Book Review

A couple of weeks ago, I read a short little book by Julia Cameron called "How to Avoid Making Art." It's a humorous take on why artists don't make their artwork--whether that be art, dance, music, writing, whatever. Each page has a "reason" why you would want to avoid doing anything artistic along with a little comic. Here are some of my favorites:

• Be in a big hurry
• Take seriously every negative thing anyone says
• Slide into despair rather than take one small exploratory action
• Consider the odds against whatever you make ever selling (ouch, that one hurts)
• Demand that what you do be absolutely original, totally brilliant, and never done before.
• Only share your good news with those who will immediately dampen it.
• Tell yourself that your job keeps you from making art and then work overtime just to prove it.
• The minute you have an idea, ask yourself: how much cold, hard cash is it worth?
• Think of all the other books that have been written. Why write this one? (Ouch again)
  
• Under no circumstances make any art just for fun.
  
• Never venture into new artistic territory, no matter how tempting.
  
• Never celebrate a job well done. Always think about "more" that needs doing.
  

Julia Cameron is my favorite writer on writing. Her books The Right to Write and The Sound of Paper have really changed the way I view my writing and creative process (I sound so high-faluting when I say that!).

This was the backdrop for some of my thinking when I visited the Art Institute in Chicago last week with my family. I wondered if the artists who are now considered "masters" ever thought their work would be viewed in a museum. Did they think, "oh, this is crap, I better just throw it out"? Did they get frustrated or have trouble with deadlines or feel trapped in a job that wouldn't let them do their art? Did they "venture into new artistic territories"? Did they doubt the quality of their work?

My guess is that most, if not all of them, had self-doubt and frustrations with their artwork, their time limitations, their small pay. They probably felt "blocked" at some point in their career, were frustrated by the market, what was selling, what they had to do to get by.

It makes me thankful for the writing career that I've sort of stumbled into. There are no guarantees it'll continue, that I'll continue to have my books published. That scares me, but it also makes me glad for what I have been able to produce. And that's why I love Julia Cameron's advice so much. Make art, whatever it is, just because you can. Don't worry about finishing that poem or the painting or the song. Don't worry about how much time you have or don't have. Just create and enjoy the fact that, being made in God's image, you long to create beauty in a world where it is often missing.

Superfoods

I've been reading in the last couple of days about 14 "super foods" that are supposed to keep you healthy and less medicine-dependent into old age. I've been skimming through the book, Superfoods Rx. Some of the super foods include: broccoli, tomatoes, beans, oats, soy, and blueberries. Jane posted on something similar to this about another book. Basically, we should eat stuff that grows in dirt. That's the bottom line.

Thoughts on Cancellation of Issues, Etc. Radio Show

Every organization, religious or not, has its own political wrangling; such is the case within my own denomination.

When I was 19 years old, I joined the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which is rooted in biblical truth, historic liturgical practice, sacramental worship, and doctrinal clarity. I love my church and my congregation. After the cycle of Holy Week services culminating in Easter last week, I was reminded again how grateful I am for the historic roots of my faith--the passion readings from John, the darkened church at the Easter vigil, the sweet smell of hope in the Easter lilies. But this is not merely an intellectual exercise. It is a personal, deeply comforting message I hear in every worship service, assuring me of a loving God who daily rescues me from my own failings and from the broken world we live in.

Last week, the powers-that-be at our denomination's headquarters decided to cancel a popular radio show called "Issues, Etc." I don't understand, nor do I pretend to understand, all of the reasons behind this. But it is troubling and disappointing on many levels. Here is an article written by M.Z. Hemingway, a friend of mine, about the topic in the Wall Street Journal. Very nicely put, Mollie.

To-Read; Beatrix Potter; Allen Say

So I was glancing over at Jane's blog and noticed this post on a reading challenge.
I'm not sure I could name 56 books I want to read before the end of the year, but I can start with a short list:

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys who Flew the B-24s over Germany by Stephen Ambrose
Shadow Divers by Robert Kurston

I'm almost finished with a book called The Tale of Beatrix Potter, which is a biography about the children's author by Margaret Lane. I'd like to find a couple of other biographies to read about authors. The thing I love about reading biographies, especially biogs about children's authors, is I am reassured that every author has ups and downs in his or her writing life. I've had some frustrations lately, in the midst of some nice school visits, and it's always good for me to hear about other authors who have gone through the same sort of thing. Here's a really nice section about Beatrix Potter's work from this book:

"Conveying truth by means of fantasy, enlarging our perception of life by poetic means, is one of the highest functions of art, and it is not extravagant to say that in her small and special sphere Beatrix Potter performed it. ... Displayed in the trappings of their human counterparts [the animals Potter created] reveal their own true natures by oblique methods, and we ever after know more about them from having observed their behavior in significant disguise" (p. 106).

Last, this afternoon I stopped by the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, where Allen Say, another children's author/illustrator was doing a book signing. There is a nice display of his beautiful original artwork from three of his books.

Gobble Gobble Crash

At the end of last week, I got my first proofs of Gobble Gobble Crash: A Barnyard Counting Bash. It's so exciting to see this new book coming together. I decided to take a couple of snapshots to show everyone how it's looking at this point in the process.

I wrote Gobble, boy, about 8 (?) years ago. The manuscript had a long and eventful journey, eventually ending up at Dutton Children's Books and it will be published this fall. I will definitely have to go to Pittsburgh for a book signing for this book since that is where the inspiration for the book came from.

One late afternoon, I was with my family, and we were driving on a road in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is an unusual city in that it is very hilly and divided up by three rivers. So, getting around town is a bit of a challenge--but it's also an adventure. We were on Streets Run Road (I think) which is like going up the side of a mountain. The road is lined with thick trees.

Well, on this one afternoon, we were driving home and all of a sudden, a huge bird flew over our car, over the road. Scott was driving and had his window down and said he could hear the beating of the wings of this huge bird. This happened shortly after we moved to Pittsburgh, and we didn't know what the heck that thing was that flew over our car.

We asked around and found out that there are tons of wild turkeys in the Pittsburgh area (and I'm sure all over the state). So, we actually had a wild turkey sighting. It was cool.

A couple of years later, I saw a mother turkey with seven little baby turkeys trying to cross another road, but this time on foot. One poor little guy got stuck on one side all by himself. Don't know if he ever made it.

