Going Home
Book Signings
Book World, Hayward, Wisconsin
The Firefly Gallery, Cable, Wisconsin
July 2nd and 3rd, 2010
Well I made it. I love Road Trips. I had so much adrenaline and excitement as I drove north. A little bit harder on the return though! I drove from Florida to Spider Lake, Wisconsin and back all by myself. Over 3, 000 miles. I did have help along the way with many hours of conversation from family and friends all over the country! Thanks AT&T! That iPhone sure came in handy. Not only do I love the Hotel App. on it but also The Starbucks App. is a must. What did we do before all this great technology! Oh yeah, we settled for Motel 8’s and Crummy Gas station coffee with no fresh milk and just dried creamer! What is that anyway? I had a great Mini Book Tour and a much needed return to my cabin that my dad built for all of us 30+ years ago. I was driving up there because the gallery owner at The Firefly (see picture above) had a great idea for me to visually show the viewer/customer a story of my life through my dad’s paintings. So in tow, I grabbed boxes of my books and the framed illustrations to sell and fled. By bringing my book, Maurice's Daughter, I felt like I was bringing a piece of my dad home to the cabin. Some days I just long to be there. My soul had missed it very much. Little did I know this trip gave me one of the best “Visions” as an artist, daughter and a creator. And again, little did I know that the Jade necklace that belonged to my beloved Grandmother Jean had become my new “good luck charm.” I had been wearing it for two weeks ever since my Great Auntie Ann’s 90th Birthday (see picture above) Party in Flat Rock, North Carolina.
I wore it in spirit for my Grandmother Jean. Auntie Ann and my Grandmother Jean were sisters- in- law but acted more like sisters. It was longer then my dresses neckline so I took it out and pulled Auntie Ann aside to show her the necklace that I wore for them representing their friendship of 60+ years.
After driving for 8 hours I ducked into Atlanta, Georgia for a slumber party where one of my best friends and also my first editor threw a little dinner party with her closest friends and “Soon-to-be-Husband.” She invited friends over for a mini book signing and then we ate a wonderful home cooked meal created by her love. After everyone left, I could barely make it through dinner without crying in sheer excitement for her and their wedding plans. We sat up until 4am talking like two little teenagers. I think I cried the whole night. I felt so much happiness for her, the only thing that was productive that night was my tear ducts. I cried every time I thought of her wedding details on the second day of my trip. I would call her and let her know some more of my ideas, themes, textures, colors, etc. and what camera I will buy to photograph her wedding. This union between two amazing people is such a blessing. I am so glad they found each other. Happiness just radiates around them. I told her that there was something about her that was so different. I had never seen this side to her. She seemed even more relaxed, calmer…Peaceful. She was all those things but just more of the three in a very beautiful way. Everything came full circle for her. She met a man who gave her MORE beautiful energy.
I have never felt more overjoyed in the last year of my life then this one. It just seems to be getting better and better. I met Jess in the first week that I moved to Atlanta in 1994. After meeting her we were pretty much glued to the hip. We danced throughout the city, played volleyball, traveled, dined and doubled dated. Over the past 10 years after I left Atlanta we were fortunate that every job she had she would do business in every city I lived in. It was great to have her business expense account. We had some pretty nice dinners over the years. We have had some great moments in life too from good to bad and everything in between. I nicknamed her my "Earth Angel" years ago and that is simply what she is. My Earth Angel. I love her to pieces. I think that is why I have been so emotional lately regarding her upcoming nuptials. I just wanted her to experience the love I have felt since meeting my husband. True and genuine friends are never jealous of one another, I truly only want the best for her and for her to experience unconditional love, happiness and moments that take your breath away. Life is so short NOT to have that.
I left Atlanta somewhat early and only made it to “Lovelace,” Kentucky or something like that. There was a smudge on the town’s sign and a larger branch covering up the other side. All of a sudden all the cars came to an extreme halt on the highway for almost 4 hours. People chatted on the double yellow line, a skateboarder rode his skate board in and out of all the semi trucks, some jogged and stretched. For some, well they just stood there with their arms folded on their chest. I sat and looked at the empty gas icon on my dash and wondered if I could run, make it to the bathroom 2 miles down the road, and purchase a gallon of gas all in time to get back before traffic started to move again. I was told a funny story at breakfast earlier by my friend’s mother where her husband had to go to the bathroom on a fishing trip and ducked into the woods. He didn’t have any toilet paper on hand (whoever does?) so he used what God gave him around him. Sure enough he got Poison Ivy in places you never want Poison Ivy. So I nixed that idea and held it for four hours. I reminded myself that accidents like this never have a happy ending. Sure enough they closed the highway and rerouted millions through the beautiful countryside. You could hear the sirens and the helicopters in the distance.
