Mitzi McMahon

Good read:

2012-01-26T22:19:00.004-06:00

Earlier this month I read Abide with Me. I wanted to love this. The 1st book I'd ever read by Elizabeth Strout was Olive Kitteridge and I LOVED, LOVED it, so I had high expectations. Really high expectations, in fact. Maybe this was unrealistic, might even have been unfair, but how could I not? I found the prose itself elegant and flawless. The characters, though, were less engaging for me. Same with the storyline. It was slow going and I had to invoke my daughter's you-must-give-a-book-50-pages rule and then again. At about the halfway mark, I felt like I was finally engaged. More of a struggle than I wanted it to be.

Lunar Eclipse

2011-12-11T01:21:00.005-06:00

Did you get out and see the lunar eclipse this morning? I did and it was something to see. It was also brutal weather-wise, at 10 degrees with a slight wind. I learned my lessons well after my recent trip to Lone Pine and Death Valley, so I was prepared, dressing in multiple layers with one of the layers being wool. I've yet to find a way to keep my fingers from freezing though.

So when I say the eclipse was something to see, there is a caveat, of course. It seems that the real event was happening west of the Mississippi River. And if you happen to live on the west coast, well, then, you were in for a real treat. But here in Wisconsin, the whole thing lasted less than 30 minutes, and the totality phase - the phase when the moon takes on vivid reds and oranges - began nearly an hour after moonset around here. I did manage to capture a shot where the moon is pinkish, and I think this is because the sun was coming up as the moon was setting.

This was taken shortly after the eclipse began as evidenced by the moon's disk beginning to disappear:

This one, taken about 8 minutes later, shows the progressing eclipse and the brightening sky. About 3 minutes later, the moon was below the horizon.

Star Trails!

2011-12-04T22:53:00.004-06:00

So here's the result from my 1st night at my star trails workshop last month. It was a terrific learning experience and I'm pleased as punch with the result.

This was taken in a place called Alabama Hills near the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, west of Lone Pine, CA. These hills are full of rock formations and are a popular location for TV and movie productions (in fact, they were shooting a car/truck commercial while we were there...). Some classic movies have been filmed here, like Bad Day at Black Rock and How the West Was Won and Gunga Din, as well as more modern films, like Tremors and Gladiator and Iron Man.

We were in a little spot called Gunga Din, though I don't know if the movie was actually shot IN this little area or if the area was given this name because the movie was shot nearby. It was VERY cold and VERY windy (elevation is approx. 4600 feet) and I froze! But I ended up with a really cool shot, so I'm not complaining. On subsequent nights I put on everything I'd brought with me to keep warm!

The trails form a circle because I was facing due north. The white dot in the center is Polaris. I didn't realize at the time that I WAS facing due north - I was hoping I'd get some circles (as opposed to lines) but didn't know where the center point would be.

I'm amazed all over again every time I look at this.

Keeler, CA

2011-11-27T23:59:00.007-06:00

Here are a couple of pictures from my recent adventure through Death Valley. These shots were taken in Keeler, CA, in between Lone Pine, CA and Death Valley. Population in Keeler is 50. No kidding. It's semi-abandoned with things left to die where they sit. We found an old International truck (pink, no less) with 4 rotted tires and the keys rusted in the ignition.

The light was fantastic. And I LOVED the colors on display in this almost forgotten place. Simply gorgeous.

Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background

A lone lamp over a cracked, grass-covered inground pool

Gas at .48 per gallon! Almost 40 years ago...

Night Sky

2011-11-12T10:52:00.005-06:00

I'm back from my fabulous trip to Lone Pine, CA via Death Valley. It was so awesomely wonderful that I'm not sure I can find the right adjectives... the scenery in Death Valley was beyond anything I had imagined. The terrain and geological makeup changed every 15 miles or so, and at times it looked like I was on a different planet - truly spectacular and jaw-dropping.

Getting up for sunrise photos and then staying out at night for hours on end in the cold makes for an exhausting experience - exhilarating but exhausting. I took the red eye home from Las Vegas (arrived in Milwaukee at 5:15 a.m.) - it was brutal and exacerbated the whole sleep deprivation situation. Slept 14 hours Wednesday night, 12 hours Thursday night. I'm hoping that a nap today will get me all caught up.

I haven't yet had the time to examine the photos I took (over 1000 of them!) and will post some eventually. But, in the mean time, here's a shot I took one night in Death Valley. I was able to stand in the middle of the road because we didn't see a single car during the entire 6 hours we were out there! On the left side of the picture you can detect the beginnings of star trails. I was actually going for a still shot (read: no star trails), and the exposure seems correct for this for the stars in the right half of the shot, anyway, as they appear as distinct points. But the stars on the left are closer to true north and so, as they move (or, more accurately, as the earth rotates), the trails they leave are much closer together, more concentric.

Scotty's Castle Road, just south of Mesquite Spring.

Musings

2011-10-28T10:58:00.003-05:00

I saw a quote last week and really liked it: The earth without art is just eh.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy and extraordinarily stressful. Normally as I go through the busyness of living -- work, grocery shopping, vacuuming, paying bills -- I have characters and plot points playing in the background of my mind. I've come to realize that this background symphony is what keeps me tethered to the world; it's what allows me to get through the daily minutia, it's the light that beckons when the stress threatens to overwhelm me. But, as I discovered, this light can grow dim. When this happens, the world, for me, becomes quiet, muted, dull. The magic disappears. I know that my detail oriented tendencies exacerbated the level of stress I experienced over the past few weeks: I find it hard to let go. But this same tenacity is what keeps me drawn to the magic of creating characters and plots, of creating my own art.

And speaking of creating art: I'm headed next week to a star trails workshop in California. What are star trails, you ask? They are the captured movement of the stars in the night sky. And they're captured by leaving a camera's shutter open for long periods of time away from all ambient light. I'm making my way to Lone Pine, CA by way of Death Valley. I'm really jazzed about the trip - the scenery in Death Valley is breathtaking and I hope to come back with the best pictures of my life. The caveat, of course, is that I'm still a novice in the picture-taking department, but I'll be with my sister-in-law who's just awesomely talented. I got my first in-depth, on-the-fly, deep in the trenches training with her during our trip to Ireland last year. She's amazingly patient and enthusiastic.

Find your art -- create it, live it.

Great read:

2011-10-10T11:18:00.005-05:00

I've just finished Clifford Garstang's In an Uncharted Country and very much enjoyed it. This is a collection of short stories, filled with warm, honest characters, some of whom make repeat appearances. I took my time with it, reading one story at a time, then setting it aside for a day or a week in order to allow the story/characters time to sit with me. I found that each story was like a small universe unto itself, full of rich details and tremendous depth.

If you haven't already read this collection, put it on your to-read list.

Balloon Festival

2011-09-25T17:50:00.009-05:00

I went to my first hot air balloon festival back in July, held in Waterford, WI. It was an awesome sight! They were supposedly offering tethered rides, and I wanted to try it, but I couldn't find the spot to sign up. Probably just as well as I'm sure I would've been after the guy at the controls, begging him to hold the balloon still for just a second so I could catch that shot and that shot and...

Here are some pictures I managed to snatch from the ground:

Great read:

2011-09-01T11:42:00.004-05:00

I've just finished reading Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, and it was amazing and brilliant and poignant and deliciously creative. All of these! I couldn't put it down and, in fact, stayed up until 2 a.m. last night reading, finishing it. Of course, I'm moving slow today, but it was worth it.

My one small caveat to this is that somewhere just shy of the middle, I *did* put it down and even made the comment that it was dragging for me. A friend and my daughter both gave me a strange look and encouraged me to keep at it. Now I know why. Looking back, I think that although there was a point where I was anxious for the story to "get on with it," this slow, purposeful back and forth was necessary; the intent was to lay the foundation.

As a reader: I was engaged with the characters; I enjoyed watching them grow and respond to life. I found the idea of time traveling mesmerizing - the mechanics of it, the possibilities, the ramifications - and how it physically affected Henry. I thought the way the plot unfolded was masterful. That whole business with Henry's feet was terrifically well done - I actually couldn't believe it and had to go back and read it again.

