Putting Off the Apocalypse

Tomorrow is 12/21/12, and there's no way the world can end. I have big plans for 2013, and after the rather harrowing year I've had, I'm looking forward to many good things in the year to come. It's become a bit of a tradition for me to look at the past year while setting some goals for the next. So here's a look back as well as a peek at what's to come.

PAST: My year started with a trip to the ER followed by emergency surgery. While it took my mom a couple of days to come take care of me (I'm always glad to have my mom visit), there was an amazing community of people right here in Northern Virginia who stepped in when family couldn't. Friends brought me to the hospital, picked me up, made meals for me, changed my bandages, picked my mom up from the train station, and kept me company while I recovered. I will always be grateful for the family I've discovered in my own back yard.

FUTURE: I look forward to the many opportunities I'll have to show my love and appreciation for my friends. I look forward to attending kid's soccer games, going out for celebratory dinners and finding the perfect gifts for baby showers and bridal showers and graduations and birthdays. While I might not look forward to it, I'll happily help friends move, grieve with them when they lose a loved one and take them to a movie when they need a little break.

PAST: Working with writers' groups have not only made me a better writer, but they have also made me some wonderful friends. Together we've explored new worlds and learned about the past, laughed at silly boys and gone on great adventures. These men and women encourage me and teach me and love me, and in the past year, I've never needed them more. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention what an honor it is to be a member of SCBWI and work with my local chapter. Becoming a member of that organization four years ago was the best decision I ever made.

FUTURE: There are so many amazing books I'm looking forward to reading next year. I'm fortunate to have a lot of really good friends with upcoming publications, so bare with me as I do some name dropping. Sara Zarr, Mike Martin, Megan Shepherd, Lisa Papademetriou and Anne Marie Pace already have books slated for release, and I'm sure I'll read a dozen more.

PAST: Starting grad school was terrifying and thrilling all at once. I never realized it was possible to be stressed out and totally at peace at the same time. I had an amazing adviser who taught my to write broadly until you find your story and encouraged the poet within me to be brave. I quickly made some of the best friends I could ever imagine in my fellow VCFA classmates. School also allowed me to discover Vermont summers and cross the boarder into Canada where I actually used my rusty French in real conversations.

FUTURE: Right after the New Year I get to see what White Christmas was really all about when I go to Vermont for my second residency. I'll bring my new ice skates and winter coat to play in the snow as well as a fresh notebook and plenty of hot cocoa to get me through lectures. For summer residency I'll go up a few days early, and (hopefully with my brother in tow) visit Cooperstown and hike in the Adirondack Mountains.

PAST: I discovered my Natitude this baseball season. Excuse me while I get a little misty-eyed just thinking about it. I have loved baseball all my life and the White Sox will always be my first love, but I've watched the Nationals grow from their very first season into a championship team. I was in agony when Jayson Werth snapped his wrist, heartbroken when Rick Ankiel didn't make the cut, excited when Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore were called up, and astonished when Teddy finally won the race. I was at Game 4 to cheer on their first post-season run, and it will be an experience I'll never forget.

FUTURE: What more could a life-long baseball fan ever wish for? Oh, yeah, to see their team play in the Wold Series. I can't wait for April.

PAST: With my project for grad school, I've learned a lot about my family this year. I've spent a lot of time combing through documents and listening to family members tell stories. In doing this, I've also learned a great deal about myself. Mainly I learned that I come from a long line of kick-ass women (my mother, grandmothers, aunts and sister among them) whom I can only hope to be like.

FUTURE: My little brother comes home from Hawaii next summer, and I'm excited to be a lot closer to him once again. I'm sure my sister and parents will be down for visits, and I know I'll see a few aunts, uncles and cousins throughout the year. I love my family, and more than anything, I hope the New Year brings them happiness and success.

I know the past year has been very difficult for many people. People I know and love continue to struggle financially, and words cannot describe the horrible loss that happened last week. The world is full of war and hunger and unhappiness. But there is also goodness, kindness and hope in the world. I hope in the coming weeks we can all remember the things that are worth living for. From this natural-born pessimist to you, may 12/21/12 be just another day in this holiday season and may it bring you a little closer to family, friends and joy.

