HOT LAVA MONSTER

Whit and I went to see Hot Lava Monster in Charlotte. They opened for the band Shinedown at Amos' Southend.
It was a Packed House and they rocked it!

Count Your Blessings!

My friend Karen said this would be the year of Lee Ann. I don't know what that really means but it has been a great year for me with good projects, new friends, a teenager who makes good grades and hasn't gotten into - knock on wood - big trouble...healthy family, things are great. I am incredibly blessed. So blessed that there is even guilt in the feeling. I suppose many of us feel that way sometimes. With all the insane turmoil in the world and even around the corner I am so thankful that for this moment things are good in my world. Not perfect by any stretch and certainly not easy, sometimes quite lonely and sometimes overwhelming. But it is great being busy, having a wonderful roof over my head, a community of people that are genuine, loving, smart and adventurous. In those terms it has certainly been the year of Lee Ann. Course Time says we are all IT this year!
This year I'm challenging myself to find new ways to contribute to my community whether it is a video or a drumming class or something else that seeks me out.... Any ideas?
I look forward to continuing my work at ETV, SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, working on 701 Whaley, the Valentine's Show and maybe another comedy???
Hope to travel this year too...Where will we go?!

Tis the Season

Tom Chinn's drop in....






Geeezzz. Its nice to get invited to parties but after 3 or 4 in one week I'm about done!
It started with a "Drink the Tree" party.












Then Harriet's vodka shot party....


































Heidi & Stuart hosted the last Christmas party on Tomaka.










































Wrapped up the week at the Forest Acres Reunion Party.










































It has been great to meet new people and catch up with old friends!

Rock Fish/Dance

Dec. 2005 I was in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Leaving my then 13 yr old daughter with family and friends a couple of weeks before Christmas to go to a VERY far away land to do a job that would be challenging to say the least.....tough decision. We were hoping to get back about 3 days before Christmas and I was hoping to get some shopping done while there. right.

Sokoto is licked by the Sahara and is dotted with hundreds of mud hut villages.
We were guests of one village that is home to a sacred site where the famous jihadist Usman Dan Fodio did battle. Fodio spread Islam to North/West Africa in the early 1800s.
We were treated to a festival and reinactment by it's musicians, dancers, camel and horse riders.
At one point we were shown a large bowl with fish whose slippery scales looked incredibly prehistoric. Thought for sure it was gonna be our lunch. The night before we'd had a bowl of fish soup that contained a very similar finned creature.

Watch the video to see the fish that can live in a rock for up to 3 years!
After that crazy moment some dancers encouraged me to dance which I of course obliged thus the major shakey cam at the end of clip!

The Mansion

I was fortunate enough gain an invitation from Harriet Green to "The Mansion" at Isle of Palms for the weekend.




It was Gwen Boykin's birthday weekend. (I think she's 27)

I didn't really know who was on the guest list but I knew it would be a blast.
Chuck LaMark hitched a ride with me on Sat. and was a pleasure to get to know. He came to Columbia from Florida to help redefine and bring new life to the Cultural Council. His past work with children is impressive and his passion for the arts is apparent.
Harriet gave us a tour upon arrival and from the 2nd floor balcony I looked down to see Marcelo Novo content & smiling in the crystle blue pool with the magnificant Atlantic ocean beyond.


Some of us shot some hoops (short white girl made her share), played some ping pong, poker, enjoyed the view and conversations and ate and drank to our hearts content with no where to go but the various sublime settings within "The Mansion."




Marcelo & beautiful, charming wife Saadia prepared a delicious dinner Sat. night of beef and noodles and a delectable green salad with strawberries.















Red wine and red roses adorned the tables.







Kai Buster and the girls entertained us with an Egyptian style dance (Sig Buster was so proud!) while Chuck & I played a little jembe.


I challenged the debonair Charles Raine to a game of pool and he proved to be as lousy a player as myself!




An almost full moon rose clearly and lite a path across the water. A pink and yellow saturated sunset melted and mirrored off the sand and sea.




It was a delightful time.
A treat to hang out with such a sophisticated and absolutely rambunctious crowd!

Saving 701

Click the title to go to 701 Blog

Thanksgiving 2006

Thanksgiving for us Kornegays is always interesting. Starting around 1990 my mother "Meems" began a tradition of having some sort of entertainment or game or crazy stunt on Thanksgiving day. Of course we always have the traditional fare of turkey, dressing, rice and gravy, multiple dishes of vegetables, casseroles, fresh baked bread, sweet tea a selection of deserts and usually a bottle of wine.
The first time meems dressed up as a pilgrim we thought it was interesting and funny. She did a Pilgrim Rap that year ( we got a repeat this year) and everyone had to perform something. The kids did a play, there were poems and readings. I think I sang the blessing.
Another unfortgettable year meems made paper turkey targets and dad brought over his bb gun and we had target pracitce in the back yard. Good times. Lots of laughter and silliness.
Over the years we usually have at least one or more guests at our table. This year it was just us but missing Lori and Peter greatly.
Our thanksgiving prayer is always thoughtful and genuine. We are truly a blessed family in so many ways. Thinking of those not with us or the suffering. It seems sometimes that even though my dad is not physically with us we almost forget he is not there cause his presence is so strong.
Click the title for the video clip - mostly for Lori and Pete but is too funny not to share! (at least we think it's funny!)

WHAT IS IT?

Spring of 2006 Jennifer Whitley and I began working on our second video project, "IT FACTOR".
The short comedy spoofs reality TV and features the music of local band HOT LAVA MONSTER. The Beatles movie "Help" was the genre Jennifer wanted to imitate with slapstick, chase scenes and zany situations set to 3 of HLM's new releases from their new CD "The Belly of a Whale". Johnny Briglevich of SONICA RECORDING/ in Hotlanta produced the CD.
Jennifer cast the comedy with friends, family members and local actors Kevin Bush and Joe Morales.
I shot and edited the 20 minute movie with Wade Sellers as second camera using the fabulous home of Anastasia and Marvin Chernoff and the art installation in Heidi & Stuart Hope's backyard.
It took us about 5 days of shooting and about 2 months to edit. My daughter loaded and logged the some 9 hours of footage. She makes an excellent assistant editor.

The comedy has been entered in 5 film festivals so far starting with Sundance. We won't know until mid Dec. whether it makes it in but - we are going anyway!

The photos are from a preview party Jennifer held at the Nickelodeon Theater and celebrating at Hunter Gather afterwards.
I'll add a video clip as soon as I can.

Click the title for a link to the It Factor web page.