Discombobulation

Check below for the fabulous Botanical Interests give-away of sunflowers!

Dear Friends,

After a journey of many decades and four years of on and off writing, I am finally finished with my new novel Running Out of Night with Random House/Delacorte Press. Yesterday I spent nine long, hard hours on my third draft revisions. Then, Jeff worked until 11 p.m. formatting and tagging the manuscript.

Whoosh, off it went. And this morning, when my amazing editor said that she "accepted all revisions and changes," it was over. Silently over. Period. Over.

I can only quote Julia Child to give you a full picture of how it feels:

"What a strange feeling to be done with The Book. It had weighed so like a stone these many years, you'd think I'd be tripping about in ecstatic jubilation. But I felt rootless. Empty. Lost. I sunk into a slough of discombobulation."

From My Life in France

I am not comparing myself to the amazing Julia in any way, shape, or form, but those words ring so true. Here I am, finished with the book and just waiting to do the glossary, bibliography, suggested reading, dedication, thanks, map, and illustrations. I feel like empty days are looming over me now.

Looks like my garden is finally going to get the attention it deserves.

The little kitchen garden filled with herbs, lettuces, artichokes, rhubarb, and edible flowers

Tomorrow members of Kiddie Writers will arrive at my little house for a meeting and to help me celebrate. Friday some of my very best friends (from grammar school through high school) in the world will arrive for a Fab Femmes weekend. I'm ready! (is poor Jeff?).

So now I leave you with a short video of my garden as it was about ten days ago when I wandered around and filmed it. It is waaaaaay more bountiful now. (Don't gardeners ALWAYS say that) I love that I can share artichokes, fruit, lettuces, and herbs with so many friends.

I planted over 200 sunflowers in the "Sunflower Courtyard" in front of our living room. Mind you, it has only been the "Sunflower Courtyard" for a month, but as soon as it comes into its glory, I'll take some photos.

My new babies (the red pots vinyl and are held together by Velcro tabs, which you can open easily so your new seedlings are not at all disturbed. They're from Gardener's Supply in Vermont).

To celebrate the vast array of sunflowers that are now available, I am SO HAPPY to offer this rainbow of sunflowers that were donated to me by Botanical Interests seed company. I planted six of their offerings in the courtyard and can't wait to see them in their glory.

Delicious!

Our lucky winner of the drawing for This Old House magazine's give-away of their Kitchens book is dear Pat of Thoughts from Taylorsoutback. Congratulations Pat! Pat is a Grimy Hand's Girls Club member and will receive a bonus gift of her choosing from my last blog posting.

Look for the upcoming August 2013 issue of This Old House magazine for a fabulous article on my little herb shed, Sprig. This article focuses on the interior and exterior, and the fun and collectible things inside it. Also a bit of our container garden. Hope you enjoy it.

I won't promise a date for the upcoming drawing since I seem to be far behind on posting, but it will be within the next ten days. After all, you'll need to get your seeds into the ground soon.

Sending love across the miles,

Sharon

p.s. Those wishing to leave a comment as "Anonymous," please start your comment with "Sharon" or it will be deleted automatically. Too many "Anonymous" spammers asking me to visit their site or with recommendations for the unmentionable.

Old Loves

Come on in for a visit.

Drafty, crooked,
Sagging, scratched,
This old house
Just can't be matched.

Lovejoy


I guess that is what I love about old houses. They have flaws, but to me that equates to personality plus. Right? And they have distinct personalities. Sometimes the doors of this house won't close, or, on hot, dry days, they won't stay open. I listen to the house creak and crack at night and wonder what stories it is telling.

Both sets of my grandparents lived in old California bungalows, which I think is why I have good feelings when I step into a cozy, vintage home. They may be impractical with their tiny closets, lack of storage, and single pane windows, but no amount of money can buy the charm and the extra touches that are a part of the package called an old house. I love them, right down to the doorbells and the old, time worn steps.

Just ring the doorbell or...

...tap, tap, tap the door knocker.

Clickety clack, let your heels click on the newly restored floor. Out with the brown, wall-to-wall carpet (Mare Betterley, you'll be happy about that) and in with the sander and polish. Nothing like mellow old floors.

