Logorrhetoric

Keeping Up

2008-03-23T23:24:37Z

I haven't been keeping up this journal. (Well, DUH!) I started a Wordpress journal a while back, because I wanted some of the features they offer, like statistics. At the time, I thought I'd keep them both up, but I'm not doing a very good job of it. Obviously.

If you're interested, though, samarcand created an RSS feed, so you can read my other journal here on LJ. (YEAH, Samarcand! Thanks!)

So if you want, add stonoffsoup to your friends list.

Silly Memage

2008-03-07T03:59:42Z

(Skanked from tikismile)

1. What ended your last relationship?
My husband. I was dating them both initially, and I finally had to choose. He had the advantage of being local (he had a bunch of other nice qualities too).

2. When was the last time you shaved?
Sunday (yes, I'm bad, but Mars is out of town, so who's going to notice?)

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
Poaching eggs for breakfast

4. What were you doing 5 minutes ago?
Putting Mad Scientist to bed and unloading the dishes (I'm talented that way)

5. Are you any good at math?
Not by comparison to my son, but then NO ONE is, compared to him

6. Your prom night?
Very fun. Went to both Junior and Senior proms, with two different boys, both very, very nice.

7. Do you have any famous ancestors?
Nope, though I did have a few ancestors who knew famous people.

8. Have you ever taken out a loan to pay for school?
Nope. Worked instead (and had a little help from Mom and Dad)

9. Did you notice that there was previously no question #9?
Isn't this Question 9?

10. Last thing received in the mail?
Renewal for my PNWA membership

11. How many different beverages have you drunk today?
Water and Diet Coke

12. Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machines?
Yes. Pretty faithfully

13. Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to?
Leonard Cohen, because I am totally cool that way (or my older sisters are, at least)

14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Why would I?

15. What's the most painful dental procedure you've had?
Oral skin graft where they cut out a chunk of the top of my mouth and sewed it in front of my lower, front teeth.

16. What is out your back door?
Nothing by woods, baby

17. Any plans for Friday night?
Does reading blogs count?

18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
Oh, yeah. It curls into pretty little tendrils (though I *am* getting a little old for those pretty little tendrils)

19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different kinds of popcorn?
Yes, and I love them if they are fresh. Especially the caramel. Mmmm.

20. Have you ever been to a planetarium?
LOVE them.

21. Do you drunk dial people?
No WAY! That is SO rude.

22. Some things you are excited about?
My novel, the agent who asked me Sunday if she could read the whole thing, and the workshop I'm going to next week where I'll tear it all apart and put it together in an even more exciting way.

23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO?
raspberry

24. Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?
Missed them entirely. The last one died six months before I was born.

25. Describe your keychain:
Keys, gym membership, a big "F"

26. Where do you keep your change?
Stashed, and I ain't tellin' where, no matter how much you torture me

27. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
IRL? No idea. But I fantasize nightly about booktours where hundreds of people are waiting at every stop.

28. Do you sleep with the door to your bedroom open or closed?
Open. Always listening for my daughter, who slips around the house at night on little fog feet

29. What's your excuse for this survey?
Are you kidding? It was the only chance I'll ever have to tell you that I was SO cool, I went to a Leonard Cohen concert when I was 15.

How Privileged Are My Children? Memage

2008-01-12T04:23:04Z

From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.

1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children's books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
16. Went to a private high school
17. Went to summer camp
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels mostly, motels on long road trips.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
25. You had your own room as a child (Not always, but most of the time.)
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
31. Went on a cruise with your family
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.

But I have to wonder ... is privileged? Or just spoiled?

How Privileged Was I? Memage

2008-01-12T04:13:10Z

(stolen from ecotopian

From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.

1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college*
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. Heck, my father WAS a high school teacher.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children's books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.**
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. Hmm...they paid tuition; I paid living expenses. Is that a majority?
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
16. Went to a private high school
17. Went to summer camp. Once
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels mostly, motels on long road trips.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. It was a hand-me-down from someone else.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
25. You had your own room as a child (Not always, but most of the time.)
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
31. Went on a cruise with your family
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up. Natural history museums mostly
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. Of course, I knew exactly how much the cooling bills were. In Phoenix.

