All my bags are packed, I'm ready to...wait, what?

I really enjoyed editing Part I of my novel. I felt more confident in the story I was setting up, the characters and conflicts I had introduced. I was re-energized by my main character, who was a little flimsy and unsure in those first 100 pages before the edit. Now she's real. She has convictions and goals that drive the story forward. I know her better.

But beginning revisions for Part II was an instant crash from an exhilerating high. Everybody's ready. Bags are packed. Jacket's on. Got everything we need. And now it's time to push GO.

Um. Uhhh. Can I just stay behind? I like setting up the conflict. I like introducing my characters. I like beginning complex relationships. Now I actually have to follow-through? The conflicts have to get bigger? The people need to actually grow and change? The relationships have to GO somewhere? You mean I might actually have to say 'I LOVE YOU?!' No, no, no.

No.

I've heard all the cliches. Life's a journey, not a destination. But I like getting all excited and ready to go. And I like it when I actually get there. The travel in between? Not so much.

Right now, I'm in the car. The gas tank is full. I've started the engine. But nothing's on the radio, it's probably gonna rain, there's nobody to talk to, and my turkey sandwich is already getting soggy in that zip-lock bag. And I've got hundreds of miles to go before I actually arrive.

There's no short cut, right?

Hmph.

If you need me I'll be in some podunk town at a rest stop eating stale twizzlers.

The Mozzarella Maker

I learned about Georgiana DePalma Tedone from the New York Times One in 8 Million Collection. Every Sunday in 2009 they profiled a New Yorker through a black and white photography slideshow overlayed with an audio interview. I heard some incredible stories, but one of them particularly stood out and that was 'The Mozzarella Maker'. Georgiana DePalma Tedone is 91 years old and has been making mozzarella by hand at her shop Tedone Latticini in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for 75 years. She wakes up every day at 2am, makes mozzarella for about 3-4 hours, then works in her shop for the rest of the day. 6 days a week.

I could not wait to meet this woman. With the day off for Martin Luther King Day, Tyler and I took a trip up there to get some mozzarella and see what her place was all about.

An old string of green tinsel was draped along-side the cheeses and meats hanging from the window of the unmarked storefront. There were a few religious figurines on the window ledge. The Virgin Mary's bright blue dress stood out in the dull light. When we walked in, there were no signs or prices in the bare white room. The deli case was completely fogged over so I couldn't quite tell what was in it. An old woman with white-as-snow hair sat at the cash register in a grey folding chair. Above her, a few foot-long wooden shelves held jars of, presumably, olives and sauces.

There wasn't much beyond that. The counter had a small grey basin with 2 balls of fresh mozzarella in plastic wrap. And there was a deli-slicer beside it. A fast-talking old Italian man asked us what we wanted.

"Mozzarella," we said.

"What else?" he demanded, "How about prosciutto? Do you need some meats? Why don't you take some of the prosciutto?"

We had heard that it was very difficult to leave there with just mozzarella. :-)

We looked at one another and shrugged, "We'll take a 1/4 pound."

As he took out a slab of prosciutto and placed it against the deli slicer, we tried to peer into the deli case to see what else might be in there.

"What kind of dried sausages are those?" Tyler asked.

"Sweet and spicy. I have fresh sausage too. Do you need some fresh sausage? 'Cause I've got fresh sausage. You can bbq it."

"That's ok, we don't have a grill," I said.

The old man laughed, then handed us a piece of proscuitto.

As soon as we began to eat, the old woman eyed us carefully. She spoke in her shaky voice, "Do you like it? That's the good stuff. The imported stuff."

"Of course," we nodded. The buttery prosciutto melted in our mouths.

"Try the provolone," she urged. A few pieces sat in a small clear Tupperware. It was, again, delicious.

As they rang us up, then packaged our meat and cheese, the old woman looked on with a smile, nodding appreciatively when we thanked her. I only noticed her eyes grow curious and large when we tried the food. And it reminded me of the Italian women in my family- watching your face as you try each meal, wanting to see your joy. Your satisfaction. Other than that, she didn't move from her folding chair. But this was her territory. I felt lucky to be a visitor.