As I drove on this little old 2 lane highway, the townspeople pulled out their lawn chairs, exposed their bellies and drank beer. We, the endless stream of traffic were their entertainment. I thought of all the famous photographers at this point who shoot America; Alfred Eisenstaedt, Henri Cartier Breson, Sally Mann, and Richard Avedon. My GPS could not even locate a satellite to tell me where I was. My husband told me just to pull over and find a hotel. I tried to snap a picture of the Wigwam Motel but at 10 miles per hour I still was going too fast to get the perfect shot of the 20 cement Tee-Peas. Those moments gave me great pleasure and a good laugh but then I reminded myself why I was on this 5 hour detour. I was still shaken from the accident and fortunately my husband (along with my iPhone app.) found a hotel close by along US65N. I was disappointed because I wanted to spend more time in Chicago but reminded myself that many lost their lives tonight and it probably was a good idea that I stop. As I drove to the hotel I prayed for those families that must be in the worst pain. I know those types of phone calls. They are never good. Even today, 15 years after my dad's accident, if the caller sounds upset I tend to get nervous quickly. Ironically you can have a million great, happy and positive set of phone calls all your life, it's the few sad ones that have brought you to your knees that will always set you back at times. Ironically it's not phone calls anymore that deliver news. As I pulled up to the hotel I received a text message late in the night from my oldest friend in DC stating they had to put their dog down because he had inoperable cancer. Now extremely saddened because I know what they are going through. My dog died last year and he was almost 15 years old. I miss him daily. I sat for a while and emailed her my thoughts and concerns how to handle this regarding her only daughter. We have both shared the loss of a parent together. We actually have shared everything life has to offer come to think of it. I think there are people that come in your life for a reason. I am thankful that I met her when we were 3. But I am for certain that I met her earlier then that. I think our friendship has a depth that can't be compared or described to earthy objects or things. She is one of the most beautiful friends I have. I think I needed to just go to bed that night. To many sad moments in one day.
There are several reasons why I love road trips. One is the downtime to myself. I often drive in silence. It’s something I picked up while I lived in New York City. It was the only place I could turn off the world. I love to drive, it’s when I am most productive with my thoughts. I feel like I can take in more beauty and sort my thoughts and ideas without so many distractions. I love to stop and take pictures, meet local people and sit in diners along the way. No offense to the locals in southern Kentucky but there was one woman at a gas station I assumed was a foreigner. Her southern accent was so strong that I thought she was speaking a different language. It actually happened to me twice in one day at two different gas stations. My husband would of love to seen the face I made trying to understand what she was saying. He thinks my next book should be called "The Book of Gal and Her Faces."I guess I throw out some pretty weird looks at him once in a while. I told him I just need some Botox and we could fix that problem quickly! Unfortunately, I was supposed to be with my husband on this adventure to my cabin. He is a Professional Golf Coach and coaches many on the PGA, LPGA, Nation Wide and Japanese Tours. With that in mind, our front door is constantly revolving with golfers coming in and out of Florida to see him. At one point he told me recently and joked, “Maybe we should have bought a bigger house?” I told him, "nope! Too much cleaning for me!" We only have one guest room at this point. But we have a fair share of blow up mattresses that our guests don’t mind converting our two offices into bedrooms. Some days I am not sure who will greet me in my kitchen. I am learning a lot of Japanese though! I love all his players. He is one of the best coaches to date. I have never been more proud to stand by someone’s side. I do enjoy walking in his “office.” I have seen some of the most famous holes and the prettiest golf courses around the country. I have become addicted to the sport and my mom recently found my first set of golf clubs that I used at the country club that my grandparents belonged to. I think I was 7 years old when I mastered the game of golf. I wrapped them up and gave them to him as a gift. They are proudly displayed next to his entire collection of champion player’s pictures, trophies, plaques, etc. They are about 3 foot tall. So cute and a little rusty. There were even some small traces of dirt left on them. Obviously, I was very good because why else would they be all scratched up? (That is a joke) One of his PGA players was over and I showed him the set. I told him when he was done using my husband as a coach he knew where to find me. The joke of this all is that I still believe in “Do Over’s.” I tease them when they are playing “Putt-Putt” and I tell him that was a great shot on the Freeway, not the Fairway.
