Took the Dog to the Circus tonight.

Bet you didn’t see that one coming. If I’d been thinking ahead, I would have brought all four of the Bengals, and with me and my new RED hair, we could have BEEN the circus.

It went like this, tonight’s Canine Good Citizen/Outdoor Adventure class met at the Rec Park. We go somewhere new every week, hence the “Adventure” bit. And, gosh darn, if the Circus wasn’t in town!

As you might expect, this provided an entire level of “Working With Distractions.”

Hey, does your dog chase cats? Walk him past the EIGHT tigers in open sided cages! Does your dog think he is the biggest thing going? The elephants can help! Having a problem with a Dog meeting new people…?????

We have clowns.

Dogs HATE clowns. Sometimes Dogs are not so dumb. Clowns are scary.

Cabal did really well. The other Dog Owners despair when they see his most excellent leash walking and sit/stay skills. I point out that this is his fifth time in Dog School. It’s like he is in third grade, but repeated first and second twice.

It’s fun, tho. And tonight we got to go to the Circus.

Today was much work, tho I did get the evil cable/phone/Internet company to lower my bill by $50. It’s not easy You have to keep calling, over and over, and end up saying things like “Well, gee wiz, if I leave you for Company X for phone and Internet my bill drops $50, are we saying farewell, or are you re-doing my package?”

(which sounds vaguely naughty, somehow)

Venus and Mim did NOT like me staying away last night. Took out two lamps and a nice box filled with dried flowery bits. I actually kind of like my house with dried flowery bits scattered from end to end, so this is good, and lamps are over-rated. I only mention this because they are sitting on the couch with me, one on either side, WATCHING as I type, and if I do a whole blog about taking the dog to the Circus and don’t mention them, I am afraid of what they might do next.

Love and critters,
Lorraine

First off, before we get to My Day At the Beauty Parlor, I was walking in my garden this morning, as one does in this part of the world, seeing what’s shown up, or grown, or is still alive (Since our growing season is about three weeks long at the best of times) and this showed up!

I know it is some sort of Hen and Chick, and I do have Hens and Chicks, but never anything like THIS before. Notice the chicks growing off a pinwheel of purple spines. Looks suspiciously like some sort of Alien Flower, sent for a Purpose. I would not, wisely I think, point any fingers, but I do certainly Suspect something.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be some sort of Evil sent by the Bengals Wasp League, it could just be something beautiful sent by Malena to make me happy.

Enough of that, onto the Beauty Parlor for my new hair, a process involving some hours and not a little money.

First off, meet Amy, my Personal Stylist. (ok, not just MINE, but the only one I go to.) I am sure she does other people as well, and would be happy to do hair for anyone in the Minneapolis St Paul Area. She has just bought her own salon, called Maude Salon. Besides her salon, there are several art galleries and studios, all very cool indeed. Visit her. She will like you. You will like her.

Amy is a one of us. (whomever we might be on any given day)

Let’s get to work. This was MEANT to be the BEFORE shot of the poor bedraggled me going into the salon, but I kind of like it as well as the afters, anyway to set the mood…

First, all the hair must go….We don’t want OLD hair now do we????

Cut to three hours later and Ah-ha! We have RED again. And Curls. If only I could make it LOOK like that! Thank you, Amy!

Now, a word from our Sponsor….

Hello everyone!! WUSSUP! This is the amazing Maddy Gaiman! Seeing as I am featured in one of Quiche’s pictures she asked me to say a few words. First of all, she’s fabulous. Not quite as much as me, but very much so. Reading her blog will bring bundles of pure joy to your day, no doubt about it. Also if you want to be happy just stare at my beautiful face in the picture she posted…and for those of you wondering, nope I definitely don’t have an ego. ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL BLOG! Quiche is cool. Oh and Malena is pretty rockin’ awesome too. Have a nice day!:)

Love and Red, Lorraine and Maddy

Such excitement since our report on “Our Friend the Mandrake Root”!!!!