Some people don't like the small rooms, but I find them cozy beyond measure. Our friends and family love crowding into this room around the old farm table. Now the floors are patched and refinished, cove ceilings mended, plaster repaired, old chandelier hung (found it at Homestead Antiques in Carpinteria, California), a new coat of linen colored paint. Thank you, Jeff, you are amazing!

Yep, they're single-paned windows, but they have a wavy surface that makes the world look like an Impressionist's watercolor. And think of the families, dramas, sorrows, and joys they've witnessed through the past 83 years.

My grands love to open and close this tiny window (which Jeff just rebuilt) and peep into the courtyard. They feel as though they're in an enchanted castle.

This is L.A. Claycraft heirloom tile from the early 20th century. I urge you (translate–beg you) to save any old tiles surrounding your fireplace. Too many of them have been lost when old houses are sold to unappreciative buyers, or, worse yet, when old houses are demolished and all the goodies are left inside them and reduced to rubble. Save the tiles!

Jeff restored the little fireplace to its original finish and colors, which had been thickly painted over many times. He worked for two years whenever he had a chance, using toothpicks, toothbrushes, and rags to clean it and redo it. I can't believe the patience and dedication it took for him to do this. He made the thick redwood mantel out of an ancient piece of redwood (probably two thousand years old) that I salvaged from a building they were retrofitting in downtown San Luis Obispo. They were throwing this gorgeous piece of wood into a dumpster. I begged for it unabashedly, and they said, "No, it is against company regulations." I said, "Turn around," crawled up onto the dumpster, and slid it out. Then the problem was that it was HEAVY. I had to call Jeff to quickly drive to town to pick me up.

Love these practical little built-in ironing boards. Use it and stow it. So easy. We built a laundry room and traded some windows for this entire cupboard and ironing board. The clothes pin bag belonged to my Grandmother Lovejoy and is filled with vintage clothes pins from the 1930s.

 A little phone niche in the hallway. This was plastered in and covered with wallpaper. Jeff found the arched outline of it, chipped it away, and re-did the plaster. 

No fancy dropped ceilings, big lights, or modern sinks, islands, or gigantic new stove; just plain old-fashioned comfort. Sink from Ohmega Salvage in Berkeley, California. Some of the antique lighting came from Let There Be Light in Stillwater, Minnesota; others came from Trifles in Wiscasset, Maine. 

The cupboard (under the apple sign on the wall) came from the fire damaged Tantamount Theater in Carmel, California (courtesy of Marston House Antiques, Wiscasset, Maine); the giant apple sign came from Timothy Mawson Antiques in Connecticut. Sadly, Timothy passed away.

Jeff designed everything in the kitchen, making sure he kept true to the time the house was built. Out with the 1980's remodel.

Kitchen doorknob.

All the kitchen pulls are true to the time the house was built. I love the old glass pulls.

The old hardware is still on all the doors.

Too much clutter?? Probably, but everything is right at hand. The counter tops are big pieces of maple, but they're not cutting boards. Would I do that again? Uh, maybe not, they're already due for a refinishing. I thought about marble, but it made the room way too cold.

Open shelving doesn't appeal to everyone, but it forces you to be somewhat organized and clean. I love them and have had them in my last two kitchens. 

Photographer Mark Lohman and stylist/producer Sunday Hendrickson are here today and are producing a photo shoot for an article for This Old House magazine. Stay tuned! I cannot write about it now, but will when the article is published. These two are HARD WORKERS. They arrived early and have been working non-stop all day. They didn't even stop to sit down for lunch. Dedication.

Enough for now. I must return to the revisions on my new book to be published by Random House/Delacorte Press. I am so very excited about it. This Underground Railroad research is beyond fascinating, and I love all the letters you've written to me about the UGRR in your own home towns. Lots of information from Ohioans, and I love it.

Thank you for all your e-mails and letters. Also, thanks to you for your words about the inimitable Peter Workman of Workman Publishing. He will be missed more than words can tell.