Anyway, little incidents like that are what inspire my stories. I had an idea for a counting book about wild turkeys making a big ruckus at a barnyard. This manuscript went through SO many revisions. It was crazy. But finally, after getting guidance from other writers and editors, I settled on a story, and now...here it is!

Valeri Gorbachev illustrated the book. His artwork is fantastic! I completely love it. Anyway, the book will be released this fall (in September, I believe), so I'm looking forward to seeing it all bound and finished. It's a great treat, however, to see it in these earlier stages.

Jane Austen Awesomeness

Check it out! Why did I not know about this sooner!!??

Birds, Lunar Eclipses and Misc.

So, I tried to do the Great Backyard Bird track, but alas, I've seen almost NO birds at my feeder lately. Then I saw this article. I know hawks are definitely in the neighborhood, so maybe one is lurking around my backyard too.

Did you see the lunar eclipse? I tried to take some pictures with our new camera, but they looked like weird white blobs. At about 10pm, the moon was pinkish-red as the shadow of the earth blocked the light of the sun. A rare and beautiful event to witness. The thing about the moon in winter that I love is the soft light it produces as it reflects off the snow. But it was dark last night with this shadowy moon looming overhead.

Cute Cat Picture of the Day

This is our kitty-cat Penny. Ahhh...the bliss of cat-naps.

Great Backyard Bird Count

As some of you know, one of my hobbies is bird watching. I saw a great blue heron flying over campus a week or so ago. Awesome! And I love watching the cardinals in my backyard--especially in the winter. I noticed a couple of nuthatches yesterday at my feeder too.

Anyway, from Feb. 15-18 is the Audobon Society's Great Backyard Bird Count. For 15 minutes at some point this weekend, people from all over the U.S. (and Canada?) will be counting birds in their backyards. So I'm going to force Jacob to help me count for 15 minutes. Gotta go fill up the bird feeder!

More thoughts on teaching writing

Thank you, Carol, for your helpful comments about my last post. That book sounds awesome. I will definitely take a look. I was particularly frustrated that day when I last posted, but I have to say that now that I am teaching a new group of students and giving them assignments that are more creative, it's been a joy to see what they come up with. There are a few in the class who are poets at heart, and to see their writing has been a ton of fun for me this week. Here are the writing assignments I gave (nothing fabulous, but good creative writing starters nonetheless):

1. Write what comes before or after the action of a short story we read in class. This was awesome--several wrote about Jim and Della Young from "The Gift of the Magi" and put them in interesting scenarios. For example, what would happen if these two selfless, but poor people found an envelope full of money? Another two or three students wrote about what caused Montresor in "A Cask of Amontillado" to become so vengeful toward Fortunato. What were those "thousand injuries" that Montresor endured in order to bury Fortunato alive? Still others chose to tell the Misfit's point of view in "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Interesting stuff, indeed!

2. Another fun writing exercise which I LOVED was when I had my department chair break into my class and stage a scene. Then I had the students write about what they saw. It was a great exercise in showing how word choice differs a lot between people. So my department chair, right in the middle of me talking about "The Yellow Wallpaper" opened the classroom door and said, "Julie, I need to see you right now!" He really sounded mean about it too. I said that I was in the middle of class, could I talk to him later, etc. But no, he "needed" to see me then. So I left, and giggled in the hallway while the students wondered what the heck was going on. Mike left to get me a tissue to make it seem even more real, and then after a few minutes, I came back in, obviously flustered and shaken. (Not difficult for me.) One of my students said, "Do you want me to open a can of whoop-ass for you?" They stuck up for me! It was so sweet. (That was--in that moment--a highlight of my teaching "career"!) Then, after a few seconds, Mike came in and reassured the students that it was all a set up. Then, the pens started flying as they wrote down what they experienced.

3. I also asked students to take an everyday event and exaggerate it to make it into a more interesting piece of fiction. Those were fun to read.

4. Yesterday, I had students look at a photograph on the wall of the second floor of the building. I had noticed this photo (kind of Ansel Adams-ish) when I taught on the second floor last month of a couple standing on a railway platform, watching a train chug into the distance. So I had the students write about what was happening in the picture. I love those type of story-starters.

While I've been teaching this class, I've been sick and extra busy, so it's becoming a little frustrating to me that I haven't had as much time to write. But this is coming at writing from a different angle, and it's teaching me some things too.

I just don't get it

So I've been teaching this class on the Fundamentals of English. For the most part, I enjoy it, but I do not understand the idea that writing is some dreaded activity like I hear sometimes from students. Yeah, grammar can be a big pain with all the exceptions, rules, etc.

But why would you not want to improve your writing, so that you can communicate better? Express yourself more easily? Enjoy the sound of words? Experiment with word play and rhyme?

I love this quote from E.M. Forester (at least it's most often attributed to him): "How do I know what I think until I see what I say?" That quote so captures my daily experience. Some people think out loud by talking. I think by writing.

My Record Album

So, my friend Jane, over at Indiana Jane recommended this fun activity. You create your own record album cover. By going to various websites, you randomly find your band name, the title of the record, and the cover art. I'm not high-tech enough to figure out how to photoshop the cover art, but after doing this according to the directions, I came up with:

Ashley Heath (my band name) [which came from the Wikipedia site on the Ashley Heath railway station]

and "Life's not the movies" (my album name) [which came from the random quote website]

Pretty good, eh?

Directions:
1. The first article title on this page is the name of your band.
2. The last four words of the last quotation on this page is the title of your album.
3. The third picture on this page, no matter what it is, will be your cover artwork.
4. Take the artwork, your titles, and use a photo-editing program to paste them together.

Because you MUST love kitten pictures

There is NO way you can't say this is cute, right?

A Poll - Which is your favorite song?

Choose between the two extremely serious songs below:

Looking for My Leopard

OR

We Like the Moon.

Erin Bode, Jazz Singer

Last night we were treated to Erin Bode and the Erin Bode band which played at Concordia Theological Seminary's annual symposia banquet. It was great!

Here is a link to Erin on the Prairie Home Companion.

Even more impressive is Erin's work with the South African Themba school. She has now made two recordings with the girls' and boys' choirs at this boarding school. Here is the link to the recording with the girls' choir. She announced last night that she made a recording with the boys' choir this past fall, so I'm looking forward to hearing that when it comes out.

Take a peek at these websites. You will be glad you did.

