Okay, I’ve been very bad, no good, terrible, horrible about posting on my blog during this residency. I’m not sure why I seemed to have more time last summer, although I hear other students commenting that this rez’s schedule seems more packed than last summer’s. Oh well, it is what it is. Needless to say, I’ve been busy.

Okay, so I’m not being quite as prompt about posting on my blog during the rez, but you should see the schedule they created. These people never sleep. Sometimes I don’t think they even take time to breathe!

It’s definitely cold here, I think our lowest temps were -3 one night, but the rooms are well-heated and the walks to class are short (sometimes shorter–depending on how cold it is!). As you can see, the campus is quite lovely covered in snow, and I delight at the beauty just outside my window every morning; quaint New England houses across the street, layered in snow with white puffs rising from their chimneys.

The academic experience has been fabulous thus far; amazing and insightful lectures from the faculty and graduating students, critiquing of manuscripts that cause you to have so many lightbulb moments that your head looks like a fourth of July nightsky. Yesterday the picture book semester group had the treat of having Lynne Rae Perkins speak to us. Lynne Rae shared her process (writing and illustrating) and let us pick her brain for about two hours.

This morning we’ll hear Lynne Rae speak to the entire student body, and this afternoon Kimberly Willis Holt well speak to us. Tomorrow we get her all to ourselves for our PB workshop group. I can’t wait to hear her talk about Waiting for Gregory. If you haven’t seen this book, get your hands on a copy. The art is amazing and transformed the sweet text to a whole new level.

Today our faculty preference forms are due–this is the list we give of the advisors that we’d like to work with next semester. Honestly, the staff is so fabulous that I couldn’t narrow it down to just five, so I listed six. We had a chance to “speed date” them on Tuesday, where we ask them questions and get to know how they work. It was enjoyable to sit a bit with the advisors and chat about our upcoming projects. It doesn’t really matter which advisor I’ll get because I know they’ll all be good, plus I trust the VCFA system to match me with the best advisor. I’ll find out who my new advisor is on Friday morning (technically at midnight, but I’m not so sure I’ll be up at that hour).

Speaking of advisors, I know I’ll miss working with Kathi Appelt terribly (horribly, no goodly, very badly) but that’s just the way it is. I’m sure with each advisor I’ll grow in a different way–at least my writing will!

Okay, must get ready for the next lecture…

I really did have the best of intentions–I was going to get back to posting regular entries on my blog, set up some more Mini-Views and do some more book reviews.

I wish I could blame my lack of attention to the holidays, but considering that I didn’t put up a single decoration and am still hunting for gifts, I can’t blame them. I haven’t even made any New Year’s resolutions, other than to just do what Vermont College tells me to do. To the best of my ability. Period.

The fact is, when you enroll in the Vermont College MFA program, the universe applies a vortex that sucks time out of your life. Seriously. You get up each morning, with the intention of running this errand, posting a blog entry, calling that old friend, baking cookies for your kids, but no. Evening rolls around and as you drop into bed, you realize that once again, you’ve left all those things uncrossed on your “to do” list. Now don’t get me wrong–the great sucking vortex does leave you room for reading, writing, listening to lectures on CDs and researching– but time for anything else? Nuh-uh. Nada. Zippo.

And now I’m staring at the winter residency that begins on Sunday. I have two days to pack all my “stuff” (AKA, school materials and anything that will help prevent me from freezing to death) then hit the Saturday 5:00 AM flight (yes, you read that right, A.M.) from the high desert down to LA. Oy.

I will try to post from Vermont when I can. No promises, but I’ll try!

Wow–I’ve really been absent from blogging these past few weeks. The VCFA semester came to a screaming end, sort of. The first week of Dec. required my last packet to be submitted. It was bittersweet. Really. I was relieved that I had accomplished the last packet and felt good about the work I’d submitted, but then again, it was the last packet. My last one! I’ve grown to enjoy receiving feedback from my advisor and seeing how I can improve my writing. And I’ve loved immersing myself in the picture book genre this semester. I know I’ll never have another experience like this for the rest of my life. That’s the “bitter” part.

The second week required me to submit to the admin office the “secret sixth packet” which consists of evaluations, summaries and writing samples from the semester. Not hard work to compile, but it did take time and took some thought with my responses.

And all the while, I’m still working the bugs out of my PowerPoint presentation for my panel presentation for the winter rez. The four other PB Semester students and I each have 15 minutes to give a talk, then our advisor gets a few minutes at the end. I have my talk finished, but I keep having glitches in the actual slide show. Sigh…technology and I DO NOT get along sometimes. It really is a love-hate relationship. But I’m doing everything I can to assure that it’ll be running smoothly by the time I get to the residency. Fingers crossed. Toes too.

No, I haven’t completely abandoned my blog… I took a few days off to visit my family in New England, came home to a two-day migraine (travel does that to me), and have been playing “catch-up” ever since.

Last week was the last round of manuscript critiques between my fellow PB semester students (Mary, Meredith, Barbara and Abby–you all totally rock!). It was actually a bit sad, having that last round of stories to share. These writers are highly creative, solid in their skills, and give amazing feedback–I’m going to miss them so much! (not to mention Kathi, our fearless leader).

Today I sent Kathi my final packet, complete with one new story plus three revised pieces. Honestly, if she’d have taken five mss, I’d have sent her five. Or six. Or seven. It was tough to decide which ones to put under her skilled eye and mind for the last time. I’ll also miss working under her guidance and direction, and can’t imagine what next semester will be like without my little “PB family.” But as it is with every little bird, they must be pushed from the nest and learn to fly on their own. But Kathi might have to shove me really hard ;-).

Now I’ll have to focus on the panel presentation our group will give at the winter rez. Each of us gets to give a 12-15 min. talk that highlights our long essay from this semester. I’m talking about anthropomorphism with a focus on cats. Of course, once I started reading my essay out loud, I realized that I could not have chosen a more difficult word to say out loud repeatedly! Oy…anthropomorphism. What was I thinking?

And next week I have one last “sixth” packet to turn into the college admin; a sort of summary of this semster’s work. And then I’ll have to start preparing for the winter rez in January (Down coat? Check. Wool cap? Check. Winter boots? Check. Electric blanket? Check. Etc….).

So, my blogging will be limited in the near future. Hopefully though, I’ll have some new Mini-Views coming up in the next few months, along with some other interesting points of interest.

Sylvan Dell Publishing has begun a new feature on their company blog, called “Teachable Moments.” They intend to share tips and suggestions for teachable moments with teachers, media specialists, parents, book store personnel…anyone who could utilize their books and free educational materials (what teacher couldn’t utilize free educational materials??). They’ll be featuring this once a week. Today they’re kicking it off with the new moon.

Just a quick note–check out the new photo on the right, Blackberry Banquet’s # 1 Fan. Isn’t that just too cute? Now, that’s what I call putting your nose into a good book! Thanks to my writer friend, S.W., for sharing the picture of her adorable granddaughter while reading her favorite book.