Jasper - no costume

I've been working a lot lately in the daycare center. This past week the children were getting more and more excited as Halloween approached. The big topic of conversation was costumes.  The group I was working with on Friday (4-year-olds),  told me what they were going to be for the big day - Cowboy, Ninja Turtle, Power Ranger, Princess, Ariel the Mermaid, a butterfly, a ghost, fireman, ladybug, etc. These kids are old enough to understand trick-or-treating, and they could hardly wait. Benjamin told the assembled class that his sister (about one month old) was going to be a peapod. Everybody thought this was hilarious. "Peapod, peapod," they all shouted amidst lots of laughter. I don't even think they know what a peapod is.

So now the big day has arrived. Unfortunately it's a Saturday, so I won't get to see their costumes, but we told the children to ask Mommy or Daddy to take pictures, and I hope some of the kids will bring them to school. For security reasons I will not be able to post any pictures of the kids. But trust me, they will be cute.

This being NYC, there are lots of adults wearing costumes. I'm in the library now and one of the librarians is dressed as Batman. I enjoy seeing some of the truly creative costumes adults come up with, but I still prefer to see kids on Halloween. There is no joy like that of a four-year-old enjoying this particular holiday.

 Happy Halloween!

I mentioned MAISIE DOBBS by Jacqueline Winspear in my last entry. Such a good book for adult readers. I'm still waiting for the next Maisie book from the library. 

And, for kids, I just read a wonderful book called THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly. It's meant for middle-grade readers, but I think adults would enjoy it too. It made me think a lot about what it was like for girls and women at the turn of the century. But although it holds a goldmine of information, it never felt preachy or didactic. Just fun to read.

I haven't been keeping up on my blog. It's hard when my computer doesn't have internet, and it looks as if it won't. And I can't afford a new computer.  Why is it that everything seems to break down at the same time? I don't have TV either since things became digital. I decided to get rid of my old TV rather than buy the converter box and the new antenna.

Thank heavens for the library. I can check my email, etc. here. And I've been reading a lot of books. That's the upside of not having TV or internet. I've discovered the Maisie Dobbs books - part mystery, part historical fiction, part romance. All wonderful. I've only read the first one so far, but I've reserved the second at the library.

I found this little poem in a book, and it made me smile. It appeals to the silly side in me. Hope you enjoy it, too.

Richard Brautigan (b.1935)

HAIKU AMBULANCE

A piece of green pepper

fell

off the wooden salad bowl:

so what?

 Jasper

Summer is almost over.  Yesterday was my last day of a long-term substitute job at the daycare center. In a few weeks most of the kids from this group will be entering kindergarten. They were understandably nervous, and excited, and sad, too. As was I. I'll miss these kids. It was a particularly lively, quirky, fun group. 

Now I've got to get back into a writing routine. That's not easy for me when I've been away for a long period of time. But I am looking forward to it. This morning I came to the library to use the computers (mine is still with the repair guy), and to check out some books. I was very happy to see that CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins, which I'd reserved ages ago, had come in. I have a feeling I'm not going to get much writing  done until I've read this sequel to THE HUNGER GAMES.

Fortunately it's a good weekend for reading - rainy off and on through Monday. Rain or no rain I'll take a yoga class or two, and get some chores done. I'm almost out of cat food!!! Laundry also needs to be done. 

Hope you all have a good weekend.

My computer is still being repaired (I hope). I've been using a computer at work or at the library for email and internet searches, but I really miss having one at home. If my old faithful IBook can't be fixed, I'm not sure what I'll do. A new Mac is so much money, but if I buy one second-hand, I won't have a guarantee.  I guess I'll figure out what to do when I hear the verdict on my IBook. Meanwhile, I have one more week to go at my summer daycare substitute job. I'll miss the children in this group, but it'll be nice to get back to my writing life.

I'm also looking forward to the weather cooling down. It's been so hot and muggy. Yuck. The cats are not happy with the weather either. They don't have air conditioning during the day. Poor little kitties.

