Back in Fall of 2007, I was living in Germany with my family. While we had been having adventures and traveling internationally, I had grown out of touch with my writing and the larger creative world.

I looked around and found a door to that creative world online: I entered the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. From that contest, I met a  group of talented, dedicated writers, and with editorial support from several of them, I began the literary magazine Conclave: A Journal of Character.

Through this chain of creative people, I also met several LJ friends, among them Trillian Stars (trillian_stars ) and her now-husband Kyle Cassidy (kylecassidy). When given the chance to attend their wedding party in Philadelphia last Fall, I went and met a new bunch of fabulous, creative people from around the country. Combine that experience with my work on the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame and the unexpected phenomenon of Twitter, and I cannot believe how many talented writers and artists and musicians I have met and reconnected with over the last 3 years. This is just the beginning!

The Gravity of Art

That's what Kyle Cassidy called it in his blog, and I loved the phrase (Kyle, I hope that you don't that I'm using it?) It captures the phenomenon so well--when you are engaged and passionate about creating, you become a force of attraction.

I'm wrapping up Conclave and hope to have it printed later this month. I cannot wait to get back to revising the novel I completed last Fall, and I have some decisions to make about The Silence of Trees. I'm excited about the progress of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, and some other projects that Chicago friends are working on in photography, music, video, and theater. There are other top-secret projects in the works. 2010 has such potential!

The Gravity of Art: it's a powerful thing, an inspiring thing, an exhilarating thing.

The interior of our home is nearly finished. I want Casa del Lobos to be a nexus, a center for the gravity of art, a place frequented by creative people, a place where my kids will grow up seeing people making art, talking about art, living lives of passion and integrity.

Do you know about the Parisian Salons of the 17th century and 18th century? They were gatherings of artists, writers, philosophers, etc. to amuse and educate. The salons were revived in the 1920s in Paris and London. Some of the greatest writers and artists, readers and thinkers of the time met at those salons. Wouldn't it be something to recreate that kind of time and space set aside for the discussion of art and literature in its many forms?

Casa del Lobos is just waiting for the chance.

Today is the kids' 100th day of school, and so they were asked to take a photograph with a collection of 100 things.
For those of you who know my kids, it should be no surprise the objects that each chose for their photo:





And then because I realized that I never post pics of my husband (we are terrible about taking photos of each other or together these days), here's the love of my life and my partner in adventure, Mark (and Lana of course).




Hope that you're having a fabulous day.

This was one of those hectic filled weekends, with family parties and morning meetings. The kids had fun, but now we're in the throes of Monday and I have to catch up.

The electrician and the carpenters are here to work on the kitchen and hang up the lighting fixtures in the living and dining rooms. After a few delays, I see that there's progress.

We're moving along. Here's a peek at what we have going on:



The cabinets are being unpacked as I type, and our fabulous carpenters are trying to make sense of our crooked walls.



The electricians have hung one chandelier (I'll post the picture later) in the dining room. But they need to add support for the one in the living room (the chandeliers are made of iron). Such a shame they have to break into the newly-repaired plaster ceiling.

Back to wrangling Lana and keeping her away from any sharp tools.

Thank you for all the kinds words about Tasha. I am grateful that I was with her, holding her, when she died. We have placed a framed photo and her collar in a special place in "her room," and I'm going to hang up several pictures that the kids have drawn of Tasha with angels and other angel-cats and angel-dogs (and an angel-bunny named Hasenpfeffer). Once the weather is warmer, the kids and I will find/make/decorate a gravestone for Tasha and bury her ashes.

As might be expected, the kids have been talking a lot about death and what happens when we die. It has made for several interesting and colorful cosmological conversations. On the subject of mortality, Liam decided that I would die first, to "get things ready" for everyone else. However Maya thinks that Daddy should go first, since he's the oldest. Either way, they're happy that Tasha will be there, waiting for us all.

And back in the mundane world, our kitchen is finally starting to be reconstructed! After living with nothing but drywall, plaster, the laundry sink in the basement and my parent's old stove, Casa del Lobos is finally getting her kitchen!

The tile installer Robert, who is wonderful, has been here since yesterday laying down the Saltillo tiles. Today he adds the accents pieces, and tomorrow the grout. The cabinets will be delivered on Friday, and the carpenters arrive on Monday.

