When you tell a Roman that Rome is dangerous
Time travel to 1919 in Rome Gesturing to the beautiful case of pastries and sandwiches, I tried to pay a compliment. “Roma é pericoloso!” I said to the barista in the tiny, elegant Sciascia Caffe in Rome. I was practicing my limited, present-tense-only Italian. Technically, that was probably the wrong adjective ending, but the barista […]
7 Reasons Why “There’s not a moment to be lost”
Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander is an epic series and a snapshot of the creative process.
We make art and seek discoveries in the world around us out of a desire to be moved out of ourselves and a desire to share what we are with others. A story about a friendship between very different people, like Stephen Maturin and Jack Aubrey, can be the seed of many friendships. A story is a created experience, but it’s also a question: “Can you see it?”
Beauty is as ephemeral as life. We need our whole lives to find our way through or around the obstacles that separate us.
What we make is imperfect, but we have a chance at butterflies and lightning bolts. Keep your nets open. Keep your pen moving. Capture the snowflakes.
As Captain Aubrey says: “There is not a moment to be lost.”
It’s a Pilgrim Life
You can’t be a pro the first time you try something new. That’s a repeated theme in my middle grade books, but I’m still learning it! In September, I tried to hike on a famous pilgrimage route–Via Francigena. I thought it was going to work, because I got an excessively-detailed guidebook from the library, set low expectations for how far we could walk, made hotel and train reservations, and kind of expected the weather to cooperate. Because it was Italy. Read about my #PilgrimFail.
Past Adventures: Stories of Immigration
For many people, Bremerhaven was the gateway to a new life in the new world. © Laurel Decher, 2015. What did it feel like to go to America to make a new life? My family and I visited the German Emigration Museum in northern Germany. The museum is in Bremerhaven, literally “Bremen’s harbor”, so there […]
When You Can’t Keep Up with all the New Experiences
This is an epic train journey that is slowly coming down the tracks to you . . . When you can’t keep up with all the new experiences in your life, it’s overwhelming, even when the experiences are good. For many, 2023 was a year of acceleration–after the pandemic, everyone seemed to be making up […]
7 Insights from the SCBWI Europolitan Conference in Belgium
This beautiful building is the musical instrument museum in Brussels, Belgium. What is the SCBWI Europolitan? A chance to meet people who live in Europe and write for kids in English. In 2017, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Europolitan Conference was in Belgium. In 2024, it will be in Cologne, Germany. Here’s […]
Surprise Visit to a Local Printer in Germany: Druckerei Paffenholz in Bornheim
More than a tiny copy shop–this is a printing press! They are sitting on the machine that looks like a train that does the four-color printing. Source: https://druckerei-paffenholz.de/ I went into a small toy and stationery store to make a photocopy. There was a huge sign over the door “DRUCKEREI PAFFENHOLZ” and since “Druckerei” means […]
What You Say Depends on Where You Come From
View of the Protestant City Church of Monschau (Evangelische Stadtkirche Monschau) and bridge covered with flower boxes. Monschau’s “Red House.” Monschau, Germany. © Laurel Decher, 2018. Salt? Or Sugar? The charming village of Monschau is in Germany, but Americans and Belgians fill it up on busy days. It’s very close to the Belgian border and […]
One Dollar Glasses
The other day, I got my first pair of reading glasses. All of a sudden, reading, computers, knitting–even the fine print at the store–is SO much clearer. I’ve had regular glasses since the third grade, so you’d think I wouldn’t be surprised, but it’s easy to forget how much difference a new pair of glasses […]
Olives and Antifreeze ALWAYS come in Two Colors except when They Don’t.
Is your #expatfamily cranky? Heroes in every story get worn out. Sometimes the right story gives them the strength to get up and go again . . .
Maybe you need Giant Trouble . . .
#jackandthebeanstalk #boypeacemaker #chapatis #comicstripartist #bookworm
If we start now, can we IMAGINE a really wonderful, peaceful 2018?
Imaginations are powerful, how are we using ours? Note: I originally wrote this post in 2017, but it feels just as relevant to me now. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if we are spending our imaginations in the wrong direction. My husband suggested that it was about time for […]
Beauty and an Escape from Death
Note: This post was written in 2017, but it’s always a good reminder for me. Hopefully, it will help someone else. People look beautiful and shiny to me just now. When I look at families pushing baby strollers or see young couples deciding how to spend their money in the grocery store, or older couples […]