09.21.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:23 pm by Administrator
Reading my last post reminds me of how far I’ve come, sorry – how far we’ve come in the past five months. My darling May Sylvia was born on 23 April 2009. She suffered terribly during her first week and we have since discovered that she has severe brain damage.
Not to skirt the issue – and you can read more about it if you wish at mamalewis.wordpress.com – but if I dwell too much on it, I will get bogged down in the problem. We have a delightful little girl who may face an awful lot of problems, but she will give us much joy as well. She already has.
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03.31.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 5:10 pm by Administrator
One month until D-Day!
It is unbelievable how fast this pregnancy has gone. And, now that it is almost over, lots of people have assumed I will write my next book about the past eight (soon to be nine!) months.
When I wrote Taking the Plunge it was because I felt I had a lot to get off my chest. I wanted to write an entertaining and helpful book for brides.
Fortunately, that hasn’t been the case for my pregnancy. If I was to write a book on it, my pregnancy would be the dullest story ever. Interesting for me, but totally uneventful for the average person.
Everything has gone so well! I haven’t had any serious complications, medical or familial or work-related. There are many other women out there with real traumatic stories to tell of their pregnancies and I am pleased to say, I am not one of them.
If anything, I am far happier than I have ever been! It may be the pregnancy hormones talking, but I have really enjoyed my pregnancy and my relationships with my family and my husband are stronger than ever as a result. Especially, my husband – I’m the biggest sap ever now. Worse than before.
Currently, my biggest trouble is a repeating nightmare of the video my midwife showed my ante-natal class of a woman screaming and crying during labor, “Please, I beg you, make it stop!” Besides this contribution to my growing fear of D-Day, the only other issue is that my fingers are too swollen to wear my wedding ring.
I warned him that without my ring, men would flock to me like bees to honey. But, my husband does not seem fazed. “I am a very attractive woman,” I said from my permanent position lying on the sofa, an uncanny imitation of a beached whale.
“Hey, if you think you’re ready to hit the bars, go for it!” he said, laughing at me. “In fact, go now. I’d like to see you try to get off that sofa on your own, let alone down to a bar.”
I’ll get my revenge when he joins me for my next ante-natal class tomorrow. Three hours on breastfeeding.
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12.16.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:03 pm by Administrator
It’s been a lovely year… summer on the lake in a very sunny Michigan (a rare gift in itself), a new job this September in a school that I love, a move up into the beautiful hills of Crystal Palace overlooking London and now, the biggest news of all, I’m pregnant!
We really have taken the plunge this year!
In a couple weeks we find out if it is a boy or a girl. ETA – April 30th.
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08.15.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:47 am by Administrator
To my husband:
8 years on! And on! And on!
I love you.
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08.12.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:57 pm by Administrator
Some incredible news to share! Taking the Plunge has hit the American bookshelves!
When I was in the US this summer visiting the folks, my friend Tina and I met up at a favourite book store. “Let’s just see…” she said to my total disbelief. But when we walked up to the “Ls”, directly following Sinclair Lewis, there I was! In my own book store, in Michigan, where I have bought countless books!
Do I sound excited? If so, imagine me visiting NYC with my husband and friend Anthony two weeks later when I saw it again!
I know that normal British reserve would insist that I not mention either of these occasions – or that I teared up at both (pathetic, but true). But, normal British reserve forgets that I am not British! I am American! And I am in American book stores! Yippee!
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07.01.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:37 pm by Administrator
Last night I stayed up past midnight writing my new book! It is such a relief after a year of writer’s block to be writing.
In my new book, the main character goes on some horrendous bad dates. Fun for me, but not so fun for her.
These are mainly set up by well-meaning friends and family, who know not what they do. The road to hell is paved with blind dates.In honour of this – I’d like to hear about any terrible dates you’ve been on. The more gruesome the better!
I’ll exchange a signed copy of my book for the best ones sent by email or comment.
I’ll start off. When I was at university, I went on a blind date with a man who by the second course proposed that I go with him, the following day, to meet his mother. He planned to announce his intentions (meaning: marriage). Needless to say, I turned down the offer.
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06.22.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:23 pm by Administrator
The second book is hard.
The first one was written ten minutes here, two hours there, for as long as my heart desired. I did it as a hobby – something to divide my time into student time and my time. Because, contrary to students’ beliefs, a new teacher really does spend every waking minute thinking and acting for their students. One instructor told my class that we should break up with our partners now, because if we didn’t, the job would do it for us. Needless to say, not everything your teachers say is true.
I spent years on the first book. I loved writing it. If it didn’t sell, it didn’t matter. Part of the joy was in the dreaming.
With one book down, I struggled for a year to find something new to write. A year without writing is a long one indeed. And maybe that’s the reason I quit my job, because when I found it all I wanted was to get it down.
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06.15.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:37 pm by Administrator
Back at university, The Lewis Gambit was when any of my (unfortunate) friends would allow me to play pool with them teamed against another (always better) team. Every once in awhile the Lewis Gambit would pay off, but generally this meant that the other side were drunker than we were.
I’ve taken a far more serious gambit recently, one which will take years to play out. I quit my job without another one to go to. A decent job at a decent school. Actually, said like that, it genuinely does sound completely loony.
But, in the end, a month following my resignation, I did find another job. The school seems brilliant. I’m really looking forward to starting there in a couple of months.
I’ve done this for one reason. To write.
In my new job, I will be working four days each week rather than five. For one glorious day, every week, I will be able to focus on my writing.
It will cost me 20% of my salary. That’s the gambit. Back at university, no matter how much I tried I never improved at pool. Will I have more success here?
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04.16.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:00 am by Administrator
My mom says to me today, as we drive in from LA to Palm Desert where she lives… wow, I just realised how rambling that sounded. To clarify, I’m at home in the USofA visiting my family. My mom lives in CA. We are discussing my niece and nephew.
Anyhoooo. My mom says to me, “Stacie, don’t you think Connor is great with Caylee? He is really getting used to her.” A fair enough comment from a blinded-by-love-grandmother.
This time, I agree with my mom. I believe Connor demonstrates a level of tolerance towards his sister that is admirable. That is, I thought it was admirable until I discovered that he is planning on eating her. See Exhibit A and Exhibit B below.
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04.06.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:48 pm by Administrator
It seems fitting to put some photos on my blog of London’s snow today. After all, my publishers are Snowbooks. So anything to do with snow is surely just good marketing on their part.
Emma Barnes, the Managing Director of Snowbooks, is one clever lady to arrange the snow to coincide with the London Book Fair. That is one solid PR department they have there.
I’ve included two photos. In one, I am shielded by the magnificent, snow-covered trees in Crystal Palace Park. In the other, my husband has just thrown me a bush.
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