Oh, before I sign off, the editor of This Old House offered a fabulous copy of their book on kitchens as my new give-away.

Kitchens are where the action happens, where memories are cooked up and reduced down, they are, what my dear friend Susan Branch calls, the heart of the home. Can you hear it? I definitely hear my kitchen's heart beat every time I walk through the door.

Just leave a comment ("Anonymous" comments must begin with "Sharon" to escape the delete button. Sorry. Too much spam) on my blog posting if you would like to enter the drawing for the This Old House Kitchens. If you're a Grimy Hands Girls' Club member and your number is selected, you'll also receive a copy of one of these fine books published by Timber Press. They're both excellent and filled with great information. Take your pick! 

Sending love across the miles,

Sharon

P.S. After my Grandmother Lovejoy died, my parents bought land and built a new, ranch style home. I did not like leaving the Pasadena area–the old, tree-lined streets, the mountains and hills, the perfect sidewalks for skating and jumping cracks. Our new home never felt like home, but it did provide my mother and me with a built-in network of young families. Mother spent time every day sharing coffee and stories with neighbors. Now, as I spend most days alone, I find that browsing your postings makes me feel like I have my own neighbors, just farther away, and not convenient for sugar borrowing. Most times I make a quick stop-by and leave, sometimes I take time to comment. I love your writings and families. It feels like a good neighborhood. Thank you!

Peter Workman

10

Today my publisher Peter Workman, Workman Publishing, New York, lost his heroic battle with cancer.

The world is less without him.

How do you describe someone who lights a room with his brilliance?  Who has the wisdom of an old soul, yet the inimitable sense of wonder of a child?

Peter changed my life for the better and forever. I will always remember him, his lopsided grin, his love of the publishing industry, his generosity,  kindness, and sense of humor. I could go on, but I can't.

Our hearts ache with the loss and for the loss to his family, his wife Carolan, daughters Katie and Elizabeth, son-in-laws, grandchildren, and the extended "family" of employees and lucky authors.

Faretheewell, Peter. We will never forget you.

Sharon and Jeff

p.s. Please direct all comments to Workman Publishing. Comments are closed on my blog.

Bones of a Book

Native California Flannel Bush (Fremontia) in full spring bloom.

Spring, and the promise of the new season, has given me a new strength of purpose. Work hard! Don't quit! Immerse yourself! Enjoy every step of the dance! Do the best and most creative work you can! Those are my mantras to myself, but I'm happy to share them with you.

Opening hearts of redbud. I press these leaves in the fall and use them for placecards at family meals.

Dear Friends,

So many wonderful e-mails and letters from you. I thank you for your well wishes, and yes, I will write about the process of the book as I work through my revisions and illustrations.

I haven't had the time to visit many of you, and I do apologize. As my deadline looms, I find that I am most peaceful when I work toward the finish line. Writing, drawing, and a bit of spring gardening= pure bliss.

Today we drew from all the readers who sent in comments on my last (very long lasting) blog posting. Check at the bottom of this short post to see if you were the lucky winner.

The Beginnings

Someone wrote and asked where I get my ideas. Well, ideas have never been the problem; it is sitting down and actually writing them that is the problem. Most of the time when an idea pops into my head, I write myself a reminder note, because although I always think I'll remember, it will get as lost as a needle in my floss basket.

Start saving all your great ideas for your future work. Start a journal or a notebook on your computer, but save the ideas so you can mine them for your writing. You won't regret the little bit of extra time you've spent recording thoughts and experiences. They're gold for a writer.

The ideas for this pre Civil War book came from my thorough drenching in history as told to me by my Grandmother Lovejoy. This portrait is of my great, great, grandmother Mary Ann Mitchell Baker, who was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1804.  She was daughter of John and Abigail Harlan (see our connection Cousin Julie Marie of Idyllhours?). This portrait hung above my Grandmother Lovejoy's couch. As Grandmother tied my shoe laces each morning, she would tell me stories of Mary Ann (who is wearing Quaker garb and a muslin cap), my Great Grandpa, who fought in the Pennsylvania Old Bucktails in the Civil War, and the family's trials and tribulations as they moved from Pennsylvania and Virginia to Pasadena, California, in the 1800s.