*Yes, Mom, I know you finished your AA degree, but I'm guessing they mean bachelor's or higher.
**Good Lord! There WERE no people portrayed in the media who looked and dressed like we did when I was young!

Keri Noble. And flooding.

2007-12-19T07:59:24Z

Just a quick note to say hello. Sorry I've been absent. I've been volunteering at the United Way since the flooding. It's very satisfying to be part of the recovery effort, but it's also emotionally exhausting.

Right now, I'm in Minneapolis for my annual trip to Keri Noble's concert with my older sisters. I've blogged about it here.

jay_jay, be sure to note the earrings on me and sparkatthefarm! For the rest of you, jay_jay makes gorgeous jewelry!

My Little Red Kettle

2007-12-06T20:21:25Z

I've established a virtual Salvation Army Kettle of my own, as my feeble attempt to help the organization provide shelter, food and clothing to people in my community who've lost their homes to flooding.

So if you have any spare change, please consider donating to My Little Red Kettle.

Or donate to the aid organization of your choice.

Thanks.

Flooding

2007-12-05T21:29:14Z

Just a note: our county is in a state of emergency from flooding. Most of the county is either hunkering at home, frantically trying to rescue people, or shoveling mud out of their homes and businesses.

We're safe and dry, though, up on a hill, and even have power and internet service.

I picked up my kids at noon on Monday, which was a good thing because by the time the bus headed out, there was no feasible route to get here. They kept children overnight at the high school (most parents picked up the kids though -- one of my friends said when she picked up her son, there were only five children left in his class). We haven't had school since and probably won't all week. The kids think this is great!

I've been blogging about it and posting pics on Stone Soup if you're interested.

Catch you on the other side, when lives gets back to normal (at least a little).

Nanowrimo

2007-11-27T23:08:39Z

It is 3:02 in the afternoon, and I just rolled over the 50,000 mark. I have written 50,000 words on a brand new novel since Nov. 1.

Last year, this time, I was just starting a killer marathon in which I wrote 31,000 in three days. That's insane. I don't recommend it.

This is MUCH for satisfying. Besides, I still have two and a half days. At last year's pace, I could easily finish the book itself, not just Nano. :-)

Litterbox Anomalies

2007-11-27T18:46:53Z

Geez, I'm posting about the litterbox. Oh, how low the not-so-mighty have fallen.

But, there it is. I'm posting about the litterbox. See, we cleaned it yesterday (OK, Mars did) and put in all new litter.

But after school today, there were three big piles in and around the box (the cat isn't terribly smart: he perches on the edge of the box and does his business neatly right outside; then he scratches litter out of the box in a vain attempt to cover it).

Could one cat (one sick cat, not that anyone would know it) really have three big bowel movements in less than 24 hours? He doesn't eat that much.

Cookie (the miniature dachshund) hates going outside in the winter to do her business, and her little piles are very much like the cat's in size and shape.

So Mars is wondering: did Cookie train herself to use a litterbox???

Girly Girl's Ballet Class

2007-11-21T17:21:12Z

Last May, I wrote about the day Girly Girl's Pre-Ballet teacher left the class to come out and tell me my daughter was refusing to obey (Can I Be the Grandma Yet?).

Well, that particular saga continues. She battled her teacher through the end of the year, though she danced the recital beautifully (and perfectly -- except she can't skip).

The dance studio only allows parents to observe classes two or three times during the year, and last year, between one thing and another, we only got to observe the last one. Mars went (I had some conflict), and he came away very disappointed and annoyed (maybe even a little angry) at the way the teacher treated Girly Girl. When the other girls in the class weren't doing the positions correctly, the teacher would adjust them ("Straighten your back," "Turn your right foot out," etc.). She virtually ignored Girly Girl, except to yell at her when GG got bored and wandered away. But it was near the end of the year, so we let it go.

