tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213949932024-03-12T19:57:45.492-04:00bloomabilitiesI'm a children's book editor living in Brooklyn. I post about books, publishing, life, travel, food, and other random stuff. I was widowed in 2016, and may post about my grief and recovery on occasion as well.alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.comBlogger307125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-32909149879543041072019-10-22T21:52:00.000-04:002019-10-22T22:30:30.448-04:00Coincidences and triggers<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
On my flight back to NYC from Dallas, I decide to watch the movie <i>Late Night</i>, that Mindy Kaling/Emma Thompson movie. I find it entertaining enough, and it even moves me to tears a few times. And then, towards the end of the movie, Emma Thompson’s character goes to Mindy Kaling’s new apartment (supposedly out in Coney Island), and ends up climbing the stairs to her apartment. As she climbs the stairs, I think—uh, those stairs looks familiar. Those look like the stairs in the apartment Greg and I lived in Crown Heights for three years. They looked like the stairs in the apartment we were living in when he died.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">But, no. So many stairwells in NYC apartments looks similar, right? It can’t be.</span></div>
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But, then she’s up the stairs and all of a sudden she’s knocking on apartment 6C. We lived in 6C. It’s the exact apartment Greg and I lived in. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THAT'S MY DOOR.</td></tr>
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And then they’re in the apartment, and I’d recognize that crown molding and wall trim anywhere. I’d recognize that floor anywhere. It’s the same layout. It's our apartment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then of course I wonder, when did they film this? Did they film this right after I moved out? Did they know they were filming the movie in the apartment where someone lay dying for three years?<o:p></o:p></div>
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(I looked it up, and they filmed it last year, in 2018. I moved out in Fall 2016. So, not right after.)</div>
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And then I had to laugh a little, because we all talk about trigger warnings, and this movie should have had one just for me: "Alvina Ling, please be advised that this movie will feature the apartment that you and your husband were living in together when he died." But really, now that it’s been almost four years since Greg died, I’m used to it. I mean, so many things remind me of Greg, but I don’t get emotional. I can recount story after story about him without feeling sad (usually). I live a block away from that apartment, on the exact same street, and I walk by that apartment multiple times a week and although I do always take note, I'm fine. But seeing the inside of that specific apartment so unexpectedly was...well, startling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, I do love coincidences, though. I mean, really--what are the chances? So, I felt compelled to share. </div>
alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-21052375064766988342019-07-22T21:35:00.002-04:002019-07-22T21:35:08.388-04:00We'd love your feedback!Hi, all! Whether you've listened to an episode or not, whether you subscribe or not, Grace and I would love your input on how to improve our podcast, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/bookfriendsforever" target="_blank">Book Friends Forever.</a><br />
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The survey is here, and it shouldn't take more than four minutes of your time. Thank you in advance!<br />
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<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XQVNNXF">https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XQVNNXF</a><br />
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<br />alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-26827094456799818972019-06-01T16:06:00.001-04:002019-06-01T16:06:55.666-04:00Book Friends Forever podcast!I have news! Grace Lin and I have launched a new podcast together. It's called Book Friends Forever, and you should be able to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen on Soundcloud here:<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/users/588243672&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
Grace launched the <a href="https://www.kidlitwomen.com/" target="_blank">Kidlit Women podcast</a> last year, and we had been talking about doing another podcast together when our team at Hachette Audio mentioned that they were open to producing podcasts. I told them about Grace and my idea, and they agreed to edit and produce it, which has been wonderful.<br />
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We try to post a new episode every Thursday. We talk about publishing, life, family, and more. Each episode we catch up with each other's life, take a trip down memory lane, talk about what's on our minds, and share what we're grateful for. So far, we've talked about how we define success, being widows, work-life-balance, micro-aggressions, and more.<br />
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We've been having a great time doing it. Honestly, I'm a podcast junkie, and it's been my dream for a long time to do a podcast. When people ask me what I'd be doing if I weren't in publishing, I say I'd love to be working in radio or podcasting. I did radio in college (KALX Berkeley! 90.7), and loved it.<br />
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It's also been nice talking to Grace regularly! We generally email, so it's been nice to hear her voice once a week. I hope you'll check it out, and if you like what you hear, please subscribe and rate and review us on iTunes! Thanks!alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-88828647052894153022016-12-24T13:35:00.000-05:002016-12-24T13:35:18.223-05:00Breathe, Balance, and JoyI'm at my parents' house for the holidays. The change of scenery has been good, especially now when it's hard to not think about what was happening at this time last year. I've been spending lots of time with family and old friends. I've already seen 22 children--cousins' kids, niece and nephews, friends' kids. So many kids!<br />
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It's been pouring rain pretty much every day in Southern California, but today the sun is finally out and I took a walk in my parents' backyard. Where Greg and I were married.<br />
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This song popped in my head:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C8oyxrrEk58" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Greg used this song when <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2011/10/love-story-part-2.html" target="_blank">he proposed</a> to me. I haven't listened to it in a while. The lyrics have taken on a different meaning.<br />
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So many memories. It's hard to believe it's been <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2015/12/love-story-part-infinity.html" target="_blank">a year since he was taken from me</a>.<br />
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I do hope he's a peace and not haunting me. I've been at peace myself, overall. No magical thinking for me--at least, not after the first few months.<br />
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Here are a few things I'd like to share, ways I've been able to honor Greg this past year.<br />
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On what would have been our wedding anniversary, I got a tattoo in his honor:<br />
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If you notice the necklace I'm wearing, it was a gift from my friend Rose. It's a necklace in the shape of Iowa, with the geographic coordinates of where Greg is buried.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fQtiNW1w-GAbkurIpLHE-A_UiBLnyuUkQza1WCC1RGUoQGZhsTjlKskz0fG-sJh_MMQcrGfApzr_0GVY9kGU12V6ebOXjQpQtwMOqdrUwAlX6NrBuAxO2Z-Tocu04-2pMpeq/s1600/PicFrame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fQtiNW1w-GAbkurIpLHE-A_UiBLnyuUkQza1WCC1RGUoQGZhsTjlKskz0fG-sJh_MMQcrGfApzr_0GVY9kGU12V6ebOXjQpQtwMOqdrUwAlX6NrBuAxO2Z-Tocu04-2pMpeq/s320/PicFrame.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was such a touching gift, and I wear the necklace almost every day.<br />
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Speaking of touching gifts, my company, Hachette Book Group, who has been so supportive, gave me the gift of a paving stone in Central Park, where Greg and I were engaged, and spent a lot of time together going on walks during the summer he was first getting chemo.<br />
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It's on one of the bridges to the reservoir, around 85th Street on the East side. Go see it if you're in Central Park.<br />
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As I mentioned in a <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-i-mourn-how-i-cope.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, I decided to have Greg's ties made into a bereavement quilt. He had a lot of ties! He wore them to teach.<br />
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I found <a href="http://rhinoquilting.com/" target="_blank">Rosie Rhine</a> online, and will say that she does beautiful work:<br />
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I'm going to hang it in my new condo. (Did I mention I'm a homeowner now?!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHjpmYjLP5ktqryQDEiEFxA3y7P_jVeNiTnwIDflHPWoHULAKDNx2jnlppToGtiTIWLxSLbw25Xz5CenSCQKXeFAfo7sGMUj915EIA8UAnQAeGnz53hAsSs1W-x76f_s6vq89/s1600/IMG_0772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHjpmYjLP5ktqryQDEiEFxA3y7P_jVeNiTnwIDflHPWoHULAKDNx2jnlppToGtiTIWLxSLbw25Xz5CenSCQKXeFAfo7sGMUj915EIA8UAnQAeGnz53hAsSs1W-x76f_s6vq89/s320/IMG_0772.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right after my closing with my keys!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwPbJnkYwgiquHPYKkDUPfXHt4mgiujbFQHFumBadHTUddlgJBUJmbbC6t4R5_iigr3oSsP6YkuDGfkbzF_KDq4ydNyA1jF80w7i0TcTfXs5SfgR5l92bHdqBFzUHA1h4210o/s1600/IMG_0962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwPbJnkYwgiquHPYKkDUPfXHt4mgiujbFQHFumBadHTUddlgJBUJmbbC6t4R5_iigr3oSsP6YkuDGfkbzF_KDq4ydNyA1jF80w7i0TcTfXs5SfgR5l92bHdqBFzUHA1h4210o/s320/IMG_0962.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">moving in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Oh, and I ran the NYC marathon! I do still intend to blog about it (I got a little derailed by the election results--more grieving!), but for now, here are a few photos:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXzb527Lva6Q0k_mNqDxe7IygW_RKUfgRMikb_yYi60BWkToEKnyXT-zShGWjVdg7YybCblJrka6_NRZtHjYKV-AaBUgpkupzfxpmVMMX1hxlcdjBaiGYQF385bAep_gvAUOZ/s1600/IMG_1091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXzb527Lva6Q0k_mNqDxe7IygW_RKUfgRMikb_yYi60BWkToEKnyXT-zShGWjVdg7YybCblJrka6_NRZtHjYKV-AaBUgpkupzfxpmVMMX1hxlcdjBaiGYQF385bAep_gvAUOZ/s320/IMG_1091.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghK_GRDuOdEvo021S7EZ6lTc26dCOtgUOGUcxedrhR_n_ZRTVCDuf_c9-3unul56u5vRGijw7oGcShRtNfivikmDFgXCup4B_CIBkHLrKj1Y5xHhfn5iGkYxaqY7tmWEow7tGu/s1600/IMG_1095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghK_GRDuOdEvo021S7EZ6lTc26dCOtgUOGUcxedrhR_n_ZRTVCDuf_c9-3unul56u5vRGijw7oGcShRtNfivikmDFgXCup4B_CIBkHLrKj1Y5xHhfn5iGkYxaqY7tmWEow7tGu/s320/IMG_1095.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3EZ5CAIPXbm7v2s8fFkAHcIgJBbFw81QhdEombz4HBX99IgmIKLO9wspVUG3yaxZ9kV3y0x-DKFy3foh2yzU1QnS5QHIqB8OnZNWy_msIWLb4v6YP3IMwN6mN14xwetwLqoX/s1600/IMG_1089-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3EZ5CAIPXbm7v2s8fFkAHcIgJBbFw81QhdEombz4HBX99IgmIKLO9wspVUG3yaxZ9kV3y0x-DKFy3foh2yzU1QnS5QHIqB8OnZNWy_msIWLb4v6YP3IMwN6mN14xwetwLqoX/s640/IMG_1089-2.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvina's Team for Greg raised over $26,000 for cancer research! Thank you to all who donated.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uJ1yHx7o7gXdDpnEQzj0ewXQHvTyBakvObu-MR19Fyj-Vfa3OEQbhtoofuyr8S9W5Xt1-uqlHw1LQHbDkn9MFOBKNOvJfNPxV7uJ9bKzlCnhrBMEnS6B2Vfz54d5Dz8cZqeS/s1600/IMG_1127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uJ1yHx7o7gXdDpnEQzj0ewXQHvTyBakvObu-MR19Fyj-Vfa3OEQbhtoofuyr8S9W5Xt1-uqlHw1LQHbDkn9MFOBKNOvJfNPxV7uJ9bKzlCnhrBMEnS6B2Vfz54d5Dz8cZqeS/s320/IMG_1127.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alvina's Team for Greg! Clockwise from left: Kate, Ellen, Kirk, Jackson, Frank, and me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdjFq_gE6SxY79o7M3dO3SZeBtcpLE2uQqt901IEijEOSnrJm6oCxx3231gZdVT75cBmx6bBRB6mLI_TMkd2TIN4y3324S7Jjh0GIOQM5I3rlR66ZSWSyk42zS6izDLqqTA1P/s1600/IMG_1140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdjFq_gE6SxY79o7M3dO3SZeBtcpLE2uQqt901IEijEOSnrJm6oCxx3231gZdVT75cBmx6bBRB6mLI_TMkd2TIN4y3324S7Jjh0GIOQM5I3rlR66ZSWSyk42zS6izDLqqTA1P/s320/IMG_1140.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Mariko Nakatani</td></tr>
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(By the way, I'm considering running again next year, so let me know if you're interested in joining my team!)<br />
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It's been a challenging, but rewarding, and amazing year. A year filled with lots of tears, and laughter, a few breakdowns, incredible stress, work challenges and triumphs, therapy, new friends, old friends, family, travel, great food and drink, adventure, and love. Despite everything, I do feel that I have a blessed life. I wish Greg were still here to share it with me, but I know he's rooting for me.<br />
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When I packed and unpacked, I did unearth many more memories of Greg. He used to leave me notes everywhere. Here is one of my favorites:<br />
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My mantras this year were imprinted on my rings. Breathe, Balance, and Joy.<br />
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I've ordered three new rings for next year. New year, new mantra.<br />
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Wishing you all a happy holiday season, and a peaceful and joyful new year.alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-25236372632301323322016-11-25T07:30:00.000-05:002016-11-25T07:30:12.736-05:00Happy ThanksgivingI'm thankful for friends and family, for warm memories, new beginnings, and love.<br />
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I'm thankful that I'm not just surviving the year, but living.<br />
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I'm thankful for travel, good food, good drink, laughter, tears, and conversation.<br />
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I'm thankful for sleep, and thoughts, and dreams.<br />
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I'm thankful for health and running. Of running with friends, of running with strangers cheering me on.<br />
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I'm thankful that there's good in the world to battle the evil. Thankful for hope. For action, for activism.<br />
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I'm thankful for the beauty of nature. For the sky.<br />
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I'm thankful for music. And karaoke.<br />
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I'm thankful for gelato, and pasta, and aperol spritzers.<br />
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I'm thankful for the children's book community--the books, the people, the readers.<br />
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I'm thankful for my beautiful new home (even though the heat isn't working properly right now!), and my old(ish), furry cat.<br />
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I'm thankful for the kindness of strangers, of acquaintances, of colleagues, of friends, of loved ones.<br />
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I'm thankful for all of you!alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-51458981089919997702016-07-10T22:22:00.000-04:002016-07-10T22:22:51.695-04:00Ode to long-distance runningI did a 10.75 mile run this weekend--was only ("only") planning to run 10 miles, but ended up running farther to finish up the Prospect Park loop--because, you know, I couldn't <i>not</i> finish the loop. So much of long-distance running is a mental game (although, of course, training helps)!<br />
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My run started off sluggish, but after a few miles I was feeling really great--the weather on Saturday was unusually cool and Fall-like in New York, and I was getting that runner's high feeling that I could run faster, and run forever. And, I started feeling really happy and grateful that I brought long-distance running back into my life. I talk about marathon training and running sometimes when I speak at writer's conferences. About how one of the things that's most satisfying about running is that it's perfectly measurable. I ran 10.75 miles this weekend. I ran it with an average of a 10 minute, 20 second mile. Those are accomplishments that can't be taken away. Writing a book, even if it's never published, is also that kind of accomplishment.<br />
