Back to the Big Lake

After an intense weekend of real estate activity (arranging for the Lodge to be listed), a huge celebration (our parish's 150th anniversary, with the bishop's visitation, reception, and luncheon), a farewell dinner (our dear friend the canon/priest/potter is soon relocating his ministry to Colorado), and a very special reunion with our Friend Formerly From the North Country (now living in Northern California) who was in the area for her college reunion, I've sought refuge at the lake cottage for much needed relaxation.

I needed some of this....



...and less of this.



We had packers from our moving company come last week to box up my library/office--research books and favourite fiction. And I spent last week packing china, porcelain, crystal, silver, rose bushes (don't ask!), and more.

I'm spending my 2 days, 3 nights here in reading, knitting, walking Ruth and Jewel, planning my new rose and perennial gardens, and plotting where the furniture will go in the new house. Oh, and feeding worms to my wild pet fish Walter, who is swimming down at our dock, waiting for Mrs. Walter to come and lay eggs.

May Flowers...and More

It is evident that blogging is not my highest priority at present. I think about it a lot but never find time to do anything about it.

We've made a few visits to the new house--for the necessary things like home inspection (passed!), then meetings with flooring and carpet and landscaping and countertop chaps and carpenter (custom bookcases!)who have measured and are providing estimates and are helping us plan installations. And last week I did a walk-through with our painter, who is female, while the appraiser did his job (passed!) We've made all our choices and materials are ordered, with the exception of the paint as we continue to mull colour. This is the granite we'll have in the kitchen:



Whenever I'm in town for meetings, I drive past the house to see how it's changing as the season advances. Are the rhododendrons blooming? How big are the hosta leaves? Where do the trees make shade patterns now that they're leafing out?

Meanwhile at the Lodge, spring is gloriously colourful. The weather has been sunny and warm, many of the trees now have leaves. The forsythia is flowering:



The daffodils have faded now, the tulips are beginning to come into their own. My snakeshead fritillary gives me joy.



And this little primrose, which came to me in a little pot on my birthday last year, 14 months ago, and is now a garden star.



Not far from where it blooms is the long-time dwelling of my friend the Toad. I'm going to miss him greatly, but perhaps there's a new friend waiting for me in Concord.



I probably won't see many of these after we're living in the city...



But I hope, with the right feeders and seed, to attract the cousins of my rose-breasted grosbeaks...



...and the purple finches and goldfinches and cardinal and chickadees and blue jays and juncoes and tufted titmice and nuthatches and hummingbirds (not yet arrived) and orioles (I eagerly watch for their return!) That male grosbeak turned up today. Last year he arrived on the 4th of May, the year before on the 5th of May. I have 19 years' worth of records. Whether or not the Lodge's next owners will be birders remains to be seen. I certainly hope so, for the sake of my feathered friends.

Yesterday we opened up the lake cottage, but have no idea how much time we'll be spending there this spring, or even in summer. Due to a crises in turning on the water system (leaking intake pipe, busted valve down in the boathouse), it wasn't an option this week, and that's all right because I've got much to accomplish. I'm hoping to make enough good progress on packing this week that I can have a couple of days beside the Big Lake next week.



I look forward to getting the kayak out of the kitchen and into the water!



In this limbo period between planning the move and actually moving, I find myself thinking a lot about writing. I take some time every day to read, which often inspires the desire to write. I have two very different projects that require attention, finishing a manuscript and resuming digital conversion of backlist titles. My only opportunities to work on one or the other will only occur at the Lake. Here at the Lodge, packing up our possessions--or weeding them out to be given away to charities--is a far higher priority! And in its own particular way, a very creative enterprise!

The Time Between

Indoors



Outdoors



It's still Eastertide--there are 50 days of it--so technically I haven't missed out doing an Easter blog.

The woeful lack of blogging resulted from some rather intense activity associated with my primary project. I perhaps have mentioned that the Chap and I intend to move away from our beloved Lodge and take up residence in the Capital City. There are logistical reasons--proximity to his office and the locations of our volunteer activities--and a desire to be nearer friends and services. For 19 happy years we've lived out our dream of rural living beside our little lake. And though we love this house and our 21 acres of woods and the wildlife and birds so often featured here, we've had an increasing sense that our days in this environment are numbered.