As a writer: I thought the way the timeline revealed itself, the back and forth, the way each trip -- a jump forward or backward -- built meaning was a very impressive feat. I can't imagine how one even begins to build a world like that, how you keep it all straight -- in one's head, on paper, on a chalkboard -- so that it flows seamlessly, with intent. Incredibly amazing.

This deserves a spot on your to-read list.

Mondays

2011-08-22T19:29:00.004-05:00

As Mondays go, this was just like any other. Except for the sublime weather. Oh, and the email I received from a woman who wanted me to know that she was using a story of mine as a teaching tool for her students! How cool is that? She uses my story "Pretending" in order to teach her 10th grade English Lit students about flash fiction.

I'm flattered and humbled. I'm also sporting a pleased-as-punch grin.

My story Pretending appeared in the 2009 Summer Issue of Staccato Fiction.

Happy Monday.

Good read:

2011-08-19T16:14:00.003-05:00

I've just finished Shellie Zacharia's collection Now Playing. I'd call the collection more simple than not, though I don't mean that in a negative way. I found it refreshing. The characters are honest and straightforward, and there's a recurring theme of guitar players and teachers. There are a lot of stories here (28) comprised of seemingly equal parts flash fiction and short stories.

Several of the stories stood out for me: "Take," "Luckily, Lucy Sims Has No Stamps," "Cyrus Is Spinning," and "Cardboard Ben."

Good read:

2011-07-30T23:34:00.005-05:00

I've just finished Jael McHenry's The Kitchen Daughter. It was a good read; parts of it were a great read. What stops me from declaring it a "great" read overall, though, is that I almost didn't finish it. At the 37-page point, I was ready to close the book permanently, park it on a shelf, and say not every one is a winner. But I invoked my daughter's rule that you have to give a book 50 pages and kept going. I'm glad I did. It was worth the read.

The opening was slow for me, a little disjointed, a little too much repetition from the protagonist, Ginny. I understand, now, afterward, the need for the repetition. I recognized then, too, though to a lesser degree, that it served a purpose of laying foundation, of informing the character. It was enough of an irritation, though, a distraction, that it stops me from proclaiming it GREAT.

That said, there's something really remarkable about the book. I'm a believer in the idea that we react to any given book based on a lot of things, most notably, what's going on in our lives at that moment, our emotional state. These things, along with our own experiences and baggage, make us more or less receptive to a story, a style of writing, a subject matter. I was moved by this story; somewhere along the way I bought in and found myself inside Ginny's world, invested. She has Asperger's, though she's never been officially labeled as such. I felt Ginny's frustration, her confusion, her desire to fight through all of it; I cheered alongside her with each victory, with each new learning and understanding. What holds it all together for me is the touch of magic, the idea, the possibility... she's able to summon up the ghosts of her relatives by working from their handwritten recipes. There are also a couple of twists weaved in that take the story deeper and kept me reading.

Put this on your summer to-read list.

Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-26T11:20:00.003-05:00

Yep, the dog days of summer are here and I love, LOVE them! I love wearing shorts and walking around barefoot. Love the job of puzzling out how to keep all the flowers and trees and budding vegetables watered. Love sitting on the patio and reading a book, the sun warm on my skin.

It occurs to me that if I lived in a clime where it was warm and sunny year round (or perhaps the majority of the time), I probably wouldn't salivate as I do when summer rolls around. It'd be the same old stuff. But, of course, that's not how it is here and so I look forward to the lazy days of summer, wishing they'd last forever.

Last week it was unbelievable hot here - I'm not complaining, mind you, just stating a fact. We smashed the old record (97, I think) on the way to a new one: 104! But the best news is that the heat index was a whopping 119 degrees. Holy cow, right? It was like how I imagine living in the desert is. It was crazy and fun and gloriously hot. My hubby and I headed down to the lake (Lake Michigan), hoping for a little lake breeze.

Hope your dog days of summer are fabulous, too.

Great read:

2011-07-01T21:03:00.004-05:00

I have just finished Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge and all I can say is wow. WOW. This is a novel in stories, which is all the rage right now, and it was so captivating, so spellbinding that I'm nearly beside myself. Olive is a character with so many flaws that she feels... well, human. The normal imperfections that we all have, the gripes that we feel but perhaps don't voice. She's handled with such honesty, such tenderness and heartfelt emotion that I came to believe that I knew her, really knew her, that she was a part of my family.

I so thoroughly enjoyed each story, beginning with the opening one, that I was genuinely surprised with each subsequent story as it became my new favorite.

This is the first time I've read anything by Elizabeth Strout and I felt like I was in the hands of an expert, a master. She took her time with each story, with each character - and for this I was thrilled because everyone always says to get to the story, cut all the excess, which I always take to mean no lollygagging. But that's how I felt in each of these stories: lollygagging. In a good way, a way that let me see the surroundings, see the nuances of the characters, feel their emotions, each lollygagging moment building upon the previous moment, each lazy-like detail filling in the edges so that, at the end, a full-bodied masterpiece is realized and I feel as though I know and understand these characters, especially Olive Kitteridge, to such a degree that I'm amazed by it all and definitely, definitely better off, fuller, for having spent time in her world.

This kind of experience is such a treat.

I highly recommend it.

Great read:

2011-06-14T22:32:00.002-05:00

I was in a bit of a funk after all the hubbub of my daughter getting married: exhausted, missing her, lost without my list of 10-things-must-do-right-this-minute. So what do I do? Why, read a book, of course!

Over the course of this past weekend, I devoured Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells. I LOVED the magical realism aspects: they are handled with authority, which, to my mind, goes a long way in making something believable. Loved the homeyness of the main character, Claire; loved, too, that the sister, Sydney, was a direct contrast. The final confrontation, near the end, had me holding my breath, reading quickly to see what happens.

My only small quibble is that I initially thought this might be intended for a YA audience. Not that there's anything wrong with that! No. It's that I don't usually read YA novels. In the end, I decided that wasn't the case.

If you enjoy magical realism, you'll LOVE this. And if you've always wondered what magical realism is, then this is a great introduction.

My Daughter Is Now Married

2011-06-09T22:34:00.007-05:00

I'm a mess. It's been 5 days and I'm exhausted, wondering, bleary-eyed, happy-sad, lost.

First and foremost, the event was spectacularly awesome. The day was storybook perfect with temperatures in the mid 70's and sun shining. After weeks and weeks of rain and cold temps, that the day dawned warm and clear was truly a gift. The whole weekend was perfectly gorgeous to boot. As the saying goes in Wisconsin: if you don't like the weather, wait a day. True to form, in the days since the wedding, it's been unbearably humid and hot (in the mid 90's) and today it's 54. So, truly, the wedding day was plucked from the heavens.

The event itself went off without a hitch, though the stress leading up to it was crippling. There are millions of details for a wedding that must be identified, listed, taken care of, and crossed off. On top of these are the ones you've forgotten, the ones that pop into your awareness in the middle of the night, the ones that you must somehow add to the next day's list that's already too long. Then there's the issue of getting the house ready and in order so that you're not embarrassed when 40 people show up the day after the wedding for the gift opening. And when I say house, I mean inside and out. Dusting, vacuuming, window-washing. Yard work: pulling weeds, mowing grass, hauling mulch. In the 2 weeks prior to the wedding, my husband and I nearly killed ourselves hauling mulch from the driveway into the flowerbeds. And by mulch, I mean 33 yards. For those of you who need a visual, think of an impossibly huge pile of mulch and then triple it. Seriously.

I arrived at the day sunburned, stiff-limbed, and severely sleep deprived. Our house was bustling with activity: all the bridesmaids and mothers were getting our hair and makeup done at our house. My mother-in-law had advised that I should try to let loose with some emotion prior to the BIG DAY, but I had been so busy, so go go go, that I hadn't been able to find a quiet moment to relax. She was right, of course. As were all the others who dispensed sage advice. But what I recognize now is that this is a solitary experience. Even though we may have all married our daughters off, we will each experience it individually.