We got a call from Kimberly Butler, who directed our idea, and the Lovely Byrdie, who did all the camera work, and editing, that the Video was done at last!!!!

You can see it HERE…

Watching it today brought back so many memories. The good, the bad, non-stop hours, hard work, Malena nearly drowning, (second time I saved her life, the first involved a Grape and the Heimlich Maneuver, she must be part cat) I learned so much shooting, most of all, that I like the behind the camera jobs better than in front of the camera.

I hope you like what we did. Chris Ewen wrote some beautiful music, Gregory Maguire magic lyrics, Kimberly had the ideas (That women is something else when working. Total concentration, I had only known her not at work before that)Byrdie did the camera work and editing, Ashley some acting and lots of tech (and sat in the COLD water for hours while the shots got set up, so Malena didn’t get blue and frozen)

And Malena….Well, I tell you, that women worked harder than anyone, nothing she wouldn’t do to get it right.

What did I do? Everything I could. Logistics, kind of a production co-ordinater. Very important.

Cabal the Berserker is turning into the Star of Dog School, which makes me happy, tho I have to be honest and say it isn’t his first time thru this class…But now he is an inspiration to the others and proof it can be done.

Venus and Mim have been getting outside time in the evenings, on little purple leashes and harnesses. It takes two people because Mim is EVERYWHERE, and Venus sort of slinks, close to the ground.

Jungle Loves One and Two are getting better. I am ready to really start looking for the right home for them. I know they just need someone who will love them, and they will trust and be happy.

And we got to do Bee Things, which always makes me happy. Today was adding Brood Boxes.

The next few days are FLOOD WATCH days, so methinks it means rain is coming. Lots and lots of rain.

And Dan Guy is still contemplating taking over the world, along with Mr Paul Score. I’m betting they do it…

Love and Magic,
Lorraine

Is there a plant more shrouded in mystery and magic than the Mandrake Root? The name itself seems to invoke nothing so much as mystery. Deep mystery. A plant that screams when uprooted? Avoided, wrapped in myth and half truths? How many people grow it in their backyard, and more important, know it’s secret?

The real magic. Of all growing things…….

Sit in on a bit of Lorraine and Malena conversation…

M: DEV!! My Mandrake roots are growing! Two years have passed since I planted them and they are finally up!!!

L: That’s great Div! Wait. You sound REALLY happy and it is not dark yet. Your Mandrake are growing??? Div,who died. Wait, I Do Not Want To Know. He probably deserved it.

(there are legends about where the Mandrake grow, and how. Emily, if you do not know in five years, I will tell you. Don’t worry about it until then, it’s way worse than Voodoo Wasps…The rest of you, be gentle, remember our younger readers!)

Here is The Now Famous Root..(well, the leaves of the Famous Root.)

Let’s look at the history of Mandragora officianarum. It has been around a long time, and a quick search of the Internet tells us it has been used medicinally for, well, pretty much EVERYTHING. Sick? Here, have a Mandrake Root, you will feel better in NO time!

M: He did, don’t WORRY, the moon was full, and I was hungry, and ……

L: I SAID I do not want to know!!!!!!!

M: I can’t wait till they are bigger, I do so love the way they scream when you pull them up!!!!

L: Doesn’t bother you, I know. Drives humans quite mad. Record it when you do and we will put it on the next cd….

Deep Purple recorded a song called, simply “Mandrake Root” here are the lyrics in their entirety:

I’ve got a Mandrake Root
It’s some thunder in my brain
I feed it to my babe
She thunders just the same
Food of love sets her flame
Ah, stick it up

I’ve got the Mandrake Root
Baby’s just the same
She still feels a quiver
She’s still got the flame
She slows down, slows right down
I’ve got the power

Which makes a lot more sense than what we found in Genesis. You know the bible has some pretty wacky stories (it makes on wonder how many of the far right Christian types, who are always objecting to things people do, and quote God from it, have actually READ it, but that’s another blog..)

