Solo in a Trailer in Venice...

Hello, dear readers!  

I'm back from a blissful solo writing retreat to Venice, CA! (I was there last month with the family, and came back for some creative time away, and it was WONDERFUL.)

I had a plane voucher for a couple hundred dollars which I had to use back in October.  Wisely, I remembered that I always get depressed and restless in February in Colorado.  I always feel ready for winter to be over around now, but here in Ft Collins we get snow through April.... and I desperately crave warm weather.

I'm also a girl-of-the-sea at heart, and I can't get enough of the ocean....

So back in October, I scheduled this trip, and man oh man, am I glad I did!  The past couple months in Colorado have been rough-- with some days never getting above the single digits, freezing one's nose hairs within minutes outside.

I found this abracadabrant place to stay on Air B n B, in the heart of Venice... in a sixties trailer!  Heaven!

The couple rents out this trailer as well as an Airstream, and they did a great job renovating and decorating them. (As you might know, I have my own vintage trailer that serves as my creative space, and find it really cozy and inspiring.)

 

I loved traveling alone before I was a wife and mother, and I still love it... maybe even more now!  I love not having to cater to anyone else's needs or compromise with anyone... I love being able to follow my whims as I explore.  I love not having to talk to anyone unless I want to... and spending days conversing only with my notebook if I feel like it.

Ian was very sweet to encourage me to go on this trip... I have several author visits coming up this spring (that I didn't know about when I bought this ticket back in October), and I was hesitant to ask him to do solo childcare for Lil Dude... but he told me I should definitely go.  And I did (and of course, I missed them both), and I feel SO refreshed and invigorated now.

The courtyard area of this place was artistic and eclectic, filled with flea market finds, from antique globes to tribal statues to vintage farm tools.

 

I love this lifestyle, where there are no boundaries between indoors and outdoors.  The owners are artists-- Tao is an Italian film-maker and photographer who works out of another trailer in the yard.  Roisin, from Ireland, does some kind of research and takes a lot of care in arranging all the plants and artwork. It made me want to work more on having more indoor-outdoor flow in my own home, but of course, that's harder to do with the weather extremes in Colorado.  But I resolved that during the windows of time when our weather is gentle, I will do this!

Tropical plants galore... bouganvillea and honeysuckle vines and bamboo and a million varieties of succulents and what I call "Dr. Seuss plants." It was just a five block walk to the beach and to the yummy food on Abbot Kinney Blvd.  I ended up getting most of my food to go (cheaper), and ate it back here in the courtyard.  Gjelina's Take Away (GTA) was other-worldly delicious... I got ideas for new things to try making at home.  (In fact, this morning I'm making their salmon toast. *mouth already watering*)

I love reading about creativity, and how brains work, and one thing's for sure: Creativity depends on you seeking out new, stimulating experiences to make new and surprising neural connections. I try to honor this in my everyday life, by taking new routes on walks with the dog, or wandering around flea markets to discover strange old things.  And I'm adamant about making travel a big part of my life... for me, that's what travel is: zap-zap-zapping new neural pathways and opening new worlds and ways of thinking.

Okay, I'll wrap up the little tour now.  The bathroom! It was outside, in this little art-filled room.

And the cherry on top of my excursion was seeing my adorable cousin, Michelle (and her new husband and wee dog) .  I hadn't seen her for ages, but we caught up with each other this trip, and had brunch at this cafe right on the Venice beachfront.

 Oh, and another good thing about the trip: I didn't bring my laptop!  I wrote in my old-fashioned paper notebook and read old-fashioned paper books for entertainment, and it was delicious.  I read Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness.  Great, interesting memoir that I read in a day.  Made me feel so grateful to my brain, which, despite a few flaws (like tendency toward anxiety and panic), works pretty darn smoothly. (Thank you, Brain.)

 I also read part of Shine Shine Shine (loving its weirdness) and Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall.  (Not as crazy about that, but glad I read two of the stories and love the evocative title.)

I also learned about Dadaism, from a book in the trailer (and I guessed that might be the philosophical framework behind much of Tao and Roisin's art?)