What I did not realize as I began this journey that “Something” larger then myself had an agenda for me to feel, see and share something special. This trip began to unravel a beautiful idea. The trek from Florida to Wisconsin contains all my favorite roads. I love the point in Georgia when the Palm Trees disappear and the Pine Trees take over. The temperature is dramatically cooler. The foliage gets a lot thicker and greener. Usually at this point in the drive you can roll down (Jeez, I just aged myself and I’m back in the 80’s) or hit the automatic window button to roll down the windows. I love the Blue Ridge Mountain Range where the highway and the fog weave in and out of the Georgia and Tennessee Borders. Highway 24 over a Tennessee canyon is just breathtaking. The mountains become pillow like structures in the distance. Something out of my last book MD. The whole book was based on several dreams that I had to heaven and back. In one of my dreams I flew to Heaven. When I looked below the Tennessee Mountains looked like the carpet I saw on Heavens Floor. I often think that they need to create more “Rest Stops” in areas that are actual “Look Outs!” Indiana took my breath away with the new Energy Windmills (see picture) they created in a cornfield. It was so amazing to see. It stretched for miles. It was endless. I pulled off to the side of the road and snapped pictures. Another car did the same behind me and we all starred at this massive windmill in “AWE.” I want to reinstate the ban that was lifted in 1971 after Lady Bird Johnson left office with The President. She created a bill that banned all billboards. America has turned into an eye sore in some areas. The "sign" usage across the country is out of control. It is so distracting and for better terms "ugly." I brought the idea up to my husband and he said maybe I should just start small and contact my Mayor. I think I might!
I stopped in Chicago for the night, dined with my family, saw my sister and brother’s new house, clipped and trimmed the garden around my mom’s house and slept in my old bed. As hard as it was I got out of bed to finalize the last 400 miles to my cabin. I packed up three of my dad’s paintings( see picture above of his first painting he did of me in 1972), wrapped them with care and loaded them in my car. They had never left my mother’s house with the exception of his funeral. With a blink I was out of the city limits, hit cruise control and sat back for the last leg.
It was a quiet ride with nothing to share. My windows were down, the sun was setting and I actually put on a jacket and turned the heat on. I stopped for gas at one of the last larger towns in Northern Wisconsin and read my last email from my publisher. I would not have a signal for the next 2 hours until I got to my cabin.
I jumped back in the car and made my way back on the highway. It has become one of my favorite stretches of highway where a 4 lane highway turns into 2 lanes, the woods thicken, the temperature drops again and the trees welcome me home. I watch my hand flow in the wind outside the window like and airplane and thought of Lily’s message. She was right. We accomplished so many wonderful steps and hurdles this year with our book. He would have been so proud. I started to cry not because I was sad, but because I was so HAPPY. So many amazing things happened to me this past year. I was so thankful for my beautiful life, my husband, my family and friends and the chance to bring his story, Maurice’s Daughter home. My husband called knowing it was his last chance for a while to say goodnight, safe travels, before I lost my signal. I told him I just started crying for no reason at all. Just a stream of happy tears I described. Ironically, we have this great connection together. There are no coincidences when two people are that close to one another that they can sense something going on with the other. After I got off the phone with him I looked in the rear view mirror of my car to check if the paintings were still tightly wrapped and when I turned my glance ahead there was my next story.
Flashback 5 years: When my Grandmother Jean (92) was dying in Chicago I had flown in from New York and slept with her in the hospital. She was weak, very frail and stopped speaking. I slept in the other bed in the room and my brother made a bed out of the Lazy-Boy Chair. In the middle of the night she tapped Noel’s arm and called out “I am thirsty.” I sprang up and went running wildly down the hallway yelling for a nurse to help with my grandmother. She was given her last rights shortly after that. On the night that followed my aunt stayed with her this time. Again she woke up and told my aunt, “I need to get ready for the wedding dear, they are waiting for me.” My Aunt Margie asked “whose wedding mom?” My Grammy stated, “My brother Bill’s wedding.” My Aunt Margie knew Bill married my Great Aunt Ann 50 years ago and he died in a plane accident. My Great Aunt Ann had been widowed for over five decades by then. The only wedding that was to take place was mine. Actually it was suppose to be that day, the day she was given her last rights on May 29th, 2005. I had called it off a month prior to this. She asked my Aunt Margie to shut the door. My Aunt Margie told her it was closed. But she insisted that it was still open. Margie, being opened minded and spiritual said, “Well Mom, maybe you should shut the door or walk through it?” My Grammy asked, “Do you think I should walk through the door? My Aunt told her if she needed to she could do it on her own but we would stay here. She also reassured her that we would take care of grandpa. The last thing that night that my Grammy asked my Aunt Margie was, “Can Galina goes with me?” I savored that, how she wanted me to go through the door with her.
