thinklings

Eagle Harbor Customer Thank You - And That is How I Feel About our Inklings Customers, Too

2010-03-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

This appeared in a publication called Shelf Awareness this morning. It is so sincere and well-said that I wanted to share it with my readers, too.

Our Customers: An Appreciation

This lovely tribute to bookstore customers appeared recently in the e-newsletter of Eagle Harbor Books, Bainbridge Island, Wash., and was written by Eagle Harbor senior bookseller Ann Combs, the author of Helter Shelter and Smith College Never Taught Me to Salute, among others, and "a pillar" of the store's used book department.

As we continue to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Eagle Harbor Books, we would be remiss if we didn't mention the fact that one of the best things about working here is our customers: the small children who march into the store and know exactly where they are going even when a visiting grandparent doesn't, the people who patiently follow us around the store as we search for a book the computer assures us is available.

We delight in customers who come to us for recommendations when they are about to go on a trip, or need a birthday present for a son-in-law and are particularly pleased when they come back later to report that our suggestion was a big success.

We appreciate the customers who understand when a book takes longer to order and bring into the store than expected.

We're grateful to those of you who tell us that you may check on the availability of a book on Amazon but "I come here to buy it."

We listen when you describe your own favorite books, and we often find ourselves adding them to our own bedside stack.

You customers amaze and intrigue us with your varied interests and opinions.

We enjoy the conversations, the banter, the laughter. And we're thrilled that you customers come in to browse, to meet friends, to get a treat for your dog and simply to say hello.

No wonder the 40 years seem to have sped by in a minute.

One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest

2010-03-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have the flu. I haven't been sick with a cold or flu in years. I never get a flu shot, but maybe I should have this time. It all started with losing my voice, an experience I find exhausting. Jim couldn't hear me and I certainly could not make myself understood over the phone. I left work on Thursday night to head for a Love, INC comedy night fundraiser and just felt myself getting increasingly sicker by the moment, so I drove right past the venue and came home. Yesterday, I went to work for about an hour, just to order the books, then drove home and home never looked so good.

It is so frustrating to be sick. I always think I'll read, but my eyes are aching and watering making reading very difficult. I lay on the couch watching a hawk soaring in the blue sky above the greening trees across the pond. I listen to the ducks quacking their undying devotion to one another during this nesting season. I drink more water, eat another orange and sleep a little.

Oh, and the cuckoo part. I feel very disoriented and out-of-my-routine. I'm a bit dizzy. I do have some extra time to pray for some friends who are dealing with far more serious issues than being sidelined for a few days. I do have some extra time to think. But, most of all, I do have some extra time to be loved. When I'm sick, I miss the cool, soft hand of my mother on my forehead. I miss her. But, I have a dear husband who made me some comfort food last night - tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. He loves me even though I'm kind of mess. He reminds me of Someone who loves me like that all of the time. The truth is I'm always kind of a mess.

The Slowing of the Fast

2010-03-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

It is Monday. I'm gathering up the pieces of paper from my purse and around the house. To keep a record of my Media Fast this weekend, from 5 pm Friday night to 5pm Sunday night. I had to write, as with a pen, down my thoughts. Huh.

I realized, somewhere along the line, that because daylight savings time was beginning, I'd need to extend to 6pm to honor my original commitment. So, for 48 hours, I stayed away from all social media, the newspaper, radio and tv. I decided not to listen to music either to just give my brain and soul some quiet. I did not start out with the phone included, but ended up staying away from it as well. Because Carrie's baby shower was yesterday and I was involved in some logistics, I did use the phone for a total of 3 short conversations with my daughters. I've given you a kind of timeline below and some of what I felt in the process.

Friday afternoon - 4:54pm A last check of email and facebook. There doesn't appear to be anything here that can't wait until Sunday evening. Heading home, planning to Google some medical information, but I stop myself and realize, as I'm idling in the bank drive up, that I'll need to use the old print medical dictionary. I'm looking forward to this evening and we have yummy leftover stew and rolls to make an easy dinner.

5:32pm - Just pulled into the garage after realizing at 5:27 that the radio in the car was on! and I was half listening to NPR news. Came to my senses when I realized that I had just heard and was worrying about the prevelence and incurable status of herpes in the US. Didn't need to know that. What a habit I have developed of flipping on the radio as soon as I get in the car. Feeling sorry, I have "failed" less than 1/2 hour into my fast! Ok, I'm going to shake it off and continue.

Home earlier than usual, I read until 6:45pm and even dozed for a few moments. My reading, first of the medical dictionary and then The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, was disturbed by occasional glances at my iphone, face-down bedise me. I was thinking of all the forbidden emails and facebook frivolity hidden inside. I had a mental image of breaking it open and peeling it back to get at the meat of data concealed from my sight.

Jim is home now. Time to put together our simple meal and Trader Joe's Three Buck Chuck Shiraz. Now on to an equally delicious evening of reading.

7:25pm Nice dinner is over and Jim is reading the Yakima Herald. Oh man! I love the Friday edition with the ON magazine section! Rats. Oh well, back to my book.

7:45pm Thinking about tomorrow and hoping to work on my memory journal in the morning, cup of coffee by my side and have a sweet, slow Saturday. Right now, I'm going to play the piano for a bit. Playing through the kid's old piano lesson books with songs like Calypso Rhumba and the lumbering Western Skies. It hurts my back to sit here on this bench, though. I'm out of shape for this!

8:40pm - reading again, sitting by the fire, sipping my water.

8:51pm - Jim brought me this piece of banana cream pie. Hmmm. This kind of "fasting" might be fattening!

10:45pm - finished the book. It was very good. I hope I can remember the details by the time our book club discusses it in July. Usually, I trudge up the stairs at 11 so I can watch the local news on the little bedroom tv. But, alas, no news may be good news.

Saturday 7:20am - Coffee is already made and my granola and yogurt has been delivered by the terry-robed king of the household. My iphone is still face-down on the coffee table and my computer is still in it's case. I pick up my new book, Not Buying It, about a Brooklyn couple and their year-long project of only buying necessities. I'll read for awhile while Jim goes to the Co-op for finch thistle, cat food and a burn permit.

8:25am - Jim is back and farm cat food has been snubbed by our spoiled cat. I'm now feeling guilty about not being dressed and hardly queen-like as I loll around in my ancient plaid robe, even though I am royally ensconced upon my recliner throne. So, I'm off to don work clothes suitable for a cool, springy day. I've chosen a red bandana and hoop earring and feel like a pirate! Aaarrgh!

12:37 pm - I've cut back some perenniels, swept the porches. My observations in the silence? I'm feeling a "need" for music, but that caused me to play the piano last night and I'm going to play some more later! I hardly ever do that. I'm also realizing that when I'm not listening to radio shows with their half-hour time markers, I don't even realize it is lunchtime or feel compelled to start and stop projects at half-hour time intervals.

4pm - The laundry is finished and I spent a couple of delightful hours cutting, pasting and "remembering" highlights of February and March as I put ephemera in my journal. I washed winter grime off the patio furniture and barbecue, too.

7:00pm - We had a simple salad supper.

10:15pm - spent the evening going through book catalogs that I'm been putting aside for 2 months. We lose an hour tonight. Spring forward. I'm feeling self-controlled and good about a restful, yet still productive day. I'm wondering if tomorrow will be harder.

Sunday, 7:30am - Up to enjoy coffee with Jim. Reading the book of Hebrews and feeling a bit irritated that Jim's computer is nattering as he researches van conversions for the project he is working on. Where is my quiet? Am I more distracted by the noise than usual because I've had some hours of quiet or am I just more aware of how distracting extra noise is all the time, but I have gotten used to expending valuable mental energy to keep pushing it back? Must think about this more.

10:10am - Realize suddenly that church starts in 45 minutes, so I jump up and dash to the shower. I dried my hair, slapped on some makeup and dressed mindlessly and we dashed off in separate cars to church because I'll want to help with shower preparations later and Jim has plans to put a turkey on the rotisserie and do some burning around the pond.

11:15am - realize that I'm really enjoying the worship music today, but in a way that isn't dependent upon the style of the leader or quality of the musicians arrangements. Music again. Interesting.

12:30pm - Meeting Patrik and Carrie for a quick taco at Anojitos, one of our favorite places. I'm feeling a bit liberated from checking my email and voicemail. It is good. I'm feeling "present" to those I'm with.

1:30pm - back to help set up for the shower. The room is beautiful, with fresh pansies in pots placed on bright tablecloths. Jenn and Anita have worked so hard to make this shower special for Carrie.

2:20pm - giving full attention to Carrie and all those who have gathered here to bless her with baby things. Wow. She has received a truckload of beautiful things. It is an afternoon of laughter and friendship that Carrie will never forget. Patrik and Jim are arriving to load the gifts in the car.

4:30pm or so - home with hungry family. Jim's turkey is, let's just say, well-done. He is salvaging it while I find some sidedishes to go with it. Quick meal together before Libby heads to Ellensburg and Patrik and Carrie back to Vancouver.

6pm - Jim is helping me clean up the kitchen so we can go for a ride in the extra daylight! I am very suprised that I'm not feeling like grabbing my iphone and checking my mail even though I MADE IT! I DID IT! Paying extra attention to the gathering green that signals the approach of spring - it happens so fast!

6:30pm - I look to see how many new emails I have - over 80 - but nothing apparantly urgent, so I'm turning it off again until later, when I have time to deal with it. I'm working on some financial information that Jim needs for tomorrow, paying bills and puttering around.

9:30pm - I'm answering a few emails, I scrolled through Facebook and I'm surprised at how little I really missed, but how much I really gained by not checking it constantly. I would call it a very relaxed, yet productive weekend. I may do this again sometime soon.

11:04pm - off to bed, feeling thankful for the experience and more aware of what drives me.

I'd love to hear from some of you who have tried something similar. What did you learn about yourself? Would you do it again?

Fasting: Is there an app for that?

2010-03-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

My 48-hour media fast begins at 5pm today. I'm a bit nervous and wondering if there is a fast way to do this fast. I spend hours per week communicating by way of my iphone and computer, on facebook, Twitter, email, and blog. I suck in information like a thirsty sponge in any form I can get it - radio, newspaper, magazines, internet and TV news. But, I was challenged this week, by an author, to just lay it all down for a few hours. I'm involved in a study with some women called The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith. This weeks assignment in soul training is to lay aside some things in order to kind of reboot our lives and attempt to "free your mind from the junk; give some space to the Holy Spirit to renew your thinking".

Now, I'm certainly not implying that all the above mentioned things are junk, but certainly some of them parade junk past our eyes as we seek out the gems of social networking and information gathering. The junk for me may be that insatiable craving for more; more information, more connection, more stuff. Often in the gathering of those valuable things, I also scoop up worry, despair, greed and discontent.

So, I'll be taking HAND-WRITTEN notes of how it goes and report back to you next week. I'm starting to think about what I'll do with my extra time. Yes, read. I'd like to finish the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. I'm going to sweep and free the outside sidewalks of their grimy winter coats. I'm going to survey my perenniels, take a walk and let the birds be my ipod. I'm going to go to church and see folks face to face and then play the doting grandma role at Carrie's baby shower.

Hopefully, when I come back online, I'll be a little more aware, a lot more grateful and little more selective about what takes up a lot of my energy. Things I will miss the most? Knowing what my friends are up to on facebook, listening to Prairie Home Companion on NPR, reading the newspaper and a favorite little iphone game, Doodlejump (warning: highly addictive), but I'll give those up for a few hours to gain some rest and perspective.

I've spent a good part of the week promoting a new program at the store that is pretty dependent upon internet, email and social media, so I'm feeling a bit schizophrenic about all this and the irony of writing a BLOG about, it for Pete's sake, but it is a personal issue for me, really about balance - the kind I want for all of us. I'd be interested in hearing if any one else out there has done a non-traditional fast like this and for what reason?

We are active people

2010-03-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

We went for a hike today in Cowiche Canyon. It was early in the season, but an article in the Yakima Herald yesterday promised a few little early wildflowers. Well, they were right. There were very few, but there was still some great color from last fall. Fluffy red dried weedtops, some neon green moss, a bit of leftover lichen and a roaring creek full of winter water. I didn't want to turn around until I saw some NEW wildflowers and we were finally rewarded with some tiny yellow and even tinier white flowers and a fleeting glimpse of one purple gem high on the hillside.