Tasha died in my arms on the way to the emergency vet at 8:00 pm on Saturday evening.

The family spent a lot of time with Tasha, giving her gentle pats and kisses, but Tasha faded fast after her vet visit on Friday. By Saturday evening, she had stopped eating or drinking anything and was barely moving. Mark stayed home with the sleeping kids, and my father was kind enough to drive me to the 24-hour vet.

On the way there, Tasha took three deep breaths and then died in my arms.

I'll miss my Tasha-girl and will share a few memories and photos later.
Thank you for all your kids words.

She was well-loved and will never be forgotten.

Earlier last year, I heard about the furniture of Korean designer Kwak Chulan, and I was immediately taken by the beauty and energy of his tables:

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/read.php?CATEGORY_PK=&TOPIC_PK=2255

These tables were inspired by running horses, and they are poetry captured in form. So lovely.

Kwak's tables made a lasting impression and when they came to my attention again, I decided to try and contact this brilliant young designer to inquire about his works of art.

We emailed back and forth, and I commissioned a table in walnut. It would taken several months, so I put it in the back of my mind and busied myself with the business of moving into our new home .

Kwak and I stayed in touch about the progress of the piece, and a few weeks ago, he let me know that my table was complete and would ship.

This morning the UPS man delivered this package to my door:



Kwak's beautiful table arrived in perfect condition, and it is magnificent:


 
In an interesting twist of fate, since I had already contacted Kwak, I was able to put Neil Gaiman in touch with the designer when Neil expressed interest in Kwak's tables on Twitter. Oh, what a small, small world.

So soon our table (dubbed the dancing table by my 2-year-old daughter), will have a sister table on a distant Scottish Isle. (Although I believe that his table will be a darker table, more distressed...as is appropriate.)

My youngest has claimed our dancing table for her own and has decided to stake her claim before her siblings get home from school.



I think she may stay under there all day.

It's always a concern when donating to relief efforts whether or not the money will actually make it to the people who need it.

With the devastation in Haiti, I wasn't sure to whom I should send money when one of the parents at my daughter's grammar school sent this email:

This from Mrs. Laskey at Immaculate Conception:

The creative week came to a close with a photo shoot/party with some of my dearest friends, including the photography duo, Pat and Ellen Prather. I was not involved in the shoot, but I had a blast playing the part of the voyeur.


photo by Pat and Ellen Prather

As luck would have it, it was the same weekend of my annual holiday reunion with high school girlfriends, and the talented Mary Trahey, a "makeup-artist-transformation-goddess-extraordinaire" was in town from LA.

Mary did her magic and turned Casa del Rob y Maria into a film noir circus of flappers, drunkards, vampires, and clowns.


photo by Pat and Ellen Prather

It was fun to watch several members of the Chicago Misfit Photographic Society and Punk Rock Club in front of the camera, instead of their usual behind the lens (although several were seen snapping candids of the before, after, and during).


Cillic in action, photo by Pat and Ellen Prather

There was food and drink to share:


photo by Pat and Ellen Prather

This will happen again...next time perhaps with zombies...and chocolate.


photo by Pat and Ellen Prather 

P.S. Curious, anyone ever read Joseph Moncure March's The Wild Party, illustrated by Art Spiegelman?

The week was filled with creative endeavors and conversations--the kind that feed your spirit and imagination.

Sunday began with awesome crepes and brainstorming for exciting new projects on the horizon (more on those later).

Thursday was Deck the Hall at Sheffield's in Chicago, the fundraising party/auction for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. While I had been a little concerned that the snow might deter patrons, the turnout was very good, the auction successful, and the readings diverse and inspirational.

Bayo Ojikutu, Marcus Sakey and Don De Grazia read from books by three Literary Hall of Fame nominees: Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun, Studs Terkel's P.S.: Further Thoughts from a Lifetime of Listening, and Nelson Algren's Chicago: City on the Make. The well-read excerpts reminded me exactly how rich the literary landscape of Chicago has been and continues to be.

The three Chicago authors went on to read from their own works, and while I was familiar with the excellence of Bayo's 47th Street Black and Don's American Skin, I had never read any of Marcus Sakey's books. His writing is gorgeous. Of course I had heard of Marcus and his imaginative crime novels (he's also one of those lucky writers who has had three books optioned by film companies), but when he read from his book, I was captivated. I've added The Amateurs to my short list of books to be read. (For any who have not read these authors, I heartily recommend them).