My daughter is my oldest child, the first one to get married, my only daughter. I am deliriously happy for her and her new husband. They are perfect for each other and love one another fiercely. But I cried many times that day, mostly in unexpected, out-of-nowhere moments. In the shower: I thought, she's not going to be mine any more, she'll no longer be a McMahon. While getting my hair styled: "Dog Days Are Over," a song by Florence + The Machine, came on and I thought of the first time I heard this song - while watching Glee with my daughter - and how, because I'd like the song, she'd bought me the CD. In the moments before I was to be escorted down the aisle: an overwhelming thought, this is real, this is real.

There are no time-honored traditions for moms that allow us to acknowledge our emotions during this life-changing event. Fathers offer a toast before dinner, a minute or five where heartfelt words are spoken, shining a light on the father's love for his daughter. Fathers also have the father/daughter dance in which a song that is meaningful to both dad and daughter is played, and they twirl about the floor, displaying for the room, the world, their love and affection, their honest emotions.

I sat on the sidelines watching them dance to IZ's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," my heart swelling with love and pride while tears ran, unchecked, down my cheeks. In that moment I held my daughter in my heart, remembering words from my sister-in-law:

We raise and care for our children only to let them go when they are capable of caring for themselves; we hold their hands as they learn to walk only to let them go when they learn to run; we teach them to love and care for people so that when they find that love in another, they move away from us and live fully. But ultimately, we hold them in our hearts for all times and from there we never let them go. It is in this place that the joy of loving your child will abide and it is there that you will feel the tug that tells you it is time to pass your child, and all that she has become, to her chosen one.

I'm feeling a little raw, a little lost.

Batter Up

2011-05-18T12:39:00.004-05:00

Got my contributor's copies last week of The Evansville Review. My story "Batter Up" appears in the latest issue. Woo-hoo! And get this: my story follows one from Margaret Atwood! How cool is that?

Strawberry Full Moon

2011-05-17T12:58:00.007-05:00

It's been soooo long since I've pulled out my camera and played around with it, but last night as I was walking into the bedroom to get something, I saw the gloriously full moon peeking over the treetops in the neighbor's yard. It stopped me in my tracks! What is it about the moon that gives it such power, such pull? Does it do that to you? I'm betting it does, even if you won't admit it out loud. Imagine if we had TWO moons, or if we were on the moon and could look up and see Earth in our night sky! But that's for another post - ha.

So I quickly dropped what I was doing and went in search of my camera. I've gotten better about leaving the clip attached that allows the camera to fasten onto the tripod (it takes forever to screw on!), but as I grabbed my gear, I was frantically wracking my brain, trying to remember what settings to use to shoot the moon. I had to be quick: opportunity for the best shots is fleeting as the moon continues to inch upward.

I did remember to use the "bulb" setting, but the f-stop and shutter speed were a little trickier. I clicked off several before I found my groove. The first picture in the series below is a rather bland shot - the moon appears as nothing more than a seemingly smooth, white orb - but I'm posting it because it shows just how much setting changes the shot. Old hat to those of you who are experts at photography, but an interesting reminder to the rest of us!

Focal length = 170mm
f-stop = 5.6
shutter speed = 1/5

Focal length = 300 mm
f-stop = 22
shutter speed = 1/4

Focal length = 300mm
f-stop = 16
shutter speed = 1/25

Focal length = 300mm
f-stop = 36
shutter speed = 1/10

Aren't the differences amazing? Love the detail that comes through on the last three... I was trying to draw a correlation between f-stop and shutter speed (as it relates to the detail), but I can't - the values are all over the map: long, short, fast, faster. I think the 3rd on the list, here, is my favorite. Which do you like better?

Great read:

2011-05-15T15:55:00.003-05:00

I've just finished reading Ellen Meister's The Other Life and I loved it. LOVED it! I couldn't put it down. It's got everything a great story is supposed to have: conflict, characters you care about, tension, an engaging plot line. And the premise is simply outstanding: a portal exists (several, in fact) that allows Quinn to cross timelines and pop out on the other side and into an alternate life, the one that continued on even though she chose B instead of A. Like a parallel universe. The sci-fi slant is simply delicious, my kind of sci-fi, where it's creative and different and possible without being totally over-the-top ridiculous. I cried a couple of times and, nope, I'm not ashamed to admit it! It moved me - just as great fiction is supposed to.

I highly recommend it.

James Durbin - American Idol

2011-05-13T12:01:00.006-05:00

I know a lot of folks roll their eyes at the machine that has become American Idol, but I watch it, initially, for the funny/awkward/just-plain-bad auditions and then, later, as the season progresses, to see new and awesome talent. I get such joy out of listening to these kids hit notes I can only dream of, and there’s nothing better than listening to something and getting goose bumps. I’m not really discriminatory: if you can sing, and sing well, I’m a fan. But I also really dig artistry – making a song your own, reworking it, being genuine. The way David Cook did it. And Adam Lambert. I’ve taken a fair amount of grief over my love of Adam Lambert, season 8 runner up. Some people think he’s too showy, too “out there.” But that’s part of who he is, part of what makes him great. And there’s NO denying that guy can sing! Holy cow, when I re-watch some of his performances from season 8 (yes, I purchased them from iTunes), they leave me feeling gloriously alive – exactly how/what good music and great vocals are supposed to do.

And now this with James Durbin. This guy is so awesomely talented, so comfortable and genuine on stage, it blows my mind that he’s been voted off. So many kinds of wrong. The only thing I can think of is that everyone thought he was safe and so didn’t vote. I mean, really. Scotty is a nice guy, but he’s no American Idol. James Durbin can sing circles around him! The silver lining in this is that James Durbin is now free to do his own thing and won’t be bound to sing those ridiculously sappy-lyric pop songs they make the winner sing.

The American Idol season is done for me.

Rock on James Durbin.

Stargate Universe

2011-05-10T17:36:00.003-05:00

I tuned in to watch the season finale last night of Stargate Universe... did you see it? It was GREAT. Loved it, love the show. I look forward to seeing it every week. So, today, as my withdrawals kicked it, I went online to see how long I'd have to wait for my next fix and learned that what I enjoyed last night wasn't the season finale but the SERIES finale!! Yep, that's right. Finished. Done for. Kaput. I am stunned. And heartbroken, and devastated and, well, pissed. Who made this decision? Why is the better question. There are so many crappy, crappy shows on TV that it seems truly unfair when a creative, engaging one gets shelved.

I have been with the Stargate series from the beginning. There is, of course, the original Stargate movie (which I don't think is nearly as good as any of the series, but the spark of greatness has to begin somewhere). From the movie came Stargate SG-1. LOVED this show. How could you not love Richard Dean Anderson?? Loved the show so much that my kids bought me one of the seasons on DVD (which is saying something because I don't like to watch/read anything twice). SG-1 ran for 10 seasons.

Then came Stargate Atlantis. Another great show. Not quite as good as SG-1, initially (to be fair, SG-1 had had my attention for 10 years... big shoes to fill!), but I grew to love the characters and the issues they had to deal with as much as the SG-1 crew. Good, too, that they had characters from SG-1 on the Atlantis show every now and again. This series ran 5 years.

Then came Stargate Universe. Perhaps the best yet. Such an awesome premise, so creative. Similar in concept, yet evolved. LOVED it. Killed it after only 2 seasons.

There's nothing left worth watching on the sci-fi channel. Truly a shame.

I'm in mourning.

Great reads:

2011-04-12T20:14:00.004-05:00

I've been busy with non-writerly and non-reading things (tax season 'n all... bleh) but managed to squirrel away a few minutes and stumbled across a couple of extraordinary stories online:

From the XLV issue of Danse Macabre: "Parallax and the Gandy Dancer" by Robert Kaye. I'm not sure there's anyone better at word choice; the imagery just sings. And then there's the way this (can't tell you exactly what I'm talking about because I don't want to spoil it, but after you read it, you'll know and agree!) is handled -- it's just exquisite.

From Issue 13 of Per Contra: "In the Palace of Cortes" by Clifford Garstang. This is sophisticated: from the elevated prose to the dance with a bit of magical realism, it surrounds you, seduces you.

Go on... check 'em out!

