tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143108242009-11-11T21:04:18.486-05:00Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.comBlogger883125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-13691945874824951712009-11-11T20:42:00.004-05:002009-11-11T21:04:18.502-05:00

This man, Sakhai Prasad, was my model for the character of Ramesh in my novel Sister India. Like Ramesh, Sakhai was an innkeeper; he was the cook and manager of the two bedroom guest flat where I spent my three months in Varanasi (or Benares). I think he's the only real-life model I ever used for a fictional character. I needed that kind of help, though, to write from an Indian's

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-71419034361111215352009-11-10T19:17:00.004-05:002009-11-10T19:20:25.467-05:00

An original mattress factory. There's something satisfying about seeing daily objects made by humans, knowing that it can be done. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-26458837509740909502009-11-09T17:27:00.003-05:002009-11-09T17:43:17.357-05:00

This photo, taken in one of the wider of the narrow alleys, called galis, of Varanasi, is part of the reason I called my novel Sister India. The other reason was that my good friend Usa who lived in the flat across the stair landing from me said that I was her Indian sister, which meant a lot to me. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-75041673645971576592009-11-08T15:09:00.006-05:002009-11-08T15:50:23.167-05:00

This intersection is the site of a crucial moment in my novel Sister India. Jill is riding a rickshaw that is trapped in a traffic jam beside a political demonstration that seems on the verge of erupting into violence.I did have that experience myself at this spot. I briefly considering walking across the bars and bench backs of rickshaws to get out of there. There was no space between the

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-4346940515754907552009-11-06T22:09:00.003-05:002009-11-06T22:24:13.185-05:00

I shot this photo of a water taxi on the Ganges during the winter I spent in Benares (also called Varanasi) doing research for my novel Sister India.I'm starting a series of photos here that I took during that trip, one of the bolder adventures of my life. The two-bedroom guest flat where I stayed was maybe a third of a kilometer into the city from the riverbank, where people bathed away their

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-80687104779932883092009-11-05T17:28:00.004-05:002009-11-05T17:31:53.791-05:00

If you ever feel worn out from long effort on any project--like finishing a book--a look at these photos can put that into perspective.They're from the ESPN sports magazine's body issue and show the wear and tear and hyperdevelopment of the bodies of athletes. These show what trying hard looks like when it's physical. They make typing feel pretty easy. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - 

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-72748091828236352092009-11-02T16:48:00.003-05:002009-11-06T11:27:24.878-05:00

My Halloween costume: Photo by husband Bob Dick. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-86784159083431491202009-10-31T15:36:00.004-04:002009-10-31T15:46:17.899-04:00

Tonight's the night. Here's my rig. It's not too late for you to break out yours. Clue: try the Goodwill. I found my ensemble at the Apex, NC, location for six bucks. I think that boils down to a millionth of a penny per shiny red dot.And so the devil walks tonight! Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-4585151562401361822009-10-30T15:25:00.004-04:002009-10-30T18:05:45.035-04:00

At the recommendation of Anonymous on the previous post, I just read a stunning article by a brave woman. "I Will Never Know Why" is Susan Klebold's story of living with the fact that her son committed murder-suicide at Columbine High School.This is one full-time brave woman. I hope her telling the story is helpful to her. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-57486483089658717332009-10-29T11:58:00.002-04:002009-10-29T12:11:32.365-04:00

The business about comparing people being bad is a cliche. Ever wonder why?It's because it's always apples and oranges. There are no equivalent situations. Even identical twins growing up in the same house have different aims and different sets of problems to solve.I think we all know that at a gut level. But it's easy to forget, especially in the case of self-judgments. The practice of

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-34714524267533100022009-10-27T19:43:00.003-04:002009-10-27T19:50:44.185-04:00

My friend with an ovarian tumor had surgery yesterday, and the news was: BENIGN.What a huge relief, and wash of gratitude. It occurred to me that in the challenges in life that require the most courage, we have no choice but to proceed. It's with the easier stuff--hang-gliding, public speaking, returning tricky phone calls--that we have a choice and can get wobbly. Maybe we should remember

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-39461533509710460312009-10-24T14:26:00.002-04:002009-10-24T14:38:39.306-04:00

Seems that letting go of the usual self-imposed structure leads to some serious sleeping. Not what I expected, but entirely predictable. I've always found that as long as I work intensely, I don't get sick. Colds, etc., happen after deadlines. And that can make a person delay in letting up.But pressing on and on is ultimately counterproductive, personally and professionally. Right now I'm

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-50154390456423234032009-10-23T17:02:00.003-04:002009-10-23T17:32:02.482-04:00

Been overworking for about a year. This morning I woke up, knew I didn't have a deadline or an appointment today, and decided against doing anything terribly productive until Monday. (Email and blogging don't count)So I'm having Ferris Bueller's day off. Husband Bob has been rambling about with me; he's half-retired and already had the day off. We've poked around in Carrboro, the Paris of the