Welcome to My House

Yes, I saw all 13 pitches of Jayson Werth's walk-off homer live at National Park this evening. This is a game I will not soon forget and a team worth remembering.

October Baseball

In case you missed the memo, I'm a bit of a baseball fan. I grew up watching and loving the Chicago White Sox, and baseball came back to DC the summer I did my internship here.

Because they're in two different leagues and 700 miles apart, I've never felt divided by my duel-fandom. When the White Sox won the World Series in 2005, I didn't have to feel sad that the Nationals barely eked by with a .500 record. When the Nats hit the very bottom in 2008, the Sox still had a post-season run. I will admit, 2009, 2010 and 2011 were some dark baseball years, but this season makes up for a lot of that.

This year has been amazing. Though the White Sox didn't quite make it to the post season, they were still a team to watch. With Philip Humber's perfect game early on and fighting to the bitter end, I'm proud of my Boys in Black. After all, they started the season with a new, untested manager in Robin Ventura. I remember watching Ventura play through my teen years, and I was anxious and excited to see his return to Chicago.

And the Nats. Wow, the Nats have blown me away this season. I've fallen a little in love with Gio Gonzalez, and I'm kind of in awe of how Stephen Strasburg and his coaches have handled his rehab. I feel like I've watched Bryce Harper grow from a moody teenager to...well, okay, he's still a moody teenage. I've seen the Nats win and lose, gotten sunburned and soaking wet. At Nationals Park, Teddy won his first President's Race (although I was working when it happened), the Shake Shack opened, and I attended my first sell-out game in Washington. This Nats team has become my team.

It was seven years ago I pulled a Tom Cruise and jumped up and down on my couch and screamed so much that my down-stairs neighbors came to make sure I was alright. Good thing I live in a townhouse now, because I see a lot of couch-jumping in my near future.

I love baseball in the fall.

Boys of Summer Playlist

It's been a long time since I've posted a new playlist, but I couldn't resist when I started thinking of how great it would be to have all my baseball songs in one place. Now I listen to it practically every day on my way home from work to put me in the mood for the Nationals or White Sox game (both if the timing works out) I'll be listening to. In honor of the Boys of Summer, here's a list of my favorite baseball songs:

"The Boys of Summer" by The Ataris
"The Ballad of Russell Perry" by Vigilantes of Love
"What a Game" by Ragtime Cast
"Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel
"Piazza, New York Catcher" by Belle & Sebastian
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" by Chuck Berry
"Cubs In Five" by The Mountain Goats
"Sure Shot" by Beastie Boys
"Heart" by The McGuire Sisters
"Catfish" by Bob Dylan
"Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" by Natalie Cole
"T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)" by You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown Cast
"A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" by Steve Goodman
"Whatever Lola Wants" by Sarah Vaughan
"Tessie" by Dropkick Murphys
"Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen

If you need more songs about baseball, check out the soundtrack to Ken Burns' documentary Baseball, which is an amazing collection of a century's worth of the sounds of baseball. It also includes seven different versions of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Books, Brainstorming and Baseball

I can't believe it's June! Seriously, where did May go? Or for that matter, what happened to April?

My first writing assignment for grad school was due this week. I had to put together a 20-page submission for critique groups that I will participate in this summer. I was shocked by how difficult I found it to pick what to submit. This is the first exposure my classmates will have to my work, and perhaps more importantly, I'll be getting feedback from a wide variety of readers. That's a lot of pressure—to pick something that still needs work but isn't so rough that my fellow kidlit-lovers will think I'm a hack. I finally settled on a piece that I'd love to be working on but has taken a backseat to other projects.

VCFA also sent the lecture list for the coming semester and recommended I read at least some of the source books for the lectures. To get started, I read The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt. As some of you may remember, I heard Schmidt speak at the National Book Festival last year, and his words had a profound affect on me. And now that I've read one of his books, I respect Schmidt all the more. He made me laugh and cry by weaving Shakespeare, baseball and modern American history into a great story.

On Wednesday I attended another lecture for the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum's First Amendment Center. This was a panel on religious freedom and the press in Iran. Wow, what a powerful subject. At some point I'd like to write a more detailed blog post of some of my thoughts and highlights of this event, but in general, it made me realize how woefully undereducated I am on this subject.