Good read:

2011-03-13T22:20:00.003-05:00

I've just finished reading The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (another gift from my daughter for Christmas...). It was an interesting read. A good read. What stops me from declaring this a GREAT read is the somewhat unconventional way in which the story unfolds. Not that I'm against unconventional. No. It's that I found myself, in the early chapters, wishing it would "get on with it."

The story begins with a killer (no pun intended) opening first line (*warning: spoiler alert*): "When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily." I stopped, read the sentence out loud to my husband (we were on a plane), and read it (silently, to myself) again. The opening chapter continues from there, building, rolling, until Helen, the narrator, kills her mother. It's shocking, riveting. The kind of jolt that makes you sit up and take notice.

The next several chapters are about the past. Indeed, the bulk of the story is about the past; we surface for a moment or two of real-time story and then slip back into the past for long stretches of time. But it was in these initial few chapters, back in the past, where I found my interest beginning to wane. And while I realize this recounting of the past is so necessary -- the layers, the foundation, the building and unfolding is needed, crucial; it informs the narrator and the story -- I wished for a smidge more dwelling in the real-time now of the story.

It picked up for me midway through chapter 5 (69 pages in). My daughter's motto is you have to give a book 50 pages. So if you subtract 12 pages from chapter 1 (which don't count for my purposes here because they were terrifically engaging), you're left with 57. Right on target.

The rest of the novel is fast-paced, intense, engaging. The past swirls with the present, grabs the narrator (and the reader) by the throat, and doesn't let go. There's a deepness, a complexity in the narrator's relationship with her mother and father that I found intriguing, sickly fascinating and, ultimately, very moving.

The prose is wonderful: sophisticated, crisp, honest. Worth the read.

Great read:

2011-02-27T11:24:00.004-06:00

My daughter gave me Kelly Corrigan's The Middle Place for Christmas and boy-oh-boy did I ever enjoy it. So good, so good! It's fresh, witty, smart, engaging, honest... did I mention fresh?

I've found that, as a writer, it's hard to read for pleasure, I mean really let go and simply lose myself in the story because there's always a part of my brain on the lookout: analyzing, editing, acknowledging. My brain sent up flares right from the get-go: pay attention, there's some really great stuff going on here!

The format is one chapter in the now, dealing with breast cancer, and one chapter in the past, showing us high school dances, going off to college, getting married. Back and forth we go and, at first, as a reader, I inwardly groaned when the "now" chapter ended because that's where I wanted to stay -- I wanted to keep going with that thread, wanted to see the details of cancer, see the nitty-gritty of it. But my groaning wasn't a full-on groan, more like a sigh, and even then, by the third switch I'd started to welcome the unfolding of the past. The past is important, of course, as it informs the present. And the two are interwoven masterfully here.

If this book isn't already on your to-read list, add it!

Never Let Them Think You Don't

2011-02-19T10:52:00.002-06:00

I'm thrilled to share the news that my short-short Never Let Them Think You Don't is live at Prime Number Magazine. I'm honored to be included among such talented folks.

Record snowfall

2011-02-03T19:02:00.008-06:00

It's been crazy around here... the epic storm that's been trudging its way across the country dumped 24 inches of snow here. HERE, where the average annual snowfall is a measly 50 inches. And, during the process, we set 2 records: the 24 hour snowfall (24 inches) and the 48 hour snowfall (26 inches). I don't think I've ever seen that much snow fall at one time. It's really pretty amazing to see. Not so amazing to have to shovel, and now, of course, I'm sore in places I didn't know existed.

Here's the view from inside our garage:

Outside one of the bedrooms, the snow nearly reaches the eaves:

Great read:

2011-02-01T09:35:00.003-06:00

I've just finished Aryn Kyle's collection Boys and Girls Like You and Me and, wow, it was fantastic.... and sublime and wondrous. I loved it. I took my time, savoring each story, delighting in how each made me feel: inspired, alive, connected to something larger than myself. I thoroughly enjoyed each one and the collection as a whole. My favorites: Economics, Take Care, Allegiance, Boys and Girls Like You and Me.

If you haven't read this yet, do. Rent, borrow or buy it: you'll love it.

(Chap)Book Heaven

2011-01-11T10:52:00.005-06:00

I received a fantastic collection of (chap)books in yesterday's mail. Many thanks to Ethel Rohan. She hosted a giveaway over at her blog, and I won! I'm super excited to read these:

Ethel Rohan, Cut Through the Bone
William Walsh, Pathologies
Claudia Smith, Put Your Head In My Lap
Matthew Salesses, Our Island of Epidemics
Sean Lovelace, How Some People Like Their Eggs
Rusty Barnes, Breaking it Down
xTx, He Is Talking to the Fat Lady
Molly Gaudry, We Take Me Apart
Peter Schwartz, Old Men, Girls, and Monsters
Issue 2 of Sententia

I don't expect I'll get much writing done in the next little while as I'll have my nose buried in these books. But that's okay. Curling up with a great read (or 10!) is a soul-satisfying way to wile away the snowy days.

Ethel: thank you, thank you.

Star Trails

2011-01-04T10:49:00.005-06:00

Here's my 1st attempt at star trails. I realize some folks look at these with a yawn, but I'm simply fascinated with the idea of capturing stars (and the movement of them!) with a camera. There is so much to learn and the conditions have to be just right... I tried on 3 different nights during a recent trip to Florida. I thought: Florida? Warm! Not so. The 1st night it was 32 degrees... my ankle-length pants and sweatshirt weren't nearly warm enough. By the 3rd night of staying up late (airplane traffic dies down considerably after 11 p.m.), I was practicing sleeping while standing up. I know there are lots of things to be improved for my next try, but I'm pleased nonetheless.

Another Acceptance

2010-12-26T20:33:00.005-06:00

Received an acceptance yesterday (Christmas Day!) for a short-short from editor Clifford Garstang of Prime Number Magazine. First off: two acceptances in the same month is a first for me. It's a little sad when put like that, but, really, the important part is that it's very, very exciting. Secondly: the email was sent on Christmas Day. What an awesome Christmas present!! And what a hard working editor Clifford must be to be working on Christmas Day. I'm thrilled and very honored.

An Acceptance

2010-12-16T23:23:00.002-06:00

Received an acceptance letter today for a short story of mine from Editor-in-Chief Kasey Bunner of The Evansville Review. I'm thrilled!!! I have to say that when I opened the envelope, I was expecting a rejection. So when I caught "pleasure" and "welcome" I did a double take. I started over from the beginning, reading slowly and then I read it out loud to my husband. The grin on my face lasted well over an hour. Did I mention how thrilled I am??

Great reads:

2010-11-18T22:14:00.005-06:00

I've been reading again (in between watering my evergreen trees for the last time before the ground freezes, and hosting an engagement party for my daughter, and polishing up a story that's finally (yay!) out making the rounds, and and and... you get the idea). This is my long-winded way of saying that I've come across some wonderful stories, stories worth checking out:

From the Fall 2010 issue, #30, of Frigg: "Last Lilacs" by Clifford Garstang - and - "Blooms" by Kathy Fish. Both of these are full and rich and captivating.

From the October 2010 Special Issue of Foundling Review: "On A Date" by Ethel Rohan. This is tender and smart and a real treat.

From Issue 18 of Per Contra: "The Parking Victim" by Robert Kaye. I love the way an ordinary object takes on new meaning in this story. What I admire and what intrigues me about stories like this one is their ability to do something with an ordinary object that would never occur to me.

From the 26th Collection of The Year's Best Science Fiction: "N-Words" by Ted Kosmatka. Yes, this is sci-fi, but don't let that scare you. I love when sci-fi and literary worlds blend; the result is usually a well-written story about intriguing, creative possibilities. This story is no exception.

A Study in Fall Grasses

2010-11-14T11:39:00.012-06:00

Some pictures I took last week (when the weather was exceptionally nice for these parts!) of the grasses in our backyard. These are ordinary grasses all summer long, but come fall - wow - they sprout wispy feather-like tops full of texture that move in the breeze.