It is the season when my appreciation for nature bursts forth. I saw my first forsythia today, a sure sign that winter is over. As I drive the back way to work this week, a windey, hilly two-lane, the grass will get greener like a dimmer switch being turned on while more forsythia burst out on both sides of the road. I prefer the wild an free graceful stems of forsythia to the trimmed and bobbed variety, but after a very overcast winter, I'll take color in any form.

As we walked along today with no coats, the sun warm on our heads, I could feel the Vitamin D soaking into my pallid skin. How I've needed this dose of the outdoors! I read this week, that it helps your motivation to get outside and move if you tell yourself you are an active person. That would be instead of just telling yourself you must exercise and then feeling badly when you don't. You are telling yourself that you are an Active Person. Try it with me: Altogether now. "I am an Active Person". "I am an Active Person"! Active persons put on their sneakers more often, they keep a hat, a water bottle and binoculars at the ready. They walk awhile during their lunch break and they don't curse the cars that have filled the parking places closest to the stores. Active people put a bit of sunscreen on each day so they can go outside without excuse. Active people climb stairs, play catch, throw a frisbee and feel better, weigh less and live longer. Active persons get OUT THERE where they see the wee yellow flowers strewn among the stones. I am an active person.

There are stories everywhere at Winter Institute

2010-02-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

This is the fifth annual Winter Institute. This year we are in San Jose, CA, next year it will be held in Washington, DC. The American Booksellers hold this fabulous educational event just for independent booksellers every winter. They limit the attendees to 5oo booksellers and it is made possible by book distributors such as Ingram and many great publishers. A full slate of educational opportunities fills our days. These offerings are top notch. We heard a representative from Google talk about the information "cloud", we heard major publisher CEO's talk about the future of publishing and the impact of digital print. We participated in roundtables comprised of other bookstore owners and managers talking about best industry practices, favorite books, successful events, economic challenges and we enjoyed the camaraderie of like-minded booksy folk. I have new friends from New Orleans to Vermont, Colorado and Texas. We share many experiences, both hard and good and we can find something in common within 30 seconds of meeting each other. I am tired, but I am totally energized at the same time.

At lunch, we heard Daniel Pink speak about his new book, Drive which is about what movitates us. I reallly like this guy. He is a brilliant sociologist and business consultant who is able to put the cookies on the bottom shelf for me. He is especially good at pointing out common minsconceptions about business practices and leadership. Check out his blog here. http://www.danpink.com/ I also spent a couple of hours last night in the company of 40 authors who signed their latest books for us, including Brady Udall (very charming) whose previous book, The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, contains my very favorite first line of a book, "If I could tell you only one thing about my life it would be this: when I was seven years old the mailman ran over my head." I started Brady's new book last night, The Lonely Polygamist. It is going to be a great read. I also met Anna Dewdney, author of all the delightful Llama, Llama picture books for kids. I shook hands with Thomas Steinbeck, John Steinbeck's son who has a new book, In the Shadow of the Cypress. I met Emiy Mandel, author of Last Night in Montreal, who signed her new book, The Singer's Gun. She is just the cutest thing. And what fun it was to see Heidi Durrow again, whose book The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, is heading for even more success in the coming months.

What a fun job I have. The magnitude of talent with which I've been surrounded over the last few days is truly astounding and the potential for many more years of creative output from them is staggering. I didn't have time, energy or opportunity to meet all of them and I'm sure someday I'll look back and realize that I was very close to meeting even more best selling authors. Over the years, I've met people like Barbara Kingsolver and Garth Stein before they were famous and the thing that stands out most to me is that they are really just ordinary folks like you and me. But they have stories to tell. They wrote their stories down and a lot of other people recognized the value of their stories. It's reminder to me that we all have stories to tell. Some will write them in books. Others will write them in journals, paint them, sing them, tell them at bedtime. Tell someone part of your story today.

When Wanderers Cease to Roam They Find a New Hobby

2010-01-30T22:11:00.000-08:00

I bought a square journal a few months ago with the intention of doing some drawing, journaling and scrap booking. I pulled it out the other day and did some thinking about what would be a format that would call for some creativity, but not make me feel pressured to perform. I wanted to have a place to document my life in all it's messiness and quirkiness, good and bad, funny and sad, a place to put ticket stubs and favorite photos, quotes, books, pictures and observations. It needed to be fun and therapeutic; good for my soul.

Well, I've begun. I won't do much drawing because I'm just not very good at it. And yes, I have given it a fair shot over the past few years. So, mostly my journal is shaping up to be a collection of stuff, ephemera is the fancy word for it. I'm adding a few things every few days and really find it calming and fun. I'm not very far into it yet, but I've shared the first three pages with you with some trepidation. I have a lot of super creative crafting friends who have journals that are really works of art, worthy of publication. Let me just say right now that publication is not in my future. I'm sure I'm doing a lot wrong artistically, but it just feels right. So, you do it your way and I'll do it mine and we'll all find what we need in the doing of it. It feels like this may be a past time that will bring me joy and help me look at my life in a different light.

My friend, Kathie, one of those creative and inspiring friends, shared a book with me this week that has given me great ideas. It is called When Wanderers Cease to Roam - a Traveler's Journal of Staying Put by Vivian Swift. It is gorgeous. What hobby brings you joy, comfort and satisfaction? Please post a comment and share with me.

Movie Review Where God Left His Shoes

2010-01-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Watching this movie, a Sundance winner, during the holidays was kind of a downer, but I'm aware life isn't all twinkling lights and flannel sheets for everyone. This move reminded me of Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith. The movies are similar in their theme of a down-on-their-luck family, but to be fair to each film, the comparisons should probably stop there. The actors in both did an excellent job and the luminous eyes of the nine-year-old boy in this film could out-star even Will Smith.

What I liked about Where God Left His Shoes is the way it serves up flawed people and shows the exponential way that bad things can happen very quickly, both through our own choices and what life throws our way. Not everything is wrapped up neatly in the end, but the viewer is left with a lot of things to consider, not the least of which is how we can help people just like the family in the film.

I Don't Make Resolutions

2010-01-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

I always say I don't believe in resolutions, don't really make them. But I lie. I just can't help making them! I am compelled. In January I always regroup. I do a mini-regroup in September, kind of a leftover habit from so many years in school. I usually resolve to write in my journal more, write more letters, take more pictures. watch more sunsets, organize my home and business, read more, play more, laugh more and exercise every day, a resolution that you'll be happy to know I've kept in 2010.

I went to our local office and art supply store today. I wandered the aisles for an hour, admiring organizational tools like boxes and notebooks, planners and pens. To inspire me to keep neater records and make me excited to write in my journal I bought some new microtip gel pens. They are also very good for crossword puzzles, though I'm resolved to do a few less of those this year!

January makes me think of many RE words. Words like Resolve and Repent. But those words seem to conflict with other RE words like Relax. I guess I'm looking for some semblance of balance in all these possibilities. Some are active - some are passive. I need both.

Realign, Retreat, Reconsider, Receive, Recharge, Recline, Recollect, Remember, Recover, Recreate,
Rebel - oops, leave that off.

Reconcile, Recycle Reclaim, Reduce,
Reflect, Refine, Reform

Refrigerator - really, I'm going to clean it

Rekindle, Relationship, Reconcile, Release
Repair, Repay, Respond, Respect, Rest, Restore, Revel, Revere, Review, Revitalize

Revolt when necessary

Refocus.

Aren't you just REady for something new this decade? The kind of "something new" that honors the past, but looks forward to the future? Let's get going!

Something I Otter Remember

2009-12-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

We've been visited several mornings this week by three river otters. Otters are my favorite animals. They just exude playfulness and joy. These three also left a bit of carp carnage behind, but at least it was carp innards and not trout or bass that bloodied the ice. Like watching Charlie Chaplin totter along with his cane into endless madcap mishaps, these guys just make me smile. They swim like swim-capped divas from another era, with synchronized dives and turns. They play on the bank in the frozen reeds, rolling about with glee. They walk clumsily on the thin ice, occasionally breaking through and dropping from site only to emerge seconds later with their whiskered smiles.

Otters make me LOL! The day is going to be good when it starts with an otter circus right outside my window with me by the toasty fire and they, seemingly unaware of the frigid temps, only a few yards away.

Last week I heard a pastor talk about this Christmas season of great joy. He talked about the joy that is a repeating theme of the Christmas story in Luke's gospel and talked about how we Christians, of all people, should be those who are characterized by great joy and an ability to celebrate life. He is right. What good news we've heard! Joy to the world. The Lord is come. Is come. Not has come. Immanuel, God WITH us.

And now the otters. Little reminders of joyful things I otter remember. Smile, rejoice, celebrate, rejoice, worship, rejoice, play, laugh and love - rinse and repeat. My wish for you this season and into 2010 is that your whole year be merry and bright. Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat, the sounding joy!

The Light is coming

2009-12-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

We've made it to that darkest day. That day that focuses most of its power and light on another hemisphere. Twice in my life I've experienced November in that hemisphere. Very odd. I'm glad to live where I do because the dark days during Advent help me anticipate the Light. And after the Light comes, the brightness grows.

And Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart

2009-12-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Two snippets from Scripture are my Advent focus this year, not because I read a list and chose them or was told to meditate upon them, but because they keep coming back to my mind and heart. The first one is from Luke 2:18 and 19, "And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." Well, she certainly had a lot to ponder.

During these days when the whole world is changed for a few weeks, I am pondering the significance of the baby born in Bethlehem. He still has such influence that every Christmas candle declares Him. Christmas trees, tinsel, even Christmas sales and Santa would not be seen were it not for the tremendous love for and influence of this God/man. His presence is unmistakable upon lives and cultures, airline schedules and days off, school programs and acts of charity, the Salvation Army bell-ringers and the Christmas cards in the mail. Perhaps pondering is the most fitting response to the tremendous wave of Love that sweeps over our world and fills the airwaves with carols, Hallmark specials, family gatherings and candlelight services.

I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite quotations that cause me to ponder the Christ of Christmas. Hope you enjoy them.

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. - Hamilton Wright Mabi

Love came down at Christmas;
love all lovely, love divine.
Love was born at Christmas
Stars and angels gave the sign. - Christina Rossetti

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of Peace on earth, goodwill to men. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christmas Gift Suggestions
To your enemy, forgiveness
To an opponent, tolerance
To a friend, your heart
To a customer, service
To all, charity
To every child, a good example
To yourself, respect - Oren Arnold

Christmas, my child, is love in action. - Dale Evans

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb.
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him?
I give Him my heart.
--Christina Rossetti

The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting. - Louisa May Alcott

I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.
--Taylor Caldwell

I mentioned two Scriptures that are my focus this year. The other one is from Isaiah 9:2 "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them."

May that Light shine on you this season. Please let me know what you like to do to prepare your heart for Christmas.

Our Shrinking Ambivalence About Facebook

2009-12-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

am·biv·a·lence (m-bv-lns)
n.
1. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.
2. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow.

The New Oxford American Dictionary announced its Word of the Year last week. It is the word "unfriend". It is a verb, not a noun. That is pretty interesting. Apart from our growing knowledge of and fascination with social networking, the word has no meaning, but within that context it is filled with meaning. It means to remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site, usually facebook. To be unfriended can be very painful. I was unfriended by someone a few months ago. They no longer want to receive my posts or allow me to view theirs. Ouch. But, being the "glass is half-full" type of person, I've decided to be happy that many others DO want to be my friend on faceBook and the list is growing. I'm finding old high school friends, friends that I thought I had lost track of because I didn't send Christmas cards to them for more than two years in a row. I'm even friends with some of my kid's friends - how cool is that? My point is, however, that the word of the year, pondered over and voted upon, is a social networking term. Are you part of the conversation?

