NEXT UP, SPRING! The Abundance of Nature

Anonymous 17th-century watercolor of the Semper Augustus, the most famous tulip bulb, which sold for a record price. (Source: Wikipedia)

I love the whole idea of tulips being insanely expensive and used for cash is fabulous. At one point 12 acres (5 ha) of land were offered for a Semper Augustus bulb. Thus we are treated to the amazing abundance that is SPRING! Yes, I swear it is coming. I've planted some amazing bulbs and they are starting to peak out. Of course there is the pile in the garage i forgot to plant so i put them in a pot and we'll see what unfolds. Also out my office window is a very old cherry tree that is starting to bloom! LOVE IT! We call it Pinky and it has been with us for probably thirty years or more. Thank you Pinky, for sharing your beauty with the birds and my cat who climbs up there to visit the birds, and me and the family.

In the meantime I have used the winter to write write write and I am positive there will be good news to share soon. THERE WILL BE BOOKS! The moon is in Capricorn (that's me) and all is well~

I am so grateful for so many things in my life. My family is amazing. I've been blessed with four children of extraordinary character. And this April we are expecting our first grandchild. How awesome is that! We live in a beautiful area. Here is a photograph my daughter took at Bloedel reserve this fall. The northwest is a never ending blooming abundant green garden. My husband is an amusing, intelligent Scotsman that keeps us lively. My cat Milo is the never ending clown. I am surrounded with love and support. The people I work with in my writing adventures are enthusiastic, positive visionaries! Thank you, Universe!

Summer in the Country

My affirmation today is that everywhere I go I am surrounded with coolness. So far so good, despite our record heat!

I am amazed at my 16 year old son's ability to create beautiful friends and their beautiful waterfront homes to hang out in. I consider it a sign of things to come. Way to go son!

I am immersed in the writing of Kathryn's story, which is truly the most fun I've had in years. I love hanging out in the forties, then back to present time, and--beyond! Some of the best research I've done has to do with trains and architecture, where my design background rises up. In design school I fell in love with the history of art and architecture. I had a great teacher who was filled with passion toward the subject. And isn't that just always the case, when someone is filled with passion about a subject, it lights our fire!

The photo is Queen Elizabeth in her debutante, pre-queen days. Life is just a sparkling gown full of possibilities right now!

Once Upon a Time~

I tried to quit, really I did. I tried to become a gardener, but my soil is just so unforgiving. I tried to become a housewife but I’m very, very bad at it. Just when you get everything cleaned up it all goes to hell in a hand basket again. What kind of a job is that? Where is the THE END part? Hey, I was taking a self-soothing break from the relentless deadlines and crazy market trends, and maybe a permanent one! I thought about getting a secretarial job. The part where I can type 2000 words a minute with the UPS man standing in the hallway waiting for my manuscript was a big asset. I’m a cheery person, I’m computer hardwired, I could learn Microsoft Access! But hmm would I be able to steal some writing time? I considered a job at a storage facility. Lots of down time and maybe even some story lines from the contents of abandon storage units?

One day I said to myself, what if I just wrote whatever came out of me instead of manually twisting and forcing my muse into the current "Hunt for High Concept” shape?
So I sat down and just let her rip. I even sat down at a computer that wasn’t my normal computer. Change of scenery. I got eight pages of really amazing stuff. Every time I shared those eight pages with industry friends and agents, they'd get very very excited. But the story hadn't evolved yet! So I went on a long adventure into the past, into Celtic culture, into Kathryn's story.

The Summer of 2009 will go down as the summer I packed my virtual suitcase full of research and inspiration and moved into the hotel Kathryn. Kathryn is the main character in the young adult trilogy I have been crafting for two years. By sheer chance (ha ha) I connected with a wonderful woman last fall. Sometimes you need an expert like the Amazing Maggie to get the flint to ignite all the way. There is nothing that woman does not know about Scottish/English/Roman history. Turns out we were on a bigger journey than just books, and we’ve opened up our lives to all kinds of amazing adventures. Scotland and England here we come!

Birthing the full concepts for these three books was like well, birthing another kid, and I’ve had four already. If you count my seven other books, that makes eleven! I can honestly say it was a c-section too, because I had to cut all the self-doubt and old negatives out of my head to get this train on its track. (talk about your mixed metaphors!) Yes, it does mean that my contemporary work is on hiatus, coming soon to a new publisher near you, once Kathryn has had her way.

So. I admit it. I’m a writer. Well, we all knew that, didn’t we. I watched Wonder Boys yesterday. (I love Toby Maguire btw) There was a line from the crusty old writer/ professor where they asked him why he wrote the book he wrote (the one that flew into the river) and he said. . .
“Because I couldn’t stop.”

Christmas- its not for Wimps.

