Monday, October 29, 2007

What a week!

The fire situation remained unstable last Tuesday, with the Santiago Canyon fire worsening and creeping closer to us. Meantime, my writing partner and her family (and adorable dog) came to stay with us because they had been evacuated from Poway.
All this seemed to make it the worst time possible to leave for the Poconos for a Highlights Foundation workshop on writing children's magazine fiction. Particularly troubling was this location's lack of either cell phone or internet access. My husband convinced me that everything would be fine; I packed an emergency bag in case they had to evacuate, and headed out early Wednesday. Ash fell on the car windshield at the airport, and the air quality was absolutely horrible. Fortunately, soon after I left I received word that my friend could return to her home, and that it had not burned.
I finally arrived at the charming Highlights cottage in the Poconos at 1 a.m., totally exhausted and stressed because my camera had been stolen at the airport. (Thus no pictures until I replace it.) The setting couldn't be more postcard-perfect, with the leaves at their peak, wild turkeys roaming nearby, and a lovely creek that we'd call a river in California.
I'll write more about the wonderful workshop later: the supportive group of fellow writers, the encouraging leaders, the food cooked by a Culinary Institute-trained chef. (Portobello mushrooms plucked fresh from her yard, and fresh pumpkin creme brulee were among favorites... ) But I soon realized that it was the right decision for me to come; my family was surviving fine without me and it was a terrific opportunity for growth for me. The retreat was the perfect place for me to write and I finished a brand new story that I like a lot.
Although I had created a minute-by-minute schedule for my husband of my daughter's various activities, it all had to be thrown out. Our school district wound up canceling all classes for Thursday and Friday, forcing my poor husband to take a couple of unscheduled vacation days since I was gone. I do think they enjoyed time together, though, and our daughter was very ready to get back to school this morning. And I'm ready to tackle a number of new writing projects for magazines as well as revise a couple of existing stories. I will miss the concentrated writing time, with no interruptions, experienced at the workshop!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Winds picking up

I spoke too soon about the winds. They've definitely picked up this morning. However, they're still not as bad as yesterday, and the air remains wonderfully clear.

A new day

The sun is just beginning to rise here, but something is missing---the Santa Ana winds. They were supposed to blow as strong as the night before, but at least here in Southern Orange County, they were completely calm. Overnight, I kept getting up to peek outside; it was so still it was almost eerie. The air also seems much clearer. It looks like any normal morning with the coastal fog over the ocean.

But of course the situation remains grim, and terribly sad. A friend whose husband is a firefighter with Los Angeles County says these are the worst fires California has ever experienced. The pictures from Lake Arrowhead are especially devastating. For us here, the Santiago fire in Irvine and Lake Forest is the closest, perhaps 10 miles away.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Fire update


The smoke seems to be growing thicker as the day goes on. I've heard there's a small fire burning about a mile from here, but don't believe it's a threat at this point. My critique partner, who lives in Northern San Diego County, has been evacuated, along with a quarter million others. It's hard to see the situation throughout Southern California getting better anytime soon with the winds continuing so strong.

Southern California fires




I digress from discussing writing and editing because of the terrible fires here in Southern California. Overnight, I felt like I was back in Virginia in the middle of a hurricane, minus the rain. These are the strongest Santa Ana winds I've ever experienced. The smoke is thick; schoolkids have indoor recess because the air quality is so bad.

Yesterday we went to church shortly after watching the news about Malibu Presbyterian burning to the ground. Village Presbyterian meets in a school because it's a new church and land is so terribly expensive here. But I think we all felt grateful that we even had a place to meet. It helped remind us that what really matters is a community of faith, not a building.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Where I am most of the time


Here I am, working at my computer. I spend a huge amount of time here: writing, editing, transcribing, answering email (and lately, creating a website and blog!) My best time to work is early in the morning while my family is still asleep. I love the quiet, the gradual change from dark to light, and the birds chirping to signal the new day.

Friday, October 19, 2007

My first entry

I'm starting this blog at an exciting time in my professional life. My writing is taking off, I've developed a new website for my copyediting business, and I'm off to a Highlights Foundation workshop for children's magazine writers next week in Pennsylvania.
Last week I was at a one-day conference of the Orange County chapter of SCBWI. The most inspirational speaker was a woman who had been writing for years, and at age 73, had just had her first children's book published, a middle-grade historical. Sometimes I'm in a hurry for everything to happen at once, and her comments were excellent motivation for me.