Living in community has been a very good thing for me and my family. Jade, our son, is surrounded by other kids of varying ages, as well as adults who keep an eye out for him when Mom and Dad are too busy having a much-needed "mature" conversation. There are chickens here, and bees, and lots of wind off the northern slope.

I'm writing and playing guitar more than ever, which has resulted in a new-found confidence with performing and playing, and a crop of new songs. I'm hoping to record some of these new songs during the summer months, so as to get them up, at the very least, on my website for all of you to listen to!

I'll be coming to Seattle in early August and will play a few shows. It will be good to see some familiar Seattle-shiny faces!

We have compost here in our community, and after I went out and "turned" it for the first time, I had to write down a few thoughts. Peruse them at your leisure......

Two weeks ago, I went out to the compost to turn it for the first time. It was a grey, drizzly afternoon. I wore my new tennis shoes (note to self: do not wear new shoes when composting -- they will get very, very dirty). I grabbed a pitchfork, for perhaps the second or third time in my mostly urban life, and got to work. In short order, I began to experience amazement, mixed with wonder (the kind you feel as a kid), mixed with fatigue (yes, you will use muscles turning compost that you had forgotten existed).

Here's the coolest thing: when Katie (our reigning compost queen) talks about "hot" compost, she's not just using some poetic term, or blowing hot air (ahem), or taking liberties with metaphor. She's speaking quite literally. The compost is HOT. Steaming hot. Hot-to-the-touch hot. I was completely surprised by this and, I have to say, I LOVED it. I'm the one who compared turning compost to getting a steam facial (albeit a dirty facial, where you are lifting a pitchfork at regular intervals).

Being the urban girl that I am, I initally tried to keep a distance from all that decaying matter. I tried to keep my shoes clean (ha!), and I certainly tried not to touch the stuff with my hands. But, happily, I was seduced. I forgot about my new shoes, and stepped right in to the dark, earthy pile. I stood over it and breathed in the heady scent of hot, steaming compost (how to describe the smell? it is like a mixture of woodsmoke, vegetable soup, and moist earth all rolled into one).

Over an hour passed, with nothing more to focus on but the next pitchfork full of compost. The rain kept drizzling, and my work was accompanied by the sound of clucking chickens. By the time I had to go back to pick up my son, I had only turned about half of the compost pile. I came home feeling more connected to compost, yes, but also to the natural cycle of things -- to the land that Greyrock sits upon, to the weather patterns, to the worms and roly-poly bugs that revel in the moist, dark compost.

Later, I noticed that my hat, jacket -- heck, even my clothes -- all smelled of compost. Not the smell of compost that's in that bucket in your kitchen (that's pre-compost), but the actively steaming, HOT compost. And I kind of liked it.

So, here's a compost bucket toast all of us, for bringing our scraps on a regular basis to the wormy feet of the compost gods. And here's a most tender toast to the compost itself -- the whole messy, steaming, living being-ness of it.

— 1.12.06 —
Seattle is experiencing unusually stormy weather – our wind chimes are making a most beautiful racket, and the trees and plants are swaying to the storm’s music. Ah, January in the Northwest. If you don’t live here, you just have to imagine rain that falls so continuously that even the earth cannot contain it, so water makes its home in makeshift streams and eddies that form on sidewalks, in streets, and down stairways. You also have to imagine what it feels like to have the sun be but a distant memory…it’s that bright orb that warms the skin and makes us blink, right?

My song “I Give Thanks” was chosen as a featured song in the winter issue of Sing Out! Magazine. This means that they took my song and actually wrote out the music (the notes and everything), which I have NEVER done. Now, anyone who reads music can learn my song and play it whenever they want. How cool is that?!

— 10.11.05 —
I am officially coming up for air after my summer baby hiatus. There has been much good news to share with you (starting with the birth of my son on July 1), but I have been so busy adjusting to life as a new parent that I haven’t had the time to write.

Jade Steven Surya Scott was born on July 1, at home, after a LONG, long, long labor (did I say long?). He was 8 lbs. 8 oz, healthy and mellow from the start. We spent the summer learning how to nurse, change diapers, use a sling and a baby bjorn, and navigate sleep deprivation. Jade now sleeps through the night, rolls over, and actually seems to SING with me (must have been all those hours in the studio in utero)! He is a beautiful baby boy, and I love getting to know him, and watch him unfold as a person.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLKS FESTIVAL FINALIST! When Jade was about 2 weeks old, I got a call from the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, informing me that I’d been selected out of 700 applicants to be one of 10 finalists in their songwriter showcase competition. In my sleep deprived state, I quietly mentioned the news to my husband, in the same tone as if I had just told him we needed more diapers! Ah, how parenting changes our priorities.

The upshot is that I traveled to Colorado in mid-Auguste with my 7-week-old baby and amazingly supportive husband, to play and compete at the festival. Didn’t win any prizes, but it felt like quite an achievement just to get up on stage (yes, I breastfed Jade backstage). One of my fellow finalists (and fellow parent) was a guy by the name of Matt the Electrician, from Austin, Texas. I LOVE his music and highly recommend you check him out. I’ve been listening to his latest album every day.