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Long-distance running--really, any kind of running--helps me think and get my head sorted. I generally like listening to podcasts when I run, but I often just let myself think. Sometimes I do work while running--draft emails in my head, think through problems. But, usually I just think about my life.<br />
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I prefer running outside with nature. Try to take in my surroundings. I love the solid feel of the ground under my feet. Sometimes I people watch while I run. There's always a lot going on in Prospect Park. Plus, I love looking at the sky.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnnF3GxLSaLUc5A5DLzlhYeWx8WbOwrwSD9q78vzd5GH9_XUL0QFFqBJ9xCbAQzXEvigr1vsw6eikEjbCaeJNXQ3AAS3Ml32aAZJdi-7XSPz6vGHa14eAp5QBI8hSR0uERJYm/s1600/13559152_10155034405029251_5564420586233072960_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnnF3GxLSaLUc5A5DLzlhYeWx8WbOwrwSD9q78vzd5GH9_XUL0QFFqBJ9xCbAQzXEvigr1vsw6eikEjbCaeJNXQ3AAS3Ml32aAZJdi-7XSPz6vGHa14eAp5QBI8hSR0uERJYm/s320/13559152_10155034405029251_5564420586233072960_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scene from an evening run in Prospect Park</td></tr>
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When <a href="https://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2006/11/i-ran-marathon.html" target="_blank">I ran the marathon ten years ago</a>, I was actually in the process of going through a break-up. Running after (and during!) break-ups have always helped me put things in perspective (and, let's be honest, get back into dating shape!). And, believe me, I had a lot of time to think about things and the relationship while running the marathon. It gave me the peace and clarity to know that even though it would be painful, I would get through it. And, I did. There's nothing like running 26.2 miles to help you believe that you can accomplish anything, survive anything.<br />
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Training for the marathon this year has helped give me that same peace and clarity after Greg's death. Once again, I know I can get through it. I can do anything. It also gives me time to be alone without feeling lonely. I'm so glad I decided to <a href="https://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2016/03/im-running-marathon-again.html" target="_blank">run the marathon again</a> this year, both to help raise money for cancer research, and for my physical and mental health.<br />
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I had a good weekend. Didn't do any work (although I could/should have), but had nice dinners with friends Friday and Saturday evenings, binge-watched some <i>Mr. Robot, </i>and spent a marvelous day today at the beach. Beautiful, peaceful, lovely. I swam in the ocean twice, and it felt exquisite--I honestly don't recall the last time I swam in the ocean, but I should really do it more often.<br />
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I hope you all had nice weekends, too.<br />
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<br />alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-80552842814198351512016-07-02T12:03:00.000-04:002016-07-02T12:03:25.782-04:00Six months, random email drafts<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since I've started writing on this blog again, it felt odd to not acknowledge that it's now been over six months since Greg died. I was at ALA for the actual day (June 25), which was a suitable distraction (and a great time overall). It helped that Grace Lin was there with me, for sure! And, Grace surprised me at our Middle Grade luncheon by telling everyone <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2006/02/happy-year-of-dog_1.html" target="_blank">the story</a> of <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2007/03/how-i-know-grace.html" target="_blank">our friendship</a>, talking about how we had both lost our husbands to sarcoma, and announcing that she had dedicated <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316125925" target="_blank">When the Sea Turned to Silver</a> </i>to me, and had gotten the help of Little, Brown to keep it a secret from me, until then! Tears! And, Grace had solicited the help of Colby Sharp to record it all for the Yarn podcast, so stay tuned:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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One of the most magical moments of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alaac16?src=hash">#alaac16</a>. I'm glad I captured it for <a href="https://twitter.com/theyarnpodcast">@theyarnpodcast</a>. <a href="https://t.co/RnbYDleXhr">pic.twitter.com/RnbYDleXhr</a></div>
— Mr. ©olby Sharp (@colbysharp) <a href="https://twitter.com/colbysharp/status/747813605807009793">June 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Six months. After Greg died, getting to six months was my goal. If I could make it to six months, I would feel myself again, start really living again. Of course, I know that's not how grief works. No doubt I'll have ups and downs and setbacks forever. But, for the record, I do feel like me again, and I've been living life this whole year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On occasion (okay, more than I'd care to admit), I look back at old emails from Greg. Which reminds me of <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2016/05/my_phone_is_a_time_machine_to_where_my_husband_is_still_alive.html?utm_content=inf_10_2641_2&wpsrc=socialedge&tse_id=INF_7b737120275711e6b4d0110a784531ce" target="_blank">this article</a> a friend shared with me on Facebook after my last blog post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a silly email Greg had sent me around the time Kobe Bryant had announced his retirement <span style="font-family: inherit;">from basketball with a poem. Of course Greg had to write a poem, too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I wrote a poem for you. It is titled "Love."</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">L. Without this letter, I could not </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">spell the word "love." Or the word "Alina."</span></span></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">O. Like a circle, this letter makes a complete circle.</span></span></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">V. Add this letter to "Alina" and you get "Alvina." Or "Valina." </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Or a range of things.</span></span></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">E. "Love" spelled backwards is "Evol," which begins with the letter "E."</span></span> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">*Inspired by Kobe Bryant</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gosh, this made me laugh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other day, I was also looking at my old email drafts. Sometimes I use email drafts as a type of journal, but I don't often go back and look. Here are a few I discovered that felt worth sharing:</span><br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Date: 8/29/13</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Subject: No subject</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What I'm terrified of is that I'll never get the healthy Greg back, I'll never see the man I married again, the man I went on that first date with. I love him so much, and although for the most part I can remain optimistic, that it's hard for me to fathom him dying any time soon, in the back of my mind I know that it might happen, and part of me is preparing myself for that, too. How will I cope by myself, where will I live, what will I do. Who will I hang out with. Will I have a child by myself? Will I ever find someone new?</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But no...I will have a long, beautiful life with Greg. He will get stronger and stronger, and the cancer will stay away. Maybe it will come back 10 years from now, maybe something else will happen years from now, but for now, we'll get back to our normal life. We will start trying to have a baby. We will live.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know where I was when I wrote this. Possibly while Greg was getting his last round of chemo, when his body was still recovering from surgery, when he was very ill and very weak. Or maybe while I was waiting for him to get scanned. It does reflect my general philosophy of hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. And, well, now I know where I will live, what I will do, who I will hang out with. Still to be determined: whether I will have a child by myself, or if I'll ever find someone new (although I have hope!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Date: 9/12/13</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Subject: No subject</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Waiting with Greg in the room, waiting for Dr. Maki to come in after he reviewed the scans. I was imagining how he would break the news to us. Would he tell us immediately? Of course he would, this wasn't a competition reality show like I've been watching so many of--</span><i style="background-color: white;">American Idol </i><span style="background-color: white;">where they draw everything out excruciatingly. "I have bad news...I'm really sorry to have to tell you this...but you're not going to have to see me again for another four months...because the scan is clear!" </span></span></blockquote>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This was on the day we found out Greg's scans were clean after he completed chemo. And, Dr, Maki told us the good news right away, of course. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm remembering that this was also the day I found out that <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2013/09/in-memory-of-james-sing.html" target="_blank">my friend James had died</a>.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Date: 1/20/14 </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Subject: Greg's obituary </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The cause of death was death. <span style="background-color: white;">He died, unfortunately, after a long battle with death.</span></span></blockquote>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't remember why I wrote it. This was about ten days after we discovered that the cancer had recurred, so death was on my mind. Or, it could have been because Greg told me to write it down, that that's all he wanted his obituary to say...so much for that. I have to stop feeling that I've somehow let Greg down in how I've handled things after his death, how I'm living now. I know he wouldn't want me to feel that way--he even told me that before he died. But, of course, part of me can't stop overthinking things. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a long weekend, and I'm sticking close to home, trying to recuperate from my crazy few months. I've been feeling a little more pensive and melancholy lately, but I'll be okay. Life is full of ups and downs. The mortgage to my condo is still chugging along--the condo has some paperwork to file still, but I'm hoping to be able to close this month (how is it July already?) or next month. I'm excited (and nervous) to move and start a new chapter of my life.</span></span></div>
alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-48304295642694677862016-05-30T13:05:00.001-04:002016-05-30T13:05:18.889-04:00Random update/musingsIt's been a while since I've posted. I'm losing count of how long it's been since Greg died, which I sometimes take as somewhat of a good sign. It's been just over five months (who am I kidding, I haven't really lost count). And how am I doing?<br />
<br />
I think I've been too busy lately. Traveling a bunch (Bologna Book Fair, Sedona and Grand Canyon vacation, was in Chicago for Book Expo America a few weeks ago, and am in Pittsburgh right now for three nights. Am doing the NJ SCBWI conference next weekend, then off to Orlando for ALA later in June, then California for the LA SCBWI Annual conference at the end of July/beginning of August), busy editing some late books, juggling creative and administrative work, and trying to wade through my 1,700-and-growing-work-email inbox. (Apologies to agents, authors, and coworkers for whom I've become a black hole. I'm hoping it's temporary.)<br />
<br />
I've started training for the marathon in a less-haphazard way as before. Trying to do some long runs on the weekends. Ran my second ten-mile run of the month yesterday, and felt great doing it. I'm running a half marathon on June 18.<br />
<br />
I've been going out almost every night--work events and hanging out with friends. Seeing plays (<i>Eclipsed </i>was particularly excellent). I'm in Pittsburgh right now hanging out with friends, and am seeing a Beyonce concert tomorrow night. #Lemonade!<br />
<br />
More huge news: I sent in my contract and deposit on a new condo that I'm in the process of buying. Feeling excited thinking about starting a fresh, new life there, but also really sad that I'm doing it alone, without Greg. (Thank goodness for my cat, at least.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.refugeingrief.com/continuing-grief/" target="_blank">This post</a> perfectly captures this push and pull of emotions I've been having recently:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: utopia-std, georgia, serif; line-height: 29px;">And still, running underneath all of that is such a deep, pervasive sadness. Knowing that the work I do now is happening only because my love died. Knowing that the people I’m meeting now, the friendships and professional relationships I’m building, are happening only because he died. If he were here, other beautiful things would be happening. If he were here, my life would be so different.</span></blockquote>
<br />
I can't help but wonder all the time, What Would Greg Do? What Would Greg Think? Would he approve of my choice for a new condo? Would he worry about me living there alone? I get particularly pensive when I travel, because I become hyper-aware of the circumstances under which I've been able to travel again.<br />
<br />
I've been thinking about starting to date again, too, and it feels daunting and scary (but also a little exciting). After Greg died, I set an alarm on my phone for six months--June 25. "You will love and be loved again." Greg had told me that he assumed I would be "broken up" for about six months after he died. Once again, I'm thankful that Greg was clear to me about his expectations--I don't have to worry/think too hard about What Greg would want, what he would think. In some things, I know, and that gives me a little bit of peace.alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-25004491730361845182016-04-19T22:59:00.000-04:002016-04-19T22:59:15.421-04:00RIPWhen Greg was in the hospital, and was fairly sure he was dying, he made all kinds of preparations, including writing down for me exactly what he wanted on his gravestone, and where he wanted to be buried.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AFEYSSh8u5VExN30kFKF9ZiWd6NSn4hwJaNk7mxsfO6F_Z_4X7yQ4Aqs3dZnenfLDOreXqSBdlnRoBuCLAwNQPi0YqHLUXN9YvHs0lR3ucxceC-DHohz2pYvH-7Sk8Cg2vY6/s1600/IMG_2858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AFEYSSh8u5VExN30kFKF9ZiWd6NSn4hwJaNk7mxsfO6F_Z_4X7yQ4Aqs3dZnenfLDOreXqSBdlnRoBuCLAwNQPi0YqHLUXN9YvHs0lR3ucxceC-DHohz2pYvH-7Sk8Cg2vY6/s320/IMG_2858.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Yesterday, I was sent this photo:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshGphzNpAnNmMzieBF-L5OBVFH5Ouulkdr4jLcTs4SnQxouTwbBZKY6BsTsrAmf3IWaGoPaUd2Iv1k4Ty-3CZK6JFbxbbeWv9egsGfrgViWK4KME6m65MtTMFGKjp6frfNvc6/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshGphzNpAnNmMzieBF-L5OBVFH5Ouulkdr4jLcTs4SnQxouTwbBZKY6BsTsrAmf3IWaGoPaUd2Iv1k4Ty-3CZK6JFbxbbeWv9egsGfrgViWK4KME6m65MtTMFGKjp6frfNvc6/s320/IMG_0199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The subject line just said "Stone" and I opened it without thinking, and there it was. I knew it was coming--after all, I had chosen the stone and seen a proof of what it would look like back in January. I knew it would take some time to make, and wouldn't be placed until Spring, after the ground thawed. Still--it was unexpected, and I probably shouldn't have opened the email at work.<br />
<br />
But, it's beautiful. And I'm at peace knowing that this is what Greg wanted. And as several friends have told me, it's such a testament to our love. It's just so surreal and sobering thinking that his body is buried underneath there.<br />
<br />
Someday I'll travel out to Iowa to see it in person.<br />
<br />