October might seem like a long way off, but planning for the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Annual Fall Conference is in full swing. And I still can't get over the fact that I'll get to meet Karen freakin' Cushman. That's right, the award-winning author of Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice will be our keynote speaker. The fangirl in me is already squealing. I just hope I don't embarrass myself in front of one of my childhood idles. Honestly, there's not a chance that I will get through this meeting with any semblance of dignity and grace.

I was supposed to attend last night's baseball game between the Nationals and the Braves, but a severe thunderstorm put an end to the game before it even started. Instead, my friends and I stood in the pouring rain, sharing our favorite baseball stories. The rain delay also meant I got to listen to an awesome win by the White Sox. I still can't get over how lucky I am to have my hometown team be in first place in the American League Central and my adopted hometown team be in first place in the National League East. Can you imagine what I mess I'll be if they face off at the World Series? I know it's bad luck to speculate about these types of things, but I can't seem to help myself.

But today? Today I claimed my own little piece of sunshine and soaked in the rays with a good book (Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore in case you don't recognize the cover). My desk might be a mess and my laundry might remain in a pile, but I can't think of a better way to spend my day.

Girls' Night at the Ballpark

The Nats lost, but it was more the company than the game that made it a great night.

Lions and Tigers and Baseball, Oh My

Holidays in Washington, DC, are the best. Seriously. There are always things to do and people visiting. The city gets this zap of energy that makes everything seem much more alive. Have I mentioned I love holidays? And living in DC?

This year, my friend's sister Katy came to visit. And since I love both Katy and baseball, they invited me to a game. Of course we were in the nosebleed seats, but it's not important where you sit at a ballgame...

...it's what you eat. And eat we did. Nachos and hot dogs, funnel cake and custard. A Shake Shack opened at the ballpark this season, and while I LOVE their food (especially their shakes), it just doesn't taste the same when it's not in NYC. But that won't stop me from getting Shake Shack when I go to the game this Friday.

We also had some friends visiting form North Carolina. Annie and Tim are some of my favorite people in the world, and their baby Maddie isn't so bad either. I haven't been to the National Zoo in about eight years, so that's where we spent our entire Saturday.

Despite the rain, we got to see pretty much everything. The pandas were being lazy and slept through our entire visit. The apes were being cliche and eating bananas. A friendly monkey came out to greet us from a branch right above our heads. The cheetahs and clouded leopard were a bit difficult to spot until their, well, spots gave them away. And the sloth bear...let's just say he wasn't very polite.

Best of all, the lion was going crazy—we think it was time for his lunch. There was a huge crowd gathered around, but you can still hear him loud and clear.

While Maddie loved it all, she was totally fascinated by the fish. We could have spent the entire day by the tanks and she would have been content watching them. Next time they visit, we'll make sure to hit the aquarium.

It was such a great holiday weekend. And while our apartment it much quieter without a 15-month-old baby and my stomach is begging me never to feed it like that again, I already miss the holiday crowd. Good thing I still have Columbus Day and Halloween and Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving and my birthday and Christmas and New Year's Eve before it all starts over again next year.

The Best Dad in the World

I know pretty much everyone thinks their dad is the best dad in the world, but really, that title goes to my dad. I can't imagine having any other dad, and if I'd been raised by anyone else, I wouldn't be me. So this Fathers' Day, I share with you ten of my best memories of my father to prove that he really is The Best Dad in the World.

1. Mom has this picture of the three of us kids, all of us in our pajamas, piled on top of Dad. The best part of the picture is that it's a real moment in our lives, not posed or a special occasion. Every Saturday morning my brother, sister and I would fight for the best seat in the house--on top of Dad--to watch Saturday morning cartoons. He loved The Tick best, so of course, we loved it best, too. I really need to get a copy of that picture from my mom.

2. I think Dad was a little disappointed he had to wait six years to have a boy, so he pretty much treated my sister and me like boys our entire childhood. But boy or girl, what kid doesn't love camping and fishing and shooting? I learned how to drive a boat, gut a fish and nock an arrow all from Dad. And though Mom hates camping, she put up with it just so we could have these adventures as a family.