Best Kitten Picture of the Day

You can NOT tell me that this guy isn't the sweetest thing you've ever seen--even those of you who *claim* to not like cats. And...this photo is so perfect for today when I am revising my story about the lost kitten trying to find her way home.

A Funny Story

So, yesterday I made lamb stew for our third annual Epiphany middle-eastern foods night. We decided that since Epiphany celebrates the wise men coming "from the east" that we should have a dinner with middle-eastern foods, like lamb stew, pita bread and hummus, honey cake, etc.

Thursday night, I had a hunk of lamb I was chopping up (and trying not to think about the cute fluffy lamb he once was). I was hungry and tired. I had a sip (one inch, no more) of wine as I was chopping, and suddenly, the empty stomach, tired body, wine in my belly, and super-bloody lamb on the cutting board made me very close to passing out. I started feeling woozy and light-headed. I felt the blood draining from my face. My hands started shaking. Maybe I was thinking a little too much about the cute fluffiness of the lamb or feeling grossed out by the blood oozing on the cutting board. I don't know. But I went and found Scott and told him that I thought I might pass out. He told me to sit down, so I did. Then I had a bowl of cereal and felt much better.

It was kind of funny because I never remember that happening when I've chopped up beef or goose or turkey or anything else. I think I'll let the butcher do it the next time.

The Blessings of Experience

Quick survey: in general, do you think life is better or worse as you get older?

Lately, I've been thinking about the blessings of experience. This week, I started teaching a Fundamentals of English class for the second time. Wow--what a difference! I am more prepared, more confident, feel like I can handle tangents or interruptions better, etc. I can think. My friend Carol mentioned to me yesterday that having expectations adjusted to the proper level helps a lot. She is completely right. Also, just going through all of it before helps a ton. I have a better grasp of the scope of the course, etc.

I had a discussion with my class today about how most people are afraid to speak in public. Many of my students agreed that that was their #1 fear. I told them that I get nervous with public speaking too, but that I can overcome that fear if I'm prepared. I showed them the huge binder of materials I put together in order to teach the class. With that, I am in good shape. But I KNOW that I can NEVER "wing it." Some people have that gift; not me. One of my students seemed surprised to hear that I didn't like public speaking. "You're a teacher after all!" she said with surprise. She's right. It is kind of bizarre, but true. To me, teaching a small-ish class is a lot different than speaking before a crowd of hundreds of people (which I, thankfully, have never had to do). But even in front of a small class, I can be a nervous wreck if I'm not sure what will come out of my mouth. And experience is so helpful in this regard. With experience, you know what to expect, are better prepared, and remember what has worked before. As I near 40, I sometimes think about what it would be like if I were younger again. And then I realize that I wouldn't want to go back. Because--for the most part--it seems to me that experience can be a blessing.

Potpourri

So the past few days I've been doing a little bit of a lot of different things.

1) I finished up my last round of lessons for the Growing in Christ Sunday school curriculum for Concordia Publishing House. The entire curriculum is done. It was a great project. It took lots of time, but I learned so much while I was writing the lessons.

2) I'm getting ready for another round of teaching. In January, in the mornings, I will be teaching Fundamentals of English at Brown Mackie College. This is basic grammar. Since it's my second go-round, I'm feeling much better about my preparations. I was asked to teach Intro to Lit in February, and I'm getting kind of excited about this. I could be teaching Hamlet, Hemingway, and more...oh my!

3) I'm working on various writing projects, including a third book in the Cheeps series. Yea cheeps!

4) And last, and by far the most exciting, I read an article in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about my hubby.

The Joys of Old Books

In the last couple of weeks, I've been reading two old books. One is My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, published in 1956. The other is an English textbook called Writing Good Sentences by Claude W. Faulkner, which I borrowed from a teacher who lives down the street from me.

I love a new book, hot off the press. I especially love my new books. :) But...after reading these two books, I am reminded that there is simple joy in reading what others have read before me. I love the fact that this memoir by Gerald Durrell has been sitting on the shelf of the library for years and years. How many people before me have read and enjoyed it?

And I love using a textbook that a seasoned English teacher has found helpful over the years. I think about her students, the quiet time she spent grading papers, and how she taught her lessons.

The words sit there quietly on the bookshelf, waiting for a reader. And then, the story opens up in the imagination of that person who picks up the book and reads.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2008 to everyone! A couple of random thoughts and some reviews for this first day of January '08.

Between Christmas and today, I skimmed most of my new book, Woe Is I by Patricia T. O'Conner. I like the subtitle: "The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English." I loved this section in the last chapter: "A good writer is one you can read without breaking a sweat. If you want a workout, you don't lift a book--you lift weights. Yet we're brainwashed to believe that the more brilliant the writer, the tougher the going. The truth is that the reader is always right. Chances are, if something you're reading doesn't make sense, it's not your fault--it's the writer's" (195).

I agree. It is very difficult to explain things clearly and well. In order to explain something clearly, it must be clear in the mind of the writer (or explainer). This is one thing I admire about my husband. He has this great ability to explain things well, to make them clear to just about anyone.

It is up to the writer to explain rather than the responsibility falling on the reader to decipher. Anyway, it's a good book for English teachers or writers or anyone else to likes fun books about language.

We watched "Stardust" last week and really enjoyed this family-friendly movie.

Also watched part of the "Band of Brothers" mini-series. Love it! Damien Lewis is one of my favorite actors these days.

My Dog's New "Puppy"

This is our dog Lucy with the new toy she got for Christmas. I figured that this, like all of her other toys, would last a little while. She'd bite it, chew it, squeak it, throw it around, etc. One time we gave her a plastic hamburger which was bitten into five million pieces only minutes after she got it. So I figured that this plastic tiger would last at least for Christmas Day.

When we gave Lucy the toy amidst all of the Christmas unwrapping and opening present frenzy, she suddenly got very nervous. She started pacing. She was panting. She was crying. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Finally, we decided that the toy was not really working out, so I put it away in the cupboard while we went to church.

When we got back, I decided to see how she would do with the tiger. Instead of her normal behavior of pulling apart the toy until she can get the squeaker out of it, she was incredibly gentle with it. She carried it around in her mouth, but never once squeaked it. She was never at all rough with it. If anything, it seemed to upset her. She cried and whimpered. That night, she went to bed with her new toy and never let it out of her sight.

