Sunday, January 11, 2009

Avoiding that enormous pile of...dirty laundry

Just back from vacationing with the family and I'm happy to say there is no better way to avoid that enormous pile of dirty laundry than by blogging. We got to catch up with my SO's family while we were away, visit a bunch of friends and take a nostalgia trip to the suburb my husband grew up in. Eastbourne in Wellington is little changed from all those years ago. Its character and charm have been preserved and I felt a little jealous of my SO's idyllic childhood by the sea and the fact that he does not have to rely completely on his memory to relive some of his childhood exploits.

In personal book news - while I was delighted in 2008 to have two books come out (The Were-Nana and Jack the Viking, just in case, by some remote chance, you couldn't recall what they were) and found the teaching and author visit experience very positive and rewarding I had more than a few disappointments during the year and felt like I'd made little progress with my writing career. However one of my disappointments has happily turned out to be untrue. Scholastic Australia have indeed taken my picture book The Were-Nana. I came across this by accident when a google alert (yay google alerts!) advised a library in Queensland had ordered three copies. Following this info on the internet I subsequently discovered my book available on the Scholastic Australia website (Now if only the NZ public lending right for books extended to Australian libraries!). I'm thrilled that one of my books has officially crossed the Tasman. I know sometimes this kind of progress takes time and I must exercise my patience until it is as big and strong and strapping as Arnold Schwarzenegger. I can also report my SO and his able assistant - spy son - reconnoitered in a number of book shops on our travels and in all but one instance at least one if not both 2008 books were carried. I plan to cherish every little step in the right direction this year. And I hope to avoid any clompy great footfalls backwards - may they be a thing of the past.

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