Anna Adams

Posted By admin on June 19, 2013

Sometimes, I have to use frosting as glue! (But not this time!)

First, Father’s Day. Then, a birthday in the house! Too much eating, shopping, preparing. Oh–and baking a cake!

But today, I’m back to work, and I can’t wait! In fact, I thought I’d leave a few words from the current proposal.

The following is the hero, discussing the heroine with his mom–who sees things pretty simply.

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“Emma was claustrophobic here. She won’t stay after she feels safe to go again. No more expectations. No Candler ambition to push her along. She could dance wherever the raindrops fell after her parents imploded.”

“You might take a page out of her book. Loosen up on the responsibility and learn a dance step or two.”  She laughed. “You don’t have to make everything in your life and in this town perfect before you find yourself some happiness.”

“Mom, why don’t we do yoga and contemplate the meaning of existence?” Her scowl made him smile. He pushed his palms down his legs and stood. “I was hoping you’d give me whatever was left over from dinner last night. If you’re not, I’ve got some errands.”

“I’ll make you a sandwich.” She stood, but then paused, her bandaged hand in the air. “I can’t really. You know where everything is.”

He didn’t wait for a second invitation to raid the refrigerator. Compared to the cobwebs and good intentions in his own, his mother presented a cornucopia of plenty. “You may be famous for your tea, but your fried chicken is a national treasure.”

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Posted By admin on June 17, 2013

Isn’t life funny, slipping into the way of your best plans? I forgot yesterday was Father’s Day. We have a birthday this week as well, so I’m a little pushed for time. I don’t always shop and plan and bake at the last minute, but when I do, it’s because I’ve forgotten what month and day it is.

Do you watch golf? I’m a little emotional since our tabby left us, but I was pretty sad about Phil M.’s loss yesterday. He seems like such a decent guy. His family is clearly his priority. That quality is so attractive. Plus, even when things don’t go his way, he doesn’t bend his clubs in frustration or shout or throw things. He just keeps working. (That’s a good lesson.) And he smiles. (An even more powerful lesson.)

We have tomatoes. I put in six different plants. Technically, five. One is a pot that was on sale, so I impulse-bought it, and I just put it on the deck. All except one plant are already sporting tomatoes, and those things are growing fast. Usually, I possess a thumb of death, so this is all pretty shocking. And–best of all–I risked not watering yesterday because we were due for rain–and it rained last night! Lovely, soaking rain that has no doubt nourished all my eager, young tomatoes.

We had cooler weather longer this year. (We also had no winter, and 80s in January and Feb, but then, some cooler temps lingered into May.) I must have convinced myself that was going to last. It has not. We’re in 80s with humidity that’s like living inside a wet sponge. I really loathe the heat. We’ve lived in Iceland and Maine. I loved Iceland, and it may be one of the most beautiful spots on earth, but it was a touch cold. Maine gave us perfect weather. I want to move back. No one in my family wants to move with me. That’s a problem…  I’m going to keep smiling and think positive. At the worst, fall will show up again.

Hope you’re welcoming a productive Monday into the world!

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Posted By admin on June 14, 2013

It’s been a while.

Lots going on here. My girl and I went up to Tennessee for a  mini girl’s week with our cousin. It was a lovely time on top of a mountain, except the girl got sick the first night and stayed sick the whole time we were there.

I have a proposal that needs a final edit and then it goes in to the editor. I’m in love with this story, these characters, and the little mountain town and community in Tennessee I’ve been building for this idea.

And finally, I’m sharing something rather horrible. Something I can barely stand to share. Sometime I’ll probably write a post about how much Kitty meant to us. If you’ve read this blog for a while, or if you’ve ever perused the archives, you already know. He had a hard last few months, due to an asthma attack in the spring, but I had high hopes because he was eating more heartily and had returned to purring with the strength of a fighter jet. Unfortunately, a thrombosis sneaked around our eagle eye for his care and took him away from us. And that’s all I can say about that. Except–we miss our 20-year-old kitty more than any of us around here can articulate.