Mention faceBook in a social setting and you will probably receive an interesting array of comments. Current faceBook users seem to be using it more than ever and are convinced that it plays an important part in their social life. Some within that group may confess to a fascination with it bordering on addiction. They find themselves nervous and twitchy if they can't check faceBook often. About once per minute.

Another camp is represented in the conversation, however, and those campers are people who don't use faceBook for one of two reasons: 1. They think it is an evil, destructive societal force or 2. they haven't made up their mind about it yet.

Whatever your leanings, faceBook is becoming hard to ignore. We are using it to share YouTube videos, blogs, websites, photos and ideas. Oh, here is where I insert a shameless plug. Inklings Bookshop has a facebook page. Look us up and join us for booksy conversation. We'd like to get to know you. We use facebook to connect with Grandma (that's me), the new baby and everyone in between. It links folks across the nation and across the world. Look at these fascinating, up-to-the-minute statistics from the faceBook site:

Company Figures

* More than 350 million active users
* 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
* More than 35 million users update their status each day
* More than 55 million status updates posted each day
* More than 2.5 billion photos uploaded to the site each month
* More than 3.5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each week
* More than 3.5 million events created each month
* More than 1.6 million active Pages on Facebook
* More than 700,000 local businesses have active Pages on Facebook
* Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans

Average User Figures

* Average user has 130 friends on the site
* Average user sends 8 friend requests per month
* Average user spends more than 55 minutes per day on Facebook
* Average user clicks the Like button on 9 pieces of content each month
* Average user writes 25 comments on Facebook content each month
* Average user becomes a fan of 2 Pages each month
* Average user is invited to 3 events per month
* Average user is a member of 12 groups

International Growth

* More than 70 translations available on the site
* About 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States

My own daily use consists of reading the status updates of my children and my friends, both in town and out. I often find a link to something inspirational, something to challenge my thinking or my faith. I am very often moved to a chuckle as the quick wit of my favorite people comes through so well, so pure and quirky, without time for rewrites. I am connected to these people in a new way. I like being connected. I find it a place where I can express my feelings without judgement, ponder my faith "out loud" and share the latest picture of my granddaughter. I can do all these things and be indulged for a few seconds and I can, in turn, happily give my attention to my friends who have posted something new. And I know, if only for a few minutes, that my buddies are ok today. Right now. They can express that they are tired or frustrated, stressed, joyful, confused or whatever and I can just love them for the unique persons they are. I find out about new music, videos and most importantly, books that I never would have heard of otherwise. There is, in fact, a book out called The Church of Facebook. This book is currently 30% off at Inklings.

What do you think? Do you think that faceBook is a valid social connection or a dangerous one? Tell me why you think so, ok? Even if you don't agree with me I won't unfriend you, I promise.

Thanksgiving from the grateful heart of a Fiftymuch

2009-11-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

A perfectly perfect morning. Rolls are rising, salad's made, coffee's good. Family is on the way for a bountiful feast they are helping to provide. We've discussed the pros and cons of rotisserie versus oven roasting and are ready to put the leaves in the table, stretching it to accomodate 13 dear ones. Big old Russett potatoes await peeling, and celery and onions will soon release that unfortgettable Thanksgiving aroma. That aroma takes me back to memories of my Mom, up early, wrestling a big turkey into the oven, baking pumpkin pies and rolls. She loved cooking the big meal because she loved gathering her family around the table. Well, tables, I mean. We usually stretched the dinner table with a card table or two. So, too, today we carry on that tradition. A day to give thanks to God for all He has given us individually, as a family and as a nation.

Today is also my birthday and I've already received two gifts. One was a phone call from my son in India. He called last night, but told me it was already my birthday there! What a gift that call was. And, I gave myself the other gift: A hot-buttered, homemade roll at one minute after midnight when I took the first batch out of the oven. I sat by the fire, counting my many blessings, and savored that roll.

I was born on Thanksgiving Day and often the two days coincide. Because of that, my memories of home and family, good food and fun are all mixed up together as Thanksgiving/Birthday. While talking to friends this week, lamenting the fact that I'm so slow to learn life lessons, I told them, "Here I am, Fiftymuch, and I still have so much to learn!" I honestly can rarely remember how old I am. Sometimes I think I'm a year younger than I am and other times I think I'm a year older. Inside, I feel pretty young. Outside, not so much. So, after being teased a bit about my guesstimate of Fiftymuch, I've decided that's the age I'm sticking with for a few more years.

I finished a good book this morning in my sofa/afghan nest. Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner. Lauren, a fairly recent convert to Christianity from Judaism, has written this delightful little book with the subtitle: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Discipline. That's an ok, subtitle, but it doesn't really explain the content well. What really was meaningful to me were the contrasts and comparisons between Judaism and Christianity in the way we mark our days, with ritual, practice and symbolism. The chapters include sabbath, mourning, hospitality, prayer, aging, candle-lighting and doorposts. In the chapter on aging she says: "Aging is not just a process of physical decline. It can also be a time of the kind of stripping away that fosters spiritual depth, spiritual incline." So today I am Fiftymuch, not over the hill, but actually chugging upward. Maybe a bit more out of breath and with aching muscles, but nonetheless chugging upward. And I'm filled with Thanksgiving.

November Saturday

2009-11-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

Comfy jeans. Soft blue and pink plaid flannel shirt. Old sneakers. Warm, but not stylish coat. Tall, handsome companion.

Out the door. Down the lane. To our neighbors quiet yard full of yellow-orange dewy-dropped leaves.

Tiptoe to the edge of the stream. Happy surprise. Spawning salmon. Fighting the current. Tired. Determined.

Now moving on to lists, errands, chores. Fighting the current. Tired. Determined.

Beginning of November Saturday: Perfect.

Life is an Adventure!

2009-11-04T07:48:00.001-08:00

Life is an adventure. There was a time in my life when abrupt change wasn't welcomed with joy. Even if the change afoot was potentially a good one. But I guess with age comes some flexibility, some ability to consider the possibilities and embrace serendipity. I'm writing this blog from a hotel room in Everett on the teeny keyboard of my iPhone. I'm watching the morning news, sipping some coffee and enjoying my husband's company. We headed west yesterday afternoon to scout out some new gift lines for the store and do some other business-related errands. On the way we stopped at Bellevue to have our car serviced, continuing through our day with a rental car. When my husband came to pick me up at the gift center, he said, "Well. I have bad news and i have good news?". After I made some lame guesses, he told me they found a problem with our car's steering and a part would be overnighted and installed then.

In the old days, I would have fretted. Who would feed the cat? I don't have extra clothes, toothbrush, makeup, curling iron or anything else that I daily count as essential. But this morning I am happily dressed and relatively undisheveled. A 24- hour big box store saved the day and I've already packed my lightweight, recyclable, handled bag with the monogramed and fashionable "Fred Meyer" on the side. Life is good. Surprises are fun.

Nancy Pearl's Rule of 50

2009-10-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

I'm surrounded by books here on the couch. I've been bringing home books again. Despite economic woes and cost-cutting measures, the publishers keep sending out books to booksellers. Their hope is that we will read the Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) and get excited about them and generously hand-sell them when they hit the market in a few months. Independent booksellers are known for their ability to do just this - talk up a book, sell it to their customers and sometimes launch a bestseller. So, when they send them, I often give them a try. I subscribe to the Nancy Pearl Rule of 50 to determine which books to spend my time on. If you don't know who Nancy is, click here(or paste this in your browser)for more info
http://booklust.wetpaint.com/page/About+Nancy+Pearl

Nancy has visited our store twice and she is a delightful kindred spirit when it comes to books. And she has her own action figure. Wow.

The Rule of 50 in Nancy's own words:

"Believe me, nobody is going to get any points in heaven by slogging their way through a book they aren't enjoying but think they ought to read. I live by what I call 'the rule of fifty,' which acknowledges that time is short and the world of books is immense. If you're fifty years old or younger, give every book about fifty pages before you decide to commit yourself to reading it, or give it up. If you're over fifty, which is when time gets even shorter, subtract your age from 100. The result is the number of pages you should read before deciding.

Around me right now are ARCs, regular books, the Yakima Herald Republic, my journal, Eddie Bauer and LL Bean catalogs, the latest Newsweek, an atlas, my Bible, some marketing books, some fiction, Real Simple Magazine and various kinds of junk mail. So to stay sane, I'll subscribe to the Rule of 50 because there are so many books and there is so little time.

October, Taxes and the Fair

2009-10-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

I'm spending a few extra hours at home this morning. I wish it was to read, or bake or work outside. Instead, I'm finishing my taxes. Taxes? Yes, taxes. Our third extension. My own fault. In between, I've taken a few shots of my surroundings, though, written for the store newsletter, walked 50 minutes on the treadmill, ate some cantaloupe and chatted with Piper. Yes, I procrastinated even more! But now, I am finished. Tada. Off to the accountant, perhaps in disguise so he doesn't loathe me next year.

I've included this shot from one of my favorite places, the Central Washington State Fair. The older I get, the more I marvel at the speed with which the calendar pages fly - how can it be fair time again? I love the nostalgic Americana, the heritage apples, the Grange exhibits, the 4H entries and the CEF Storybarn. How many more years will we have the Fair? Will there always be an agricultural presence in our valley to showcase it's bounty? I'd like to hear what my readers think about whether or not the Fair still serves a purpose other than to bring amusement rides and big name entertainers to town. Is there still a legitimate purpose for having a Fair?

Julia Child Themed Book Club Dinner

2009-09-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

First, the evidence:

Well, if you haven't read the book Julie and Julia yet, my personal opinion is to skip the book (I can't believe I'm saying this) and go straight to the movie! I can't remember ever saying this before - to ignore a BOOK and watch the movie! Yikes. Scandalous! I'm scaring myself, but the book was not my cup of tea. The movie, however, was delightful! It just made me want to, to, to, chop onions!

My book club decided to hold a potluck Julia Child dinner. Our hostess made the signature entree, Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions and Mushrooms). Served over rice, it was truly, as Julia might say, "Yum". I made Potato Leek Soup - my first experience with leeks. Served with some fresh chives chopped on top, it was a great lead-in to the meal. Others made such things as Chocolate Almond Cake, Chocolate Mousse, a beet and orange salad, an apple custard side dish, and a corn salad. What fun it was to pretend we are all sophisticated chefs! And now (a little drum roll, please) I present my first video blog entry. Turn up your sound and wait for it to buffer:

Here are my dear friends, enjoying great food and company one September evening in 2009. And, just to redeem myself, I will recommend reading Julia's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes 1 and 2 as well as My Life in France.

Have you ever had a book discussion which included food from the era or areas mentioned in the book? Please leave your comments below. I'd also love to hear your ideas of food and book pairings that could be fun. Thanks for reading. I recently learned there is a term for people like you who read blogs. You are called Bleaders. :)

2009-09-11T09:15:00.001-07:00

A good night's sleep at my daughter and son-in-law's home. This day is "so far so good"! The GPS got me to the conference center only a little late. The scrambled egs were predictable, but the coffee surprisingly good! We just heard Robert Spector speak about his book, The Mom and Pop Store. Then Loren Long with what might be my favorite new picture book, Otis, about the relationship between a little tractor and a calf. Now we are listening to the hysterical young adult novelist, Libba Bray, talk about her new work, Going Bovine. Next up, Jonathan Safron Foer, with his book, Eating Animals, asking the question,"What is meat?".

After this, I hit the trade floor with my sneakers on, meeting reps and buying books to bring home for our customers to love.

Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Tradeshow - Portland, OR

2009-09-10T17:46:00.001-07:00

Here I am in Portland, OR at the Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Association tradeshow. I've already met several new author friends who are considering a visit to meet readers in Yakima. I also attended some workshops on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs. I learned so much AND Jason, our resident techie, is with me to interpret what I heard! Stay tuned for some updates, photos and hot book news!

