My Mother the Car

Sunny, warm, temps 18

We're home! Drive was very easy and enjoyable. Almost no one on the roads, the Franconia Notch State Park is breath-taking, and for once no torrential rains for the trip. And - Michael got the SatNav working. This very calm, soothing voice told us where to go. Gave us plenty of warning. Was very polite. For a while there I wondered if I wasn't developing a little crush on her, then I analysed my feelings more closely and realized it was much more intimate than that.

I want the soothing car voice as a mother.

The loving mother who gently directs us. Is forgiving when we make mistakes or strike out on our own. 'Please re-adjust your course.' 'Please, make a legal u-turn as soon as you can.'

No raised voice, no power struggles, no 'Wait 'til your father hears about that right turn you made, young lady.'

She's very clear, but flexible. Mom. Just in time for Mother's day. I bought her a nice tank of gas.

It's a drop-dead gorgeous day. Picked up the puppies from Pat. We walked around the pond as soon as we got home. Tons of bass. Two ducks arrived with a splash as we sat on the wooden bench. Trudy still hasn't figured out she's a water dog. Maggie made straight for the island and jumped in.

Place smells nicely of fresh cut flowers and wet dog.

Asparagus almost ready to eat. Barbeque on and ready for the steak. Just finished watching the Players. Was rooting for Goydos (?) - but he lost to Garcia in a playoff hole. Very exciting.

Back to writing tomorrow. Nearing the end - still. I'm at that stage where I've lived with this book, thought about it, made notes, dreamed up the new characters until they spoke and walked around in my head and finally started writing it for almost a year now. I'd like it to be over. And yet, I must say I'm LOVING this book. Had an idea in the shower for how to expose a clue - now can hardly wait to write it. Thrilling when that happens.

Elizabeth in Ottawa wrote, and one of her questions had to do with the fate of young people in my book (not good) - and wondered why that was. She asked if maybe in the blog I could talk about that. And I will - tomorrow. Unless I forget. Don't mean to, but sometimes things just slip right out of the head.

Off to watch Michael BBQ. And offer tips. He loves it when I do that....

Home

sunny, snow showers, cool, highs 3

I've actually tried to publish this post for 2 hours... not sure I have the energy to write another one! But I did want to tell you a few things -

We're home. Home.

the book I'm writing now is about home, and belonging. I really am a home body. My sign is Cancer - and we're very nurturing, and sensitive (sometimes over) and love nesting.

I really, really enjoy traveling - especially to London! And adored Malice Domestic, and genuinely love meeting people.

But then it's good to get home.

This morning while pouring the kettle I noticed tulips almost in bloom on the cutting garden. And daffodils, and bugs on the trees. Lise, who is also our gardener, had been here with her wonderful husband Del and they'd prepared the spring gardens. It's as though Lise and Del had fallen from heaven and landed in our lives. How lucky are we?

The geese are back - plump and honking. No babies yet, but there will be I'm sure.

When we left there was ice on the pond and 5 feet of snow. And now there are geese and tulips.

I was going to write today, but Pat brought the dogs back and so I decided to spend the day walking around the garden and the pond, with Maggie and Trudy (who immediately got her entire head covered in burrs). I cut the tulips and put them in vases around the home...and snipped the fragrant daffodils and they're in vases now too.

The writing will wait - this won't. And the book, one about home, will be the better for this day.

Had a wonderful evening in Montreal last night at the Crime Writers of Canada event for the Arthur Ellis nominations.

Met a young woman shortlisted for the Best Unpublished award. Patricia Flewwelling is her name. Her book is called MUMMER'S THE WORD. She felt exactly as I had when I'd been shortlisted for a similar award. Stunned, excited, disbelieving. But knowing something very significant had just happened.

And had a lovely email from Dorothy McIntosh, whose novel THE WITCH OF BABYLON is also shortlisted for the Best Unpublished Arthur Ellis.

And - I was nominated!!! For THE CRUELLEST MONTH in the Best Novel category. Wow, does that feel wonderful - perhaps even more so at home. There's that theme again. Belonging...I think it's as potent as love...perhaps even more.

Congratulations to all the nominees...and it was a fabulous evening. Jim Napier in particular gave a brilliant speech.

Here are all the nominees for the Arthur Ellis awards...

