my pet project

I am enjoying my Robert's Snow retirement. It's quite a relief not running a fundraiser. However, I also feel slight pangs of guilt. With Robert doing well, I don't want to forget what got him here.

Which is why I have joined THE PET PROJECT: PICTURE BOOK ART FROM THE HEART.
It's an illustration show and charitable online auction with a unique bent. Each of the 29 illustrators involved have chosen their favorite charity or 'pet project' for their illustration's bidding to benefit. It's kind of like Robert's Snow, but not on snowflakes and only 29 artists who chose their own charity.

So, of course, I have chosen the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as my charity. And, I've chosen what I consider to be my best piece of artwork (above, isn't it pretty? Don't you want it?) from my recent book One Year in Beijing to be the piece sold. It's an original and I hope it goes for big bucks.

The auction opens on eBay on 10/5/06. If you would like to be alerted when the auction opens, enter your email address at The Pet Project Website: http://www.mypetproject.org/

I'm going to the Exhibit opening in Maine, with good friend Anna Alter who has also chosen Dana-Farber as her charity. So if you're in the area, come on by, say hello and place a bid. If you're far away, no problem--just bid away online!

If you think about it, I bet you know someone close you who has had cancer or has been affected by it and here's a chance to help. I don't want to go on and on about it, as I've said it already here during the Robert's Snow event, so suffice to say bidding for my art (and Anna's) is for a GREAT cause.

Opening:
Thursday, October 5, 2006 from 6:00-8:00 PM Zero Station
222 Anderson Street, Portland, Maine
Directions: http://www.zerostation.com/zero2/directions.htm
The Pet Project Website: http://www.mypetproject.org/

good luck

My luck seems to come in waves. Never a smooth balance of good and bad, I seem to be deluged with either sorrow or joy. Now, I am definitely on the upswing, because not only is Robert's health good, my agent gave me some news about my upcoming book Lissy's Friends. It seems that Merrymakers has officially made an offer for the licensing rights and there will be a...

LISSY DOLL!!!

Yes, it's true. That little Asian girl in my painting is going to be made into a plush doll. The book and the doll will be released on the same day, May 17th...which also happens to be my birthday! I think it's a sign. I'm going to have to have a BIG book/birthday party! Who wants to come?

reliving normality

Friday, September 22nd was perhaps the best day of my life so far. Nope, no book deals or winning lottery tickets, but those things are mere nothings. Because, Robert has been declared in remission…and given a three month vacation from treatment, possibly longer.

Our doctor warned us not to get too excited, as his disease is quite persistent; and there’s a high probability that he will have to go back on treatment after 3-6 months. But, after 3 years of the rollercoaster, we’ll take it. It’ll be the first time in 3 years that Robert will not have some kind of toxic chemical running through his body. It’ll be the first time in 3 years that we won’t have to navigate around steroid induced mood swings, curative pain or medicinal fatigue; or be troubled about germs or low blood counts. It’ll be the first time in three years that I can schedule an event without counting the days to his next treatment week or worry about canceling last minute because of an unexpected chemo complication. It’ll be the first time in three years that we’ll be free.

And to be honest, we’re not sure what to do. It’s as if we’ve come out of a cave and our eyes are dazed by the sun. “It’ll be good for you to live a normal life for a little while, “our doctor said. But we don’t remember what normal is.

However, we’re happy to try.

soup days

Whenever I am on a deadline, we eat soup. I reserve a morning cutting up vegetables, throw it in a pot and make a large pot of chicken soup. And that is what we eat. For days. I do this so that I don't have to cook for the rest of the week and am free to forget about meals as I paint and write away. Recently, these soup days have occurred more often than desired by my husband, who says he has nightmares of drowning in soup. I almost feel guilty, but then I remember he is the one that forgot what a saucepan was after we said our wedding vows.

anger leaves me sad

Alvina's recent post about race has made me rather introspective--making me examine the journey to my own professional identity. But this entry that I recently found wipes away my attempts of detached intellectualism and leaves me sad.

forgetting the fragile thread

When Robert is struck by food poisoning,the violent vomiting scares me into hyperactivity. What if? What if? For we have been lulled into complacency, the quiet chemo weeks come and go and we've forgotten what real normalcy is. Because this is our normal--days which pass like pearls on a string that is really a fragile thread that ties us together.

grace and the giant ...