Movie Review

2009-09-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well, only the top half of this image copied, but it is quite fitting for this review. Pieces of April. A 2003 B-type movie, this is a story about all the ways that April is pulled - almost into pieces. I started this movie and within 10 minutes I was thinking I might not finish watching it. The language is raw and the scenes are harsh, but the story just kept pulling me in. April is living in a rough neighborhood in New York City with her boyfriend, Bobby. She is estranged from her family, always having been very different from them. Now, her mother is dying of cancer and they are coming to April's for Thanksgiving. Her brother, a budding photographer, seems very tender. Her little sister, though likeable, is irritatingly sweet. Her Dad is already grieving, not only the imminent loss of his wife, but the loss of the relationship with April. April's mom is a somewhat cynical, determined woman who is starting to see things a little more clearly through the lens of her illness. And Grandma is coming too - in an Alzheimer fog, but surprisingly brilliant.

Bobby is helping April do something she has never done before - be a cook and hostess and offer love when she doesn't feel like it. Before the day is over - you might call it the Day of the Traveling Turkey - April needs to seek and accept the help of many different kinds of people. This is a beautiful movie. I was not expecting to even write a favorable review in the beginning. A click on the blog title should take you to a webpage about the movie. Please believe me when I say this is well worth watching.

Where were you for the Yakima deluge of '09?

2009-08-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, evidentally if you were near the airport or even at 27th Avenue, you didn't even feel a drop, but here at Inklings it was a different story indeed. We had about 10 minutes of hard rain. The kind of rain that summer storms can sometimes bring - warm temperatures, sultry air that grows darker and darker until gallons of water came down. And then the drains were full and as the rains came down, the floods came up! Bark from neighboring businesses, leaves and miscellaneous debris came rushing down, down, down toward our front door. The picture shows Rachel with one of the tools of our trade, a bookshelf, diverting the liquid from our door. Our front carpets got a little wet. Our feet got a lotta wet. The adrenalin rush gave new energy to the afternoon and left us shaking our heads at the tropical storm in the Central Washington desert. Whew!

Life is full. God is good

2009-07-23T09:48:00.001-07:00

Wow. That send button is awfully close to the keyboard. :). Yesterday was a full day from dawn until midnight. A friend, Kathie (pictured below) and I went up to Cowiche Creek nursery to revel in the botanical beauty there and buy a "few" flowers for our gardens. In the evening we saw the Warehouse Theater production of Joseph and the Amazing Technocolor Dreamcoat. We knew several people in it and it was wonderful.

Today we get to go out to dinner with some friends and tomorrow early Jim takes off for a 16 hour flight to Oshkosh in the Sport Cub. I'm looking forward to the wedding potluck of one of our Inklings Bookshop staff on Saturday evening.

I'm wondering what is bringing you joy during these long summer days. From the biggest milestones to the everyday surprises, what is making you smile today? I look forward to hearing from you.

Life is full. God is good.

2009-07-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

It's a hot one. Our AC is out at home. I'm sitting in a lethargic stupor feeling the temperature climb. It had been a busy week in Lake Woebegon. Monday was a Love Inc board barbecue (my, they were tasty!) Tuesday was our youngest daughter's 26th birthday

SkyMall

2009-07-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

But, maybe you need a Meerkat

Every time I board a flight, I look in the seatback pocket in front of me. SkyMall magazine is always there. Through the years I've been amazed by the things advertised in there. It is kind of a high-priced Miles Kimball catalog full of amazing things - things you never knew you needed. Ok, mostly things you don't need, but once in awhile a gem will appear, like this one.

My order today will be for a product that states proudly - "This ironing board doesn't use an inch of floor space! It's a quilted pad that turns your dryer into an ironing board surface, complete with magnets to keep it in place while you iron". Now, granted, I won't be able to press sleeves very well, or delicate nips and tucks, but for most things - the t-shirt that just needs a lick and a promise, or that one pant leg that has a wrinkle in the front - I'll use it nearly everyday!

Now, I leafed through over a hundred pages to find that one little wonder. Most of the other items in the catalog were either way out of my league financially, or are just plain not my cup of tea. For instance. I'm not in the market for a foam chair in which to float in my (?) pool with two, count them, two drink-holders. Besides, it says it supports an average adult and I consider myself way above average. Nor do I need a lawn sculpture of three Meerkats who appear to be waiting for the Publisher's Clearinghouse van. Hmm, that makes me wonder who will replace dear Ed McMahan?

I also do not covet the Brighfeet Lighted Slippers or the Hand-dipped in 24K gold roses, but maybe you do.

I've provided the link to the online SkyMall above. Maybe you haven't been on a plane in awhile. Now, through the miracle of the internet, you can shop the SkyMall from the comfort of your Lazy Boy. You might need a Spy Pen. How cool would that be?

RENOVARE - Journey - Conferences and Events

2009-06-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

RENOVARE - Journey - Conferences and Events

Yes, I did return from the land of the hot and humid, San Antonio! I had a great time, though I'm still digesting what I learned. I thought those of you who are interested might want to click the link above and see what I was up to. My friends, Nancy from Minneapolis and Linda, from S. California, taught me as much as I learned in the formal workshops and sessions. What great gals. They shared their tiny room with me, waited while I shuffled along each day on the way to the Municipal Auditorium where the sessions were held (my feet are still not well) and worked alongside me as we helped sell CDs and DVDs to conference participants. We discovered some great places to eat along the beautiful riverwalk, too, including a Caesar salad I'll never forget. Yum! I hope and pray that the taste of the conference will stay in my memory, too!

I've been catching up with Jim after we have traveled a lot this month, never together. He just returned from a Fly-In in the Idaho wilderness where he helped roast a pig and enjoyed chatting and competing (!) with 118 other Super Cub drivers, possibly a record-setting number of planes for the Johnson Creek strip.

It's good to be home.

2009-06-20T07:31:00.001-07:00

It's O Dark Thirty. 4:00. That is A.M. Four hours sleep. I'm throwing the last minute things in the suitcase like my hot curling iron, vitamins, and of course, books. I'm on my way to the Renovare Conference in San Antonio. The theme this year is based on Eugene Peterson's book, The Jesus Way, which is one is the books in my carry on. I also have my book club's July selection - My Sister's Keeper, my journal, an old O magazine and a Bible. Notice I said "a" Bible. My old favorite NIV study Bible is just too heavy to tote cross country, so I'm taking a tiny Bible with even tinier print.
Just found out that the Seattle to Phoenix leg of my flight us delayed two hours so I'll undoubtedly have time to read any or all of the above as well as indulge in one of my favorite pasttimes-observing what others are reading and occasionally striking up a conversation to get an oral mini-review from them.

Reading is Ducky!

2009-06-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

New York is over and I am back where I belong. On the pond. It is, however, not as dull as you would think. I've hit the ground running at work, so when I come home I'm always hoping to get my word fix - trying to get my ducks in a row so I can read. Summer is good for that. The deck is sunny in the morning - a good place to sip my coffee and read something devotional. Then in the evening, after a simple meal on the BBQ, I like to sit a spell, do a crossword or two, read the paper, a chapter of something. Right now, I'm eager to begin The Jesus Way, by Eugene Peterson. On June 19th, I head to San Antonio to the Renovare Jesus Way Conference where I look forward to hearing Eugene speak as well as John Ortberg, Dallas Willard and Richard Foster. I'll be volunteering there, helping with taping sessions. and whatever else they need help with - a kind of Girl Friday, I guess, but I'll also get to attend the sessions. I'll also get to meet up with a very good friend from California who is also attending. Happy clapping!

Even here, on the peaceful pond, tt's hard to read with so much activity going on around me. Kingfishers are swooping down to feast on little fish. The hummingbird is relentlessly sucking down the nectar in the feeders and my favorite new visitors are some big barn owls that spend the evenings squawking a very grating call as they glide from tree to tree. They are truly awesome and I spent a long time outside last night at dusk with the binoculars, getting bitten by bugs, but mesmerized by their behavior. I could see their concave faces turned toward me and their eyes reflecting the last rays of sunset. I did not take this photo - I found it on Google Images, but I hope someday to get close enough to get a clear picture. Tomorrow I hope to find some pellets and see if I have the intestinal fortitude to examine their contents for little micey feet and ribs.

New York is where I'd raaatha be (except the subway)

2009-06-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I have a thing or two to learn about putting this many pictures and text together. First of all, they have all appeared here in reverse order from how I chose them, but hopefully I won't confuse you to much. This shot is of Central Park, a truly lovely oasis in the city. This is as close as we got to Lady Liberty. I would love to go back sometime and spend some time in this genesis of so many of our citizen's stories.
Libby was such a great companion! This lovely spot is just a few blocks from our hotel in Brooklyn and from the little bakery I'll never forget. OOOh, those chocolate macaroons!

Though I really didn't like the subway, which I think I might have mentioned a few dozen times before, it was so interesting to watch the regular riders lose themselves in a book during the ride. This gentleman was carrying a book that was obviously not pocket-sized and pouring over what looked like a very old book of poetry.

This is Libby reveling in the nightlife in Times Square. The sign above her head is no reflection on her character.

On our bus tour we passed many places of note, including Bloomingdales, the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, Wall Street, Carnegie Hall, the United Nations and the Staten Island Ferry.

The Empire State Building had no sign of King Kong. It is still an impressive sight although now it is dwarfed by many of the cities taller buildings.

Here we are like Ginger and Mary Ann on a "three-hour tour" on top of a double-decker bus in perfect weather seeing the wonderful sights of New York City from Times Square to Soho, Greenwich Village, Central Park and so much more. Our tour guide was well-versed in the types of architecture and the history of each neighborhood we passed. We passed Ground Zero, a sobering site of new construction, considering the scene of horror that had happened there a few years ago.

The billboards and neon of Times Square are amazing. They are experimenting this summer with closing off the street at 42nd and Broadway, so people were sitting in the street in lawn chairs throughout the evening. We visited a discount ticket booth and purchased tickets to Mama Mia at half price for great seats. So glad we got to experience a show on Broadway! Unforgettable!

This is the Javitz Center where Book Expo America was held.

Having never visited New York City before, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was. We encountered no unfriendly people, were surprised by the lack of sirens and honking and we marveled at the infinite variety of people as we heard so many languages spoken, passed through Chinatown and Haasidic Jewish communities, and marveled at the largely invisible, but so important, planning that keeps a city of that size running smoothly.

Book Expo America - and now the rest of the story

2009-06-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

I realize that I kind of left you hanging last week. I really did come home from New York City, but I want to tell you the rest of the tale. This photo was taken inside the giant venue that was Book Expo America. The next photo will give you an idea of the size. We walked miles through the exhibits. What follows is a brief recap.

Book Review - Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

2009-06-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6256570.Labor_Day">Labor Day by http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/71438.Joyce_Maynard">Joyce Maynard

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58409417">

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
There are still tears in my eyes. This wistful and wonderful book about making mistakes, trusting, forgiving and loving told from the perspective of a 13 year old boy was one I'll be thinking about for a long time. I read the advance reading copy - it won't publish until later this summer.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1180482-susan">View all my reviews.

Just a note. If you hear about books and find yourself jotting down the titles and authors on a table napkin, a post-it, an old envelope, a notebook or writing it on your palm (and I don't mean pilot), consider joining Good Reads, a website that allows you to easily keep track of books you'd like to read as well as books you've already read. It also will give you reviews of books you are considering and enables you to write and share your own. The website is goodreads.com and it is a free site. I finally have all my book ephemera in one place and I'm so pleased!

2009-05-30T09:55:00.001-07:00

Now in our Author Luncheon. Trying to listen in a room that feels like a meat locker! This photo shows Libby with her arms wrapped in cloth napkins to stay warm! Lorrie Moore, author of A Gate at the Stairs, a post 9/11 novel. Disappointingly, Pat Conroy, is unable to attend, but we've been given his new book, South of Broad. Next will be Mary Karr who wrote Liar's Club and now has written Lit, a memoir. Daniel Pink whose last book, A Whole New Mind I thought was brilliant has a new work called Drive about what motivates us.

2009-05-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Craig Ferguson of the Late, Late Show is MC this morning of our panel of authors. Just heard Tracy Kidder talk about his new book, Strength in What Remains and I am excited to read it. I loved his last book, Mountains Beyond Mountains. Then we heard Jeanette Walls, author of Glass Castle, talk about her grandmother. The book is a true-life novel called Half Broke Horses. Might give us an insight into her quirky dumpster-diving mother!