So I arrived at the cabin, nestled in my favorite woods, stood on the front porch (see picture above), overlooking the lake and laughed to myself about the vision I just had. I looked down at my grandmother’s locket, kissed it and placed it aside for safe keeping. I took out a bottle of red and poured myself a glass of Cab and enjoyed the solitude on Spider Lake. This was my heaven.
My family arrived the next day and the silence was replaced with little boy’s laughter and giggles and the spirited voices of my mom, sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends and one of my best friends and her family. All 15 of us were very comfy.
The book signings (see pictures above) at The Book World and at the Firefly was everything I imagined and more. I paid my 4 year old nephew Reece (named after Maurice, my father) 5cents for every “Hello” he gave to any customer in the bookstore. He actually stood on the sidewalk and yelled “Get your book signed today!” Then came along my other nephew Quinn and he passed out the candy. He ate a lot of it too! All in all it was absolutely wonderful to showcase his paintings and my book in a town I grew up in. I donated some of my books to the local libraries and at one point one librarian said, “Oh, are you the Spider Lake Gal?” I said, “I am the Spider Lake Gal!”
I spent 2 weeks of pure joy at the cabin. If there was ever a place I would call heaven, this was it. Later in the week I played around with the story in my head. I bought a sketch pad and began to sketch and that night I started to type my next book. The first line of the story will go something like this, “As I opened another door…”
Thanks Grammy for giving me the vision. I love you too and miss you very much.
I left Atlanta somewhat early and only made it to “Lovelace,” Kentucky or something like that. There was a smudge on the town’s sign and a larger branch covering up the other side. All of a sudden all the cars came to an extreme halt on the highway for almost 4 hours. People chatted on the double yellow line, a skateboarder rode his skate board in and out of all the semi trucks, some jogged and stretched. For some, well they just stood there with their arms folded on their chest. I sat and looked at the empty gas icon on my dash and wondered if I could run, make it to the bathroom 2 miles down the road, and purchase a gallon of gas all in time to get back before traffic started to move again. I was told a funny story at breakfast earlier by my friend’s mother where her husband had to go to the bathroom on a fishing trip and ducked into the woods. He didn’t have any toilet paper on hand (whoever does?) so he used what God gave him around him. Sure enough he got Poison Ivy in places you never want Poison Ivy. So I nixed that idea and held it for four hours. I reminded myself that accidents like this never have a happy ending. Sure enough they closed the highway and rerouted millions through the beautiful countryside. You could hear the sirens and the helicopters in the distance.
As I drove on this little old 2 lane highway, the townspeople pulled out their lawn chairs, exposed their bellies and drank beer. We, the endless stream of traffic were their entertainment. I thought of all the famous photographers at this point who shoot America; Alfred Eisenstaedt, Henri Cartier Breson, Sally Mann, and Richard Avedon. My GPS could not even locate a satellite to tell me where I was. My husband told me just to pull over and find a hotel. I tried to snap a picture of the Wigwam Motel but at 10 miles per hour I still was going too fast to get the perfect shot of the 20 cement Tee-Peas. Those moments gave me great pleasure and a good laugh but then I reminded myself why I was on this 5 hour detour. I was still shaken from the accident and fortunately my husband (along with my iPhone app.) found a hotel close by along US65N. I was disappointed because I wanted to spend more time in Chicago but reminded myself that many lost their lives tonight and it probably was a good idea that I stop. As I drove to the hotel I prayed for those families that must be in the worst pain. I know those types of phone calls. They are never good. Even today, 15 years after my dad's accident, if the caller sounds upset I tend to get nervous quickly. Ironically you can have a million great, happy and positive set of phone calls all your life, it's the few sad ones that have brought you to your knees that will always set you back at times. Ironically it's not phone calls anymore that deliver news. As I pulled up to the hotel I received a text message late in the night from my oldest friend in DC stating they had to put their dog down because he had inoperable cancer. Now extremely saddened because I know what they are going through. My dog died last year and he was almost 15 years old. I miss him daily. I sat for a while and emailed her my thoughts and concerns how to handle this regarding her only daughter. We have both shared the loss of a parent together. We actually have shared everything life has to offer come to think of it. I think there are people that come in your life for a reason. I am thankful that I met her when we were 3. But I am for certain that I met her earlier then that. I think our friendship has a depth that can't be compared or described to earthy objects or things. She is one of the most beautiful friends I have. I think I needed to just go to bed that night. To many sad moments in one day.