It's been two days, and she is still totally attached. We think that she has adopted this as her baby. She won't go outside without her tiger. She sleeps with her tiger. She makes sure that he's close by at all times. Just now, someone came to the front door. She was sleeping on the couch with her tiger, and when she tried to get up, she bumped the tiger, made it cry, and stopped in mid-bark. She never stops in mid-bark, but we figure that she was upset about making her baby cry.

I thought this was so odd that I checked around online and found that this is quite common for female spayed dogs which never had pups. They adopt a stuffed animal, "take care of it" for awhile, and then eventually decide it's old enough to be on its own.

On a related note, I recently heard about this story on the radio. The Red Sox closing pitcher for the 2007 World Series got the game ball, but subsequently lost it. He now blames his dog, Boss, for chewing it to shreds.

We'll see if "Baby" gets ripped up any time soon.

A Christmas Goose

For the last several years, off and on, we've had a goose for Christmas dinner. I decided to chronicle our goose adventure this year.


Step 1 - Find a goose at a specialty meat store. I bought ours at Jamison Specialty Meats in Fort Wayne.



Step 2 - Thaw goose, and a) Try not to be sad that you are planning on eating him.


Step 2, part b) Try not to think of cute pictures of goslings, like this:












Step 3 - Unwrap and get out all the innards.

[Note: disturbing images of goose innards below.]








Step 4 - Wash goose. Marvel at his wingspan. Salt and pepper him.


Step 5 - Pour boiling water over the goose throughout the cooking process. This helps to get rid of the extra fat. Put goose in oven for one hour on 400 degrees.









Step 6 - Go and watch part of A Christmas Story on TBS for 45 minutes. Fall asleep until buzzer sounds.

Step 7 - Pour more boiling water over goose. Suck extra water out of bottom of pan out with basting bulb. Find multiple containers for water/fat solution. Turn heat down to 350 degrees. (Repeat step 2x)

Step 8 - Take goose out of oven and let him rest for 20 minutes. Talk to family and wish them merry Christmas. Then start carving.









Step 9 - Serve goose!


Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Eve Poem

Yet

I look east on Christmas Eve morning.
The skies, marbled gray and bitterly cold
will not let the morning sun through.
Yet the sun will shine again.

We are wrapped in winter,
frozen by icy winds,
mummified in layers of blankets.
Yet the days will warm again.

Families are broken,
despair threatens.
Yet laughter will return again.

Days trudge on,
frustrations mount.
Yet.
Yet we are ready--
a tree stands, tinsled and gilded,
gifts pile expectantly,
Christmas cantatas wait to be sung,
and our hearts,
sprinkled with mercy,
buoyed by hope,
confess yet again:
Hodie Christus natus est.

Random things

Here are a couple of random things:

- Here's a game called Know Your World? It's addicting. I'm sure many of you can beat me. I got up to level 7 the first time I tried it. It's fun.

- Two years ago, I posted a link to an Elf game, and it's been my most popular post ever. So, here's an early Christmas gift to you: Elf game.

- Also, I stumbled upon this website: What Should I Read Next? Apparently, the way it works is you record some of the books that you've read and liked and from people's recommendations, the site will link you to titles of other books that match your taste. I got some book recommendations, but haven't read them yet.

An Awesome Book

I'm currently reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. The Publishers Weekly review on the back says, "The Glass Castle is nothing short of spectacular." And the review from People says: "Walls has joined the company of writers such as Mary Karr and Frank McCourt who have been able to transform their sad memories into fine art." Anyone who liked Angela's Ashes should definitely read this book. It is amazing.

Historical maps

I'm doing some research this afternoon on bodies of water in Israel. I'm finding all sorts of cool websites. I found one with satellite images of the Middle East. I found another with all sorts of historical maps, going back to the sixteenth century. The map to the left is a Lucas Cranach map, interestingly. The thing I like about these old maps is the artistic flare of the cartographer. There are these frothy waves in the Mediterranean with ships' sails billowing in the wind. It's awesome. I also like this one, which shows the faces of the four winds.

The Old and the New

For me this fall has been an interesting mix of the old and the new. I think it all started when my family and I went to Colorado for my dad's 70th birthday party in August. Both of my brothers were able to come, and we celebrated with gifts and a nice dinner out. My mom had pulled out lots of old pictures for one of the gifts we gave my dad, and later, my dad reminisced about his parents, grandparents, and his Uncle Steve as well as memories from childhood.

In the month of November, I traveled to Pittsburgh, our home for seven years. It's been just over a year since we moved, and yet, driving on those windy, narrow streets made it seem like I never left (including the sinking feeling of being lost amid the hills of the city). What struck me about that trip was stepping back into those friendships. The conversations were easy. The connection is still strong.

I also trekked up to Ann Arbor, MI, where we attended college. My husband and I took our son on a tour through the Manor, what used to be our student commons. We found the secret passageways, the trap doors, and all the fun and interesting spots where we made all of those college memories. We attended the Boar's Head Festival, we chatted with old friends and professors.

Then, friends moved into a house here in Fort Wayne where we lived when Jacob was a baby, and I walked through the halls of those memories again too. When I think of Jacob as a baby and preschooler, I think of living in that house. He took his first steps there. He sat on the couch and "read" his first books there. That was our first house.

And yet, all of those memories are wrapped up with the new ones we're making day by day. I continue to cherish friendships over the years and build on those relationships. I meet new friends, attend a new church, live in a new home. And through it all, God's tender mercy follows me day by day.

Saint Nicholas Dramatization

Last weekend, a brave group from Concordia Theological Seminary enacted the story of Saint Nicholas based on my book of the same name. Here is a link to my website where there are more photos.

Writing as Process

Over my years of writing, I have come to realize that one thing about writing is absolutely true: whatever I write is never finished.

After the original idea comes to me, it is all about process after that. I start with a vague idea of a storyline and characters. Maybe I'll play with rhymes in my head for awhile--a day, two weeks, two years. Maybe I'll ponder the characters and figure out a good conflict. I've learned, through patience and experience, that this process mostly happens in the background of my everyday life. While driving kids to school, folding laundry, washing dishes, or walking my dog, those ideas are percolating. Sometimes I'll hear a rhythm in my head which flows well for whatever it is I am writing. Sometimes I draw a blank. That's all part of the process.

Then, once I jot my notes in my journal, transfer notes onto a legal pad, and then type the manuscript onto the computer, I continue revising and revising and revising.

