The Difference a Year Makes

Just over a year ago the Coffee Queen and I put our Saint Paul, MN house on the market.  We had an offer a week later.  Less than two months after that we left Minnesota and headed south.

Sold! Farewell, Minnesota!

A few weeks ago we moved into our new house in Atlantic Beach, FL.  We hadn't planned on buying a house here so soon, but when we saw this cute little house (just renovated) on Zillow we thought, "Hey, what not take a look?"  I have now learned there is no such thing as "just looking" at houses.  We bought the house.  The first (and only) house we looked at.  We're still unpacking and settling in, but we're loving this house.  (And we have real water pressure in the showers.  Never underestimate the importance of good water pressure.)

New house! (Someone's a little excited)

I still can't quite believe that in less than a year we sold a house, moved cross country, and now are living a mile and a half from the beach.  The Coffee Queen has settled into her job (which she loves), and the Little Scoot thrived at his preschool this past year and is super excited for kindergarten (sorry, Saint Paul, we've better schools here, too).

Which all goes to show, don't stay where you are, don't not make a change just because you can't see where the road will take you.  Selling our Saint Paul house was hard after so many great years there, but by letting go of it we've found something new that's great, too (did I mention it's a mile and a half from the beach?).  And that's what I'm learning from this adventure: to let go of the safe and familiar in order to embrace something new.  Scary?  Yes.  Worth it?  Yes.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I hear the ocean calling my name.

This is why we moved here

I Rode a Scooter Around a Volcano

Last week I traveled to Costa Rica as part of a team from Beach Church here in Jacksonville.  We worked with Pura Vida Missions and Faithful Servant Missions on a variety of construction projects (repairing roofs, laying a foundation for a church, building bunk beds).  At the end of the week we had a free day in La Fortuna, near the Arenal volcano.  After the requisite zip lining, I was intrigued by a sign I saw while eating lunch.

"Scooters for rent"

Well now, that has potential, doesn't it?  After lunch, I checked it out.  Six or seven hours on a Honda Elite was just $35.  Done.  After stopping by the hotel to put on long sleeves/long pants (the lack of my usual gear did make me feel more than a little exposed), I headed west to the volcano.

My ride for the day

The road meanders towards and around the volcano with plenty of fun curves, although I did have to dodge a lot of bicycles due to a big race taking place on the same road.  While I didn't go hiking near the volcano (not when it was such a beautiful afternoon to ride), I did stop by the observation point which had perfect views of the volcano and lake.

Arenal volcano

I kept going on the same road for a while longer, over the dam and along the lake, until I hit a road that was all loose rock.  That seemed like a good point to turn around and head back the way I came.  Back in La Fortuna, I headed over to the La Fortuna waterfall where the road turns into dirt. Then back into pavement.  Then back into dirt.  Then back into pavement.  Then back into...

Anyway, it's a steep hike downhill for a closeup view of the waterfall but well worth it.  You can go swimming in the pool at the base (unfortunately I didn't have my swimsuit with me).

La Fortuna waterfall

To round out the afternoon, I then took the road east out of La Fortuna for a ways, just to see what was there.  Then I turned around.

It doesn't get better than this!

Riding in Costa Rica towards a volcano with the sun dipping behind it, does it get any better?

Good news

The other day I had an email from Caren, one of my fellow Muskrats from when I was in Jane's workshop.  For years now she has been working on a non-fiction book about a woman who was a child in Nagasaki when the atomic bomb was dropped.  It is a story that will both break your heart and give you hope that good can be made out of even the worst of tragedies.  For several years I listened to this story, and the story behind the story as its pursuit led Caren down some unexpected paths.

Last month Caren's book was sold to a publisher, to be published in 2016.  I wish I'd been there at Jane's when she was able to share the news, and I can't wait to see it in print.

Many times after Caren read a chapter at Jane's and we discussed it, it came my turn to read.  And more than once I wondered what on earth I was doing.  Compared to a story about a woman who endured one of the most horrific events imaginable, what can a rabbit in a cape offer?  Last fall at the StoryMasters workshop I had a similar moment of crisis.  Caren brought me back to earth.  As we talked about our stories during a break, she reminded me "Carrot is important too."  Critiquing on the fly is not my strength.  I usually need to sit and think about a piece for a while first.  But I hope I've offered Caren at least a fraction of the encouragement she has given me.

