Jamie Patterson's Blog, page 29
July 31, 2011
Sisters
Yesterday Siena met her sister, Madeleine. She didn't seem too sure about the whole baby thing. She had two things to ask (repeatedly): "What is she doing," and "Can we put her back in the crib?"
Don't worry, Siena. Younger sisters are fun, just ask your mom!
Don't worry, Siena. Younger sisters are fun, just ask your mom!
July 29, 2011
On the day you were Born
On the day you were born the sun was out from dawn till dusk. It was hot, so hot. Your mom knew you were coming as soon as she woke up and sent me a message that said today was a birthday. Then she called in the afternoon asking for lemonade so she could have it as soon as you were born. It took you all day to get here, but you were pretty easy on your mother (and on all of us, who were worried about her). If I didn't love you already, I would have loved you for this alone.
After your dad called to say "it's a girl!" I walked your dog, Jarvis. The night air is much cooler, and the sky is so clear I could look up and see the stars while Jarvis and my dog, Huey, sniffed around. While we were out walking, news of your coming spread fast and you were celebrated around the world: your Uncle James in Japan, Uncle John and Dash in Hawaii, your great-grandparents in California.
Now, I'm sitting at the house they'll bring you home to and your sister is fast asleep upstairs. My parents, your grandparents, just left to visit your mom and meet you. They're bringing the lemonade your mom wanted so much.
I still don't know your name (your mom and dad might not, either!) and haven't met you but I'm so glad you're here. My hope for your life is that you will always be able find the beauty in it, that you will be able to bend with the winds, and that you will be blessed with the opportunity to be an old, old woman looking back on a full life well lived.
Happy birthday, baby girl O'Keefe!
After your dad called to say "it's a girl!" I walked your dog, Jarvis. The night air is much cooler, and the sky is so clear I could look up and see the stars while Jarvis and my dog, Huey, sniffed around. While we were out walking, news of your coming spread fast and you were celebrated around the world: your Uncle James in Japan, Uncle John and Dash in Hawaii, your great-grandparents in California.
Now, I'm sitting at the house they'll bring you home to and your sister is fast asleep upstairs. My parents, your grandparents, just left to visit your mom and meet you. They're bringing the lemonade your mom wanted so much.
I still don't know your name (your mom and dad might not, either!) and haven't met you but I'm so glad you're here. My hope for your life is that you will always be able find the beauty in it, that you will be able to bend with the winds, and that you will be blessed with the opportunity to be an old, old woman looking back on a full life well lived.
Happy birthday, baby girl O'Keefe!
Couch Car
So, I was investigating the whole Art Car (or, ArtCar) thing and found this video. Apparently couches qualify as ArtCars. Hilarious! What kind of time did this guy have to get this to work?
Art Car
I've seen this art car driving about the neighborhood, but last night I got to see it up-close and stationary. I didn't get a very good shot but the inside is covered in buttons, the seat, the roof, buttons everywhere. You can kind of see the dashboard, which is also covered with little figures.
Who would have thought of such a random thing for a car? Apparently, a lot of people. Turns out I just missed the annual Art Car Parade around Lake Harriet. What a wonderful, strange city this is. What in the world happens to these cars in the winter?
Who would have thought of such a random thing for a car? Apparently, a lot of people. Turns out I just missed the annual Art Car Parade around Lake Harriet. What a wonderful, strange city this is. What in the world happens to these cars in the winter?
July 27, 2011
Lovely Day
Every summer I get to spend about a week at the University of Minnesota, usually teaching writing classes but this summer I'm there as a student. The classes are held on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, which is right next to the Fair Grounds. Close to the city, but far enough away to have a lot of land surrounding the campus (the focus for the campus is agriculture), it really reminds me of KU in a lot of ways: the heat, the hills, the green. I was walking down the main street of the campus and noticed the name of a really beautiful, brick building was titled Live Stock Pavilion. Innnteresting.
This was followed by a lovely evening with some of the nicest, most interesting people I've ever known, whom I'm lucky enough to call colleagues, and then to make a good day even better, when I got home, the Hopkins Westwind Concert Band was playing at the Lake Harriet band shell. Huey and I caught the very end of the concert. The band director couldn't have been more adorable, clearly loved what he was doing, and when the music stopped he took to the microphone and said "Thank you so much. Take care of each other, we're all we've got. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we're all we've got."
Huey wasn't at all moved by the music or the sentiment but I thought it was a great way to end the day!
