How is everyone this day after Christmas? I know Val is sick, poor dear, and many of us are DONE with chocolate. We are doing FOG tonight. Creepy, dark, spooky fog filled with Things…And it is 40 degrees. Let’s get some perspective on that. It was -17 last week, so we are 57 degrees warmer.

That’s like the difference between 50 and 107. Wacky place to live, I tell you. Who ever did hear of 40 in December here? No one, of course, is bothering with coats.

Nadine who found the scared Bengal at a rescue group adoption drive in a pet shop in AZ has hooked Janet and myself up with the rescue people who have him. All we know so far is he is very scared, was abandoned in a home foreclosure, not yet neutered (PEOPLE!!!) and may be an F3, we are waiting to hear back from them. At least he is safe now, and we will find him his home.

Oh yes. We will.

I got to hear the new cd by The Endless today, Somniloquy (a really cool word meaning “Talking in your sleep”) and it’s lovely, as their cd’s always are, but what blew me away was the cover of After The Gold Rush.

One of my pet peeves with people covering songs, is when they re-do the original. Hello? It was already done, and done well, if you care enough to cover it, that way. Make it your own. DO something with the song that is your very own version of it, your interpretation. No one needs to hear the same version again, and it will not be as good. Just because the original went here, here and here, does not mean yours needs to.

Go play in a cover band. (and I am not dissing that, at all, work is work)

But if you want to make some art, make it your own song. Show the world your dream. And that’s what they have done with After the Gold Rush. It’s perfect. Wonderful. And it makes me happy. May cover it. (Wait. Belay that.) Adriana, way to go. Surely music to dream by. Listen to it Fiends, I am not wrong on this.

(Adriana is a Fiend here sometimes, not Adriandalen, or Adri, but Adriana)

And finally, kind of a fun picture, with a story with it.

When Boss re-modeled the bathroom, he put in the biggest tub-spa ever, complete with jets. When he took his first bath, he popped in some bubbles, and turned on the jets and buried himself, and later, told me the story and warned me.

Silly Boss, over reacts, exaggerates, these writers, I thought, as I went for my first bath, complete with bubbles and jets.

Ye Fods!

And it isn’t all that easy to turn them OFF. I screamed for him and said something like “Help help!”, and he, at the door, said, “You are in the bath, I am not coming in” and I replied, “No Worries, I am buried and decent!”

When AFP and the Danger Ensemble came for a couple days, Amanda and Tora decided to try out the spa.

(as anyone who has ever shared a dressing room, van or tour bus with a band or theatrical group knows, you get close to your people, and ooh-la-la is the farthest thing from your mind, it simply ceases to matter. I know my Fiends understand this. ‘Nuff said.)

Well, Neil warned Amanda, and she warned Tora about exactly WHAT could happen bubble-wise, but Tora, (being a girl after my own heart) decided to heck with it, let’s just see what will happen…..

(Photo by Kat Cornwell, another of the merry band)

Love and Bubbles,
Lorraine

First of all, Beez, or anyone else who is feeling a little sad, or not quite where they want to be, or missing someone, or just overwhelmed with everything, try this, if you can do it in front of a fire, so much the better, but I suspect anywhere will work. Mim says, sometimes you just got to…….It will make you happy.

It’s Kylie’s first Xmas ever. Her I do miss, but seeing photos like this make me so happy. She belongs in the Treehouse. Obviously.

As anyone who lives with Cats knows, the Tree is there for them. It’s something you have to accept. If it is big enough, they will climb it. Tie it to the wall. If the presents are wrapped, they will, like children, spend hours trying to get into them. Deal. That’s why Fod gave us Duct Tappe. Don’t use tinsel. Your house will be tinseled, and as we have all learned the hard way, pulling it out of them is way no fun. From either end. Make sure, whatever you make, that there is enough for them too.And remember, ornaments are THERE to be batted off and chased around.

So, is Mim like the Spirit of Anti-Xmas? What’s up with the evil look????