The event featured an auction of literary delights that helped to raise funds for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, featuring treasures like an autographed first edition of Neil Gaiman's Newbery Award-winning The Graveyard Book and a signed rare first edition of Stuart Dybek's Brass Knuckles, both generously donated by the authors.

Don Evans, who is the heart and soul of the Hall of Fame, was a sincere and well-spoken emcee, and graciously mentioned me and Conclave: A Journal of Character. Chicago writer and president of the Chicago Writers Association, Randy Richardson was there to help ensure that things ran smoothly. The Hall of Fame is the Chicago Writers Association's project, and Randy has been working with Don to make the dream a reality.  I was delighted to be in such good company, in this community of writers and readers. I felt inspired to finish up Conclave so that I could turn my attention back to my own writing.

At the Deck the Hall party, I met sculptor Margot McMahon, whose three children are ten years older than mine, and we had an excellent conversation about how to raise children, make art, and retain some of your sanity. It was exactly the conversation I needed to hear that night. I loved listening to her experience creating the "Just Plain Working" exhibition about ten famous, but often overlooked, Chicagoans.

This well-respected artist has been able to make art while also working to be a successful parent. Some of her words of wisdom: "Let your children see you reading and make sure that they know it's your time, not theirs. If they see you place such an importance on books, they'll begin to value them as well." McMahon also believes that music is crucial in teaching children to focus and concentrate, to teach them to finish a task and learn self-discipline.

As much as I loved my time spent in Germany and the solitude it gave me and my family as a time to focus, reflect, and evaluate, I am happy to be home and excited to be a writer living in this time and place.

So many adventures on the horizon!

Join the Chicago Writers Association for a special night to benefit the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame!

If you're free on Thursday, January 7th, join us at Sheffield's in Chicago for the Deck the Hall Auction and Raffle.

Acclaimed authors Bayo Ojikutu, Marcus Sakey and Don De Grazia will appear as a special guests of honor. Ojikutu's first novel, 47th STREET BLACK (2003) received both the Washington Prize for Fiction and the Great American Book Award. Sakey's first three works have all been optioned for film (Ben Affleck's production company is developing a movie based on Sakey's first novel, THE BLADE ITSELF, and Tobey Maguire has picked up the rights to his third book, GOOD PEOPLE).  De Grazia's powerful Chicago epic American Skin has been hailed worldwide as an American classic . 

We're kicking off our Deck the Hall auction a few days early by putting up some select items up for bid online. Items like professional manuscript evaluations by published authors, 1st edition signed books by Neil Gaiman and Audrey Niffenegger, theatre tickets, vintage fountain pens, your name in a book, a blogging consultation, a DVD set of Oliver Stone films, and books signed by sports and local celebrities.

The online auction opened on New Year's Day. Check it out:
http://www.32auctions.com/view_auction?id=Nelson&pwd=Algren

This is a way to participate in the auction if you're unable to attend Thursday's benefit party at Sheffield's, or to get a jump start on the competition if you are joining the party.  This auction will go live beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Sheffield's, where we will have more items that will be up for auction exclusively to party attendees.

If you're planning on attending the party, we encourage you to purchase tickets in advance, as all tickets are $5 more at the door.  Get your tickets here: http://deckthehall.eventbrite.com/

We have found our groove in Casa del Lobos.

In our experience, when you move into a new place, there's always some period of adjustment--whether that home is a historic apartment in Frankfurt or a Spanish Revival/Arts & Crafts home in Chicago. You need to figure out where to put your stuff, how your routine changes, what your favorite corners will be. It's like learning to dance with a new partner or trying to cook in an unfamiliar kitchen, it takes time to find a rhythm that works.

So much of our time these past few weeks has been spent in a flurry of activity: unpacking, painting, cleaning, hanging, rearranging, and so on. The last few days we've slowed down enough to really enjoy this lovely new home. Today we had fun with the kids, and after a nice dinner, we burned our first fire in the beautiful fireplace that is the center of our living room.

It was a perfect moment, the five of us sitting on the couch in the dark, watching the flames, talking about what we see. Liam and I dozed on and off, while Mark and the girls chatted.