Recently, I've been rereading one of my favorite children's books James and the Giant Peach. Since then, I've had many a giant fruit sighting. Perhaps something is calling me to write...

Grace and the Giant Orange? Don't like that? How about...

Grace and the Giant Strawberry?

Too bad I wasn't able to get a photo of the giant pineapple.

no labor Labor Day

I'm taking the day of work and am goofing around...hence this little quiz, "What's your personality type?" (Thanks, Alvina!). When I was in high school, my history teacher gave us all in depth personality quizzes and then gave us the results the next day. After we each read our results, he asked all who felt that the quiz depicted our personality correctly to raise their hands. Everyone did. Then he told us that he had given us all the exact same analysis--a memorable lesson on interpretations.

You Are An INFJ

The Protector You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity. Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is. You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience. You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them. You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher.

What's Your Personality Type?

quilt square

While I was procrastinating from my real (paying) work, I made this quilt square for a charity group in PA. I like it even though when I showed off the finished product, Ki-Ki said, "You don't know how to quilt, do you?"
"Um, no," I said.
"You can tell," she said.
Oh, well!

bicycle blues

Today my bike got a flat tire and I had to walk it over 2 miles to a bike shop. Suddenly, I have a newfound disgust for the slowness of walking. Especially in the rain.

jury duty

Today I have jury duty. It seems to be an age-old joke that “everybody knows how to get out of jury duty.” How do they? Is it a secret passed on from generation to generation? As an American rite of passage I seem unable to complete the ritual.

Even my Taiwanese-born mother has mastered the art. When she was mailed her white slip of paper, she dutifully showed up at the courthouse. But when they asked her if she had any reasons why she shouldn’t be on a jury, she said with her thickly accented English, “Yes. I don’t understand what you are saying.” She was allowed to go home.

I, however, speak perfect English, have no criminal record and have no racial biases that I wish to associate myself with. But I have no yearning to serve on a jury either, I have mounds of work and deadlines waiting. What to do?

Right now, just sit in the jury waiting room, and hope that my number is not needed.

patience

Ah, I was so excited in my last post because I thought I had finished "Year of the Rat." But nothing like a good night's sleep and a day to ponder to realize my overstatement. Because upon rereading, I realized a major flaw and started gutting the poor thing. It'll be worth it, I know, but sometimes the "writer's journey" is frustrating; and--I don't care what other people say--quite unsatisfactory when you're on it.

But as I was grouching about revisions, in my inbox came this really sweet and strangely apropos e-mail (name withheld but exact typos & spelling included):

I love the novel "year of the dog"! I think it might have been one of the best books i have ever read this year! I am only 11 years old. I am chinese and part american(kind of like what's in your book). I was born in 1994 which is the year of the dog. I was wondering... If you can ever just ever maybe write back. Cause I love your books so much!!! Year of the dog is a story kind of like my life. I have not yet found some one just like me untill i read your book. I relized that sometimes when you want something you will just have to be patient no matter how bad you want it.

Thank you for your time
-----------
(as know'n as your #1 fan)

If she can be patient, I suppose I can too.

12:56 AM

This morning at 12:56 AM I finished my novel, The Year of the Rat! That sounds a bit overdramatic, but when you've slaved for what feels like years you indulge in some theatrics...

double love

At Chinese weddings the symbol for happiness is repeated so it means double happiness.

And that is how I feel about my bike. After I got it, I loved it. I’ve never had any sport-like activity I’ve enjoyed more. Disregarding my work, I’ve biked almost every day, sometimes getting up at 7 AM (which for a freelancer is unheard of).

So what could make me love it more? How about if my adored husband biked with me? Why, what a wonderful idea! I think I’ll buy him a bike and double my happiness…

feeding the fish

I have had a checkered past in Montreal. It was the place where Robert proposed and it was also the place where he was diagnosed with cancer the first time. So it's been a place of extreme highs and lows.