And now that I’ve said it, maybe I’ll return to blogging on a more regular basis.

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Posted By admin on May 15, 2013

Water needs to warm up!

I think summer arrived. 80s in the forecast, as far as the eye can see, and I assume many of those 80s will turn into 90s, as often happens here. That makes me sad.

Except for one thing. The pool will start warming up.

Sadly, the beloved found a squirrel in the pool on Mother’s Day. Not quite the gift of a lifetime. But better than the dog that tried to burrow beneath the cover on New Year’s Eve. (I caught him in time, and returned him to his family, who seriously need to keep an eye on their pup. The little fella escapes them to join me when I walk in our neighborhood.)

I’ve made a new playlist for the current ms. All meltingly beautiful, lovey dovey songs. Hoping their emotion seeps into my story. (About three songs on the list are considered country. I’ve never been a big fan of country before. Life change?)

Hand must have quivered, but you can see it’s beautiful!

Speaking of melting… I don’t know what’s in this beautiful drink I found thawing on a bar whilst picking up to-go for my girl, but it looks so refreshing, my mouth waters when I see the photo! I want to slip some sliced citrus into our ice maker. Would they make every liquid look this tempting?

I just can’t take the heat!

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Posted By admin on May 13, 2013

Celebratory Breakfast!

Last night we had a yummy dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant, and I’m swamped in beautiful bouquets and chocolates and loving, lovely cards. (One plays “Tequila!” Which always makes me want to dance!) I cannot resist stopping to breathe in the carnations. The scent brings back my own mom and the days I spent, standing beside her, chattering away about who knows what, while she watered the flowers that grew for her simply because she wanted them to grow.

Dinner was yummy and too filling and the leftovers are waiting in the fridge.

But let me tell you about breakfast.

We got up at about 9-ish and debated where we wanted to go. Good thing we didn’t debate too long….

By the time we reached our choice, there was a line down the sidewalk and no room inside to wedge in and add our name to the all-day waiting list. So we tried our second choice. Same thing. At the third choice, the line wound around the building so we just drove on past.

We took a mental survey of what we’d left in the pantry at home. The beloved makes the world’s absolute beyond best breakfast-y fried potatoes, so we stopped in at WalMart to shop. Well, my girl was starving. As my cousin says, this offspring is like those Snicker’s commercials. The girl is not the girl when she’s hungry.

We closed in on those self-opening doors, and the lovely blue foyer and the carts–and the fragrance of the in-store McDonald’s. My girl’s mood lightened. After the breakfast tour of our little town and the next one over, I was up for sampling the wares, too. We voted.

The beloved said, “No.” And he sounded as if he meant it. (He may have taken some grief on my first Mother’s Day–two weeks after our son was born. “Oh. I forgot you were a mom.”)

But, come on. The girl had scented welcome relief, and she could not approve of a half hour drive home and the wait while we toiled over the tools of the kitchen. So–we asked if he truly wanted to cook.

End result: Yesterday, I had Mother’s Day breakfast at McDonald’s. In a WalMart. As a little crunchy icing on the cake–an eggshell in my Egg McMuffin. And the best time with my girl and my husband.

Two final points–I hope it’s not a bad sign for McDonald’s that we had our choice of breakfast tables!  And I believe they make my favorite coffee in all the world. In fact, right now, I’m on my way to seek out a vat of McDonald’s coffee, and I hope every other mom in the world had a breakfast as lovely as ours!

P.S. I honestly always assumed they used those liquid eggs at McDonald’s. They do not!

Category: Mother's Day | 1 Comment »
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Posted By admin on May 8, 2013

Beautiful Tennessee!

Wide awake at 5 a.m. Time to start the coffee. Time to start work.

Yesterday’s progress: 1783 words of story. Several hand-written pages of spewing information about the hero until he began to form in a way that makes me feel “right” about him. Sometimes I get stuck on the craziest things–points that do not make or break the story–but until I fix them, I can’t go where I need to.