I began the serious house-hunting 11 months ago, searched throughout the summer and autumn and all this winter. Overall, I wandered through 22 houses (that's my best count.) My doubt about finding anything suitable increased with every showing. Last October we found a house that seemed just about right--not ideal, but a good location and the size limitations were fixable. It was de-listed at the start of the year, then popped up again around my birthday. So we looked again. Despairing of finding anything better, we even made an offer. Price negotiations stalled.

Disappointed but determined, I suggested to the Chap that we look at the in-town house whose online listing had caught our attention. A week ago today we saw it. We had a curious sense of recognition, despite the fact that it's bigger than we wanted, offers multi-level living instead of the single storey we had decided upon, it's in a part of town we hadn't even considered but turned out to be ideal--he could walk to his office on nice days. It is partly historic and partly contemporary. It has perennial beds and shrubs, a mostly fenced-in yard that can easily be fully fenced to contain the dogs. And there's a stand of trees directly across the road as an antidote to culture shock.

We could see ourselves there. Our realtor could see us there.

We thought and we talked and on Sunday after church we visited the house again. I had begun to think of it as the "sunshine house" because each time we saw it the sun was streaming through the windows and skylights. This time we measured and we looked in closets and cupboards and made a meticulous assessment. Within an hour of leaving the place we made a purchase offer. The following day a price was agreed. The closing date is determined and the requisite home inspection is scheduled.

As ice goes out completely on the little lake--any minute now--I will record the event in my nature diary for the last time. I will remain here long enough to mark the return of the phoebes and orioles and hummingbirds and goldfinches (the robins have arrived already), and I shall witness the flowering of bulbs and even my roses before our ties to this property are severed. I veer between exultation and sadness when I think about what lies ahead. It will be a long goodbye to Lodge living.

And that's all right. Now that I know where I'm going, I don't need to rush being gone.

Palm Sunday

Twenty days? Yes, I know, it's been a long absence--too long! But there has been much activity on the domestic, diocesan, and literary front. I'm either not at the Lodge, or I'm at the Lodge working frantically to meet various deadlines.

We have endured some fairly drastic snow storms this month...and therefore the landscape doesn't look like springtime does in most places. But in New England, this isn't abnormal. But the days are longer, the sap is running well, maple syrup season is off to a good start. In fact, this is Maple Syrup Weekend and sugar houses around the state are having their special open houses. Unfortunately, we aren't participating this year, due to the aforementioned hectic activity.

Some recent scenes, all from the Lodge except the one from the Big Lake.











I shall return as soon as I can!

"March Forth!" 2013 Edition

We didn't have a blizzard or snowstorm at the weekend, for the first time in about 4 weeks it seems. We woke to nearly an inch of snow and flying flakes on Sunday (yesterday), just enough on top of the snow piles to freshen them, and to put us in the mood for the final day of Sled Dog Racing Championships in Laconia, on the other side of the Big Lake beside Paugus Bay.

Because of the aforementioned storms, the race had been twice delayed. But the conditions yesterday were perfect--good snow pack, and the course was in great shape for 3 days of constant usage. The festivities began with the singing of the US National Anthem and the Canadian one (in French--it's an international event, and many of the mushers came down from Quebec. (And from farther away.)

When we arrived, the Youth Class comptetition was about to begin.



The star attraction was little Misha, who wasn't working at all, simply looking cute and drawing the papparazzi!



These young ladies were less interested in the sled dog racing than their community of snowmen.



Anakin and Misha, two very lovely Siberian huskies.



Over in the race prep area, people and dogs were getting ready for the Open Class.



In Open Class, you can hitch up any number of dogs. The most we saw was a dozen.



This beautiful Border collie spectator very much wanted to work...I enjoyed watching her watched the racing dogs.



We had a pre-birthday meal at a Mexican restaurant we once visited on that side of the lake, which we very much like.

My birthday began with the opening of cards and gifts. After the Chap headed to work, I baked a birthday cake, using his aunt's famous pound cake recipe. I mixed it with my new KitchenAid professional model mixer, purchased last week. My older one, which belonged to my Grandmother Evans, will live on at the lake cottage.

The phone rang all day long--I talked at length to so many kind relatives and friends who rang me up on my special day. Lovely!

Tonight I'm making paella. Happy to celebrate at home, as it's a busy week and I'll be dining out on most evenings.

