What Have You Been Doing These Last Two Months, Gail? Or What Happens When A Writer Can't Write?

Well, I did make thirteen submissions, six of them as part of the September Twitter Pitch Madness. I wrote seven blog posts. I made twenty entries in my idea journal. I came up with an idea for a new major writing project. So I can't say I did absolutely nothing.

 

However, I had a fleeting thought when I first stopped working back in August that I might do something meaningful…profound…even spiritual…while I wasn’t working. Then when I went back on the clock, I would be changed. In a positive way, of course, a way that would make me a finer human being, or, better yet, a finer writer.

Yeah, well, as you may recall, I dropped off the work bandwagon because dealing with various family issues meant I could only work three or four hours a week, and the effort to keep trying for more was making me nuts. Turns out that I can’t do anything particularly meaningful, profound, or spiritual in three or four hours a week. Though I did change my daily schedule around so that I no longer exercise right after eating. So there's that. That's kind of meaningful.

This Was Disturbing

 In the early days (many days) of not working, I had this fatalistic feeling that I might not ever be able to go back to work. (Given how this upcoming first week back in the harness is turning out in terms of still more family commitments, I wasn’t being melodramatic.) I didn’t actually want to work at that point, but at the same time I felt as if I was nobody and nothing without working. 

A couple of weeks in to my family leave, my husband was finally driving again after his shoulder surgery, which meant that after a meet up at an elder’s place, we went our separate ways. For the first time since May, I didn’t have some place I needed to go instantly. But, remember, I didn’t work. What was I going to do?

I don’t work, I thought. I don’t have to go home. I don’t have to go anywhere.

So I went to Michael’s and bought, maybe, three hundred of those little things for holding pierced earrings in your ears. Then I went over to T. J. Maxx and walked around and around and ended up spending eighty dollars.

This could be my life now, I thought as I dragged my haul to the check-out counter. 

This Was Disturbing, Too

I also didn’t know if I’d ever read another kids’ book. Or The Horn Book. Or Writers’ Digest. (The renewal form for that magazine has been sitting on my kitchen counter for a long time, a very long time.) Instead I polished off lots of adult books from my To Be Read pile and my Kindle. I don’t think I’ve been to the library since July to this day. I just couldn’t bring myself to read anything that wasn’t produced for my age group.

In An Odd Way, This Is Also Disturbing

One day I started reading a really good YA novel I'd just bought for my Kindle. (Except for The Little Blue Truck, I still haven’t read one for anyone younger.)  I started picking away at a Writer’s Digest, and a few weeks ago I realized I was reading a Horn Book. I got started on some blog posts for October. I got an idea for a totally new book and began working on an exercise to develop voice for one of the characters.  

I was working. Barely. And weeks early.

  

What Made This Experience Disturbing

This experience has been disturbing because being unable to work undermined my desire to work, or maybe I should say my ability to work. A case, perhaps, of use it or lose it. At the same time, not working was not satisfying. My identity is tightly involved with writing. I write, therefore I am. I don’t write, therefore I’m not.

The whole thing was like being sick, actually. Something was wrong, and I’m recovering, but slowly.

I'm Baaaaack. With Food. And "Company's Coming."

Today is Sunday, a day when I sometimes blog about food, and since I was saying when I left for what I'm calling family leave that this summer I was going to help give a baby shower, one with a children's book theme, I'm going to begin my return to blogging with that.

Now, if you go to Pinterest, you'll find that children's book themed baby showers are a thing. You frequently see some of the same books mentioned over and over again, and the other hosts of our shower, who were more on top of things than I was, picked up four or five of them right away. This left me going, What shall I do? What shall I do?

I have no recollection of how I came up with this idea, but to cut to the chase, I decided to cook something related to Company's Coming by Arthur Yorinks with illustrations by David Small.  I don't think you're going to find this one on any of the Pinterest baby shower boards or in a board book edition for baby readers. But I love this book, it had a big impact on my life, and spaghetti and meat balls figure in its story.

