Corinne Bowen

This is yet another reason why I love my neighborhood. How could I resist taking a picture of this lovely Hampden front yard? These are the kinds of scenes that spark my imagination for future characters and settings. I snapped this picture while walking to the post office last week. I’ve stayed true to my daily strolls and sun salutations and it makes a world of difference!

I’m back in Charm City, but I’ve been on the road for the past five days. First stop was dinner at Candle 79 with the CSL crew. Next stop was Jersey City for a weekend filled with friends and Indian food. Next month I’ll be part of an Indian wedding and to get us in the spirit of this joyous occasion, we watched Bride and Prejudice. Twice. You’ve probably already guessed that this is the Bollywood adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. My dear Jersey City friend had these guys (below) on her shelf and they made me smile.

On Sunday, I headed to CSL headquarters in Woodstock, NY and I was back on the road by Tuesday night! I’m happy to be home and looking forward to a relaxing weekend of reading, writing, and seeing friends and family. I finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (AMAZING) and started Nicole Peeler’s novel, Tempest Rising. It’s a fun and adventerous read and I’m excited to dig in more this weekend, rather than reading a few pages a night. Speaking of which, it’s time to do a few more manuscript edits and jump in bed!

Top: New writing nook! Last Friday, Steve and I went to the magical world of Ikea to purchase a new desk and lamp. Our official office space does not have a door and it was driving me bonkers. After a few weeks away from novel #1 (and starting novel #2!) I’ve returned to #1 to do a final round of revisions before writing the dreaded query letter. Exciting!

Middle Left: Discovering this tiny Buddha statue last week seemed to symbolize turning over a new leaf. I started taking a walk each day for about a half hour in a nearby park and it makes a world of difference to my mental health. Last week was filled with yoga, green juice, raw foods, walks, and cacao smoothies. I also cut out my beloved vegan cookies and cupcakes. I felt like a new person. This stuff really works. On Monday, I found Buddha nestled in the leaves. The next day, I returned with a pink flower and found that I wasn’t the only one bringing gifts to this guy. He’s pretty popular. The small act of visiting the miniature stone statue enriched my entire day. So many small beauties can enter your life when you take the time to let them in. Thanks, Buddha, I’ll be back Monday.

Middle Right: Hampden’s Christmas on 34th Street has returned and it should not be missed. Steve and I strolled down the street with cups of hot coffee one evening to feast our eyes on this kitchy wonder. Yet another event that makes Hampden charming and quirky. I feel very lucky to live here.

Bottom: The Pea. She had no problem with this. Adorable? I think so.

Every time I take a walk with Steve, we find unique nooks and crannies in our little neighborhood. Above are some of the gems we came across this afternoon. I love recording them here, so that I’ll never forget them, but I don’t have to clutter my brain (or home) with every charming memory. The image I created above too small to do it justice, but I’m too tuckered out to re-size it. Maybe later…

The mural is painted under someone’s porch on a quiet, hidden street that we hadn’t yet discovered in our three years living in Hampden. It’s creepy and fascinating and totally unexpected. Seeing this art amongst plastic pink flamingos, dead flattened rats on the asphalt, and foul-mouthed kindergartners was refreshing. The peace sign is something that Steve insisted I snap a picture of and include here. At this point of our walk I was sweaty, crabby, and ready to crank our A/C window unit. He was relentless though and as always I’m happy he forced me to take the damn picture.

I’m back in Woodstock for the week! The drive here was very enjoyable because I had the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead and Gone on audiobook. I barely noticed the time go by and now I’m speaking in a southern accent in my head. This always happens when I watch True Blood or listen to one of Charlaine Harris’ audiobooks. I also watched the True Blood panel from Comic-con 2009. I hope someday to be in Charlaine Harris’ shoes, sitting amongst the actors that have brought my characters to life. I have Alan Ball on my vision board because frankly he is a genius and who wouldn’t want him to adapt your writing into television series? If you haven’t seen Six Feet Under, run, buy, watch, now.

It’s always revitalizing to be in Woodstock. I’m surrounded with two of the most creative people I know and I live in the middle of the Catskills. Fresh air, green everywhere, and mountains in every direction. This town has very little in common with Baltimore, but it is bustling with it’s own flavor of quirkiness and charm. I’ll be sure to snap lots of photos.