The New Member of The Band...

We pay her chicken feed and she has great looking legs....and damn, she can cluck up a storm and bocks like a pro....

introducing....Henrietta.

The view from here...

The view from here...
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

I am sitting in my hotel room in Ohio, slowly getting myself ready to hit the road for our show in Cincinnati this afternoon. My computer is on my lap with my new favorite website, zillow.com, on my screen. It let's me look at pretty pictures of houses in the areas we are interested in.

Its an interesting experience....looking for a home.....for an itinerant musician. Add into that mix the words 'legal alien' and it adds another interesting twist. People are always astounded to find out that I have a social security number, pay taxes and health care here in the US and yes, have to renew my visa every 3 years AND I have to pay thousands of dollars to make that happen.

You really have to want to be here to make all that happen, let me just say.

My visa is up for renewal again this December and I occasionally have mini panic attacks in the form of 'what if they don't renew it' as I am finally looking to put roots down somewhere. My inside voice then goes through this whole conversation along the lines of 'why wouldn't they....you've been working hard, they have renewed it the last 3 times and there really is no reason why not.'

That calms my inner scared child for but a minute.

I can tell that there is a little part of me that is scared about putting roots down......especially here (for reasons other than my visa). My visa thing just adds to that. Its an interesting process in practising standing in my strength, power, grace, truth and light and not letting anyone stand in the way of what the universe has in store for me....which also includes WHERE I live. There are so many good reasons for us being here though, and I know that....and I hold onto that, whilst soothing the other parts of me on this cloudy Sunday morning in Ohio.

Xxm

Working hard.....

Working hard.....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

In Chillicothe, Ohio....

My girl announcing her new 'one beer, one apple a day' infomercial.

I think she's onto something, don't you?!

Xxm

Hmmm

Hmmm
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

I know some folks I would like to send here......

Birds eye view....

Birds eye view....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

Do you think the people who live at this house actually sit in these chairs and make conversation?

Given the chance, I think I would sit there....at least just for a minute to see what life looks like from there.

Xxm

The Adventures of One Little Aussie - Episode 10

At last...at last...a new one! This video features footage from Milwaukee & Columbus Pride and the world in between the two gigs!

Enjoy!

Mongolian surprise.....

Mongolian surprise.....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

Its been years since I have been to a mongolian restaurant and the draw was just too much for me to resist tonight. In town this week are D's nephews, Riley and Hayden and their dad Jack. They go home tomorrow after a week full of adventures around the Midwest and so, we went out to spend the last night with them.

Hence, Mongolian....

I know, a completely uninspired blog post today....seems my brain is taken up with planning and making and getting ready for the next run how shows. We have been house hunting up a storm and thought we found one, but have since decided that perhaps we need to keep looking. We are both ready to make our home though....excited by the possibilities and the home that we will create together.

But for now, its back to looking for 'it'.....

Xxm

Todays order of business....

Todays order of business....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

Some say its good preparation for when we get our own house. I am sure its the people whose house is usually getting painted that say such things...

Me, I just say we are good mates helping out friends and damn, that house better get here soon....

Xxm

The grief of distance...

The grief of distance...
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

We just spent the day with Dionne's dad, Dale, and step mum, Ginny.

I love them both a tonne. Great, fun, enlightened people who I enjoy spending 10 hours with talking about politics, wine, religion and life.

And, they both live in CA. Which is a few thousand miles away from where we are living right now.

They asked if we could go look at some of the houses d and I have been looking at. They were excited to be involved in the process with us. Knowing that it means a lot to us and that they wanted to be involved in something that meant that much to us.

I love them for that, and for the questions and the challenges they put to us in our business and in our lives.

But they live a long way from us. And again, it reminds me of the grief I feel when I think about the people I love who are a long way from me. My family and my great friends who live all around the country and the world....and how much I wish we could be closer.