I just heard the bubbly pop! Time to celebrate some more!

Guest Blogging

My friend and writing colleague Anita Davison, who was recently a guest blogger here, kindly returned the favour and invited me to her blog. I discuss some of the background for The Love Spoon.

My Guest Blog at The Disorganised Author

No snowstorm this weekend!

An Honour to be Nominated....

And even more fun to win, of course!

After the 3rd snow storm in three weeks, the Chap and I felt very brave venturing onto dangerous roadways to attend the Red Carpet Fundraiser and Academy Awards show viewing at the independent cinema in downtown Concord. (We are members and supporters...I was present at its grand opening 5 years ago.)

The theme of this year's event was "Classic Hollywood" and black and white attire was encouraged. We complied--easy for the Chap, as his tux meets the specifications! I found a gown with lots of top structure (boned bodice, white rosettes) and a full skirt with crinoline beneath to add body. Because the glamourous female stars of the 30's and 40's often wore plumes in their hair, I created a matching headdress.



Part of the tradition involves walking the Red Carpet, being interviewed by a reporter for community television, and a line of "paparrazzi" snapping photos. A buffet was served in the smallest screening room, dubbed "The Stork Club" for the evening, where a jazz combo was playing. We circulated, meeting friends and making new ones. My ensemble received lots of attention and compliments, which was gratifying.

The Oscar telecast was streamed live in one of the large screening rooms. During commercial breaks the hosts led a Oscar trivia game. As usual, I scored a prize, thanks to my knowledge about Daniel Day-Lewis. (Prophetic, perhaps, as later in the evening he won the award for Best Performance for male lead!)

Adding to the fun is the chance to have a photo taken holding an real Academy Award. I didn't do it last time, but this time we did photo op--together and separately. The award belongs to Ernest Thompson, author of On Golden Pond, who won for his screenplay. Things I love about this particular statue:

1. It was awarded for writing!
2. On Golden Pond was filmed in New Hampshire's Lakes Region (mostly on Squam Lake) and some of the boating scenes were shot on our Big Lake!
3. Our cottage looks almost exactly like the one in the film, except that one has two levels of living space and ours has only one (our lower level is a wood shop and crawl space.)

We didn't stay for the entire broadcast, as the Chap was starting his new job (!!) today. The DVR was running at the Lodge, but of course I followed the action via Facebook and Twitter on my cellphone during the homeward drive.

In contrast to the elegant evening, we had spent much of the day clearing snow--shovelling and raking and so on--and worrying that we'd lose electricity. We had about 14 inches total, which is twice what the weatherman predicted for our area. The clouds rolled in Friday night and it was still snowing on our white-knuckle drive home from the Oscar party, late Sunday.

This is the scene on our decks this morning. It was back to shovelling for me, because--did I mention the Chap has a new job?

Accumulated snow on the decks.



In the "honour to be nominated" section of this post...the cover art for The Love Spoon has been so designated for February releases. You can read about it here.

I'm thrilled that the novella is doing well. It cracked the Top 100 bestseller list for Amazon Kindle in Short Stories (not just romance, but all short stories) as well as romance. Thanks to everyone who purchased it! And thanks to my very talented cover artist!



I'm guest-blogging later this week and will return with a link when the post goes live.

Valentine's Day & The Love Spoon

Happy Valentine's Day!

What better time to release a new Ebook? Well, actually a novella with bonus material. It's my first truly very new work in quite a few years, which is quite exciting. Last year's Ebook releases were backlist titles.

You can purchase The Love Spoon at these vendors:


The Love Spoon for Kindle
The Love Spoon for Nook
The Love Spoon for Kobo
The Love Spoon on Smashwords



A love spoon is a traditional Welsh love token, carved from wood and featuring hearts in the design. My cover art, created by illustrator Ravven, used my photograph of the spoon I purchased in North Wales. It hangs in our dining room.



In this tale, Gwendolyn Pryce and Hugo Meredith meet at a family wedding in Wales in the late 18th century. As well as struggling to accept their differences, they also discover they share a connection to a hafod, a Welsh hill farm, in Snowdonia.

This novella was (as usual) inspired by my having spent time in the region. My grandparents were fond of Betws-y-coed, which I've visited three (I think) times. My own Welsh forbears migrated from Wales to Chester, so it also features in the story. It's among my favourite cities in Britain, and I've been there repeatedly as well.

