This has been an awesome reading year so far for me. That's partly good fortune, and partly because I've been doing a bunch of re-reading of old favorites (Anne of Green Gables, The Darkangel, The Blue Sword, and an ongoing re-read of the Brother Cadfael series). Actually I want to try to organize my thoughts on the pleasures and benefits of re- ( Read more... )

I started learning to knit just about a year ago. I spent most of last year working on a scarf. A looooong scarf. That involved the same series of stitches, over and over again. So when I finally finished that I wanted to work on something "more interesting ( Read more... )

Today when I walked my dog Charlie up in the woods, we heard peepers. So I know it is finally, FINALLY, spring here in Maine.

Also, there are these:


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I am wrestling with the beginning of a new story right now. For me, this is the hardest part of writing. There are so many different possibilities. And I often need to try out several of them, before I can find one that will sustain the story I want to tell. And even then, I will likely come back later and have to change it all, because the story I ( Read more... )

I love the energy of the new year. It's partly because, as Anne Shirley says, "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it." 2013 is fresh, open with possibilities. So it's this time of year when I'm thinking about what I want to do with that potential. As in, setting goals: concrete things I have to potential to accomplish (as opposed to more ( Read more... )

I already posted some of my favorite books, songs and other entertainments of 2012, but here are a few other notable things from 2012 ( Read more... )

There's still a few days left in 2012 so it's possible I might squeak in one last amazing book or movie (I still haven't seen Les Mis, for example), but I will risk it and post this anyway, in case one of you is looking for something to spend holiday gift $$ on!

~Six Excellent Books~
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein ( Read more... )

Continued from here.

We departed Chipping Campden with fond hopes of returning one day, and set off on our second week of vacation: in London!

( More details here )

After saving vacation time and money for over a year, my husband Bob and I were finally ready for another big adventure in 2012: one week in the English countryside, and one week in London ( Read more... )

I’m busy working on a brand new writing project at the moment, so almost all my words are going to that, but here are a few to spare:

Circus Galacticus is now (as of today!) available in paperback!

So if you wanted to buy a copy but were intimidated by the hardback price (or prefer the reading experience of a paperback) go check it out.
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