A book in print.  How many people who don't write understand the countless hours, the years of toil that go into a book without we the authors knowing if that moment will ever come?  Congratulations, Caren.  If ever a book, if ever an author, deserved this, it is you.  I can't wait to read it in print.

Jacksonville in Pictures

Jacksonville Beach

Beach by bicycle

Some more beach time

The view from our patio.  Palm tree included.

San Marco square

Jacksonville skyline, note the dolphin swimming by

Settling in

Last week we officially moved into our townhouse in Atlantic Beach!  The day after Labor Day the moving trailer arrived and movers came to unload it all.  Aside from the fact we have WAY too much stuff (and we gave away so much before we left!), it's nice to have our things back.  It was like Christmas for the Little Scoot - all his toys, books, and stuffed animals were finally back!

Moving in: How do we STILL have so much stuff???

So we've spent the last week and a half unpacking, as well as taking care of little details like driver's licenses.  And seeing this morning that Saint Paul woke up to temperatures in the 40s, I have to say, I'm not regretting this relocation.

I leave you with a few photos of our new home:

Fishing pier at Jacksonville Beach

Chasing seagulls on Neptune Beach

And this is what it's all about: sea, sand, sun, and scooters.

We Have a Home!

Just a quick update to say that we have found a place to rent in the Jacksonville area.  It's a townhouse in Atlantic Beach within a few miles of the beach.  We're very excited to move in on the 1st and get settled!

The Coffee Queen and the Little Scoot outside our new front door

Rejection

Yesterday my book was rejected.  Earlier this year I sent The Mighty Carrot off to the first round of agents.  Once responded right away and asked to see the entire manuscript, along with a couple of my picture book texts.  And then I waited, and waited, until yesterday I finally had a reply.  It wasn't what I had hoped for.

It was a no.  Or rather, more accurately, it was a "not for me."  As a writer, rejection is part of the game.  I've learned that to a certain extent this is a numbers game.  To get that one yes sometimes takes hearing no a hundred times.  There are rejections, sometimes, that make you wonder what on earth you're doing, why you're fighting this uphill battle in the first place, why you put yourself in the position to be rejected over and over.

And then there are rejections like this one.  It was kind.  It was encouraging.  It said "you're a great writer" and ended with "I'd be happy to consider other work from you in the future."  In brief, this was a rejection that said keep going.

And so today I worked on Carrot again, looking for ways to sharpen it as I regroup for Querying Agents: Round 2.  There will be more rejections.  Probably a lot of them, actually.  I can't control that.  All I can control is making the story better and getting it out there.

It might sound strange, but I appreciate this rejection.  I appreciated the time and thought that went into the decision, and the honesty to say it's not for me, but someone else will feel differently.  In the end, I want an agent that falls in love with Carrot as I have.  And so, I keep going.

We made it!

Last Saturday we packed up the car and started the drive out of Minnesota.

Why do we have so much stuff???

How strange to cross the border into Wisconsin and not know when we might return.  The drive to Atlanta was uneventful, although we did see a few interesting sights along the way.

I don't know what it is either

We even took a few minutes to stop by Antique Archaeology in Nashville (we love American Pickers!).

At Antique Archaeology in Nashville

On Monday we made it to the Atlanta area to visit friends.  The Little Scoot did awesome in the car, but it was still a relief to be able to get out of the car for a while.

The Little Scoot entertaining himself

But after a few days we decided to press on, spending Friday in Jacksonville to take a look at the beaches and scout out a few possible places to live.

The Coffee Queen: On a beach again at last!

And now we're down in Cocoa Beach, our home for now.  More to come!

This Is It

So, yesterday the moving trailer was packed.  I guess that makes it official: we're headed to Florida!

Why do we have so much stuff???

Thanks to the Coffee Queen's wisdom, we hired the excellent guys of Phil and Ted's Excellent Moving Adventure to back the trailer.  As Coffee Queen pointed out, everyone we know is ten years older than the last time we moved (including us).  I have to admit, I enjoyed sitting on the deck and watching other people do all the heavy lifting (literally).

We're now down to what items we can fit in the car, living in an otherwise empty house.  I remember ten years ago when the house was empty - an emptiness filled with possibilities.  We could do anything with the house that we wanted.  And we did.