Spring has arrived in New York. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous. I've been going on runs and long walks. Surrounding myself with friends and family. I've been apartment hunting (looking to potentially buy a place). I've been traveling for pleasure (Sedona and the Grand Canyon) and for work (the Bologna Book Fair in Italy). My life is good. But, of course, I miss Greg every day. alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-53558215262746438212016-03-06T13:17:00.000-05:002016-03-06T13:17:14.455-05:00I'm running the marathon! (again)<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
As some of you know, I've decided to run the NYC Marathon again this year, in memory of <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2015/12/love-story-part-infinity.html" target="_blank">my husband Greg</a>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2006/11/i-ran-marathon.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2006/11/i-ran-marathon.html" target="_blank">I last ran the marathon 10 years ago</a>, in 2006, in honor of my friend Grace Lin's now-<a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2007/09/in-memory-of-robert-salvatore-mercer.html" target="_blank">late husband Robert</a>. Hard to believe it's been 10 years!</div>
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Once again, I'm running with Fred's Team to raise money for Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer research.</div>
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I hope you'll consider donating here:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<a href="http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/alvinaandgreg">http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/<wbr></wbr>alvinaandgreg</a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12.35px; line-height: 16.6725px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12.35px; line-height: 16.6725px;">I know so many of you (friends, acquaintances, and even strangers) have already generously donated to Mt. Sinai or the Sarcoma Foundation--and I thank you! Even if you've already donated, I hope you'll consider donating an additional $26.20, in honor of the 26.2 miles I am my teammates are planning to run! Greg was in the care of MSK for the last 9 months or so of his life, and they're making great strides towards finding a cure for cancer.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12.35px; line-height: 16.6725px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12.35px; line-height: 16.6725px;">This time, I've formed a Team, called "Alvina's Team for Greg", and a few friends have already signed up to join me. If you're a runner (or even if you're not), and you've had any desire at all to run the NYC Marathon, you should run with us! Joining Fred's Team gives you automatic entry into the marathon (there's a minimum fundraising requirement of $3,500). They do have a limited number of slots, which tend to fill up in the summer, so if you're interested in joining, you should do so in the next few months!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12.35px; line-height: 16.6725px;">You can join via the <a href="http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/alvinaandgreg" target="_blank">Team page</a>.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12.35px; line-height: 16.6725px;">(If you would like to join the team, let me know and I'll give you the password to join.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12.35px; line-height: 16.6725px;">Thank you, all. I hope you'll consider donating, running with me, or just cheering me on! And if you are so moved, feel free to help me spread the news.</span></div>
alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-73620821041693516822016-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:002016-02-23T23:12:40.015-05:00Zuangzi's wife, and blogging.<span style="font-family: "times";">I just found an email Greg sent me last October. The email was just a </span><a href="http://tao-how.blogspot.com/2011/06/chuang-tzus-wife.html" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">link</a><span style="font-family: "times";"> to a blog post about his favorite Chinese Philosopher, Zhuangzi (spelled Chuang Tzu in the blog post). I'm sure I skimmed the story at the time, but Greg was always sending me emails with links and articles, and I didn't always absorb everything he sent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times";">Anyway, read the story in the <a href="http://tao-how.blogspot.com/2011/06/chuang-tzus-wife.html" target="_blank">link</a>, but here's the gist: Zhuangzi's wife had died, and everyone was in mourning. Zhuangzi's friend Huizi went to visit to offer his condolences.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">Huizi arrived at Chuang Tzu's home. There he saw his old friend, sitting outside, banging on a drum and singing as loudly as possible.</span></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“I expected to find you in mourning”,</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;"> said Huizi. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“You loved her for decades. She raised your children, and you grew old together; but here you are, a smile on your face, banging on a drum and singing at the top of your lungs. Don't you think this is a bit much?”</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“Not at all”,</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;"> said Chuang Tzu, still smiling. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“I mourned for a short while, but then I realized mourning would defy my own teachings.”</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“People will think you never loved or cared for her”</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;"> said Huizi, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“You must grieve. People need to know how much she meant to you, how fortunate you were to have shared a life with her."</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“Yes, I was lucky”</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;"> said Chaung Tzu. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“I spent most of my life with someone I loved, and she loved me in return. Many men will live their entire lives and never know the joy that I had.”</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">Chuang Tzu continued, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.456px; line-height: 23.184px;">“That is why I do not mourn.”</i></span></blockquote>
<br />
Another message from Greg from the great beyond. I'm just so in awe with how thoughtful he was, how much foresight he had, knowing that I would find comfort in his emails after he died.<br />
<br />
Of course, I do mourn, but I also celebrate life, and I love that he's giving me permission to move on.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
In other news, I've been reading some of my old blog posts. Gosh, I used to be a good blogger! Here's a post about <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2009/09/observations-about-mainstream.html" target="_blank">the negativity of mainstream publishing</a>. Here's a post about <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2008/07/fearless-or-cautious.html" target="_blank">fearless and cautious kids </a>(and oh my gosh, those kids are 9 now!). Here's a post about <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2009/03/judging-book-by-beginning.html" target="_blank">judging a book by the beginning</a> (from the Blue Rose Girls blog). And, here's a post encouraging everyone to <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2007/03/do-something-youve-never-done-before.html" target="_blank">do something they've never done before</a>. (I'm sad that I can't remember who the friend was who told me that...if it was you, let me know! I may have to do that this year.)<br />
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One of my New Year's resolutions was to write in a blog and/or journal more. We'll see if I keep it up!</div>
alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-5772507112157714902016-02-20T10:04:00.000-05:002016-02-20T10:04:24.606-05:00How I Mourn, How I Cope<div class="MsoNormal">
Greg always marveled at what an amazing project manager I am--mainly because of how well I was able to manage the logistics of his illness, all while working a demanding job. Being an editor is basically being a project manager, so I've had a lot of practice! I've realized recently that I've been, in a way, project managing my own mourning. In case this might be helpful to some, here are some of the things that have helped me cope:</div>
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-Breathing. Deep breaths.</div>
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-Focusing on each and every moment. Instead of going through
the motions, I try to focus on each motion, no matter how mundane.</div>
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-Keeping busy, especially on the weekends. Friends have been good about reaching out to plan outings, and I've basically been saying yes to everything, but I also don't hesitate to do my own reaching out. When I want/need to schedule my weekends, I do. And it's been great to reconnect with friends I haven't seen for a while.</div>
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-Keeping busy, but not TOO busy: leaving myself some time to
be alone, to grieve, to cry. And know that it's okay to feel sad. I don't want to avoid my grief. Also, a friend told me her therapist said that intense emotions generally last for 90 seconds and then subside. I haven't actually tested this theory, but it's a good reminder that "This too shall pass."</div>
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-Going to a Meet-Up group for widows and widowers under 45. I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be really great to connect with others who are going through the same thing.</div>
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-Reading. A few friends sent me books on loss (<i>Healing After Loss </i>and <i>How to Survive the Loss of a Love--</i>thank you Caroline and Christine!) and most nights I read a little before bed. </div>
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-Reading blogs and listening to podcasts: I've also been reading some blogs written by widows or widowers. <a href="http://thepolishedwidow.com/" target="_blank">This one</a> in particular. I've also been listening to the "What's Your Grief" podcast, by the women who run the <a href="http://www.whatsyourgrief.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. Their post about <a href="http://www.whatsyourgrief.com/secondary-loss-one-loss-isnt-enough/" target="_blank">secondary loss</a> was particularly enlightening.</div>
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-Writing and journaling. I've always kept a journal, and I've been writing in it a little more often. Blogging a little more, too!</div>
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-Exercising. I've decided to <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2006/11/i-ran-marathon.html" target="_blank">run the NYC Marathon again</a> this year, and going for runs in the cold winter air has been wonderful. Lots of walking, too, and I'm taking a Pilates class at work.</div>
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-Cleaning and organizing, rearranging the furniture in the apartment, getting new furniture. I've kept photos and other wall-hangings the same, but have rearranged the layout of the living room and bedroom (thank you to Rose, Jason, and Kirk!), which for me helps the apartment feel different and my own, while maintaining the familiarity. I've decluttered quite a bit. I also bought this <a href="http://www.hellolumio.com/" target="_blank">Lumio lamp</a> I'd been coveting ever since I saw it on Shark Tank years ago. It's a book that opens up into a lamp! It makes me happy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhsQu6_fW714MLlWe8GdZUcQ2KOj1iQt0aFs7lHiDpIHnemRKkldKB5fmmXOcxkduOsbLdqXpneVNR7LaIVwZ4daZE1EztxW-SVenTVju9z9vqiaiCqkqbKtF5Ollz3m9GTAq/s1600/IMG_3007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhsQu6_fW714MLlWe8GdZUcQ2KOj1iQt0aFs7lHiDpIHnemRKkldKB5fmmXOcxkduOsbLdqXpneVNR7LaIVwZ4daZE1EztxW-SVenTVju9z9vqiaiCqkqbKtF5Ollz3m9GTAq/s320/IMG_3007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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-Getting massages. In general, taking care of myself.</div>
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-Brunch! Dinner! Wine! (see "taking care of myself" above.)</div>
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-Focusing on work. It was hard at first, of course--working all day in an office is exhausting! I don't know how anyone does it. But, by the end of my second week, I felt like I was really back. It was familiar, and good to focus.</div>
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-Doing small rituals. Another organization I'm in the process of joining (recommended by Gwen) called <a href="http://thedinnerparty.org/" target="_blank">The Dinner Party</a> sent me <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/in-grief-try-personal-rituals/284397/" target="_blank">this article</a>, and I realized that much of what I've done fits into this. Going through Greg's belongings. Listening to the music he loved. I found a woman who makes beautiful <a href="http://rhinoquilting.com/tie-collection-quilts/" target="_blank">"bereavement quilts" out of ties</a>, and I sent her Greg's many ties to make a wall hanging. I saw this "I have done love" bracelet on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAnGnrNS-YH/?taken-by=cherylstrayed" target="_blank">Cheryl Strayed's Instagram</a>, and ordered one for myself. I wear it every day. It's from the quote: </div>
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When I get to the end of my life, and I ask one final "What have I done?" Let my answer be: "I have done love." -<a href="http://themanifeststation.net/" target="_blank">Jennifer Pastiloff</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERrDmsiFQMBTlXcH1H_u4YX5YWUyow_N2QC2eQmrt9CyeOAzwgU6NhYsFd7Sp4QIaw-DiqYdomej90jtwPSswB2CagcJwVL43p03DRxMaThQISrSKwQRI3WPAxyGQkVkLp4V_/s1600/IMG_2991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERrDmsiFQMBTlXcH1H_u4YX5YWUyow_N2QC2eQmrt9CyeOAzwgU6NhYsFd7Sp4QIaw-DiqYdomej90jtwPSswB2CagcJwVL43p03DRxMaThQISrSKwQRI3WPAxyGQkVkLp4V_/s320/IMG_2991.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Okay, that's all I can think of for now. </div>
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It's starting to get light a little earlier--I can feel Spring coming! If you have other advice/techniques for coping and healing that you'd like to share, please do.</div>
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alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-87713318883574869312016-01-24T20:22:00.000-05:002016-01-25T10:39:53.912-05:00A month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPR4fsrudrj1iGKYRbhqc2yRZEmDcN2Ku5oJPP7SHB7aQ32unenZyGkfuw4bynHiufhh9YqepoPIgM8J5R7VB4uL05wlqHFS6_cZwZuGZiKqvV3iR7-mSG3AxxT0VDyQInbO2/s1600/IMG_2889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPR4fsrudrj1iGKYRbhqc2yRZEmDcN2Ku5oJPP7SHB7aQ32unenZyGkfuw4bynHiufhh9YqepoPIgM8J5R7VB4uL05wlqHFS6_cZwZuGZiKqvV3iR7-mSG3AxxT0VDyQInbO2/s320/IMG_2889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It's been four weeks and two days since <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2015/12/love-story-part-infinity.html" target="_blank">my husband died</a>.<br />
<br />
I know this year will be full of milestones that I won't be able to help but notice. One day. One week. One month. Tomorrow would have been Greg's 41st birthday.<br />
<br />
I'm doing okay. I'm okay. A month feels both so long and so short. It passed in a daze. The pain isn't as raw now, but I still feel a little a bit in a fog, on autopilot, like I'm living someone else's life. Beauty helps a lot--the beauty of nature, the city, flowers, children, music, snow. In the past few years, while dealing with Greg's illness, because I didn't know what kind of future to plan for, I tried to focus on being present, on noticing the beauty of the world, and that habit has helped enormously these past few weeks.<br />
<br />
For the most part, I'm doing okay. (Did I say that already?) I'm living a normal(ish) life. I see friends, I'm cleaning and organizing the apartment, I'm cuddling with Venus. I'm able to enjoy food and drink and company, TV and movies and music, I can laugh and sing and dance, and I can sleep. For the most part I can think of Greg without feeling sad. Remember moments and stories, talk about him without crying. And then other times I just feel irritated constantly that this is <strike>our</strike> my life, that he is gone, and everything makes me feel like crying.<br />
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We had a lovely memorial with our friends in our apartment in Brooklyn on New Year's Day. I spent a healing two weeks in southern CA, seeing friends and family and spending lots of time with children. In the middle was Greg's burial with his mother, sister, and extended family in beautiful Iowa. I feel good about his final resting place. <br />