Nathilie, I don’t know WHAT it is you sent me, but Venus seems to think it is REALLY worth going after!

That is not a third Bengal, but a Tasmanian Devil Sally sent me. She sent me a Spider too, but he kind of went the same place Marjories Cat ornament. (see previous paragraph) fortunately, they were way not interested in the funky tea she sent.

Thank you, Fiends!

I hope what ever you are doing tonight, or tomorrow, that it is special to you. I hope you find a little bit of magic, make someone happy, take some time for yourselves and eat something just a little bit bad for you while watching movies only you would ever want to see.

I hope you take a moment to think about how good things are, and take a moment and think about how you could make it better for someone, or something. I hope something makes you laugh, and that your heart has a moment where it is so happy and cuddly that you do just like Mim did in the first picture.

I hope at Midnight your animals talk to you, and I if you have cats, I hope they tell you a secret. If they do, listen.

I hope if you are out at 3am that you see the Northern Lights. And you remember what your cat told you.

Most importantly, I hope you know that you are loved. Each of you, and that includes you, My Lurker Fiends. This is one of the most special places going, and it would not be without you. And I love you all right well. And Thank you again, for making my life better in so many ways.

Love and Hope,
Lorraine

Cat has taken some time away from her 100’s of mailing tubes and prints to send us some pictures of Selena Kylie in her new home, with her new friend Batman, but first, I thought you might like some Merry Holiday wishes from Hera and Brjann….

THAT is my kind of Holiday Kitty!

When I accidentally adopted the Kitty known now as Selena Kylie, I knew she had to go home with me. She knew she had to go home with me. For the life of me tho, I had no idea why. Sure didn’t NEED another kitty, not with all these Bengals running around, but there was something really special about Kylie.

When Cat came a few weeks later I found out what it was. She fell in love. Totally and completely. We went back and forth for a few weeks, her not wanting to take my Kitty, and me not sure I wanted her to go, but knowing she would be. In the end, of course, she did.

It was funny, as I think Kylie knew too. When Cat came back a few weeks later, she stayed at the Spooky House, and from that moment, Kylie sure wasn’t about me. She knew she was going to LA to live in the Treehouse and help with the merch. She was ready.

We worried a bit about how Crusty Old Batman, the Kitty who came from an LA shelter and hid for months before coming out, and even at that point had contact only on his terms. Worried needlessly. Batman was besotted. Totally and instantly. As Cat put it “He walks around with little cartoon hearts popping in and out all around him” He is like a kitten again, playing for hours with her, following her around, letting her eat from his bowl, and sleeping with her n the bed at night.

Sometimes, you can get so happy knowing you have done something so right and perfect. I feel pretty much like I just played a part in something that needed to happen, was meant to happen. Had to happen. Batman has the life Cat always wanted for him. Kylie is loving the Treehouse and sunshine. And my friend Cat now has two friends who talk to her constantly while helping as much as they can.

On another note, Dr Score has been helping me with Magic (if you missed that, Le Leopard finally got his name on the Solstice) We have been looking into his past, trying to figure out what went wrong, that he is so hurt today, and hopefully, how we can help him.

This photo of him as a kitten, sadly, does a long way to explaining a lot of things…

Love and Happy Cats,
Lorraine

And now for Part 2. I believe we were going upstairs tonight, yes? Follow Freaky Venus…

Up to the top…That’s a Kelli Bickman painting she did for me. She calls it “Quiche-cat” I love her work.

To the right, at the top, we have the Bathe. I didn’t choose the wallpaper, it was here, but I was pretty tired of re-modeling by the time we got to it, and it wasn’t all that bad, so it stayed. At some point tho….

Isn’t this the Strangest chair ever? I got it because there surely aren’t two in the world. The bath tub is lovely, but useless for bathing. The drain is about halfway up, so it is very shallow, and I do have a hot tub. I may take the plants out and make a pool for Mim, as she loves the water, perhaps with little fishies even.

Here’s Venus on the vanity, which is somehow fitting….