Fast forward to August when we realized the same teacher teaches Ballet I. We were discussing what to do (talk to the director, go to a different studio for a year or so, etc.) when GG's teacher called to discuss placement. She wanted GG to repeat Pre-Ballet because she didn't think she was ready for Ballet I. I pointed out her perfect performance in the recital, which the teacher acknowledged. But then she said she thinks GG is just immature, not ready to focus yet. And again, she recommended GG repeat Pre-ballet.

This is Girly-Girl's fourth year in dance. Her other teacher adored her, and never said anything about her behavior. She's been with the same group of girls all along. Though she is 1-2 years older, she's smaller than all the other girls, and of course, she's developmental delayed and slower to learn everything. But these girls are used to her; they know it's just the way she is. I didn't think it would help to put her in a brand new class, with all new peers. So the teacher (reluctantly) agreed to let Girly Girly try Ballet I for a month or so.

The new year began in September. Girly Girly is taking both ballet and tap dancing. I had to make her go to ballet every week, but she was excited to go to Tap. Then, before the month was out, the ballet teacher went on maternity leave, and we've had subs ever since. Frankly, we were relieved, and at some level, I sort of hoped the teacher would find she wanted to stay home with her new baby.

The sub was a young girl (maybe high school senior) who is in Ballet 5 or 6. She is beautiful and very sweet, and I suspect Girly Girl had a crush on her. At any rate, suddenly I wasn't having to fight my daughter to get her ready for ballet. She even let me put her hair in a bun without a battle. And the sub never said anything about bad behavior. Not a word.

A couple of times, a casual friend of mine subbed for the sub. I asked her how GG was doing, whether she stayed focused and did what the teacher asked. She said, "Oh, yeah! She does great." Then she leaned in and said more quietly, "Tell you the truth, she's a lot more focused than most of the other girls." So I relaxed. Maybe GG had just needed to grow up a little.

This week, the regular teacher was back from maternity leave. The moment I saw her, I was on guard, but Girly Girl said, "Mommy! She's back!" and gave her a warm hug. So I thought it might be OK.

45 minutes. That's how long it took for the teacher to come out to the lobby to tell me GG was "on the wall" because she wouldn't do anything the teacher told her to do. I told her to send GG out, and we almost just left. Instead, I talked to GG, told her she had to obey the teacher. She wanted to just go home, to quit the class (even if it meant also quitting Tap and The Nutcracker, though she loves them), but I told her we don't quit in the middle of the season. She had to stick it out until after Christmas, and then she could quit if she wanted. She's heard me tell Mad Scientist this, so she agreed. She went back to class, and the teacher said she was fine for the rest of the time.

But what do we do now? I think this teacher is well qualified; certainly she has the credentials. And maybe she's a great teacher to girls who are highly motivated and quick learners. But I think she's interpreted Girly Girl's slow learning as dis-interest (despite the fact that ... HELLO! ... GG has Down Syndrome, is mentally retarded, and learns more slowly than typical children).

GG is very sensitive to what the adults around her are feeling about her, and she's always been slow to exhibit a skill she isn't 100 percent sure of. I think she's picking up her teacher's annoyance, which makes her more timid about doing the activity, which makes her teacher more annoyed, etc.

I think if we told the teacher we suspect she's a large part of the problem, she'll just become more resentful. And GG will pick that up and become even more timid. So that seems like a lose-lose, with GG losing the most.

I expect the teacher, before classes end in December, to tell us she wants GG back in Pre-ballet -- which would mean two more years with this same teacher. Again, lose-lose. We love this studio, but we're thinking about taking her to a different studio, at least until she's past the classes this particular teacher teaches.

One thing we cannot do is nothing, I think. We have a call in to talk to the sub; we want to know if she saw this behavior and just didn't say anything, or if the behavior is "new." I expect she'll say Girly Girl did fine, then I guess we'll go from there. We'll probably try talking to the teacher and/or the studio manager before we pull her out.