Ballerina Box

2010-10-17T21:26:00.003-05:00

Got my copy of The Bitter Oleander this week. My story "Ballerina Box" appears in the latest issue. I'm thrilled! There's something about seeing my words, my characters, my story in print, something about holding it in my hands that's so richly satisfying, so enjoyable. It never gets old.

Time

2010-10-07T20:40:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted and the reason, I've determined, is time. As in I don't have enough of it. I've been extraordinarily busy these past several months. Just as I begin to get a handle on one thing (or, more precisely, the 5 things I'm juggling at any given moment), another something pops up that needs my attention. I used to think this demand would settle down, smooth out; now I believe it's never ending. I fall into bed each night, exhausted, and dream of things I need to do: appointments to make; bills to pay; baskets of laundry to fold; piles of paperwork to sort. Long gone, it seems, are the nights when I would drift blissfully off to sleep, cushioned by restful images in my dream world.

When was the last time you thought about TIME? It's one of life's givens, like death and taxes. It cannot be bargained with. It's a constant; it marches onward whether I'm ready or not. But here's something funny/peculiar/interesting to consider the next time you're sitting with a warm cup of tea: is it possible that time is speeding up? I've had this thought several times over the years. Always fleeting, yet it persists. And I know it sounds silly, maybe even crazy, surely spawned by my life-on-the-hamster-wheel feelings of late. But it's possible, right? In the grand cosmic realm of things, anything's possible. Right?

By the (time) numbers:

2: HOURS I spend each day thinking about/researching/preparing gluten-free food
2.5: YEARS I've been dealing with a frozen shoulder
3: HOURS I stole last Saturday for a nap
3: DAYS since my last rejection (story)
3.5: MONTHS since I read anything that wasn't a grocery or to-do list
5: HOURS I spend each week driving my son to/from school
7: WEEKS since I've written anything that wasn't a grocery or to-do list
9: HOURS of sleep I got last night
13: HOURS to drive from Racine, WI to Birmingham, AL
14: DAYS since my last batch of stories went out
21: MONTHS since my last oil change
95: DAYS since my last (story) acceptance
175: DAYS we've been waiting for our federal tax refund

I need more time. Or at least the ability to push the "pause" button every now and again.

Sturgeon Moon

2010-09-04T11:30:00.004-05:00

You know me and full moons... drawn to them like (fill in here with any number of cliches!) On August 24th, the Sturgeon moon was full at 1:05 p.m. ET. It was given its name by fishing tribes because the sturgeon fish (in the Great Lakes and elsewhere) were most readily caught during the month of August. Notable about this month's full moon is that it's the smallest full moon of the year. It will be 252,518 miles away - the farthest distance its orbit takes it from Earth.

Here's a picture I took 1 day past full with lots of clouds:

The moon is no longer full in this picture but my husband and I were out with the telescope looking the moon... it looks so awesome through a telescope! My next challenge is to figure out how to hook my camera up to the telescope so I can capture the closeup image. In the meantime, I used the longest camera lens I have... I like the detail that shows up here:

More Ireland!

2010-08-08T13:07:00.013-05:00

A lasting impression I have from Ireland is one of flowers. They're everywhere! Big bunches of color in containers - bright and welcoming. All the stores and businesses in every little town have flower boxes at their windows filled with vibrant and colorful flowers. I never saw any that were brown or droopy and it made me wonder how they kept them all so fresh-looking. I decided it was all the help from Mother Nature: rain, misty and ever-present for at least a little bit, it seemed, every day. Left: in Durrus, on Sheepshead Peninsula (county Cork).

In Blarney (county Cork), at a restaurant called Muskerry Arms:

In Bushmills (county Antrim):

A hostel in Killarney (county Kerry):

In Northern Ireland, a street in the walled city of Derry (county Derry):

Ireland!

2010-08-02T09:31:00.007-05:00

We just returned from 2 weeks in Ireland. It was both exhilarating and exhausting. The entire country is 170 miles wide and 310 miles long - roughly the size of Maine. But the roads! The roads near the bigger cities (Dublin, Cork, Derry) are 2- and 4-lane "motorways" and are wide enough so that you don't feel like you're going to smash side view mirrors. But everything else, especially all the coastal roads, are unbelievably narrow with so many twists and blind curves that it makes for a very traumatic and slow-going experience. We toured nearly the entire country, driving almost 1700 miles! I wouldn't do that again.

The people are very open and friendly and the landscape is beautiful beyond words. And when the sun comes out - wow - it's magical. I took over 1400 pictures! Here are a few from the beginning of our trip...

Sunrise on the Sheepshead Peninsula:

The coast of Sheepshead Peninsula:

And what would Sheepshead Peninsula be without sheep?

More to follow...!

Great reads:

2010-07-13T11:33:00.006-05:00

I visited the local Barnes & Noble while I was out of town recently and picked up a couple of journals that my hometown B&N doesn't carry. I love, LOVE the stories I found:

From the #6 - Spring/Summer 2010 issue of HOW Journal:

"Economics" by Aryn Kyle. I fell in love, all over again, with words while reading this story! I realize this sounds a bit strange because, really, words are just words, right? No! They are so much more. I found myself pausing as I read this, letting the beauty of the prose sink in. I even read a passage to my husband (whose reading list includes entrepreneur type publications, as well as sports magazines) because I was so enamored with it.

"Confabulated Stories: The Doctor's Wife, From 1960-1962" by Luis Jaramillo. The style is more sparse than not and the story is broken up into sections, each with its own subtitle. The wife/mother is never given a name, always referred to as "the Doctor's Wife." But all these combine into a charming, engaging story.

From the Spring 2010 issue of The Pinch:

"The Apple And Paradise Too" by Erica Johnson Debeljak. I slipped right into this story. The prose was colorful and warm; it enveloped and lured me in.

"High School And The Mysteries Of Everything Else" by David Borofka. Interestingly enough, this story is also separated into distinct sections, each with its own subtitle. David creates a very likable character in Leanne, one who is at once smart, witty, and vulnerable.

Fireworks!

2010-07-12T10:13:00.005-05:00

I've been playing around with my camera (code for trying to learn how to USE it) and thought the fireworks presented a terrific opportunity to experiment with nighttime photography. I did lots of research beforehand, attempting to assimilate the various required settings and admit the most frustrating part was trying to figure out how to GET TO the "bulb" setting. But I found it! I was pleasantly surprised at how well the photos turned out - they look like actual fireworks! It was a lot of fun though fending off the mosquitos was not.

Bitter Oleander

2010-07-05T12:14:00.002-05:00

Received an acceptance for a short-short of mine from editor Paul Roth of The Bitter Oleander. Woo-hoo!!! To say that I'm swooning over-the-top thrilled would be an understatement.

The fall issue should be out in October.

It was the nicest acceptance letter I've ever received. Did I mention how thrilled I am??

I LOVE this journal:

2010-06-21T14:07:00.004-05:00

PANK Issue No. 4. I've been leisurely working my way through this journal, thoroughly enjoying the stories, and while I'm not finished with it yet, I'm so excited and moved and thrilled by what I've read that I decided to go ahead and tell you about it. My faves:

"Funhouse" and "Superman And Jesus" by Katherine Grosjean
"October of Brief Empire" by Craig Davis
"Fallen" by Alicia Gifford
"Unzipped" by Aaron Burch
"Babies On The Shore" by Ethel Rohan
"Struck Dumb" by Nick Sansone
"The Twelve Times Cristina Paz Quoted Tupac" by Ryan Dilbert
"But You Don't Really Care For Music, Do You?" by Angi Becker Stevens
"When A Heart Is A Bull's Eye" by Steven J. McDermott

Look at all these great stories! And I still have a ways to go! It's well worth your time to pick up a copy and enjoy it for yourself.

Great read:

2010-06-01T10:23:00.002-05:00

I have just finished reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and my reaction? Wow. I love, love, love it when I'm able to lose myself in a fictional world, when the characters are so real, so engaging, when the storyline is so compelling that I find myself dwelling on it even when I'm not reading it. Such was the case with The Lovely Bones.

