New Ideas

A goal of mine in 2012 is to reinvent this blog. For one thing, I’d like it to know how to make chai lattes.

Your Daily Dose of Awww

Meet Daisy. Ain't she sweet?

Hope Is the Thing with Fur

This weekend, our family is expanding to include a Newfoundland puppy! Yes, a lot of work, having a puppy under our care. Yes, we’re already a plenty-busy household. And yes, don’t I have a manuscript I’m working on, plus freelance work, too? The way I see it, no better time to bring some good dog energy into the mix.

And Newfs are fabulous. Large and fabulous. Nana, the Darlings’ nurse in Peter Pan, was a Newf said to have been modeled on J.M. Barrie’s own Landseer, Luath (pictured here). Boatswain, a Newfoundland, was the beloved pet memorialized in Lord Byron’s “Epitaph to a Dog” (though I’d rather not talk about a dog’s death here). Emily Dickinson had a Newf named Carlo (named after the pointer of St. John Rivers in Jane Eyre). All of this said NOT to put any pressure on our sweet pup. We’ll enjoy her even if she’s more about slobber than writerly inspiration (though, hey, if she’s able to channel, I’m open to it).

I considered posting today a Carlo-inspired Emily Dickinson poem, so I did a little searching. Came across this classroom fun instead, from the Emily Dickinson Museum’s website: Carlo’s Poem Quiz, where students of poetry can read from Dickinson’s riddle poems and guess what she’s describing. You’ll also find links to Dickinson’s poetry and other Dickinson-related reading on the museum’s site as well. I, for one, would like to make the trip out to Amherst to visit sometime soon. I wonder if dogs are allowed?

By the way, looks like Saturday, Dec. 10, is an Emily Dickinson birthday celebration and museum fund-raiser at Amherst College, for anyone else who might be out that way. (Emily’s 181st birthday.) More info here.

This week’s Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by Carol’s Corner. Wag on over!

Gratitude

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

— Willie Nelson

I’m grateful for my family and friends, the food on our table, the roof over our heads—and this day. I call on myself to hold at least some small piece of it in wonder. There’s much to choose from.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Happy Halloween!

How did it get to be Halloween already? We don’t have our front-yard cemetery up yet—no bony hands reaching out to those who come along the walkway. No skulls resting in peace next to headstones. The candy has been selected (and taste-tested), and there are a couple of small pumpkins out on the front porch, plus a door decoration. But we traditionally step it up a bit more.

R and L are planning their annual carving of the big pumpkins this weekend. They deliberately hold off on that til right before the big day. Not sure what designs they have planned this year, but they always do a spectacularly spooky job.

And besides dipping into the candy, I had a little Halloween-inspired fun this week—playing around with a poem. It’s dedicated to pumpkins everywhere. Little do they know what’s in store for them when they’re plunked in the wagon and loaded up for home.

Tricked me with your patchy promises,
“This is the one I’m pie-eyed for!”

Me, a country bumpkin,
Putting my full weight into the show.
Never sensed your seedy intentions.

Now faced with the devil,
Gutted,
Forced to wear a mask, not of my making.

Still, I’m no hollow shell, Jack,
Oh, to think that, you’d be roundly mistaken.

I am lit from within.

Happy Halloween, everyone! This week’s Poetry Friday roundup is over at Random Noodling, where you’ll find lots of good treats!

NESCBWI Blog List

I won’t call myself a blog slacker; I deliberately went back into my soundproof booth this summer in order to push forward on a new project. How’s that going? Well, it’s a new world for me, trying something longer form, working by way of plot outlining techniques–using an outline, period. Add to that freelance commitments, a busy family life … you other writers know what I’m talking about. It’s easy to beat ourselves up for not making enough progress, but actually, staying disciplined, writing through those wobbly scenes, remembering that we don’t completely stink at writing–or working anyway even if we’re feeling that way–is all a kind of progress. And I like this piece I’ m working on. So, it’s going. Just some things, like blogging, taking a backseat lately.

But speaking of blogs …

Stopping in today to mention that there is a now a blog directory of New England kidlit writers and illustrator over at the NESCBWI website. You can find it here. Thank you, Melissa Stewart over at Celebrate Science for organizing this great resource; Anindita Basu Sempere for your help on this, too; and Greg Fishbone for all of your work on the site. We are lucky to have many awesomely talented members of the creative community in this region. This new web resource points the way to all sorts of great conversations happening!

Hope all is well with you this fall!

New work happening back here. Will re-emerge soon (or meet you for coffee on Twitter).