There are two bedrooms here in the Spooky Haus, the first, the Forest Room. And we have the added bonus of King Lear and Queen Mab on the bed!

You can see the room has become a little more Bengal oriented lately. They love to climb and sit ont he tree, I may get them another. I’d love one of the TREE cat trees, it would go nicely in the Forest Room, I think…

I call the second Bedroom the Cuddly Bedroom….

It’s a cozy place, and makes me happy. It’s very much a refuge. Mim sleeps by the heating grate, and Venus with me. The cuddly books are up there too, with the non-fiction in the Romance Room. Nice balance.

No cat tree, but seems like they make do, yes?

And now back downstairs. That’s the cover of Maurice and I under the window, a Michael Zulli, always loved that picture, she is so haunted, her and her alligator. And an Underworld poster, signed even. Those two movies have to be two of the best movies EVER.

And now, perhaps we will go outside, so you can see the big picture.

Ooookkkk….Or not. Really, it is much nicer in the spring, truly!!!!!!!

I hope you have enjoyed the Spooky Haus Tour, thank you for coming, and please, come back again soon!

Love and Cozy,
Lorraine

Promised tour of the newly in order Spooky Haus! Part One anyway. Another tomorrow, and perhaps another yet Monday, as there are a LOT of great pictures, and if I may be permitted to say, a Spooky Haus this cool can’t be done right on one post. (by Tuesday, Fod knows how, it will most likely be a MESS again)

First, The Gorey Kitchen. Does anyone wonder why I don’t cook here very often????

I just got curtains for the glass door and the windows as it is always kind of cold in there, and uh, I am always forgetting I live in town now, if you see what I mean…I like my pot rack, in kind of a Medieval Torture rack sort of way.

The curtains of the left in this next picture, cover a glass door the goes out to the deck. The black ones on the right, go to a sort of Butlers Pantry, and on into the dinning room.

And into the dinning room. This is from the other side of the Butlers Pantry, looking out, and on thru and into the sunroom. Yes, of course that is a cat bed on the dinning room table. They like it there. Notice the two glass cabinets, they are filled with skeletons, before I had my Spooky Haus, I used to keep them in the closet. But really, what is the point?

Notice next that there are only two houses in Halloween town in the top shelf now….MIM!!!!!

Here next is looking back at the pantry and the Halloween Bathroom…

Speaking of which, it looks huge in these next photos, but it is the smallest bath EVER!

I live the hanging bone thing here, but what the heck IS it? (oddly enough, that is not at all an odd thought for me in this house, I often wonder at some of the things that show up here…Don’t MIND, just wonder)

The Romance Room is one of the nicest rooms in the house. And stays the neatest, as I am not there too often. The door on the right here goes into Le Solace Leopard’s room, which I think we will skip for now. I want to make it nicer, more of a real room, but am not sure how, or if it would disturb him any.

Here’s another angle, that door goes to the front porch, as does the one in the dinning room. Those wacky Victorians. This house has door everywhere. And I hang keys in all the windows. Old keys. Just in case.I didn’t take another towards the Stardust dress, as you have seen that many times, and this is getting a LITTLE long here.

And back to the Sunroom, which Bengals, and a fire and my strange little Xmas tree. Which is where I am now, writing to you.

Love and Spooky Houses,
Lorraine

Not that I think any of the Minneapolis Fiends are quite this nuts, but in case you were going to head out to Paul and Lorraine tonight, that gig has been canceled in its entirety.

Even if I couldn’t make it, which it looks like I could not, Paul and Dylan were going to try, but it is such a mess here, snow wise, that the gig has been called off completely.

Driving simply makes no sense for anyone, either for us or anyone coming to the show.

Stay in and stay safe!

(Proper post tonight, not to worry)

Love and Home,
Lorraine

What a wonderful, wild, long couple of long hard days! Learned a lot since Tuesday. Tuesday was the day I learned I was the Person Running The Screening and also that this Doc Shoot was not a couple of guys with a camera for a couple hours, but a full on, day long movie shoot.