I loved this. What I loved most was the idea of it, the story being told from the murdered child's POV, and how bits and pieces of "her heaven" were weaved in. Very creative. I have to say, also, that watching the gut-wrenching pain of a family struggling to deal with the horror and devastation of losing a child/sibling was tough. And gripping. What a testament to the author: it was so well done, the prose so delightful, so honest that I fell into the story, feeling what these characters felt, living their nightmare. The mom's pain, in particular, and how she dealt with it was rendered beautifully. That's not to say that the father's pain was any less; no, it was tender and just as painful. But there was something about the way the mother handled it -- being numb, avoiding it, never looking directly at it, running away physically, long after she'd left emotionally, coming back 7 years later to finally, tenuously, begin to heal -- that felt so real, like how I might react. So unbearable and yet you must go on.

I thought the reunion with Ray was masterful.

This was a great read. Very poignant, very moving in all the best ways.

Have you read it?

Summer

2010-05-29T23:54:00.004-05:00

The days are perfect: temperatures in the upper 70's, no humidity, cloudless brilliant blue skies. The kind of day where anything seems possible.

The weeds need pulling, vegetables need planting, the grass needs water. But, instead, I sit outside on the patio with a good book... it's what I wait all year for, what I dream about during the white, snow-filled days of winter.

Great reads:

2010-05-12T17:58:00.010-05:00

The last few days have been miserably cold and rainy, perfect for folding the loads of laundry waiting for me. But, instead, I've been reading. Here are some stories I found, read, and thoroughly enjoyed:

From the April 2010 issue, #10, of Knee-Jerk: "The Meaning of The Hat" by Anne Leigh Parrish. Its subtlety is what makes it so sublime.

From the April 2010 issue, #5.04, of Pank: "Seven Items In Jason Reynolds' Pocket, Two Days After His Suicide, As Found By His Eight-Year-Old Brother, Grady" by Robert Startwood. This is complex, full of rich layers and beautifully rendered.

From Issue 10.1 of Night Train: "Fresh Eggs" by Jeffrey N. Johnson. This is charming and full of meaning.

Go ahead and set your own waiting laundry aside and enjoy these.

Somewhere Warm, Like Florida

2010-04-28T10:45:00.005-05:00

I'm thrilled to share the news that my story Somewhere Warm, Like Florida is live at Night Train. I'm in great company!

Go on... take a look.

Great reads:

2010-04-03T12:21:00.008-05:00

I've been all over the place reading, reading, reading, and am amazed and thrilled and inspired! by the terrific stories I've come across. These are worth your time:

From the Autumn 2009 issue of The Southern Review: "Ecumenical Bedding" by Gilbert Allen. This is wildly creative and funny in a wry sort of way.

From the Fall 2009 issue of The Pinch: "Walk Through Walls" by Steven Wingate. This is also wildly creative, with a far-out edge that I find so appealing. The subject matter is as the title suggests: walking through walls. Really. And it's done so matter-of-factly, so this-sort-of-thing-happens-all-the-time that it's believable.

From Issue 26 of Smokelong Quarterly: Pregnant With Peanut Butter by Michael Czyzniejewski. Direct and amazing. You fall right into the story without realizing it's happening.

From the Spring 2010 issue of JMWW: Prescott, Presley, Preston by Matt Bell. This is another one of those far-out kind of subjects that I so love and, man, it's a killer.

Worm Moon

2010-03-29T20:48:00.006-05:00

The Full Worm Moon got its name because this is the time that temperatures begin warming, the ground begins to thaw and earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins.

Other names: Full Crow Moon, Full Crust Moon, Full Sap Moon.

I often wonder what it'd be like if we had TWO moons orbiting earth... I think it'd be amazing and awesome if we looked up into the night sky and saw two bright discs shining down. Just me?

Distractions

2010-03-20T23:18:00.006-05:00

I haven't written anything - new or otherwise - for the past several weeks (grocery lists don't count). I'm trying to not to worry, trying to just go with it, hoping the break will be a good thing. In thinking about it, I've determined there are a number of things distracting me (of course it might be that I'm easily distracted):

* New kittens: yes, they are adorable. But! Daisy is a female and this is important for two reasons: 1) I've never before had a female pet (well, except for a cat named Nancy - after Nancy Drew, of course - but I was only 8 so that doesn't count) and 2) females go into heat. Without warning. Geez, what a baptism. And talk about timing: Diesel was neutered just TWO days before Daisy went into heat.

* Rejections: they're rolling in right and left and while, theoretically, this should inspire me to get back to it, it's somehow not. At nearly 7500 words, my story is *very* long, but I was sure, optimistic, hopeful that the good feeling I had about one journal in particular would pan out. Not so.

* Garden: I've been thinking about planting a garden for a couple of years, about really committing to growing some vegetables, to giving my tomato plants a respectable place to thrive (instead of having to share space with the flowers), and I think this is the year. But it takes lots of work. And planning.

* Composting: also been thinking about composting, about creating my own "black gold." But where to put it?

* Ireland: my husband and I, along with his family, are going to Ireland in July. Lots to talk about, to plan. One of my assigned jobs: book the flights.

* Photography: we bought a really cool digital camera, a Nikon D80, 18 months ago. The problem is that I don't know how to use all the fancy buttons/features. The manual, you ask? Have you ever read one? So I took a class 3 weeks ago and it was the best $90 I spent. So now when it snows, or when the sun shines/sets, when the light falls just so, I'm outside experimenting with depth of field, bracketing, playing with the aperture and shutter settings.

I could go on, but you get the idea. These are all valid distractions, right? Examples of life getting in the way? Last month, over at JMWW, Dave Erlewine interviewed Michael Czyzniejewski and one topic discussed was writer's block. Michael's take on it was that writer's block doesn't exist, that it's just another name for being lazy or not caring or being frustrated. So maybe I need to take a forceful, disciplined approach: park my butt in a chair, pencil in hand, cup of tea at the ready, and... write.

Spring?

2010-03-17T09:44:00.003-05:00

Two noteworthy things are happening simultaneously here in my neck of the woods: the weatherman has forecast sunny conditions for 4 - count 'em: one, two, three, four! - days in a row (today is day 3) AND the temperature is supposed to hit 60 degrees today.

First, the sun: For everyone living just about anywhere but here it seems, opening your drapes on any given morning and seeing the sun is a normal experience. Not so in sunless Wisconsin. A month or two ago, during the deep dark days of winter, I counted 3 days of sun in a 14-day period.

Second, the temperatures: Yesterday it was in the mid-50's; teenagers were wearing shorts and flip-flops. That might be pushing it, but 60 degrees in mid-March is a wonderful thing, especially given that the average around here is 44 degrees. With 4 days of sunshine and temps in the low 60's it's easy to think spring is here. But, really, this is Wisconsin. Who am I kidding?

Meet Daisy and Diesel

2010-03-05T12:12:00.006-06:00

We have 2 new family members: Daisy and Diesel. They are brother and sister and are very, very cute. Daisy is the black one and is more reserved, cautious. Diesel runs full tilt. Truth be told, I wasn't quite ready for a new kitty (or 2!); it's only been 4 month's since Pudding's passing. But their story tugged at my heartstrings and I took a leap of faith. These are the only 2 surviving kittens from the litter: a fox or coyote got the others. The mama cat dragged them up to the porch of a nearby farmhouse in an attempt to keep them from harm. The farmhouse folks took them in, fed them, and kept them safe, and then found them a new home: ours.

Who knew naming pets was so hard? We've had several pets over the years and I don't remember it being so difficult for everyone to agree on a name. Maybe it's because we have to agree on TWO names. Here's a sampling of the names we've considered (some of which were briefly adopted) and discarded:

* Sookie and Bill - I just couldn't call a cat Bill even though everyone came up with funny nicknames like Pecos Bill, Wild Bill, Bodacious Bill.
* Dr. Quinn (Medicine Woman) and Walker Texas Ranger - Quinn actually stuck for a while but Walker didn't feel right.
* Oprah and Dr. Phil - this was just plain funny

For him:
* Toro (as in the lawnmower because he purrs so loud)
* Bruno
* Brutus
* Rocky
* Duke
* Felix (this one stuck for a couple of days)

For her:
* Lexie (I really liked this and campaigned hard for it)

Great reads:

2010-02-21T14:44:00.006-06:00

Keeping up with online journals can be tricky.