If you're considering a trip there, here's the link to the trailer I stayed in. It's only for one person, but the Airstream on the same property is for a couple. Also, if you're considering going, note that I didn't need to rent a car... I just took a Supershuttle from the airport to the property, and walked everywhere.

All right, time to finish making this salmon toast! Thanks for reading...  I hope you're finding a way to survive February, too!

xo
Laura

Feliz Dia del Amor y la Amistad!

Hello sweet readers,

Happy day of love and friendship to you!  Here are some valentines I made with Lil Dude for his party at school.  One of my creative goals for 2014 is to make at least three things with my new sewing machine... I think this counts. (See how we stitched on the eye patches?) 

I got the  idea here, if you're curious.  I'm so happy Lil Dude and I did something crafty together... I'm always dreaming of stuff like this, but he tends to prefer something like foam sword fighting when given a choice of activities.  He did get into operating the sewing machine, though, for a little while at least.

Another one of my goals for 2014 involves my new manuscript!  I won't give you details yet, but I will say that there's a three-legged skunk in it (as a very minor, but devilishly cute character.)  Here's a little vintage skunk figurine I found at my favorite flea market shop.  I kept him on my desk for inspiration while writing.

Thanks for swinging by! Hugs and hearts to you!

xo,
Laura

An Oceanic New Year!

Hello and happy new year, beautiful readers!

Here's where I spent the first week of 2014.... Venice Beach, California, with Ian and our Lil Dude.

It was one of those delightfully random trips...  We wanted to go someplace warm and by the ocean, and we wanted CHEAP plane tickets.  The place that fit this criteria perfectly was Venice Beach... but we didn't know much about it till after we bought the tickets.  We loved it!

 

There's an amazing bike path along the beach that we followed all the way to Santa Monica Pier, a few miles away.  Along the way were fun playgrounds, every half mile or so.  Lil Dude (above) made sure we stopped at them all.

 

I hadn't known about Traveling Rings until we stopped our bikes and played on them on the way to Santa Monica. Ian was incredibly good at them (and incredibly sore for days afterward...)

Lil Dude is seriously hot-blooded, and happily splashed around in the freezing cold water for hours on end.  He paused to make sand sculptures... Santa's belly poking through the sand (see above) and a giant hobbit foot (below).  (Lil Dude and Ian, although genetically unrelated, have the SAME HOBBIT FEET!)

The rides at Santa Monica pier were wonderful-- just fifteen bucks for an all-you-can-ride pass for Lil Dude... and there were no lines at all (at least at this time of year on a weekday.)  He was in heaven, and I kept thinking that he was probably having as much fun as he would in a super-expensive, long-lined place like Disney World, but this day was only costing us fifteen bucks and zero stress.

Okay, plus about ten more bucks (for the three of us) for entry to this cute little aquarium under the pier. It was small and cozy and easy for kids to navigate-- more manageable than those gigantic dark aquariums that can feel overwhelming for little kids.

We stayed in an adorable old Craftsman cottage right on a walk street.  I didn't know anything about these walk streets till we got there, but man, am I glad we picked a house right on one.  They're sweet little pedestrian paths that run between gorgeously landscaped yards.

We rode our bikes up and down these walk streets several times a day, and I always felt like I was breezing by botanical gardens.  The trees were all adorned with ornaments and lanterns and wind chimes, like works of art. 

I loved the little courtyard of the cottage we rented (Jhana Cottage of Zen Cottages, through either Air B n b or VRBO.)  There was a cool, giant neon sign as garden art, and a gurgling fountain.  I sipped tea and read and wrote in a lounge chair out there every morning.

One morning we walked around the famous Venice canals, and it reminded me and Ian of a majorly upscale version of the modest canals in our grandparents' trailer park in Fenwick Island (near Ocean City Maryland). Our grandparents lived across the street from each other when we were kids... they were once good friends... but that's a story for another day.

Proof that I was actually there, too, since I'm usually behind the I-phone camera...

*Wishing you a year of oceanic joy, 

sparkling 

and deep 

and soul-filling!*

xo,

Laura

Favorite Reads of 2013

Hello, dear readers!

