My Romance With Romance

About halfway through “Savor the Moment”, by Nora Roberts, I put down the book and gave some thought to the reasons I so enjoy reading romance fiction. This is the third in a series of four “Bride Quartet” novels, with the release of the last, entitled “Happy Ever After”, scheduled for this November. These are the stories of four friends, who have married their skills with their lifelong love of weddings and in partnership have created “Vows”, one of the premier wedding planning companies in Connecticut.

So far the author has paired off Mac, the photographer, and Emma, the floral designer, and Laurel, the pastry chef, will soon find happiness in the arms of her lover. It’s safe to assume that Parker, the planner, sooner to be found naked than without her Blackberry, will succumb in her turn to true love. We even know the name of the lucky man, Mal Cavanaugh, with whom she has already struck sparks several times.

So, if we already know all of this, why would we go on and read the book anyway? It’s not as if there’s any suspense as to the outcome, but it’s the way the writer gets you from here to there that makes the difference. Nora Roberts is the #1 NYT bestselling author of over 190 novels, 124 of which made the bestseller list, with over 300 Million of her books sold worldwide. She has also written 36 futuristic novels under the pseudonym J. D. Robb, and was the first author inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Time chose Roberts as one of their 100 Most Influential People in 2007, saying she “…has inspected, dissected, deconstructed, explored, explained and extolled the passions of the human heart.” Is there a writer, alive or dead, who wouldn’t kill to have that kind of endorsement? Feeling a bit more respect for the romance novel yet?

Nora Roberts brought new life to the genre when she began her career as a published author in 1981. Her accomplishments are legion in the writing world, and it is obvious that in addition to being a popular writer, she has achieved the respect of her peers by continuing to produce, with almost metronomic regularity, books both intelligently and humorously written, populated by characters who engage our interest and our emotions. If Nora has done her usual skillful job, at the end of the current book, Laurel and Del (her best friend, Parker’s, brother) will find happiness and fulfillment, and I’ll be so happy for them.

I like feisty heroines and heroes who have more to offer than six-pack abs and well-filled jeans (desirable as those attributes might be). Roberts’ dialogue is sharp, funny, intelligent and her characters seem real and very human. When I close the cover on a Nora Roberts novel, it is always with pleasure, satisfaction and a little regret that it’s over. I feel, as the author says in her own words, “When I read for pleasure, give me a story.” I would amend that to, “…give me a Nora Roberts.”

My Story is Now Your Story

“I read your new story”, a friend says, and my stomach clenches, while I paste a smiling, interested look on my face. What will she say? The choices run the gamut, from “It was nice.” (the kiss of death), to “Well, I didn’t really understand all of it; you’re so clever.”,  all the way through “Have you checked out the ads on Craigslist lately?”

The phrases that sounded so clever when I  concocted them, may have landed on an understanding and receptive ear, or they may have sailed in one and right out the other. Worse she may say, “I read your new story”, and then segue to a different topic, leaving me hanging, wondering, pathetically insecure and totally unable to ask, “Did you like it?”

A much more likely occurrence is receiving a comment from a total stranger which makes me think, “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant!” When writer, story and reader connect, there’s that moment of pure bliss, where it’s like I’m doing what I’ve always been meant to do. I’ve received what I think of as “stranger compliments” of such delicacy and perception, that they fill me with pure exhilaration. Sometimes a reader’s words shine new light on my own.

More and more lately, my response to the casual “How are you?” would be: “I’ve got the (computer) keys to the kingdom; I’ve made a friend of and teamed with my dragon (I retain Creative Control; the dragon gets an Associate Producer credit); I’ve become quite comfortable out there on that limb; and I’m eager to carry on my quest!” The short answer of course would be, “I feel like I’m flying!”