Why this time period?

In the late 60s, I journeyed to Virginia, where some of my had family settled in Goose Creek (now Lincoln) in the 1800s. I began copying letters that were stored in my great grandfather's suitcase and kept in my cousin's attic. Day after day, I copied letters into my notebook. I resumed recording them  again when I returned to her home in 1974.

History came alive for me when I read through these amazing letters, filled with not only life, but also the deaths of friends and family who fought in the Civil War. Sometimes, as I copied letters stained with blood, I would see the tears mixing with the ink in my journal. I sobbed as I read how my great, great uncle Aaron Baker had only a few days left before being discharged from The Pennsylvania Old Bucktails. He was shot at Spotsylvania Courthouse and carried off the battlefield by his brother Edwin and three other friends, who buried him in a nearby field.

Through these original pieces of history, written in the Quaker dialect of the family, I also learned how to write the book with authentic dialect of the times, with many colorful phrases of the people of the Virginia countryside. 

I learned, as I worked through these family memories and tragedies, how powerful the telling of history can and should be. I'll have to admit this painful fact– I was guilty of snoozing through many history classes. Was it me? Was it the way we were taught? I do know that rote memorization of dates and events never worked, but hand me a historical novel, or tell me a story, and my mind and heart opened wide.

This is what I want for the children. I want their minds and hearts to open wide to the fabric of our history. To learn how hatred can be transmitted like a virus, but can be "cured" with knowledge and love. 

So, this is a short, short posting, but I must get back to work.

Sending love across the miles to you all,

Sharon

p.s. And the winner of the random drawing for the double Mayan hammock from Serenity Health and Home Decor is...

Julie Marie of Idyllhours

Julie is Grimy Hands Girls' Club member so she'll be receiving a bonus gift from me.

p.p.s. If you are along the California Central Coast on April 9th, come hear me talk about "The Bumpy Road to Fiction along the Non-fiction Pathway."

April 9, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Talk and booksigning

SLO Nightwriters

PG&E Education Center

6588 Ontario Rd  

San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Open to the public, but limited seating.

To Dream a New Dream

"You are never too old to set another goal or 

to dream a new dream."

C.S. Lewis

Dear Friends,

I am dreaming a new dream and keep pinching myself to make sure I am awake.

Four years ago, I set out on a journey of discovery. I returned to Virginia where I once substitute taught in some schools and participated again in the Goose Creek Friends meetings. I walked old pathways, visited graveyards, dipped into vintage books about the Civil War, visited battlefields and museums, talked with locals, and fueled my dreams for writing a pre-Civil War novel for middle grade children.

I began writing my novel and reading it at my Cambria Writers group and with my Kiddie Writers. When I received their well considered critiques, I would zoom home and sit at my desk doing rewrites for hours. I plodded on and on, writing, rewriting, dreaming, doing research, and hoping that someday my book would become a reality.

Now, I am beyond happy to let you know that Random House/Delacorte Press has purchased my novel, which they will release in the fall of 2014.

I have a fresh stack of the absolutely necessary yellow tablets. When I am finished, there will be a stack of them filled with my field notes and footnotes.

So every day I am doing more rewrites, more research, and more little drawings for the book. I love this leg of the journey. Won't you join me as I work onward and upward?

Yesterday I visited our local AAA for a stack of maps. I cut them apart so that I could track my routes on the Underground Railroad.

Learning the names of the nearby rivers, creeks, and mountains. 

I lay out all the maps on the floor in Mockingbird Studio. I'll use a yellow highlighter to indicate roads, farms, villages, and possible sites for stops. I love research.

To celebrate my new beginning, I am so happy to offer some wonderful give-aways to readers who leave a comment on this posting. (Remember, if you leave a comment as "Anonymous," begin your comment with "Sharon." All others go to my spam filter.)

First, a double Mayan hammock (regular price $54.99), courtesy of Serenity Health and Home Decor. What a great place to welcome the coming of Spring.