This almost alien invasion story most definitely deserves to be a baby shower staple.

Spaghetti Sliders Are A Thing, Too

So we're talking spaghetti and meatballs at a shower that was not planned as a sit down affair with a plate on a table. Meaning a thoughtful host shouldn't be forcing a messy meal choice upon her guests. How could I make spaghetti and meatballs into finger food? You know, like a sandwich?

Well, somehow I got from spaghetti sandwich to spaghetti sliders.

Feasibility study.

My computer guy had some serious doubts about this project and suggested I check out its feasibility. So the first step was the feasibility sliders, which I think I took to someone's house for some event, though I can't remember those. It turned out, spaghetti sliders are, indeed, feasible.

You, Too, Can Make "Company's Coming" Sliders

Spaghetti sauce, in case you can't tell.

When shower time came around, I began the sliders by making sauce. Instead of meatballs,  I used ground beef. Though Company's Coming describes meatballs, I didn't think they'd fit on a slider roll with spaghetti.

I didn't use slider rolls, either. Even if I could have found them, I thought I'd go nuts filling mini rolls. I used hot dog rolls instead and then cut them into sliders after they were filled.

I broke the spaghetti up into small pieces before cooking it, because the feasibility batch of sliders taught me that I didn't want enormous strands of sauce covered spaghetti dangling out of little rolls. Then I mixed it with some sauce before making the sliders.

Start big, then go small.

I scooped some bread out of the rolls to make a hollow for the spaghetti. I also brushed the rolls with some margarine and Italian seasoning, though garlic butter would be an option, too. Then I filled the rolls, put them together, and cut them into thirds, so they looked slider-like.

Finale.

I buttered the tops with some more seasoned butter, covered the baking dish, and brought it to the shower site where I heated it  just before serving. No, I don't know what I set the oven temp for or how long I kept the dish in the oven. But, come on, this isn't brain surgery. Heat the sliders at some temperature or another until they're hot enough to suit you.

Next Sunday: All the children's book shower food.


For the first time in nearly a year, I'm taking part in Beth Fish Read's Weekend Cooking meme.

October Connecticut Children's Literature Calendar

Who's in Connecticut this month? Besides Anthony Horowitz, Kate DiCamillo, and Jane Yolen? Read on.

Sun., Oct. 1, Sarah Albee, The Hickory Stick Bookshop, Washington Depot 2:00 PM

Sun., Oct. 1, Lori Sanchez, South Windsor Apple Harvest Festival, South Windsor 11:00 AM

Wed., Oct. 4, Soman Chainani, R. J. Julia Booksellers, Madison 6:00 PM

Sat., Oct. 7, Alyssa Louise Norton, Connecticut Renaissance Faire,
Lebanon 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Mon., Oct. 9 Suzanne Cordatos, Connecticut Renaissance Faire, Lebanon 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Tues., Oct. 10, Anthony Horowitz, Wesleyan R. J. Julia Bookstore, Middletown 5:00 PM


Wed., Oct. 11, Ryan T. Higgins, R. J. Julia Booksellers, Madison 5:00 PM

Thurs., Oct. 12, Kate DiCamillo, Roger Ludlowe Middle School, Fairfield (Fairfield University Bookstore event.) 7:00 PM Ticketed event

Sat., Oct. 14, Katie L. Carroll, Norwalk Public Library, Norwalk  Indie Author Day 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Mon., Oct. 16, Chris Grabenstein, R. J. Julia Booksellers, Madison 5:30 PM


Sat., Oct. 21, Jane Yolen, R. J. Julia Booksellers, Madison 10:30 AM

Fri., Oct. 27, Jeff Mack, Lucy Robbins Welles Library, Newington 3:00 to 6:00 PM

Sat., Oct. 28, Anne Sawan, Bank Square Books, Mystic 1:00 to 3:00 PM

The Universe Is Toying With Me

I'm planning on going back to work next Sunday, October 1. We have a family member from out-of-state arriving in the area on Saturday, September 30. A lunch is planned on my first real work day, Monday. I don't know how long this family member is staying.

I considered telling the universe that it could just bite me. (I often consider saying "bite me," though I rarely do. In case we're ever together, keep in mind that I might be thinking it.) But then I realized that that might just tick ol' universe off. No, don't want to do that. The universe sent me through my garage door yesterday, when it wasn't ticked off.

A Book Fair Is A FAIR

Selling apple crumble.

This morning I spent four hours at a local fair working at our church's food booth. Since today is Sunday, it was like religious observance, but different.

Evidently the church does well selling apple crumble at this event and even expected to sell out before the end of the day. Nonetheless, our shift started at nine in the morning, and there were long periods when we discussed favorite bike trails and current events. All three of us took turns going to the pig race. We saw a lot of bored looking vendors. The pierogi people across from us, for instance, didn't break a sweat all the time we were there.

People walking by.

After about three hours, I suddenly started recalling other fairs I've been to. We're not talking PTSD here. Like the pierogi people, I wasn't sweating. No heart palpitations. But I did experience a flashback to fairs and festivals where I'd been selling something, but not food. I was selling books. Mine.

Selling books.

When authors are at fairs and festivals, they've got a spot with their books, just like the vendors at traditional fairs. There can be a lot of them there. They're just sittin', by themselves, watching people walk by. Killing time. You've got your people like Tomie dePaolo who are the blooming onions of the book fair world. The rest of us are apple crumbles and pierogies.

My apple crumble buddies were great at selling the crumble, while I just handled the money. They engaged people passing by. They touted the apple crumble's good qualities. ("Home made!") We had this terrific guy with us who at one point said to someone going by, "Good stuff! I just had some!" I imagined him with me at a literary event calling out, "Good book! I just read it!"

It was around that point that I thought, Eww. This is just like selling books. I don't do this well. The realization took the joy out of the incredibly beautiful autumn fair day, let me tell you.

At least I knew my professional future wasn't dependent upon apple crumble sales. That was a relief. It was more like my immortal soul was at risk, because, as I may have mentioned earlier, I was working at a church booth.

C'etait bon.

I also knew that at the end of my shift I was going over to the French Social Club's booth for some poutine, which has never, ever been available at any book fair/festival I've worked. That would make the book selling ordeal so much more tolerable.

Two More Days To Apply To Be A Cybils Judge

The title of this post pretty much says it all. Children's lit bloggers have until Monday to apply to be a Cybils judge for this year's award. They need judges for Round 1 and Round 2.

Those of us who aren't involved in judging can nominate books when nominations open. 

Time Management Tuesday: Take Advantage Of September For New Starts

No, I'm not back to work. But I saw a tweet yesterday that reminded me of a TMT post I did last year at this time, when I wasn't working, either, though I was on vacation then. Of course, I couldn't resist bringing it up again. Republishing the whole thing, in fact.
                                    __________________________

I know, I know. I said I wasn't going to be blogging until next month. However, I actually read those newspapers hotels provide gratis, and I read something last week that will not keep. It is time sensitive.

First off, I'm sure you all recall that I've written here about the significance of beginnings and endings of units of time.  January, the beginning of a major unit of time, the year, is a big moment here at OC with the creation of goals and objectives.

Well.

Last week The Wall Street Journal carried an article about the end of one unit of time and the beginning of another and how that beginning has become very important. In Now Is the Real New Year, the WSJ reports that September is now "the start of the real new year." It lists masses of ways that September is now outpacing January for people making changes in their lives. And there's a couple of statements that suggest that September works better than January for doing this. "In January, postholiday exhaustion can make New Year's weight-loss resolutions feel even tougher, nutritionists say..." and 69% of respondents in a British survey "believe small improvements in September are easier to achieve than New Year's resolutions."

There's not a lot in this article explaining why this is happening. There's talk of shifting back to routines after the summer and the Jewish New Year coming in the fall. But what is going on that is so big that it blows January, the stereotypical time for changing our behavior and getting started on new projects, out of the water?