— 7.22.05 —
Just a quick entry to let folks know that I had my baby boy on July 1st. I have incredible admiration for both midwives and doulas, as we enlisted both during our long labor. Our baby is doing great, and I'm in the midst of breastfeeding and learning about being a parent. I'll write more later.

— 2.26.05 —
It's a Saturday morning, misty and cool, and one of my few chances to sit down and write for this online journal. 2005 will prove to be a big year for me -- I will be releasing my new album in April, and then giving birth to my first child this summer. Lots of manifestation and birth! It has been a sometimes challenging but mostly rich process to record the bulk of my album while pregnant. I am imagining that my child will be instantly soothed when I put on my album, because they will have heard its every nook and cranny from the beginning! I've had the great fortune to work with a new engineer, Garey Shelton, and I have spent many days in his studio at this point -- with only a few more left before this album is mixed! I've also met some wonderful new (to me) musicians while making this album -- Wayne Horvitz (who I have heard of for many years in the jazz scene), Dan Tyack, Will Dowd, and Paul Elliot. Plus, I've gotten to work with some of my favorite "usual suspects" -- Richard Middleton, Alicia Healey, and Joel Litwin. This album has been a true labor of love -- from the early days of tracking while warding off serious bouts of morning sickness, to the middle days of feeling better in the stomach but being oh so tired, to right now, when my belly is making its presence known to my lungs and other organs that will go unmentioned. Thanks to the many album "doulas" who have prebought this CD and allowed me the incredible gift of making it without credit cards (!), and to the many other folks who have supported me in ways too numerous to mention. Here's to Spring!

— 12.4.04 —
I'm a little embarrassed that I haven't written a journal entry in, oh, an ENTIRE YEAR! It's not that it's been a boring, "nothing much to write home about" year. On the contrary, it has been one of the busiest years of my adult life. Perhaps that is why I didn't find the time to write about it! Since it feels daunting to me to review the entire year in total, I'm just going to list some of the highlights.

My year started with a wonderful New Year's Eve concert at a magical place called Holden Village. Holden, as regular visitors like to call it, is an ecumenical retreat community in the North Cascades of Washington State. It's situated just off of Lake Chelan, and the only way to reach it is by ferry. No cars allowed! I was blessed to perform a concert with my good friend Joe Crookston and his wife, Kathryn Caldwell. That night, the whole community did a procession with illuminated lanterns. We walked through several feet of beautiful snow, and the sight of the colorful lanterns against the white snow was one of my most memorable from this past year.

Then, in February, I organized a benefit show for a local organization whose work I have followed for the past several years, the Compassionate Listening Project. I asked several local songwriters (Brad Warren, Larry Murante, Peter Hwosch, and Eva Tree) to join me, and the concert turned out to be a powerful and inspiring night for everyone. I was thrilled to see so much support in the folk and songwriter communities for a concert like this. It definitely inspired me to think about organizing more concerts. One of the gifts of that event was meeting a "new" singer/songwriter (to me), Eva Tree. Since that concert, Eva and I have developed a wonderful friendship and musical kinship. Expect another beneft show in 2005!

In March, I travelled to California and played my most successful and enjoyable tour yet. It was my third trip to the Bay Area, and my first to Southern California. I attended the North American Folk Alliance Conference in San Diego, and played a series of shows in and around the Bay Area. I came home feeling like maybe I could do the touring thing after all.

From March through the end of the summer, I played some local shows and began contemplating my next album, "Dreamers Everywhere". I also got married! In late September, I stepped into the studio to begin recording "Dreamers Everywhere". That process continues to this day (I've got about 2 more months of recording and mixing).

Overall, it's been a year rich with experiences. I continue to learn about how to be a musician -- and how to weave that "role" into the rest of my life. I am discovering that I am a musician, yes, but I am also a friend, a sister, a wife, an activist, and a writer. Oh yes, and a dreamer! I invite you to dream with me as this year closes and a new year begins. Blessings to everyone and may your holidays be peaceful and rich.