BRINA

Lately I've been wanting a dog. Brina was a wonderful pet, but when she died, I decided to go with cats. They don't require walks, and I can leave my two cats overnight once in awhile, which I could never do with Brina.  Maybe I'm missing having a dog because there are quite a few new puppies in my neighborhood. I'm suffering from dog envy. At any rate, I'll probably stick with Ruby and Jasper ....  but you never know.

For those who may have wondered, I haven't been keeping up with this blog lately for two reasons. I've been working at the daycare center full-time, which is limiting my time for other things, but also, my computer is broken, and it may not be fixable. It's an ancient Blueberry I-Book, so I guess I'm fortunate it's lasted as long as it has, but if it can be fixed with scrounged parts, I'd be happy to keep using it. Meanwhile, I'm using the computer at the library. My good old faithful I-Book is with a guy who is supposed to be good at fixing old Macs. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

 FLURT

I love Flurt frozen yogurt on a hot summer day. My favorite is a small with strawberries or raspberries. Yum!

Another summer pleasure is reading lots of good books I have missed along the way. My librarian recommended this one, A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR by Laura Amy Schlitz. The copyright page says 2006, so it was published before her 2008 Newbery award winner, GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES! I couldn't get into that one.  But A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR is soooo good. I really love this novel about a young orphan who gets tangled up in a shady spiritualist scheme. Perfect book for summer reading!

  JASPER

I'm working this summer at a daycare center, so my summer fun is limited to bits and pieces. Flurt yogurt, reading books, reading blogs, doing yoga, going for walks when the weather permits, etc. I'm hoping to take a vacation in the fall. But one lesson I learned from Jasper - a summer catnap is a thing to be savored anywhere, even at home. 

These are Toni's new Singapura kittens, Violet (has the darker nose) and Daisy. Aren't they darling? They are 3-month-old sisters,  and although I haven't met them in person, I'm told they are just as soft and silky as the two lovely old sister cats Toni used to have. These two are off on vacation spending lots of bonding time with their adoring owner.

And, in other cat news--- Have you been keeping up with the little ones on www.theittybittykittycommittee.com/?

They are having a fund raiser for their animal shelter. It's a very worthy cause.

Poison Ivy

It's been raining almost every day here for weeks. So when we had a clear day about a week ago, I rushed out into my garden. I pulled weeds, broke up the soil, and planted some soft pink impatiens.  Knowing that I'm extremely allergic to poison ivy, I wore long pants, socks and sneakers, and a long-sleeve shirt. I also applied a cream that's supposed to protect the skin. Ha! It was a warm day, and as I worked I pushed my sleeves up. That was my big mistake.  After I was done gardening,  I pulled off my clothes and put them, inside out, into the hamper. Then I took a soapy shower. I thought I'd be OK. Three days later, that itchy red rash came out. Fortunately it's not too bad (only on my arms). But I do wish I could go out in the garden and just enjoy it. 

The impatiens are lovely to see when I look out my window.

I have been very busy the last several weeks. I had jury duty, which didn't last too long, and I had a lot of substitute teacher jobs, which did take up a big chunk of time. And, I'm trying to do some final revisions on one manuscript and to move forward on a new manuscript. Some things had to give. My blog was one of them. Yoga classes were also curtailed. But I still had time to read, sometimes on the way to work, and always in the evening before I go to bed.

MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork was one of the books I read. It's a wonderful book for young adults -  and for older adults as well.  It's not often an author can handle plot and character, and do both with a style that made me want to read slower so I wouldn't come to the end. I had been hearing good things about this book for a while, and I was not disappointed. And, doesn't it have a gorgeous jacket? 

NYC bathtub garden

I noticed a few days ago that someone has planted the bathtub garden in front of my apartment building.  It used to be lovingly tended by a guy who worked in the garage next door, but he's been gone a long time now. Also, someone moved the entire tub from in front of the garage to the front of my building.

The weather has suddenly gotten very warm. I need to start work on my own backyard garden. It has to be weeded first, and that's a problem because a few years ago poison ivy showed up out there. I didn't even realize it until I got a poison ivy rash a couple of times. I'm extremely allergic to poison ivy. So, it makes me nervous to work out there, even with a protective layer of clothing.  But I will force myself to begin weeding this weekend. I'm going to buy flowers at the Union Square Greenmarket - impatiens, I think.  How many New Yorkers can look out their window and see flowers? I know how fortunate I am. But before I begin work, I think I'll stock up on cortisone cream.