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I'm planning to start working again tomorrow--I've completely checked out of work, and I'm thankful that my wonderful colleagues understand. I'll work at home for a few days, and then plan to go into the office for the first time on Wednesday. I can't say I'm ready to go back, but I'm not <i>not </i>ready either. I needed to just set the date, do it, and see how it goes. I think the routine will be good for me.<br />
<br />
I wanted to say thank you--thank you to family, my friends, Greg's friends, our friends. Thank you to loved ones, acquaintances, to the publishing and kidlit community, to strangers. Thank you for your comments, your messages, emails, cards, letters, phone calls, donations for cancer research, stories, flowers, gifts, thoughts, prayers, help, and kindness.<br />
<br />
Here are a few photos from the last month.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-be0IvJfZpubMXQ6Q-39VHtFJ4WQ7U41o6BOW0_4XivsIn8MhdmMCIVo-z1R_TkfQjwRgpRuxFBAWJuo-ClMbzdqH0tYo-uvQTAiUbxpekFpWyRtHpmaEMLQ9rUqJhMqXtEOZ/s1600/IMG_2859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-be0IvJfZpubMXQ6Q-39VHtFJ4WQ7U41o6BOW0_4XivsIn8MhdmMCIVo-z1R_TkfQjwRgpRuxFBAWJuo-ClMbzdqH0tYo-uvQTAiUbxpekFpWyRtHpmaEMLQ9rUqJhMqXtEOZ/s320/IMG_2859.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Greg's copy of <i>The Plague.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtQxINgOBMwGRPeMGUoGfqfO-r71CHogD4QDnuqQVhpSTCx9-cItslrv8hGOMDyKz46DGNmroUgeOhLKov-vCHLVlYkgVg0vUfpJTFTDfK8Jtr7y57NbHFaSk_oodvblT0_Ty/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtQxINgOBMwGRPeMGUoGfqfO-r71CHogD4QDnuqQVhpSTCx9-cItslrv8hGOMDyKz46DGNmroUgeOhLKov-vCHLVlYkgVg0vUfpJTFTDfK8Jtr7y57NbHFaSk_oodvblT0_Ty/s320/IMG_2868.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and Grace Lin on New Year's Eve</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8yPF4wYzYIBNxopB58wU7I3NLV1GoogT8005KsfuafeOXaqSiP4kE4Pb9nQL0-6dJ_RSEPRec-ekHjhxzMa2IAnrTe8J1fdDH586Pm0Uv25rNg3fQwDQwmNSilgPyEG-naZm/s1600/IMG_2872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8yPF4wYzYIBNxopB58wU7I3NLV1GoogT8005KsfuafeOXaqSiP4kE4Pb9nQL0-6dJ_RSEPRec-ekHjhxzMa2IAnrTe8J1fdDH586Pm0Uv25rNg3fQwDQwmNSilgPyEG-naZm/s320/IMG_2872.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mom and niece</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBhFPQb1tFe7h7MchHj4ceFjaXE-KNjpR_OcTXCs2CHZ9KOkEAwbESL1gC9zL6qP6uRPT6CynWnTyV_UBCRWP8sBlQyED-l1uHFXH7qFAuBqL_l2Rsi6ZnuxjE8Dmci9NyuAX/s1600/IMG_2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBhFPQb1tFe7h7MchHj4ceFjaXE-KNjpR_OcTXCs2CHZ9KOkEAwbESL1gC9zL6qP6uRPT6CynWnTyV_UBCRWP8sBlQyED-l1uHFXH7qFAuBqL_l2Rsi6ZnuxjE8Dmci9NyuAX/s320/IMG_2883.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">niece Jessie. Lots of "kid therapy" in CA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx77xscvWto-oXDE6XpasKDGl0Sxu2NlizjXTD1Mz69U-Vt9nUBboSpu-xiW714n2EUrf7rEvBhueFi1OyCQaKc7w0tbl-n8KD-j0zdLO2FbobATU5geR9EJT498_-Qgwgadz/s1600/IMG_2894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx77xscvWto-oXDE6XpasKDGl0Sxu2NlizjXTD1Mz69U-Vt9nUBboSpu-xiW714n2EUrf7rEvBhueFi1OyCQaKc7w0tbl-n8KD-j0zdLO2FbobATU5geR9EJT498_-Qgwgadz/s320/IMG_2894.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg's favorite tractor. In Harlan, Iowa.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuusc0hPCztxY7JBO-h8dnaox_ZUF9Q00Ar9ug2DaoGfZXzq7EZVyszaODE13_WbUR_ZpxlyCPWzSCJ4Eq_Oy66ufURoBr6gUMF4KPj0iLqbfA5qT5obrugISUzNr3Jdohau1/s1600/IMG_2897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuusc0hPCztxY7JBO-h8dnaox_ZUF9Q00Ar9ug2DaoGfZXzq7EZVyszaODE13_WbUR_ZpxlyCPWzSCJ4Eq_Oy66ufURoBr6gUMF4KPj0iLqbfA5qT5obrugISUzNr3Jdohau1/s320/IMG_2897.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me with Greg's mother and sister.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgz_uEHIrhUWOcmOB3rQA67HxpyBo0MM9chjwNUblY5vuKblEd4N3b1sSJz8ng9H8GbKeB9K8pLkIl-4PaW35TJGnm6MVg2clW07rIzo-lcRGDMIV5oV1h_Gnw88vzjY44MLl/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgz_uEHIrhUWOcmOB3rQA67HxpyBo0MM9chjwNUblY5vuKblEd4N3b1sSJz8ng9H8GbKeB9K8pLkIl-4PaW35TJGnm6MVg2clW07rIzo-lcRGDMIV5oV1h_Gnw88vzjY44MLl/s320/IMG_2905.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrMqYCaFI4VKYZW_ocr67EN1O7LXGiL2udTG5unTA0FEF44rufURXYW6k1teARbXkmuuv4ZsDi6UpdR8_w8BCryk8S4dN0e0vOOkPGXklWy-GnZP8aEnNTTYlWCmA26Ai0nzl/s1600/IMG_2906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrMqYCaFI4VKYZW_ocr67EN1O7LXGiL2udTG5unTA0FEF44rufURXYW6k1teARbXkmuuv4ZsDi6UpdR8_w8BCryk8S4dN0e0vOOkPGXklWy-GnZP8aEnNTTYlWCmA26Ai0nzl/s320/IMG_2906.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hiking with my dad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9ta6ge1DICLUKFQOQsCXz-hNlN7oIWZemA_r3IIsX-Do8U0KenVuXoAs1lJoASY0YU3H0sV3ZFR70H4Gzd4I_0CNGbJqHboARVq8i8Rsi5lZH5gO7CxYAHHyeWNrsU50mwFB/s1600/IMG_2949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9ta6ge1DICLUKFQOQsCXz-hNlN7oIWZemA_r3IIsX-Do8U0KenVuXoAs1lJoASY0YU3H0sV3ZFR70H4Gzd4I_0CNGbJqHboARVq8i8Rsi5lZH5gO7CxYAHHyeWNrsU50mwFB/s320/IMG_2949.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lot of time and love with my niece Shoshana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUxazPd1MPLCPyzE57XdzMDibdCavov5EUVVpaS7FvB2-WykFdcjeNiKLaWGIqxeZnvI5kURI0LQR_qkzxHYxE_boIYxMZqVjK4jbRJbXhOvMjto9hlSocgnp2MQdWBhGxBHq/s1600/IMG_2973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUxazPd1MPLCPyzE57XdzMDibdCavov5EUVVpaS7FvB2-WykFdcjeNiKLaWGIqxeZnvI5kURI0LQR_qkzxHYxE_boIYxMZqVjK4jbRJbXhOvMjto9hlSocgnp2MQdWBhGxBHq/s320/IMG_2973.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snowy night in Brooklyn</td></tr>
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This is one of the songs Greg put on my mix that has been especially comforting. "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry & The Pacemakers (and yes, he knew this from football/soccer, but it's still such a beautiful song):<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OV5_LQArLa0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-11062520955956743062015-12-28T14:41:00.000-05:002016-01-25T11:10:16.519-05:00Love story, part infinity<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMaFx_YnfxjEm-sBDmvoKM0mSKksHDq50PvJH-SE4DDxmAE4cEQalasQ6bKKTYxA-UFwcy2jX69sN_sOf1cv858ulKSu2-e2PUOdk_WtkiP-8Nsg2WUH9cj1Md_6k6W3qCF2o/s1600/067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMaFx_YnfxjEm-sBDmvoKM0mSKksHDq50PvJH-SE4DDxmAE4cEQalasQ6bKKTYxA-UFwcy2jX69sN_sOf1cv858ulKSu2-e2PUOdk_WtkiP-8Nsg2WUH9cj1Md_6k6W3qCF2o/s320/067.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Greg Taylor (1975-2015)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My beloved husband, Greg Taylor, passed away on December 25, 2015, Christmas afternoon, around 2:30 pm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />I would like to share our love story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We met on Craigslist (yes, Craigslist--they have a dating site). On a Sunday afternoon, September 23, 2007, I answered his personal ad and we exchanged our first emails. His personals posting had the heading as simply "hi" and the post was a list of funny and random things about him, including "I'm taller than you, even if you're tall."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
I responded with "hi back" and a corresponding list, including "I'm shorter than you, even if you're short. But most people say I don't 'look' short."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
We met for the first time on a Friday night, September 28, after work in front of the (now gone) Virgin Megastore in Union Square. I arrived first, and was listening to my iPod. As he approached, I removed my headphones, got flustered because he was so handsome, and my earbuds got tangled. I handed them to him to hold for a second, a gesture he for some reason found endearing and would mention for years later. We decided to walk and find a place to eat, and ended up at Yaffa Cafe on St. Mark's Street (also now gone). For many years later, on September 28 we would go back and meet in front of the Virgin Megastore, which eventually was turned into a Duane Reade drugstore (of course).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
We sat in the back courtyard and talked and talked and talked. He was a fifth-grade teacher, I was a children's book editor, he was studying history in grad school, I was always thirsty to learn more about everything. I liked sushi, he didn't eat raw meat. I had gone skydiving, he preferred his feet on the ground. But we couldn't stop looking into each other's eyes. His eyes were the most beautiful blue-gray. He told me they changed colors in the light, and I later discovered that they were sometimes flecked with green.</span><br />
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I had a birthday party to attend later that night in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, and asked him if he wanted to come with me. When he agreed, I knew he liked me. (He had told me earlier that he hated Williamsburg.) He told me later that when I asked him to come with me, he knew I liked him, too.</span><br />
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Now here's the "falling in love" montage. Kissing like there was no tomorrow. Going for walks--he showed me his neighborhood in Brooklyn and we walked to the Brooklyn museum and watched a dog frolic in the jumping fountain. It was there that we took our first picture together:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">This is also the hat he wore when we first met.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Meeting each other's friends. House and dog sitting out in New Jersey (he LOVED dogs). Teaching me to play golf (he LOVED golf). Drinking a lot of wine (he LOVED wine). Introducing me to opera. Going to parties and weddings together, going to lots and lots of diners. (Later, when we briefly were looking to buy an apartment, it was important to us that the neighborhood have a diner.) Emails, texts, phone calls. Making each other laugh. Holidays. Supporting each other's careers.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4Mud2I70Ot4ioAFO0n-N_Yq1eDI4riAXi0axlzGlz0YhZRML0VuihOQZPIDuO6raOslI93gVNnnv7tN7EHW2nbqp7DDK_c3VUEi65dq4c0DoDtttAMWa8hyphenhyphenIHzhRniEexFqw/s1600/IMG_6825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4Mud2I70Ot4ioAFO0n-N_Yq1eDI4riAXi0axlzGlz0YhZRML0VuihOQZPIDuO6raOslI93gVNnnv7tN7EHW2nbqp7DDK_c3VUEi65dq4c0DoDtttAMWa8hyphenhyphenIHzhRniEexFqw/s320/IMG_6825.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Dog sitting Maggie, Roxie, and Caesar</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He would share the books I edited with his students, especially Grace Lin's <i>Year of the Dog, </i>and he would proudly tell his students that he was friends with the real-life Melody who was a character in the book. When I attended his school's holiday concert, he introduced me as Melody and I was a celebrity. I later spoke to his school about being a children's book editor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
We took a trip out to Iowa together, where he spent his summers as a kid. Showing off, he took us down a backroad where we promptly got <a href="https://youtu.be/C3boVqzxmp4" target="_blank">stuck in the mud</a> and he had to call his uncle for help--they laughed and said he was a city boy now. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Not a smart thing to do in a rental PT Cruiser</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He started flying out to my parents' home in Southern California with me and ended up falling in love with California, and especially my parents' backyard. (He wanted to live there. In my parents' basement.) We played a lot of tennis and golf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">His mother was diagnosed with cancer, and he flew out to stay with her for six weeks to care for her. I went to visit him while he was there and spent Thanksgiving with his family and stayed in his childhood home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We moved in together into his tiny 5th-floor walk-up apartment in Park Slope. The two of us and his two cats, Venus and Serena, made a nice family. And then in October 2011 <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2011/10/love-story-part-2.html" target="_blank">he proposed</a>, on the same rock in Central Park where <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2006/09/love-story.html" target="_blank">my parents got engaged</a>.</span><br />
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We were married less than a year later on July 21, 2012, in my parents backyard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
It was a glorious day, and we were excited to start a life together as husband and wife. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
And then he was <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-ive-been-relatively-quiet-this-year.html" target="_blank">diagnosed with cancer</a>, synovial sarcoma, about six months after our wedding. You can read about that initial journey <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-ive-been-relatively-quiet-this-year.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Major surgery, long recovery, chemo, and then another long recovery.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Just as Greg was starting to regain his strength, we found out that his cancer had recurred in January 2014. We knew that with Greg's type of cancer, once it came back, there was no cure. At first, Greg didn't want any treatment--he didn't want to go through chemo again. We decided to travel--to Rome, and then Paris. Greg left the US for the first time (aside from Mexico) in February 2014 and we went to Rome and had a glorious week. Before he died, Greg wanted to walk where Augustus walked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
On the night before we were to leave for Paris, he was struck by excruciating tumor pain. We stayed in Rome for another week while we stabilized the pain, and then flew back to NY where he agreed to try a pill form of chemo. We were told that if the chemo worked, it would probably only work for 3-4 months. That pill ended up working for 18 months, and although he wasn't feeling great all the time, we were able to still have a relatively stable life. The chemo turned his facial pigmentation and hair snow white. He hated how his face looked and so he covered it with facial hair. Kids especially would stare at him--either thinking he was a pirate, or Santa, or, as we joked, a pirate Santa. Twice, once in our apartment lobby, and once at the Brooklyn Museum, he had a kid point to him and say, "Look! It's a pirate!"</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Right before pirate Santa decided to shave his beard off.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We went to the US Open, a few hockey games and baseball games, and took a trip down to Atlantic City to see Bob Dylan perform.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Through it all, Greg handled his illness with courage and grace. It wasn't easy by any means, but I was eternally grateful to him for how he accepted and dealt with his situation. He knew this cancer would probably kill him, and although he was terrified of dying, his goal was to get as many good days out of life as possible. He had always been loving and attentive and romantic, but these past three years, he became even more so. </span><br />
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For my 40th birthday last year, because he knew he didn't have the energy to take me out or throw me a party, he threw me a cyber party instead. He got over 100 T-shirts made in our wedding colors (fuchsia and purple) with the Chinese character for "love" on the back, and my last name in Chinese "Ling" on the front, to match the tattoo on my shoulder. He sent them to friends and families all around the US, and asked them to take pictures of themselves in the shirts and email, Tweet, and Facebook the pictures to me on my birthday. Here are just a few:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
He told me he needed to make sure to tell me how much he loved me as much as he could in the time he had left. He told me that I should feel comforted in knowing how much I made his life better. He told me how in awe he was that he had met me, that I had responded to that one Craigslist ad so many years ago. He left me love notes around the apartment, on my computer, in my wallet. We had so many silly inside jokes, and I'm mourning the passing of what was known only between us. And of the children we never had (he was SO GREAT with kids, and would have made an amazing father), of our future that has been cut short.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