With printed journals the latest issue appears in my mailbox, signaling Hey! Read Me! I eagerly rip the packaging off and am left holding evidence: a shiny cover with, more likely than not, a cool graphic of some sort; pages that are sometimes creamy colored, sometimes stark white. And the smell! Paper, ink. Glorious! I guess I'm a bit old fashioned in that regard.

I need to find a better system to keep up with online journals. What they lack in real, hold-in-your-hands evidence, they make up for in instant gratification. I can navigate to their site and wham! just like that I can read a story. Or two. Or five. No waiting for the mailman. No garbage to dispose of. No adding to stacks of journals that threaten to topple over with a gust of wind. Something to be said for that.

Here are some great stories to check out, online:

At Night Train: Tattoos Alive by Lydia Ship. I read this almost 2 weeks ago and it has stayed with me. Such creativity!

At Night Train: Watching Stanley Kowalski in the TV Room of Belle Haven by Jeanne Holtzman. Wonderful voice.

At Staccato Fiction: Almost Shaped by David Erlewine. This was published a few months ago but I just stumbled across it recently. Wonderful, tender story. So much is said in such a small space.

At Smokelong Quarterly: What Passes for Normal by Michelle Reale. There's a sad, haunting quality to this story that has stayed with me.

Go on... check them out!

Supernova, Red Giant

2010-02-17T16:58:00.002-06:00

I watched a show on the National Geographic channel last night about the Hubble telescope and, man, the pictures it's sending back are awesome. And the things I learned! I know I've heard all this before but, for some reason, it didn't stick. Until now. What I learned:

* The Crab Nebula (who hasn't heard of this, right?) is the result of a supernova that occurred in 1054.
* The stuff flung out into space as the result of a supernova contains the building blocks of new stars, new planets, new galaxies.
* Supernovas occur when a star (like our own sun) runs out of fuel and explodes.
* Estimates are that our sun will run out of fuel in about 5 billion years. Seems we ought to have figured out how to hop a spaceship to another galaxy by then!
*Our sun won't explode, though, because it's too small (supernovas result from stars that are - at a minimum - 4 times larger than our sun). Instead, our sun will turn into a Red Giant: it will heat up and expand outward, causing temperatures on Earth to reach 1000 degrees. As it continues to expand, it will incinerate the planets, one by one, until it engulfs the entire solar system.

I know this stuff isn't for everyone (my husband walked out of the room after watching just 5 minutes!), but it flips my trigger as they say. The possibilities! The things we don't yet know! The things we can't yet see: dark matter (the stuff that holds galaxies and universes together), dark energy (the stuff that's causing the universe to expand). Maybe I should have been a scientist.

Winter

2010-02-10T18:41:00.007-06:00

Two days ago I was in the family room watching TV. I happened to look out the window and saw a daffodil shoot poking through the soil. I was thrilled for surely that meant spring was coming. Do you hear that loud, obnoxious laughing? Do not be alarmed... it's only Mother Nature. It snowed yesterday for nearly 24 hours straight, dumping 12 or 14 inches of snow (I lost count but, really, does another couple of inches matter at this point?) on us. We had to shovel the driveway 3 separate times. THREE!! My poor little daffodil.

Last year's hydrangea bloom still hanging on...

Musings

2010-02-02T22:46:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of random musings from the day:

- I was running on the treadmill (okay, running might be an overstatement...jogging? yes, jogging), something that cannot be done without music. Picture original Aerosmith, 90's alternative, vintage REO Speedwagon, Kings of Leon, and this: Jason Mraz's "If It Kills Me." Man, there is something so pure and honest about this song - his voice, the melody; it floors me every time I hear it. And what a marvelous thing music is, isn't it? It's like magic: the way it transports you, immediately and with preamble, to an event, to a person, no matter how many years have passed; the way it instantly makes everything you've ever wanted or needed feel like it's attainable; the way it deposits you in a great place emotionally, makes you feel that all is right with the world.

- Authentic living: I like how this sounds, like the deeper meaning and implications. But. Does living one's life authentically mean sharing all the awful/traumatic/embarrassing/emotional/overwhelming doings of your life with everyone in a preemptive strike sort of way? Does it mean sharing these things only when asked? Perhaps it's a combination of the two - finding a way to be real and open, a way to speak one's truth with grace.

Great read:

2010-01-31T21:53:00.000-06:00

I am reading the latest issue of The Los Angeles Review (volume 6, Fall 2009) and, wow, am I having a good time. It's the first time I've ever read the journal, but it won't be the last. It's filled with terrific stories, stories by Alicia Gifford (one of my favorite writers), Ethel Rohan (another favorite of mine), Michael Czyzniejewski (a writer I've only recently discovered and am completely enamored with his work), Steve Almond (a writer who, of course, I've heard of but never had the pleasure of reading before now), and a ton of others I can't wait to read.

Character names

2010-01-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

I was reading through some old stories, stories that I wrote 2 and 3 years ago, and a funny (or maybe interesting is a better word) realization hit me: the same character names appear again and again. The characters, themselves, are different, but the name Pete or Peter shows up a lot, as does Lily (Lilly) and Claire. I have no idea why. Maybe these were MY names in a different life. Ha.

Reconnecting

2010-01-17T21:58:00.000-06:00

Over the past two weeks I've reconnected with not one, not two, but THREE old friends. For one, it's been over 25 years since I last spoke with her. The planets must all be aligned because, although I'm a Leo, I tend to be on the shy side, reserved. Reaching out is normally not my thing, but I have to say that it feels really, really good.

Who do you need to reach out to?

Great reads:

2010-01-11T22:09:00.000-06:00

I am going through my backlog of literary journals and this past weekend I came across 2 great stories in Cream City Review. They're from the Spring 2009 issue (I know... they're a little "old" but I gave fair warning with the word "backlog" - heh) but don't let that stop you. These are well worth the read:

"Hunger" by Clifford Garstang: This central character-only story includes a few key interactions and is wonderfully full and has terrific depth.

"This Way I Don't Have To Be" by Shelly Oria: The format is one I've not seen before - mini sections within 3 larger sections. But the story is intriguing and told with an openness that's compelling so that by the time you get to the 4th or 5th mini section, you skip right over the section breaks as though they're not even there.

Blue Moon

2009-12-31T22:49:00.000-06:00

There's a blue moon tonight, something that's fairly rare, happening once every 2 1/2 years. That it occurs on New Year's Eve is even rarer, happening only once in 19 years. But wait! It gets better... there's also a partial lunar eclipse happening tonight, something that is particularly rare: in the next 1000 years, Blue Moons on New Year's Eve will be eclipsed only 11 times... once every 91 years. Cool, huh.

Love those full moons.

Great read:

2009-12-30T21:46:00.001-06:00

I started Ron Currie, Jr.'s novel, Everything Matters!, back in October, reading on the plane from Milwaukee to Tampa and back again. I found the premise (a boy is born with the ability to "know" things, everyday things about happenings with family, friends and strangers alike, as well as the important, life-altering stuff like the exact date the world will end) intriguing in a mysterious, esoteric sort of way.

I got halfway through the book during those October flights and then life and the holidays got in the way. It sat on my nightstand until this week when I picked it up again (on another flight from Milwaukee to Tampa). It took only a page and I was back in it, back in the lives of these people. It's told from several POVs, including an omniscient "group" intelligence, which is the source of his knowings. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and was, in fact, a little sad to let go when it ended. It was a very unique setup and the authority with which it was told was remarkable: I bought it.

Add this to your list.

Does QUIRKY have its place?

2009-12-07T10:07:00.000-06:00

I just received yet *another* rejection for a short-short piece that's, well, quirky. And while I understand that rejection is part of the game, I'm beginning to wonder if this particular piece is doomed. I won't tell you how many times it's been rejected because a) saying it out loud makes it more about the number, somehow, and b) I've got other "normal" stories with many more rejections that've found homes. But I like this story. It's off beat, humorous in an odd sort of way, maybe even a little weird. But it's harmless. And, it's short, <600 words, so it doesn't require a big investment of time... just a willingness to investigate. Surely there are folks out there who appreciate quirky?