Whoa- not a creature was stirring, just the whirring floor polisher and the quick restockers. Now I know what happens at the Walmart after Midnight. I did a one day blitz of shopping yesterday from noon to midnight. Granted I am the Queen of Shopping so it was a joy to cruise through the entire set of peripheral mall stores and then land softly in the mother ship- the mall itself. I even enjoyed a nice dinner at a little Asian cafe I adore--no food court moments for this performance artist.

Speaking of performance artists there is a great bit on motherhood extracted and showing on a G rated mom friendly blog site of Erma Bombeck fans (including me.)
The Mom Song

Well back to the shopping. Spurred on by threats of The Perfect Storm looming in our near future, the Ice Machine of Doom, the Day After Tomorrow winter of our discontent, many of us were out reaping the rewards of generous markdowns by panicky retailers. It is a great time to shop-not much waiting in line in the off hours, no actual hysteria yet- that sets in about Dec 23rd for those who truly wait till the last minute- and these days, for another paycheck. And I'm sure we're all in the same boat when we say that all gifts this year are of a practical nature. My daughter asked for a battery recharger. THAT is the spirit, girl!

Having worked for Nordstrom's in my early years (my experiences translated into Hysterical Blondeness, the book) I have extreme empathy for all store employees and treat them with the fun and frivolity they deserve at such odd hours, often offering to ring things up for them and cover their coffee breaks if I can use their employee discount. So far no takers.

A large chunk of my time was of course spent in the big Barnes and Noble store resplendent with new books and calendars and a Starbucks. If we're going to be stuck inside with no power huddled by the fireplace insert, we'll be reading by candlelight anyway! I want to encourage everyone to give books this year for the holidays- the publisher you save may be my own!


Speaking of books, I'm busy reinventing myself so hang on, it's going to be a wild ride. I'll keep all my friends and family posted when something finally breaks through. Think of it as ice fishing. You've got to saw through some ice to get to the fun.

Back to shopping. Now that I've got the stuff to stuff them with, (oh and Santa will help I'm sure) I'll be getting those stockings hung by the chimney with care~ well maybe after the storm settles down. We don't want to singe our jingle bells.

Which reminds me. My beautiful daughter-in-law Tifanie came over and made cookie magic- delicate, intricately beautiful snowflake cookies. I on the other hand tried to re-melt the chocolate chips on my out of the box coconut bars and well- answered the phone and well- heard husband scream "THEY ARE BURNING!!!" in a loud terrified voice as he froze before the new stove we purchased (no payments till the economy stabilizes) trying to figure out which button to push. He was home recovering from his unfortunate cross-country ski mishap- which falls under the "self-inflicted" category.

That pan of flaming coconut and chocolate chips is now "cooling" outside for the next day or so. It is time for me to pass the cookie baking baton to my son's wife, without a doubt. She and my daughter were a great team. Younger son also does a terrific "cut and bake" batch.

It looks like we are ready for the holidays. It takes a village to create a holiday and right now our new kittens are eating our Thomas Kinkaid Hawthorn Village. Better put that up on a scaffold till they get bigger!

Merry Christmas to all~and a Bright and Promising New Year!

A Snowy Evening

I've been in a river of Swiftly Moving Inspiration lately. All winter and druids and things that go bump in time. ooh pretty good trailer there!

Things that fascinate me today ( I have a sort of kaleidoscope of fascinations) are my daughter’s new interest in poetry. I used to write poetry from third grade to about age 25 when children and life knocked the stuffings out of me—mostly in a good way.

I met the most famous poets alive at the time- Richard Hugo, David Wagoner, Robert Bly, Gary Snyder, even William Stafford. I was completely blessed to be in the midst of greatness during my early twenties. It had a profound effect on me.

Poetry is a gateway drug that leads to fiction. It also leads to the love of language and tight imagery if you really sink your teeth into it.

Then fiction will lead you back to poetry because as we all know Fiction eats you alive and spits you out like a hairball and then you crawl back to poetry to make you broth and tea and cinnamon toast and soothe your soul.

So here is an old poem about winter many of us read in school. It has always been one of my favorites.


Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Suzanne

NOVEMBER 2008

THINGS are HAPPENING. Oh yes, things are happening. Sometimes after a very long dry spell the wind comes and pushes you right off your chair and up into the air, and then you are flying.

Repeat after me: THINGS ARE HAPPENING--GOOD THINGS--CREATIVE THINGS! PASSIONATE THINGS!

November is wild. Edward Hopper is at the Seattle Art Museum. I'm out flying. When I land I'll tell you all about it.

November is GRATITUDE for being in the zone.

November is a strawberry mango smoothie and raw words blended together.

oh and for... new writing companions who will rustle up the papers and change the energy in the office. Two new kittens. I'll post their picture tomorrow after we pick them up-- post post.

MEOW.... suz