I was going through my Goodreads list and picked out my reading highlights of the year.  Thought I'd share them with you!  Let me know if you have any recommendations for me... :-)

Middle Grade Books (ages 8-12)

All Four Stars by Tara Dairman-- Hilarious, charming, delicious, tender tale of a girl gourmande who becomes a secret restaurant critic for the biggest newspaper out there.  This would make an excellent read-aloud-- parents and upper-elementary school children will be giggling together through the entire book.  So much fun! (Release date this summer-- I read a review copy.)

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt-- This is a classic with a Newbery *and* Printz Honor.  The story is a beautifully told, multi-layered story of a friendship and civil rights issues in the middle of last century.  Gorgeous, breath-taking ocean setting, complex and funny characters, gorgeous and elegant imagery.  Gary writes with soul-shivering wisdom and a deep sense of the sacred.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage-- A well-deserved Newbery Honor book from last year.  Sheila is simply an amazing story-teller!  The small-town setting is absolutely delightful, the characters are eccentric and thoroughly loveable, and the plot is suspenseful and exciting.  And to top it all off, the story is truly moving, and stays with you.

YA Stand-Alone Books

Backwards by Todd Mitchell-- This was the most imaginative and original YA I've read in a while... and I have to say that as a writer, I was in awe.  This story is told backward, by an enigmatic, supernatural narrator, with mystery after mystery unfolding. It's a page-turner that had me asking myself lots of deep, philosophical questions.  Loved it!

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell-- This book actually lives up to the hype!  Beautiful, moving, funny, poignant romance, unlike any you've read before.  It was set during my own high school years (late eighties, early nineties), which made me love it all the more (though it's relatable to any generation.) The coolest thing is that the guy who is now my husband wooed me with the SAME MIX TAPES that Park gives to Eleanor... really and truly... The Smiths, Joy Division, Elvis Costello, etc.  *happy sigh*

Feed by MT Anderson-- A classic that I've reread several times already.  Brilliant-- this is what dystopian fiction should be-- biting social commentary on where our current society is headed. (And a National Book Award Honor).

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer-- Also brilliant, incredible dystopian fiction which I've read several times.  I love the Latin American setting-- so unusual for this genre.  Printz Honor, Newbery Honor, and National Book Award-- well-deserved shininess!

YA Fantasy trilogies

Flame (third in the Glow series) by Amy Ryan-- Loved this sci-fi series, set on spaceships in the future.  It's wonderfully fast-paced and poses important ethical questions about religion, politics, and society.  (I love my fellow anthropology-majors-turned-writers!)  This was a deeply satisfying conclusion to the series.

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (second in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series)-- Not only does Laini Taylor have a wild and wonder-filled imagination, but she's able to transform her vision into mind-bendingly beautiful prose.  I love her unique characters and settings (primarily Prague and Morocco)-- definitely places I love spending time in within my imagination (and in real life.) This book was darker than the first, and completely gripping.

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (Second in the Grave Mercy series)-- Really unique and imaginative historical fantasy that breaks the mold in a delightful way.  This follows another "assassin-nun"-- one who played a minor role in the first book.  Robin is a masterful story-teller and writer-- it's such a joy to read her elegant-yet-accessible prose and feel swept away in the story.  It's so intelligently written, with wit and feminism and intrigue and meaningful romance.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (first in the series)-- Smart, believable, action-packed dystopian novel with wonderful characters and romance. I read this after beginning (and abandoning) a string of mediocre dystopian books, and it was an exciting breath of fresh air for me.  Veronica has artfully created a truly vivid and believable world, full of adventure and intrigue.

"Grown-up" Books

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter-- Loved the cover of this book-- even prettier in real life.  Small-town Italy setting-- can't go wrong there.  I love books that go back and forth in time, showing when a character was young and old-- it gives me an expansive feeling and makes me think about life differently.

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer-- Another book with a sweeping feel that covered several decades in the four main characters' lives.  There was something so real-feeling and honest about this book, and Meg captured a range of intense emotions so beautifully.... from jealousy to love to nostalgia.  Impressive and engrossing.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman-- Short and strange and creepy and oddly moving.  Neil has such a distinctive style and sensibility-- a simple, matter-of-fact way of writing about the darkest, most surreal, dream-like things.  And somehow, his tales appeal to adults (in books like this) and kids (in books like The Graveyard Book and Coraline).  I'm not quite sure how he pulls it off, but I'm glad he does.