But this breaks my heart. My daughter tries so hard, and everything she does is more difficult for her than other children. She has SO many weaknesses, and so few strengths, and what strengths she does have are things our society doesn't value very much (like an emotional sensitivity and a great love for other people). But she has always had dance: she's very flexible, and she expresses things in her dancing. In fact, she loves music too, but she's tone-deaf. Dancing is the way she expresses music.

I really don't want her to lose this.

My Favorite Rejection

2007-11-11T04:04:20Z

*sung to the tune of "My Favorite Mistake," by Sheryl Crow*

In August, I submitted East of Jesus to an editor -- my first submission to an editor. I've been mostly submitting to agents, but I met this editor at a conference, and she seemed like a good fit.

Well, I received a rejection from her this week. And I was so excited, I danced for a good three days.

Because of a rejection, you might ask? Well, yes, but what a rejection it was!

She said my "writing is solid" and that I have "definite talent." She said she really enjoyed my character Grace and my voice. She said, "I recognize that you're a very strong writer, and I think you have a great chance to find an agent." Then she gave me some very specific pointers about which agents to approach.

She also (bless her!!) gave a reason for why she was rejecting it. She said "This is a bit too dark for my taste."

East of Jesus IS dark. Heck, I call it black humor (or women's lit with black comedy overtones). I certainly respect that someone might not choose to work with it for that reason.

And I am SOOO grateful for all the nice things she said as well. It gives me the courage (and the specific direction) to send it out again.

Oh, and I'm really tempted to send her Out of Orderville or Claire, Short for Clairvoyant, both of which are not dark at all. Sigh. If only they were ready to send.

No-No November

2007-11-06T05:34:58Z

Well, it's November already, and in this household, that means Nanowrimo! My husband calls it No-No November because it's one month that I won't do anything extra. I won't go to lunch with you, or volunteer to bake cookies, or make routine appointments for the dentist, etc.

This year, I'm writing a novel called, Claire, Short for Clairvoyant, about a reluctant phone psychic trying to help a desperate caller find her missing boyfriend. If you're interested, the first chapter (first draft!!) is posted here.

Wish me luck!

Update on Raven

2007-11-05T07:29:14Z

Well, I have good news and bad news about our poor cat, but none of it is really good news.

He doesn't have feline leukemia (which is often seen with lymphoma), so his odds of responding to treatment are higher. And his blood work is surprisingly good, which means we caught it early and which also increases his odds.

That was the good news. The bad news is ... well, here are our options:

Do nothing. Costs nothing. If we do this, he probably has four to six weeks left.

Give him supportive care. Costs hundreds of dollars. It would give him three to six more months.

Give him chemotherapy. Costs many hundreds to a few thousands of dollars. Research shows an average of 60-65 percent of cats on chemo go into remission. IF he goes into remission, it would give him six to 12 more months.

The vet* was quick to say these numbers are what the research shows, but "some cats don't read the manual." There's always one that you give two weeks, and he's still coming in for his shots two years later, she added. She also said cats are notoriously hard to treat. Even with the good news, our Raven's odds of going into remission IF we spend the major money are only 65-70 percent.

Yesterday, I had to tell Tenor Sensation (it's his cat technically). He was understandably upset (and very reassuring when he realized how upset *I* am). But he was pragmatic too. He and Mars both think the high cost of chemo just doesn't make sense given the handful of months it might buy. But I hate (HATE!!) the idea of making quantity-of-life choices based on cost.

Still, there it is. A choice to be made. We won't do nothing. But, having given his opinion, Mars is letting me decide. I really appreciate that. I am grateful he respects my pain and my values system enough to be willing to spend several thousand dollars to hopefully buy a few extra months if that's what I decide.

I went in Saturday planning to say we'd just do the supportive care, but when I heard the blood work news, I couldn't say it. Then I called her back, planning to tell her the same thing, and again, when she got on the line, I couldn't get the words out of my mouth.

