I’ll try not to gush too much.
Bryon and I were going to go to Decorah, Ia last weekend for a research trip for the troll book I’m writing as part of the Gossamer and Veridian project. Instead, I had a bed and breakfast at the Marengo Hospital.
This weekend we were much more successful. We visited the Vesterheim Museum. We looked at all the great exhibits and took representative pictures of crafts, clothes, and home lifestyles. It was wonderful. In the museum gift shop, I picked up two great books: one a children’s book on the Scandinavian troll, and another book about Scandinavian folklore.
We stayed at the Bed and Breakfast on Broadway, which was very nice, and we visited LOTS of places of local color, because they would be useful for the book. Notably, we checked out The Hotel Winneshiek and its opera house, and Harts Tea and Tarts, locations that will be worked into the story in some incarnation. We walked around and took loads of nice pictures of the town, Phelps Park, and so on.
And we’ll go back. We couldn’t do much Norwegian stuff this weekend, but during Nordic Fest in July, we sure can, and I’ve already got it in my calendar. I also want to take a trip up around Christmas time.
***
So, the book? Originally, I thought it would be a YA, but I want to do it with a two part structure, a kid’s part and an adult part, like It. There will be all sorts of fun things: trolls, frost giants, faerie godmothers in bunad, and mischievous nisse. I’m working on the outline (and will really settle down to it after I finish my HH:PW materials, which are almost done).
Okay, so I’m gushing. I can see the possibilities for the book. That makes me upbeat, and I’m certainly not turning down any upbeat these days.
I hope your weekends were equally enjoyable.
Catherine