Last night, I attended a Christmas party where my St. Nicholas story was dramatized. As I sat listening to the text read to an auditorium full of people, I tried to not revise in my head. But it was impossible.

"Ooh," I thought. "That really wasn't the best word to use there. You should have drawn out the introduction more. You should have used a more descriptive verb, blah, blah, blah." This book was published several years ago, in 2003, perhaps? And still, it feels unfinished to me.

That is the joy and the curse of creative work.

Thank you to everyone who braved the cold to come to my book signing last night at Borders in Fort Wayne. Other than the gorilla with the santa hat scaring the toddlers, it was a great success. : ) It was fun to see the kids enjoy the stories, especially Merry Christmas, Cheeps! My illustrator, Carol Baicker-McKee suggested making props to go along with each page, so that made the story interactive and fun for the kids. Thank you, Carol, for the idea!

Tonight at the seminary Christmas party, some daring folks will be acting out the story of St. Nicholas. I'm looking forward to seeing it--fourth century costumes and all! I just asked that I wouldn't have to read it aloud, so Katie Schuerman (brilliant organizer that she is) asked Dr. Fickenscher with his booming baritone voice to read it. Fabulous!

Thank you to Pastor Petersen, also, for plugging my St. Nicholas book. I like it!

Boar's Head Festival at Concordia University, Ann Arbor

It's been awhile since I've actually posted something of substance on my blog, so I decided to just begin where I am. Right now, I am with my family in Ann Arbor, MI. Scott and I attended college here at Concordia Univ., graduating in 1991.

One of the things I've really wanted to do since graduating is return here to see the Boar's Head Festival. (Read my husband's post about it here.) Boar's Head, as it is (oddly) affectionately known, refers to a very old custom which can be traced back to Roman times. The boar, considered to be the most dangerous animal in the forest, was hunted down and killed in order to show the triumph of good over evil. In the first half of the festival, the boar's head is presented along with lords, ladies, a jester, wassailing men, and of course, good King Wenceslas.

In Concordia University's presentation of the Boar's Head Festival presents in the first half the "Courtly Story," of the yule sprite entering the darkened church, representing the light of Christ coming into a darkened world. Then there is singing, dancing, all sorts of merry-making, the presentation of the Boar's Head, the gathering around the yule log, and so much more.

The second half of the festival is the Christmas story. Mary and Joseph enter the church, the Christ child is presented to the congregation in a dance--a bouree, the singing gradually crescendos into "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" until all gather around the Christ Child to celebrate His victory--God come to us in the infant Christ.

It has been many years since I've seen the Boar's Head. Scott and I once went to a festival at Plymouth Congregational Church in Fort Wayne, but nothing (of course) matches the experience of Concordia's Boar's Head.

My memory for names is not good, but after many years, I could still have sung every part of the Boar's Head with no preparation at all. There have been a few minor alterations which have only improved the production, in my opinion.

Last summer I was elected to be on the board of regents for Concordia Univ. The past two days, I have been in meetings all day to discuss issues that affect the continuing success of the university. The Boar's Head is an example of everything that is good about Concordia, and I was privileged to see the festival once again.

You are invited!

Come to see Carol Baicker-McKee and Julie Stiegemeyer at a book signing for their new book:

Merry Christmas, Cheeps!

At Barnes and Noble – South Hills Village, Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday, November 17, between 11:00 a.m. and noon

Hope to see you there!

8 rules for writing fiction by Kurt Vonnegut -- Awesome!

Eight rules for writing fiction:

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

-- Vonnegut, Kurt Vonnegut, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons 1999), 9-10.

---

Do you speak American?
Paul McCain posted a link to a fabulous website which showed all sorts of variations of dialects and accents from all over the U.S. I have been trying to find it again, but can't!

Today, I did find this website, though. Take the test and see if you are a Yank or a rebel. Fun!

Merry Christmas, Cheeps! Poster

Go here to find a poster with Merry Christmas, Cheeps! as well as info on reading with children at the holidays. (Thanks, Todd, for your help with this!)

Mid-grade novel writing --
So, lately, I've been working on a mid-grade chapter book. I imagine 8 and 9 year olds reading this. It's been really fun to see it grow and develop. Sometimes these writing projects really do take on a life of their own. I am enjoying "getting to know" the character I've created.

So, thanks to Grant K. for helping me with my title. And thank you, Grant and Pam, for all of your encouragement! It's easy to feel stuck, and that encouragement really helps.

Writing in a different genre is a little bit like starting over and learning the ropes all over again. But I hope to have some material in the next few months for field testers--like Renee and Audrey!

A Nice Review
Here's a nice review of my new Cheeps book. I loved her line about readers being reminded that this is definitely a "chicken Christmas." :)

Merry Christmas, Cheeps!
Illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee

The new cheeps book is out! And I even saw it on a Borders bookshelf last week--so it's really officially out! Check out Carol's blog where she's way too nice about my writing, but also gives some insight into how she created her adorable illustrations.

If you'd like to be healthier...
Take a look at this website: BMI Calculator. You put in your weight and height and learn if your body mass index is underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. Helpful!

Books and Such
After a lovely summer picnic this afternoon, my friend Jane asked me about books I've read lately. Currently, I'm enjoying Lisa Scottoline books and Agatha Christie. But one I forgot to mention to Jane is the book I'm reading called Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance by Julia Cameron. It's a book about writing--or any creative or artistic endeavor--and how to keep at it when the waters run dry. I was definitely having a dry spell this past spring--probably the closest thing to writer's block I've ever had. But thankfully it passed as I kept writing and kept at it. I've just barely started reading Finding Water, but I always enjoy Julia Cameron's fresh perspective on creativity and writing.

The Joys of Summer
So, I am lately addicted to peaches and watermelon. Yum! Here are three tips for picking out a good watermelon:
- Choose one that feels heavy. Good watermelons are 92% water, so the heavier the better.
- Choose one with a yellow patch on the underside. That shows that it ripened in the sun.
- Choose one that's free of dents, bruises, and is symmetrical.

Here's the website where I found that info.

Reformation Game
I'm working on my latest round of Sunday school lessons, and I discovered this game online. It's actually quite fun. I have only played it with the Reformation questions. I enjoyed it!

How exciting!!

