Fifteen Satisfying Things of Late:

July 1, 2009

Fifteen Satisfying things of late:

1. I'm blogging on Screw Iowa

2. And I'm blogging more on http://ninsthewriter.blogspot.com/ from my website http://www.ninaromano.com/

3. Nico and Katie are home from their Quito and the Galapagos honeymoon and called me yesterday and today

4. Nico’s lively, yellow-eyed weimaraner Otto got nipped in the ear in the Canine Cottage, where he was being boarded during his owner’s absence--but it wasn't bad

5. I'm going to make rolled stuffed Dover sole tonight

6. The house is clean and I've done 7 washloads since Saturday

7. I'm reading a decent book: The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein

8. I heard from Rosalie and she'll give me her critique of my novel next weekend.

9. Reading Melissa Westemeier and Marni Graff’s blog

10. Saw the movie Code last night and Nothing But the Truth the night before—and when the Screw Iowa workshop was here for a week, we watched movies in the “bat cave” AKA media room, almost every night—mostly para chiquitas bonitas, and International (watch the beginning carefully!) with Clive Owen, who in my mind is growing as a n actor, much in the way Leonardo di Caprio’s career performances have soared. I love movies!

11. Today, July 1st is the anniversary of my father's death, and I still feel so loved from afar! I danced with him in a dream last week. Giovanni Archangelo Salvatore De Simone, AJKA John, you are the sweetest man who ever lived!

12. An excerpt from my novel, The Summer Palace, is published on http://www.southernwromensreview.com/ along with another Screw Iowa gal, Marni Graff's nonfiction piece is right up there with Kat Meads.

13. Reading Dennis Lehane's book review on "The Secret Speech" in the NY times Book Review, and remembering that John Dufresne had us write a practice book review in one of his MFA fiction classes for when we make it as writers—well, Dennis, you’ve made it and congrats!

14. Knowing I have a dear friend in Wisconsin who has a busy life, and keeps on trucking with her writing despite it all! Mel, you're an inspiration to us all.

15. I’m thinking about writing a cookbook: sequestering ideas and cloistering myself several hours a day in order to bring this project to fruition!