But, I'm also so so so grateful for the time we had together. I loved him unconditionally. I loved his all-enveloping hugs, his sweet kisses in the middle of the night. I think we probably laughed even more together in these past three years--it became almost a competition to make the other laugh. We made up funny dances and funny voices. He got more and more into music, especially Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and John Lennon (he admired the great love between John and Yoko), and also discovered a love for Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson, Motown. But, Bob Dylan above all. </span><br />
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Gradually, the chemo stopped working, and Greg started having more and more pain. We tried one last chemo, which worked for two months, and we knew that we were running out of options. A few months ago, we found out that Greg had a spot in an immunotherapy trial at Sloan Kettering, and we jumped at the chance. It was a Phase 1 trial, never tested on humans, but we knew if there was someday going to be a cure, it was probably going to be through immunotherapy. But on the day<span style="background-color: white; color: #38393c;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">he was due to start, they discovered that his liver levels were high, which disqualified him from the trial, and the doctor sent him over to the hospital to see if they could solve the problem so that he could start the trial.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20px;">He had a procedure done to help drain the bile from the liver (which they thought was causing the high levels). Unfortunately, his liver levels didn't improve, and other liver levels were starting to get high as well. We knew that he had at least one tumor in the liver, and that once the liver starts to go, it can end quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Every night after I left the hospital to go home, he sent me a text. "I love you sweetheart. More than anything. You are such a superhero." His last text to me was, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me." He was the best thing to ever happen to me, too. </span><br /><br style="line-height: 20px;" /><span style="line-height: 20px;">Eventually, they started Greg on chemo while in the hospital, and he was released on December 23rd--we were thrilled to have him home for the holidays! This is the last picture we took together, in his hospital room while waiting for our ride home:</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">As my mother told Greg the last time she saw him, "You're still very handsome!"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After one night at home (Venus was ecstatic to have us both home again!), we ended up calling 911 and going to the ER in an ambulance on Christmas Eve. Greg had been struggling with nausea and ended up vomiting blood and fainting a few times. He was admitted into the ICU for observation, as they suspected internal bleeding. But, he appeared stable after getting fluids, with no symptoms aside from some weakness and dizziness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20px;">But on Friday morning he suddenly started having seizures, and then started bleeding profusely internally. The doctors were able to stabilize him with a breathing tube and blood transfusions, but we knew there wasn't hope for a full recovery, and I knew Greg didn't want any drastic measures taken just to keep him alive. They removed the breathing tube and Greg rested peacefully for a few hours before passing on while I held his hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="line-height: 20px;" /><span style="line-height: 20px;">Over the two-week hospital stay, we knew that the end was coming--Greg said he didn't know if he had days, or weeks, or months, so he was going to focus on enjoying each minute with me. I'm going to focus on each minute at a time. And breathing. This last year especially, Greg was struggling, and his bad days were outnumbering his good days. Recently, he said that the pain and complications he was having were making it easier to let go. I know he is at peace now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="line-height: 20px;" /><span style="line-height: 20px;">Greg did not want to have a funeral, but he will be buried in Iowa where he spent his summers. He wanted his body to rest under open skies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">If you want to offer some support, please donate money towards sarcoma research--if I may suggest, the Sarcoma Foundation of America: </span></span><a href="http://www.curesarcoma.org/">http://www.curesarcoma.org</a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20px;">or Mt. Sinai for Sarcoma research: </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20px;"><a href="https://philanthropy.mountsinai.org/waystogive" target="_blank">https://<wbr></wbr>philanthropy.mountsinai.org/<wbr></wbr>waystogive</a></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20px;">. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Greg started his care at Mt. Sinai with Dr. Robert Maki and Nurse Practitioner Linda Ahn (who is now at Sloan Kettering). They made the whole process more comforting for both of us, and even though I wish we had never <i>had</i> to meet them, I'm thankful they were in our lives. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm grateful to his many doctors and nurses--at Mt. Sinai, at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and at New York Methodist. They have such a tough, important job, and see suffering and death every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20px;">I'm also so blessed to have such loving friends and family and colleagues, including the authors and illustrators I work with, who have supported us over the years and are mourning the loss of Greg, too. This isn't a unique journey that we traveled on--what's devastating is that so many people are touched by tragedy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know Greg didn't want a big deal made of his death. But, for my own healing, I wanted to acknowledge publicly what an extraordinary man he was. He was full of passions--whether it was golf, wine, watches, jewelry, opera, American history, Chinese history, Andy Kaufman, dogs, cats, lacrosse, soccer...or me!--when he loved something, he loved it with all of himself, and learned everything he could. He was supremely moral, had a kind heart, and was sometimes loyal to a fault. He was sardonic, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and silly. He could put kids at ease in seconds. He had a deep voice that got higher and lighter when he was in pain--I knew he was feeling strong when his voice was deep. He was ticklish, and especially hated when I touched his feet. He watched the same movies over and over again, memorized the best lines, and would constantly call me to watch funny scenes. He also loved pointing out continuity errors. When he was in pain, he told me it helped him when I held his hand. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">His favorite books were <i>The Plague </i>by Albert Camus, and <i>Sophie's Choice </i>by William Styron. His favorite song was "Love Minus Zero" by Bob Dylan. His favorite movie was "Deer Hunter." </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">People loved to tease him--he had the kind of personality that made people feel like he could take it. But he was sometimes sensitive about it. Sometimes he just wanted people to be nice to him. He was ferocious (but nice!) when dealing with customer service, and usually got what he wanted. He hated being told what to do, but I knew he took everything in, even when he was arguing (and when he was arguing, he always sounded angrier than he really was), and was able to keep an open mind. He was always so proud of me and my career, and embarrassed me by boasting about me to everyone he knew. And he was an astonishingly good teacher--so many of his students stayed in touch with him, and I feel lucky to have met so many of them. He made a difference in their lives. He made a difference in the world. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Although he was an introvert at heart, he was the mayor of his old block. He knew everyone and they knew him. He was buddies with all of the shop keepers--one of them helped him get up the stairs of his apartment when he came home after his surgery. They always asked me how he was doing after his surgery. He made Brooklyn into a small town. </span>Although his time was cut short, he had a rich, fulfilling life, and so many people who loved him.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The day after his death, I remembered that he had wanted to make me a music mix before he died, and I was feeling bereft that he hadn't been able to do it. But I checked my computer just in case, and there it was, a playlist called "For Alvina" and it was like he was giving me a hug and a message from the great beyond. The last two songs on the mix are "Shelter from the Storm" and "Across the Universe."</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For those of you who have read this far, thank you for bearing with me. My mother is with me now, and I've been surrounded by friends, both virtually and in person. Greg and my dear friends Donna and Daniel were with me at the hospital when he died, and took care of me that night and the next day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And just to leave this on a note of levity, albeit one that I'm finding profound right now, this is a silly email Greg sent me while I was at work and then out to dinner about a month ago. Venus is our one remaining cat (Serena also passed away from cancer about a year ago). Warning, there is cursing ahead!:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm very lonely. Venus is also lonely. The two of us are acting like our worlds have been destroyed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While we cuddled - more like held on to one another as the universe battered us - she said, "Dad?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I said, "What is it, sweetie?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I miss Alvina."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I said, "I do too, Venus. I miss her too."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">She asked, "Is it always going to be like this? Is it always going to hurt this much?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I explained to her that it will always hurt but that we will get better at dealing with it. Eventually the wound will heal and a scar will grow in its place, making us stronger.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">She said, "What?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Ugh," I said. "Right now we hurt because the wound is so new. As time passes the wound will close and a scar will form." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">She replied, "What are you talking about? I don't have any open wounds. I said I miss Alvina."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"It's a metaphor," I said. "We are wounded EMOTIONALLY. We will develop EMOTIONAL scars."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">She said, "I have no idea what a metaphor is. A metaphor? What the fuck is a metaphor! I'm a fucking cat. Stop treating me like a human being, because I'm not a human being. Also, STOP TOUCHING ME!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then she swatted at me and jumped off the bed and ran into the other room.</span></blockquote>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Venus and I both miss Greg. I </span>wait for the wound to close and the scars to form.</span></div>
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alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com106tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-66937446812867737532014-01-05T15:01:00.001-05:002014-01-05T15:01:43.215-05:00So long, 2013. Welcome, 2014!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14q_eUMJS3hG2k-IVZWmoKuMJq4m1iOSlMV8yfoKeDk-fCTSdFgCBfHWmLi34U_jx7pE3qdhk871i7wU-CABuHczW6Tw6OrN64XMzx-9owyoe6ZaMezxVOXWjaGr6RXuuWfvv/s1600/IMG_4054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14q_eUMJS3hG2k-IVZWmoKuMJq4m1iOSlMV8yfoKeDk-fCTSdFgCBfHWmLi34U_jx7pE3qdhk871i7wU-CABuHczW6Tw6OrN64XMzx-9owyoe6ZaMezxVOXWjaGr6RXuuWfvv/s320/IMG_4054.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my parents' backyard deck. <br />
This is also where our wedding ceremony was held.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My two-week+ vacation is coming to an end. I spent it mainly in Southern California at my parents' house. The last time I was there was for Greg and my wedding a year and a half ago. That was also the last time I had seen my family, before the <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-ive-been-relatively-quiet-this-year.html" target="_blank">craziness</a> that was 2013 happened. I think the CA sunshine did Greg a lot of good, and he's getting stronger each day. We're settling into our "new normal"--trying to get back to living life, yet with the shadow of the possibility of recurrence hanging over us.<br />
<br />
It was wonderfully relaxing to be in CA for so long, and save for the first rainy, cold day, the rest of our time there was greeted with sunshine and 70 and 80-degree days.<br />
<br />
My vacation in numbers:<br />
<br />
Days I played tennis with my Dad: 11<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksujWAxHBEZW6ZgUsyFDEAxxzNOeSmNLs2f0nYrVVjyTSgj5fDOdYF9ecNUNdE2kjl___KtQdvkVB16BMjD_mnA3wEmUUji5vYwIcYWyK5hhkpvJyuCVbKDPuP1tO0fnxbB5o/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksujWAxHBEZW6ZgUsyFDEAxxzNOeSmNLs2f0nYrVVjyTSgj5fDOdYF9ecNUNdE2kjl___KtQdvkVB16BMjD_mnA3wEmUUji5vYwIcYWyK5hhkpvJyuCVbKDPuP1tO0fnxbB5o/s320/IMG_1464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Sets won: 1 (while playing doubles and partnered with my HS friend who was the star of our championship tennis team)<br />
Children played with: 12<br />
Dogs played with: 2<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAsQ9_ODkN6r7OjeiZesK87-lkGsKIJWpYS3wEeNWX56Nrx6axieY_xPoeCWU-PDl7l8yByfvO5gS6zIf7vZG28ikfKMZRnjIF8MrAXQ9mbkm92hUEyiy4nuT2YgOmc2vThy1/s1600/IMG_4051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAsQ9_ODkN6r7OjeiZesK87-lkGsKIJWpYS3wEeNWX56Nrx6axieY_xPoeCWU-PDl7l8yByfvO5gS6zIf7vZG28ikfKMZRnjIF8MrAXQ9mbkm92hUEyiy4nuT2YgOmc2vThy1/s320/IMG_4051.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my brother Ben and future sister-in-law Iris's dog Oreo on Christmas Eve.</td></tr>
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Books read: 3.001 (read an ARC of <i>Noggin </i>by John Corey Whaley, re-read <i>Baby Island </i>by Carol Ryrie Brink, re-read final draft of <i>Dreams of Gods & Monsters </i>by Laini Taylor, read the first two chapters of <i>IQ84 </i>by Haruki Murakami)<br />
<i>Good Wife </i>episodes watched: 14 (finished up Season 4, caught up on Season 5 so far)<br />
Movies watched: 1 (<i>Saving Mr. Banks </i>with my mom)<br />
Work emails filed/deleted: 600+ (more to go through today before going back to work tomorrow)<br />
Walks taken: 10<br />
Times jogged: 2<br />
All-you-can-eat sushi meals: 2<br />
Ramen meals: 2<br />
In-n-Out Burger meals: 3<br />
Massages: 3<br />
Karaoke nights: 1<br />
Friends' homes visited: 2<br />
High school friends met up with: 6<br />
Books given as gifts: 27 (mostly children's books)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtm512hwEkbtmTgpQj2-XAmNfTrzard7ixG00cHtKkP9sIki3IrG4_sR63vTXCygImeIb8tNhXHT7SKWBXLhvl-GctiAK2X82rbt7F3iiiBar6ZWwZjwBVnvSeuxX_vIJ9Lw_G/s1600/IMG_4040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtm512hwEkbtmTgpQj2-XAmNfTrzard7ixG00cHtKkP9sIki3IrG4_sR63vTXCygImeIb8tNhXHT7SKWBXLhvl-GctiAK2X82rbt7F3iiiBar6ZWwZjwBVnvSeuxX_vIJ9Lw_G/s320/IMG_4040.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother Felix reading MR. TIGER GOES WILD to my nephew</td></tr>
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Different types of fruit eaten: 12 (pomelos, oranges, apples, cherimoya, papaya, guava, kumquat, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, watermelon)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBpXvQAuiJWGe81rCs92en47Dxczem6E1sC6hVyjgY7IcdxAEcueH4sLh61SdAD3943n3pg9JLb8DKLK9nwUSPZuGE09MaCMXh5BzSUjGDY3B5Gt8KeGPTAAOADPu_EZdo_oC/s1600/IMG_4028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBpXvQAuiJWGe81rCs92en47Dxczem6E1sC6hVyjgY7IcdxAEcueH4sLh61SdAD3943n3pg9JLb8DKLK9nwUSPZuGE09MaCMXh5BzSUjGDY3B5Gt8KeGPTAAOADPu_EZdo_oC/s320/IMG_4028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherimoya. Also known as custard apple, sugar apple, and soursop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
New Year's resolutions made: 12<br />
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2013 was a tough year--but here's hoping to a better 2014. Happy New Year, all!alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-36356532458305094932013-11-28T10:53:00.000-05:002013-11-28T10:53:18.094-05:00What I'm thankful forHappy Thanksgiving!<br />
<br />