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-20803444388522362962009-10-22T17:46:00.002-04:002009-10-22T18:05:04.954-04:00

What is it about orange that makes it a "bolder" color than the others? Bolder even than red. A field of pumpkins for example, is much more vibrant than a great pile of cucumbers or eggplant.There's probably some optical reason. In the absence of knowing what that might be, I dare to guess: orange arrives at the eye sooner than indigo? there's less orange in the typical background? it has

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-54087919875257223402009-10-21T13:35:00.002-04:002009-10-21T13:47:42.884-04:00

This is an example of why we sometimes grind our teeth and then rush to watch Jon Stewart. This is a reminder (as if it were needed) that sometimes we are beyond the reach of caricature and satire. Here is an actual quote from an online help desk individual who couldn't answer my question."...Your concern will need to be taken care by the Concerned department." Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It!

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-7645250137657703122009-10-20T11:04:00.003-04:002009-10-20T11:34:16.309-04:00

My writing group is showing its age, as one of our number pointed out last week. The group has been meeting on Thursday afternoons for 26 years and we weren't kids when we started.Recently one of the gang said she would in the future be coming only very occasionally. She has a serious chronic ailment that limits her mobility. Another has a pacemaker and continuing heart trouble. One wears

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-51996956832348800952009-10-19T13:34:00.000-04:002009-10-19T13:35:05.367-04:00

I've had report that it has recently been hard/confusing/impossible to leave a comment here.If you've had such difficulty, would you email me and let me know? ppayne51@cs.com.Thanks. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-7205570194013499192009-10-18T15:52:00.001-04:002009-10-18T16:07:22.284-04:00

A new hero of mine: Olympia Snowe, Republican senator from Maine.She's the only senator of her party to vote for the Obama-backed healthcare reform bill this week. And she has ignored right-wing doctrine before: voting against a bill to ban gay marriage. Hail, Ms. Snowe.I hope her courage and her thinking set a good example for others on votes to come. I'd never heard of her before this week,

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-17574958708488434092009-10-17T13:14:00.004-04:002009-10-17T13:25:47.273-04:00

Brisk weather is, for me, enlivening. It's the season of new resolves, freshly sharpened pencils, and perkier energy. Perhaps that's just in North Carolina, where the mugginess tends to lift by mid-October. In Chapel Hill, the temp just now is 56. The wind is north at 5 mph, and the humidity is 56%. We should arrive at 59 before the day is out--not exactly sweaty.To take advantage of any

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-810244199249542182009-10-16T10:56:00.006-04:002009-10-16T11:06:36.252-04:00

University professor meets with student to go over his work. (on Halloween) See previous post: Feeling Like the Only One? Got your Halloween costume yet? Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-47725851560011696162009-10-15T17:49:00.003-04:002009-10-15T18:30:19.401-04:00

Surfer women are the subject and the stars of a charming and inspiring new movie I went to see last night. "Dear & Yonder: Daring Stories of Ladies United by the Sea" had its Pittsboro, North Carolina premiere at Pittsboro General Store Cafe.This inland village(pop.2525), 20 minutes from my house, is where one of the auteurs grew up. Andria Lessler came back to town with her movie (three years

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-35649197474087577482009-10-14T17:02:00.002-04:002009-10-14T17:09:44.119-04:00

From Success Magazine this month: "When is the last time you rewarded yourself for failing? Probably never. Instead of mentally punishing yourself for not succeeding, buy yourself an ice cream cone and say, 'Great job! I'm one step closer to success!" On the surface this sounds silly, but celebrating failure is one of the best ways to stop letting no have a negative hold on your thoughts and

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-45836029642431166782009-10-13T18:42:00.003-04:002009-10-13T18:48:54.427-04:00

A young couple who live down the other fork of my dirt road had a baby a few weeks ago. Their first one died in infancy a couple of years ago and it was very, very hard. I'm so proud of them and their courage for starting again. They have one huge celebratory blue bow on their mailbox in the otherwise nondescript row of boxes out by the main road. Possibly the biggest and perkiest looking baby

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-61041295152651093972009-10-12T16:15:00.003-04:002009-10-12T16:34:34.363-04:00

I'm watching a friend go through a crisis and handle it in a manner that is thoughtful and purposeful and yet emotionally in touch.This same friend gets into a fury if she misplaces her sunglasses.I'm impressed. And I'm also encouraged by the thought that real trouble may call up resources we didn't know we had. I happen to get unhinged if my email doesn't do right. And I hate to think about a

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14310824.post-17272099005507125212009-10-11T16:25:00.003-04:002009-10-11T16:42:38.637-04:00

Hyper-alive today. Partly the blue sky and October air. Mainly it's being reminded by the waiting-for-news friend I posted about yesterday and then seeing last night another pal who is increasingly disabled. I'm worried for both of them and yet overwhelmingly glad we're all three alive. And one more thing, I just left the reunion of participants in a June writing workshop at Meredith

Peggy Paynenoreply@blogger.com2