I am Going to Dedicate My Book to My Husband

by Marinka on November 23, 2009

I wake up on Saturday morning and announce to Husbandrinka that the first order of business is that I am going to write two pages of my MS.

“That’s good,” he says.  “That’s how real writers do it.”

“How do you even know that?” I ask.  Because Husbandrinka is very Kelcey when it comes to reading.

“I went to college and I’ve been to Victor Hugo’s house in Paris,” he explains, although I’m playing fast and loose with the definition of explanation.

“If you write 2 pages a day for a whole year, you know what you’ll have?” He pauses before continuing. “Too many pages and your book will be unsaleable.”

“Oh.”

“But you should just get it all out, and then go back to edit.”

“That’s a good idea, but I have to call my parents sometimes, because I don’t know some things.”

“Like what?”

“Like how I had an illiterate nanny.”

“Illiterate?”

“Yes.”

“Really illiterate?”

“Yes.  It wasn’t that uncommon.  My great-grandmother was illiterate, too.”

“She was?”

“Yes.”
“Which one?”
“My mother’s grandmother.”

“I was going to say. No Jew has ever been illiterate” (editor’s note: Papa is Jew, Mama is not.  Also, there is no editor, but I didn’t want to call it Marinka’s note.)

“Anyway, my illiterate nanny was my grandmother’s patient.  You know, my grandmother the psychiatrist.”

“Your illiterate grandmother was a psychiatrist?”

“No, papa’s mother was a psychiatrist,” I tell him.  “Mama’s grandmother was illiterate.”

“Oh.”
“And my nanny was her patient. You know, back in the Soviet Union, people didn’t seek out therapy because their lives were unfulfilling.  They got sent to a psychiatrist because they were insane.”

“Not even Jews?”
“Not even Jews what?”
“Didn’t Jews go to therapy just because?”
“No.  The Soviet Union in the 60s was not like the Upper West Side in the 80s.  Besides my nanny wasn’t Jewish.”

“I know, she was illiterate.”

At this point, my daughter came in, apparently having overheard part of our conversation.

“Was your nanny crazy?” she asks.

“No, she wasn’t crazy, she was just-”

“Different?” my daughter asks.  Because we all know that different is the socially acceptable crazy.

“No,” I laugh for no apparent reason.  “She was just older.  She was older than I was.”

Yes, I told my daughter that from the age of six months to five years old, I was being taken care by a nanny who was older than I was.

Talk about different.

_______________________

That was Saturday. On Sunday, my daughter and I were in for a real treat.  Read about it here.

If you are new here, did you know that I was one of The Mouthy Housewives? It’s true.  Today, I am giving a mom advice about her young daughter who wants to see New Moon.  Behold the wisdom.

One year ago ...

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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

Kathy November 23, 2009 at 1:58 am

I think 2 pages a day is too much go for one a day totally do able for a busy NYC mom like yourself.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Sundays In My City- Bremen =-.

Reply

Marinka November 23, 2009 at 8:09 am

OMG, I can’t believe that you’re trying to slow down my progress by appealing to my laziness. Nicely done.

Reply

Belle Bamford November 23, 2009 at 5:07 am

You had a nanny?

Reply

stina
Twitter:
November 23, 2009 at 7:57 am

my dad had german nannies, but doesn’t recall much about them. he had to eat with them in the kitchen for many years, while his parents ate in the dining room. i did not grow up like that. 2 pages is about what i could handle. wish i had written down my dreams of vampires. i would have a german nanny for my kid now. take care.

Reply

amy2boys
Twitter:
November 23, 2009 at 9:27 am

So, how do you feel this older crazycakes nanny affected your early development Marinka? Zero to five are the most formative years, as we all know. What exact elements of your personality do you attribute to this episode in your life? (Dude, this may explain a lot. heh.)
.-= amy2boys´s last blog ..Harvard Beets =-.

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Aunt Becky
Twitter:
November 23, 2009 at 10:56 am

Suddenly, I am seeing you in a whole new light.
.-= Aunt Becky´s last blog ..Aunt Becky Finds Her Missing Piece =-.

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Heather, Queen of Shake Shake November 23, 2009 at 2:04 pm

So you’re telling me I can go to Russian with my craziness and get a job as a nanny? That is awesome since here in the US, I can’t even get a job as a receptionist.
.-= Heather, Queen of Shake Shake´s last blog ..A Dictionary Ate Me Alive: My Road to Being Published =-.

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Carolyn Online
Twitter:
November 23, 2009 at 7:25 pm

And now I can’t wait for the book to come out. Also, I’m curious about the casting for the movie.
.-= Carolyn Online´s last blog ..Seriously? My life has come to this? =-.

Reply

Madge November 23, 2009 at 8:28 pm

who is going to play all of us in the movie? that’s what i want to know.
.-= Madge´s last blog ..i don’t even know who i am anymore =-.

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