ellenkushner: (Default)
[personal profile] ellenkushner
For the past week, Delia & I have been with friends in a perfect little jewel of a colonial town in Mexico.  We're in a huge glorious palazzo of an 18c house together on a writing retreat, and while I fear I have spent far too much of my time trying to raise funds and attract stations to our Witches of Lublin show for April, I have managed to complete, polish & submit a short story to Jonathan Strahan's YA Witches anthology - a whole 2 days before the deadline, yet!  (Those who know me of old will know what a crazy achievement that is.)  I've also  - after a fair amount of dithering & taking counsel of the assembled colleagues - officially begun a new novel.  Of which more later.  And I've listened to other people's plot points, and read assorted mss., and counseled in my turn.  And eaten lots of amazing Mexican food, and found the massive rings I've always wanted (one rocky opal, one labradorite), and gotten very nearly enough sunlight to banish all mooligrubs . . . and found myself living in a gloriously aesthetic and luxurious space that is the sort of place one usually visits only in dreams.  There is a colonnaded courtyard with a fountain, into which bougainvillea blossoms drop and float.  Here is a photo of Delia working in it:




(There really is a fountain in the middle.  I guess I must be standing behind it.  I will try to post more photos, if I can find a way to do it without being too annoying.)

Date: 2011-02-26 08:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kateelliott.livejournal.com
Wow. Looks lovely.

Man, I lived 8 months (2 months first time, 6 mos the second) in Mexico, but it wasn't like this!

Date: 2011-02-26 09:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/
That sounds delectable.

Date: 2011-02-26 11:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gilda-elise.livejournal.com
What a lovely house! I ca certainly see the attraction.

And a new book—what great news!

Date: 2011-02-26 12:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jennygordon.livejournal.com
What a beautiful place, and what gorgeous rings - thanks for sharing. Labradorite is one of my favourite stones, though I've never seen it in a setting like that before. There's something really magical about it. Enjoy the rest of your stay.

Date: 2011-02-26 01:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wildwose.livejournal.com
The pictures not real.
We can all see that. You've used faerie magic to stick poor Delia in some Colonial era painting. Probably with those new magic rings of yours. Shame on you Ellen, taking one little tiff and banishing her to such a glorious, wonderful, sun-drenched....wait...could you use a bit of that on me? Delia looks lonely.

Date: 2011-02-26 02:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] girasole.livejournal.com
This made me just sigh with pleasure: for the beauty of the setting; for the magic of the rings; for the promise of new writing.

Date: 2011-02-26 03:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] coffeeem.livejournal.com
Dang, those rings are magnificent. Like some ancient family heirloom laden with dark history. Wear in much happiness!

Date: 2011-02-26 04:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] csecooney.livejournal.com
Those rings look like they could pwn a Dark Lord!

New short story! New NOVEL! Courtyard! Fountain! Time! Sunshine!

All the good things in life. You haven't mentioned food, but I bet it's glorious.

Writer's retreat

Date: 2011-02-26 05:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moonmothx.livejournal.com
I am agog.

No, I am two gogs.

I just got back from my own writer's retreat. It rained every day except for the day it snowed.

This because the Connecticut shore of Long Island Sound in February is different from Mexico in February.

I'll have to take that information into account next time...

On the upside: Two cats plus fireplace plus rainy day have their own charms.

- Rosemary

Date: 2011-02-26 10:06 pm (UTC)
ext_47048: (Default)
From: [identity profile] jay-of-lasgalen.livejournal.com
LOL! Love the caption on the rings. And the house looks stunning. I've never been to Mexico - now I want to.

Date: 2011-02-27 02:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] natesmomclaire.livejournal.com
Wow! I think it's the trees, roots, stalks or whatever those are climbing up the columns (bouganvillea?) that turn a beautiful place into just a stunningly gorgeous one. Enjoy it!

October 2014

S M T W T F S
   1234
567891011
121314151617 18
19202122232425
262728293031 

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Aug. 1st, 2025 02:48 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios