So much . . .

So much depends

upon

yellow woods

and

a red canoe. . . .

(I intended to post this last month, but the month evaporated. The yellow leaves are now gone, but the red canoe remains.)

xx

The Cloud Lifts

Sometimes you think you know

where you are 

in a story

but then

a cloud descends

and you're no longer sure:

Is this the right setting?

What's down there in that valley?

What is going to happen?

Why can't I see . . .?

You walk from one room

to the next

You wash a dish or two

and then

The cloud lifts!

It's a miracle.

You know where you are.

You know where you're going.

At least for the time being . . .

xx

Land of Bloomability and Unfinished Angel, continued

If you continue past the Herman Hesse museum

(see previous post)

you will come to a stone arch

that connects two buildings

a path leads you through the arch

and down a short slope

you round a curve

the trees part

and then

you see

this:

You can hardly believe your eyes.

You have to sit there

on a red bench

and 

breathe deeply.

Such a world!

xx

Switzerland and Bloomability

I'm back in Switzerland

in the land of Bloomability

and The Unfinished Angel

coming and going

one foot here

one foot in the States

for the next two years.

Above photo is from one of my favorite walks

through the village of Montagnola

past the small Herman Hesse museum.

Below is a close-up of Hesse's typewriter

in that second-story window:

Something quite charming

about that black typewriter

with white paper

ready to be filled

with

words

. . .

xx

Black eyes and goosenecks . . .

I am a collector

of vases

and vases need

flowers

so

I suppose

I am also

a collector 

of flowers.

At night

against a darkened window

they appear

so elegant

so graceful.

xx

Girl and Lamb

Sometimes

this happens:

a girl

and a lamb

and a cast-off gown

appear

at the edge

of the woods.

xx

More Love That School . . .

So much depends

upon

eager students

reading

and asking

questions

with such

energy

and enthusiasm

and good cheer .  . . 

Thank you, 

Camden schools

for the 

warm

welcome.

xx

Your Author

Love Those Schools, cont. . . .

One of the bonuses

of living in Maine

and visiting schools in Maine

is that the scenery

is always

magnificent

and the people

are ultra-friendly.

Lured by Island Readers & Writers

recently I visited schools 

in Jonesport and Beals Island.

They've been studying The Wanderer

and have developed so many wonderful projects 

based on their year-long theme:

Navigating the Storm.

Science, health, literature, art, math, music

incorporating all disciplines:

Wow!

Below are some of the art projects.

I wish I could have included photos

of all the other projects

but at some point

I put away my camera

and merely drooled.

(More photos at above link to Island Readers and Writers)

Tied into the above weaving

are individual scrolls

on which students had written

private messages about their own storms.

Above: flag and radio code

Left to right:

Ruth Feldman*, Principal Chris Crowley (Beals Island), Me,

Principal Dr. Debra Lay (Jonesport), and Jan Coates.*

(* = Directors, Island Readers and Writers)

Thank you all, for an inspiring visit!

xx

Love That School

Sometimes

I visit 

amazing schools

where the enthusiasm

and energy

and good will

is so high

that 

I 

swoon.

Bright and cheery welcome

students independently engaged

playing with words

celebrating books

and people

and

their

stories.

Thank you

Fay School

for a beauteous

and delicious

visit.

You're all

amazing.

xx

Sun Worship

So

the sun came out

and we turned our heads

toward it

Ahhh

we said

ahhh

. . .

xx

The Red Bench

(Click to enlarge)

so much depends

upon

a wooden bench

painted red

perched on the

side

of a Swiss

mountain

~~

This bench appears in two of my books:  

Bloomability and The Unfinished Angel

xx

Switzerland

Casa Camuzzi

Montagnola, Switzerland

. . . where Herman Hesse lived, wrote and painted in the latter part of his life.  Part of the house is now a museum in his honor.  He is buried in the churchyard of nearby St. Abbondio.

During the year that I wrote The Unfinished Angel, my husband and I lived in Montagnola and every day I walked along the path beside Casa Camuzzi. . . 

near the house in which we lived

overlooking this valley.

Ah, Svizzera!

Snowy Snow, Mainey Maine

And so it goes

the snowy snow

of this Mainey Maine 

winter

Another world

this quiet white coated world

Swirly drifts

and startling sun bright

. . .

. . . but there is work to be done

to clear a path

from here to there

and there to here

xx

White Pasture (with a nod to Robert Frost)

I'm going out to brush the snow away

I shan't be gone long

You come, too.

mm?

xx

Cow Cookies

Since we are all-things-cow lately

we made a batch of

gingerbread cow cookies:

the Belted Galloway sort

(the reddish ones, not the black and white Belties.)

Yum

xx

Newborn Calf

One of the surprises

and joys

of our move to Maine

has been 

the introduction to cows

(Belted Galloways)

through our granddaughter

and 4-H.

Today, a calf was born:

Newborn examination

Weighing

You probably won't be surprised

to learn that my next book

may have some 

cows

in it.

xx