Right. Now last weekend I made an error. (yes, time you knew, I am very so not perfect, it is true) I hate making errors more than anything, and I work really hard to make things go perfectly, which, sadly, they do not always do. Makes me insane when it happens. So I was very determined that with both this screening and the Full On Doc Shoot, things were perfect, insofar as I had any say in it.

The screening, as you have heard did go off perfectly. (I figured out I was running the show when Henry Sellicks Assistant dropped me a note asking what Henry should do when he got there and what was going on) He was happy. Boss was happy. Everyone was happy.

While waiting for things to begin, Boss and I had a few moments to chat about the shoot the next day. He asked me when it started (got that one) when was he needed (got it) how long would they be there (Yup) How many in the crew (easy) and how many of those were hair and make-up and was there a separate wardrobe person.

Huh????????????????

I froze. I stalled. I never thought to ask about hair make-up and wardrobe. How could I have missed that??? I hadn’t worried about wardrobe, I mean, he only has the one outfit unless we take it to suit, and that was in the closet. Well, yes, make up, but clearly this is not MY problem is it???

Well, if he was asking, it obviously was and I ought to have thought about it, and I am dead, as I have , for the second time this week, messed it up. (the words I was thinking were rather different and not printable)

I took a deep breath and with a sinking heart told him I had not asked.

Only to find my Buzzard of a Boss cackling fit to kill! MORE than pleased with himself. Got you that time, he said.

I admit, as I decked him one, that I was laughing too, but at the same time telling him exactly what I thought of this prank and how worried I was and how well he knew it. Got me indeed!!!!!! Coal in his stocking.

The shoot was loads of fun. The people were great, and as such things go felt like family by the end of the day. I love the logistics of movies, and the behind the camera bits. I’d never want to be in front of the camera, but all the different jobs fascinate me, and how it all works, and how people work together to make it happen.

It’s them that make the film. Not the front of camera. I know they do their bits, and do it well but they certainly could not do it without the skill of everyone behind the camera. Today was a one day shoot. We had one front of camera, and 14 other people making it work.

I was Boss’s Assistant and the “Lorraine can we, Lorraine where is, Lorraine do you have” person. For 14 hours. Loved it. Every minute of it. There was one women, not sure what her job title is, but she was the one coordinating everything, making it happen, making sure everyone had what they needed and that things happened when they needed to. That’s the sort of thing I like to do.

Again, very fun to see how things work. Can’t wait to see the final version. We got to watch it all on a monitor, which was fun, watching the rooms turn into sets, and the magic work.

The only time we ran into snags was, well Princess Snowflake the Cat is a bit of a Diva. They got a lovely shot of her running down the stairs, and then she prowled the set in a delightful manner, but then decided things weren’t going quite right and started going back to the camera people, and the lighting and sound guys and telling them it wasn’t all THAT perfect….

We had to banish her to the attic.

Cabel did pretty good, but he was a little enthusiastic and wanted HIS bits to be NOW, so off he went to Doggie Day Care until we were ready for his big scene where he romped in the snow with Boss. Had to re-take it a few times, more walking more romping, but he did great and didn’t seem to care HOW many times we re-shot.

It was only when we were leaving that he let me know how he really felt. He took me aside and said…

“All I want for Xmas is more screen time than the cat”

Everybody wants to be in movies…

Love and film,
Lorraine

Just got back from a screening of Coraline, complete with 3D! Boss said to people if you like it talk about it, and as I rather more than liked it, I will say so now.

(And I suspect Beez, Aleta, Gayle and El will not say a word until I give the ok, talk away guys)

One heck of a magic film, on every level. I am not sure I have ever heard a film better scored. The music was amazing, and added to the film in a way I hadn’t exactly experienced before.

The animation, obviously, was, I think I have to go with Very. Very. Good. Took my breath away. Magic.