Next up is

2009-05-30T04:57:00.001-07:00

"This is your Marriott Safety Director. Please disregard the alarms and strobes. We are handling the situation". After a dinner at Juniors and propping our feet up to watch Coraline, we were almost asleep when this loud speaker announcement was piped into our room. Several times, causing it to be less reassuring each time. Libby called the desk and was told the fire department had given the "all clear". Be still my heart.

Today we see the blue sky and sun we've been waiting for and a skyline has emerged from the must. We missed a walking tour over the Brooklyn Bridge, but we've seen it from several interesting angles.Stunning! Were heading in for another day on the trade floor at the Javitz Center, my Aleve is kicking and I'll be seeking some coffee soon. Libby will be looking for some tickets to Mama Mia or maybe Jersey Boys while I haggle terms with reps, discover new books and swap good ideas with fellow booksellers. Yesterday, we were delighted to find our Inklings logo being used as one of four logos showcased at marketing booth! So
A give a shout out and thank you to Kori Corbin for her stunning branding for our store. That chair drawing draws a lot of oohs and ahhs every time I hand my business card to someone new.

Well

2009-05-29T14:39:00.001-07:00

Ow. Ow. Ow. OW! Riding shuttle back to the hotel and "my dogs is barkin'". But I had a stout double shot coffee and Libby is going to check on tickets for a live show so I'm getting my second wind. Sightings today included Judy Collins (photo left) of folk music fame and Libby saw Neil Gaiman and Greg Mortenson who wrote 3 Cups of Tea. The publishers don't seem to be giving away as many books but judging by the Huge crowds the publishing industry appears to be alive and well.

2009-05-29T06:30:00.001-07:00

Wow. I'm at the Children's Author Breakfast. The MC is Julie Andrews. Yes, THAT Julie Andrews! What a treat! I'll never forget seeing her in The Sound of Music at the Fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle when I was ten years old. She just introduced Peter Yarrow, a surprise guest who came out with his guitar and sang If You Take My Hand and Puff the Magic Dragon. What a fabulous way to start the day! He was followed by Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries, who had us laughing and now Tomi dePaolo started his presentation with a couple of acapela lines of The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music which brought down the house and ended with So Long, Farewell! Next up: Amy Krause Rosenthal author of one of my very favorite new children's books, Duck! Rabbit and Little Oink. Wish you all could be here with me.

2009-05-29T04:48:00.001-07:00

Libby is here. This whole NYC thing is so much more fun with a buddy! We are the number five bus just going through Soho on the way to the Javitz Center for a day of meeting authors, collecting advance reading copies and lots more.

2009-05-28T09:51:00.001-07:00

Well, there seem to be fewer books and more people playing games on their mobile devices! But now, as my friend Rich says, I have found my people. These people speak Book fluently! I'm at the Javitz Center for ABA education. Trying my darndest to keep learning- to be the best bookseller I can be to serve the Yakima Valley. I an however fighting fatigue, and my sustenace today has been coffee, Starbucks oatmeal and a donut. Hmmm. Need brain food. I haven't tried the subway yet. I'll wait until my daughter joins me. I feel braver when I'm joined by someone else and she, like my other girls, is a most capable traveler

2009-05-27T07:26:00.001-07:00

I'm on my way to NYC for Book Expo. I will be experimenting with this mobile blog format - one finger typing. I'm watching for what fellow travelers are reading. Newspapers seem to be the order of the morning I'm eager to start Little Bee. Since I go to San Francisco first I'll have many good reading hours if I can stay awake!

2009-05-24T19:44:00.001-07:00

This is a test post to my blog from my iPhone. Let's see if it works!

The Disconnected Blog

2009-05-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. The Disconnected Blog. No service. No bars. We are on Lopezian time today. Things are simpler here, but I'm recognizing the symptoms of withdrawal. A sort of twitchiness, a yearning to check Facebook for a peek into my kid's lives - Piper's new scooter, Nathan's job, Libby's Mexican sunburn and Carrie's newest discovery, the latest of which is the surprise of a slug in the bottom of her washing machine. Or maybe there are new baby pictures of Isabella, Lily and Katie, an inspiriting quote or an interesting link. I'm not typing this, I'm writing it in a little notebook - what a concept!

Do I need a always need a link to someone else's interests and life? Am I neglecting my own interests, living vicariously through texts and Tweets?

My soul really needs this quiet. Here on the beach in the San Juan Islands the birds are singing, the waves gently slapping the rocky, gently sloping shore and the sky is the kind of surprising blue that makes everyone you meet comment about it.

Jim looks only about an inch high from here. He is on a high rock watching the tide and feeling the day soak him with its healing, restful serenity. I'm sitting on some well-bleached driftwood marveling at the multitude of colors represented in the smooth stones all around me. From deep rust and maroon to speckled grey, the rocks are set off by white pieces of clam shell, dried seaweed and an occasional pine cone - all clean and lovely.

The tide is coming in. The view across the bay is framed by craggy, evergreen-topped cliffs to the right and left and ahead by hills in blues that start out nearly navy and fade to a paler cornelian with each successive range until the finale, the encore is the glorious Olympic range.

The only other two people nearby are slowly getting ready to push their orange kayak into the water. Chatting quietly and comfortably, enjoying the warm sun on their shiny hair, they seem to sense a long, pleasant day ahead - no reason to hurry.

Some kind of hawks are riding the thermals on my left. The sun shines through their perfect pinons as I memorize the shape of their wings and tail so I can look them up in my bird book at home and add them to my list of sightings.

Last night, at our bed and breakfast, we watched several types of hummingbird fight for the feeder. The hostess had filled the feeders with red nectar and I decided to try that at home in spite of dire warnings against it. You know, Red Dye warnings. Our hostess is a talker. We know a lot about her now. Our breakfast included the tip that she always uses self-rising flour in her cookies and sweet breads - a tidbit worth tucking away, I decide.

Our flight over the Cascades yesterday was uneventful - the best type of flight. I'm grateful that I'm no longer seized with fear at the mention of an airplane trip. I used to be relieved when landing in our destination only to be gripped immediately by the fearful thought of the return home, effectively unable to enjoy the moment where I was. This time, only when flying through the snow-covered, close and jagged mountains did my heart skip a beat or two as we looked for mountain sheep in nooks that few people ever glimpse. I love to watch the back of Jim's head as he scans and skillfully flies through the passes. He is a great pilot. Not good. Great.

What a gift this weekend was in a very busy spring. Two Texas trips coming up and one to New York are things to look forward to, but bittersweet when one of us has to stay at home alone. But this weekend was all ours. Not only did we have perfect weather to fly, the island was empty. We laughed, we talked, we rested.

Coming into Yakima in the early evening, the unseasonably warm evening air starts to fill the plane. This valley is as beautiful as anything else we've seen. Patchwork orchards blooming their heads off, newly plowed, fertile soil, rivers running high. This valley is home and it's always good to come home.

No Buyer's Remorse - iphones and indiebound

2009-04-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes, I am captivated by advertising that pushes me to purchase an item I think I need. Sometimes, I don't need it after all. I have a variety of these items in my home. I thought I needed a deep fat fryer once. I've probably used it exactly that - once! I have various exercise items that look, indeed are, still new. This weakness of mine extends even to my pantry and I am the proud stocker of Cambell's Soup in a Cup and Joint Juice (this one was my hubby's find). I have socks of every color and kind and I won't even start on the office supplies, both pens and paper. So I sometimes experience Buyer's Remorse. I should have waited and not made an impulsive purchase, but I was driven by some unseen force.

The best thing I've purchased this year for which I've had not one moment of Buyer's Remorse is my iphone. One reason I have no remorse is probably because I had to think it through long and hard to justify the expense as well as wait until my former phone plan was up, so it was hardly an impulse buy. But, the other reasons that I love it and don't regret it's addition to my belongings is that is the most handy little gadget I've ever had and though it can do nearly everything but mow the lawn, it is very, very simple to operate. That is important to me. I no longer have to lug my computer home or on trips because I am able to send and receive email on it. I can search the internet. I can listen to music, take pictures, check the weather, find directions, use the caluculater, track my calories, look up words, watch YouTube, check movie times, check Wikipedia, use the Pedometer, listen to the radio, check the pass report, manage my calendar, keep track of my reading/reviews, manage my budget, check movie times, find a recipe, manage my NetFlix account, text messages, pay bills, read my Bible and, oh, make phone calls! It is truly like having a personal assistant!

And now. A little drum roll, please. At the touch of a finger, I am now able to use my iphone to find the independent bookseller's best seller lists, store locations and search for any book with an application called Indiebound. I can even find other independently-owned businesses such as arts and craft stores, bike shops, clothing stores, coffee shops, florists, gift shops and many other - all independently-owned! I'm convinced that the health of our communities depend upon having a variety of small, independent businesses that add color and flavor to our otherwise homogenous American landscape. The American Booksellers Association has been in the forefront of making tools available to help not only booksellers, but all independent business, thrive in this tough economy. Every day, new businesses are added to this incredible community of locals called Indiebound. If you have an iphone, just look for the application called Indiebound and the download is free. If you would like to find the same information easily on your computer, just look up www.indiebound.org . I seldom have buyers remorse about books, either. I order at least 100 books a day and I love most of them. Now, some of my favorite things can be combined - my iphone, books, and other small businesses. What a country!

Book Reviews - That Quail, Robert and Duck! Rabbit

2009-03-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

That Quail, Robert is just the best little book. If you love true stories about little creatures, I'm sure you will love this one. A couple watches some quail parents hatch their little family one spring. Having read that quail don't return to their nest after their babies hatch, they went to take a look at the nest and found two little left-behind eggs. One cracked, the other whole. They took the little mite-covered egg in the house, wiped it off with disinfectant and set it on the counter to admire. It hatched. You'll want to read the rest of the story about this endearing little quail. Though written over 40 years ago it could have been written yesterday.

Speaking of critters - this is my favorite spring picture book, Duck! Rabbit. With just the right simple, quirky drawings and humor, it's a little lesson on perspective. My granddaughter, Sophia, read this one straight through to her Grandpa and me, complete with the emPHASis on the right sylAble!

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

2009-03-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

Don't you love the fun, little inanimate things that surround us? These are some of my current happy things - things that make me smile. Some can be found at Inklings Bookshop, but this post isn't about advertising, it's about urging you to look around you and find similar things that bring a little extra joy to your life. My first photo is beautiful paper. Paper is a weakness of mine - I love to write even my grocery lists on pretty paper. My mother used to collect stacks of fabric. I collect stacks of pretty paper.

Red Nalgene Water Bottle I know, I know. Some are saying that we should only be drinking from glass now, but this bottle matches my car and makes water taste better!

Mid-Columbian Magazine - a very new magazine featuring Central Washington. You may find people you know and their homes and businesses in this quality magazine that you will keep on your coffee table for months. This month's issue features Yakima Valley artists and includes Jackie Prout from Oak Hollow Frames.

Steve Larson's Watercolor Cards - this local artist never disappoints with his beautiful watercolor cards with matching envelopes. Sometimes whimsical, sometimes with an Asian or Native American influence, they are always stunning.

Love Your Local - It is so encouraging to me that Yakima people really get the buy local concept. We are so blessed to have such loyal customers who value the individuality and strength that local stores bring to our Valley. Urge your friends to shift at least 10% of their buying dollars to local stores and help ensure that they will still be here next year.

Hyacinths. Does anything smell better than a hyacinth? Their appearance, along with their colorful friends, the crocuses, daffodils, tulips and forsythia, seem to herald the season of Spring that then takes off at a full gallop! I find myself wishing it would all slow down a bit so I could savor each step from swelling bud to full bloom. Don't miss it. Get outside a bit everyday for the Vitamin D and the beauty.

This gorgeous stained glass has been one of my happy thoughts for almost nine years. A sweet friend, Diane Wolterstorff, made this when we opened the store and it has been hung proudly in a prominent window ever since. What a gift of time, talent and love! Thank you once more, Diane!

