When October Goes

My! How quickly the view from my windows has changed. Just a week ago in a half-hour span I watched as three people stopped their cars in front of my house to take pictures of the tree in our front yard. It was brilliant orange, full of its leaves and making all the rooms on the north side of my house seem candlelit. Now, on a dreary late October afternoon I see so much more of the neighborhood to my north than I have for months. I can even see the oddly shaped branch several blocks over which is undoubtedly a forever reminder of the awful ice storm we had a few years back. It looks like a broken wrist with its leafy hand hanging down awkwardly.

Robert Frost had it right, I think. "These dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be." Indoor recesses aside, I have savored the gray skies we've had of late. It only makes the trees that much more lively. And, it is the week of Halloween after all. You need gray skies now and then.

I was thinking the other day that God blessed me with the kind of autumn this year that I've always dreamed of and never seem to experience. I always have this deeply felt desire for fall to be long, though as a transitional season that is hardly a fair expectation. This fall, though, lingered long. We had cooler weather earlier on and the leaves have turned so gradually that there always seemed to be some tree on the street at its peak all the time. The drizzle, the gray, the cool - they haven't bothered me. I just put on a pot of chili and say, "Let's stay in tonight." We've done a lot of staying in lately. Home is a wonderful place to be. I guess I'm about as Norman Rockwellish as a person can be. I'm truly, truly blessed. Nattie's on my knee, watching the words progress across the screen. For once she's not trying to help me type. Even she seems content.

If you haven't yet, be sure you do some October things - some are absolute musts as far as I'm concerned.

1. Watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
2. Take a deep breath near a yard where the leaves have been on the ground a few days.
3. Collect a few acorns from the yard and sprinkle them on your table runner.
4. Light candles.
5. Make chili.
6. Listen to the song When October Goes (I love it on a Barry Manilow album - Paradise Cafe')
7. Go one day with little or no make-up or, if you can swing it, spend a whole day in your pajamas.
8. Bake pumpkin bread - splurge and stir in some mini chocolate chips.
9. Walk around the block near twillight - slowly - and take in the coziness of lights on in homes and glimpses of families gathered around tables (it's a rare sight and worth watching for).
10. Read Robert Frost - especially My Novembr Guest, Ghost House, and Nothing Gold Can Stay.
And for good measure - take a bubble bath - there are some lovely autumn scents available now. Talk about luxury!

Blessings!

Shellie

On the Shelves

Suddenly things are moving fast. My official publication date is two weeks away. My launch party is November 7. I have a book signing scheduled at Borders on November 14. On Sunday the News-Leader will be running an article by Juliana Goodwin about local authors and she included me in the piece. Tonight I just made a trip to Barnes & Noble where I saw twenty or so copies of No Penalty for Love on the shelf for sale. My mind is officially blown. How many people get to actually realize a dream? I'm so blessed. As if this great autumn weather wasn't wonderful enough on its own - I get this, too.

Right now, though, it's Friday night. I have a loving, supportive husband in the other room and a little black dog begging for my attention. I'm going to just go love on them for a while, because of all the dreams I've had and all those I've been blessed enough to have realized - these are the most precious. Home and family.

Can't Get Enough of that Oatmeal

Oatmeal Pie is a very good thing. I'd never heard of it before, but it was much like pecan pie. Very sweet. Very, very yummy.

I think I may have been overly ambitious when I imagined what this blog would be. Often my summer plans turn into fall's long to-do list once school starts. Perhaps I need to rethink. After all, what's romantic about life when you're being called to previously unannounced "mandatory" meetings after school every other day and when you arrive home so talked out that your voice croaks? In my heart I believe I can retain a sense of wonder and romance - even in the onslaught of life. I have to believe that. After all, most people work twelve months of the year at their jobs. I hate to think that Thoreau was right - that the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

September flew by for me. I didn't get (or take) the opportunity to enjoy it enough. It was here and it is now nearly gone. It's a double shame because the weather was so perfect - not like some of the hotter Septembers I'm used to. This one was coolish and there were cloudy days and the starts of color in the trees. Just right. I haven't been out in it enough though. Not enough walking. Not enough porch sitting. The one thing I did get right was the baking and cooking. My house smelled like autumn with the windows open and the scent of spices and vanilla in the air. I regret not having really lived this month. I find myself wanting to make a personal vow to really observe October (which is my favorite month of the year).