Whew! So that's my list... if you read any of them, I hope you enjoy them, too!

xo,
Laura

Personalized, Signed Books for Gifts... *and* a Zany, Heart-warming Story of Geese!

 This is baby goose Grape, who we rescued in May, and who inspired the duck in my story.

Hello, sweet readers!

As my Lil Dude often says, "Two things.  First..."

First, just want to let you know that if you'd like any personalized, autographed copies of any of my books for a holiday gift, you can order them at Old Firehouse Books.  In the Notes section of your order (either online or by phone) you can tell them who you'd like me to sign the book for, and anything special I should know about the recipient.  I'll come to the store (just a few blocks from my house) within a day (barring extreme sickness) and autograph the book and then Old Firehouse will mail it to you! Easy peasy. You can also email me directly and give me a heads up so I'll be sure to sign it asap.  (Lauraresau at gmail.com, subject: Signing Books). I recommend ordering soon to make sure they arrive in time!

Okay, on two Thing #2!  The Geese Story!  As you may or may not know, I put out a call on Facebook for interesting real-life pet skunk or waterfowl stories.  (This relates to my next novel, which I hope to tell you more about soon!)  I got lots of fascinating responses, and I thought I'd feature a couple on this blog... they're too good not to share.

Today's story is from wonderful school librarian, Alexis Gerard, of Maryland.  I'm calling it:

 "Hungover Geese in Cute Sweaters"

 

When my grandmother was a little girl, she lived on a large chunk of property out in the country. They had many yard geese. Before she was born, her family had gathered on the estate for the holidays. They made egg nog with lots of rum. To cool it, they left it outside for a while. 

The geese found it and drank almost all of it. Some time later my grandmother's family came outside to find the dead birds in the back garden. 

They felt bad about it, but what could they do?  Not wanting the birds' lives to be a total waste, they decided they would pluck the feathers from the geese. 

Some time later the geese came to. Then my family felt really bad as it was winter time and now these poor geese were naked. 

They brought the geese inside for a few days. The women knitted little sweaters for every goose. The geese wore those sweaters all winter until their feathers grew back. 

True story! 

 

Don't you LOVE it?!  I think it would make an adorable, funny picture book... but I'm not sure about how appropriate drunk, passed-out geese would be for the preschool crowd...

Thank you SO much to everyone who contributed stories... you have tripled the laughter in my life on these dark December days...

xo
Laura

 
 *If you embiggen this photo, you can see some of the greenish-yellow poo that plays a minor role in my novel.*

Feeling Thankful...

Hello dear readers,

 The older I get, the more convinced I am that the secret to happiness is gratitude.

I'm grateful for my wild-haired Lil Dude and his new little sister, Wilma the Mellow Beagle...

Always grateful for Ian...

 

and my creative, kind neighbors... some of whom now have this exuberant piano in their front yard. Lil Dude enjoys pausing to play some tunes on it while we're walking Wilma.  Another beloved neighbor, artist Diane Findley, had painted it as part of Pianos About Town.  Once this one was "retired," they let Diane decide what to do with it.  She decided to gift it to the family across the street... and voila!  The most awesome yard art ever, just around our corner.  

I did an interview with Diane for Fort Collins magazine, the Winter issue, coming out soon.  She's one of my role models for creativity, art, dance, play, and life... I can't wait to show you a glimpse of her world!

Speaking of writing, another thing I'm grateful for... my writers' group! We're having a free reading coming up soon: Wed, Dec 4, 7 pm, Bas Bleu Theatre, Ft Collins. (It's for grown-ups only-- sorry to any younger readers... but I'll be doing another kid-friendly event another time soon, I'm sure.)

And of course, I'm grateful for my other friends and family, 

and for the new manuscripts I just finished (more on that later), 

and for *you*, sweet reader!

May you have a Thanksgiving filled with real gratitude!

xo,

Laura