I watched as Dale held Dionne tonight and told her how much he missed her and how proud he was of her and how she had to live her life in the way that she loved. I see the way he looks at her with pride and the deep love of a beautiful father. I see the way in wich he honors and respects and cherishes our relationship and I felt so honored to be a part of this. To have my faith in fathers restored and to have tears well up in my eyes at witnessing the beauty of their relationship.

Somewhere it heals part of me too.

But damn, the distance is a fucker.

Xxm

Spider dancing...

Spider dancing...
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

In the dark.

I hate spiders at the best of times. All those years of poisonous spiders in Australia and having curly hair...and the fear of the two combining.

But this, is pretty impressive...

Xxm

Amazing...

I know the work they do on photographs and advertising, but I have never watched it actually happen before.

This is amazing, thought provoking and maybe AT last all us women will stop comparing ourselves to THEM....the fake creations of photoshop specialists around the world.

xxM

Here she be....

Here she be....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

No color yet, but glorious!

THE day....

THE day....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

I have wanted a sleeve tattoo for a long time.

I LOVE sunflowers, they have always been my favourite flower.

So....today, I put them both together.

The line work is done on my arm, by the wonderful Matt at Metamorphisis, and I must be honest and tell you that I am NOW drinking a beer. It stings like sunburn but I have the beginnings of a beautiful, beautiful tattoo.

My girl, who designed it, sat with me while he worked on me and it felt like a wonderful expression of creativity, love and life.....all mixed together.

So damn happy with it.

Gets color in two weeks.....

Woo fucking whoo!

Xxm

Art....

Art....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

The city of Des Moines, Iowa is in the middle of finishing a huge area downtown that is public park area filled with amazing sculptures such as this one. A local businessman donated a pile of art from his collection gathered from artists all around the world and gave it to the city.

The rumor is though that these are strictly to look at, and not to touch. That alarm systems are being installed to tell people to 'back away from the public work of arts' if the come too close. Hmmm.

Nice little show here in Des Moines last night. Hanging with Linda, the owner of the cafe was a highlight. Sitting on the back stoop of her house telling and listening to stories and laughing hard, love that stuff. I feel grateful for people like her around this country. People who I have worked with, who have become good treasured friends. Yay.

So, I was told if you walk into this sculpture and look up, the word you see is 'gay'.

Hee hee.....

Xxm

Education is a team effort.....

Education is a team effort.....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

So I have had this idea that I have been thinking about the last few months. I have been throwing it around a little with my friend Amanda who is a special ed teacher here at Crete Elementary school in IL. I hear every year about how much money she personally puts into her class and the kids that she teaches. How her budget for supplies and teaching materials is really small and in order to teach and to encourage her kids to learn, she has to use her own money.

Now, we all know that school teachers in Australia AND the USA (and most likely other countries that I don't know about) aren't paid what they should be and that education is continually being cut in budgets. Budgets that seem to raise enough money to track down invisible weapons of mass destruction.....but don't get me started.

So, my idea is to pick one teacher (to begin with) in each State that I play in regularily, get a list of needed school supplies from them and then every show give folks the opportunity to bring a donation from the list. You know, kinda like the 'bring a can' food drives. This way though, we all get to help teachers in your own communities and see the outcome of it here. I will post photos and stories and hopefully even build its own page here on my site. My intention would be to grow it so that we can set it up in every country we play in.

What do you think? Thoughts, suggestions, concerns all welcomed. Would you, kind reader, support this idea?

Let me know!

Xxm

And...

And...
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

The winner for this minute?

Deep fried Reese's peanut butter cups.

Hmm...strangely nice

Mecca....

Mecca....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

A deep fried mecca that is. Fried Pepsi. Fried snickers. Fried pizza. Fried peanut butter cups, fried oreo's. Fried milky way.

And next door?

Chocolate covered bacon....

Now, which to choose...?

Second stop

Second stop
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

The cheese sculpture.....

I know, hard to believe, its all cheese.

Amazing, no?

My first stop.....

My first stop.....
Originally uploaded by martine.locke

At the indiana state fair......

Makes me weep....