One Month To Live

2009-03-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

No worries. I'm not making an announcement or anything. I am just reading and getting ready to teach a study on the book One Month to Live - Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life by Kerry and Chris Shook. Divided into four segments representing four principles, this book helps you take a good look at every area of your life. The four principles are: Living Passionately, Loving Completely, Learning Humbly and Leaving Boldly. I'm finding it a good book to study during Lent and during midlife and during the dreariest part of winter. The book encourages you to think about the dash of your life. The dash between your birthdate and your swan song.

Studying the book with others helps you make the changes that are so difficult alone. The book is most effective if you read a bit each day and make the steps that are suggested. So far, I've made a list of five things that I would change about my life if I knew I had only one month to live. Now, that is a perspective changer, isn't it? Today, I also thought about the time wasters in my life. I realized that I'm a slave to my email, checking it constantly, so I tried an experiment today. I only checked my mail every two hours. I get business emails all day, so two hours seemed like a reasonable time frame. If I keep it open in front of me, when an email comes in I feel obligated to stop everything and read it and respond. Then, I've interupted any creative thinking I had been doing and find myself following rabbit trails that look like this:

"Oh, look. An email from my Penguin rep. I'll see what is on special. Oh, I should make an order, they are offering free freight. Before I order, I should run a report to see what I need. OK, report run. I could make an order, but it is a pretty slow time of the year. Well, I should check the bank balance. Oh, I should pay some bills. OK, I need to call the accountant. Oh, look, an email from J. Jill. I wonder what they have on sale? I'll just click and take a quick look. No. Wait. I don't need anything. Delete that one. Quiznos is emailing a special. Gee, I'm hungry. Wait. It's only 10 a.m. What was I doing? Oh yeah. I was going to make a Penguin order. Wait, there's an email from someone named Danny. He says he needs me to be his business partner and that "behold, this is not an internet scam". Delete Danny. Penguin, Susan. Stay focused. Oh, there's an email from KIT with the local news. I'll just take a quick look. Back to Penguin, when a happy tone announces I have an email from my favorite relative with a riveting forward about the danger of using plastic water bottles. Delete! Focus! I CAN'T!"

So, that is why I need to reign in this fabulous tool that wants to rule my life. I also kept a time journal today and you know what? The time I saved on email gave me time to tackle some piles on my desk that I've been avoiding and tonight I feel like I've made headway. The point of the book isn't, however, to just save time, but to consider what good things I can do with the time I save. My five things seemed to orbit around relationships, so I plan to cultivate better relationships with my re-organized time.

I've done enough studies and read enough motivational books to realize that if I come out on the other end of this study having changed one thing that is a reasonable and realistic goal. So, ask me in a few weeks how it's going and I'll be ready to tell you what I've learned. I am also really looking forward to learning from the other people in the study. And my changed habits include building relationships, remember, so don't quit sending me emails! I love them. And I'll read each one. Every two hours. Wait, what is that sound? An email coming in? I wonder what it is?

Moose and Midwives and Reindeer, Oh My!

2009-02-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

Just back from a whirlwind trip to Alaska, I thought I'd give you a brief report. We slapped together a quick plan to visit with Jim's family in Wasilla, Alaska, to celebrate his brother's birthday and visit his sister, Judi, and her family. Patrik, our son-in-law contributed some guest passes from Horizon Airlines and we flew standby, a new experience.

We left Thursday afternoon and there were plenty of seats both from Yakima and from Seattle. I love to travel, so I snuggled in with a book, Getting Rid of the Gorilla, a book about learning to forgive. Though Jim and I were in the same row, we were both in middle seats on opposite sides of the aisle. I plugged into my iPhone's music and the trip went very quickly.

Met at the Anchorage airport by Judi, we were whisked off to Wasilla to meet the rest of the family and to celebrate Jim's brother, Rusty's, birthday at Evangelo's. It gets dark about an hour later up there right now - around 6:30 pm, and it doesn't really get light until after 8 am. After dinner, we set off for a 20 minute drive out of town where they live "off the Grid" in a new home with a generator. Having grown up with a generator up on Snoqualmie Pass, I remember lights out at 10 or 11 and the accompanying silence when the generator was turned off for the night. Though things are a bit more modern at Judi and Harry's, the same issues must be dealt with that we dealt with in the 60's. Their generator runs on about 5 gallons of diesel per day - a bargain to keep things running in their big log home. Appliances with heating elements make a big drain on the system, so if we wanted a shower we had to turn off the refrigerator to compensate! They are also very careful with curling irons, hair dryers and ovens! Their home is beautiful and very cozy with hot water circulating through the floors. We crawled appreciatively between our flannel sheets and slept until the sun came up.
After toast and coffee while we looked out on a snowy scene of willows and breathtaking mountains on Friday morning, Judi was called to the home of a mother to oversee her sixth delivery. She dropped me at the coffee shop where I got a hot chai and walked down the street to Fireside Books in Palmer. I happily spent a couple of hours chatting with a dedicated employee named Annie. I just can't help myself. I love bookstores! It is so much fun to meet booksellers, see what their favorite books are and feel at home even though I'm worlds away. We chatted about books, events, swapped stories, ideas and I bought a book called Watchman, a graphic novel. A bookseller whom I highly respect, Paul Hansen, from Eagle River Books on Bainbridge Island, WA, told me that Watchman was not only the best graphic novel he ever read, but maybe even one of the best novels of any kind he'd read. I'm about 20 pages in and learning to make the change of reading style necessary to appreciate the graphic genre. Watchman is coming out soon as a movie. Stand by for a review.

Judi picked me up and we went to another bookstore, Pandemonium, in Wasilla. I had visited there last summer just after they opened and I'm pleased to report that they seem to be doing very well. It is a very busy place. They have a full service coffee shop and cafe, a wonderful meeting room that is booked nearly every day and a nice selected of great books. They do a lot of business with homeschoolers. The state of Alaska helps parents with the cost of books needed to teach their children. Since many people live in remote areas where homeschooling is the only option, Pandemonium is providing a great service to these parents and children. We had soup and salad and I visited with Shannon, the owner, for quite awhile.

My childhood friend, Debbie, lives nearby in Eagle River, so she met me for coffee and a quick visit. Judi zipped down to the clinic to get some work done and Debbie and I did our best to squeeze in a lot of talking. We went to grade school together in Easton and she was a bridesmaid in our wedding. She always encourages me.

Judi picked me up around five, we rendevoued with the husbands and set off for a movie in Anchorage. After a quick stop at Red Robin, we saw Seven Pounds in a second run theater for only $3.00 each! The movie was well done, somewhat disturbing, but worth seeing. Will Smith does a superb job in this story about the futility of undoing terrible things by punishing yourself and trying to show kindness to others. We killed some time at another bookstore that happens to be a chain - "The place that shall not be named". My daughter, Libby, quipped, "I didn't know there was a Voldamort, Alaska?" Only you Harry Potter fans will get that, I guess, but I thought it was hilarious! At midnight, we picked up our daughter, Carrie and her husband, Patrik - the generous source of our standby tickets as they arrived from Portland.

Since Wasilla and Anchorage are about 40 miles apart and since Judi and Harry live outside of Wasilla, we spent a lot of time in the car over the four days we were there. But being together is the point and we talked and laughed the whole time.

On Saturday, we watched two moose meander around in front of their house, nibbling at the willows. Harry sprayed some kind of repellent on their newly planted lilacs and other tender plants to keep the moose lips off of those. I've been to Alaska many times, but never seem to see the moose everyone else sees, so I was elated to watch these huge, lumbering critters. Later, we set off for a road trip to Talkeetna, the jumping-off place for climbers of Mt. McKinley, about an hour and a half away. The snow was a bit deeper up there and we saw some more moose en route. We had Reindeer Chili and cornbread with honey. It was yummy and warmed us up. My only regret is that we didn't sample the rhubarb-blackberry crisp! The walls of this log inn are covered with pictures and signatures of climbers from all over the world. The place has a lot of character and even had some resident characters!

Fortified for the trip back to Wasilla, we played the old sign game, looking for the letters of the alphabet on signs that were pure Alaskana - advertising snow machines, taxidermy, laundry and showers, and lots of signs with the word "tundra" in them. Back home in just enough time to get ready for a Valentine dinner with some of Judi and Harry's friends. We were welcomed like regulars and feasted on Chicken, wild rice, salad and some little individual chocolate cakes that I can still close my eyes and taste. These long-time friends meet regularly and were finishing up their study on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's, Life Together. Great people.

Dividing and conquering, some of us showered Saturday night and others on Sunday morning. We had delicious baked oatmeal, full of dried apricots and nuts, and of course more great French-press coffee for breakfast and managed to get everyone into the Suburban by nine so we could go to church together. They attend Wasilla Bible Church, one of the churches in Alaska that Sarah Palin attends. We didn't have a Sarah-sighting, but everyone int he congregation seemed happy to be back in the building after arson damaged their building a few months ago, an event that was never proven to be politically motivated. I had to smile when I noticed this announcement in their bulletin: WBC Men's Retreat 2009 - Always Be Prepared, I Peter 3:15. Bring: Sleeping Bag, Guns, Snowshoes, X-country Skis and Snowmachines. Only in Alaska.

Back to the house again for moose stew, cornbread, salad and pie. We sure did a lot of eating this weekend! We played with our great-nephews and niece, enjoying their sweet personalities. The guys did some serious work on the fireplace rock work. Jim set his special stone in place, a unique piece of granite with garnets embedded in it. Harry has been thoughtfully placing a few rocks a day - for several months. It might be done next time we visit and it will be a beauty! At 3 we left once more for the airport and our next stand-by experience. There were about 50 empty seats from Anchorage to Seattle, but we were the last ones on a very full flight from Seattle to Yakima. I read an advance copy of Laurie Halse Anderson's latest book, Wintergirls, a young adult novel about anorexia - and finished it! You can read my review at http://www.goodreads.com/search/search?search_type=books&search%5Bquery%5D=wintergirls

Winter Institute Wi4 - Salt Lake City, Utah 2009

2009-02-05T17:14:00.001-08:00

Salt Lake City is beautiful. The snow-covered mountains just seem to hold the city like protective hands. Everything downtown points to the LDS Temple and their grounds are impressive. We did a little walking around, but didn't get a tour. Some in our group were able to sit-in on the Thursday night rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and they said it was very impressive. It was great to have Jim with me on this trip. He is such a patient partner.

Day One: The pre-conference seminar was on the value of buy local programs with numerous sessions and speakers on the subject. We were addressed by Salt Lake City's Mayor Becker who, along with his city council, is convinced of the power of restoring neighborhoods to be little self-contained towns within a city, where small businesses thrive and people know each other. Studies have shown that when this model is used, crime is less and the economy is stronger. We also heard from Laury Hammel. co-founder and co-chair of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies and author of Growing Local Value. He talked about how we can all work at convincing our friends, families, customers to shift 10 percent of their purchasing from the big chains to local independent businesses and he had statistics about how much impact that intentional decision can have on a small business. He is working on a website that will be ready at the end of February and I'll post it here as soon as I have it. The other thing he said that really stuck with me is that no one is blaming local independent businesses for our current economic problems. Perhaps it is time for each of us to point that out to our circle of influence. Just 10%!

Our luncheon speaker, Terry Tempest-Williams, author of Finding Beauty in a Broken World, in one of those breathtaking moments that won't soon be forgotten by 500 rapt booksellers, said that independent bookstores are “the visitor centers of our national parks. Without you, we would have no place to sit around those metaphorical campfires,” she said. “If it wasn’t for you, writers like me wouldn’t have a voice.”

The afternoon was filled with more great education about Buy Local programs. Later, after enjoying a fabulous meal at a local Italian cafe, we savored our visit to The King's English, one of several great independent bookstores in Salt Lake City. Betsy Burton, the store's owner, has been an avid participant in the city's Buy Local program. It was a joy to meet her and tour her wonderful store. She is also the author of The King's English: Adventures of an Independent Bookseller which was published in 2006. Her store is smack-dab in a residential neighborhood. Day Two-Five: It would take pages to tell you everything we did. I spent mornings and afternoons in education sessions learning things like: the average book club reader reads 12-36 books per year, that there are some specific things I can do as a business woman to weather these tough times, that publishers can't wait to tell me about their newest books, and that small stores like ours must adapt to the new environment by having e-newsletters, websites and blogs. Hey, hey! We're on board with that!