3. One of my favorite chores growing up was tending our vegetable garden, mostly because that is where you'd find Dad on the weekends (after cartoons were over, of course). I remember one summer he put me in charge of the carrots. I tilled the patch, planted the seeds, watered, weeded and harvested. I was so proud of those carrots and insisted Mom use them in every salad, vegetable platter and stir fry she made that summer. Dad instilled in me a love for gardening that continues today, although it is much harder now that I live in an apartment with no balcony.

4. Baseball is life, thanks to Dad. He taught me how to throw, catch, hit and spectate. From pro games to little league, Dad watched them all. He also made sure we understood the importance of being die-hard White Sox fans, a tradition that continues today. I miss watching games with Dad, but every time I check the stats and see the Sox have won, I think of Dad and hope he's happy, too.

5. I have a proud Sicilian heritage, but I'm also proud to be Polish, Alsatian and Scots-Irish. Dad (and Mom) made sure we learned about every side of our family and knew where we came from. Dad told me stories about his dad being blacklisted in the 50's for his connections to unions and how his mother's parents came through Ellis Island. But he also made sure we knew the stories of Mom's family and how they fought with Lafayette in the American Revolution and were some of the first settlers in Northern Illinois.

6. Dad had this secret code that all of us thought Mom didn't know. He'd ask who wanted to go with him to the hardware store, which was code for "got get ice cream." He made sure to spend individual time with each of us kids so we knew he loved us.

7. Despite my current profession, I have a head for numbers, and much of that is thanks to Dad. I loved counting, so Dad encouraged me by giving me the change in his pockets and letting me count it every night. He taught me to balance a check book, invest in the future and save for the important things in life. I know it sounds kind of lame, but Dad taught me how to be a financially responsible adult long before I left home.

8. I know I posted about this just a few months ago, but Dad is one of my biggest cheerleaders. When I told him I wanted to be a writer, I could see he was thinking "How will she ever make a living doing that?" Okay, he actually said that a time or two. But even old dogs can learn new tricks, and Dad has really come around to this whole writing thing. Now he's the one who tells me, "Keep at it, I KNOW you will achieve your dream as long as you don't give up on it."

9. Hugs and kisses and "I love you"s were never skimped on by Dad. He wasn't too much of "a man" to show us his affection, and there were plenty of times when he cried with us as we cried on his shoulder. I remember one time in particular when Dad cried with me. I was a senior in high school, doing an internship and living away from home. All the interns were supposed to meet for a class, but one didn't show up. She had been in a car accident and died. It was the most horrible experience I had ever faced. I called Dad and couldn't stop crying long enough to tell him what happened. I was finally able to tell him, "Daddy, I need you." He and Mom hopped in a car, and four hours later they were at the place I was staying, giving me hugs and telling me how much they love me.

10. Dad is my greatest example of faith. Throughout my entire childhood, we would eat together as a family and then read scriptures. I first heard the story of the creation and the words of the ancient prophets from my father's mouth. He could make even the Old Testament exciting and funny and applicable. Every night, we'd say a family prayer and then be carried over Dad's shoulder "like a sack of potatoes" off to bed. We'd attend church every Sunday as a family, and though I am far from home, I continue to honor the Sabbath and faith of my father.

After all that, there's no way you can't see my dad really is The Best Dad in the World. And my dad can beat up anyone who says otherwise.

Happy Baseball Season!

My sentiments exactly!

(Easter report to come.)

Where did that muscle come from?

I spent the weekend at a camp in Maryland for a church retreat and had tons of fun not showering, smoking out the mosquitoes, getting sunburned on half my face while taking a nap. No really, all of those things actually were fun. Singing around the campfire, roughing it (as much as this city girl will anyway), playing games and spending time with some great people.

There is a baseball diamond at the camp, so I brought along my glove (I'm left-handed and play infield, so I always have to have my own glove). I was excited to find out a couple other people all totally into baseball and was looking forward to participating in a pick-up game or two. That is, until I found out who I would be playing with:

1. A guy in decent shape who played ball in high school
2. Another guy who coached his company team to a league championship this summer
3. An all-state fast-pitch catcher from Texas who throws like a pro
4. A guy who's being scouted by Denver because of his 93 mph fast-ball

Yeah, way out of my league. Not only am I totally out of shape, but I also (a) haven't played a full game for almost six years, (b) was in a roll-over car accident five years ago that messed up my rotator cuffs, (c) haven't played on a regular team for more than 10 years and (d) wasn't that great to begin with.

