Today I learned of a birth and a death. The birth was my youngest brother’s first child, a little boy they’ve named Clayton. I haven’t yet seen a photo, but I’ll be surprised if he isn’t totally and utterly adorable. Of course I’m biased, but the boy’s mother is really pretty and his father isn’t bad looking either (he was such a cute kid). I have memories of being twelve and carrying him into stores and people saying to me, “Your baby is sooo cute!” I’d smile and say, “Yes, my BROTHER is really cute.” What I wanted to say was, ‘I’m freaking twelve! Do I look like a slut?’ I guess I did. To illustrate the past I found a family portrait from that time…I look like a mutant, but my brother is cute. [Read more…] about For You…
General
Hitchcock, my hero…
I’ve just finished Chapter 39 of Dancing the Maypole! I can practically feel myself riding down the hill to the finish. I see three more chapters and then the epilogue (I shouldn’t need to bang my head on any brick walls…shouldn’t, shouldn’t, shouldn’t…) The story now has 105,672 words. I would have preferred the book to be shorter (as it would have been done by now) but my characters are willful creatures who couldn’t care less what I think. [Read more…] about Hitchcock, my hero…
Roman de la slug…
I ventured out into the rain to take pictures and found this fellow slithering off to some appointment. [Read more…] about Roman de la slug…
A small miracle…
After a year of see-sawing back and forth about whether I should keep or delete four chapters in Once Upon a Wager (which has kept the story in limbo) I think I’ve finally resolved the problem. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. It was so simple. So obvious! The resolution allows me to keep all the chapters and opens up the story for the ending I keep seeing. It puts the story right. This means the story is nearly finished. I feel like I’ve stepped out of iron shoes. I’ll soon be dancing!
Hole in the Heart…
My life often seems liken a string of coincidences that all somehow come together to make a strange magical collage. About five months ago I was randomly combing through i-tunes and somehow came across a Scottish singer-songwriter named Karine Polwart. The sample of her song ‘Hole in the Heart’ off Scribbled in Chalk really struck me so I listened to some more. I decided I wanted to buy the actual CD so I put it on my Amazon list intending to get it sometime soon, but I couldn’t wait so I went back and bought the song off i-tunes. Listening to the words I realized this was the song I’d been looking for. It’s the perfect theme for Dancing the Maypole, the book I’ve been working on for the last three years. The song has helped bring certain aspects of both the hero and heroine into focus and made my characters more real to me. Last week I was thumbing through the tri-yearly magazine for Stamford’s Art Center’s upcoming events and classes. When I saw a woman’s face and the name Karine Polwart it took me several seconds to realize what I was reading. Yes, in October she’s going to be performing in the Ballroom and I shall be gutted if I can’t get a ticket. The next time I’m in Stamford I’ll have to see if they’re selling tickets and if so to buy one. Have a listen to Hole in the Heart!
If you enjoy my photos, here’s a few of my favorite from Sunday. About three in the afternoon the Goblin decided he wanted to go to the beach…so we drove down to Aldeburgh and got there about 5:30. It was gorgeous with the orange setting sun on the endless pebbles. [Read more…] about Hole in the Heart…
Updates…
I’ve finally finished chapter 38 of Dancing the Maypole. I feel like I’ve been working on it forever, but it’s finally come together and I’m happy with it. I think there’s about four more chapters (I know always four until I come to the end). I feel like I’m at the top of the hill. So hopefully I’ll be rolling down the hill to a fast finish. Dancing the Maypole now has 103,744 words. Hopefully it will make you laugh and forget how long you had to wait for me to finish it!
Second an update on my fossil find: I sent off photos of my possible fossilized embryo…alas, it’s not an embryo…it’s not even a fossil…it’s…I shall use the experts word’s, “The object is made of micro-crystalline quartz, essentially agate. The little spheres are very organic looking, but are not fossils. They are purely silica mineral deposits.” So I didn’t find a fossil embryo, but I did find a cool rock that will always remind me of a fantastic day at the beach with my sister and my Goblin. So I didn’t find a rock that uncovered the secrets of the universe, but I’ll keep looking.