N's on the move - Thursday 2/9/2006

All the way to Toronto! His mom brought him in for me to play with today. What a doll. He even had the good grace to remember me and not be afraid of me. Pretty darn good for 13 months!

Tomorrow’s his mom’s last day here. She’s moving her little family up to Toronto to work in our small company’s even smaller Canadian office. She will be much missed. (No more book lunches!) But we'll keep in touch through her blog, if nothing else...see the link to An American InToronto? Yeah, that's her.

Baby N was in our office every day for about 4 months, and I got to take lots of baby breaks with him. You can’t tell here, but his skin is absolutely perfect and glowing.

Just like his little spirit.

Longer Way Home - Wednesday 2/8/2006

There was an accident on the 14, so I took Little Tujunga Canyon through the mountains. It takes longer because it’s 17 miles of very twisty roads. But it was just beautiful yesterday. Warm enough to have the windows down. It's nice to have options.

I stopped at Bear Divide to take this photo of my little car enjoying it’s outing. I have to love places with names like Bear Divide.

Close up of the trees that are in the background of the first photo. Last of the light coming down the valley.

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Light on Condiments - Tuesday 2/7/2006

As the sun sank behind the San Gabriel Mountains, MGS and I met to catch up with each other and to write.

We were on a writing date. Basically, we talked about how the work’s been going for us, then got down to writing. It’s nice to sit across a table and offer each other a little respect for the time and effort. Afterward, we read what we’d been working on to each other.

I always get a lot out of the conversations before and after writing. She’s working on an amazing book, and I’m always thrilled to hear snippets of it. Can’t wait to pluck it off a shelf in a bookstore and say, “Hey, I KNOW her!”

It’s going to happen.

Signs along Highland Boulevard - Tuesday 2/7/2006

Christmas lights are gone, but we still have neon.

That African violet - Monday 2/6/2006

It’s the one that I rescued from my boss’s desk. So it gives me even more than the usual pleasure to see it blooming.

African violets are really pretty easy once you figure out that they need to have water around their roots all the time and be fed regularly. I wish more things were this simple.

No matter how many books they sell on the topic, there is no formula for a fabulous novel, or memoir, or short story. There are elements that will surely help them along, but they have to be infused with a life beyond the words on the page.

Maybe those of us who write need to be willing to risk our hearts to give the tales their own breath.

Dodger vs. the Vegetable Brush Sunday 2/5/2006

I was framing a shot of the vegetable brush when Dodger popped into the act.

Poppy outside Mimi's Saturday 2/4/2006

Down in Laguna Hills. Just so pretty in the afternoon sun.

Chimineria and lavendar Friday 2/3/2006

We’ve had a warm spell and the flowers are all excited about it. Me, too. I have a nice studio to write in, but I tend to sit at this window in our library to write.

Heading Out Saturday 2/4/2006

Following our honorary nephew out of our neighborhood. He stayed with us a few days before heading down to Laguna Hills/Irvine where he’ll live and work. He just arrived from Indiana. He’ll be staying with D’s cousin during his internship, and then hopefully staying on after the three months for the job.

He's been very interested in all the classic cars you see on the road out here, and how there's no rust damage!

Stop Sign Thursday 2/5/2006

Lines and colors.