But even when things were at their lowest, one of thing that never failed to fill me with a sense of peace, if not joy, was when we went to the lake and fed the fish.

I know it seems silly and corny. But when the bright orange fish glide through the murky green water, I'm always struck on how beautiful it is. It's my visual reminder to stop and smell the roses, to let go of the fears of the past and future and to appreciate the moment that I have.

It's a good thing I don't have those fish at home. They'd be obese.

my new ride

I've been searching all summer for an activity that I could enjoy and get me out of the house, because nothing makes me grumpier than realizing that a beautiful day has happened and I've spent it indoors at my desk.

However, running has lost it's appeal (in 90 degrees, forget it!) and walking is to slow (all I do is think about how I have to get back and work). So, the new solution was biking...all I needed was to get a bike.

So I did. And I heart it. Not only is it green and pretty, nothing brings back the wonder of childhood as you whiz downhill, with the wind in your hair. Such a simple pleasure, but priceless.

I was a little disappointed with the boring color of my helmet, so Robert put some pink flames on it to jazz it up. He knew then I'd be more likely to wear it. Since I'm not the most accomplished rider, he's afraid I'll crack my skull. I don't have that fear...the only thing I'm scared of is someone will steal my shiny new bike.

quality not quantity

Even as a child, I never had a great many friends. This used to bother my in my teenage years, when I looked with envy at the popular girls with entourages. Giggling and perky, those girls had so many friends that there wasn't enough room at the lunch table for all of them. Jealously, I thought they were favorites of fortune-- their value increasing with each friend they had.

However, that was many years ago. Thankfully, those teenage years are over and I can now see how blessed I am with the friendships I've been given. A reminder of this was given to me this past weekend, when all the girls got together here in Boston. We celebrated Libby's birthday with pink cupcakes (cupcakes seem to be a trend, first Alvina gave me a cupcake necklace, then I sent some cupcakes to fuse8 and to Alvina, and now even more cupcakes for Libby); and once again I remembered how wonderful it was to have real, true friends. We even started a blog together(it's all children's book shop talk, come and join the fun!).

So, I can truly say I've grown up a bit. I no longer care that I don't have enough friends to fill an address book--in fact, I can count all of them with my two hands. But if you think about it, two hands is all I really need.

summer school

Last week I was invited to read at a summer program in Cambridge.

Since it is the summer, I quite wasn't sure how interested the kids would be. So, when I began my temperature-testing introduction it was with a bit of trepidation. This intro is my special way of starting my presentation so I know what I'm in for. It goes like this:

"Hello, first graders!" I say.
"Hello!" they say.
"Do you know who I am?" I ask, bracing myself, "Who am I?"

Now if that question is met with silence or odd expressions, I know I am in for a rough time. Usually, I break out into a cold sweat and then I do everything short of dance with a monkey to try to engage the kids. I think most authors would agree that there are very few worse fates than trying to do an author visit with students who don't know (or care) who you are...

But, at this visit, I knew I was going to be okay because, at the appropriate time, all the kids yelled, "GRACE LIN!"

phew!

Their teacher was relieved too, considering all the work she had done to get them ready for my visit. Not only had she gotten them excited about our kite project (making kites just like my book Kite Flying). She also had them plant Chinese vegetable seeds (like in The Ugly Vegetables):




And paint their favorite foods (like in Dim Sum For Everyone!):



Thank you, teacher!

a true story

on april fool's day
stella told her husband
she wanted to adopt
a baby gorilla
if they didn't adopt it
it would be put to sleep
she loved gorillas
and even sent him a photo

after thinking about it
her husband said
okay
we do have a really big house
let's go talk to them and
adopt the gorilla

this is an april fool's day joke
stella laughed
i can't believe you fell for it and
that you would be willing to
adopt a gorilla
for me

I would adopt
anything
for
you
he said

this story made me cry

up for air

I've been smothered by origami paper and japanese fabric as I paint the pictures for my new book "Lissy's Friends." I'm quite pleased with this particular painting, but of course that is what I say that now. By the time the book comes out, my opinion has changed and nothing seems as enchanting as it once was.