OH MY STARS
STATUS: Looking at a winter wonderland. There are many inches of snow on the ground and more to come. The fear-mongering Weather Channel had everyone in a panic about it night (OMG! SNOW! In MICHIGAN! STOCK UP ON BOLOGNA AND CIGARETTES! CROSS YOURSELVES AND PRAY!) but I love the effects of a big storm. It gets so quiet, and the whole world turns white. I think it’s lovely. So what if we can’t drive? Let’s just pretend it’s New York for a day. Only without … um, everything.
FAVE LINKEY-POO RIGHT THIS SECOND: Kid Sister’s “Pro Nails” video.
January 2007: My whole office pitched in to help me make a Deal or No Deal video. No questions asked! I love my office! I love the video! (You can see it at the bottom of the FAQ on the larawrites.com page) Screw it if Howie and the gang didn’t. It got 2007 off to a great start.
February 2007: The email that launched 1,000 ships arrived. Susanna Einstein liked DONUT DAYS and offered me representation with LJK Literary Agency. I was at work when I got it and I trotted a few steps down the hall, then burst into tears. Everyone thought something was wrong. Or that I was pregnant. I was such a basket case for the rest of the day. But in the best way possible.
March 2007: Larry Kirshbaum, founder of LJK Literary, meets me for drinks in Ann Arbor during a visit. So, I promise this whole list won’t be about LJK, but this was a big deal for me. I mean, it’s Larry Kirshbaum! He’s a legend. And he thought to have drinks with me in Ann Arbor. I was tickled. And I loved spending time with him. He likes sitting at the bar, and I like sitting at the bar. He likes my writing and I like my writing. You see? It was win-win right away. We were the proverbial peas and carrots.
April 2007: My nephew, Erik, is born. I now have, count ‘em, eleven nieces and nephews. If that doesn’t stretch the old holiday budget, I don’t know what does. It’s a blessing to have small people in my life for maybe the first time ever (apart from when I was one, of course). Rob’s sister, Deb, has five kids alone and she’s such a great role model for cherishing each one of your kids for who they are and making them feel special on a daily basis.
Also in April, Susanna sold DONUT DAYS to Putnam. I was walking the dog when she called (from the UK, god bless her, she’s a deal-maker even while at conferences abroad) to tell me about the offer. I didn’t cry this time, but the information did put me into a bit of a daze. If anything, I felt like I was on too much Vicatin or something – not that I’ve ever been on too much Vicatin, but when I watch Paula Abdul I sure can guess what it’s like.
May 2007: Ellen and I attend, like, our 900th writers’ retreat together in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Okay, maybe it was our fourth. Ellen was hard at work on her new book now that KEEPING THE HOUSE was in pre-production, and I was trying to stay busy with a new book as well until I started editing DONUT DAYS. It was our first retreat where we both had book deals under our belts. I recall a lot of champagne was consumed during those four days.
June 2007: ROB AND I GOT MARRIED! I GOT TO MARRY THE GREATEST GUY ON THE WHOLE FREAKING PLANET! IT WAS SO AWESOME! It was at his parents’ house in Michigan, down by the lake. The weather was perfect. Our fabulous friend Colleen married us and, even though there was an objection to the union (by my 11-year-old nephew Alec who said *he* wanted to marry me), it was the greatest day of all time. I keep telling Rob, I want to have another day just like that one. I want to have a party every year where we celebrate being together. Seriously, you guys: Best. Day. Ever.
July 2007: Ellen’s book, KEEPING THE HOUSE, hit bookshelves! Woo hoo! She went on a huge publicity tour, and Ann Arbor was one of the cities she visited. Yay!
Also in July, Rob and I snuck into an Elvis Fest with friends whose names I shall not put on this blog, but you know who you are. There was a little-person Elvis and a young Elvis and some old Elvises (I call them Elvi), and it was SO worth sneaking into. I fully plan on doing it again next year.
August 2007: Rob and I got rid of our storage unit and figured out how to purge from our lives what we really didn’t need. It saved us $130/month and helped us realize how much stuff we had that wasn’t doing us any good. Um, yeah. Metaphor time.
September 2007: Our friends Katie and Martin got married, and our friend Steve got a fabulous new job. It was definitely a month for more celebrating. September was also the month friends helped us discover Haab’s, an old-school bar/restaurant with $2 happy hours, even on Friday, and they make the greatest drinks ever. O Haab’s, I do love thee.
October 2007: I got involved in efforts to save a local wetland, and editing for DONUT DAYS commenced. I also went to my first Halloween party where my costume didn’t totally blow. I was Little Red Riding Hood – much more recognizable than Harriet Miers.
November 2007: Rob and I took our pilgrimage to Lambeau. OMG. It was like I’d clicked my heels together three times and finally found home. It rocked. Plus my parents were there AND the Pack won. Three cheers for Green Bay! Ellen and I also had another writers’ retreat in Myrtle Beach, where it was sunny and warm. Edits on DONUT DAYS continued, and I turned 32.
December 2007: This month, Rob has made advent calendars, and the holiday in general, tons of fun again. Edits on DONUT DAYS continue still, but that’s a good thing. My editor is a machine. Rob is hard at work for a script for a new movie, which he’ll film in 2008, and I’m already thinking about ways to make my next book better so that when Susanna shows it to Stacey, it’s a deal-maker right away. Lots of plans are in the hopper, but life is really good, just as it is. I’m so thankful for 2007. In some ways, I don’t want it to end. How can this year be topped? It can’t. ’simpossible.
I love this life. Love it, love it. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!