This is a different kind of emptiness - the emptiness of goodbye.  This house has been our home for a long time and it's strange to think that very, very soon those years will all be behind us.

Last night I went to Jane's workshop and listened to the stories of my fellow Muskrats for the last time.  Tonight we got together with some good friends for dinner.  More goodbyes.

With Jane and the Muskrats.  That should be a band.

But not forever.  We'll come back to visit, and the people we know will visit us.  I will exchange stories with the Muskrats by email.  Florida, here we come.

I Hate Moving

Really, I just don't like it.  Sure, I'm excited about this new phase in our lives, the new adventures in store, taking a leap into the unknown.  When it comes moving even when I'm excited to get to the other side, I don't like the process itself.  Perhaps you can see why:

The chaos of boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap.  And, of course, anything I need is in the box I just packed.

As the Coffee Queen will tell you, I usually prefer one large task to a dozen small tasks, even if the small tasks together will take less time.  Moving is a hundred small tasks, so, really, not my favorite activity.

I have to remind myself of what's on the other side of this process.  I think about living close to the beach, in a warm climate where I can ride the scooter all year long.  I think about the Coffee Queen, the Little Scoot, and I finding a small beach bungalow someday.  Maybe even being in a neighborhood again where we can walk to most of what we need (one of the things the Coffee Queen and I loved about living in Highland Park after we were first married).  I will miss this house, especially after all the sweat and tears we've put into making it the best home we could, but as the boxes pile up, the walls become bare, I realize something: a house is just one big piece of stuff.  Any house can be a home, and, more importantly, any house can be our home.

Moving day is getting close now.  We made great progress on packing this weekend, so I feel good about being ready for the movers (we decided to splurge on having someone else load the trailer).  Then, once we officially close on the house, it'll be time to load up the car and point it south.  I'll be sad to leave, but I can't wait to see what new adventures God has in store for us.  And I can't wait to be done packing boxes.

A New Adventure

So, once again, I've been remiss in posting for a while.  But in my defense it's because the Coffee Queen and I have been cooking up another of our hair-brained schemes.

We've decided to move to Florida.

When people ask us why, we joke about the weather, of course, and how this last winter finally did us in.  It's true that we've reached a point where we're done with the cold, the snow, and needing a half hour to bundle everyone up just to go to Target.  But there's more to it than that.  We need a new adventure.  I know I've been feeling the nudge for some time to take a leap, to step out into the unknown and trust that God will put some kind of solid ground out to meet us.  Last week we sold the house, our home of almost ten years.  I spent a frantic few days trying to find an affordable moving option and figure out other such details, and one by one they're all clicking into place.

Today I packed the first box.

The hardest part of all this has been telling the people we know.  It tore my heart out to tell everyone at the writer's workshop, a place I couldn't imagine choosing to leave.  There's always a reason to stay, always people left behind when you go, but sometimes you have to let one chapter end in order to start a new one.  I don't know quite what this next one will hold, but the Coffee Queen and I both know it's time to take the next step.

So here's to new horizons, new opportunities, and to whatever else God throws our way.  More posts to come, I promise.

As for the Little Scoot, he's excited to be going back to the beach.  His great-grandfather bought him a shark bucket.  Really, what more could a little boy ask for?

Flood Run

Last Saturday was the spring Flood Run, a motorcycle run along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border that takes place twice a year and benefits Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare where I work.  I did most of the run back in the fall of 2012, but between weather and other events I hadn't really been able to participate since.  Thankfully we had some nice weather on Saturday, if a little nippy to start.

The run starts at the Beach Bar in Lake St. Croix Beach, so I headed there first to buy my wristband and meet up with some of my co-workers.  No sooner do I arrive than this guy comes up to me saying, "We've been looking for you!"

Now, keep in mind this event draws in the hardcore biker crowd.  I mean the Harley-riding, black leather kind of crowd.  Look at the photo on the right.  Does that sound like me?  No, not a bit.

So this guy, Pat, proceeds to explain how he saw me back in 2012.  At first he thought it was a bit, but then he kept seeing me further down the run, and whenever he would tell someone about me I would show up.  So there he is on Saturday telling some other people about this guy from 2012 and who do you think rolls in?  Yep.  Never let it be said I don't have great timing.  Pat had been looking for me since 2012 and was thrilled to finally meet me in person.  A few others (including Brian Zepp, one of the DJs from KQRS) came up as well, so of course we had to grab some photos.

