Ngugi wa Thiong'o is coming to Madison!!

who is he, you ask? he is the Kenyan author who taught me so much about the Mau Mau and the parts of Kenya that you don't see in stories like "Out of Africa". while i am a devoted fan of Isak Dinesen, i equally admire the works of Ngugi wa Thiong'o. if you are a local and want to join me, let me know. he is coming here for the Wisconsin Book Festival which will take place early October. book lovers, come on out!

Milwaukee pics + update on my agent search

 

 these are some photos i took when we visited Milwaukee just before schools started. i had heard there were so many kid-friendly things to do, like the children's museum and the mini aquarium, but the weather was so beautiful and we were already missing summer, so we spent our time at the beaches and walking along the riverwalk. 

and i really, really wish i could share great news with you regarding my search for an agent. it has been a year now since my search began. and still no agent. it is very discouraging and i can see how disillusionment can set in. but i must always have a shred of hope in me, because i keep sending those query letters out there. i sent out a batch today. and it hasn't been all nothing. i've had many agents get back to me, asking to read my manuscript, but in the end, the answer has been no. for now. let's hope i'll find that agent out there whose aesthetics match up with mine! i just wanted to share this with you since i've been rather silent about the search. i do get tired of telling people that i'm still searching.

Sisterhood

when i was a little girl, i always wished i had a sister. when i look at my girls, i grow warm inside thinking they will always have each other. over this past summer, i really got to see how good they were together. Cordelia's face lights up when Skye or Claire walks into the room. Skye takes care of Claire when i am not able and Claire provides companionship for Skye. of course, there's the bickering and fighting, but on the whole, the girls are happy together. could a mother ask for more?

Long absence

lately, i've been feeling like i'm caught in fast forward mode, but my body and mind just aren't able to keep up. life is moving along at its usual pace - i'm just moving too slowly. i do wish i could jump off of life, sit down with a cup of tea and watch it go by. like i used to do when i was writing my novel. but i'm really wishing for the impossible - i mean, how do you do that with three kids, and esp when one of them is just 5 months old? i keep reminding myself that by next year, i will have some moments to call my own. my sleep-deprived mind hasn't had the will to be creative, thus, the silence. and while i haven't been writing here, i've been thinking about my purpose for this blog. i had always seen this space as a way to keep in touch with those of you scattered far from me, a place for me to share thoughts and ideas that are important to me. perhaps this purpose seems rather uncertain to me right now because i'm so tired. :)
 so, instead of trying to figure things out, i'll share this image with you.