I think one of the best moments was seeing the reaction of the kids who were there. Allison Stemple in particular, I have seen a child’s eyes shine like that, but never from a movie. It made my heart feel so good. Dr Score’s boys were there too, and I loved seeing them quiz Neil and his friend about how exactly did they do everything. I think everyone went away feeling a little bit of magic.

It was a working night, in part as I did not know I was arranging everything, and being the official rep until yesterday. Learn fast. I kept thinking Someone would be Doing Things, and Someone did. Just hadn’t thought it would be me. I feel like I did good. Instead of tickets, or a guest list, I gave out Black Buttons for people as their Tokens into the event. And little flyers for free popcorn and pop.

I wish I had had more time, (I know you know this, Minneapolis Fiends, but it bears saying) to talk with people and hang and such, but work is work, no matter the magic in between. I am very glad you were there.

It also goes without saying that I wish ALL of you could have been there too. The best I could wrangle were the local folk.

-12 here, and a cold cold night. And an early day tomorrow.

But I think my dreams will be sweet.

Love and great movies,
Lorraine

I virtuously got up early this morning in order to go for a workout ride before work, and virtue being its own reward, Trainer Mel had to cancel, forget why, either death in the family, viral pneumonia or a holiday party that was earlier than she expected. Anyway, I found myself with two free hours!

And I thought perhaps I should do a post, as today will be a bit busy, tomorrow more busy and then I have gigs all weekend which makes for some more busy, and now we are up to Sunday, and by then you have forgotten me, gone off and formed your own country, built upon the shores of 500 or so comments….

Clearly, I need something exciting this morning.

Perhaps pictures of King Lear the Huge and Queen Mab the Dainty?

OK.

These Kitties get more fun every day. They are still getting used to me, and too close is not too good, but they come out every time I go in the room now, and I have done pets on Queen Mab.

Lear, as you can see is a big guy. Not 30 pounds, tho I make it 20 or very close.

The are truly two of the most beautiful Bengals I have ever seen, but more importantly, they are not damaged. They can love, and really want to love. They love to play, and we get further into it every day. Someone is going to be very, very lucky. The King and Queen are SO much further along than the Jungle Loves were. Lear is an F2, but I haven’t seen any sign that he has any problems, and Mab an F4.

We are looking for a home for them. They need to stay together, they love each other SO. And their new Friend needs to be a women or perhaps two women, who have no plans to add any men to the household. Lear’s one issue is he does not seem to like men. It is possible that his last home was simply the wrong one, tho I know of nothing the Gentleman did wrong exactly. Lear had no litterbox issues in his first home (the women moved away) or his foster home (tho she says she was fine with him, her husband could not get near)

There should also, I believe, be no other pets or children. I would keep them in a second, they are that much fun, but I believe they deserve their own home, and their own person who will love only them, someone who will come home at the end of the day and call out to them, like I do Venus and Mim, and have them come running up for love.

Love and Long Live King Lear and Queen Mab!
Lorraine

I have been getting some cool things lately from people, and so it being late and today being long, I thought I would let them write tonights post, as they are all wonderful!

First off, this from our artist friend Kelli Bickman, pointing us at a friend of hers website. She sent it to me saying she thought you might all like it as there were a lot of SKULLS going on, and she could tell how we felt about such things. (HOW one wonders, hee-hee) Thanks for thinking Kelli, you were right, the site is wonderful!

We haven’t heard from Hera lately, our Icelandic friend in a while, so I was glad when this pic came in, in the course of the great address update today. She is back down in New Zealand with her Freaky Pets, working on a new video. This vid she sends us is not the new music, but fun all the same.

(Brjann is the only Kitty I know who could win a Who Is Freakier contest with the Bengals)

And finally, Janet, aka Bengalgirl, aka the Women who does all the work at Great Lakes Bengal Rescue, sent me this that someone had done with a shot of her Bengals. Gotta love it!!!!!!!

Thank you all for sending! You sure did get together at the right time to save my post tonight! It was -14 driving home (-29 to you C people! I think.) And the temps are falling. Need some warm, and some sleep! Till say SPRING!

Love and cold,
Lorraine