— 12.8.03 —
I'm back in Seattle after almost 3 weeks back East. True to form, Seattle is wet down to its tree-rooted core. I actually have moss growing in select spots of my Subaru. That's the verdant Northwest for you.
My time on the East Coast was great. Highlights include the NERFA Conference, playing a "traveling musician set" at Steve Key's thriving open mic at Jammin Java in Virginia, and performing at the Jazz Gallery, a wonderful space in Soho, NYC. NERFA was held in an aging hotel in the Catskills (otherwise known as the "Borscht Belt"). The whole area was once a thriving hotel scene -- this is where folks like Buddy Hackett performed, and people wore black tie to dinner. It's also where the movie "Dirty Dancing" was supposed to take place (I'm sorry to say that there were no Patrick Swayze sightings during my stay). Suffice it to say that our hotel had its heyday about 30 - 40 years ago. The decor was very...1960's. But it was still lots of fun. I showcased each night, and also listened to a number of artists. I discovered Jonathan Byrd, who sings wonderful old-timey songs and is just a very real and humble performer. I also had the pleasure of showcasing with two fine female songwriters -- Juliet Wyers (from Portand, OR) and Jan Smith (from Charlottesvile, Virginia). I also chatted it up with a great instrumental duo out of Georgia -- Dromedary. They lent me their back-massager (a fine contraption) and we swapped CDs.
I then headed down to the DC area, where I had several shows. I love DC, and enjoyed meeting some of the folks who make up the thriving music scene there. Then up to NYC, and my "debut" at the Jazz Gallery. Thanks to family and friends and those of you on my mailing list who told your NYC connections about me, the show was wonderful! It was my favorite of the trip, so far. Great acoustics, ambiance, and a wonderfully warm audience.
I came home to find that I was a finalist in the Mid-Atlantic Songwriters Contest, which was great news. I head back to DC and more shows very soon. I'm wishing everyone a very peaceful holiday season. Remember to take care of yourself! — 8.14.03 —
Hey everyone. I'm sitting at home, trying out my totally rusty skills in FTP. I'm really hoping to get in the habit of sharing journal entries in a more timely manner -- just need to get over my fear of technology. This past 6 months have been a true mix for me. I went to Nashville for the first time, to attend the North American Folk Alliance Conference. The whole thing was sort of a lesson in maintaining my center amidst a sea of musicians -- many of them very talented -- and just sort of learning to swim in that sea and stay afloat! I had fun sharing a table with Emily Shore. I met some great people, and especially enjoyed connecting with local Seattle musicians. The importance of community really came home to me at that conference. My little Seattle group was a like a touchstone for me. I also got my Cd, Gratitude, to some radio DJ's, and am happy to share that it charted at some stations in the months that followed.
I came back to Seattle enthused by my experience in Nashville, and re-committed to choosing music as a path. I've played some fun festivals this summer (NW Folklife, Yakima Folklife, Arlington Garlic Fest), and also just spent time w/ my sweetie and my friends. I wish I had more exciting news to share! Signing off for now.
— 11.22.02 —
Giving Thanks
As I write this, I am witnessing the warm, orange-red glow of this evening's sunset. It is beautiful, and I am reminded, again, of how rarely I really look up at the sky. I am writing this just before Thanksgiving, which is one of my favorite holidays. I'm not talking turkey and stuffing here (though my Mom's stuffing is pretty darn good). I love Thanksgiving because it gives me a chance to really think about what I'm thankful for. Though I do think about my "gratitudes" at other times during the year, Thanksgiving is an annual opportunity to focus on the past year's "bounty". There have been years, and times in my life, when finding this "bounty" has been hard. But there is always something that answers back — even if it is a seemingly small thing, like a sunset. So, I wish you all great-fullness during this Thanksgiving season. May you be blessed!
Kathryn

— 09.20.02 —
*WELCOME to Kathryn's new website! In the months that Barry Craig has been designing this site, I've accumulated a whole assortment of interesting tidbits that I want to share with you.

This summer (which I suppose is now officially over!) has been very full and good. I started it off with my first tour to the Bay area. This consisted of about 4 shows and lots of hill walking. I met some great local songwriters, found some great venues that I put on my "wish list" for the next time I came through, and discovered the joys of Indian snack food ("chaat").

Next came July and 3 different festivals: The Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival, the Yakima Folklife Festival, and Bellevue's Best of the Rest Festival. Perhaps my favorite memory is of Best of the Rest Festival. I got to sing with Val D'Alessio, while Jim Nason (the Emergency Folk Singer) played blues guitar and a funky man named Philip played percussion. All this on a stage that was set between a Middle Eastern food booth (which regularly emitted plumes of smoke from sizzling lamb parts) and - get this - a booth making SMOOTHIES. So please imagine me, singing away, practically a vegetarian, steeped in lambalicious smoke, with the regular brmmm brrmmm of the 3 or 4 blenders to my right. But, you know what? I loved that show!

*In August (which just left us, right?), I traveled to Colorado, my home state, and spent time at the family cabin (no electricity, no running water, and a 2 seater outhouse). I also visited several different hot springs down in southern Colorado, spent an afternoon at an eco-village in the middle of acres of sagebrush, and discovered all kinds of cool small town venues for folksingers.

*While in Colorado, I got some very GOOD NEWS! I found out that my album, Gratitude, has been selected for review as one of the Top 12 Do-It-Yourself albums for the November 2002 issue of Performing Songwriter magazine! Whoopeee!!! When I found out, I was at my Mom's house in Denver. I started yelling for her, just full of excitement, and then her two big dogs got into it and started running around, sliding along the wood floors, barking and bumping into things. It was quite a memorable scene!

*Gratitude also got a wonderful review by Bill Fisher in the August issue of the Victory Review. Here's a small sample: "This is music, simple and pure, that blesses you deeply, ineffably and satisfyingly every time you play it." Thank you Bill! And thank you to everyone who has wrote to me or stopped me after a show to share with me your own thoughts about Gratitude. Your comments continue to inspire me, and keep me going!

That brings us to NOW, and the beginnings of Autumn. I have some wonderful shows and events coming up, including my second tour to the Bay area! Check out my shows in the "tour" section of the website!

In the Spirit of Music,

Kathryn