Does any of this sound familiar? I think about writing as I’m going to sleep, and run story ideas in my head till I blink out for the night. I wake up and love my kitties and smile, as I think of the rendezvous that awaits me at the pressing of a few keys, specially if I have a draft I’ve been polishing that’s almost ready to go. Now and then, I power down the computer so I can get things done. Then I turn it on again, only to check one thing, and I’m gone, until the phone rings or my stomach growls or the cats get bored.

I’m so far past denial I don’t even try anymore. Resistance is Futile. Surrender seems the obvious choice. So I’m giving in to my Muse and I’ll see where it leads. Expect me when you see me.

From My Heart to Yours

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In the spirit of the Holiday Season, I offer these thoughts.

In the last several days, I have been in touch with family and friends, old and new, to exchange holiday wishes. Our conversations soon turn toward the happiness we’ve been experiencing. Each person mentions, in particular, what a wonderful Christmas this has been, citing a family gathering, a small, unexpected gift, a thoughtful gesture or a graceful compliment from someone whose opinion they respect.

I have been warmly welcomed into an extended family celebration and sit by a beautifully decorated Christmas tree basking in the warmth from the fire, while I eat my fill of delicious food and watch two overexcited toddlers being babysat by a village. Instruments come out and are tuned, voices are raised in song. The feeling of community is intense and warms me from the inside out.  This happiness is heady stuff.  I wish I could stay in this exalted state always and I revel in it while it’s here.

These positive feelings are buoyed up by the fact that the immutable laws of Nature allow the pendulum to remain in a negative position only so long, before gravity has its say. Now each tick of the clock brings us farther down the positive swing of the arc. Suspend disbelief and consider with me for a moment that things can only get better. Since we are what we think, perhaps we could simply think a better world into existence.

There is a YouTube video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbpXRSIUnE which shows the positive and negative effects of thought on water crystals, and which opens whole new avenues of thought.

Choose to hang on and enjoy the ride! Take an occasional glance in the rear view mirror, but pay attention to where you are now, while you approach the unknown future. If you’re not in the driver’s seat, call dibs on Navigator and indicate your interest in moving up. Life is for living, for being involved.  There are few things sadder to read than stories of a life full of regrets and backward glances.

Here’s a serious thought.  Pretend that you are elderly, certainly you know your story is winding down.  Have this future you sit down and make a list – I mean really think this through! Make a list of all the things that you always wanted to do and never did.  Then come back to the here and now and start to do them.

As you may know, last January I packed up and sold off my worldly goods, including my car, picked up myself and my two cats, and moved away from my whole world of almost 50 years and started a new life in Oregon.  I am happier and feel freer here than ever before.  I made a list of 20 Wishes a year ago, and after rereading it just now, I find that, with a few tweaks here and there, I’m a solid 9 for 20, I’m working on several others and am tinkering with the rest.  I remain, as always, a work in progress.

Thought for the Day:  My most sincere wishes for peace, health, happiness and love, now, in 2010 and always.

Evening in the City

The rain comes down in a medium but determined manner, the day appears windless and the sky is a medium gray. All the little holes in the window screens are full of water, and they vibrate as the wind I cannot see trembles them in their frames. The traffic swishes by in the watery streets four stories below, the slick sound of the cars’ tires and the occasional deeper note of a bus. Oh, how glad I am to live in a city again, particularly when the city is Portland, toward which my heart has yearned for a decade. Eleven months now and I’m still in love with the skyline and the patterns of the lights and the sounds of traffic.

When the weather permits, I enjoy sitting on the deck, particularly at night, and breathing in that wonderful air. I don’t know, nor do I care, what it is that so delights me about it, but it is a constant source of pleasure.  And how could a day that ends this way be anything but good?