What I did not realize as I began this journey that “Something” larger then myself had an agenda for me to feel, see and share something special. This trip began to unravel a beautiful idea. The trek from Florida to Wisconsin contains all my favorite roads. I love the point in Georgia when the Palm Trees disappear and the Pine Trees take over. The temperature is dramatically cooler. The foliage gets a lot thicker and greener. Usually at this point in the drive you can roll down (Jeez, I just aged myself and I’m back in the 80’s) or hit the automatic window button to roll down the windows. I love the Blue Ridge Mountain Range where the highway and the fog weave in and out of the Georgia and Tennessee Borders. Highway 24 over a Tennessee canyon is just breathtaking. The mountains become pillow like structures in the distance. Something out of my last book MD. The whole book was based on several dreams that I had to heaven and back. In one of my dreams I flew to Heaven. When I looked below the Tennessee Mountains looked like the carpet I saw on Heavens Floor. I often think that they need to create more “Rest Stops” in areas that are actual “Look Outs!” Indiana took my breath away with the new Energy Windmills (see picture) they created in a cornfield. It was so amazing to see. It stretched for miles. It was endless. I pulled off to the side of the road and snapped pictures. Another car did the same behind me and we all starred at this massive windmill in “AWE.” I want to reinstate the ban that was lifted in 1971 after Lady Bird Johnson left office with The President. She created a bill that banned all billboards. America has turned into an eye sore in some areas. The "sign" usage across the country is out of control. It is so distracting and for better terms "ugly." I brought the idea up to my husband and he said maybe I should just start small and contact my Mayor. I think I might!
I stopped in Chicago for the night, dined with my family, saw my sister and brother’s new house, clipped and trimmed the garden around my mom’s house and slept in my old bed. As hard as it was I got out of bed to finalize the last 400 miles to my cabin. I packed up three of my dad’s paintings( see picture above of his first painting he did of me in 1972), wrapped them with care and loaded them in my car. They had never left my mother’s house with the exception of his funeral. With a blink I was out of the city limits, hit cruise control and sat back for the last leg.
It was a quiet ride with nothing to share. My windows were down, the sun was setting and I actually put on a jacket and turned the heat on. I stopped for gas at one of the last larger towns in Northern Wisconsin and read my last email from my publisher. I would not have a signal for the next 2 hours until I got to my cabin.
She wrote,
“Hi Gorgeous! Are you getting excited? Is it gloriously, wonderfully bee-u-tee-ful there? Been thinking of you ALL DAY and the full circle moments ensuing, the fun and yet stress of being at events with family and friends, your arduous journey getting up there the past several days and all you've been doing in your new life. It's a lot. And even joyous new beginnings take much work and are tiring, even in their goodness. I hope you'll take a moment to take a nice walk, all alone, for just a few moments and take some deep breaths - take care of your health, I know how having signings wears one out, even while strangely boosting one up! Like life, full of contradictions, joy, and a bit of pathos mixed in... Know how proud your beloved father is of you and your Heavenly Father, too!” It continued, but the last line blurred my vision.
“Hi Gorgeous! Are you getting excited? Is it gloriously, wonderfully bee-u-tee-ful there? Been thinking of you ALL DAY and the full circle moments ensuing, the fun and yet stress of being at events with family and friends, your arduous journey getting up there the past several days and all you've been doing in your new life. It's a lot. And even joyous new beginnings take much work and are tiring, even in their goodness. I hope you'll take a moment to take a nice walk, all alone, for just a few moments and take some deep breaths - take care of your health, I know how having signings wears one out, even while strangely boosting one up! Like life, full of contradictions, joy, and a bit of pathos mixed in... Know how proud your beloved father is of you and your Heavenly Father, too!” It continued, but the last line blurred my vision.
I jumped back in the car and made my way back on the highway. It has become one of my favorite stretches of highway where a 4 lane highway turns into 2 lanes, the woods thicken, the temperature drops again and the trees welcome me home. I watch my hand flow in the wind outside the window like and airplane and thought of Lily’s message. She was right. We accomplished so many wonderful steps and hurdles this year with our book. He would have been so proud. I started to cry not because I was sad, but because I was so HAPPY. So many amazing things happened to me this past year. I was so thankful for my beautiful life, my husband, my family and friends and the chance to bring his story, Maurice’s Daughter home. My husband called knowing it was his last chance for a while to say goodnight, safe travels, before I lost my signal. I told him I just started crying for no reason at all. Just a stream of happy tears I described. Ironically, we have this great connection together. There are no coincidences when two people are that close to one another that they can sense something going on with the other. After I got off the phone with him I looked in the rear view mirror of my car to check if the paintings were still tightly wrapped and when I turned my glance ahead there was my next story.