Today’s plan: More story words. List of scenes I know I’ll need. And then–the word that strikes fear into the heart of any sane writer–synopsis. I need to get back to that and tighten dramatically.

Added this photo from Girls Week in TN–because wouldn’t that make a blissful office?

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Posted By admin on May 7, 2013

I’m working on a new story. I have my heroine, and I’m grabbing at my hero. He’s proving a little bit elusive, but I’m in charge around here!  ;-)

So–I started a synopsis because I was preparing a pitch, and I needed some coherent words. The synopsis I have is about three pages. It’ll probably cull down to less after I part the coherent words from the not-so-much.

When the hero began sidling away from me, I started doing Carolyn Greene’s Plot Doctor worksheets, which have never steered me wrong. (I’d love to provide a link, but her website seems to be down just now.)

Then, I started writing pages. The hero suddenly had a place to live that I hadn’t expected. The heroine’s back story changed, but I like the changes because they’re fresh and a little different.

And right now–I’m taking a break to post this on my blog, which is, after all about writing. This is how I start writing a new story. Groping around in the creative dark, to shine a little light on the pieces I need for my book.

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Posted By admin on May 6, 2013

Clouds, thick enough to stir.

We’ve already had temps in the 80s this year, but the past few days have brought rain and a beautiful break in the heat. Right now, my house is at 63 degrees. Outside, it’s 46, but the low was down to 43 this morning. It won’t last long, but it’s nice right now!

Today is a catch up day for me. We had company last week, but today, my house is my own, and I’m enjoying a luxury–writing, with no other obligations. That doesn’t last long these days, either.

I’m about to switch my office. When we moved into the house, I set it up in the loft, not realizing that everyone would take it as some sort of a toll booth stop. I love my family. I’d do anything for them–except continue to have office space that doesn’t require a door.

But moving can wait because today, I’m writing! Better get to it–before a beloved member of my family has something to tell me that will just take a tiny second!  :-)

Category: Just Living, Writerly | No Comments »
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Posted By admin on May 3, 2013

Take us out to the ballgame!

We did one of my favorite things in the world last night. We went to a baseball game. It was fun and rainy and a bit chilly. Perfect baseball weather!

The rain may have depleted attendance, or it may have been the fact that the Braves aren’t playing as well as one might hope just now. Either way, I feel so bad for folks who were not at the game, wearing a favorite sweatshirt, hearing the bat smack a ball, the ball smack a glove. Enjoying the greenest grass, and the strange traditions of different camera views and people dressed up as inanimate objects running races (Here, it was Home Depot-sponsored tools.) on the warning track between innings. The paintbrush emerged victorious!

Perfect Baseball Weather!

My favorite between-inning view was the Oblivious Cam. One poor woman went over 30 seconds before someone managed to alert her that she was on camera. Between turning pages of a program, she suffered a dreadful sneeze, but she was a good sport when she finally noticed.

Every time our team managed to strike out the opposing batters, a sign in the outfield shot off fireworks. By the end of the evening, my girl and I were identifying the patronus that formed in the smoke. (Ah, sweet nerdery, I embrace thee!)

It was a lovely night–and I have to work it into a story!

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Posted By admin on May 1, 2013

The only pretty thing in my garden!

I thought I was way ahead of my own busy day. I’ve exercised and yanked a few weeds, cleaned the upstairs, washed bedding, and written a few hundred words. Sadly, I only use my phone as a clock/watch these days, and it’s an hour and seventeen minutes behind. Why an hour and seventeen minutes?

Anyway, I’m working on a new project that needs some deep thought, and we have company arriving today. I can’t stay to babble! Must work before the company arrives–and I just lost an hour and seventeen lovely work minutes!

But first… I’m going to drop in a few words. I always love when writers tempt me with a taste of some story!

The smoke that gave these mountains their name wound between trees decked out in orange and red and bronze leaves in the early morning. Emma Candler’s balding tires took the gravel drive under protest. She had just enough gas to climb to the top of Candler’s Hill, and probably not a drop of excess.

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