2008 Arthur Ellis Awards Shortlists

Best Short Story

Vicki Cameron, “Eight Lords A’Leaping” in Locked Up (Deadlock Press)
Maureen Jennings, “Wreckwood” in Blood on the Holly (Baskerville Books)
D.J. McIntosh, “The Hounds of Winter” in Blood on the Holly (Baskerville Books)
Rick Mofina, “As Long as We Both Shall Live” in Blood on the Holly (Baskerville Books)
Leslie Watts, “Turner” in Kingston Whig-Standard (July 7, 2007)

Best Non-Fiction

Rodrigo Bascunan & Christian Pearce, Enter the Babylon System (Random House Canada)
Robert J. Hoshowsky, The Last to Die: Ronald Turpin, Arthur Lucas, and the End of Capital Punishment in Canada (Hounslow/Dundurn)
Julian Sher, One Child at a Time: The Global Fight to Rescue Children from Online Predators (Random House Canada)
Brian Vallée, The War on Women: Elly Armour, Jane Hurshman, and Criminal Violence in Canadian Homes (Key Porter)
Paul Watson, Where War Lives (McClelland & Stewart)

Best Juvenile

Anita Daher, Racing for Diamonds (Orca)
Anita Daher, Spider’s Song (Puffin Canada/Penguin Canada)
Vicki Grant, I.D. (Orca)
Shane Peacock, Eye of the Crow (Tundra)
Drew Hayden Taylor, The Night Wanderer (Annick Press)
Best Crime Writing in French
Mario Bolduc, Tsiganes (Libre Expression)
Johanne Seymour, Le Cercle des Pénitents (Libre Expression)
Pierre H. Richard, GHB: Grossier, Horrible et Bête (Editions Pratiko)
Diane Vincent, Epidermes (Triptyque)
Norbert Spehner, Scènes de Crimes: Enquêtes sur le Roman Policier Contemporain (Alire)

Best First Novel (cash award from Book City, Toronto)

Claire Cameron, The Line Painter (HarperCollins)
Sean Chercover, Big City, Bad Blood (William Morrow/HarperCollins)
Liam Durcan, García’s Heart (McClelland & Stewart)
Susan Parisi, Blood of Dreams (Penguin Australia)
Sharon Rowse, The Silk Train Murder (Carroll & Graf)
Marc Strange, Sucker Punch (Castle Street Mysteries/Dundurn)

Best Novel (cash award from Sleuth of Baker Street, Toronto)

Linwood Barclay, No Time for Goodbye (Bantam)
Terry Carroll, Snow Candy (Mercury Press)
Maureen Jennings, A Journeyman to Grief (McClelland & Stewart)
Louise Penny, The Cruellest Month (McArthur & Company)
Jon Redfern, Trumpets Sound No More (RendezVous Crime/Napoleon & Company)

Best Unpublished First Crime Novel: the Unhanged Arthur (cash award from McArthur & Company)

Patricia Flewwelling, Mummer’s the Word
D.J. McIntosh, The Witch of Babylon
Amy Tector, The Paris Letters
Kevin Thornton, Condemned

A Bittersweet Day

Cloudy, minus 4, no word of rain!

To be alive is power,
Existing in itself,
Without a further function,
Omnipotence enough. - Emily Dickinson

This is a bittersweet day, joyous and sad. Two friends have lost loved ones and there are two funerals. One has an important birthday and Louise is coming home.

Guy and Nicole, dear neighbours, lost their son, Martin, this week after years and years that he suffered with multiple sclerosis. Such richness he gave to the world, exercising his amazimg talents: as dancer, musician, writer, humourist and humanist. He leaves a profound emptiness, but much love.

Lise and Delmar lost his brother, Wayne, after a lengthy illness; again, far too young. We've heard of his family gathering, of supporting each other, particularly Wayne's parents, and our hearts go out to them all. And it's Lise's fiftieth birthday. 'If I can just be with everybody, supporting them, that's enough for me', she told me. A generous soul.

And, joy of joys, Louise is flying home from Houston, through Chicago, her work done. Last night she appeared at Murder By The Book, then could relax, enjoy a meal, and get a good night's sleep. With no need to rise at 3 or 4am for a flight. Instead, a leisurely breakfast, reading the paper and relaxing, before her noon flight. The change in O'Hare seems a little tight, but I know she'll make it. I'm afraid our diets may be bruised a bit tonight! Gotta celebrate!

So long for now, till Louise needs me to sub again. And thanks for reading my blog and all your kind feedback.

Be well and ciao