Greetings dear ones! Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Joyeaux Noel, and may 2002 be better than 2001 in all ways, shapes and forms. Like all of you, we've been shocked and depressed and confused by the events of this fall. But whats true for me always is true for me these days. True North is smiling at people I pass on the street, keeping in touch with my family and friends, being grateful for the beautiful cloudbank over the Connecticut river at 7am, delighting in the amazingly balmy weather, walking my dog through the cornfields and watching her hop over the squash vines. Rubbing her ears even if Im so stressed that I see her innocent ignorant puppiness as irritating rather than winsome. Fearing the worst will not make your last days on earth happy ones. Not that these are the last days on earth, but if they were to be, Id rather spend them laughing and dancing than frozen in fetal position in my closet. The Dalai Lama said: The Chinese took my homeland, burned our monasteries and killed our families. Am I to let them take my happiness and serenity too? Which isnt to say that I am taking my own advice (as usual). I am fearful as the next one. Right after Sept. 11, Katryna and I became convinced that no one was going to come out and see live music ever again and that we would starve and Amelia would have to eat grasshoppers. But ke garne as they say in Nepal: what can you do? You can make a record. You can take the golden opportunity handed to you by the gods and by Rounder Records to put something down on shiny CD to remember this time in your life. You can keep a journal and hope that some of it makes sense so you can read the not-too-personal portions of it aloud to your descendants. You can laugh when your sister sticks her tongue out sideways, points her knee in the direction of the door and pretends to hold a baton horizontally and then makes like Fred Flintstone into the vocal booth at the studio. You can rejoice as the five month old baby smiles her curly grin at everyone she encounters, not knowing anything at all about airplanes, terrorists, diets, the stock market, smart bombs or even diplomacy. She just knows that it feels good to be held and kissed; that its really fun to roll over even though it requires a lot of effort and grunting, and that every day has something so fascinating that the most compelling thing to do is just to watch it go by, and when you get the chance, reach out your hand and try to touch it. So about our record. Katryna and I just finished our very first and its called Love and China. I know I always say our albums are great and thats because #1 thats my job and #2 its good to have self confidence and high self esteem and #3 its true. But this CD has defied all previous held expectations and lifted our hearts and hopes into the stratosphere (by the way, did you see that meteorite shower in November??) Many thanks to Dave Chalfant who acted as producer, guitarist, bassist, otherist, button pusher, level changer, insomniac, reassurer and father all at once. The album also features many other stellar musicians and the following songs:
- Ticket to My House
- Yesterdays Girl
- Love Me One More Time
- Tailspin
- I Havent Got A Thing
- The Sweetness
- He Loves the Road
- Love and China
- Christmas Carol
- This Happens Again & Again
- All These Years
- Heading Home
- Eulogy for Emma
- New State of Grace
Zoe/Rounder plans on releasing Love and China on March 5.
Besides making a record this fall, Nerissa & Katryna have been very VERY busy. What Nerissa has been doing:
- yoga
- writing her novel
- buying expensive skin care products
- reading the Red Tent oh so slowly
- walking Mia the Bear Cub Puppy
What Katryna has been doing:
- watercoloring a map of the world so her daughter will not be geographically challenged
- staring at Amelia
- writing thank you notes for baby gifts
- appreciating the fall leaves
- not eating wheat and dairy
- writing songs about stuffed animals
We love you. Thank you for your small kindnesses, your joyful faces, your voices added to the chorus of Keys to the Kingdom. We can't wait to see you at the next show.
Love, Nerissa & Katryna
"We must be the change we want to see in the world."-Gandhi
"The practice of peace and reconciliation is the most vital and artistic of
human activities."-Thich Nhat Hanh
"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."-Jesus
© 2001