Each day we met dozens of great authors incuding Michael Malone, Jonathan Stroud, and Jane Hamilton and we brought advance reading copies of their books home with us. Well, we shipped them. No more "gorilla arms" from toting books through airports! The atmosphere at Winter Institute was electric with great ideas, and though "book people" firmly believe that books aren't going to disappear anytime soon, we must agree that the method of delivery of information is becoming more and more computer/smart phone-centric. Therefore, we will use all the means we can to tell people about books - the good old, paper and ink, conveyors of culture - books!

My posting wouldn't be complete without telling you about Sam Weller's, another independent bookseller in the city and a part of the city since 1929. They had a tiny open house reception for 500 of their peers on Thursday night. The walls of their three-story store were filled with pictures of the authors they have hosted over the years and it is like reading an American history book. Their Rare Book room is fascinating. They served tasty appetizers along with Polygamy Porter (fine print on the bottle: Why Have Just One?) I'm not sure how the Weller ancestors would feel about the choice of beverage, but it sure made us smile. Both Sam Weller's and The King's English are the kind of store I hope Inklings is when we are all grown up.

A Day in the Life

2009-01-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's morning. How did that happen? It seems like moments ago I was chuckling at Letterman's monologue. But I've heard the shower running and smelled the coffee. It's morning. I never set an alarm clock because Jim is an excellent one with a much kinder voice than that gleaming, screaming little black box. Into my robe and slipper, I shuffle (battling plantar fasciitis in my feet) yes, shuffle down the stairs and go directly to the coffee pot. Favorite mug in hand, I nestle on the couch to watch the morning bird activity. Wood ducks, Mallards, Wigeons and lately Ring-necked Ducks are bopping around the pond. Skillful in the water, they shuffle like I do when they walk on the ice. The goldfinches are glad Jim found them some thistle seed at the co-op last week. Twenty-five pounds in reserve. There are so many birds on the feeders that they have to take turns hanging upside down to eat.

I read a bit in my Bible, journal a little and read a page from The Spiritual Disciplines Devotional by Valerie E. Hess. When I turn on my computer, I usually check my email first and I might shoot an answer to one of our kids or respond to a customer's email order request. I check Facebook, too. That is just the greatest way to know, by way of a one-line report, how and what your friends and family are doing. I just love it. Now, back to the emails. Every morning I read the Publisher's Weekly daily email learning about new books out this week, the state of the publishing industry, which author Oprah will feature this week, and I browse through the bestseller lists. I then read three more bookseller emails and blogs that are great to keep me up on the latest hot reads. I make lists of things we need to order and things I want to read. I read many, many reviews every day - trying to get a feel for whether the next great book is really a great fit for our store. Our new cat enjoys this routine and I struggle to keep her drooling self tucked under my arm instead of on my lap or worse, my keyboard!

Off to the treadmill. I found this image on Google - it was called Mature Woman on Treadmill. I hope to look like this in another 50,000 or so miles. I've been walking at least 3 miles per day. Then to the shower after starting a load of laundry, paying some bills, standing by the fire, having my daily granola and yogurt with another cup of coffee and cleaning up the kitchen. Hug and kiss for Jim as he heads off to his own busy day.

Cat out. Something thawing for dinner. Gather up my things. It seems that I always go out of the house with an armload of books and come back in the evening with an even bigger one. Garage door down, I enjoy the short drive to work in every season. Often, I have a stop at the accountant or the cleaners on the way to the store. My great staff takes care of opening every day, getting computers up and running, checking voicemail and greeting our first customers at 9 a.m.

Park and lock. Give a glance of gratitude around the little park-like mall we call home. This time of year, I pick my way across an often slippery strip of ground and I near the front door, often gauging how busy we will be this morning by how full Starbucks is. I never open this door without being awash in gratitude for the store and all the people who have made it such a great place! I greet two employees already hard at it. Turning on my computer, I grab the order board, glance at the clock and quickly consider which publishers and distributors I will order from today. It generally takes me until after noon to finish ordering from three distributors and taking care of the orders than need a little special handling - direct from the publisher, an out-of-print search or a call for clarification. We are so fortunate that our books usually arrive in just one day - something that gives us a competitive edge in customer service. The staff generally screens my calls in the morning, giving me uninterrupted time to get the orders finished.

During this time, boxes of books have started to arrive and one staff member receives and unpacks them onto our cart where they will be shelved throughout the day as staff has time. We usually get from 4 to 8 boxes per day of books, new gifts and cards, and during Christmas it was often twice that amount. Also during this time, the phone rings. A lot. I love watching staff members listen to each customer's request with patience and then watch them skillfully meet whatever need it may be. A book, a gift, an order, some advice and sometimes just a friendly visit from a customer - these all make days at the store interesting as people look to us to help provide their literary nourishment. I may wait on a customer or two while others grab their lunch and then it is back to my desk.

I often try to combine my lunch with a run to the bank or another errand, but since I'm trying to limit my fast food intake, today I will heat up a Lean Cuisine in the microwave. Regardless of what I eat, I don't generally take lunch until 2 or 3 p.m. I talk to authors to set up readings and signings, looking at several local author's works each week to determine if we will carry their book. We often do off-site events and we are currently planning to help the Yakima Regional Library with their next staff training event with Jane Kirkpatrick. In October, we will provide books for the Washington Library and Media Association (otherwise known as school librarians from all across the state) when they come for their convention downtown. Keeping our calendar full and interesting is a challenge.

I write checks for merchandise we purchase from various publishers, distributors and gift vendors. I generate statements for the school districts purchases, pay quarterly taxes, write payroll checks for nine employees, keep an eye on my email, open mail, go through endless publisher catalogs, and talk about store plans with various employees.

All the while, my wonderful staff is doing the Dance of the Books. Each one has multiple special tasks that they take care of. These include, gift choosing and buying, magazine buying, receiving books, shelving, writing reviews, helping customers, pricing merchandise, smiling at babies, cleaning the bathroom, taking care of consignment sales, setting up chairs for events, researching materials for teachers, editing the inkspot newsletter, updating the website, making signage, data input, developing new displays, buying and pricing used books, keeping the bestsellers stocked, and endless other tasks that keep things running smoothly. And then, they'll do it all again tomorrow. Each one is an integral member of the Happy Dance and is essential to keeping things running like clockwork and keeping toes from being stepped upon - both customers and fellow staff.

While this little glimpse into a bookseller's life may sound somewhat boring, it is anything but boring. Because books both follow and lead culture, books come and go with the current political, social, religious or self-help wave but history is often made by books even as they record history. One of the ways people mark time in their lives is by what they read at any given time and we are given the privilege of weaving in and out of their lives, marking time. I love helping make that happen.

I try to take time to have a cup of coffee with a friend, make a phone call and especially READ a little each day. In the midst of all the aforementioned, there is a good bit of thinking and planning, some daydreaming, a few false starts as I forget what I was going to do next, some laughter, some surprises , a few frustrations and worries and some disappointments, but I can't think of another career that would offer me the joy this one does. I'm proud to be an independent bookseller.

Usually head for home between 6:30 and 7:30 to make a late dinner for my sweet husband. More emailing, catching up on home chores, a little reading and my nightly appointment with David. Letterman.

Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

My Stars. Hey, that is a nice title for my own movie review system with 1 being poor and 5 being fantastic. Anyway, I say it again. My Stars! Rex Reed says, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a monumental achievement—not only one of the best films of the year, but one of the greatest films ever made.'' Come on! What is the driving force here? We went to see the movie last night. It was good, but certainly not the best movie I've ever seen - not even a runner up. Brad Pitt is usually pretty easy on the eyes, but not always so in this movie. I will admit that he did a great job in this film as did Cate Blanchett, but the chemistry wasn't perfect. I did love Taraji P. Henson who played the part of Pitt's "mother" loving him without reservation from the first time she unwrapped the bundle on the steps that was Benjamin and looked into his creepy little face. It is interesting to contemplate what life would be like if it was not always linear, but instead we crossed each other both growing older and younger. The changes in relationships, the sadness that would permeate life, the confusion it would cause would be very painful. I did like the fact the movie was life affirming both for the young and the old, but I really wasn't that impressed. I have not read the book that the movie is based on, but my friend Mimi felt that the movie is based also on a similar book, The Confessions of Max Tivoli. Both books are about a man who ages backwards, but according to many, there are more similarities to Max Tivoli than Fitzgerald's book. I know many will undoubtedly disagree with me, but I'm giving this one a 3. My stars!

Movie Review - Australia

2009-01-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

"Australia" is a big-screen movie. Go now. Don't wait for the DVD. Sweeping landscapes, thundering cattle and the endearing face of a little half-caste boy are so great on the big screen. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are thrown together as unlikely lovers in this epic tale of cattle barons at the beginning of World War II. Government capture of half-aboriginal children, "for their own good" and a villain who is as dirty-rotten as they come, played by David Wenham are some of the obstacles that the Kidman/Jackman duo must overcome as they fall in love and battle the elements and the bad guys in the Outback.

Oh, yes, and here is the endearing face I spoke of earlier - he really makes the movie. Fabulous little actor, Brandon Walker. Movie is long, nearly three hours, but it kept us riveted.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I apologize for the formatting problem. I edited it about 10 times and it still reverts back to this hard-to-read version. :(

...and a partridge in a pear tree

2009-01-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

I have been upbraided, admonished, berated, castigated, chastened, raked over the coals, reprimanded, reproached and chewed out. I have received the message and I am, therefore, penitent, abject, apologetic, compunctious, contrite, regretful, rueful and just plain sorry.

I chose to have a Twelve Days of Christmas sale BEFORE Christmas, knowing full well that the Twelve Days of Christmas are really the Twelve Days AFTER Christmas, leading up to Epiphany. I chose to use the phrase within the context of a Christmas retail sale rather than the traditional Christian usage referring to the days between the birth of Christ and the visit of the magi bearing gifts.

For two reasons, I accept and agree with the recent newsletter subscriber who told me of his disappointment in me that I would use the phrase in the wrong way. First, I am a Christian and I know the terms have historically been used to describe the timeframe leading up to Epiphany. Second, I believe words are important. Words convey meaning. They convince, defend, instruct, encourage, persuade and educate, therefore they should be handled with care. In the midst of the busy season, I was not feeling particularly creative so I grabbed a common and easily understood, though erroneous phrase. My business deals in words. I must be more careful. I, therefore, repent (though not in sackcloth and ashes).

As a side note in this whole debacle, I’ve learned a lot more about Epiphany, including the proposed meaning behind the gifts mentioned in the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Here is an interesting website where you can find the same information. http://www.cresourcei.org/cy12days.html

So, now you have my formal recantation where I hereby annul, back off, backtrack, call back, countermand, disavow, disclaim, disown, renounce, repeal, rescind and otherwise unsay what I said before. The Twelve Days of Christmas at Inklings Bookshop shall be forevermore, only after Christmas, but do keep an eye out for next year’s Christmas Countdown!

The Man and the Birds Christmas Story

2008-12-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

A Modern Parable as read on the radio by Paul Harvey
Unable to trace its proper parentage, I have designated this as my Christmas story of "The Man and the Birds." You know the Christmas story, the God born a man in a manger, and all that escapes some moderns — mostly, I think, because they seek complex answers to their questions, and this one's so utterly simple. So for the cynics and the skeptics and the unconvinced, I submit a modern parable:
Now, the man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a Scrooge; he was a kind, decent, mostly good man, generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmastime. It just didn't make sense, and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus story about God coming to earth as a man.
"I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite, that he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed, and they went to the midnight service.
Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier, and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound, then another, and then another, sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window; but when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter had tried to fly through his large landscape window.
Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it.
Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in, so he hurried back to the house, fetched breadcrumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted, wide-opened doorway of the stable. But to his dismay the birds ignored the breadcrumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them; he tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.
And then he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me, that I'm not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow; they would not be led or shooed, because they feared him.
If only I could be a bird, he thought to himself, and mingle with them and speak their language! Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe, warm . . . to the safe warm barn . . . but I would have to be one of them, so they could see and hear and understand. At that moment, the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sound of the wind, and he stood there listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. . . . And he sank to his knees in the snow.