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY. Isn't that a wonderful title?

I was on the waiting list for ages for this book at the library. I finally got it a few days ago, and I was anxious to begin reading. I'd heard such good things, but I wasn't sure.  The book is entirely written in correspondence between the various characters, and I didn't see how a book of letters written post World War II in Great Britain could hold my interest. I'm glad I decided to give it a try. So far I'm truly enjoying it. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those books I don't want to end. It was written mostly by Mary Ann Shaffer who died before she could finish writing it and was completed by her niece, Annie Barrows, who happens to have written one of my favorite series of books for young readers, IVY AND BEAN.

Ammended to add: I finished reading it. I loved it.

 Jasper

It seems it's been raining off and on for ages. But this morning I actually saw snow flurries!  Snow flurries in NYC in April! It's supposed to be spring, so what's up with that? Both of my cats were at the window staring with wonder. Snow makes them twitch almost as much as birds.

The good thing about all the damp, chilly weather is that it's nice to stay indoors and read and write. I just finished re-reading DOG FRIDAY by Hilary McKay. She's one of my favorite authors, and her older books are just as good as her later ones. And, they can be read over and over again. I think it's because her characters and settings are just as interesting as her plot - something I need to remember in my own writing.

Speaking of my own writing, I'm plugging along on a new middle-grade novel. It's a challenge for me because it's written in first person present. I'm most comfortable using third person past in my writing. But I do like to try different things, so whether it works out or not, I'm learning a lot in the process.

I just finished reading this book, THE WILD GIRLS by Pat Murphy. It took me a while to get to it even though the reviews sounded promising. But it was worth the wait. I've always loved books about kids who wanted to write - EMILY OF NEW MOON  by L.M. Montgomery ( the first of three Emily books), HARRIET THE SPY by Louise Fitzhugh, A ROOM MADE OF WINDOWS by Eleanor Cameron (part of the Julia series), UTTERLY YOURS, BOOKER JONES by Betsy Duffey (there is a sequel), etc.  And now I have a new  favorite to add to my list. THE WILD GIRLS was a truly enjoyable book.   

Overheard conversation between two three-year-old boys at the day care center where I work.

Max: I have a scarry video at my home. It's about spiders.

Lucas: When I come to your house can I watch it?

Max: No. You're not old enough. It's too scarry. (They are exactly the same age - both turned three last August.)

Lucas: Please. I really want to see it.

Max: Well, if you promise to be brave.

Lucas: I promise.

Max: Good. We can watch it, if my mommy says so.

I must admit, listening in on conversations is one of the best parts about working with small children. As often as not, I forget the conversations almost as soon as I've heard them, but some stick with me. I can almost picture these two little guys being brave together while watching the scarry spider video.

Kitties!

There are new kitties at The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee. Hooray!

I usually don't have the patience for meditation, but my Sunday yoga class has a twenty-minute meditation period at the end. Last Sunday as we were sitting mindfully, the teacher read the following piece. It's so simple, but says so much.

An Autobiography in Five Chapters

Chapter l.

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost . . . I am helpless.

It isn't my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in, again.

I can't believe I am in this same place.

But it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I fall in . . . it's a habit . . . but, my

eyes are open.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter 4.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter 5.

I walk down a different street.

                  Anonymous

Aren't they the cutest little things?  They're Tawny Frogmouth Chicks, and I found them on http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/

And then there's this little fennec fox from the Everland Zoo in South Korea. 

Visiting this wonderful website brings me closer to all the  zoo babies in the world. Hope you enjoy it, too.

I prefer to do yoga in a class with a teacher. That way I don't have to be thinking about what to do next. Someone is telling us what to do, and I can concentrate on the moment.

But there are lots of days when I just can't make it to a class. On those mornings, I've found the perfect solution. It's a wonderful little book called A MORNING CUP OF YOGA, by Jane Trechsel. It sets out an entire balanced easy-to-do yoga routine that can by done quickly and efficiently.  There's a CD that comes with the book, but I like to just follow the book, and go at my own speed. The simple illustrations and clear instructions are a pleasure.  There are also interesting asides and suggestions. I read these over once in a while for inspiration.