I just received my box of author copies of my newest book, Christmas Night Fair and Bright. I LOVE the art. I haven't seen it before today, and it is really, really wonderful. Ooh, I'm so excited

A Miscellaneous Tuesday
Regarding Memorial Day...
One of my projects for the summer is to hang a flag holder on the house. Our house in Pittsburgh had one, and I always hung our flag out on patriotic holidays. So, that's on my to-do list since I discovered yesterday that there isn't one.

I've decided one way I could help support the troops is by donating to the USO. Go here for info on how you can donate to provide a care package for soldiers.

And also...
A few weeks ago, my illustrator, Carol Baicker-Mckee and I found out that our Cheep! Cheep! was named one of Beginning with Books' best books of 2006. Here's a link. Such a nice honor! And thank you Dave Pasquini for sending me this link to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

And finally...
We watched a strange combination of movies over the Memorial Day weekend. I watched The Queen, which I really enjoyed. Helen Mirrin's performance is stellar. Absolutely phenomenal how subtle and controlled she is in her portrayal of the queen during the week of Diana's death.

Also watched Apocalypto. From a storytelling point of view, it reminded me that a story can be told with humanity and tenderness in any setting, at any time, and in a foreign language! Gibson's ability to create a fully well-rounded story does not disappoint again in Apocalypto. More than once I closed my eyes and cringed a lot at the brutal violence. But the lush scenes and the incredible cast pulled this off brilliantly.

And last, we watched Galaxy Quest. That was just downright fun!

A Memorial Day Tribute

Everyone should watch this You Tube montage this weekend.

Baby Duckings!!
This morning was the first time I saw the baby ducklings here at seminary lake. There were ten of them, and boy were they cute. I'm going to try to get photos of them later.

Baby Geese!
At the seminary lake, I took pictures of the goose families the other night. Aren't they adorable???

Thunderphobia
So, with all of the storms passing through the region in the last couple of days, we've realized once again how thunderphobic our big baby dog Lucy is. I read about this and how to desensitize dogs to the big bad thunder sounds here. I'm going to try to desensitize her to the thunder, but I'm thinking she might need drugs.

Merry Christmas Cheeps!
Well, it's listed on Amazon now. Isn't this cover adorable? This is the newest book in the Cheeps series.

Happy Birthday, Billy!
Today is the birthday of William Shakespeare. Go to Writers' Almanac to learn more about him. On today's edition of Writers' Almanac, Garrison Keillor gives lots of interesting tidbits about Shakespeare. He also reads a lovely poem for the day.

So what is your all-time fav Shakespeare play? Mine is Hamlet, no doubt about it. It's brilliant.

Goose Attack!!!
Since Jacob was feeling a little better this afternoon, we went over to the lake to feed the geese again. We were trying to give the mama goose some food when all of a sudden, this big mean man goose came up to her and started pulling her feathers out with his beak! What a jerk! He was trying to get her to get off her eggs. She did, eventually, and then Jacob and I went into full defense mode, telling that jerky goose to get away. He listened eventually, and the mama got back on her eggs. Yikes! It was scary. The big meany!

And no, that will not be part of a new story about goose zombies. Nor will I write a horror story about vampire geese trying to suck the blood from other geese.

Two Things Tonight
This evening, we went to the seminary lake (which, by the way, Jacob thinks needs a name--Lake Luther?) and visited the ducks and geese. We saw three mama geese and one mama duck sitting on nests. It was great. At one point, one of the mama geese got up to stretch her wings and we spied six or seven eggs under her, which were about twice the size of chicken eggs. It was great.

Then, I got an email with this link to see some cool pictures of Pittsburgh. I especially liked the fourth picture down of the four gables stair-stepping to the top of the PPG building. It's a cool shot. I also like the "city of bridges" one.

Art and the Bible
I stumbled across this website this afternoon as I've been doing some research on the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. It links to a ton of artistic renderings of the Baptism of Jesus. I liked this one a lot. Here's the link to the art index.

Unicorns in the Bible?
I got really freaked out when on Maundy Thursday I heard this quoted from Psalm 22:

20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

Unicorns in the Bible? I read up on it, and found out that it likely is referring to wild oxen, and that is shown in other translations. I thought I was losing my mind because for the last 5 or 6 Maundy Thursdays, I had chanted this entire Psalm with another woman from our church in Pittsburgh, and I never remembered anything about unicorns. I missed chanting that with Mary Ellen, by the way. It was one of our traditions.

That is not to say that the Holy Week traditions at Redeemer were anything but wonderful. Because they are wonderful.

But I miss the daffodil cross, the overwhelming scent of Easter lillies at Concordia and I missed the tenebrae, the Easter breakfast cooked by the Flores family, putting out the Easter baskets made by Virginia. Much love to you all at Concordia! I miss you!

Holy Saturday
If you haven't ever been to an Easter vigil on the night before Easter, I suggest you find a church that has this lovely service. I'm looking forward to going tonight to Redeemer.

We're right now listening to Bach's St. John Passion. I love the soprano aria that is placed right after Peter cuts off Malchus' ear in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is not a great translation, but here is the text.

I follow Thee also with joy to be near Thee
in trouble and strife
Thou light of my life
Ah speed Thou my way:
and say me not "nay";
but let me be near Thee to solace and cheer Thee.

I think Bach is genius to place this here because the text is so meaningful at this point in the passion story. It could be a prayer of Christ, but also of His followers. It's also a light, lovely aria that I wish I could sing although I'm fairly sure I wouldn't be able to pull it off.

What I love about Holy Saturday is the reassurance that Christ has gone to the grave ahead of me. On Holy Saturday, He is resting in the tomb and we await the resurrection.

The Perfect Tragedy
I re-watched The Perfect Storm on Saturday and was surprised how sad it was. I had forgotten that all the fishermen die, plus a coast guard rescuer. As I've thought about the movie over the weekend, I realized that this story reallyl is a morality tale. The problem came down to hubris--pride.

The basic story is that these six sword fishermen from New England get this huge load of swordfish that will make them all a killing. But then their ice machine breaks. With a broken ice machine, they can't wait out the storm in a safe place. So they decide to chance it, going straight into the worst storm of the century. Greed wins the day as they head into the storm. Sadly, they all die, their boat is sunk, and several coast guard rescuers put their lives on the line to try to save them.

It reminds me of Icarus flying too close to the sun--that thoguht that we are so tough, so great, so god-like that we can do anything. This Wikipedia link shows some interesting literary and artistic renderings of Icarus and his famous (or infamous) fall.

