Idaho, deflation and answered prayers.

I went to Idaho for Thanksgiving break with my family. Three teenagers, one child and two parents in a minivan for eight hours. Can you spell disaster? No, really it was one of our best trips ever.

I had a lovely chat with Amanda Bizeau, my niece. Please note that this girl can write and I'm going to in her shadow someday. I read a partial of her book Jazz in Nightshade. She's already weaving magic. Cool.

I learned that special potatoes are grown in Idaho for curly fries. Who knew?

Writing is deflated right now. Not clipping along at light speed. Not even moving at the speed of sound. I'm losing the race to some fast snails.

I keep praying and answers keep coming in slow but wonderful ways. I do not like the whole waiting part of prayer.

Tomorrow is another day with no mistakes in it.

I Walk The Line and an Accurate HP3 Reveiw

I saw I Walk the Line with Tim tonight. When the Maybelle Carter was out on the porch with the shotgun scaring the drug dealers away, somehow I felt like I was home. This is good movie. I'm too close to Johnny Cash and his music to really buy Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny. Sometimes Joaquin really does catch a inward bit of the Man in Black. I grew up listening to Johnny Cash; he is definitely one of the voices in my head. I'm recommending this movie but I only give it *** out of *****. I remember pulling my car over the day June Carter Cash died and crying. Growing up in my house, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash felt like real people in the neighborhood. June let us all know what it meant to love somebody until they were real. Johnny let us know what real looked like. Least that's the way it seemed.

My sister called me to tell me that she had gone to the premiere of Harry Potter. She said it felt like it was chopped up. The ticket taker at the move theater said the exact same thing. I'm guessing these two early reviews are more accurate than Ebert and Roeper.

Two days running. A new record?

Peace in the valley. someday.

Popping

The rewrite is popping today, so I'm treating myself to some blog time.

My book has a life of its own. I, apparently, am now only around for the ride. I talked to my sister about this. It's like a book is its own thing. When I step back and look at it, its not me. It's the book, like it has an internal intelligence that is not a part of me. I feel this satisfaction within, but also an awe of a power within the human spirit to create something that is wholly outside of itself.

Are books alive? They feel that way to me. My hope is my story will resonate with others. I've let my words go and they have become a kind of truth. I hope they have a chance to slip inside of others and give them what so many books have given me. Friends, companionship, entertainment, questions.

Now randomly:

I think I missed my calling in life. I was supposed to be a librarian. I think librarians have the coolest job in the universe. I mean, they read children's books and then put them into the hands of children. I just think its cool to spend your life on the inside of the action of information.

I love the A&E Horatio Hornblower series. I don't have massive cable so I'm always years behind the times when it comes to TV. It just makes me want to cheer when I watch Horatio. It appeals to the simple things in me. I like the romantic view of the world. Truth and honor have brought me far. Sailing ships are just hot! Hip, hip, hooray! We could use a lot more of this in the world.


An old Weavers song is bumping around in my head again:

Last night I had the strangest dream
I'd ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war

When I was girl, I loved the Weavers, the Kingston Trio and Jimmy Rodgers among others . I had one of those plastic-cased record players. I'd sit and listen to their records for hours. All of their music is in me, speaking to me.

I'm a lame poster.

Yes, it's true. I'm as lame as it gets. Twice a month. Ouch.

I got mail this week -- author copies of 5 new books! The covers are beautiful and I will be posting soon.

I've been diagnosed with asthma this last month. This is apparently why I cough my head-off. I'm now immersed in the new world of inhalers. Very handy things.

My rewrite on my novel was buzzing until Chapter 23. Is 23 one of the numbers? I've written myself into a dark little disturbing corner and I don't know the way out.

I got a rejection from a won't be named house. Apparently my short story has a "heavy handed" message with a twist of awful character development mixed in. They liked the chocolate. Yes, I sent chocolate. Hey, I made them read my manuscript -- the bad news, I don't think I like my manuscript either. It's just a dreary piece of exorcist writing -- me, working out the bad dreams that have really happened. I haven't ever found a good story in the bad stuff. I find good story in the victories. I really don't like stories that are a major downer anyway.

The good news is that it is quasi-official that Archimedes invented calculus long before Newton got hit in the head with that apple. At least that's what tonight's Nova episode was about. I'm a Nova addict.

Other important news: I'm not able to keep up with Surface, Threshold and Invasion. I think I like Invasion is the best, but I like William Fitchner. I also had a poster of Shaun Cassidy (producer) on the inside of my record cabinet when I was in the 8th grade. I was a faithful Hardy Boys fan. Threshold has too much "Star Trek" cheese. Surface is like "the most incomprehensible mess" I've ever seen. Ok, that's the Sci-fi wrap up.

On to book news - the next book I'm going to read is "The Liberation of Gabriel King." I will let the world know if I think it is any good.

I want a sign-off thing. I'll start with this. Peace.

Is the sufficiently random for the universe out there?

SCBWI

Jane O'Connor spoke at our first SCBWI meeting of the 2005-6 season. What a great look at the mass market children's world! I especially loved her take on process. I think approaching editing with enthusiastic vigor is the way to go.

My carpool is also one of the best parts of the meeting. The dedication and excitement of all the folks is energizing.

I'm doing writing prompts this week.

Here is my ode to green.

Frogs, pollywogs, leaves, grass,
sewer sludge, trees, emeralds,
peridot, alligators, crocodiles,
turtles, my eyes, kiwi, lettuce,
and the thick ropy stuff coming out of my nose.


I really don't understand why I love the gross out stuff, but I do.