Here are two views taken from Pont-y-pair bridge, mentioned in The Love Spoon





You can see more of Ravven's wonderful work here. I'm delighted with the way she took a spoon photo I sent her and my basic concept and turned it into such an eye-catching book cover!

In home news, we still have massive amounts of snow on the ground. But we've had sunshine lately, and some slightly warmer weather. I was in Concord yesterday, attending an Ash Wednesday service with diocesan staff and picking up some Valentine's Day items for the Chap!

Finding (Blizzard) Nemo

Here are some images of what we woke to this morning at the Lodge. We have measured--for accuracy's sake choosing a spot where the snow seemed not to have drifted--and it appears we have 26 inches of accumulation. But the blizard warning continues until 4 p.m.

Jewel realises she won't be going onto the deck any time soon.

In the dog yard, the little one (Ruth) leads the way, trying--and failing--to leap over the snow.

She sank like a stone. For a time she was completely buried but surfaced almost immediately. Then she worked out how to swim through the snow...and she does love to swim!

The Chap came along to tread a path for them.

They played in the drifts for a little while.

It's quite the winter event. Fortunately we needn't go anywhere, have plenty of food, a generator to tide us over in case of a power cut--which at this point seems unlikely. After shovelling as much as we can, we'll enjoy a peaceful day, and hearty meal, a nice fire. Church has been called off tomorrow, so we don't have to leave the Lodge tomorrow, either!

Update! Proof that I went outside.

I did my share of shovelling walks and removing the snow mountain in front of the garage. That hill behind me was 1/2 made by the snow plow guy, and 1/2 of it feel from the sky. The ground is normally quite flat, and during the warmer months we park the 3rd car in that space!

Mistress of the Sea by Jenny Barden: A Review

This morning the temperature was minus-something Fahreinheit, and the day was advanced by the time the mercury hit 0 degrees. On these very cold and occasionally snowy days, curling up with a wonderful book is the best defence against the winter weather.

When I visited the UK in the autumn, one reason for being there was the Historical Novel Society conference. I met Jenny Barden, whose debut novel had just been published. Had I not been traipsing all round southern England at the time, I would have purchased it then and there. However, soon as I was home again I contacted Amazon UK. Writing and editing projects, NaNoWriMo, events related to the bishop transition, hosting our English guests at Christmas--for weeks Mistress of the Sea sat unread. Until last week, when a cancelled meeting provided enough time to sit and savour.

I simply couldn't put it down, and fortunately I didn't have to. So I finished it in one go, thoroughly absorbed.

Here is my review:

Mistress of the Sea
by Jenny Barden
Ebury Press, 2012
Hardcover (paperback edition not yet released)

Adventure, suspense, action, poignant loss and conflicted love--Jenny Barden's Mistress of the Sea offers all this, and more. Driven by concern for her ailing father, a disguised Ellyn Cooksley boldly stows away on Sir Francis Drake's Panama-bound vessel--also carrying her admirer Will Doonan. She leaves behind a reclusive mother, a pair of eager suitors, and all the luxuries of a Plymouth merchant's household.

Shipboard discomforts and the deprivation she experiences on a remote tropical island are only the beginning of her trials. A lone female in a very masculine environment, the resourceful Ellyn remains a woman of her time and place--though displaced in a fashion unimaginable to the average 16th century maiden. Will Doonan is on a mission of vengeance and discovery, desperate to learn the fate of his lost brother Kit. His concern and deep feelings for Ellyn are at odds with his very personal need to strike at England's great enemy.

Drake's risky attempts to seize Spanish silver and gold threaten the lives and test the loyalties of Ellyn, Will, and all the crew as they strive to outmaneuvre the Spaniards. People of the Old World and the New forge alliances, meet in battle, and constantly struggle for survival in harsh yet exotically beautiful surroundings.

Jenny Barden deserves highest praise for her historical fiction debut, intelligently and sensitively written. Readers will be eager for her next novel.

As part of the conference banquet there was a costume parade and competition. That's Jenny in her gorgeous Elizabethan gown...I'm just sorry the chairs are blocking the skirt.

Click for Mistress of the Sea on Amazon UK. I do hope there will be a US edition.