A new season...

Summer seems to have come and gone without introducing itself, in our part of the world. If anyone knows where it went please let me know.

At least there was an opportunity for DDM and I to meet up with a good friend, German artist Otolo, in Wissembourg, France, for an alfresco lunch and a bit of shopping for du vin, du pain et du fromage, afterward. The day was sunny and there is a lovely stream that flows through the middle of the village and right by our table, at Restaurant du Saumon.

One should never complain when one can break bread with friends in such an environment, and I am not one to do so. I enjoyed the quiche, although the caterpillar in my salad was unexpected. C'est la vie. It is France, after all. The great company and conversation made up for that minor inconvenience.

While we were having lunch we noticed an atelier on the other side of the stream that ran within three feet of our table. After lunch, we went to take a look and we met the owner/artist, Maria-Elisabeth Geske.

She works with clay and plaster, creating wonderful figurative sculpture and lighting surrounds that are very unique. If in the area, I highly recommend a visit to Artelier au Fleuve, her studio in Wissembourg. (For information, you can visit her website at: www.artelier-au-fleuve.info)

The leaves have been falling since early August and the colours are changing, so fall is here. I welcome the coolness, although the dark months of winter are not very inspiring. We'll keep lots of lights on during the short daylight hours.

I do hope that everyone had a fun summer. Keep the emails coming and I always welcome comments in the Guestbook.


KJ

It has been a few months since my last post, and we can attribute this to time spent writing and attending to new challenges. I have reduced my ancillary activities some, to allow more time for writing, and I hope to have 'The Other Lamb' ready for editing by November. It will be a busy summer, I fear.

I wish everyone a safe and fun-filled summer.

KJ

Friends, It may well be that we have a white Christmas after all. The snow seems to come and go, but one of the latest batches left a rather nice blanket on the landscape. I have attached a photo of one part of the garden under covers. I wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday and a reminder to take care of those less fortunate.



KJ

A short update, as the schedule will only allow for the time being, to let you know that I will be out of commission next week, for a couple of days. It's those guys in the white coats, again, for a minor inconvenience. And, if any of you motor-heads know who took the great photo of the 36 RR above, I would love to know his/her name.

The weather has definitely decided to go 'winter' on us, and we can safely say that summer is part of history, for 2010. Where did it go?

If you're in Frankfurt Am Main, this week, please stop by the Frankfurt Book Fair and check out the new reads that are available, and don't forget to look for my book.


A'bientot,

KJ

Summer update...

Spring has been a mixture of fall weather and much rain. It is now sunny and attempting to be hot outdoors, although the chill of night is still prevalent, in the garden outside my window. I have the door open, so that I can bring the fresh air in, and it is very nice. I like getting up early, as the sun rises, for one can almost imagine that he is alone in the world, and all of its beauty is his to behold. For this month, I have uploaded a photo of the trees from our garden at the studio, which are seen from outside the south wall of the garden. Anyone could be creative in this environment.

I have been away from my writing for a bit, due to other issues that took precedence. My walking is still heavily restricted and sitting for long periods is not allowed, because of complications on that front. So, sitting at the computer to write for hours on end has been a no-no. I'm not complaining, although the chapters for all three books are wreaking havoc in my brain, as they struggle for release. I am thankful that I am still somewhat mobile, and will take comfort in that.

A short holiday in Provence has been suggested, and I am warming to the idea, although confronting the scorpions will be an unwelcome activity. One has to examine 0ne's shoes in the morning before slipping toes into them, if one wishes to avoid a surprise encounter with one of the beasts. Ah, the price we pay for serene beauty in wonderful countryside and du vin, du pain et du fromage.

Paperwork has been submitted for me to have my book in the Frankfurt Book Fair, in Frankfurt, Germany, this fall. We are awaiting confirmation, and I am excited to be in this venue. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it would be accepted, in spite of the fact that it is written in English. It seems that the only criteria was that the book be published in Germany, which it is. It does mean that the price of the book will be going up by 8.7% because the book may now be offered by other retail outlets and I will have to raise the cost to cover their rather substantial discounts. So, I suggest that if you have been holding off on a purchase, it would be wise to place an order for IOAAODS before September, when the price will be raised for the show.

Have a safe summer, and for chrissakes, get off the computer and take a book to the beach!

KJ

If this is a hint of what's to come, then Spring is finally upon us! We had terrific winds after this photo was taken, which caused much mayhem, but the plant life is still intact. It is nice to have days getting longer, and the sun appearing more often.

IOAAODS has been reviewed by two others, and I have posted one of the reviews so far. The first is from Blake Fraina, author of King of Cats, which I will be reviewing next month. DDM is currently reading it, so I will have a go when he is finished. I will post the second new review of IOAAODS tomorrow afternoon.

Stay healthy and safe.

KJ

Yes, the winter finally caught up with us, at the studio. So far, this has been the most 'wintery' winter I have seen, in Deutschland. Usually, we just get forty minutes of the white stuff, except for last year's three days. Maybe there is a change a comin'?

Wishing everyone a safe, prosperous and healthy new year!

KJ