I really hope you'll click on her story below. She is an amazing woman.

Georgiana DePalma Tedone: The Mozzarella Maker

A Winter Tree Perspective

You've all seen how nostalgic I've been for biking in these cold months. Well, thank you mother nature, for giving me two glorious biking days in the middle of January. 45 suddenly feels like beach weather (I choose to ignore the cold air in my lungs going up the hill in prospect park and my nose running as I pedal up Union Street...)

And I want to thank the winter tree. The winter tree affords me a completely new perspective. When I rode the loop through Prospect Park yesterday, I saw everything through the bare branches. Don't get me wrong, I love the lushness of every tree come Spring, but to be able to see through all that, right into the park is a lovely thing. It's also quite fantastic that I only have a view of New York City from my apartment...in the winter. Because of the winter tree. That makes me smile.

Yesterday, I reached my goal of finishing the revisions for Part I of my novel. February 15th is my next deadline, the revisions for Part II. This is going to be a lot more difficult. Part I of my novel was a lot more polished. It came before the whole 'I've got to get this 1st draft over with or I'm going to jump out of a window' feeling. The pacing in Part II is quite wonky and there are some very obvious plot holes. It also requires a lot more new scenes than the Part I revisions did, so I'm back to the terrifying blank page.

My fingers are crossed that Part I has become a winter tree. That I was able to trim all the leaves back so I could see a little bit better for Part II. I guess I'm about to take a look and see...

Blogs I Read: Day 6

That wraps up the week in: Blogs I Read.

Obviously, I read a lot of other blogs. Many of them are about the publishing industry and literature. A smaller portion are about children's media and food. I've learned SO much from SO many blogs about SO many things; particularly when it comes to the world of books and entering the 'business' of writing.

But I wanted to feature blogs that get to the heart of why we write and why we read. And I think I've captured a few of the things I look for when it comes to good story-telling: Craft, Character, Intrigue, and Place.

With all of us trying to absorb so much content on the internet day after day, I hope you find some inspiration in all the words you read.

Blogs I Read: Day 5

Ironically, it took moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn to realize what a rich history New York City has. The cozy neighborhood feel of the street I live on now is very different from my old cramped, studio, surrounded by a lot of nail salons and pizza places (but there is still a special place in my heart for that old, cramped studio with its leaky ceiling [sigh])

When I walk out of my apartment there are bakeries and butchers, churches, and restaurants that have been there for decades and I get a greater sense of that history. It's easier to see it tucked in my small neighborhood than in the center of crowded Manhattan.

Lost City honors a lot of 'lost' landmarks in this constantly evolving place. And, despite its often harsh stance against real estate development, it usually invokes a lot of curiousity in me. When I learn about a place that no longer exists or threatens to vanish, I wonder about the past, present, and future. For that reason, I find the blog and all the places it features very inspiring.

Are there blogs you enjoy that feature places that inspire you?

Procrastinate by Supporting Haiti

Instead of writing this evening, I took every opportunity to watch all the tivo-ed episodes of Guy's Big Bite on the Food Network and fooled around on the internet for as long as I could. All this after scarfing down two huge slices of pizza and a bunch of Dove Peppermint Bark chocolates. Needless to say, I felt pretty gross. But luckily, all this procrastination (amidst the gluttony) led me to researching how I could respond to the Crisis in Haiti.

Now at 9:48pm, I count my lucky stars that all I have to worry about is not having written yet tonight. Now I go to my desk and write what I can...

Feel free to click and donate what you can.

Blogs I Read: Day 4

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon The Sartorialist but I'm very glad that I did. I love this blog for the same reason that I love looking at portraits (The National Portrait Gallery in London is my favorite museum). People have incredible stories. And when a person is frozen in time, all the mystery and intrigue of their personal story is caputured at the very same moment.

Technically, The Sartorialist is about fashion and style. But it's more than that. It's also about the confidence and spirit that a person carries in the clothes they wear and the places they find themselves. I can't imagine how many stories are waiting to be written about each and every photograph that is featured on this blog.

Are there particular photography blogs that inspire you to tell a story?