I'm supposed to let the vet know tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'm going to say, but I'm determined *I* will say it. Mars has offered to call her for me, but if this is ultimately my decision, I need to face it.

*I have to sing the praises of our vet. She's new to an established practice, and we first met her when I took both dogs and the cat in for regular checkups and vaccines last week. But she is wonderful. I cannot imagine a more compassionate, gentle, loving and sweet person, and I must say that if we have to go through this experience, I'm immensely grateful to have her walking alongside.

Bad Luck & a Black Cat

2007-11-02T01:55:01Z

In this case, the black cat was his own bad luck.

We have an all black cat we got as a kitten the year we married (11 years ago). He's Mr. Personality, and sometimes I think he thinks he's a dog. He plays chase with the kids (where HE's chasing, honest) and even with my little miniature dachshund. And he's adorable with catnip, like no cat I've ever had.

Today I learned he has Lymphoma. If we spend hundreds of dollars, maybe $1,000, he might live another six to 12 months. Otherwise, we're looking at four to six weeks.

I really, really appreciate how tactfully our vet handled it -- called us personally and immediately, and was very sympathetic when I started to cry (and refrained from saying anything stupid like, "It'll be OK").

But I cannot wrap my mind around this. I had no idea he was sick. We went to the vet for a rabies booster, and Mars asked me to point out a lump under his front leg.

I don't know how to tell the children. I don't even know how to convince myself. He isn't even sick, you guys! How could he be dying?!!

And yet, somehow, he is. My heart is heavy.

New Furniture

2007-10-26T21:16:48Z

Out of the blue, my parents sent us some money awhile back, so we decided to replace our mix-and-match bedroom furniture. They delivered it yesterday.

Before:

After:

Thanks, Mom and Dad!

10-20-30 Years

2007-10-26T00:21:39Z

I don't do memes often, but this one (posted by MellieLou) stuck a chord.

10 Years Ago: I was 33 weeks pregnant with Girly Girl after two or three miscarriages. I'd been on bedrest since the end of the first trimester (six months total), and she'd had all kinds of problems: early onset of labor, poor positioning, too much amniotic fluid, etc. etc. I'd been considered "high risk" for months, thus not allowed a homebirth by Arizona law. But most of the problems had cleared up, and if we could avoid going into labor for four more weeks, we'd be inside the window for a safe homebirth. I had begun, cautiously, to anticipate actually having a live baby.

20 Years Ago: I was running a biweekly, community newspaper that I started from scratch. Working 90 hour weeks on a regular basis, but loving it. I was trying to get out of an abusive marriage (we were separated), but I was about to find out that ... after five years of marriage ... I was finally pregnant. I was about to start into a halcyon year with him, the best year we had.

30 Years Ago: I was a freshman in high school, still on crutches after a climbing accident over the summer where I fell 30 feet and broke my ankle in several places. Starting high school on crutches was not a bad thing: all the boys were super helpful and kind to me.

The ONE Day I Go to the Bus Stop in My Jammies ...

2007-10-25T16:25:51Z

Yep. Turns out to be the day I have to get out of the car and talk to the driver.

I woke up dizzy this morning, but I had to get the children off the school, so I got up and moved through my morning, hanging onto the wall to stay upright.

When it was time to leave, I found Girly Girl in the bathroom, hunting through all her old glasses cases. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for my glasses,” she said.

Yesterday, when she got off the bus, she wasn’t wearing them. She said they were in her backpack. Mars cleans her glasses for her at night, and last night, he asked where they were. I told him. That was the last I heard about it.

With one eye on the clock, I called his office. When he didn’t answer, I called his Blackberry (I avoid doing this as it makes him extremely annoyed to be interrupted unless it’s an emergency). He generously gave me 10 seconds — long enough to tell me he didn’t find the glasses.