As we've recently moved apartments, while packing and unpacking, I've found myself discovering forgotten things and re-reading old journals, which led me to reread old blog posts, too. I'm thankful for these journals and blogs, because I love remembering who I was and what I've done--and seeing how far I've come (and yet, how I'm still the same person). In one old journal entry, I commented on how my boyfriend at the time called me a "one trick pony" because all I ever did was work, and all I could talk about was work. And in that entry I said that the busy work time was only temporary. Ha! Little did I know...<br />
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But I'm thankful that I have a job that I still love, no matter how busy and stressful it gets.<br />
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Other things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving:<br />
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-That G is alive and relatively well, that we have this lovely life together<br />
-For my health<br />
-For health insurance and great doctors<br />
-For our new, spacious apartment with a working elevator<br />
-For friends and family, there for us in so many different ways<br />
-For our cats, even though they've been waking me up in the middle of the night<br />
-For good food and drink (especially brunch!)<br />
-For leisurely walks<br />
-For Zumba<br />
-For escapist books, blogs, television shows (I've been especially addicted to <i>The Good Wife </i>this year), and social networking<br />
-For my monthly Karaoke club, and music in general<br />
-For my brilliant authors, illustrators, and coworkers<br />
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-For the little pleasures of life</div>
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-For the great pleasures of life!</div>
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Now I'm off to make an apple pie. Enjoy your day, all!</div>
alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-42547569174965819852013-10-28T08:30:00.000-04:002013-10-28T08:30:00.517-04:00***Re-posted from the <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blue Rose Girls</a>
***<br />
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I've been a very bad blogger this year, mainly because of <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-ive-been-relatively-quiet-this-year.html" target="_blank">this</a>, of course. But G's treatments are now done, and we're working toward getting our life back to our "new normal." But first, we're moving apartments this week and packing is exhausting!<br />
<br />
As always happens, while packing I've been finding forgotten things, like this letter Grace had sent me back when we were both seniors in high school. I had brought this with me from my parents' house in California a while back because I wanted to quote some of the letter in a talk I was giving, I think.<br />
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In it, we talked about boys, of course. I had asked her to send me a boyfriend, so she sent me this guy:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN2u0nd18KZDJSdxs2TToV3MGXAA-lntGLQLpdo1QjFcqK4UqIjBOw-QqGG_zSeZnZHblVWIvuIQs2EuLx6NZSyXKtB_sUdv-tlKDvi-pEH4uD6jSZM9bfvaaMDYyzggmVzjYBg/s1600/IMG_3875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN2u0nd18KZDJSdxs2TToV3MGXAA-lntGLQLpdo1QjFcqK4UqIjBOw-QqGG_zSeZnZHblVWIvuIQs2EuLx6NZSyXKtB_sUdv-tlKDvi-pEH4uD6jSZM9bfvaaMDYyzggmVzjYBg/s320/IMG_3875.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cute, huh? She named him Roger.<br />
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And here are a few snippets from the letter:<br />
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"I'm going to illustrate children's books, y'know. That would be so cool. One day when we're all grown up, you'll see in a book store: Illustrated by Grace P. Lin. That would be excellent."<br />
<br />
and:<br />
<br />
"I wish I could show you my portfolio. Then you could tell me if you think I'm talented. Or then you could lie to me and tell me you think I'm the bestest artist in the world and of course I will make it into RISD."<br />
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I wonder if Grace has the letter I wrote back to her. But I'm sure I said something like:<br />
<br />
I think you're talented, Grace! You are the bestest artist in the world, you will make it into RISD, and you will become a famous children's book author and illustrator.<br />
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See, I can predict the future!<br />
<br />
**edited to add**<br />
For those of you who don't know the story of how Grace and I met, you can read more about it <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2007/03/how-i-know-grace.html" target="_blank">here</a>.alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-27468904809638017802013-09-29T19:18:00.000-04:002013-09-29T19:23:59.781-04:00In memory of James Sing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqOpmFDjXtnMf9aYTEPVCGvwLQ7C07K9_MyRzkOckBSW1b7cYaTOZELd9S2Wb-tc4M4dortN3P0T19Yy-VrRgKYbnEI1wGtjRKc6XzBdjfyloO8JFQUAcf_yQqlsLNhYFM-P3/s1600/James+Sing0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqOpmFDjXtnMf9aYTEPVCGvwLQ7C07K9_MyRzkOckBSW1b7cYaTOZELd9S2Wb-tc4M4dortN3P0T19Yy-VrRgKYbnEI1wGtjRKc6XzBdjfyloO8JFQUAcf_yQqlsLNhYFM-P3/s320/James+Sing0008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">parasailing in Bali</td></tr>
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I was shocked to hear the news that my friend James Sing passed away a few weeks ago on September 12. </div>
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His "Celebration of Life" was held in San Francisco today, and although I was not able to attend, I wanted to honor him in my way.</div>
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James was my best friend for many years, many years ago, in the late 1990s. We met in 1996 while both studying at the Mandarin Training Center in Taipei, Taiwan. We lived nearby, and soon were hanging out all the time. We had an intense, intimate friendship, and although it was never romantic, sometimes we fought like a couple might. But he was the type of friend I could call at any hour of the night, and knew that he wouldn't mind--and vice versa. When I was sad, he'd bend over backwards to make me laugh. I can still hear his laugh echo in my head today. I have so many wonderful memories of our time together in Taiwan--late nights eating xi fan near his apartment, his singing "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYC8edEtujM" target="_blank">Yi Qian Ge Xiang Xin de Li You</a>" at Karaoke, dancing at various night clubs, eating guo tie after class, studying at Jamaica Cafe or the student lounge, riding around on his motorcycle or my scooter. During our time there, we traveled together to Bali, Indonesia, and to Hong Kong and Canton. We stayed close after we both returned to the States, and we overlapped living in NYC for a little while, but he moved back to CA a year or so after I arrived there from Boston.</div>
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He was probably the smartest person I knew, and because of that, I still remember my delight at schooling him in the difference between nauseous and nauseated. (Of course, correcting him while he was feeling nauseated was probably not the ideal time.) </div>
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Most of all, James valued loyalty--he was the truest, most loyal friend.</div>
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We'd drifted in recent years, as friends often do, and in the last few years our interactions were limited to random g-chats about skateboarding, and mice for his lizard Opus; and some random Facebook comments about Lin-sanity. His last comment was just a few days before his death.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabUQRibkjFHc5b6G-K8h1OIqe5GUvPmHeBPvjQy6zrFH7K9TchHn7_msktNdjyGyg7Ts7Bc3QiVn4iITN3hNlJPpd0igp-dZYL2juDgebEhJFOb_QNai-vTPUhDbsyIuSoLsQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-29+at+7.15.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabUQRibkjFHc5b6G-K8h1OIqe5GUvPmHeBPvjQy6zrFH7K9TchHn7_msktNdjyGyg7Ts7Bc3QiVn4iITN3hNlJPpd0igp-dZYL2juDgebEhJFOb_QNai-vTPUhDbsyIuSoLsQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-09-29+at+7.15.24+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is selfish of me, but I take some small comfort knowing that, in the days before his death, I at least crossed his mind in a small way, even if it was for killing a fly. And I hope that he knew that, no matter how we drifted, he was often in my thoughts.</div>
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My heart goes out to his family and friends. His loss leaves a huge hole, but I hope they can take some small comfort with how loved James was, and how influential he was to so many people. </div>
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Please do take a look at this fund that has been created in James's honor, and if you're able, please make a contribution:</div>
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<a href="http://www.crowdrise.com/JamesSingMemorialFund/fundraiser/allensing" target="_blank">The James Sing Memorial Fund</a></div>
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http://www.crowdrise.com/JamesSingMemorialFund/fundraiser/allensing</div>
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alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-65089392958561166882013-06-03T19:16:00.000-04:002013-06-03T19:16:35.402-04:00Why I've been (relatively) quiet this yearI've been meaning for a while to write this post to let everyone know what's been going on with me (with us)--perhaps some of you have seen on Facebook or Twitter some updates or have heard bits and pieces from me or others, but I thought it would easiest to give an update all at once.<br />
<br />
So, here's the deal:<br />
<br />
Basically, soon after our wedding, Greg hurt his back and ribs (or so he thought) fairly severely while playing golf. After about two months, when he wasn't getting better, he went to the doctor who took an X-Ray and said that he was fine, that it was a muscle injury, and that he could try physical therapy, which he did for a few more months. Nothing was quite working, and at the end of January a large bruise showed up under his ribs on the left side. He went back to the doctor who ordered a CT scan, and they discovered what they thought at the time was a large kidney mass.<br />
<br />
He went through surgery on February 12 to have the mass and a kidney removed. The surgery was successful, although he ended up losing his spleen as well (silver lining--you can live a relatively normal life without a spleen and just one kidney). The mass was extremely large--it was described by the surgeon as being the size of a football. (!!) Another said it was the size of Greg's head, another said it was the size of a small watermelon! No doubt it had been growing without him knowing for many years.<br />
<br />
The pathology report came back a few weeks later, and we were told it was a rare form of cancer, a type of sarcoma. His type is diagnosed for just 1-3 people per million each year. Nobody knows what causes it. (I always knew Greg was one in a million!)<br />
<br />
Again, the surgery was successful in that as far as we can all tell, they got it all out (thank you Dr. Birns)--so far, there is no sign of remaining cancer cells, nor that it's spread. But sarcomas tend to come back, so he's going through 4-5 months of chemo to try to lower the chances of recurrence. He started his third round today--in fact, I'm posting this from his treatment room.<br />
<br />
We've definitely had some complications and set-backs along the way--a long recovery from the initial surgery, plus an ER visit and multiple hospital stays in-between. But we've been staying in overall good spirits, all things considered. Greg has been amazingly strong through this, and we've had wonderful support from friends and family and colleagues.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
I don't plan to blog about this much if at all beyond this post, but because everything that's happened has caused such changes and upheaval in our lives, I wanted to post this update. Life has slowly been settling into what we're calling our "new normal"--I'm getting back to a somewhat regular work schedule again after a very erratic few months, although of course I still have a lot of catching up to do and am working from home as needed. Is it really June already?!<br />
<br />
I want to thank everyone (both belatedly and in advance) for being understanding about my late or unreturned emails, phone calls, missed deadlines, canceled plans, etc. And I want to give a huge shout-out to my assistant Bethany who has kept all of my projects (and her own) moving forward, at the expense of her work-life balance and emotional well-being! And thanks to everyone who has pitched in to help in any way they could, to friends and family and even acquaintances who have sent gifts, spent time, for good wishes, prayers, and positive thoughts.</div>
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We're hanging in there. It's been a rocky road and certainly not how we expected to spend our first year of marriage, but we'll get through this together (in sickness and in health, right?). Right now, I'm looking forward to August when Greg's last round of chemo (we hope) will be behind us. And may I add, thank goodness we have health insurance?</div>
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People have asked how they can help: please make a donation towards sarcoma research at the <a href="http://obf.cancer.gov/contribute/giftfund.htm" target="_blank">National Cancer Institute</a>, or make a gift to <a href="https://philanthropy.mountsinai.org/Page.aspx?pid=472" target="_blank">Mt. Sinai</a> where Greg is being treated.<br />
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alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-28159288672977205382012-12-25T10:25:00.000-05:002012-12-25T10:25:35.410-05:00Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate!Well, it's been a long time since I've posted, but here I am.<br />
<br />
It's been a busy year, both personally (we got married! We're looking to buy a place!) and professionally (lots of travel, lost of books to edit, lots of managing), and thus we stayed in NYC this holiday season--couldn't bear the thought of getting on a plane and going cross-country again. I need time to unwind and decompress (see my post over at the Blue Rose Girls on <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2012/12/battling-burnout-how-do-you-unwind.html" target="_blank">Battling Burnout</a>).<br />
<br />
I was reading this post on Gawker: <a href="http://gawker.com/5971031/the-day-we-became-cynical-how-did-you-find-out-santa-isnt-real" target="_blank">"The Day we Became Cynical: How did you find out Santa Isn't Real?"</a> and thought I'd post my own experiences.<br />
<br />
I don't remember how old I was, but there were two main incidents that led me to the knowledge that Santa wasn't real.<br />
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1) my older brother and I decided to write a letter to Santa with all of our questions. One question involved Rudolph. I can't remember our question, but when a letter from Santa came back (his handwriting suspiciously similar to our father's handwriting), his answer was something to the effect of "Rudolph lived so long ago, I can't remember." Of course, my brother and I were indignant--I assume my brother probably did not believe at that point. For me, it gave me some nagging doubt.<br />
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2) one of Santa's gifts to me (a teddy bear) came wrapped in an old shoebox that had been sitting in our basement for a while. I pointed this out to my parents, who replied that Santa probably saw it and decided to use it. I wasn't convinced.<br />
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Of course, my brothers and I pretended to believe in Santa long after we learned he wasn't year. We wanted more presents, of course!<br />
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Happy holidays, all!<br />
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<br />alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-62896938452922870922012-06-12T07:35:00.000-04:002012-06-12T07:35:08.416-04:00Singapore and BEACross-posted from <a href="http://www.bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blue Rose Girls</a>.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
I've been MIA again lately--and I apologize, but my posting will be sporadic until August, most likely.<br />
<br />
Two weeks ago I was in Singapore for the Asian Festival for Children's Content. I had never been to Singapore, and was excited to go, mainly because I had heard so many incredible things about the food there! I was, of course, also looking forward to the conference, and meeting friends I only knew through blogs and Twitter, like Tarie Sabido, who blogs at <a href="http://asiaintheheart.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind</a>, and is a huge fan of Grace Lin's work. Tarie and I arranged to have dinner my first night in Singapore. I had a bit of a hellish trip over--a delayed flight to London resulted in a mixed connection, and I ended up having to hang out at Heathrow for over nine hours. All was not lost, though, as I got a much-needed mani/pedi while I waited, and still made it to Singapore in time to check in, unpack, and meet Tarie for dinner.<br />