So we just tossed around the ball for a couple hours to get back into practice, but mostly I think they were just taking pity on me and didn't want me to embarrass myself by picking up a bat. And now both my arms hurt, my shoulders are stiff, my hand is bruised and I think I pulled a muscle in my thigh.

Conclusion: I make a much better bleacher bum than wannabe player.

A New Baseball Classic

Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Life is full of defining moments, and baseball is no exception. From Walt Dropo’s 15-hit run, to the immortal plays of Tinker to Evers to Chance to learning how to eat a hotdog (mustard and NO KETCHUP!), Mudville breathes new life into baseball legends and tells a great story along the way.

It’s all about the percentages. There’s a one in a billion chance that it will rain 8,030 consecutive days in a little town in the Dakotas, but with more than a billion towns that have existed on the earth, Moundville is the town that gets drenched. And it’s proof-positive of percentages that the rain started just in time to cause a rain-delay in the bottom of the fourth inning of the big game between Sinister Bend and Moundville. It has nothing to do with an old Indian curse or even the long-standing rivalry between the settlers and the natives, at least that’s what Roy McGuire would like to think.

So when Roy comes home from baseball camp to find his room invaded by his new foster brother, a descendant of the now-flooded town of Sinister Bend, Roy puts forth a worthy effort to make room in his life for Sturgis. But Sturgis doesn’t make himself easy to love or even like. While the boys finally connect with Sturgis playing pitcher to Roy’s catcher, there is still the issue of the unfinished game and Sturgis’ past standing between them.

Roy McGuire is my new favorite catcher—sorry, A.J. You know I will always love the 2005 White Sox, but I’ve got to make room in my heart for the up-and-coming players—and Moundville is my new field of dreams. Full of humor, great plays and characters that jump off the pages, Kurtis Scaletta has created a defining moment in baseball literature. And you don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy the romance of the game and feel a connection to the players that you hope both win and lose the big game.

(And you know this book is good when a White Sox fan gives it five stars even though the Cubs win the Cross Town Classic that Roy watches. At that moment I knew this was a fantasy novel.)

View all my reviews.

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Okay, so I didn't have peanuts nor Cracker Jacks, but I did attend my first ball game of the season. I'll tell you, I didn't feel too hopeful going into this game as the Marlins are the top seated team in all of MLB while the Nationals are dead last. The Nats, however, game me hope through the first eight innings, and then it just fell apart at the end.

The fun of attending baseball games actually has very little to do with the end score. It's all about getting behind a team and cheering at their good plays, booing bad calls and yelling at visiting team fans who won't shut up. It's about the smell of roasting hot dogs, the sound of thousands of frantic fan, the sight of the crystal-blue sky and the feel of adrenaline pumping past your ears at a million miles an hour. It's about talking stats with one friend while admiring the posterior build of the catcher with another friend.

The boom of the fireworks, the crack of the ball against the bat and the silence of 20,000 people holding their breath during that last desperate play. For the love of the game and for the love atmosphere, I could sit in a ballpark every day through September (keep your fingers crossed for October) and be happy. Nothing could have welcomed in Spring quite like attending a baseball game. Win or lose, may there be many more to come before Fall.

America's Favorite Past Time

Baseball season is once again in full swing. And I am planning to catch a couple of games this summer. Being in DC offers both good and bad elements to baseball season.

Bad: The Nats are a terrible team. I don't plan on attending any games they will win or even come close to winning.

Good: Tickets are dirt cheap. When you already know the outcome of the game, not many people are willing to pay in excess of ten bucks for a ticket.

Bad: The Sox are in the American League while the Nats are in the National League. This means I won't be able to see the Sox play this summer as I won't be going to Chicago until Labor Day when ticket prices will be well out of my range.

Good: My neighbors have the MLB channel and have promised I can actually watch games. They think my obsession with the Sox is highly entertaining, so they will more than likely spend most of the game watching me watch the game.

Bad: I won't be able to watch the games with my dad, sister or brother.

Good: I will have plenty of excuses to call my dad, sister and brother to discuss plays, stats and standings.

The life of a baseball fanatic has its ups and downs, but mostly it's just about the love of the game.