Anne Spollen's Blog, page 6

Spring is A-Sproinging

Here in South Jersey, we are having middle school weather: very dramatic with sudden, terrible storms, freezing cold mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. I like the transition of seasons more than the actual seasons. Actual seasons are fairly predictable.

This is also the time of year that I make resolutions. I never feel like making resolutions when it's cold and gray outside. All I want to do then is read Russian novels and bake butterscotch brownies. Spring matches a sense of renewal. It's...

The Family Vacation and Non Momish Moments

Warmer weather is here, so that means one thing: we are going to embark on a family trip. I always thought I did a pretty good job at planning these, but at a very informal meeting (right after I come back from BJ's with a fresh arsenal of pizza rolls the kids usually herd around the kitchen island), I discovered there may be some problems with my planning.

Before I begin, let me say that it is very difficult to plan lessons for a long time and not try to weave in some kind of theme when plann...

Prom Season

It is prom season now, even though the proms aren't until June. All the signs are here along with the return of the robin. The phone is ringing with boys planning who to ask, how to ask, and Christopher's question to me this morning, "What's the name of the wrist thingy I have to buy the girl? The flower thing?" Tickets are being bought. Texting is nearly constant.

I never knew boys suffred prom agonies. I remember going shopping with some of my friends and tears in the dressing room. I also r...

Liar, Liar Reveal

It's time to reveal the truth and how well I fooled you guys - and I don't think I fooled you all that well, except there is some tiny truth to each of these statements. Really tiny in some, and in others, sort of true. But there still is only one true statement.

Here goes:

1. I am writing a novel involving a German shepherd, a teenager, a compass, an enchanted map, and a hidden, mystical land. I am about halfway done and not one, but two agents, are interested in repping it.

Let's see: I have a...

Awards, Awards

Since Sunday is Oscar day, I thought this would be a good time to pay attention to my blog awards. The Silver Lining Award is from Lisa over at Why A? So many thanks to Lisa.

I like the idea of a silver lining, especially since I'm thinking spring these days despite the record breaking snow in South Jersey.

And here's another award:


It's the Creative Liar Award by Bish. You are supposed to tell six outrageous lies (aren't most lies outrageous?) and one truth, put the award on your blog, thank an...

YA and YA Reviews

This is Mazy. She has nothing to do with this post, but she's the only one here right now, so I thought I'd honor her. She likes to watch me type because she believes that if I type enough, my computer will eventually produce a Snausage.

This is the part about YA -

When I first realized that Shape of Water was no longer a short story and was becoming a novel, I thought, "Ok, this is sort of an initiation story." At least that's what we used to call books like Catcher in the Rye. A friend of min...

Valentines Day and A Conspicuous Absence of Vampires

The kids are finally back in school for more than one day consecutively, the power is back on, and I just finished reading the first batch of email from readers of Light Beneath Ferns.

Valentines Day here was like something I would edit out of a YA I was writing. Since we were still snowed in pretty much (we could go on the roads, but it was scary cold and really icy), I made cupcakes and got a bunch of decorating stuff for Emma. Or so I thought.

Somehow we ended up on Valentines night with t...

Snow Days and Scientific Inquiry

The big news here is the weather. I'm trying to type as fast as I can as the Internet keeps dropping and the power is blinking on and off. It's kind of like living in post-war London. This is our backyard:
and the view from the table where we usually eat (sort of a breakfast nook)

Of course, the kittens have never experienced winter, but I like their take on the cold and the snow:

The kids are, of course, home. I walked by Emma's room a few minutes ago and heard this conversation:

Christopher: ...

Salinger

I don't believe writers when they say they aren't derivative: every writer had basic influences early on that left impressions on their writing style. I read a real lot when I was younger, and I tended to read European authors like Jane Austen and anything by the Brontes. I also read Frankenstein over and over. I didn't understand everything that I read, but since I wasn't required to read those books, they left a more lasting impression on me than say, Johnny Tremain which was required and a...

Happy, Happy, Happy

Bish has been kind enough to mention me for the Happy Award. This seems like a great thing to do right now considering they are predicting record level cold tonight and into the weekend. I can tell you that a forecast like that does NOT make me happy so this is a wonderful distraction right now. Here's the countdown for the happiometer:



1. Writing - which surprised me when I thought of this since I would have guessed my kids as first. But writing has been with me longer than they have, and...