My own wild theory is that, at least here in the U.S., we have generations of being enslaved to the school year and its calendar. We're tied to it as students, ourselves, and then those of us who have children are tied to it again when they are students. Teachers are tied to it. Children's writers who do school presentations are tied to it. The school year, which begins in September, has become more meaningful than the calendar year because something truly happens when it begins. January, not so much.

So can we use this sense of a new beginning and a time to get started fresh in our work?

I can't, obviously. I'm on vacation. But maybe you can.

An Opportunity To Help Out In Texas Through Kidlit Cares

The children's literature community is conducting an online talent auction to benefit the Red Cross and Global Giving hurricane relief efforts in Texas. Author Kate Messner has done what looks like an enormous amount of work organizing this event, known as Kidlit Cares.

There are just over 200 items, such as author visits and agent and editor critiques, to bid on at the Kidlit Cares site. You can also make a donation of at least $10 to the Red Cross or Global Giving from the Kidlit Cares site before September 4th and be entered into a drawing to win a class set of Messer's new book and a thirty-minute Skype visit with her this fall.

September Connecticut Children's Literature Calendar

We have writer appearances this month at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire, one of the more unique venues we've seen.

Sun., Sept. 3, Suzanne Cordatos, Connecticut Renaissance Faire, Lebanon 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Mon., Sept. 4, Carrie Firestone, Barnes & Noble, Farmington 12:00 PM


Sat., Sept. 9, Lori Sanchez, Bookclub Bookstore & More, South Windsor 10:30 AM

Sun., Sept. 10, Jessica Bayliss, Connecticut Romance Writers of America Fiction Fest 2017, Norwalk Inn and Conference Center, Norwalk 11:30 AM Check to see if registration is still open.

Tues., Sept. 12, Mike Lupica, Barnes & Noble, Westport 7:00 PM

Wed., Sept. 13, Marie Lu, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison 6:30 PM          

Thurs., Sept. 14, Samantha Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim, R. J. Julia Booksellers, Madison 5:00 PM Ticketed event.

Fri., Sept. 15, Sally Pla, Fairfield University Bookstore, Fairfield 7:00 PM



Tues., Sept. 19, E. Lockhart, Julie Buxbaum, Jennifer Smith, Kara Thomas, Ann Brashares, R. J. Julia Booksellers, Madison 7:00 PM


 Sat., Sept. 30, Deborah Ann Davis, Connecticut Renaissance Faire, Lebanon 1:00 to 3:00 PM

Chaos Wins, At Least For The Rest Of The Summer

My true-blue followers are aware that we have family issues this summer with elder care and a relative in the physical therapy stage of recovering from surgery. To deal with the extra work load, I pretty much dumped some of my goals for the year. Mainly generating new work, supporting and promoting diverse literature, and most of community building/general marketing/branding. The marketing effort for Saving the Planet & Stuff was already shot. I was down to just submitting work.

Well, I can't manage even that. I can't take any more of this frustration. I am not pleasant when I'm frustrated. I can't take any more being unpleasant.

So after making some submissions tomorrow morning, submissions I've been working on the three or four hours a week I've had for work the last month, I'm throwing in the towel for the rest of the summer. By "rest of the summer" I mean end of September. Additionally, except for the Connecticut Children's Literature Calendar, I won't be posting here until I'm back at work.

Unless something really exciting happens that I just can't pass up.

I had to take four and a half months off from work seven years ago for another elder care issue. I came back from that, so I can come back this time, too. Yes, I can!

What I should have for you when we're together again:

• Focus training. Seriously, I found something on this. I'll try it out for you over the next couple of months.
• A baby shower with a picture book theme. Seriously, I'm involved with giving one. I'm bringing spaghetti sliders. I'll explain in September.
• Nanowrimo prep. Seriously, I think I'm doing Nanowrimo this year. Hahahaha. 
• Adventures with my iPad. Seriously, I got one. I'm going to go do something with it right now.