Strange weekend. My parents asked us to come by and house-sit for two nights, so we packed our backs, threw them in the back of Superman’s truck, drove exactly 20 minutes up the freeway (!), and … well … unpacked! And then we acted like we’ve never been to north county before.
It was also extremely weird to be staying overnight in my childhood home again. Because I haven’t done that since I was … oh … about 20? Of course, since then, my parents have redone my room several times, so it doesn’t look anything like when I left. Now it’s sort of a guest-room-slash-library. (Incidentally, my mom has the most amazing library of romance novels you can imagine — she’s got the books alphabetized on two 12-foot bookcases, plus an additional bookcase of Nora Roberts only. Because, you know, we all know how prolific THAT woman is!)
Anyway, staying in my childhood home for the weekend was fun and weird and nostalgic and new all at the same time. We spent some time in Downtown Brea, as if we were tourists or something; we had my sis-in-law over with her whole clan, as if we were teenagers and partying at my parents house while they were away. : ) (I even took care to throw the wine bottles away! ha, ha …) I admired my dad’s latest D.I.Y. projects and raided my mom’s romance library. I meant to get out the photo albums from when I was a kid, but I forgot. We’ll have to do that next time. …
Other random notes from the weekend:
– Saw “The Time Traveler’s Wife” with my daughter — Loved the book, and loved the movie, too. I think I’ll have to write a separate post about that. (Something about moving time around in a story but keeping the arc in place. … It’s brilliant. …)
– Beta readers were awesome over the weekend. Some finished the first three chapters on Saturday or Sunday and sent me back their reviews already and asked for rest of book. Great comments, and it’s heartening and helpful for me to hear. Writers never think they write well. I’ve written nonfiction professionally for 20 years, and I STILL get nervous to turn anything in to a new editor. It’s a curse. But it keeps me on my toes, so maybe it’s a good thing. I’m always competing against my worst fear. …
– Mad Men season premiere begins in exactly 2 hours. I can’t remember being this excited about a season opening in awhile! You know how much I love Mad Men. The writing is really terrific on this show. I wrote a few review posts on two episodes: “My Old Kentucky Home” and “Love Among the Ruins.”
Did you see Mad Men this weekend? Have you ever stayed in your childhood home? Are you writer who still gets nervous writing? Talk to me, people — I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of these things!
Saw Mad Men! Had higher expectations, though, but still happy it’s back! Tell me about ‘beta readers.’
I can so relate to staying overnight at Mom’s with the nostalgia and the newness paralleled. My room isn’t the same either. Now photos cover the walls, and it’s set up as a baby room due to my sis’s younger ones. There is such a cool connection between siblings when together in Mom’s house. From years of childhood experience nothing else can replace.
MAD MEN! Wow! What a GREAT season opener!
So much to say about it, but I’ll wait for your next Mad Men post to unload it all.
I saw “The Time Travelers Wife” with my girls and mom this weekend too! I thought is was a very sweet movie. I love the whole moving through time thing and trying to put the pieces together…
I have never watched “Mad Men”, maybe I will have to try renting a season and check it out. I do watch “Lost” and can’t wait for that to start again (again with the time travel!)
Sounds like you had a fun weekend at your moms, I always loved hanging out over there too! I can’t go to my childhood home, my mom isn’t there anymore and we moved a few times so it wouldn’t be the same:) I do love going to my husbands childhood home though – his room is exactly like he left it and the house has been in the family at least 100 years and there are a lot of treasures! She doesn’t have library like your mom, I wish she did!
BTW – I am about half way through the second Act and loving it 🙂
Lori and David — Okay, started a “Mad Men” post last night. I’ll ask you guys your thoughts as soon as I can get that up. Looking forward to the season now. …
Lori — ahhhhh! One of the very editors I was just talking about, that always made me nervous to submit to for the first time! 😉 — anyway, to answer about beta readers, I went back and added a link to last post to explain what I was doing there. … Are you finding some good fiction-writing groups?
Dawn — Hello! You’re so right about that – siblings feel differently in your old home than they do when you’re out and about, huh? Interesting but true!
Debi — Wow, your husband’s childhood home is at least 100 years old? Now there’s a cool story to tell! I love old homes. So many stories there. Okay, I’ll do posts about TTW and Mad Men and try to get on the ball, here. So much to write about, so little time … : )
(And glad you’re loving Act II, Debi!)
I have not seen “Mad Man” until now, but I want to do it soon
Fun post. It’s always strange going home. I really enjoyed Mad Men! Also so happy for your getting your writing done and sending it out to readers. Yay!
I just finished Nora Roberts The Circle Trilogy… OMG. I’m still recovering, was awesome.
Best line of the series:
“Is that how you win arguments?” he demanded. “A fist to the face?”
“I was done arguing. That was punctuation…”
LOL Genius.
I hope you do blog about “The Time Traveler’s Wife” because I’ve been debating on whether or not to see it.