And, an illustrated journal of the travels of the famed naturalist Carl Linnaeus will be added to the give-away if lucky winner is a member of The Grimy Hands Girls' Club. (Sign up for the club if you're not already a member). This is a delightful read with lovely illustrations. Drawing will be in a couple of weeks.

Sending love across the miles,

Sharon

P.S. Kathy (in comments) left a note about the AAA maps not cutting it because town names etc. change. She is right, but mountain ranges, river courses, creeks, etc.  don't change (unless a dam is built), but I use my trusty links to historic societies and primary sources to secure maps of the time such as this plan of one of the towns I am featuring. Actually, one of the main towns I'm writing about went through a name change during the times of the Civil War. Just wanted to make this clear to all of you.

Spring in My Step

The pineapple sage is keeping the hummingbirds and my family happy.

The hummers love this native Columbine too.

Pitcher sage, Lepichinia, has a wonderful demeanor. See how she bows her head demurely?

Yes, it's true, I've got a real spring in my step nowadays. The garden is perking up, the fruit trees are flowering, we've topped all the beds,  planted,  and are getting ready to do a major re-vamp in our beneficial insect and bird garden. I love the sweet promise of all the new life and changes.

My 'Bonanza' peach tree, which is only four feet tall, is living up to her name.

Freesias spill from the borders onto the pathways.

Sorry to have been away so long. Life has gotten in the way. I know it happens to you too, because I read that in your postings. 

We've had a big party in honor of one of my grandsons, we traveled to Seattle for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, and I've been working like a fiend on a book project. 

Gathering research books from our library. What would I do without libraries and librarians? Please be sure to zip into my next blog posting for an exciting life change for me and an opportunity for YOU to win a new book. 

Although I promised NOT to garden in my robes anymore (I keep ruining them), I stepped outside and couldn't help myself. Now I look at the gorgeous artichokes with a sweet melancholy. The gophers took them!

My curious Scrub Jay friend watches in the hopes that I'll unearth some goodies.

We're able to harvest so many fruits every day...

...and edible flowers and herbs for homemade yogurt cheese...

...and for fresh fruit salads.

We flew out of California to speak at the fabulous Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. This is the view from our room at the Hilton. Most of the time it was overcast, but the one time I didn't have my camera handy, it cleared up and we could see snow-covered mountains and boats.

I gave two talks in two days. The best part was meeting old friends, making new ones, and finally meeting Sweet Pea, The Littlest Gardener, and Catherine Kokoris from A Gardener in Progress blog.

Made an appearance on the upcoming GardenTV.tv...

...with host Holly Hamilton.

Perused the show, but darn it, so many photos didn't turn out.  I did love this little phone-booth-sized garden shed. I recently read that gardeners are constructing these sheds very inexpensively by building them from three regular doors and one French door (for all sides). Plop on a roof, add a floor, and you've got a sweet little shed.

Loved all the tiny bulbs. I promised myself to plant a zillion of them this year. I'll order from Brent and Becky's Bulbs and Old House Gardens.

Love the checkered Fritillaries.

Loved the huge balls of succulents, which were in the Butchart Gardens booth. This is hanging from a beam. I think this would be fairly easy to do.

Loved the simple play area. I really like using tree rounds for tables and stools. I did this in the Heart's Ease gardens sunflower house and the children adored them.

No trees involved, but this IS a tree house. I could envision my grands clambering up the ladder and hiding out up there.

Loved the interior of this garden shed, which was built by Little Mansions (www.artisanstructures.com).

Speaking of little. I liked these little plant markers made out of twigs. They look like mini trellises. I'm trying to make some, but will use some old copper markers for the sign.

Ok, so I bounced all over this posting, but that is life...isn't it?

Jeff did the random number generator to choose the winner of Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman's new garden-cookboook, The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook. The lucky winner is Ernestine Lawson, One Woman's Journey, of My Journey To Mindfulness blog. Since Ernestine is also a member of my Grimy Hands Girls' Club, she will find some special packets of seed tucked into her book. Plant and enjoy!

Sharon

p.s. If you leave a comment and sign it "Anonymous," please start your with "Sharon, ...." I'm getting too many spammed comments automatically generated.