There aren't too many self-help books that I would recommend, but this one is definitely worth getting if you're looking for a good way to start your day. 

Jasper looking for a snack 

On freezing cold days like today, it  would be lovely to stay home and read and write and eat snacks. Unfortunately the heat in my building is iffy, at best.  So I'm at the library, which is nice and toasty warm.

I finished reading THE HUNGER GAMES a few days ago while I was waiting to see the dentist. It was the perfect book to take my mind off uncomfortable tooth-related things to come. And now I'm reading WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED. So far I'm liking it.  My own writing is going less well. I'm having trouble settling on which of my three started manuscripts I should commit to. I suppose it's better to have three choices than to have none. 

I think the cold is just making me cranky. I'm not looking forward to the long walk home. Brrrrr!

  Albert or Elvis????

 1. I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee. Now I also enjoy checking out Albert and Elvis and Enid and Hester . They're recent graduates of Itty Bitty.  Such fun!

2.  I also follow several author blogs. There's an incredibly helpful entry on revising your work on Cynthia Lord's blog today. I plan on using her suggestions on my next revision pass.

3. I'm back at work today, subbing at the day care center. It's been three weeks. The center was  closed for two weeks for the holidays, and then everyone was back and healthy, and so they didn't need any substitutes. It was a nice long break for me, in which I got a lot of reading and writing, and housework, and other things done. But I'm happy to be back. I miss the kids, and I also miss the paycheck.

4.  I went to see The New York City Ballet with my friend, Monica. Her daughter, Lydia Wellington,  has recently joined the company, and I got to see her in three performances. She's a lovely addition to City Ballet.

5.  My middle-grade novel is done, and I've started work on another one while the first is waiting hopefully for an agent.  It's hard to concentrate on the new one, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. It's beginning to come to life, and that's a wonderful feeling.

Sometimes I like to go back and re-read books I've loved in the past. These are four that I've recently re-enjoyed.

THE HOUSE OF WINGS by Betsy Byars is one of my all-time favorites. I also love THE CARTOONIST, CRACKER JACKSON and the Blossom Family books by Betsy Byars.

THE HEADLESS CUPID by Zilpha Keatley Snyder is so much fun to read. It's amazing how current it feels, even without computers, etc.

ARTHUR FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME might be my favorite of Patricia MacLachlan's many fine books. It's even got a cameo of SARAH PLAIN AND TALL neatly tucked away inside. 

And there's something about the quiet, but memorable WESTERN WIND that makes me return to it. I also love VILLAGE BY THE SEA by Paula Fox.

  RUBY

 Ruby is a very affectionate cat. She spends as much time as possible on my lap or curled up next to me. If she had her way, I'd stay home all day long. Here she is giving me a look that says I should just take my jacket off, put my backpack down, and give up my silly idea of leaving for work.  After all, there's plenty of work at home on my computer where she can keep my lap warm.

But lately I've been getting a lot of substitute jobs at the daycare center, and while writing books is fun, subbing brings in a definite paycheck which pays for cat food, among other things. And the kids in the group I've been in are very cute and sweet and devilish, and all the other things that little kids can be. So sorry Ruby.  And stop giving me that look. Please.

It's so much fun to discover a new mystery writer. I was browsing in the library and came across CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT SITTER, and now I'm hooked. I can hardly wait until the fourth book of this new series by Blaize Clement comes out. It's going to be called CAT SITTER ON A HOT TIN ROOF.

And here's a wonderful new kid's book by Leslie Connor a friend recommended.  I could hardly put it down!          

 JASPER

It's been a busy week. Every morning I worked on my manuscript, which I am revising for the millionth time. I feel I'm getting near to being where I want to be, but am not quite there yet.  Every afternoon I worked at the daycare center with one of the younger groups. Ever tried working with 14 two- and three-year-olds? Not exactly relaxing. In between, I ate a solitary lunch, book in hand, trying to figure out how other authors have handled some of the writing problems I'm facing. I did take a real lunch break on Monday when my nephew and his new wife came to visit from Denver. We had a lovely time eating and catching up on each other's lives. Then back to work. I walked home from work most days, partly for the exercise and partly for a change from the printed page. Since I live several miles from the center, I was pretty tired in the evenings. That's a good excuse for watching N.C.I.S. or BONES, on TV.  And now - the weekend! Next week my sister is coming to visit from Montana... 