I grabbed an old pair, and we ran to the car -- four minutes later than usual. I’d parked outside because we bought some new furniture, and the old stuff is in the garage until we can give it away. Well, of course we had our first freeze last night! And of course I can’t find an ice scraper (I think I gave it to Tenor Sensation to take to college). I finally scraped a patch clear with a credit card, clinging to the van to keep from falling over, and we hurried to the bus stop.

It’s half a mile to the stop, and the whole way there, I was praying we’d make it on time. It’s bad enough wearing pajamas to the bus stop, but wearing them as you drop children at two different schools is another level of shame entirely! Not to mention the very real possibility that I would faint before we even got there.

We made it in time. But I had to get out of the van to ask the driver if she’d seen Girly Girl's glasses. No such luck, but she said she’d look for them.

The worst part? I wasn’t even wearing a bra, and with DD jugs that nursed three children, that’s a scary sight. Oh well, perfect for Halloween. And we DID make the bus.

Now, I’m going back to bed.

Don't Panic! She's Fine.

2007-10-24T02:37:50Z

Today I was standing in the kitchen when I heard an odd sound in the back of the house, similar to The Great Fall of China, but on a much smaller scale. The Great Fall of Beijing, maybe.

Nobody was in the back of the house except Girly Girl. I ran for her bedroom, swallowing my fear.

I saw one of my worst nightmares made real. Her tall dresser was lying on its face. I could just see my daughter: a tiny ball, wearing a purple leotard, pinned to the ground under the drawers. She was not moving, nor did she make a sound.

Mars right behind me, I ran over, and we lifted the dresser off her, careful to keep the drawers from hitting her as they shifted. When we lifted the last drawer from her back, she turned her face to us. Her lower lip slid out in mico-increments, and she began to cry.

She's fine, though she might sport some bruises tomorrow. Near as we can tell, she curled into a ball as it fell, leaving only her back exposed. Though she's left with residual fear of the chest of drawers that attacked her!

We aren't sure what happened. She doesn't remember what she was doing (or she won't admit it). We moved the dresser into the corner where, if it falls again, it will at least fall against the bookcase rather than coming all the way down.

I'm not sure whether to replace the dresser with a heavier one that has a lower center of gravity, or just strap it to the wall. Or both -- we're in earthquake country.

One thing's for sure: I'm a hair more gray than I was an hour ago.

Monday Giveaway!

2007-10-22T19:29:48Z

The winner of last week's giveaway was KCecilio! Congrats, KCecilio! Send me your mailing address and the name of the book you want, and I'll pop it in the mail for you.

For this week, I am giving away two books together: The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose and Green Darkness by Anya Seton.

They're both about reincarnation and both real thrill rides! I read them back to back last month and thought I'd share the spine-tingling experience.

BUT ... for a chance to win one of these books you must comment on Stone Soup. Comments here will not be included in the drawing.

So go comment for a chance at two great novels!

Breathless at the Opera!

2007-10-22T04:02:52Z

(Note that I've chosen to post a photo of the hunky baritone -- Orestes, played by Brett Polegato -- rather than the soprano who sang three-fourths of the music!)

Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera Iphigenia in Tauris previewed in the United States in 1916. It has only been staged here once since, in Chicago in 2006.

Mars and I saw it in Seattle Saturday night, and we were mesmerized. Every piece of it--singers, orchestra, staging, costumes, set--was exquisite. I caught myself gasping at one point (when the ghost of Clytemnestra first showed up), and I was in tears through the lovely, contrapuntal duet in the second Act, as Pylades and Orestes beg each other for the privilege of dying so the other can live. I completely lost track of time. I was surprised when the intermission came up, and surprised again by the end. It seemed so fast.

Seattle Weekly called it " two of the most absorbing hours of opera in memory."

Iphighenia is based on a play by Euripides. The title character is high priestess to the goddess Diana, who rescued her when her father tried to sacrifice her 15 years before the opera begins. When two Greek men are shipwrecked nearby, the king wants to sacrifice them to appease the gods and quiet the raging storm. Iphighenia wants to save one of the men, in exchange for taking a letter to her sister in Greece, but she doesn't realize he is her brother. Heavy emotion ensues.

