A Million Words

Today is our official moving day, because supposedly it's lucky to move on a Friday.  The rain is blowing all around and I don't feel like going in to clean the new place, but it has to be done.  It's not filthy, but it's not what I'd call clean, either.  We're going to go to the shop in a few minutes, where I will attempt to find the Irish equivalents of Murphy's Oil Soap, Windex, and a few other things.   The last time I looked for a place to live was in late September, 2006, when I was planning my move to Cambridge.  At the time, I scoured craigslist for a room in a shared apartment. I found a place near Central Square, sharing with two other women, all of us in our 30s.  We brought in our own furniture, kitchen utensils, etc.  The place was bare, clean, and freshly painted when we arrived.   This apartment in Galway is a little different.  It has a similarly good location, a better view, two bathrooms instead of one, and substantially less square foota...

Here's a picture of me and Nova, a few weeks ago,  Mike, Nova's father. and one of Nova on her own, trying to figure out her toys. I wasn't able to post photos earlier, for some reason, but things seem to be working now.

Helen has tagged me for a meme.  This is the first time I've done one of these, so I might borrow some thoughts. 1.  It is between 70,000 and 100,000 words long.  I do not write doorstoppers.   2.  The main character is in her (or his) early adulthood. 3.  The setting is a fantasy world which is often new to the main character, as well as to readers. 4.  I will describe the food.  So far the cuisine of my fantasy worlds is heavy on filled breads. 5.  Early in the story, the main character meets a group of people who are also new to town.   6.  There is usually more than one viewpoint character. 7.  The story usually features a long journey.  8.  Romances are unconventional and not always successful.   9.  No one in the story has a regular job in the modern sense, and many of the characters are unconventional in their careers even for their world. 10.  The main character has a bit of a self-esteem problem, and certainly doesn't start off thinking that he/she can change the worl...

It's hard to believe I've only been here two weeks.  I'm so preoccupied with the business of getting set up and oriented to Galway that I hardly have time to think of home.  The big news this week is that we've signed a lease on an apartment at the docks in Galway, with a fantabulous view of the harbor and Galway Bay.   I spent a day or so researching local childcare options.  It seems that the going rate for childminders or babysitters is about 10 euro an hour, and creches (daycare centers, to us Americans) run about 5 euro an hour, meaning that going back to regular paid employment would cost me about as much as I'd be likely to earn, assuming I could even find care.  So it looks like I'm going to be taking care of Nova full time for most of her first year of life.  I'm happy with that, but it's awfully strange not to be out there trying to earn money.  I don't like the loss of independence, but on the up side I should be able to spend at least som...

The sun is shining, crocuses and snowdrops are in bloom, and even the daffodils are well on their way.  It seems that spring starts in February, here, unlike on Martha's Vineyard where it won't get rolling until sometime in May. This time last week I was back there in the cold, frantically stuffing half-dried cloth diapers into already over-stuffed suitcases.  Nova, who is getting rapidly on towards the 3-month mark, was relatively unperturbed by the whole process.  We brought along a few small things but had to leave behind anything remotely like furniture.   I suppose I should introduce myself, for those of you who don't know me already.  I set up this blog a bit over a year ago, hoping to write about writing.  The title comes from a quote from David Eddings who said something about a writer's apprenticeship being their first million words.  I'm fairly sure I'm almost there. This time last year I was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, making a daily walk up P...