Thought for the Day:  (From “Taps”)  “Day is done, Gone the sun…”

To Paraphrase Blanche

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I am constantly heartened by the unexpected kindness of strangers, and here is the perfect example. I had gone to my local Fred Meyer and done a week’s food shopping, and I’d completely lost track of the number of items in my cart. I moved a few nonessentials to the end of the belt and asked the cashier to subtotal for me at that point. So… I thanked him and told him I’d changed my mind on the other items (none of which I couldn’t live without). I paid up and was loading my bags into my grocery cart when I noticed the cashier had put my extras in a bag, and I knew I hadn’t paid for them. I got his attention and began to explain, but he interrupted to say that the man behind me had paid for them, around $18 in all.

I turned around to face a perfect stranger, who when I attempted to thank him, waved me off and looked fixedly over my shoulder. So I accepted the gift and was very grateful and totally awed. Talk about Random Acts of Kindness, and, yes, Perfect strangers. I am so blessed.

I’m happy to share this story with you, but whether or not this kind stranger ever sees my post, I’m putting a message out into the Universe, to say thank you to a man who didn’t need a seasonal reason for a Completely Disinterested And Totally Random Act Of Kindness (or as I like to say, “CDATRAOK You’re OK.”)

Thought for the Day: Refrain from putting out there energy you really wouldn’t like to get back. That boomerang effect can be killer.

One of My Favorite Small Miracles

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Shortly before Christmas two years ago, I was taken tree shopping by my friend, Rick. He and his wife, my dear friend, Sandi, had bought their tree there the day before. It was a Christmas tree farm, so off we went, saw in (his) hand, to find the perfect one. It didn’t take long before I found it, and while Rick was chopping away, I wandered around, mentally decorating my tree.

A flash of brilliance caught my eye and I moved toward it, focusing on the spot where I’d seen the light. I stooped down and saw that someone had sawed down another tree, quite close to the ground, and the stump had coated its wounds in a concentric circle of sap, which then dried to a perfect, translucent amber. And there it was, lovely as any Faberge egg, lying humbly in the dirt and only revealed by a “chance” beam of sunlight and my glance in that direction.

Thought for the Day: Be careful what you say; the Universe is always listening, and it has a sense of humor even quirkier than mine.

Reno that Dark Place — in One Hour and Free!

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That’s a pretty promise, but what kind of renovation could you do in only one hour? Well, let me tell you what inspires this rather lofty claim. About a year ago a dear friend of mine made a comment about going to his “dark place”. It made me think about my own dark place, and I decided that a makeover was long overdue.

I started (in my mind) with a space not unlike my own loft, and I emptied it to the walls, swept out and knocked down all the cobwebs, and tried not to look too closely at the dustpan once it was filled. I disposed of all the boxes that had been stacked in front of the windows, scrubbed those windows till they gleamed and flung them open to a perfect late afternoon. A lovely cool wind blew through and displaced all the stale air, perfuming the rest with the scents of flowers and spices, with just a hint of the sea and a strong note of old hardwood forest.

Next I applied a coat of soft white paint, and hung diaphanous draperies in shades of super white, cream, palest lemon chiffon and a sharp touch of bright lemon here and there. I added large puffy pillows and placed small love seats and divans, with more draperies and candles and wind chimes and with flowers everywhere. Scattered about, hanging from the ceiling, in tiny alcoves, I placed small lovely things in crystal and glass, with touches of brilliant, coruscating color wherever the eye should touch. I framed and supported and caressed it all with the kind of music that is my favorite form of “soul food”. Last but far from least, I filled the air with a certain purity to lift the spirits, like removing a heavy rock from the center of your chest so you can breathe again.

(Due to the fact that this place exists only in my head, I have no pictures to download, but if you’ve followed me closely through the reno, you should be able to create a similar place, tailored to your own specifications. It takes almost no time, costs nothing and has only one drawback that I’ve been able to find. And that is, now that my dark place is gone, I have absolutely no place to hold my pity parties.)

Thought for the Day: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When it gives you two tickets to the islands, call me.

