tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.comments2016-12-25T22:49:18.510-08:00Spontaneous combustionNancy Buttshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-5907712148065668702014-10-16T06:07:26.114-07:002014-10-16T06:07:26.114-07:00Susie, it's so good to hear from you. And I...Susie, it's so good to hear from you. And I'll meet you—virtually at least—tomorrow morning at Starbucks for that chai latte-and-writing session. [Make mine pumpkin spice!]Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-10919994553076291892014-10-15T22:38:37.017-07:002014-10-15T22:38:37.017-07:00You've spoken! I will write.. and write to my...You've spoken! I will write.. and write to my heart's desire no matter what's going on in my life. If I can find time to grab a chai tea latte at Starbucks, I can take a few minutes to write. Thank you for your inspiration.Susie Rialphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15885949586348121970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-30879927960221529682014-08-27T09:51:27.518-07:002014-08-27T09:51:27.518-07:00Thanks to both Sonya and Vijaya! My poor backyard ...Thanks to both Sonya and Vijaya! My poor backyard still looks scalped to me, even two months later. But thankfully, we managed to save the other pecan, and the holly tree is sprouting new little branches, so I think it will survive as well. Hurray!Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-10497378577184312122014-08-27T07:08:02.422-07:002014-08-27T07:08:02.422-07:00Nancy, I'm just catching up on your blog and h...Nancy, I'm just catching up on your blog and holy smokes!!! I'm glad all is well, but I do imagine you will miss your favorite writing spot. <br />Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-22804003851844738782014-07-16T13:38:17.188-07:002014-07-16T13:38:17.188-07:00I'm on my way to hug a tree in your honor.I'm on my way to hug a tree in your honor. Sonyanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-88079957657997008562014-06-29T07:58:14.689-07:002014-06-29T07:58:14.689-07:00Thanks for the shout out, Nancy!!Thanks for the shout out, Nancy!!Alexandra Sokoloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881770599534651858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-81728061693326954812014-01-15T12:09:18.650-08:002014-01-15T12:09:18.650-08:00Yes..sometimes inspiration is so close and in my f...Yes..sometimes inspiration is so close and in my face I seem to look right past it. I guess it's a form of not seeing the forest for the trees--or the characters for the kids? :)mountain girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07869429813347909683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-69711594199246070722014-01-14T04:59:31.908-08:002014-01-14T04:59:31.908-08:00I hope I do hear from you soon, Mia. But believe m...I hope I do hear from you soon, Mia. But believe me, I know how difficult it is to get back in the writing groove after time away. I'm grappling with that myself right now; in fact, I'm mulling over a new blog post on it. Just look around you in those beautiful mountains, or listen to the voices of your children, and you'll find an idea. Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-69088314199929424532014-01-13T13:41:11.902-08:002014-01-13T13:41:11.902-08:00Oh, those crutches look wild. I hope the recovery...Oh, those crutches look wild. I hope the recovery has gone well. <br /><br />I have pulled out your book again in the hopes of finding help, lol. My leave time from the writing program has come to an end and I am desperately trying to hack some ideas out of my languishing writer's brain. You will be hearing from me soon, Nancy!mountain girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07869429813347909683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-78026186359328579012013-10-31T05:41:24.790-07:002013-10-31T05:41:24.790-07:00It's strange, isn't it, how something stre...It's strange, isn't it, how something stressful like surgery can in some ways be a gift, isn't it? Thanks so much for telling me not to feel guilty!Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-35661934961573474062013-10-30T19:12:53.862-07:002013-10-30T19:12:53.862-07:00Nancy, I forgot that your surgery was coming up so...Nancy, I forgot that your surgery was coming up so soon! I'm glad you are recovering and reading. Sometimes, you have the luxury of reading tons only when you're laid up, so do not feel an ounce of guilt. Enjoy this time. It's a gift.<br /><br />I loved that speech by NG.Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-10640439625354061562013-10-30T15:32:04.111-07:002013-10-30T15:32:04.111-07:00She certainly was complex. Sorry about that nonsen...She certainly was complex. Sorry about that nonsense sentence "...and her idealizations more endearing than her idealizations." Not sure what I was trying to say, but thank you for your gracious response.Judy Nillhttp://www.judydearbornnill.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-85470386785183660032013-10-29T06:11:48.371-07:002013-10-29T06:11:48.371-07:00Judy, thank you! You've made me feel so much l...Judy, thank you! You've made me feel so much less like some kind of curmudgeonly misfit in my adult response to L'Engle. I think, like you, I've come to terms with that tangled fascination/alienation by deciding to embrace her for who she was, in all her glorious complexity. I'll continue to cherish what I've always loved about her books, and let the rest slide. Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-23185732638378063372013-10-28T14:45:10.793-07:002013-10-28T14:45:10.793-07:00What an excellent post. Thank you! I too have been...What an excellent post. Thank you! I too have been in the grip of L'Engle nostalgia, and I have been trying to put my finger on what it is about her that both fascinates and alienates. I too find her personal struggles and her idealizations more endearing than her idealizations. At the same time I realize that the idealizations are what drew me in the first place. Madeleine will always hold a special place in my heart. Always. Judy Nillhttp://www.judydearbornnill.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-57189476693054489302013-10-17T06:50:43.914-07:002013-10-17T06:50:43.914-07:00Mary, sometimes I think you don't realize just...Mary, sometimes I think you don't realize just how wise you are!Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-90964589705005423792013-10-16T13:56:21.017-07:002013-10-16T13:56:21.017-07:00This is high praise, coming from you. I'm humb...This is high praise, coming from you. I'm humbled.Mary Hertz Scarbroughhttp://www.dakotawriter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-9203149137962225092013-10-03T08:26:43.192-07:002013-10-03T08:26:43.192-07:00I was more interested in the trials and tribulatio...I was more interested in the trials and tribulations of famous authors, too, Vijaya! I always love to read about how and where the Big Ones wrote their masterpieces. Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-40143432954699488922013-10-02T19:01:48.215-07:002013-10-02T19:01:48.215-07:00I saw that article Nancy! Is it bad that I was mor...I saw that article Nancy! Is it bad that I was more interested in the stories of how much famous authors lost their work vs. the practical ways to back up? <br /><br />Thanks for the reminder.Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-57053555336671107702013-08-23T15:01:59.896-07:002013-08-23T15:01:59.896-07:00Susie, it's the same with me. My years as a ne...Susie, it's the same with me. My years as a newspaper reporter trained me to write fast, and in the midst of chaos. But I do feel that need for "headspace" when I'm working on a novel. When we write a work of fiction we are creating it out of thin air; it takes a lot of concentration and effort to keep that world spinning nonstop.Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-61701518635647582612013-08-23T14:59:55.274-07:002013-08-23T14:59:55.274-07:00Vijaya, I don't think I'm as good a photog...Vijaya, I don't think I'm as good a photographer as your son Max. I took this with my iPhone because it was all I had on me at the time. But I'm so glad you have a bit more breathing room now that he and Dagny are back in school, so you can juggle this WFH project with your novel. It's good to know that I have company in this! And you are so right—to everything, there is a season.Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-163052252451451622013-08-23T10:25:06.866-07:002013-08-23T10:25:06.866-07:00This should be my motto.. a very wise saying indee...This should be my motto.. a very wise saying indeed. Life gets in my way and the novel gets shoved to the wayside. I also understand that one needs a larger "brainspace" to write a novel where your imagination has to run wild and where you need to plant yourself in the situation. In my case, I imagine I am sitting by the beach, smelling everything around me. My living room turns into Max's bedroom where trees start to grow. But it's different with non-fiction. I simply put on my teacher voice and - voila! - it's written.Susie Rialphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15885949586348121970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-84832861898070495202013-08-23T10:02:03.218-07:002013-08-23T10:02:03.218-07:00Nancy, what a beautiful snail. I'm right there...Nancy, what a beautiful snail. I'm right there with you ... trying to juggle the WFH with the novel. But school is finally in session, so there is that quiet time. A season for everything, right? Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-13046480744489291712013-07-20T14:53:41.812-07:002013-07-20T14:53:41.812-07:00What a beautiful love story, Nancy. For it is that...What a beautiful love story, Nancy. For it is that. I discovered MLE as a grown up and have enjoyed only some of her books. Wrinkle is probably my favorite. But the authors of my childhood -- Enid Blyton, Charles Dickens, Lloyd C. Douglas, AJ Cronin, Thomas Hardy, CS Lewis -- I have grown to love even more as I read them as an adult. Not one has disappointed me.Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-42211483549070000712013-06-29T08:50:37.864-07:002013-06-29T08:50:37.864-07:00You just made me smile, Vijaya. Writing is of nece...You just made me smile, Vijaya. Writing is of necessity a solitary act, so it means all the more to realize that even when we're alone at our desks, we are bound together in this way—through the words we write, not just for readers but for each other, as writers.Nancy Buttshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551831834813862861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8488165188769447777.post-22299993243236542192013-06-29T07:16:40.790-07:002013-06-29T07:16:40.790-07:00Aw Nancy, it is always a strange thing throwing wo...Aw Nancy, it is always a strange thing throwing words out in the blogosphere ... but people who need to, find us.<br /><br />Goosebumps indeed! Get used to it. We read your book and share it, tape quotations to our desks.Vijayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876606729146077830noreply@blogger.com