My next book unfolded as I drove and all I could do was cry. Page after page unfolded before me and I saw every new character, every page, and every line in the future book. I felt like I was driving through a museum and the paintings were like flashes of light. Within 5 minutes the whole story was presented to me. I looked at the passenger seat just to double check to see if someone other than myself was present for this. This is something I will never forget. One of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had.
Flashback 5 years: When my Grandmother Jean (92) was dying in Chicago I had flown in from New York and slept with her in the hospital. She was weak, very frail and stopped speaking. I slept in the other bed in the room and my brother made a bed out of the Lazy-Boy Chair. In the middle of the night she tapped Noel’s arm and called out “I am thirsty.” I sprang up and went running wildly down the hallway yelling for a nurse to help with my grandmother. She was given her last rights shortly after that. On the night that followed my aunt stayed with her this time. Again she woke up and told my aunt, “I need to get ready for the wedding dear, they are waiting for me.” My Aunt Margie asked “whose wedding mom?” My Grammy stated, “My brother Bill’s wedding.” My Aunt Margie knew Bill married my Great Aunt Ann 50 years ago and he died in a plane accident. My Great Aunt Ann had been widowed for over five decades by then. The only wedding that was to take place was mine. Actually it was suppose to be that day, the day she was given her last rights on May 29th, 2005. I had called it off a month prior to this. She asked my Aunt Margie to shut the door. My Aunt Margie told her it was closed. But she insisted that it was still open. Margie, being opened minded and spiritual said, “Well Mom, maybe you should shut the door or walk through it?” My Grammy asked, “Do you think I should walk through the door? My Aunt told her if she needed to she could do it on her own but we would stay here. She also reassured her that we would take care of grandpa. The last thing that night that my Grammy asked my Aunt Margie was, “Can Galina goes with me?” I savored that, how she wanted me to go through the door with her.
So I arrived at the cabin, nestled in my favorite woods, stood on the front porch (see picture above), overlooking the lake and laughed to myself about the vision I just had. I looked down at my grandmother’s locket, kissed it and placed it aside for safe keeping. I took out a bottle of red and poured myself a glass of Cab and enjoyed the solitude on Spider Lake. This was my heaven.
My family arrived the next day and the silence was replaced with little boy’s laughter and giggles and the spirited voices of my mom, sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends and one of my best friends and her family. All 15 of us were very comfy.
The book signings (see pictures above) at The Book World and at the Firefly was everything I imagined and more. I paid my 4 year old nephew Reece (named after Maurice, my father) 5cents for every “Hello” he gave to any customer in the bookstore. He actually stood on the sidewalk and yelled “Get your book signed today!” Then came along my other nephew Quinn and he passed out the candy. He ate a lot of it too! All in all it was absolutely wonderful to showcase his paintings and my book in a town I grew up in. I donated some of my books to the local libraries and at one point one librarian said, “Oh, are you the Spider Lake Gal?” I said, “I am the Spider Lake Gal!”
I spent 2 weeks of pure joy at the cabin. If there was ever a place I would call heaven, this was it. Later in the week I played around with the story in my head. I bought a sketch pad and began to sketch and that night I started to type my next book. The first line of the story will go something like this, “As I opened another door…”
Thanks Grammy for giving me the vision. I love you too and miss you very much.
Galina Fouks-Abele
www.galinafouks.com
Author/Illustrator of Maurice's Daughter
Very nice, Gal. I'm reading your blog from the cabin. Excited to hear more about the next book and see the sketches! Miss you. Love you.
ReplyDeleteLana
GALINA!!! girl a blog was made for you.. you are such a brilliant writer and have so much truth to say!I just loved reading this .. and imagining you perfectly just as you describe yourself! xoxox keep it up, love jocelyn ps then one day you will be able to publish your blog, as i did just so you can have a hard copy for generations....
ReplyDeleteThanks Jocy,
ReplyDeleteI would love to see the published blog!Bring it down the next time you come.
I also just joined a blog site at HelloGrief.com to help others in their time of need. It is a wonderful site.
GFA