So, what are some things I can do to take advantage of these last few days of the month? This weekend the observatory is holding an open house. I've wanted to go for years but haven't. My husband emailed me the other day that he'd found it was going to be open this weekend and asked if I'd like to go. Being with husband at an observatory - romantic - check.

The idea of studying the stars and the night sky is a terribly romantic notion for me. I am awed by the vastness of all that's out there - known and unknown. On Saturday nights on PBS I watch the little Jack Horkheimer Stargazer show. It's about ten minutes long and is on right before Dr. Who (have I mentioned here before that I'm a huge Who fan - a real Wholigan). Anyway, he's a funny little man (Jack Horkheimer, not David Tennant), but I love to watch because I'm always finding something to be watching for in the night sky. And, what's more fascinating is the concept of light years - that a star or a planet I'm looking at right now isn't even in that spot anymore, but was thousands of years ago - I'm looking at something that isn't there. It's so magnificent! The scope of space, of this universe - it's just so awe-inspiring. I'm so struck by God's - well, His Godness - when I consider what all He's made and how little I understand of it.
So, observatory visit - romantic. Definitely.

What about. . .
Buying a pot of mums for the porch - this year I may buy the deep wine-colored ones
Finding a nicely shaped pumpkin
Picking up a fallen leaf that catches your eye
Listening to the Ahn Trio's c.d. Lullibies for My Favorite Insomniac
Listening to Kenny Loggins' c.d. Return to Pooh Corner
For that matter, rereading Winnie-the-Pooh, because, face it, you're never too old for Pooh
Crunching into an organic Fuji apple
Buying some cloth napkins at the flea market and stop buying paper ones
Training yourself to wipe a drippy nose with a real hankie - the kind with embroidry on it
Reading To Kill a Mockingbird and then watching the movie with Gregory Peck

Or, going through your mother's or grandmother's old recipe file and trying your hand at something that sounds wonderful when you read it - something like Oatmeal Pie.

Oatmeal

I don't know what it is with me lately, but I am absolutely hooked on oatmeal. Not only that, but I am in the kitchen cooking several nights a week and baking on Saturday mornings - and enjoying it! I am a self-proclaimed cooking-hater. I always have been. I've always felt inadequate in the kitchen. Now I'm making curry and beautiful pumpkin canneloni for weeknight suppers and baking oat bread and pumpkin oat muffins for breakfast. Right now, on a Friday night after what has to rank as one of the lousiest weeks of my teaching career just because every single day of the five was stink-o, I have an Oatmeal Pie in the oven. I found the recipe in my grandmother's old recipe box. Neither she nor my mother ever indicate how long to bake things. They just write "until done." So, I set the timer for 20 minutes and am hoping for the best. It smells wonderful!

Maybe I should credit the movie Julie and Julia which I saw on a Saturday afternoon with my mother and then convinced my husband to see with me on Labor Day. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and related to Julie's feelings about her job - doing my best to help and being smacked down at every turn. Her commentary about cooking at the end of the day bringing some sense of continuity to life, being something you can count on, really hit home with me. And, while I'm not willing to kill a lobster or debone a duck, I am having fun with some vegetarian recipes and am actually putting to use the small collection of vintage aprons that heretofore were merely decorative in my kitchen.

Twenty minutes turned out not to be long enough, but I'm keeping a careful eye on it. I only have enough calories left today to sample an extra-small piece (what Grandma would have termed "a sliver"), but I'm looking forward to it. Let the public education system twist itself into knots if it will - I'm eating oatmeal.

Adjusting the Thermostat for Romance Part 3: A Kiss is Still a Kiss

Sometime or another their lips have to meet. You're going to have to write it and it's going to have to be believable and satisfying while still creating in your heroine and your reader a longing for more. After all, isn't that what kissing is for?

If I was describing my first "grown up kiss" it would have to be said that it was much like finding my lips stuck in a plate of cold mashed potatoes. Therefore, my heroes will always have firm lips. Kisses on the page should be all the things kisses in real life should be - tender, passionate, thrilling. But, let's face it, sometimes in real life kisses are . . . well, humorous. Within the realm of romance we all could learn a thing or two about genuine laughter.

Ever clashed noses when going for a kiss? Closed your eyes too soon and wound up off-center? Been within a hair's breadth of his lips when the answering machine announced a reminder of your dental appointment the next morning? I'm sure you've got some stories to tell. Why shouldn't your romantic couple as well?