Tomorrow I will have breakfast with a few of my favorite Chicago girlfriends; then next week I meet some dear mom-friends for drinks, followed by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame fundraiser on Thursday (more to come on that in the next post).

What a marvelous balance of quiet family time and engaging time spend with friends and colleagues--a grand way to start a new year and a new decade.

Last year (2009) we moved four times: two different countries, three different cities. We lived in 2 apartments and 2 houses.

It was another year of transitions. I think we had enough of those in the last decade. Change is my friend, growth is a good thing indeed, but I'm ready for roots.

In the end, we found our home. The real deal. Casa del Lobos is IT. Home with a capital H. (I'm sure that I'll get the bug to travel again sooner than later, but I after the adventure, I want to come home here.)

It is taking a while to get things in place (I cannot wait to have a functional kitchen next month, and I really miss having a sink...laundry sink in the basement is not my favorite for washing dishes), but from the first night spent here, we felt like it was the right place to be.  Casa del Lobos is a tremendous gift, and I am so grateful.

This has also been a year of community building and rearranging, reaching out to connect with old friends and new. I've met people this year that I am certain will be a part of my life for a long time to come. They too are a gift.

My kids are evolving into these interesting, creative little people who challenge and delight me. They are an enormous blessing, as is my husband.  He is a true partner, and I am happy to be sharing this adventure with him.

There is much to be grateful for and much to look forward to. I thank you for what you have added to my life, whether I see you regularly or only online. I look forward to what the next decade will bring.

I hope that 2010 is full of magic and opportunity. I hope that you are able to create things that make you joyful. I hope that you are surrounded by people who care for you and challenge you to grow, change, and explore. I hope that you are healthy, safe, and warm. I hope that you find something and/or someone that makes you feel happy to be alive.

Happy New Year!

Snowdrops

Do you know what I was, how I lived? You know
what despair is; then
winter should have meaning for you.

I did not expect to survive,
earth suppressing me. I didn't expect
to waken again, to feel
in damp earth my body
able to respond again, remembering
after so long how to open again
in the cold light
of earliest spring--

afraid, yes, but among you again
crying yes risk joy

in the raw wind of the new world.

Louise Glück

The week of feasting began with a Christmas Julbord at Tre Kronor, a wonderful Swedish smorgasbord (50 dishes!) shared with dear friends. My favorites were the mustard salad, red cabbage, cucumbers and dill, pickled beets, and the rich and cheesy potatoes. They had roast pork with prunes, Swedish meatballs, 9 different types of herring, so many others. 

And the rice pudding was lovely! We shared wine, including Que Saudade from what I suspect may become a new favorite vineyard, Forlorn Hope. 

Then Christmas Eve dinner with my family, and Christmas Day dinner with Mark's family. The day after Christmas we had a visit with our friends in from Pittsburgh, and today we had a visit with our friends and former neighbors from way back when we lived in Gurnee, up near the Wisconsin border. 

Now I'm craving a small introverted period, time spent hibernating in Casa del Lobos with the kids, making crafts, baking sweet things, and drinking coffee and/or hot chocolate. I'm happy that the kids don't have school, grateful that I don't have to leave the house except for possible sledding/snowball fights in the backyard and maybe some grocery shopping.



I'm hopeful that I can get Conclave finished up and ready to print. I have to send it off soon. Not only are people waiting for it, but I will not have the freedom to work on my own writing until this issue is on its way. 

And I need to write. 

The stories are inside of me begging, bursting, bubbling.

So much to be done in the new year.

The last shipment has arrived and now the house is filled with boxes. I am determined to get the first and second floors unpacked by the weekend.





(Taken with my Macbook...now back to unpacking...)

After feedback from my agents and a handful of editors at publishing houses, I am thinking about revising my manuscript yet again, I've posted the first chapter here for your reading pleasure. Feedback is always welcome.

CHAPTER ONE

There is a Ukrainian legend that once each year, on the night of Ivana Kupala, a magical flower blooms in the heart of the forest. Anyone who finds it will be granted their heart’s desire: the ability to hear the trees whisper and watch them dance, the power to make anyone fall in love with them, the magic to make barren lands bear fruit and barren women fruitful. It is a single red flower with several names: tsvit paporot, liubava, chervona ruta. The legendary bloom can grant wishes, open the doorway to the past, and awaken spirits to visit with loved ones.

