortune to make friends with a man named Ike Eichenberg, who turned out to be the musical entertainment for the night.  He ate dinner with us, and we talked about songwriting...he has had 13 songs recorded! We ended up staying at skinny legs all night. We made friends with all sorts of wonderful people, and Ike let Sean and I use his guitar for a few songs.  We sang a couple of my originals, and the John Prine Duet "In spite of ourselves." Skinny legs gave us a couple of complementary t-shirts and a free Red Stripe.  It was hilarious.  

Anyways, I hope to see a few of our friends from last night before we leave.  By the way-- I found you an editor for the book you are working on! We also met a killer Harmonica player who went by "Bluesman Bucky." We are sitting in our hotel room this morning listening to Ike's CD: "The Essential Beatnik Jazz."I'm thinking about you and I can't wait to see you on Sunday. Give my love to Momma, and please kiss the C-monster for us.

Love,
Hurricane Kate

Springtime is here!

Dear Laird,

It is finally spring in the mountains and we are getting the garden started! I wrote this song the other day in my car as I was driving up from the low country (where spring had already come.) It doesn't even have any cuss words in it! This means that, one day, it will be appropriate to sing to your grandchildren.

Love you and Momma,
Hurricane Katie

It's Maglite Time!

Hi Laird!

Do you remember a couple of years back when Special K (through no fault of her own) ended up pummeling a few people with a maglite?  I know I sure do! Didn't one of them attack on her way to her car? Fools! Anyways here it is:  The Maglite Song.

I love you, have a great day!
-HK

Neon Religion

Dear Laird,

A few years ago Special K came to visit us in Carrboro. As soon as she walked out the door I sat down and wrote this song. I don't really know what she had to do with the inspiration, but I suspect that her reign as the night life regent of Athens Georgia was at least somewhat to blame. 
The fact that this song is still in circulation today however, is really due to Zach Terry, the Mayor of Carrboro.  Zach took up this song and began playing it at shows, open mics, and a fair number of potlucks. Before you knew it-- all our friends were singing along.  Probably the most sureal songwriting experience I've ever had was when Zach sang this song at the Whiskey Smugglers CD release party, and I looked out on the crowd to see hundreds (or at least twenties) of people singing along with the words.  Unbelievable!
Here is the song.  I hope you enjoy it!
Much love,
Hurricane Kate

It Ain't nobody's Business what we Grow

Dear Laird,

You may enjoy this little ditty I wrote for Scott And Judi!

If it weren't for you

Dear Laird,

Maybe you and Mamma can learn this duet? 
Love you!
HK

Two-fer Monday

Dear Laird,

As promised, more songs today! This first one is called "The Red Mountains"  I actually recorded this video back in the winter but never posted it because I look pretty dumb in the video. Then I decided that it was pretty dumb for a person who sings aobut necrophelia and incontinence on the internet to care about how she looks!  So, screw vanity---here is the song:

This next song is a special request from Special K.  This is a really old one that i don't play very often anymore, but still holds some comedic value:

I'm baaaack

Dear Laird,

The crazy travel has finally slowed down, so I will be posting some more songs up this week. Last night we were at the sugar grove music festival, and we got to see a BUNCH of great bands.  The highlight was seeing Doc Watson, even though he didn't sing Tennessee Stud. The Carolina Choclate Drops also played, who i think you would love.  The S-word was really blown away by a group called the Kruger Brothers, who did some of the most elaborate picking I've ever seen.  Anyways, here is a little video for your Sunday enjoyment.  Look for many more soon.

Much love,
Hurricane Kate

If Mamma never went to town...

Dear Laird,

First, let me say that I am scum. No. Lower than scum even. I am a wretched, miserable child for not posting sooner.  I have been REALLY busy, and will be still for the next two months with weddings every weekend and lots of working late for my job.  However, was able to get some free time tonight and write up a little tune for your enjoyment.  I hope you like it!
-Hurricane Kate

The Ballad of Larry and Jimmie Sue

Dear Laird,

Go get Mamma!  This song is for her.  I love you all!  I'll call you in the morning and hear all about your weekend.
-Hurricane Kate

East Street Girls

Dear Laird,

In every college town there is a certian bar or group of bars that is know as a "meat market." I'm sure you know what I'm talking about... where the girls are all very pretty, and only interested in boys that buy them drinks, and the comingling fumes of vomit and cologne almost overpower the taste of your $9.00 appletini. This song is written about a guy who used to go "looking for love" in such places, and now sees the error of his ways.
I love you!
HK

UPDATE

Dear Laird,
I'm sorry I haven't posted this week---I still have this stupid cold. Or maybe it is allergies. Or a chronic disease that makes me sound like Fran Dresscher. At anyrate I have no business singing songs with this amount of mucus on board.  However, I did write 3 new songs this week, so I'll put them "on deck" to get posted as soon as I'm snot-free!
I love your face off.  I can't wait to see Mama and the T-saurus at the Bridal Shower this weekend!
much love,
Hurricane Kate

MUSHROOMS

My female friends have often expressed their envy of my good fortune in the Mother-in-law department.  My MIL is neither overbearing or passive-aggressive, and she is generally coveted among my peers.  This christmas however, she outdid herself and got me not only a 60 lb. bag of worm castings, but also a huge jar of OYSTER MUSHROOM GRAIN SPAWN.  Thats right. (I'll take a pause here for my fellow organic gardeners to turn green with envy. What did your mother in law get you this year? A bad sweater and an instructional dvd on how to be a better housekeeper? Muhahahahahaha!) Anyways, I am especially keen on learning to grow oyster mushrooms because you can grow them on trash (many mushrooms must be grown in hardwood logs.) To me, this is the ultimate form of recycling--- you take trash, and turn it into FOOD.  I pasteurized some old coffee grounds and egg cartons, and inoculated them a little over a month ago.  As of this week, my mushrooms are pinning! I think by next week we will be eating fresh mushrooms on our pizza.  Thank you so much for this wonderful gift DEB!

The S-Word turns 28!

Hi Daddy,

We had an exciting week, so it may take a few posts to tell you about everything we did. Tuesday was Sean's birthday and I had several objectives:
1. Get him an awesome present.  Because he already had a nice camera, I chose this really nice tripod, specially designed for tall photographers.
2. Make him feel adored, appreciated, and celebrated in general by organizing a gathering of loved ones.  In this case the part of "loved ones" was played by the rugged, and for the most part, bearded mountain men in his department.  Maybe they didn't "cradle him in the bosom of his family," but there was mexican food and beer so I think everyone had a good time anyways.
3. Make him something delicious to eat.  In this case I made "oreo volcano cupcakes."  I made these by first baking cupcakes using devils food cake mix, then scooping out a cavity in each cupcake (much like carving a pumpkin.) Then I filled the cavity with chocolate pudding and crushed oreo. I then put the cupcake "lid" back on, iced with white frosting, and garnished with oreo on top.  The result was a pudding filled cupcake that was delicious albeit quite messy to eat.

I'm including pictures of the festivities.  Much love to you all!
-Hurricane Kate

The Big Cow Farm

The love story of Gumby and James.... thanks for helping me come up with the chorus daddy!

BryAnna's Lullaby

Dear Laird,
Here is a song to tuck you in.  Thanks to you and P-the Magnificent for always making your children feel loved.
Hurricane Kate

Carolina Love

Laird,
One of my favorite things is to see girls dancing to this song when TWS play. I hope your week gets off to a great start!
-HK