Whether in public or in private, a kiss is still a kiss. Variations on it are up to you. Just remember, the path to romantic love is often established in that first kiss and you, as the author, are the one charting the course.

In the last part of this series, we'll talk about the necessity of the author's determination of what will and will not take place between her characters on the page.

Smooches!
Shellie

WOW

Holding in my hand an acutal copy of my first published book: No Penalty for Love. The author copies arrived unexpectedly at my door today and what a moment of awe it was to open the box and see them there. I've never had a baby, but now I have this! I've wanted to be a writer since I was nine years old and in Mrs. Pyle's 4th grade class. Now I am. I hadn't really thought about what it would feel like - or at least hadn't settled on what I thought it would feel like. I laughed. I stared. I teared up. Wow. I mean this is so just beyond . . . wow.

Maintaining

This is the last weekend before back-to-school meetings start. It's funny to me that no matter how much I determine I will savor the moments, live in the now, I will suddenly find myself in the middle of planning the future or even dreading it sometimes. I think what I dread most is that once school starts the whole dynamic of life changes. The rhythms I've been comfortable with, the ones which seem to suit me best, are altered and the good things about summer seem irretrievable. Swallowed up in business and busy-ness. The demands of learning a new schedule, of professional development and faculty meetings, of lesson planning and dealing with behavior issues, of planning meals in advance and grocery shopping on the way home - they all seem to suck the life right out of living.

I start new writing projects right before school begins with the thought that I'll have some momentum built up in the story before time is shorter for writing and it'll be easier for me to keep up with the story that way. It works for a while. I cut myself some slack in the first month, but then when October and November roll around I get back into it. My writing time diminishes significantly between Thanksgiving and Christmas which I deem normal and then when Christmas Break comes I find myself trying to recapture enthusiasm for the project. When second semester comes it will likely be Spring Break before I return to it for more than a brief visit. Over Spring Break I become frustrated and think it will never be done or maybe even consider throwing it out altogether and starting fresh with a new idea. It will set dormant until summer vacation when I will set some sort of personal deadline for mid-July and push, push, push to finish and submit.

What I hate most about this is that I don't get to enjoy it along the way nearly as much as I should. I love writing. It is my favored way of spending time. I love being so lost in a story, so interested in my characters' lives that they become a part of my own reality until the story is resolved and I can release it to a publisher. I'd so much rather write every day, but not as a scheduled part of an already fully scheduled day. As a joyful personal pursuit which doesn't come last because it is personal.

It's August 15th and I'm facing all again. The countdown to school has begun. There's a three-page start of a third novel on the laptop, a 120-page start from last year at this time, and a headful of questions as to whether I'm interested enough in either idea to see it through. If not, what other ideas are brewing that might be worth spending hours on the next few days just to get that jump start on the school year?

Without any solution to the problem of altered rhythms, I'm maintaining.

Adjusting the Thermostat for Romance Part 2: Warming Up Slowly

I'm incredibly annoyed by banter on morning radio. I'm also annoyed by it on news shows. It just seems unprofessional. I actually quit listening to one local radio station because the man and woman they had paired up for the morning show made me feel like I was always on the outside of an inside joke. Having said that, I do have to admit that playful banter is a great flirtation device and very appropriate in a romance.

I had a crush on a boy in high school. A secret crush. He was as annoying as could be. He tormented me. It was awful. I found the thought of being in his presence delightfully nauseating. I loved him. I hated him. I thought he hated me. Now, years later, I'm confident enough to look back at it and believe that it is possible he may have actually had a secret crush on me, too! Don't we torture the people we love most?

But, this is not high school we're talking about. We grow up. We learn to flirt with more finesse. We can be subtle, bright and alluring. We can use our intelligence to gain the interest of someone we want to get to know. We can use our words to make them laugh, make them gasp, or just leave them breathless. It's all a matter of degrees.

It's important to establish mutual attraction early in your story. It doesn't always have to be about physical attraction. It can be a cerebral attraction. What is they say in Sleepless in Seattle? "Your subconscience was attracted to his subconscience subconsciously." You're reader can get a real giggle out of a war of words knowing both hearts will ultimately succumb. Initial disagreements cast in a playful light can become the essence of necessary conflicts later in the story. What a challenge to write two people who spar and spark at the same time! How joyous when they finally get together in spite of the raging battle!