I looked for the tsvit paporot when I was a young girl. I searched for it in many places, in different countries, over a lifetime. I eagerly went into the unknown, looking for magic, for mystery, for adventure. But sometimes magic finds you. Sometimes it comes in the least likely of forms: in a small black river rock, a deck of hand-painted cards, a sprig of purple herb or an envelope from home.

Just when you think that life is slowing down, magic happens. The universe sends you a message, like a tsvit paporot on your doorstep. The question is, what do you wish for?

At the age of sixteen, more than anything, I wanted to have my fortune told by the mysterious vorozhka, the Gypsy woman who camped with her people on the outskirts of our Ukrainian village. Mama expressed her disapproval countless times, but so many of the young women had gone before me and came back with astonishing stories. The vorozhka told Mariyka that she would travel across the sea in search of kisses heavy with perfume. She told Darka that she would find many children gathered around her feet on her father’s farm. Even Olena, who dreamt of going to school in Lviv to study languages, went to see the vorozhka who told her that she would soon ride a train heavy with hope. After finishing my chores, I would sit with Khvostyk purring in my lap and dream of the vorozhka’s predictions. ( Read the rest of Chapter One here... )

I heard back today from the hardware store, and my missing notebook has been found!

*Does happy dance*

I am SO grateful. Upon first glance it seems like just a spiral bound notebook full of kid scribbles (because Lana got into one day), but it contained all my notes for Conclave and some house measurements as well.

Last night I was feeling tired and a tad grumpy, so I went to bed early. Tonight I shall brew coffee and strive to be uber-productive.

I'm so behind with posts.
I keep waiting for the ever elusive "more time" to appear.

It hasn't. It's been a good month, however. Full of transitions and reflection and inspiration.

A few months ago, Mark and I made plans to go to Philadelphia for the wedding party of kylecassidy and trillian_stars . It was going to be our first weekend away from the kids since our oldest was born, six years now. We didn't realize then that it would fall on the weekend before our move into Casa del Lobos, or that the weekend would be surrounded by job/family/house chaos..

Mark had to cancel his ticket due to a work conference and house-related responsibilities, but we decided that I would go on alone. Trillian kindly found me lodging with a friend in the neighborhood and off I went to Philadelphia. The happy couple was so generous and gracious, and I felt completely at home surrounded by their friends and cats and art and photography and creative talk and and and...It was wonderful.

I was reminded how much I missed that kind of interaction while in Germany. Outside of the Frankfurt writers group, I had little contact with folks making art or discussing things creative.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera at home, and so I came armed only with a disposable camera. My camera cowered in the presence of all those powerful professional cameras (Kyle is an amazing photographer who has photographed the Dalai Lama, famous science fiction writers, flying girls, and early black and white film starlets reincarnated as cats.)

I was able to attend a special dress rehearsal of Trillian's show The Weir, and it (and she) blew me away. It's the kind of play that I couldn't shake for days after. The characters and their stories lingered in my imagination; I wanted to join them in the pub for a pint to hear more of their stories and share some of my own. Trillian's performance was tender and subtle, and when it came to her dramatic monologue toward the end, I completely choked up. I miss theater.

The wedding party was wonderful, a patchwork of friends and family there to celebrate the union of these two passionate, imaginative, thoughtful people. Kyle and Trillian have one of those partnerships that reminds you how much fun love can be. I was so happy to have met them, and I hope that even with the miles between our homes, we continue to find time and space to share food, laughter, and conversation. I met a few ladies on the trip, Trillian included, whom I connected with immediately, and I can foresee future breakfasts and adventures.

I returned home to finish packing up the apartment and then moved into Casa del Lobos (where we still do not have a kitchen or full baths). I'm working on creative crockpot cookery with the kids. So far, so good. Our friend Vince, a talented fine artist and painter, is in the process of painting and faux painting our downstairs. I LOVE it and will try to post pictures soon. He's fabulous and brings such a good energy to the house.

The renovation is coming along, and I have hope that we'll be finished with this phase by the winter holidays. In the meantime I am horribly behind with Conclave Journal, as well as my own writing. Hoping to catch up this week while Mark is away at a supercomputing conference and other geeky work shenanigans.

With that, I bid you good night. More to come...

xxo