“And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.” And she said unto her, “Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? And wouldst thou take away my son’s mandrakes also?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son’s mandrakes.” And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night. And God harkened unto Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob the fifth son. “
• Genesis 30:14-17

L: SO what are we going to DO with these roots?

M: OH! I have the best idea, you know next time you are out…

And that, my nocturnal Friends is where we will leave our conversation with Lorraine and Malena. So concludes our report on “Our Friend, the Mandrake Root. We will leave you , of course, John Donne…

GO and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil’s foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy’s stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.

Sweet Dreams, of Nightime Gardens,

Lorraine and Malena

I got a request the other day for help. Here’s what Dusti wrote:

I have gotten involved with a fundraising project called Hooters for Haunters. In a nutshell, this is for a truly wonderful woman named Nancy - http://www.myspace.com/elmyra_hearsechic - who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in December.She has no insurance and had to have a full masectomy.*ouch*She’s going through chemo and she’s really not doing well financially.

So we’re doing a full weekend of events at Midwest Haunters Convention (http://www.midwesthauntersconvention.com/) next weekend, and half of the proceeds will go to her - the other half will go to another haunter with breast cancer.Now, ANOTHER dear friend of mine has put together something really wonderful - a jewelry collection, with all proceeds going directly to Nancy!
http://www.naturalcharm.com/awareness_nancy.html

The nifty thing about Julie’s jewelry is that it includes beads made from a combination of clay and flowers! They’re quite beautiful. I’m trying to promote the heck out of her line of jewelry. If you’d be willing to share this info with your LAMites, that would be fabulous!

Love Dusti

I bathed.

I know, it may sound like the writer of a blog is really reaching for something to talk about, if she starts a Blog “I bathed” but it was truly necessary and quite an event here today. Now Paul and Dylan will want to sit by me.

The gig tonight is 9 to Midnight central time, and we will post on our breaks. (Why we are doing this here and not on our OWN blog is any ones guess, Paul and I don’t know…) But I like it here.

We are getting ready for the cd recording. We will have 6 hours of songs to go thru, and see what we get.We started learning some new songs last night. Tonight we perfect them. (Yes, it is that easy, sometimes.) We have Dylan coming down to play the show with us, and see if we want him along for the recording. (DUH!!!! That’s WAY easy.)

Paul and I have been talking about the cd and format, and Danguy, the evil genius, may have taken a bigger bullet than he bargained for by saying “Hey, let me stay at your Spooky House, I will trade computer work for lodging” (MMMwawwhahaah!! Dan Guy, we have some PLANS!)

Now all we have to do is a really, really hot show. And before you say “Well, of course you will, it’s a foregone conclusion” send a little thought of sympathy out to Big Brown, who was going for HIS big thing today, and didn’t muck it up a LITTLE, but managed to finish dead last…..Hey, if you’re going down, go down blazing, I say.

Malena and I have been working on a little report on the Mandrake Root for you. Hopefully we will have this in tomorrow. We feel it is our job to keep you to date on all things Spooky…Voodoo Wasps, Evil Bengals, Bat Dog Gargoyles…You heard t here first.

Now I must dress for the gig, or the show will be a little hotter than the people bargained for!!!!

(And since Paul is going to be reading this, and I know how his mind works, NO I am not currently doing Naked Blogging.Towel Blogging, maybe…I only mention this because Paul likes it when people say Naked.)

Hope your night is as exciting! And I wish you were here.

Love and music,
Lorraine

I managed to borrow a camera, but sadly (what IS it with me???) yes, it ran out of charge, but not before I got a few shots….

It is hard, if you have no photography skills, to take good pictures of cats who don’t sit still, but here are a few I hope you enjoy.

First, let’s meet Jungle Love One and Jungle Love Two. I cleverly shot them while they ate. They do let me pet them too, while they are eating and don’t hide anymore when I am in there. Progress.

Don’t they look SO sweet? Just like they are regular cats or something? Do not, my friends, be fooled for a moment. THIS is what I go home to every night….I do not want to know what Jungle Love 2 really is.