I just saw a wall hanging in advertised in a Kohl's flyer which said:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take,
but the number of times your breath is taken away.

That, I thought, was a pretty odd saying. I mean, there are some not so nice things in life that take my breath away--jogging for one. Don't like that. Gasping in horror at one of my animals throwing up. That's not so nice. The fact that Sanjaya is still on American Idol. That is not so great either.

I know, I know. I guess this is referring to all those euphoric fabulous moments when something unexpectedly wonderful happens. Like when my husband proposed to me. Or when my son took his first steps. Or I got news that my book would be published.

But still, I think it's an odd saying. Don't you?

Eeeewwwwww!
So far all my fans who would like me to write something featuring zombies as the main character(s), I think I now have an inspiration.

Yesterday I took the dog for a walk, and we found a dead fox near the Luther statue. Lucy (the dog), of course, wanted to go lick, sniff, eat, whatever she would do with a dead fox. It is a good thing she was on the leash.

Anyhoo, that was sad that the cute little foxy was dead, but I actually was glad to get a good look at him since they are nocturnal, and I've never seen one (being diurnal myself). I just finished trying to find info on which species of foxes live in Indiana, and I'm coming up with only Red Fox, Gray Fox, and some other type that only lives in Brazil. It wasn't any of those. I know this was not an opposum or racoon. It was about the size of a large house cat. It was tan and gray, with a bushy tail and black beady eyes. I'll have to look up a book of Indiana wildlife at the library, I guess.

So today as I was heading to the gym, I saw a turkey vulture eating the fox. Not pretty, but hey, even turkey vultures gotta eat, right?

That is my zombie inspiration for the day. I'm not quite sure how a zombie story will result from those unsavory sites, but I gotta start somewhere.

Deal or No Deal Game
Oh, this is dangerously addictive. Go here to play.

Back Home
Phew! I've tried to post something all day, and keep getting waylaid. We are back home in Indiana. It was so nice seeing such different scenery, enjoying the wide blue skies and warm weather while we were in the southwest. But being back in the midwest yesterday was kind of like putting on a favorite flannel shirt. It's comfortable and homey. It's good to be back.

Sandia Peak Tramway
Yesterday afternoon, while Scott was busy with recruiting, Jacob and I went up the Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, which was quite fun. Jacob and I had previously been up the Aspen Mountain tram/gondola thing (in Aspen, Colo.) and it was a little scary. There was one point in the Aspen tram when the thing stopped suddenly, and we were swinging on this little cable in the wind, 500 feet over the canyon below. It didn't start up again for at least 5 minutes. That definitely brought out my acrophobia.

But the Sandia Peak Tram was a very smooth ride over rugged, rocky, steep terrain. Some people like to hike that. I wouldn't. It looks way too hard. But it was fun to get up to 10,000 feet and see the view of Albuquerque below.

The guide on the tram said that sometimes people go hang-gliding off the top of the mountain. He said one guy got all the way to Oklahoma after jumping off the top of Sandia Peak. He said that was over 300 miles. I'm not sure I quite believe that. But apparently, the wind sheers off the mountain are pretty intense.

At the top, Jacob and I saw SNOW which we hadn't seen for a week. There were some people playing in the snow for whom, we were convinced, snow was not a regular part of their lives.

Today we are worshipping at Grace Lutheran in Albuquerque. Scott is assisting with the service and then teaching Bible class. Then we are heading to Santa Fe for the afternoon. Tomorrow we go back to the Midwest.

In New Mexico Today
Today we drove from Arizona into Las Cruces, NM. It's amazing to me to think of what life must be like out here where you can wear shorts pretty much every month of the year. The pastor in Yuma told us that he gets kind of excited when it rains. I can't exactly imagine getting excited when it rains in Ft. Wayne. The weather is beautiful here. Sunny, clear skies. Last night, we walked around the hotel in the Arizona desert and the stars twinkled in the deep blue night. It was mild and lovely.

On the road, I'm reading to the guys about desert wildlife, flowers, cactus, etc.

This guy is a kangaroo rat. He can jump up to 10 feet in a single bound. Cool, eh? I think this is the guy who never drinks water. He gets his water from whatever food he eats.



This is a desert coyote. We heard these guys howling last night when we went on our walk. They like to eat prickly pear cacti.

There are lots of other animals we've learned about. I'm working on a story which I think will be called Coyote Canyon, Coyote Moon, or something like that.

The Sunny Southwest
Well, here we are in warm and dry Yuma, AZ. This is not a tremendously gorgeous city, but it is warm--even on March 6.

We drove near the Sonoran desert today, where Saguaro cacti are prevalent. Saguaro is pronounced Saw-WAH-roh, and when you think of the typical cactus you drew in the second grade, it's a saguaro.

I picked up small book on them today and we read about them in the car on the drive from Phoenix to Yuma today. They can live to be 200 years old. They are very slow growing. In the first four-five years they only grow to be about an inch tall. Their structure helps not only to preserve the precious little water that falls in this desert region, but the strong cylindrical shape also becomes a haven for many types of birds, including some flickers and owls. This photo shows a saguaro with nest holes.

So here are things we saw today: dustdevils, tumbleweed, saguaros, and places with great names like Jackrabbit Trail. I feel a story brewing about the desert.

Tomorrow we head to Tucson. No, Judy, no rattlesnake recipes yet!! But it did taste interesting. :)

Aunt Susie's Cake

From The Body in the Snowdrift by Katherine Hall Page

Cake:

1 box good-quality yellow cake mix

4 large eggs

¾ cup canola oil

1 11-oz. can mandarin oranges packed in juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil in a bowl. Mix according to the directions on the box. Fold in the oranges, including juice, and mix well. Pour into 3 greased round cake pans. Be sure the orange pieces are evenly distributed. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. Remove cakes from the pans and cool on racks while you make the frosting.

Frosting:

1 small package instant vanilla pudding

1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple packed in juice

1 large container Cool Whip or other whipped topping

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. Mix together the juice and the instant pudding. Add the Cool Whip and drained pineapple, then mix. Spread some of the frosting between the layers and use the rest on top and sides of cake.

A couple of notes from Julie:

- Divide up the cake batter evenly between the pans. This may seem obvious to most people, but because I only have two round cake pans, it was hard to eye-ball it because I had to bake the layers in two batches.