 Jasper

It's raining today. It rained yesterday. It's going to rain tomorrow. Everything is damp and gray. It's days like this that sap my energy. I can think of a million things that need doing, but nothing that sounds appealing. Jasper has given in to temptation, but I decided to get out of the apartment. I went to Starbucks for coffee and pumpkin loaf, and then to the Grad Center. I figure if everyone around me is working, it will spur me on. So, after this blog entry I'm getting out my current manuscript, and I'm settling down to write.

Ruby 

Jasper

 I love my two darling cats, but sometimes I miss having a kitten.  Today I was looking at some different blogs (a great device for procrastinating when I should be writing), and I found a link on viabloomington to a wonderful blog, ittybittykittycommittee.  I'm totally hooked.

New Printer Box

I finally got a new printer. It was no simple matter. My blueberry Ibook is considered an antique. I was told at several stores that no printer was made anymore that would work with it. Everyone was willing to sell me a new computer, but I was not willing to buy one. I like my old laptop. It has a comfortable keyboard that the new ones don't have, and, aside from having an old operating system that limits what I can do, it works fine.

 I was just about to give up when I tried a small Mac store on East 10th Street in the Village called Digital Society. I was very fortunate to get an enthusiastic young salesperson who took it upon himself to solve my problem. It did take awhile, but he managed to upgrade my system enough that it would work with one particular printer. He even installed the software and made sure everything was working. Bless him!

That's Jasper on top of the printer box, and Ruby inside. Two happy cats, and one happy author.

This was Lydia Wellington at age one-and-a-half. She was already practicing her partnering skills, with me as her tentative partner.  She thought it would be funny if she waited until I was a nervous wreck before doing a daring swan dive into my waiting arms. Even at that young age she was fearless.

This is Lydia (left) all grown up and beginning her career at the New York City Ballet. She and her friend, Megan Johnson, made their debuts as apprentices at last night's performance of Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet. They were both lovely. It was so exciting for me to see her take this major step out of childhood.

And this is Lydia showing that fortunately she hasn't left all of childhood behind.

Amazing!! You must read JK Rowling's speech at the Harvard commencement.

http://harvardmagazine.com/go/jkrowling.html

What she has to say about failure and about the imagination is definitely worth thinking about.

Concerto Barocco

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the School of American Ballet's end-of-the- year  workshop. SAB is the official school of the New York City Ballet. It was so much fun to see what the kids could do after all their years of dedicated training. They were great, and I enjoyed every minute. It was especially fun for me because my friend's daughter, Lydia  Wellington, was in the program. That's her on the left with her friend Megan Johnson on the right in a photo by Paul Kolnik.  Monica Wellington is a very proud mom.  Lydia and Megan  have been asked to join the New York City Ballet as apprentices.  I can hardly wait to see their first performance with the company next Friday.

 This is the front of my building.

It looks better now. It's been painted since this picture was taken. But it's still not one of your classy NYC buildings. It's next to a garage, and there's a Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts on the corner. Also, there's a junior high school across the street.

 And this is the back.

I'm fortunate to live on the ground floor in the back. When I look out my window I see trees and other green stuff including flowers (which I need to plant soon), and birds.  I have lots of mourning doves, sparrows, blue jays, an occasional cardinal and perrigrine falcon, and a hummingbird (twice). And pigeons, of course. I am not a pigeon fan, but my cats like to watch them. They also love the squirrels that come for the birdseed I provide. Farther back in the garden are two pine trees which I carried home from the Union Square Greenmarket  in pots and planted many years ago.  Both are now quite a bit taller than I am.

Mostly I like living in the city. It's too expensive, and it's not the cleanest place in the world,  but I like being able to walk to almost everywhere I need to go. And public transportation is easy to use.  I also like the diversity of people and architecture and neighborhoods.  It's definitely not a boring place.  Sometimes I think about where else I might live if I decided to leave the city, but so far I haven't come up with anywhere I'd rather be.