And here is Mim coming to kill me. No, my dears, I do not sleep easy at night.

And Freaky Venus, waiting patiently for her dinner. Heh. Positioned nicely between the Skull Fountain and the Knives.

And finally, as it is late, and my candles are burning low, here at the Spooky House, Mim and her new favourite toy…She must stay fit. They must be ready when their time comes.

I will be ready too. To join them.

Love and Beasties,
Lorraine

While Malena has spent the day learning how to post video both on her Blog and the web, I have been having some long hours at the job, and so, the Wild Kingdom update, complete with pictures, I had planned, won’t happen tonight. No, I STILL have no camera charger, Amazon finally sent me a note saying So sorry, can’t help, out of stock, but I had planned to borrow a camera and get some shots of JL 1&2 and some Madame Mim Cat Wheel action.

We will have that adventure tomorrow, if all goes well.

For tonight, you may not know this, but it’s pretty cool, and weird, and has to do with Zombies, which is always worth mentioning, so I thought we should have a bit of a chat. No doubt Danguy will make some Evil Use out of this information.

(if you want a soundtrack for this try Jonathon Coultron’s “RE: Your Brains” if you don’t know this song, you ought to. You will like it, it will make you happy.)

I read in New Scientist, one of the coolest magazines going, about, no I am not making this up, Zombie Caterpillars. Really and truly. It seems there is a parasitic Wasp that will find a Caterpillar, lay it’s eggs IN the Caterpillar, and then, when they hatch, the babies eat their way out, common enough…

(the second scariest story I ever read was a story, can’t recall the name, by Lisa Tuttle, in her short story collection, Nest of Nightmares, about a very similar situation.)

(ok, ok, the first scariest? Snow Glass Apples. Nuff said.)

But, get this, the Caterpillar does not die. It then GUARDS the Wasp babies, the Wasps go into a sort of cocoon, and the Caterpillar fight off anything trying to get them, until the babies emerge all grown. THEN they die. All on their own, with no Voodoo Wasp interference.

Zombies.

HERE is the article.

I was going to try and find pictures, and go a little more in depth, but it seems the Voodoo Wasps have their own YouTube Video already.

Of course they do.

Made a really fine Rhubarb Crumble tonight. My first.

And that’s adventure enough.

Love and Zombies,
Lorraine

Not what I had planned to talk about tonight, but this sort of thing, thankfully, doesn’t happen often…

I was cutting up some semi frozen beef today, I had tried the electric knife, which was useless, didn’t make a dent, and so went for the Big Knives. Very sharp, the Big Knives. Cut thru anything.

(before you start worrying, and cutting to the end of this story, yes, I still have all my fingers)

I was halfway thru, when there was a BANG and a FLASH and the smell of gunpowder, like fireworks!

Huh???

THIS has never happened before!

I mean, Exploding Meat???? This can’t happen. But it did. Took two small bits of the, very expensive Chef Knife. I got out of there, I mean, what was it going to do next, for an encore?

I searched the Internet, looking for every variation on Exploding Meat. I called Malena to see if this was some sort of Angry Spirit problem we needed to take care of. I asked the Dog who thought that it was fine and said that he was more than willing to take the bullet (as it well might have been) and try some.

No answers.

Ok, I thought. I must go Back To The Meat. There must be answers.

Unfortunately, for me, there in fact WAS an answer.

Apparently, when you put the meat on the cutting board, and unwrap it, leaving the Meat Paper to cut on, if you have SOMEHOW run the oh-so-very-still-plugged-in electric knife’s CORD under the paper, it IS possible, if you have a Very Sharp Knife, to cut thru the meat AND the cord.

Which being plugged in makes for a heck of an explosion. And tho it will not kill you, good safety tip here…Don’t try this at home.

Or you will have to buy your Boss, in all fairness, a new electric knife and a new Very Expensive Japanese Big Knife.

Love and Exploding Meat,
Lorraine