This was followed by a lovely evening with some of the nicest, most interesting people I've ever known, whom I'm lucky enough to call colleagues, and then to make a good day even better, when I got home, the Hopkins Westwind Concert Band was playing at the Lake Harriet band shell. Huey and I caught the very end of the concert. The band director couldn't have been more adorable, clearly loved what he was doing, and when the music stopped he took to the microphone and said "Thank you so much. Take care of each other, we're all we've got. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we're all we've got."
Huey wasn't at all moved by the music or the sentiment but I thought it was a great way to end the day!
July 26, 2011
Being Kind Update
I found that either being really tired or being on the phone greatly reduces my road rage. Hmmm....not good. I had promised a post or two ago that I would practice being kind and I succeeded wildly: had a lovely full-blown conversation with the guy at the coffee shop (should probably learn his name), I said "hi" to a few people I passed out walking my dog (unheard of!), and had a ton of patience with a car going 11 mph around the lake. In the dark. Not sure if they were enjoying a view but if they were at least they didn't have me flashing brights (I've never done that!).
Writing and Deleting
I spent the day in classes and learned a lot about this and that but my favorite thing today was related to writing (of course). I'll loosely paraphrase Dr. Laurel Walsh:
"Write drunkenly, happily, voraciously. Delete soberly, judiciously, and freely."
This goes back to all the posts about the importance of letting go of text: one of the hardest things for a writer to do.
"Write drunkenly, happily, voraciously. Delete soberly, judiciously, and freely."
This goes back to all the posts about the importance of letting go of text: one of the hardest things for a writer to do.
July 24, 2011
Lest we Forget
The morning of September 11, 2001 I was working for the Kansas City Red Cross and, frankly, pretty miserable with my job and state of my life. I was constantly looking for something meaningful and on that morning I was thinking about a project with a friend who was a photographer. It was to be a book of veterans with a bit of their stories and their pictures and would be titled Lest we Forget.
I distinctly remember going to the bathroom just to get away from my desk and thinking about the horrors these World War vets had seen and that it was strange that some of the most beautiful stories often come from these same settings of pain. That the worst situations often provide an opportunity to see the best in people.
When I got back to my desk Larry, one of the disaster workers, pointed out that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade towers. I distinctly remember saying to him, "gosh, I hope not too many people were hurt." At that time we didn't know what kind of plane but I assumed it was a small private plane. None of us had any idea of what was ahead. Within a few weeks I would be sent to Brooklyn to work, where I spent around a month (4 weeks? 6 weeks? I don't remember) working to process and assign volunteers throughout New York and saw some of the most beautiful acts of kindness, love, and generosity between strangers that I've ever seen.
The news from Norway last week made me think of this again and hope that some good will somehow come of this. How long, though, and how much sadness before we learn to be kind, loving, and generous in the absence of fear and pain?
My contribution: Tomorrow I will try to be kind and respectful to everyone I meet by looking them in the eye and listening to what they have to say before I try to say something. Before ordering my large decaf on ice I will remember to say hello and good morning to the cashier. I will have patience for the person going 12 mph in a 25 around the lake. You have no idea how difficult this last one will be!
I distinctly remember going to the bathroom just to get away from my desk and thinking about the horrors these World War vets had seen and that it was strange that some of the most beautiful stories often come from these same settings of pain. That the worst situations often provide an opportunity to see the best in people.
When I got back to my desk Larry, one of the disaster workers, pointed out that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade towers. I distinctly remember saying to him, "gosh, I hope not too many people were hurt." At that time we didn't know what kind of plane but I assumed it was a small private plane. None of us had any idea of what was ahead. Within a few weeks I would be sent to Brooklyn to work, where I spent around a month (4 weeks? 6 weeks? I don't remember) working to process and assign volunteers throughout New York and saw some of the most beautiful acts of kindness, love, and generosity between strangers that I've ever seen.
The news from Norway last week made me think of this again and hope that some good will somehow come of this. How long, though, and how much sadness before we learn to be kind, loving, and generous in the absence of fear and pain?
My contribution: Tomorrow I will try to be kind and respectful to everyone I meet by looking them in the eye and listening to what they have to say before I try to say something. Before ordering my large decaf on ice I will remember to say hello and good morning to the cashier. I will have patience for the person going 12 mph in a 25 around the lake. You have no idea how difficult this last one will be!
July 22, 2011
July 21, 2011
Deleted Chapters Will be Deleted (Again!)
Man, these chapters just can't get a break. First, deleted from the Lost Edens manuscript, then found glory on their own at amazon.com, now, will be deleted from amazon.com on Monday to make way for the pre-order page for Lost Edens.
Tough break, deleted chapters! Sorry!
Tough break, deleted chapters! Sorry!