Amy, Brian Z., me, another Brian, Darlis, Becky, and Dr, Atomic

I'd no idea I'd made such an impression.  I really appreciated the warm welcome, and it's always fun to meet some new folks.  And we had a great ride on Saturday.  The weather was in the 40s to start, but it warmed up nicely as the day went on.  By the time I made it down to Winona, the end of the run, the sun was shining and the temperature had reached the 70s.  In 2012 I didn't quite make it all the way to the end, so I determined that this year I would.

Dr. Atomic in Winona, the southern end of the run

And it sounds like I was spotted more than once along the way (scroll down and look for a familiar bike!).  So thanks to everyone at the Flood Run for helping make it a great event, not to mention supporting Gillette's mission.

Heading back north with a brief stop in Maiden Rock, WI

Spring thaw

Recently, while sweeping ice out of the garage, I found this little fellow.  He was, I suppose, caught unawares by the cold months ago.  He still looked beautiful, however, and it didn't seem right that he should be swept out without at least taking a moment.  What the spring thaw reveals.

Toddler with a Camera: Part 2

The Little Scoot got hold of my phone again.

I was instructed to sleep.  He discovered square mode.

Little Scoot also likes playing with the iPhone filters

He thought this was hilarious.  Ruff.

Then he wanted me to stand with my arms crossed.  I'm not sure why.

Toddler with a Camera

Last weekend the Little Scoot got hold of my phone.

As you can see, he had some fun with the camera.

Not my best photo.  A little creepy, actually.

I think he was going for some kind of artsy still life thing here.

This sequence is my favorite.

Tell me a story...

"Tell me a story, Daddy."

We'd just visited the Currituck Lighthouse on the Outer Banks of Carolina.  The Little Scoot was in the habit of asking for "pretend stories," by which he meant he wanted me to make one up.  It can be mentally exhausting when he wants several in a row, but I have to say that it's a great exercise for a writer.  Can you make up a story on the spot with a coherent beginning, middle, and end?  Bonus points for incorporating whatever random elements are thrown at you by a three-year-old.

Currituck Lighthouse
(Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

After our visit, naturally, he wanted one about a lighthouse.

"Once there was a lighthouse who lived alone..."

When I finished the story the Coffee Queen urged me to write it down, so when we returned to the hotel, I did.  It didn't come out quite as well on paper as it did in the telling, but at least I captured it while it was fresh.

Fast forward several months.  With "Carrot" and one of my picture books just about ready for submission, I've been fighting with a second picture book I wanted to have ready.  But after banging my head against that story for several weeks, I decided to put it aside and work on the lighthouse story instead so I'd have something ready to read at Jane's workshop.  

After I read it on Tuesday Susan B. said it's the first time I've brought tears to her eyes.  Kristin said she felt like she'd heard a classic story.  To be sure, there are parts of the story that still need work, but I felt that they're more about sharpening what's there, that what's at the heart of the story is connecting.

It's humbling as a writer when you succeed at hitting that type of emotional chord.  I don't know that you can do it by consciously trying, but it's something special when it happens.  After banging my head against CJ's story for a while, it was good to switch gears and work on a story that's cooperating.  Now to polish it up.

And it all began with "Tell me a story."

At the top of the Currituck Lighthouse - it's windy!

Sharing the wealth...

One of the best things about discovering a great book is sharing it with others.  When our first niece was born, the Coffee Queen and I decided we were going to be the aunt and uncle who give books.  This year for Christmas the nieces received Kate DiCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Because of Winn-Dixie.

The other day my sister sent me this photo (only partly staged):

Enjoying their books

Our older niece has been reading longer books like this for a while, but this was the first book of this length the younger one had tackled.  It's a joy to be able to share these stories with them, and there are so many, many more wonderful ones to introduce them to.

First Tire Change

So here we are, deep in the non-scootering months. But, with yesterday's warm weather (nearly 40 degrees F, downright tropical), I decided to do a little maintenance on the Symba. The Symba has tubed tires, similar to a bicycle, and awhile back I had picked up some Kenda Tuff Tubes so as to be ready for any flat tires. The advantage to tubed tires is that you don't have to replace the whole tire in case of a flat, but the disadvantage is that tubes go flat more easily than a tubeless tire. The Kenda tubes are thicker than the stock tubes, so hopefully the new tubes will make a flat less likely.