<br />
I had been told that I HAD to have a dish called "chicken rice" while there, and so Tarie and I walked over to the nearest food centre, Makansutra Glutton's Bay. There are these food centres all over Singapore, and they're basically outdoor food courts with all kinds of food. We found chicken rice, which is basically rice cooked in a special chicken broth with chicken. It's a very simple, tasty dish. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZCEDgWvLJ7bcW2eRZ8SQUpApIxx53gjp4gTpUZqVi6lJM5kO6nIOoaE2wjaSNjvf8ZVtOQfd_eV5AEjFRsvOz4CPP7metYP9zjsPpPSp_O8HxbNTH3f90RJfT4iDBIaQozLogw/s1600/IMG_1879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZCEDgWvLJ7bcW2eRZ8SQUpApIxx53gjp4gTpUZqVi6lJM5kO6nIOoaE2wjaSNjvf8ZVtOQfd_eV5AEjFRsvOz4CPP7metYP9zjsPpPSp_O8HxbNTH3f90RJfT4iDBIaQozLogw/s320/IMG_1879.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chicken rice!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMAoN5cmAHjZxZtJcbTmejK_Qx6beJu8WN9GXVLcLTDX0rkMj8nFf-Wy3TxJbkNK29UBVrHvYvby-eng0BNAIwHZQoGYpELac7pD8ZhFg0opeGNBCrSHS9VvtsaknIIKF9RJEGg/s1600/IMG_1888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMAoN5cmAHjZxZtJcbTmejK_Qx6beJu8WN9GXVLcLTDX0rkMj8nFf-Wy3TxJbkNK29UBVrHvYvby-eng0BNAIwHZQoGYpELac7pD8ZhFg0opeGNBCrSHS9VvtsaknIIKF9RJEGg/s320/IMG_1888.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarie and me</td></tr>
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The next morning Tarie and I met to head over to the festival together. Leonard Marcus gave the morning's keynote, and then there were several breakout sessions. I attended one on translation, and one on the Filipino Book Market--I found both to be fascinating.<br />
<br />
In the afternoon, Sarah Odedina, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.hotkeybooks.com/" target="_blank">Hot Key Books</a> in the UK, and I spoke together about "Making a Bestseller." (But really, don't ask us how to "make" a bestseller. There's no magic formula.) Author Candy Gourlay has a nice wrap-up at her blog, <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/yfqHE" target="_blank">"Notes from the Slushpile."</a><br />
She also has a nice summary of the <a href="http://networkedblogs.com/yfqHE" target="_blank">1st-page critique</a> I participated in on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, Sarah and I once again collaborated, this time on an all-day Master Class. I think the official title was "Editing a Bestseller" but we basically focused on craft in the morning--we talked about character, plot, setting, and dialogue, and in the afternoon we talked about point of view and then did a writing exercise and critiqued each of the 30-something participants' writing, and then ended on a discussion about the business of publishing. I thought it was a rewarding, stimulating day (and hope the attendees agree), but I must say, it was also exhausting and by the end of the day my brain was mush.<br />
<br />
But I was still itching to see some of Singapore, and so that night an author and I went to the Night Safari at the zoo. We saw lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, and more, but I must say, our favorites were the flying foxes and fruit bats (who flew so close to our heads we had to keep ducking) and these scaly anteaters called pangolins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2NtfsSOS5pb9n1T1c4KuqVoYO-kBTNGTjS757D9qfeqrI-MGem_QLaJPufAJEvBdHWQrFY96OABA0t7ZX6qtbAizWa9CBYlGp6wjQBaCyCiFm5zp6e7bv2FKYS4jYigKMGMtQQ/s1600/IMG_1944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2NtfsSOS5pb9n1T1c4KuqVoYO-kBTNGTjS757D9qfeqrI-MGem_QLaJPufAJEvBdHWQrFY96OABA0t7ZX6qtbAizWa9CBYlGp6wjQBaCyCiFm5zp6e7bv2FKYS4jYigKMGMtQQ/s320/IMG_1944.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was too dark to take pics of the real animals, but here I am with a pangolin statue!</td></tr>
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We then managed to make it to the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel around midnight for a quick Singapore Sling--the drink had been invented there.<br />
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The next day I had lunch at Epigram Books with an editor, Sheri Tan, and the CEO and Publisher, Edmund Wee. Sheri Tan had been an editor at Simon Spotlight for 15 years, and although we had never met in the States, she introduced herself to me at the conference and we had some mutual friends. She was originally from Singapore, and had recently moved her family back there. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP647t78bRPp0IrJG3BzcUBpWHcZKE77yMO3MumBvHgPBKAhnCiFjKPrakvD5Jns_GA9fzpVK3Aj0ozAGUvjPVpKj6gC5VqHe25L7rGIYD_TtoAZ3EIx65nfTMaNA3CcRiEdfR1Q/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP647t78bRPp0IrJG3BzcUBpWHcZKE77yMO3MumBvHgPBKAhnCiFjKPrakvD5Jns_GA9fzpVK3Aj0ozAGUvjPVpKj6gC5VqHe25L7rGIYD_TtoAZ3EIx65nfTMaNA3CcRiEdfR1Q/s320/IMG_1950.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the open-plan Epigram offices--gorgeous.</td></tr>
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<br />
In the afternoon, illustrator Isabel Roxas and I met up with a friend of a friend of a friend named Eliza who had attended my masterclass. Isabel lives in Queens, but we had never met before Singapore, although she had visited our offices and met with some other editors. A friend of Eliza's joined us as well, and they took us to see the famous symbol of Singapore, the merlion! Yes, part fish, part lion, and quite cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUyUjY8dHAAD6pNxRuoi7-1ugtMku8GB53XEOkHCjAnkXLkukrVeaFXbD1ndFurvgKbenpm00GgfkAjl5QGrK4ykxqMItrZINOEUaYX9Lt4y23dtvD2ZslSvzSobnMypVheAghQ/s1600/IMG_1959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUyUjY8dHAAD6pNxRuoi7-1ugtMku8GB53XEOkHCjAnkXLkukrVeaFXbD1ndFurvgKbenpm00GgfkAjl5QGrK4ykxqMItrZINOEUaYX9Lt4y23dtvD2ZslSvzSobnMypVheAghQ/s320/IMG_1959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We then went to the famous Orchard Road--an upscale shopping area that reminded me of a cross between Times Square and Fifth Avenue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxNvVIfmgEp7oFfj2wUOtSq85SGIsAOejUeieevx7X7QYUReiBZjvH7o6BBfbapilWF3XfbAKNAPniMUSq38NnQap25Lx3aUwjrr9I8uFYdRc24B9Tk8p_ofHfoFhevDhGHBEXg/s1600/IMG_1965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxNvVIfmgEp7oFfj2wUOtSq85SGIsAOejUeieevx7X7QYUReiBZjvH7o6BBfbapilWF3XfbAKNAPniMUSq38NnQap25Lx3aUwjrr9I8uFYdRc24B9Tk8p_ofHfoFhevDhGHBEXg/s320/IMG_1965.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orchard Road is so called because it used to be an orchard. Hence the metal "trees" on the outside of this mall.</td></tr>
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We ended the night in the most delicious way possible--famous, Singaporean chilli crab!!! So, so, so, good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2qOe9UW6snNMyVB4LGjgOlbB6_vfOEslPadnwvqG6RWkoEfpH6TU4brUf5z8V4H_ByNjSRLKkTXkkohUgFI5yIbZkHATg2qEY5zMsNB-G94qT7s3UqzK3t2lAlTMaC2CnwVnNw/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2qOe9UW6snNMyVB4LGjgOlbB6_vfOEslPadnwvqG6RWkoEfpH6TU4brUf5z8V4H_ByNjSRLKkTXkkohUgFI5yIbZkHATg2qEY5zMsNB-G94qT7s3UqzK3t2lAlTMaC2CnwVnNw/s320/IMG_1973.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabel about to chow down!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3_xJYQVUA7c3EETqXt88uI5Si5-TpvEoawUS1CJn5C4y9mH5uHSLRQNcX3b6SMmOuncVVQ8GiZA-dnzPKRAgEtyCSH7FLyDajP7gk8ZAqvjp7V5XFPbqOT5DYiovIOetJbRMng/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3_xJYQVUA7c3EETqXt88uI5Si5-TpvEoawUS1CJn5C4y9mH5uHSLRQNcX3b6SMmOuncVVQ8GiZA-dnzPKRAgEtyCSH7FLyDajP7gk8ZAqvjp7V5XFPbqOT5DYiovIOetJbRMng/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture makes me salivate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The next day, another Master Class attendee, Katherine, offered to take me around. We got Thai food for lunch, and then wandered around Little India. Then, she dropped me off at the beautiful Botanic Gardens, where I wandered until dinnertime. After a quick and final last chicken rice, it was off to the airport and home for me. What a whirlwind trip it was!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvt0zYAgmDjyH6pMKSy1rHiCRhcbZrErIURG8HoDhSrYYfWl1jDzcwe2WsJbRHQ1XUXXzE-58BjRN8YoQ_VMU6jNPYElUVFlKQotTBydoV9B8K8Qp4uu5jHsulIlOHgOOFDRi_Q/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvt0zYAgmDjyH6pMKSy1rHiCRhcbZrErIURG8HoDhSrYYfWl1jDzcwe2WsJbRHQ1XUXXzE-58BjRN8YoQ_VMU6jNPYElUVFlKQotTBydoV9B8K8Qp4uu5jHsulIlOHgOOFDRi_Q/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The street where we had lunch--a nice mix of traditional and modern.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbSd0qM9AeZM_IluYjszo324HQ5dX-x_Fnj9-Ph_Rtote9tzkhA3shMggGmfwjGUg8W2lO1hpXGE7nFOgC2Et1CetTsUYyLBEZSy7yTRFvWbfy3i7uklyI3hkBxakR2Jpv9mfPg/s1600/IMG_1985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbSd0qM9AeZM_IluYjszo324HQ5dX-x_Fnj9-Ph_Rtote9tzkhA3shMggGmfwjGUg8W2lO1hpXGE7nFOgC2Et1CetTsUYyLBEZSy7yTRFvWbfy3i7uklyI3hkBxakR2Jpv9mfPg/s320/IMG_1985.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfwFKNAw-huJOITZhep2XLmKrueDyAvg4SgcPWY-ruGpPGC3uYyVRS6D6YJyQ2SwGc8KPK90_FzEeGgPHqywkLBLhFxpPS4Ekc4ivgPmNiEYQHLI2ml4dyRpw1bt35K2q37LJ1w/s1600/IMG_1994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfwFKNAw-huJOITZhep2XLmKrueDyAvg4SgcPWY-ruGpPGC3uYyVRS6D6YJyQ2SwGc8KPK90_FzEeGgPHqywkLBLhFxpPS4Ekc4ivgPmNiEYQHLI2ml4dyRpw1bt35K2q37LJ1w/s320/IMG_1994.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in the orchid garden</td></tr>
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<br />
I absolutely loved Singapore, and the AFCC was so well organized and invigorating. Thank you to the organizers and the sponsors, and thank you especially to the attendees and my new friends who showed me around! Thank you so much for your warmth and hospitality. <br />
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Two days later (after editing Laini Taylor's <i>Days of Blood and Starlight</i> in between), I was back in the thick of work with Book Expo America (BEA). Here are a few pics:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiy8mHRwRyOkWOgRbiBCJ3r2RS2d4MF5CdZ0yCO-zLY33253OUKpOjPO0xMJ-s4yXb_WkvYO6cF4gTVuzjvUE-g9yZF9hjK9dJmPfPrxWAkMe1w7BeDIKNKtsrli_W_JCFpoWAw/s1600/IMG_2020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiy8mHRwRyOkWOgRbiBCJ3r2RS2d4MF5CdZ0yCO-zLY33253OUKpOjPO0xMJ-s4yXb_WkvYO6cF4gTVuzjvUE-g9yZF9hjK9dJmPfPrxWAkMe1w7BeDIKNKtsrli_W_JCFpoWAw/s320/IMG_2020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the view from the hotel suite where we hosted meet-and-greets for Chris Colfer in honor of his debut MG, THE LAND OF STORIES</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UOyoYG9gRHj6JDY4HkBdzQCBn41a70cHFBhw6u_iBfeXfdb8p2WhPK3Id0ilDnPGPtOQxDAjLBV5yb72UtefHvduksBeuvCYscfqYR8-45TP7cGoz213d-osSN_NaYEum89Zrw/s1600/IMG_0959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UOyoYG9gRHj6JDY4HkBdzQCBn41a70cHFBhw6u_iBfeXfdb8p2WhPK3Id0ilDnPGPtOQxDAjLBV5yb72UtefHvduksBeuvCYscfqYR8-45TP7cGoz213d-osSN_NaYEum89Zrw/s320/IMG_0959.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The speakeasy scene for THE DIVINERS party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyucS3uts_QMlqi76xmS5KXuqOGMGvh7lrtG8vizuGTdLDv2xM4q0ITLQNrEG6A-G5_HHwLbnsJu0i9ivrat8COifrvGSOBCQisCpYk-CBC3-KsM8ILDk5qnl0hVPQG_1UzRFKvg/s1600/IMG_0957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyucS3uts_QMlqi76xmS5KXuqOGMGvh7lrtG8vizuGTdLDv2xM4q0ITLQNrEG6A-G5_HHwLbnsJu0i9ivrat8COifrvGSOBCQisCpYk-CBC3-KsM8ILDk5qnl0hVPQG_1UzRFKvg/s320/IMG_0957.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erica Perl and Alison Morris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Iksi0W32ahu0EW01SFcNCpwPzm_NhQOl4EtpHNt1DN-qaaPrZJg33RQuYs0qOnPKaJr6CRtmGsEcx8GE9sPTLShpKoWnVPHJuOwYm6GGCSQnWZIfKwTPNl7D37mRjlRcWpg3vw/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Iksi0W32ahu0EW01SFcNCpwPzm_NhQOl4EtpHNt1DN-qaaPrZJg33RQuYs0qOnPKaJr6CRtmGsEcx8GE9sPTLShpKoWnVPHJuOwYm6GGCSQnWZIfKwTPNl7D37mRjlRcWpg3vw/s320/IMG_0956.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Libba Bray sang a few songs to entertain the crowd. She rocked!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDcobexUUlHUzWhtzQBz9-J6aUIx459nNXfLLfyq-oiEtR1sXJ7McpjsVWv7lnUCzFNofi2raHT5WuFntZAtf9WbkVmIjXqcCrMBMBH6qnILkVhNf2aILjiDAe1zXVc7HK2CBhQ/s1600/IMG_2022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDcobexUUlHUzWhtzQBz9-J6aUIx459nNXfLLfyq-oiEtR1sXJ7McpjsVWv7lnUCzFNofi2raHT5WuFntZAtf9WbkVmIjXqcCrMBMBH6qnILkVhNf2aILjiDAe1zXVc7HK2CBhQ/s320/IMG_2022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the BEA Children's Breakfast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyg-h_rNiiIF_hfqsHzM0T_QaZzjlXYM_AYcN3mjcn5RJw5kOWQvaSelvzOwsg62x7jQMzSwkAdP8IV0C7wwP5sPSzRzfK1s9bL5XD-gqZ_SejjHfIPsIfPWqu2adke9IiSM1aw/s1600/IMG_2023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyg-h_rNiiIF_hfqsHzM0T_QaZzjlXYM_AYcN3mjcn5RJw5kOWQvaSelvzOwsg62x7jQMzSwkAdP8IV0C7wwP5sPSzRzfK1s9bL5XD-gqZ_SejjHfIPsIfPWqu2adke9IiSM1aw/s320/IMG_2023.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Colfer, the charming and funny emcee, and author of THE LAND OF STORIES</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCiB41-pvN5yKD-wY5Y-xbPXIAeqYljb9gvbNTOqkSRzawKgT97bovUH5fnomKk8aERq9tsptNEt4XHQHXC1OIUalErhl66uBojQ6D8GZH1be4JhqsE5qIBq565Zx4DQdYsBxJQ/s1600/IMG_2035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCiB41-pvN5yKD-wY5Y-xbPXIAeqYljb9gvbNTOqkSRzawKgT97bovUH5fnomKk8aERq9tsptNEt4XHQHXC1OIUalErhl66uBojQ6D8GZH1be4JhqsE5qIBq565Zx4DQdYsBxJQ/s320/IMG_2035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">author Libba Bray with the huge banner for THE DIVINERS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwitJFkH6Wmk6YX9WZl7m2I1IQueufohWd26odqOdFj_nK6ok_U3Saflppuv7Ab5ftrJ7Vk-Io6zbE-iQFI8rvSQYD4GVg2LEuy1uJX1R6t7XANTbOKxBm9GysWemjnfFD1Aeew/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwitJFkH6Wmk6YX9WZl7m2I1IQueufohWd26odqOdFj_nK6ok_U3Saflppuv7Ab5ftrJ7Vk-Io6zbE-iQFI8rvSQYD4GVg2LEuy1uJX1R6t7XANTbOKxBm9GysWemjnfFD1Aeew/s320/IMG_2040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">speed dating with Libba Bray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQg0BZcvDRqU6vSM2YqpKpwNzCpOCyPRTpEYnIswozc3Zfz2AkBiPoDHHMh7ze08FTFbbTm7rHTG9SbJnCZf_kVt54Ca5mRstxIPZXIZ-_YTTVxBbU4R-xKzqP_Lhf_mgPyqXeQ/s1600/IMG_0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQg0BZcvDRqU6vSM2YqpKpwNzCpOCyPRTpEYnIswozc3Zfz2AkBiPoDHHMh7ze08FTFbbTm7rHTG9SbJnCZf_kVt54Ca5mRstxIPZXIZ-_YTTVxBbU4R-xKzqP_Lhf_mgPyqXeQ/s320/IMG_0965.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazing dessert table at the Lemony Snicket party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjCrL4SbMjZeVAPK7j35G1QpF4mraKb1CJRnyg16-nOlT7P0clWoKGuAJgIZ-M9kiSwUzSd5pog51RZdpcolfX2LM8syy6ybcetjhiwbqFaLxjkjX-inY1ZHEIuqylVg9RJcsXw/s1600/IMG_0966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjCrL4SbMjZeVAPK7j35G1QpF4mraKb1CJRnyg16-nOlT7P0clWoKGuAJgIZ-M9kiSwUzSd5pog51RZdpcolfX2LM8syy6ybcetjhiwbqFaLxjkjX-inY1ZHEIuqylVg9RJcsXw/s320/IMG_0966.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan Tingley introducing Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I also participated in the Middle Grade buzz panel where I talked about Grace's new book, <i>Starry River of the Sky, </i>coming this Fall. You can view that panel and others at the BEA livestream channel <a href="http://www.livestream.com/bookexpoamerica" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was an amazing, whirlwind conference, and I'm still catching my breath. Now back to regular life! Next up is the ALA conference in Anaheim in two weeks! And away we go again...</div>alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-74809191064002964832012-05-14T09:33:00.001-04:002012-05-14T09:33:47.686-04:00Long time no see!**Cross-posted from the <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/">Blue Rose Girls</a>**<br />
<br />
Sorry, I haven't been a very good blogger this year. What have I been up to lately?<br />
<br />
Well, in the middle of April I was in London for meetings and the London Book Fair. A colleague from subrights and I visited our UK sister companies, which included Hodder UK (both children's and adult), Orchard, Headline, Orion, and Atom (part of Little, Brown UK). We also squeezed in some sightseeing and went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, and I wandered around the Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels. We had a dinner with the international publishers of Barry Lyga's <i>I Hunt Killers</i>, and I spent a day at the London Book Fair meeting with UK agents and publishers. And I saw some old friends, too--took a trip out to a friend's home in the English countryside (kinda), and had fish and chips at the local pub, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert! Yum! I absolutely love London. I fantasized about living there, of course.<br />
