It worried me when I decided to buy my daughters antique kimonos to wear as Halloween costumes.

I’d met a woman, who’s since become a fun and friendly acquaintance, who made modern day outfits from ancient kimonos, but pretending to be a geisha savored a little of racism and something-else-ism I couldn’t quite name. Although my daughters are Latina and one has a tiny bit of Asian heritage, too, I felt weird, as though I were dressing them as cowboys and Indians. And they were none too happy either. Both these girls deplore “dressing up,” and I was taking advantage of their relative youth (they are 8 and 11) to push my idea on them for one last moment. They gladly would have made their Halloween costumes from duct tape and paper bags.

When they arrived, the kimonos, along with the obi and hair ornaments, were stunning in my girls’ long straight black hair, which I looped up. But still, when I was a kid we dressed as “hobos.” And now that would be dressing up for Halloween as homeless people.

Then, I remembered my almost-favorite song, from the opera Madama Butterfly, in which my great friend, Kitt Reuter-Foss, has famously appeared many times. It was only the second opera my children had ever seen and remains my favorite. The song, of course, is ‘Un bel di’ vedremo,’ which more or less means “One fine day, he’ll return to me.”

Mia would be Butterfly, France her stauncher sidekick, Suzuki. It was all better. In the twinkle of a thought, my kids had gone from stereotypes to characters of legend.

On the night after they’d finished trick or treating (when for once it did not snow, rain or hail) I told my daughter Mia the story of Butterfly.

I told her about the beautiful geisha and her little son, Trouble, her joy and her sorrow, and how she had to give him away to his birthfather and basically died from grief.

“She was all he had,” Mia said, her own great brown eyes brimming. “What if you were Butterfly? How could you give me up?”

Well, I couldn’t of course, though I know some mothers through adoption have had to do just that – surrender the babies born of trouble they loved more than living to birthparents who changed their minds or cleaned up their acts. And though I know our culture considers the biological bond primal. In my case, no one ever can be my Mia’s mother as I am – no one ever can be my Francie’s Mama as I am. And yet, there are nights I think of the Butterflies who gave my daughters and son to me… and wonder if they think, one fine day…

For I would. When he was small, my son Dan, who also was adopted, said once of his birthmom, “It’s too bad. She never got to know a great kid.”

Some exciting things are happening in my life.

I'll be administrating One Writer's Place in Brewster, MA, a short-term residence for up to three authors in any genre (including science fiction, horror, fantasy and children's).

These will be residencies for real people with real jobs. A two-week commitment won't be required. A two-month commitment won't be required. Stays can be as short as one week, Saturday to Saturday, or as long as four weeks. (The four-week stay can be only in November.)

Residents will be responsible only for their own food, transportation and a $150 cleaning fee -- $300 if there are more than three residents together who want to split it.

One Writer's Place will accept applications starting in January for September, 2008 residencies.

Since this is not a "writer's colony" with large meeting rooms and gathering spaces, but a sort of adapted private home, same-gender residents will usually be matched. Couples can apply only if they work together in business.

Art forms that don't require carpet cleaning, sanding, sound-proofing and welding (such as photography and songwriting) also will be considered.

Residencies will be offered in April, May, the first week in June and in September, October and November. A private party will use the place in August and my own residency will be in July.

Writers need not be previously published and will require three character references along with a four page sample and an outline. The residence will take a $500 damage deposit, and refund it if the house is in the same shape as it was when the resident arrived.

It's a beautiful area, hauntingly east coast and a bit wild still (with a four-star restaurant a block away).

The great mystery writer Thomas H. Cook lives right around the corner in a hollow tree....My friends, the wonderful novelists Sara Pennypacker (the 'Clementine' books and 'My Enemy's Cradle') and Anne LeClaire ('Entering Normal' and 'The Lavender Hour') are nearby as well as Sally Gunning and others. You might even catch a glimpse of Mary Higgins Clark.

It's near both Cape Cod Bay and the Nantucket Sound; and it seems to me that water is Holy Communion for writers and artists.

Eventually (perhaps more "ventually" than eventually -- as my daughter Mia says -- if things go as I hope) I'll begin one-to-three weekends.

These will involve three writers, three works, one teacher, and that will be yours truly.

They'll be intensive seminars, for writers with books or long-form non-fiction, who really need that "push" toward publication, whether it be structural, conceptual or understanding the vagaries of publishing. The form will be classes and intensive teaching in the mornings, writing and revision in the afternoon; lodging, lectures by some special guests, communal meals and a fair price.

To apply for a residency at One Writer's Place, write to me for an application at jackie@jackiemitchard.com.

You'll receive an application form, three forms for endorsement letters, and, if you are given a residency, rules, regs, an indemnity form and where to find a doctor, a taxi, or even a personal chef if you don't want to live on bagel-and-tomato sandwiches.

I hope you'll enjoy sharing in this dream. I know I will!

Yours,

Jackie M.