A Gift from the Universe

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Yesterday my son and I cooked a batch of food. I baked a chicken and he roasted a bunch of vegetables, all with the intention of using the chicken carcass and the leftover veggies in one of his incredible soups. I had a couple of ears of corn I wanted to cook, too, so I shucked and rinsed them and was trimming the ends when suddenly, out popped a caterpillar from among the greens. Now, I had bought the corn on Sunday at the farmer’s market one block from my front door (eat your heart out, East Coasters), and it had been in the fridge for a few days, so I thought he was a goner. I was just getting ready to consign him to the garbage disposal when he started uncurling. It took him a while, but after he warmed up he started raising his little head up and looking around, and then he started crawling. I have two cats that would love to add a little protein to their diets, so I decided I’d take him outside and put him among the roses. Any creature who can survive what he did deserves another chance.

I put him on a piece of paper and headed out. Down the hallway, down the elevator and then another hallway. The poor little guy was so scared he was leaving a little trail of poo across the paper. So we got to the door and my friend, Sofia, who happened along just then, opened it for me. I deposited him tenderly (all right, I pushed him off the paper) and left him among the roses. btw, I checked later and he was gone, so I’m assuming a happy ending.

On my way back toward the elevator, I was feeling pretty good and greeted the lady walking toward me with a big smile. She was carrying a brown paper bag, and as she came closer she said, “Would you like some sheets? They’re queen-sized but they don’t fit my bed.” I thanked her and accepted a set of brand new, beautiful sheets, which will look lovely on my bed. To elaborate a little here, in my apartment building we have a habit of leaving things, like the sheets, that are still good but for some reason we don’t need any more, in the mailroom. Whatever is there is up for grabs, and I have both taken (my vacuum, for Pete’s sake) and left (a too-small crockpot, some knickknacks) things.

All of this to say that, had I not rescued the little green caterpillar, I wouldn’t have my new sheets. Thank you, Universe!

Thought for the Day: Look around you every day for the “small” miracles.

While I’m thinking About It

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Hello, again. I’ve been off investigating life for a while. This morning I turned on the TV in time to hit President Obama’s speech and the signing of the Vets’ Bill, as he had promised, paying a year in advance, and all done using available money. It’s so evocative of the scene in the film “Dave”, with Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, where the villain (the masterful Frank Langella) tells Dave that if he can find the money for the day care center he can have it, and Dave brings in his brother-in-law, the accountant, who helps him pull it off. And then there are the undeniable sparks between the POTUS and the FLOTUS, who also seem (gasp) to like and respect each other, and who complement each other so well. First Families who are also demonstrably human beings are so much easier to get behind. And were it to come right down to it, I believe, as did Ving Rhames’ character of Dave, that yes, I would take a b****t for Mr. Obama. (Of course, I rather visualize myself meeting him and Mrs. Obama at some glitzy affair, which I’ve attended dressed to the nines!)

Thought for the Day: It is not the thing that occurs that upsets you; it is the way you choose to respond.

And Don’t Get Me Started on Consumer Protection Laws!

For your delectation, from a department store “Right to Opt Out and Information Update” which I just received, to wit: “16. Default/Collection Costs: If we fail to receive any Minimum Payment Due, if you declare bankruptcy, or if you die, it will be a default, and…..we may declare the entire unpaid balance in the Account due and payable.”

So if it’s true that you can’t take it with you, are they still able to come after you and demand it back, even if you Still don’t have it?!?

And if that’s not sufficient, I checked my statements for another card for the last three months and found that, with the recent interest rate increase on my account (and I was also offered the right to pay off the account in full and opt out there), and projecting out the actual dollar amount for a year, Capital One is now officially taking six weeks’ worth of groceries off of my table. When I called in an attempt to negotiate a decrease, the nice gentleman in Sri Lanka, or Singapore or wherever, listened and then told me, pretty much, that they’re So sorry but they can’t help me. Maybe if I apply for TARP money…………

Thought for the Day: Illegitimi non carborundum (Latin for Don’t Let the Bastards Grind you Down)