Feathered fun

2009-11-29T18:02:00.000-06:00

I love watching birds (I know... it sounds slightly little old ladyish but what can I say?) and have several feeders in my back yard. One of these days I'm going to figure out how to put up houses for nesting...

Below are some pictures I took over the past few weeks:

A male downy woodpecker

Blue jays at a peanut feeder. I've seen as many as 8 at a time hanging around, waiting their turn.

Black-capped chickadees

A male cardinal

Must-see movies:

2009-11-09T20:55:00.000-06:00

I saw two movies recently that were really, really good: Into the Wild and The Reader. I know, I know... these movies have been out for a LONG time. However, I seem to go at things at my own pace. Both of these movies moved me, touched me. I so enjoy when a movie takes me beyond... beyond my expectations, beyond the little box that I live in. These pushed me and made me feel.

If you haven't seen these yet, add them to your list. You won't be disappointed.

Beaver Moon

2009-11-04T22:25:00.001-06:00

I took this picture last night of the Full Beaver Moon. Technically, it culminated 2 nights ago but, still, it was gorgeous. As to the name... seems that back when these names were given, November was the time to set beaver traps to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.

There's something about full moons...

Honoring Pudding

2009-10-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

My sweet, sweet kitty passed suddenly 4 days ago. My heart is broken. He was only 6 and it seems so unfair. He came to us as a baby, just this tiny fur ball, like he had to grow into his fur. My kids named him Pudding because he reminded them of a pudding snack pack. We called him lots of names, though: Puddy Two-shoes; Puddy Pie; Puddy Loo; Toody.

What is life without pets?

Great reads:

2009-10-05T22:55:00.000-05:00

I've finished the latest issue of Another Chicago Magazine (the one I picked up a couple of weeks ago) and really loved Caeli Wolfson Widger's "Danger Everywhere." This is a 2nd person POV and I admit that 2nd person is usually a turn off for me (not sure why, but there it is). But! This was different. It grabbed me right away and kept me. Fresh, engaging, real. Terrific.

Also enjoyed, from the same issue, Tracy DiBrincat's "Gardenland."

I stumbled upon Sotto Voce over the weekend and found a great story written by Sandra Maddux-Creech: Neptune's Reinvention. Very creative and well written. Check it out.

Lit Journals

2009-09-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday and stopped by the literary journal section. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There were so many to choose from... must've been the timing because I've never seen it so stocked before. Here's what I brought home: The Southern Review (Summer 2009); Cream City Review (Spring 2009); Another Chicago Magazine (#49); Zone 3 (Spring 2009). Of these, I've only read Cream City Review before so am excited to see what the others have to offer.

I'm also reading Cliff Garstang's In an Uncharted Country. I'm only a couple of stories in (where do the days go?) but I *loved* "Saving Melissa." The characters were so real, so honest--it had me from beginning to end.

The weather is perfect for sitting outside and reading. I need to find a way to get back to the story I'm working on.

Pretending

2009-09-17T09:47:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to report that my story "Pretending" is up at Staccato Fiction! If you haven't checked this journal out yet, what are you waiting for? Here's a link.

In an Uncharted Country

2009-08-31T12:19:00.000-05:00

Cliff Garstang's collection of linked stories comes out this week. I've just ordered my copy. Have you ordered yours?

Great reads:

2009-08-25T18:27:00.000-05:00

I've just discovered two new online journals: Pank and > kill author. I tend to be a little leery about new journals (> kill author is less than 6 months old), but the stories I read in issue 2 were terrific.

Two I especially liked were:
Roxane Gay's Important Things to Know About Career Girls
Lauren Becker's Boilerplate

The other journal, Pank, is out of Michigan and for some reason I thought this was a journal where editors of other journals submitted stories for publication. Not so! Check out Steven McDermott's Sliver -- crisp, fresh prose; engaging. Terrific.

Great read:

2009-08-22T10:28:00.000-05:00

I stumbled onto the Waccamaw Journal from Coastal Carolina University and found a great story from Andrew Coburn: Ginger.

Great reads:

2009-08-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

Two great flash pieces in decomP:

Alicia Gifford's Smoked Oyster, Thunderhead

Steven McDermott's Insane Barker

Go on, take a look. You won't be sorry.

Wash Me Again

2009-08-14T17:50:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to share that my story Wash Me Again is up at Staccato Fiction today. Wander on over and have a looksee!

Great reads:

2009-08-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

Here are 3 stories to read and enjoy:

Myfanwy Collins' Wash, Dry, Fold in Mississippi Review

Alicia Gifford's Afterlife in Narrative Magazine

Jennifer S. Davis' "The Lives of Diamonds" in Epoch, Vol 57, No 3

Jupiter

2009-08-05T23:19:00.000-05:00

There's a gorgeous full moon tonight (last couple of nights, actually, though I think it's not "technically" full until tonight...whatever; it LOOKED full), called the Sturgeon Moon. And just to its left, and down a scratch, is Jupiter! If I knew how to operate my awesome telescope I'd be out there right now checking it out. I love looking at planets and imagining other worlds.

writer's block

2009-08-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

How does one break a writing block? I've tried lots of things: reading; watching the birds; sitting outside; watching movies; cleaning; gardening. I have some cool pictures of birds feasting on my flowers and weed-free flowerbeds (for the moment, anyway), but not much output on the story I'm struggling with. I'm able to eek out only small, 3 to 5 line paragraphs at a time. At this rate, it'll be 2012 before it's finished. Sad.

Birthday

2009-08-02T13:37:00.000-05:00

Folks with August 2nd birthdays:

Butch Patrick (Eddie - Munsters)
Peter O'Toole
Carroll O'Connor
Victoria Jackson (SNL)
Mary-Louise Parker
Wes Craven (director: Nightmare on Elm Street)

And: me!

Perfect Summer Days

2009-07-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

Since I posted a whine about the cold, crappy where's-the-summer-weather, it's only fair that I add one about the absolute gorgeous days, yesterday and today. They were perfect. A soft breeze blew: enough to temper the heat from the sun and to send a burst of fresh air through the house. The humidity was low (35% compared to 77% two days earlier). It was the kind of day you remember when you long for summer during the long, ugly months of winter.

Great read:

2009-06-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

I'm catching up on some reading and came across a GREAT story by Terry Mergenthal in the Spring 2009 issue of The Gettysburg Review: The Practical Heart.

Creative, engaging, terrific.

Liam!

2009-06-18T12:10:00.001-05:00

I've recently reconnected with my friend Liam Cummings via, of all things, Facebook! This is funny, of course, because I'm really technologically challenged and fought the idea of creating a FB account. In fact, my daughter has to help me navigate FB (sad, I know).

Liam lives in Ireland. We met a few years back when we were both attending a week-long class at The Monroe Institute in Charlottesville, VA. Then, in 2005, I went to Ireland and met up with him again. He introduced me to Smithwick's. It's important to note that when I went to Ireland I did not drink beer. However, I came home a Smithwick's convert. I've amended my claim to this: I don't drink American beer.

Great reads:

2009-06-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

I realize this might be old news, but I recently read these and enjoyed them:

Jacob Appel's The Empress of Charcoal in Harpur Palate

Molly Gaudry's An in Night Train

Where is summer?

2009-06-11T20:06:00.000-05:00

It's 59 degrees. Yep, that's right: 5 followed by a 9. That was the HIGH today...the middle of June!! Not even 60. Plus there's a north wind blowing. Now, I realize that complaining about it will get me exactly nothing. But, really, this is approaching ridiculous. We should be running around in shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops. Not jeans and sweatshirts.

"Counting"

2009-06-06T20:02:00.001-05:00

My story "Counting" appears in the May 2009 issue of Bryant Literary Review, Tenth Anniversary. Check it out!

Graduation Day!!

2009-06-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

My daughter graduated from college (UW - Milwaukee) a couple of weeks ago (yay!!). I'm very proud of her... got a little teary-eyed watching her make her way to the stage.