I have yet to actually have a flat, so I decided that this winter I would install the Kenda tubes and gain some practice changing tubes when I'm not trying to get back on the road as soon as possible. So, taking advantage of the brief warm spell, I started yesterday with the front wheel. The front wheel is easier to remove, as removing the rear wheel requires first removing the exhaust.

The front wheel off the axle

Taking off the wheel wasn't too difficult, and I then took the wheel inside for the tube change. It took a little work to get one side of the tire off the rim, but I soon figured out it was easiest to hold the tire down with one knee and then pry the tire up with a tire iron. At that point I could pull out the old tube. Nothing wrong with it, so I'll keep it on hand as a spare. I inflated the new tube a little - everything I read online said this makes it easier to put the tube in without pinching it. It certainly did, and then I just had to push the edge of the tire back over the rim. With the tire on the floor I was able to do this by hand, without using the tire irons (preferable because that reduces the chances of puncturing the tube). Then the wheel went back on, good to go. The rear wheel will have to wait for another stretch of warmer weather, as today we're back below zero.

My goal with the Symba has been to learn how to do as much as the maintenance myself as I can. Most things are easy to get to on the Symba, which makes it a great do-it-yourself bike. So now I've added tubes changes to my repertoire. I hope to never have to deal with a flat tire on the side of the road, but at least now I'm familiar with the procedure, with some help from this step-by-step guide on the ADVRider forum.

Christmas Cookie Carnage

It started innocently enough.  The dog went downstairs first, as usual, to wait by the back door while we all got ready.

Then we heard noises.  The Coffee Queen went downstairs and caught the dog in the act: fully one-third of the gingerbread cookies had been eaten.  The cookies she'd spent all last night decorating.  She even ate the wax paper.

Oh the horror!

If only we had a literal doghouse.  In the dog's defense, they are really good cookies.

Where's Ulysses when you need him?

Story Masters Workshop

This past weekend I spent 4 days at the Story Masters Workshop, put on by Free Expressions.  Several people from my writing group went to this last year in Seattle and they lobbied hard to have it brought to the Twin Cities this year.  How glad I am that they did.

Based on their recommendation nearly everyone from my writing group attended the workshop this year (including those who went last year), as well as several others from Jane's groups, the Hamline MFA program, and many other area writers.  The workshop consisted of one day each with Christopher Vogler (Author of The Writer's Journey; it's awesome, read it), James Scott Bell, and Donald Maass.  On the fourth day the three of them together led a discussion of To Kill a Mockingbird.

I've never had a time like this when I was able to dedicate days to writing: learning and thinking about my own stories.  It was amazing.  Each of the three had a different approach to writing, but I found that they all complemented each other and that they offered a variety of tools to use, depending on what most needs work in your story.  It allowed me to better understand why something works or doesn't work, and if it doesn't, how to go about fixing it (not to mention I have a better understanding of what's going on when something does work).  I also left with a long list of movies to add to my Netflix queue. :-)

I was impressed too by how approachable each of these men were.  They took questions during break, and they shared an attitude of "Here's what I've learned, now you can use it too."

All through the workshop I had ideas about how I can take The Mighty Carrot even further.  I have notes about rewriting the beginning, about how to fix the climax, and other moments that will add to the story as a whole.  One of my top takeaways was what Donald Maass said about not writing objective description - instead, give us the sense of place through the impressions and emotions of the character.  I struggle with description and I can already see that this is going to be a powerful tool.  (And he's right, I do as a reader skim over those long paragraphs of description!)

Another common thread was of the importance of emotion.  I think it was Donald Maass who said, "A story isn't the plot."  Rather it's the emotional journey of the protagonist, which is externalized in the events of the plot.

Several of us from my group met the other day to talk and debrief about what we had learned.  I spent a lot of my time during breaks and at lunch with those I knew discussing these ideas in the context of our stories.  I found it was very helpful to have those discussions with those who knew what I was writing, as it helped make the ideas more concrete.  It's going to take awhile for me to think through all of this, and apply it to Carrot, but I'm excited to do just that.