- I only had a regular sized Cool Whip (actually generic brand), and there was more than enough frosting.

- I made this the day ahead, so I refrigerated it overnight. I don't know if that's necessary, but with the cool whip and fruit, I figured it might not hold together if it was room temperature. That, or maybe it would start to ferment.

- This is from a series of "light" or "homespun" mystery novels by Katherine Hall Page. I actually liked the first couple much better than the more recent ones. This one was so-so. The Body in the Attic was pretty good.

FUDGE!!!!!
Someone in Pittsburgh really loves us because we just got a pan of fudge in the mail. It is so yummy. The sad part is that it was to "Pastor and Julie" but Scott is out of town until Thursday night. So...hmmm...I will try my best not to scarf down the whole pan. It is yummy, Judy! I was reminiscing with Jacob about how fun your wedding reception was with all those yummy desserts and the chocolate fountain.

Anyway, happy 1st anniversary, Jeff and Judy!!

A Photo Essay of the Seminary
Thanks to Cyberstones for linking to this Fort Wayne website which shows off the beauty of the seminary's campus. Here's the direct link to the website which showcases the sem.

In the last week, I've had two different fortune cookies. Here are my fortunes:

"You have the ability to sense and know higher truth."

"Genius does what it must and talent does what it can."

The first one is just weird. Is there "higher" truth apart from "lower" truth?

I have no idea what the second one even means. I understand if it would have been talent only takes you half way to your goal. The other half is hard work. But this? I don't get it, which means I'm neither a genius or talented, apparently.

What's the deal with fortune cookies these days?

Clearly, I'm avoiding anything that could be called work, which is why I'm posting about inane things.

Oh the states I've Seen, Part 2
Well, my mom helped me remember all the states where I've been, and I missed a few.


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A Poem for a Friday on Psalm 46:10.


Still
I visit the night,
see my breath hang silent
against the darkness.
Ice in the pond has frozen
into its shores.
Branches of the oak have softened
under starlight.
Snow has settled
between blades of grass.
I close my eyes
under heaven
and I am also
still.

Bethany and the Home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

I've been doing a little reading about the village of Bethany to find a cultural connection to the story in Luke 10 about Mary and Martha and the "one thing needful" -- to listen to Jesus.

I found some interesting websites (here's another) that show an ancient home (which might have been Mary and Martha's) in addition to photos of this beautiful church called the Franciscan Church of St. Lazarus.

The interesting thing about the account in Luke 10 of Martha being worried about many things and Mary listening at Jesus' feet is what comes before and after the narrative.

Before it is the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and after it is the giving of the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-12). God's Word - the "one thing needful" that Mary discovers - is highlighted even more by these beloved and important sections in Scripture.

"Psalms of David" CD, Part 2
I was out and about this afternoon and in the car I listened to track 15 of this CD which I wrote about yesterday. If you can listen to it on the website, or get the CD, you really must listen to this track at least. It is "O Praise God in His Holiness." The Psalm goes through a list of instruments--praise God with a trumpet, praise God with the cymbals, and then ends with this magnificent "Let everything praise the Lord." Ethereal, exquisite, celestial, heavenly, angelic--all those words work. It is fine choral music.

Laundry Frustration!!!! (which calls for multiple exclamation points)
So I tried all of your suggestions to get the blue paint out of my son's shirt, and nothing is working!! The amount of water I have spent washing those two shirts is getting ridiculous. I tried every spot cleaner known to man (okay, maybe not every one, but a lot). I also tried to Rit dye products--a whitener and a color remover. Neither one did much good. So I'm frustrated.

I'm ready to have two new dust rags. Grrr...

Oh, The States I've Seen
Here's my map of the states I've been to. I think I may have been to a couple more, which my mom can remind me of. I'm not sure about Nevada or Idaho. I could've been in Kentucky when I was young too. There are a few places I know we passed through on family vacations when I was young, and I don't remember all of them. Anyway, I've been to quite a few states. I had no idea!



Thanks to: Jane and Melynda.

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All Things British
The last couple of hours I've been listening to a CD which I love called "The Psalms of David" sung by the Kings Choir of King's Chapel in Cambridge (notice that you can scroll down on this link from Amazon and listen to portions of each of the tracks). Listening to a CD of church music sung by a boys' chapel choir makes me think of a PBS miniseries from awhile back called "The Choir." I also keep thinking of Susan Howatch books which are often set in cathedrals. (Her books are only okay, in my opinion. I mean, the plots are engaging and the characters are interesting. But I guess I just got tired of reading about clergy who are devoid of any redeeming quality.) Listening to the CD also makes me think of my favorite Agatha Christie book, "Murder in the Vicarage." Of course, I also have in the back of my mind lots of other beloved authors from the UK. There are some days when I wish I had a little English cottage and could be a member of the Cambridge singers, and drink English tea at teatime. But most days, I'm a very happy American.

The best part, of course, about the CD are the lovely settings of the Psalms, which are always so comforting and reassuring. "The Lord of hosts is with us!" "The Lord is my shepherd." "I was glad when they said unto me, 'let us go unto the house of the Lord.'"

The Shape of Trees
Awhile back, when Jacob was still young enough to be home most of the day, I would frequently take him and my dog on walks in a park in Pittsburgh called the Arboretum. It was really just a small tract of land left to go wild in the middle of a neighborhood. I liked it because, as the name suggests, it was mostly wooded. Around that time, I found a little guide book which showed the shape of trees in the winter. It was a neat little book that I can't find right now (grrr...moving sometimes makes me cranky). It shows how every tree has a distinctive shape and character--the width and height, the openness of the branches, etc. Here is kind of a cool website that describes this further.

On a beautifully sunny day like today, I tend to notice the shape of trees against the blue sky or against the white backdrop of the snow. Some of the tree trunks are straight and narrow, others more gnarled and curvy. I like to look at the lines of the branches with birds flying overhead. It's one of my favorite things about winter.

Songs in My Head
In addition to the BeeGees, I often have a variety of other songs that slip in and out of my head during the day. Neil Diamond songs, folk songs, hymns, The Wheels on the Bus, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Etc.

Five minutes ago, this song, "What'll We Do with a Drunken Sailor?" came unbidden. Why? Why? My mom used to sing this. My favorite song she ever sang in her programs was "Hush Little Baby."