Bits 'n' Pieces -- Writers' Houseparty, California, Recipes, Inspiration, and A Driverless Vehicle!

Uh-oh.

I've gotten a little lax with my editing...

Mostly because I've been reading some Beverly Cleary -- I read her Newbery Medal winner Dear Mr Henshaw, and I read her two-part autobiography, A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet, all about growing up in Oregon and California in the 1920s and 1930s.

Which is actually rather timely, or at least her references to San Francisco (a place I haven't yet visited) are, since it's time for...

Another Writer's Houseparty!

This one will take place in San Francisco in 1860, and will start near the end of March.

"This year, the mythical fog will be transporting your people to:

San Francisco's notorious Barbary Coast, post-California Gold Rush, in 1860.

Be prepared to weave your way between gamblers, drinkers, villains and whores, and expect plenty of other challenges to arise along the way."
I love the way the mythical fog has become an actual device that we use -- it was invented by a fellow author during a previous houseparty, and is actually controlled by Charles II (or possibly the reigning monarch of the time, but Charles II is the one who comes to houseparties...).

Speaking of such tidbits of information...

I tend to take screenshots of things I mean to deal with later -- books to read, facts to research, ideas to explore, videos to watch...

I thought I'd share a few in today's post:

Can't decide if this is inspiration for a story, or just a gratuitously included photo of actor Sam Heughan


Classified ads from a Canadian newspaper from the 1920s!




Inspiration from illustrator Chris Riddell's tumblr




My first ride in a driverless vehicle!





A recipe for Mozaik Pasta (Cake).
I remember my grandmother making this. It's basically chocolate and butter and biscuits. Yum!



Hermit Crab by Peter Porter


Crash course in drawing...


The mountain is calling.
Can't decide if this is language class nonsense (it's from my Duolingo German app), or a piece of poetry...



Gorgeous!


A recipe off Pinterest


A reference to a friend who has goats, and all the editing I need to be doing...


A poem I've loved since fifth grade


I haven't tested this yet.
I'm hoping it's true!


An unpublished WWI poem


Another possibly gratuitous shot.
Am I interested in the author as a writer or because his face looks like a character?


What tidbits do you save?
Do you call them tidbits or tit bits?

Comments

So, how was the driverless vehicle?
I think in the US we say tidbits.

What did you think of Dear Mr. Henshaw. I read that with a student I was tutoring, and we also read Strider. I used to love Beverly Cleary books as a kid.
S.P. Bowers said…
I loved Dear Mr. Henshaw growing up. I can't wait for my kids to read it.

Loved the how to please a goat.

Have fun at the houseparty.
I was lucky enough to visit San Francisco with my Accomplice on our "Unofficial" honeymoon, when we left the Grand Canyon, where we were working, to visit his family in Oregon, whom I'd never met.

We moseyed across Arizona and out to the California Coast, driving up to Oregon.

I loved it. It's by far my favorite large city - I'm an avowed country girl.

We need to hear more about this driverless car.

I do save things, haphazardly. I'm beginning to think about how to approach getting some organization to it. I call it inspiration - never thought of giving it any other name!
Hi Deniz - that goat story is great ... while the chocolate 'salami' is always delicious ... such a great recipe to have at hand for a guest dish, or just the family ... I used to take them to squash suppers ... unless I did sausage rolls!

The Hidden Land poem looks interesting ... quite difficult to read - but descriptive and sad ...

I've never been to San Fran either ... one day ... and that mythical fog ... mind you finding Sam Henghan in some fog wouldn't go amiss ... sadly I think it'd be the mists of my brain!

Lovely selection of goodies - now how was that Driverless bus ... and where are you now?! Cheers Hilary
sage said…
I thought I'd posted here, but it must not have taken. Although I'm not much for a houseparty, the idea of doing on set in San Fran in the 1860s is intriguing. My doctoral dissertation was a social history set on the Comstock Lode in Nevada in that period and SF and the Lode were linked together at that time. A book on SF during the 19th Century that I really enjoyed is Oscar Lewis' "I Remember Christine" (it's a novel--I can recommend more non-fiction!)
Deniz Bevan said…
It was neat, Alex! I hadn't realised how much planning goes into it -- it's like setting up a video game. The entire route and trajectory has to be mapped out before hand, with all obstacles and angles and curves, etc., so that the shuttle knows where to go -- it's not equipped to make sudden decisions, except to stop when it sense an unexpected oncoming person or vehicle.
Deniz Bevan said…
Loved it Theresa -- I hadn't realised Strider was a sequel until I saw the back cover descriptions, now I have to get that too. I'm trying not to buy more books but it's not working...
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks all!

And thanks for the book recommendation, sage! Will add it to the wishlist...