I haven't been to many operas, but I've been to a handful or so, and there were things that surprised me in this one. Like an important dance element that blended ballet with traditional, non-Christian religious elements (i.e. whirling dervishes) and modern actions like *facepalm*.

I was also surprised by the ending: the company used the closing music to finish the story and hammer home the very human, family crisis.

The beginning was equally startling: the curtain went up in silence, before the overture. The backstory played out before us, to the accompaniment of a keening wind and occasional, wordless cry. And it was powerful: we saw the young Iphigenia at home, playing with her mother. Her father grabbed her and, in a shockingly violent move, sacrificed her to Diana. But the goddess descended from the sky, lifted the child from the altar, and carried her into the heavens. All this before the music even began.

I even heard an unexpected instrument in the orchestra--one I couldn't identify: clearly a stringed instrument, usually plucked but at least twice (I swear!), strummed. I learned later it was a Theorbo, a cousin to the lute, invented in the late 1500s to meet certain operas' need for an extended bass range.

But I shouldn't be surprised to find the local company's production so original and powerful. Iphigenia was co-produced by The Seattle Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, and it opens in New York November 22 with Susan Graham and Placido Domingo.

You can see a preview (with song and dance, in full color) on Seattle Opera's website.

Donald Maass

2007-10-19T04:28:08Z

I've finally gotten the entry posted on Stone Soup.

Sorry about the delay!

Monday Giveaway!*

2007-10-16T17:37:07Z

Today's winner is ... *drum roll* ... Lesha, who commented on Stone Soup. Congrats, Lesha! I'll be sending her the novel of her choice: Life on the Refrigerator Door: Notes Between a Mother and Daughter.

She didn't have much competition though.

Back to the ordinary giveaway: any book I've mentioned. You want it? Leave a comment by Sunday evening. I'll pick someone at random.

*Yes, I know it's Tuesday. Yesterday I was a bit distracted by a huge and important task.

Walk Down Memory Lane

2007-10-16T16:45:27Z

Google Maps has added street view to my hometown. I can't help but think Street View is an invasion of privacy, but man, is it fun!

Below is the house where I grew up*. Dad built it, and we moved in two weeks before I was born. You can't actually see much of the house because the citrus trees block the view. There are four: tangerine, grapefruit, Valencia orange (meh) and Arizona Sweet orange (to die for!). We also had navel oranges in the backyard, and I have VERY fond memories of eating fresh citrus straight from the tree. Also of fighting the neighbor kids off MY fruit. And one memorable experience of a green orange battle with them (one only because we got seriously whalloped for wasting the fruit that way). My best memories, however, are of sitting high in the grapefruit tree in a nest made of pillows and scrap boards, reading a book and drinking iced tea (and spying on anyone who came to the door).

Maybe you can't see the house, but you can see the 1962 Chevy truck my father bought in 1964, and the camper he built on it. We lived (all six of us!) in this camper every summer, parked in Mexico or Alaska or Canada or in whatever wilderness area our gypsy father wanted to be that year.

This is my old elementary school (it's now a park). I was in Miss Morgan's 1st Grade class (Letter A) and Mrs. Putnam's 3rd Grade class (Letter B). Mrs. Putnam had an enormous Styrofoam dinosaur hanging from her ceiling, but she didn't get it until a year or two after I was in her class, which I always thought was "NO FAIR!" I went to school here from Grades K-6, but the other classrooms don't show in the picture, so you are spared the description of my other elementary school teachers (with one exception, OK two, in the next photo).

Here's another shot of my elementary school. My life changed at Letter A: that was my 2nd grade classroom, and that's where Mrs. Redden told my parents that I *was* a writer. She also told them not to worry that my handwriting was utterly illegible. "Her brain just goes too fast for her hands to keep up," she said. "Don't worry. When she grows up, she'll learn to type." Personally, I thought that was fantastic advice (how did I get so lucky?), so I worshiped the woman. When I got to 5th Grade, unfortunately, Mrs. McClintock said, "That may very well be true, but she IS going to learn to write legibly." And I did. Barely. My handwriting today is much more a legacy of Mrs. Redden than Mrs. McClintock. Thank Dog I can type fast.