<br />
The weekend after I got back, I was off to the <a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/content/creating-authentic-cultural-voice">"Creating an Authentic Cultural Voice"</a> conference, led by the amazing Donna Jo Napoli and Mitali Perkins, featuring special guest Kathryn Erskine, and editors Stacy Whitman and myself. It was held in the beautiful conference center in the Poconos--I stayed in my own private cabin! It was a beautiful, enlightening, stimulating time. Great, passionate discussions. I would highly recommend attending a conference run by Highlights--the locale itself is inspiring and beautiful (see photos <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Highlights-Foundation/195104610506943">here</a>.) I'll try to post more about this later...<br />
<br />
Work has been crazy busy--two weeks ago we had our Focus (sales) meeting for our Spring/Summer 2013 list (editors presented the list to in-house Sales for the first time), and catalog copy and ARC copy was due. All of us editors have been scrambling to get the novels on that list into copyediting, too--lots of deadlines! <br />
<br />
Also, I'm off to Singapore at the end of May for the <a href="http://www.afcc.com.sg/">Asian Festival of Children's Content</a>. Grace and I were originally going to go together, but--well, she had something come up! :) I've never been and am excited to see the city. Recommendations welcome, and if you're in Singapore, let me know! Perhaps we can meet up?<br />
<br />
And on a personal note, wedding planning is still ongoing (the big day is a little over two months away...), and I had a fun bachelorette party and wedding shower weekend amongst everything else going on--which featured Karaoke, of course! <br />
<br />
So, yes--I've been a bit busy this year...apologies for our sporadic posting.alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-54631828195484075272012-01-15T15:08:00.001-05:002012-01-15T15:08:17.629-05:002011 in reviewI've been terrible about blogging lately. But before we get too far into 2012, I thought I'd do a quick wrap-up of 2011. Not quite as detailed as <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2011/01/happy-new-year.html">my wrap-up of 2010</a>, though!<br />
<br />
I would say the highlights of last year include four main things:<br />
<br />
1) <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/01/it-was-good-ala-midwinter-2011.html">ALA Midwinter</a> in San Diego<br />
2) My trip to Australia and New Zealand in May (I blogged about it <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/05/leg-1-melbourne.html">here</a>, <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/05/leg-2-auckland-part-1.html">here</a>, <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/06/leg-2-auckland-part-2.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/06/leg-3-sydney.html">here</a>.)<br />
3) My promotion to <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/07/editorial-director.html">Editorial Director</a><br />
4) And last but not least...<a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2011/10/love-story-part-2.html">getting engaged</a>!<br />
<br />
Of course there were a lot of other things that happened last year: trips taken; movies watched; books read, acquired, edited, and published; food eaten; Karaoke sung; and more! But work did tend to dominate my life, even more than usual. Let's see if I can adjust that balance a bit this year.<br />
<br />
Also, I'd like to take a quick look at how I did with my <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2011/01/belated-new-years-resolutions-2011.html">New Year's Resolutions for last year</a>. Results in blue.:<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Don't
buy any new clothes for myself (excluding accessories and necessities,
for example: underwear, socks, jewelry, shoes, etc.)</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">I did end up buying three items of clothing--two dresses (one was for the Nation Book Awards) and one T-shirt (bought at the US Open). But overall, I did pretty well here! </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Maintain current weight (or lose)</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">I think I gained a few pounds... </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Save an average of XX a month (I'm keeping the actual amount private)</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Yes! </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Read average of 1.5 published books per month. Read at least three adult books this year.</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Yes! I read a lot this year, including quite a few </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">adult books, including: </span><i style="color: blue;">Just Kids </i><span style="color: blue;">by Patti Smith, </span><i style="color: blue;">A Visit From the Goon Squad </i><span style="color: blue;">by Jennifer Egan, </span><i style="color: blue;">Bossypants </i><span style="color: blue;">by Tina Fey, </span><i style="color: blue;">The Broken Kingdoms </i><span style="color: blue;">by N.K. Jemison, and </span><i style="color: blue;">Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? </i><span style="color: blue;">by Mindy Kaling.</span> </span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Do more cultural activities (shows, concerts, museums)--at least 10 a year</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">I think I failed at this. I went to one show (<i>Book of Mormon</i>) and to the Met once. Although I did do some cultural activities while traveling in Australia and New Zealand...but that wouldn't bring me up to ten, I don't think...</span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Eat candy no more than once a month, on average</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">I didn't overdo this, but I did fall off the wagon between Halloween and Christmas. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Get 4,000 followers on Twitter</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Yes! I exceeded 5,000 followers. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Post on bloomabilities at least once a month (I resolve to do this every year. I'm really going to do it this year!)</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Uh...FAIL! </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Clean my apt. at least a little bit once a week</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Yes, "a little" being the key phrase. </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-De-clutter and fully set-up the apt (there are still unresolved corners left over from my move in June)</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Not really, but better! </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Go horseback riding</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Yes! In <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/06/leg-3-sydney.html">Australia. </a></span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Dress up for Halloween</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Yes! <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2011/11/halloween-2011-plus-occupy-wall-street.html">I dressed as Madrigal </a>from <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone.</i> </span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Get my golf game down to 70 for 9 holes (or, at least, to the level where I can actually count my shots accurately!)</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">I actually did this twice! Once scored 68 for 9 holes, scored 70 another time. And I am at the point where I can accurately keep count. Amazing.</span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Exercise at least 120 times</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">I think so... </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Run at least a half marathon</span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Nope</span>. </span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-Go on at least two long bike rides </span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Yes! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Schedule at least one night a week for unscheduled time (you get what I mean...) </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">Nope. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
</div>
<div class="Body1" style="font-family: inherit;">
<br />
I'll keep my personal resolutions for 2012 short and sweet.<br />
-Get rid of at least 365 items (includes clothes, books, etc.) (I borrowed this resolution from Libby.)
-Exercise at least three times a week<br />
-Have fun at my wedding and don’t stress too much about the planning
-Buy no more than one new item of clothing a month on average.<br />
-No candy, except for gifts and “experiences” (and on my birthday)<br />
-Do at least 5 cultural things this year (museums, plays, etc.)<br />
-Go on at least one pure vacation (no work!). Honeymoon counts!<br />
-Work on improving my posture!<br />
-Dress up for Halloween (I figure this is an easy one to achieve each year...)<br />
<br />
And now, onwards and upwards for 2012!
</div>alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-61948440564255361852011-11-14T12:30:00.000-05:002011-11-14T12:30:01.105-05:00Play on: Picture BooksRe-posted from the <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/">Blue Rose Girls</a>.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
Breaking news: <a href="http://www.peterbrownstudio.com/">Peter Brown</a> has grown a beard! <br />
<br />
Also, he's done a great series for the Etsy blog about picture books. I adore <a href="http://etsy.com/">etsy.com</a> (most of my jewelry comes from etsy). And I adore picture books. And I adore Peter Brown. This is the perfect combination! Check it out <a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/play-on-picture-books/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xn5ni9YNowM" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
And in case you missed it, here's the <a href="http://youtu.be/xzMZMYdfrFQ">trailer</a> for <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316070300"><i>You Will Be My Friend</i></a>:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xzMZMYdfrFQ" width="560"></iframe>alvinalinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503984086482905226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21394993.post-89042637869891232022011-11-07T12:30:00.000-05:002011-11-07T12:30:02.764-05:00Halloween 2011, plus Occupy Wall StreetRe-posted from the Blue Rose Girls.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<br />
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Halloween. For the <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2010/10/happy-halloween.html">past</a> <a href="http://bloomabilities.blogspot.com/2010/03/shark-vs-train-and-happyface-book.html">few</a> <a href="http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2008/11/halloween.html">years</a>, we've had work celebrations, and it's become tradition to come dressed as characters from the books we publish. This year was no exception.<br />
<br />
Last Monday, I dressed up as the chimaera Madrigal from Laini Taylor's <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316134026">Daughter of Smoke and Bone</a>:</i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GbPq7H3cI_F5xj_HaJzILN4EKe_Q4DbceUdeOhOU25avy4t_Tcc_qp3Y0tRsndZ2Q8OLnt1GrkLDdLUzxbho14EyiAo-DGIbS1d5gZN6xX5WGZ9gYZMd42vbW8R5FpVuBKqM7w/s1600/IMG_0634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GbPq7H3cI_F5xj_HaJzILN4EKe_Q4DbceUdeOhOU25avy4t_Tcc_qp3Y0tRsndZ2Q8OLnt1GrkLDdLUzxbho14EyiAo-DGIbS1d5gZN6xX5WGZ9gYZMd42vbW8R5FpVuBKqM7w/s320/IMG_0634.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Madrigal has antelope horns--which were surprisingly hard to find. I had to make do with the devil-like horns I bought on etsy.com. The bat wings are also from etsy.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are a few of the other costumes:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU2WrYWzZfnj6kU9PtfVd7XguPnKv0iI9N_m4igZy52vVUttJWFoWqzkC8Pv3eD1AnqCuSifuyXttN656aWM1W_7c_xCf3rx4ib8DWqBY3mLMEU-euJP-6fdrDFxw1SzselNg-A/s1600/IMG_0629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU2WrYWzZfnj6kU9PtfVd7XguPnKv0iI9N_m4igZy52vVUttJWFoWqzkC8Pv3eD1AnqCuSifuyXttN656aWM1W_7c_xCf3rx4ib8DWqBY3mLMEU-euJP-6fdrDFxw1SzselNg-A/s320/IMG_0629.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie Hsu at the kid on the cover of Todd Parr's <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316084451">The I'm Not Scared Book</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacUq9RFn9wk-En2UHs-weEDWvQ1Ov69tcL20DSmSRg4PoM3BJaZvWAnn6L8_7YOIlCKHACMMqcZmRomCf1pUFpz2Q6CvZFguMPyPPzqJ2Jz4ye9fIZoqdaN4RQ-Zpk0jIT170iw/s1600/IMG_0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacUq9RFn9wk-En2UHs-weEDWvQ1Ov69tcL20DSmSRg4PoM3BJaZvWAnn6L8_7YOIlCKHACMMqcZmRomCf1pUFpz2Q6CvZFguMPyPPzqJ2Jz4ye9fIZoqdaN4RQ-Zpk0jIT170iw/s320/IMG_0643.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Smith and Ames O'Neill as the young Jane Goodall and her monkey Jubilee from <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316045469/patrick-mcdonnell/me-jane">Me...Jane</a> </i>by Patrick McDonnell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjpZlymYUJp0lFo8v8lj1glDmtVFEY5_w9DJSS6zeMDpf0QVZhW1TZYlAaHsT8hje7nZEZ_Zo64fC6wNxSFw2V88JoztFkavTVwT0YEyevg11yl9kSgoAUffi0BCNbqZ3VTxt4g/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjpZlymYUJp0lFo8v8lj1glDmtVFEY5_w9DJSS6zeMDpf0QVZhW1TZYlAaHsT8hje7nZEZ_Zo64fC6wNxSFw2V88JoztFkavTVwT0YEyevg11yl9kSgoAUffi0BCNbqZ3VTxt4g/s320/IMG_0638.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison Moore at Birdie from <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316044707">Birdie's Big Girl Shoes</a> </i>by Sujean Rim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU4vafLp6P2AFXilhLGxjklEyKqnEoAzq764OSCPWPzrNRRMrlM-kkgIuNy3pMgCCLd7mDU197nRguj1Wh_HsdmHal6btXWXEOU4bJN7rOYtcMQ7vseG0BqjTGSKt7aR-D2Cgnw/s1600/IMG_0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU4vafLp6P2AFXilhLGxjklEyKqnEoAzq764OSCPWPzrNRRMrlM-kkgIuNy3pMgCCLd7mDU197nRguj1Wh_HsdmHal6btXWXEOU4bJN7rOYtcMQ7vseG0BqjTGSKt7aR-D2Cgnw/s320/IMG_0636.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz Casal as Barry Lyga's <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316125840"><i>I Hunt Killers.</i></a><br />
(more of a creative interpretation than literal)<i><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHdmc9VE9Q37hMsOyb6AaLLP6NJ02yJ0R37TpcCbM9us5seiHNfs8GcHXoTa1Bch-q5wYnoRqflEhU8Ew7eHn0gr-LUfdEIQo_iVUFBTbUg6b99BhP3-JW-xMyc95zt6CZnNpzQ/s1600/IMG_0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHdmc9VE9Q37hMsOyb6AaLLP6NJ02yJ0R37TpcCbM9us5seiHNfs8GcHXoTa1Bch-q5wYnoRqflEhU8Ew7eHn0gr-LUfdEIQo_iVUFBTbUg6b99BhP3-JW-xMyc95zt6CZnNpzQ/s320/IMG_0630.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leslie Shumate as author Laini Taylor! Hard at work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiIkukuZ2Sh0PqhMhehLxA5QCOnBt1y0O1Pe62cnMgLMZptsA8P_cypFONoSmSqi45ZGqjwdbr6hq4W0bsamQvbzYBAvI1hL9-Bfa6wcDgDyWaWaF7rkZe7DttwiQCnirleYf2Q/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiIkukuZ2Sh0PqhMhehLxA5QCOnBt1y0O1Pe62cnMgLMZptsA8P_cypFONoSmSqi45ZGqjwdbr6hq4W0bsamQvbzYBAvI1hL9-Bfa6wcDgDyWaWaF7rkZe7DttwiQCnirleYf2Q/s320/IMG_0631.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a cake. Dressed up as a skull. Really.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBDt89YTeCulbmjBnS7cheV323wYEWUMMMQS6LTxIKCrPrm472TC27aQ67rsrkoNpnFDxgWGPyF0OTfKgad6mTFJndQw77OxIGdkuknazImPsNbsib51II6HQY701hc6KRNjnYg/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBDt89YTeCulbmjBnS7cheV323wYEWUMMMQS6LTxIKCrPrm472TC27aQ67rsrkoNpnFDxgWGPyF0OTfKgad6mTFJndQw77OxIGdkuknazImPsNbsib51II6HQY701hc6KRNjnYg/s320/IMG_0641.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me, "Laini", Faye Bi as the marionette Zuzana, and Zoe Luderitz as Karou, all from <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
There are more pictures from L,B and other publishers over at <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/49378-halloween-2011-children-s-publishers-celebrate-in-style.html">Publisher's Weekly</a>. Love all the creative costumes. Did any of you dress up?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>***</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i></div>
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<br />
Also, in case you missed it, check this out: <a href="http://occupywriters.com/works/by-lemony-snicket"><b style="font-weight: normal;">"Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance"</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;">And also see <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#45172029">Daniel Handler's interview with Rachel Maddow</a>. Good stuff.</b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"> </b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"> </b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"> </b></div>
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