Think Scarlet and Rhett. Think Harry and Sally. Think Wesley and Princess Buttercup. Think Beauty and the Beast. And, if all else fails, turn on a morning radio show for a few pointers.

Sunday Morning

Michael Franks has to be hands down the best jazz lyricist. Just thinking this morning before I go upstairs to get ready for worship about the line from a song about lazy Sunday mornings: "your kiss is made with orange marmalade, apple blossoms, toast and tea. . ." . Favorite Franks album: The Art of Tea. Probably because it was my first. Although, the Watching the Snow album is perfect for that Christmas feeling year-round. I love that on his site he asks people to join him in support of a no-kill shelter and the humane society and even advertises a CafePress item which will benefit the shelter.

If you haven't surmised by looking at my must-reads, I'm very interested in animal-welfare. I am a vegetarian since my 2006 reading of Lisa Graham McMinn's The Contented Soul (which isn't a book about becoming vegetarian, by the way). It is a life-changing book and I highly recommend it to everyone. My copy is all marked up - margins are filled with notes-to-self and epiphanies along the way. Anyway, in reading the book I had one of those moments when I realized that I had to make a decision. So, I did (after forcing myself to read all the information about factory farms that I'd been avoiding reading for years). I'd played around with vegetarianism as a teenager and through my early twenties; but I was 38 when I finally made the commitment and I'm very glad I did. I'm not living against my conscience (or avoiding my conscience) in that area anymore. It's a relief.

So, anyway, as I finished the preceeding paragraph my husband came to tell me it was time for me to go get ready. The poor man has to constantly be reminding me that it's time to do something because I get so lost in whatever project I'm working on. And I'm always working on a project of some sort. Now it's getting close to 4:00 a.m. MONDAY morning. Sunday was good. Our pastor is back in the pulpit after recovering from a major heart attack and I enjoyed breakfast with my mother and brother before going to church. Spent the afternoon with the computer on my lap and the dog at my feet. I was dreaming of a third novel and she was dreaming, I suppose, of treats and snuggles from her people - those are the only two things she seems to get very excited over.

Monday has not started out so great, though. I was having trouble falling asleep - probably too much Mudhouse coffee and the intensity with which I watched two Doctor Who episodes right before bed (The Sound of Drums and Last of the Time Lords - I like the quirky fun ones best, but those which delve into the heart -pardon me, hearts - of the Time Lord, his solitude in the vast universe, make me cry. Honestly.) When I finally did fall asleep after seeing the time 1:37 on the clock, I woke from a horrible dream and repeated it to my husband before noticing the time was 1:40. Talk about fast-tracking the REMS! After that, though, I had that nagging worried feeling that you can't really explain and I still felt like I was sleepwalking or sleeptalking or something, so, after praying for the people I love - which I often wake up and do in the night - I came downstairs and turned on lots of lights, the TV and the computer. I'm feeling quite tired and my eyes feel like they have gravel in them. In just a few hours I'll be working on lesson plans and reminding myself that these are EXTENDED contract days and school doesn't actually start for a couple more weeks.

In the meantime, though, I'll post this rambling blog entry covering far too close to 24 hours of my life.

Sweet dreams. . .

Shellie

Living the Romantic Life in August

Remember the philosophy of Life as a Great Romance: Romance is for everyone. It is born in the mind which is open to experiencing beauty and love. A romantic person is one who recognizes and appreciates subtleties; encourages and admires creation; and chooses to be vulnerable without forfeiting strength or personhood.

You don't have to be in a romance to live a romantic life. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions for things you can do this month to feed the romantic in you:

1. Count the fireflies in your yard before they're all gone for the summer.

2. Attend an outdoor concert. Take along a furry friend on a leash, some sparkling water, and some strawberries. Oh, and maybe a bite of chocolate.

3. Speaking of furry friends, take an online assessment to determine whether or not you're ready for the responsibility of pet ownership. If you are, start visiting the shelters and rescues. Someone there wants to love you!

4. Read one of the classics before summer ends. My personal favorites are Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice.

5. Memorize a poem.

6. Dig out some of your old vinyl record albums, sing at the top of your lungs and dance.

7. Shop for school supplies. Buy all you want and then, if you don't need them yourself, donate them.

8. Notice the smell of the mimosa trees.

9. Really savor some of the favorite flavors of summer: ice cream, melon, berries, home grown tomatoes, a snow cone.

10. Attend a baseball game.