Oops. I forgot to mention Letter B. Can you see the chain link fence in the photo? It's a little blurry, but they put in a chain link fence with a gate, to keep children off the school grounds after hours. Great idea, right?

The problem is, the chain link fence ended up a foot or two below the roof of the cafeteria (it's the lower roof on the left), and to a kid in the, oh, say, 4th or 5th Grade, that says one thing, and one thing only ...

Ladder!

Yes. I and one of my sisters (I can't remember which) climbed the fence and got onto the roof, where we had a delightful time. It was quite magical seeing the world from that forbidden place.

If our mother ever found out, we would have been in SOOOOOOOO much trouble though!! So keep mum, would ya?

*An ironic detail for grammar geeks: originally I wrote this sentence as "...the house I grew up in," which is more like the way I speak. But I realized it ended with a preposition, so I changed it. Sigh. I can't win.

I Am a Dork

2007-10-14T03:21:01Z

I spent the day on Bainbridge Island, listening to Donald Maass tell me I need to do one more, MAJOR edit on East of Jesus to make it a blockbuster novel, but I'll be writing about that on Stone Soup.

Here, I want to tell you about my lunch. Or, more to the point, about my waiter. I ate at a Mexican place, and my server was a very handsome man with a trim waist and neatly pressed clothing, and totally delicious aftershave. *Mrowr* He treated me with deference, and somehow made me feel terribly attractive (no idea how he pulled THAT off!). Once, I swear, he even winked at me.

When he gave me my bill, he called me "Senora," but with that Latin trill. And for some bizarre reason it made me tingle all over. I used to translate "Senora" as "Mrs." (think: matronly, older, married woman). But when he said it today, all the sudden it meant "Madame" (that's Mud-AHM to you), and it implied respect and honor, not age at all.

So I gave him a really good tip. For a meal that cost $12 and change, I tipped him five bucks. I felt silly about it and tried to talk myself into dropping it, at least, to four. But then I got annoyed. "Hey, self!" I said silently. "Feeling sexy is worth $5 to me, easy!"

Then ... because I only felt a little foolish at that point and though it would be much more fun to completely make an idiot of myself, I decided to trot out my rusty, high school Spanish. I used to be quite fluent--even got the point where I thought and dreamed in Spanish. But that was many, many years ago, and it just doesn't come naturally anymore.

As I was leaving, he said all the obligatory things (in English, I believe) about "Have a nice day," or whatever.

I said, "Y you tambien." *shudder* And then, to prove that I really DO speak Spanish, thankyouverymuch, I said, "Gracias."

¡Estoy stupido! *headdesk* ¡Y loco tambien¡

Fiddling with Stone Soup

2007-10-11T14:04:55Z

It's a proven fact that writers will do anything to avoid working. And since I have some very important work to do ... I'm redesigning Stone SouP. Makes perfect sense.

This isn't at all the direction I was thinking of taking Stone Soup though. I wanted to have a logo drawn that would incorporate the words into an abstract drawing of a bowl of soup (blah blah blah), but I was playing around today and came up with some alternatives. What d'ya think?

Option 1:

I love this graphic, but it's cropped too tight and stretched a little just to fit in. Plus, I'd like it better if they were women's hands rather than men (since it's women's fiction I write). I could imbed the letters in it, like I have with option #3.

Option 2:

I really like this graphic also, though it's totally different. It's also a little busy. This one seems to fit my "throw everything in but the kitchen sink" attitude better (though Mars thinks it's a bit obvious in the message; he likes subtlety). This is the standard use of a custom photo.

Option 3:

Same photo (obviously), but instead of letting Wordpress place the words automatically, I've placed them. I like my placing better, but the black screens do block part of the photo, and the letters aren't as sharp.

What do you think?