Fade to Grey

2008-12-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

The early mist on the pond

has nearly hidden him from view.
I am inside, upstairs, at the window.

He is outside, over there, burying his dog.

The blue parka bobs and weaves
while puffs of breath follow close.

Slow and steady. Digging in soft earth

as memories flood and tears threaten.

Autumn is the month of fade to grey

but for now a little color remains.

Gold in the fallen leaves.

Gold in the thick coat of fur.

Blue the lone man, coming back.

November, 2008

We Gather Together

2008-11-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving. Family, food, fat. Er, I mean, Family, food, fun! Our week of Thanksgiving started early as we gathered together last Sunday, the day when all our family could be present. We had a wonderful day, full of tradition, golden sunlight and laughter. Jim read from Psalm 100 as we paused before we ate to remember all that we are thankful for. We read some little quips on our place cards that began with, "You might be a Redneck, if...you use an old hubcap for your turkey platter". Or, "the secret ingredient in your stuffing came from the bait shop". And to complete this homey (homely) scenario, just as we were finishing up our feast, I spotted a couple of muskrats swimming in the pond, called to "Pa" and Jim grabbed his .22. My apologies to our guests and neighbors. I guess not everyone is accustomed to hunting during dinner.

My birthday was on Wednesday, so we had another feast at my in-laws. Grandma Darlene is a fabulous cook, so we enjoyed a roast beef dinner and then waddled off to a pre-Thanksgiving service at church. Then on Thursday, the real Thanksgiving, some wonderful friends included us in their celebration where we sang, ate, laughed and played Pass the Pig and Mad Gabs. It is so good to laugh, isn't it? Good for the soul.

This morning, I read the following on Writer's Almanac and thought it was a good concise introduction of both Mr. Lewis and the Inklings. I'm often asked how our store got its name and this seems to sum it up. Today, November 29th, is the birthday of C.S. Lewis, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1898. His family's house was filled with books, and he said that finding a new book to read was as easy as finding a blade of grass. Lewis moved to England, and at first he hated everything about England — the landscape, the accents, the people. But he taught at Oxford for almost 30 years, and while he was there he became part of a literary group, a gathering of friends who called themselves "The Inklings." They met twice a week, drank beer, and discussed their writing. One of these Inklings was J.R.R. Tolkien, and he and C.S. Lewis became close friends, and Tolkien inspired Lewis — who had been an atheist — to convert to Christianity. Lewis became one of the most important Christian thinkers of the day. He published Mere Christianity (1952), but his most famous books are The Chronicles of Narnia, beginning with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950). C.S. Lewis said, "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."

Thinking of C.S. Lewis as Christmas approaches, remember that if Aslan hadn't come to Narnia, it would be "always winter and never Christmas". I hope you will join me in thinking about ways to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Find an Advent book and think about ways to make the Season more meaningful, both for yourself and someone else. I read about Christmas for about an hour this morning in a little book called The 25 Days of Christmas: Family Readings, Scriptures, and Activities for the Advent Season and I was particularly moved by a story by Walter Wangerin called "The Ragman". I am also looking forward to reading a book called Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas by Nancy Guthrie. I'd love to hear what your Advent plans are!

A Sad Report

2008-11-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

This morning, as the sun came up, I watched my husband from the upstairs window. I could see his blue parka through the morning haze as he gently buried his dog. We got Mayday the Christmas of the really big snowstorm - 1996, I think. We have pictures of her as a little puppy, tumbling and biting her way through the snow drifts, the very picture of health and energy. She has steadfastly guarded our home these past 12 years and she has brought us a lot of joy as we watched her quirky behavior.

She liked to flip her metal dish over and over as a way to tell us she would appreciate something filling it. She was part Golden Retriever, but I don't think anyone ever told her. She looked like a Malamute and acted like one through and through. Retrievers generally love water, but she hated baths and would not even follow her favorite bone into the pond for a swim. Malamutes are pack dogs. In her mind, Jim was the lead dog and I was w a y down the line of authority. If she had food in her dish and I came near, she would hover over it protectively, as if I might try to eat it. This was somewhat embarrassing as perhaps people wondered if I'd tried it a time or two. She barely passed her dog training class, choosing to exhibit her Malamute stubborness for all the world to see. She did manage to obey a few commands if you had time to let her run through them until she hit on the right one. "Get in your house", "go over there", "sit", "stay", "lay down", always started her through random spasms of trying to please - especially to please Jim. She adored him and watched his face intently for his approval. So now, when we come home at night, she won't be there to greet us. She won't sit at the door while we eat, making a puddle of drool while she waits for the coveted "people food" scraps. She won't circle the throw rug trying to find just the right spot to nap. She won't harass the meter reader and the gas delievery truck driver. She won't scare some of our best friends. She won't brush against my black pants or throw up on the porch.

I can't believe how much I miss her already. Her kennel is empty, there is dog food in the garage and I heard a siren tonight before I heard her eerie howl - her pre-warning. I don't hear her scratching her sides against the side of the house or hear her collar jangle when she scratches her ear. When Jim is out of town I'll miss her loyal protection. It's funny how much animals add to our lives.

Maybe, when the appropriate amount of time has passed, we will look for a new dog. But for right now, her memory is enough. When she panted, she looked like she was laughing and when we scratched her tummy, she always sneezed on us. She stepped on our toes, drank from the toilet bowl and buried dog food cans instead of bones, but her good qualities far outweighed the revolting. All our memories of her laughing face will still make us smile. She was 84 in dog years. She was slowing down, becoming old and tired, and now she can rest. I don't have enough to say about her to fill a book, like Marley and Me or Old Yeller, but she did fill our lives with a lot of joy and she will always be part of our collective family memory.

The Frost is on the Punkin

2008-11-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit old-fashioned. I like the old hymns and the old poems. I also like Autumn and I'm amazed at the bounty of our Valley. The apples and pears just make me so happy! We'll enjoy them all winter. In the spirit of the season, one old hymn and one old poem.

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,

Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;

Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,

Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,

Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;

By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

"When the Frost is on the Punkin" by James Whitcomb Riley

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here—
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

A Spate of Book Reviews and an Afternoon on the Road

2008-10-19T20:39:00.001-07:00

I spent five hours today talking to nice people at the Yakima Farmer's Market about the importance of shopping at small, independently-owned businesses which was somewhat like preaching to the choir. Most people I talked to were already fans of small stores and farms and realize that the health and flavor of our Valley depend on keeping them healthy.

Then we did something I love to do. There is nothing better than an afternoon drive up to Snoqualmie pass to meander through the brilliant golden tamaracks and red vine maple on the bumpy backroads of my childhood. Jim's expert driving and great listening skills make reading aloud a joy we can share. I decided when I got home that it was time to write a few reviews.

"A Country Called Home" by Kim Barnes

A fledgling physician and his willing wife move from the east coast to establish a practice and a home in the backwoods of Idaho in the early 60's. His idealism, endearing at first, but later bordering on dysfunctional laziness, drives his pregnant wife to confront her own significant needs. Beautifully written.

"The Attentive Life: Discerning God's Presence in All Things" by Leighton Ford

This book drew me in because I thought it was a "manual" of sorts about paying attention spiritually, but instead I found a contemplative book from an evangelical viewpoint. Given Leighton Ford's career with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I expected a wise treatise on Scripture and prayer, but I was surprised by so much more. This is a deeply personal memoir, interspersed with quotes and poetry by Rilke, Sarton, Eliot, Nouwen and Kenyon.

"Child of Steen's Mountain" by Eileen O'Keeffe McVicker

I grew up in the mountains and I'm always drawn to books by others like me who enjoyed long, unstructured hours in nature, inventing games, and observing wildlife. This memoir tells the story of a young girl growing up on a sheep rancher's homestead in eastern Oregon in the 30's. Eileen tells of the wonders and dangers of having adult responsibilities as a child, taking care of valuable livestock and shouldering a staggering amount of work, and she tells it with humility and humor. I read this aloud to my husband as we bumped along the backroads of my mountain home on a brilliant fall day, grateful for my much less demanding rural heritage.

"Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay

This is an amazing book. Telling the chilling story of a round-up of Jews in Paris in 1942, from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl, this is one of those books that grabs you in the beginning and won't let you go. The quick transition from a tranquil childhood to the horrors of being mistreated just because you carry a certain label is a theme that I don't often think about, but millions experienced it during the Holocaust. I'm down to the last few pages and I'm so impressed by the author's skill in taking me into this little known chapter in France's history. I can't wait to finish it.

The Man in the Shack

2008-10-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed hearing and meeting Paul Young, the author of "The Shack" last week. At a small luncheon, we listened to him tell the story of the birth of his book and the amazing success that has followed. I was impressed by this man's simplicity, joy and perspective. He gave me a big hug when I told him that our little store had sold 500 of his 3.8 million books.

Paul wrote the book for his kids. He has always written stories, poetry and songs as gifts. He ran off 15 copies at Office Depot. The story was written after he had spent many years in "The Shack" - the place of his own pain, failure, doubt and discouragement. When he emerged from that dark place, his wife urged him to write about his "outside the box" view of God so his kids could benefit from what he'd learned. Since then, the book has been passed from friend to friend and has been on the top of the New York Times Bestseller list for the last 20 weeks.

Based on the positive feedback he had from his close family and friends, he had some friends help him with four major rewrites. They then sent it off to 24 publishers, 12 of which were faith-based publishers, and 12 that were not. It was soundly rejected by all 24 largely because they could not figure out how to market it. So, in May, 2007, Paul and his friends formed Windblown Media, and sent the book off for its first print run of 10,000. The company had an over-run of 1,000. So they began with 11,000 copies.

Paul had three jobs during this time and his friends were also working full time They were selling the books from the garage. By August, they were running out, so they decided to order 20,000. 22,000 were delivered when they had one case left. Within 60 days they were running out again. An interesting side note was that another book by the same name being sold by Amazon had a bump in sales during this time. Paul said that unfortunately it wasn't a nice book. Barnes and Nobles offered to feature at the book at the front of their stores nationwide and to waive the large fee they normally charge for that privilege. Paul said that all during this time, God seemed to open door after door and they stood back and watched in amazement.

They ordered 30,000 this time and true to form they were delivered along with an overrun of 3,000. Those books were gone in 30 days. They actually sold 1.2 million copies of the book out of that garage with no more than $300 spent in marketing. Paul, truly humbled by how God was blessing said that he told God that he would never ask Him again to bless anything he did, but he said "if you are doing something, and I could be a part of it, I'll be all over that." He said it was if God told him that Paul had given the book to his kids, now God was going to give it to His.

Paul said that his favorite quote about the whole phenomenon, and one that surely helps keep him humble, is from a friend of his daughter, Amy. He said, "Amy, this book is so far beyond your dad...". Paul smiled as he related this, obviously in agreement.

The media, for the most part, has been very good to "The Shack", not only in the United States, but now all over the world. In Brazil, a news crew shooting footage in a locker room during a soccer room, found their star player reading the book. He held it up, said that he was enjoying it and that everyone should read it. That footage was shown throughout the country, where "The Shack" continues to fly off the shelves. The other interesting thing about Brazil, is that there is a legend there that is basically the same legend as the one about the Princess at Multnomah Falls that is related in the book, so Brazilians could easily relate to it. In China, the book is the rage among university students and it is now available in many other languages

Paul has come a long way from a life obsessed with the frustrating failure of trying to please God and now sees himself as a child who has chosen to trust Him instead. When asked how long it took him to write the book, he says it took 50 years. He did not write it to heal, but wrote it after God had healed him and after he had spent 11 years in a very dark place enveloped by what he calls the "Great Sadness".

The book continues to sell 84,000 copies per week in the secular marketplace. Some Christians have welcomed the book and others have questioned its orthodoxy. Some refuse to read it which makes an ongoing conversation about it difficult. In the book there is a place where Mack, the protagonist, is told that not all roads lead to God, but that Jesus will walk down any road to find those he loves - the ultimate Good Shepard. For those folks who need a more direct indication of Paul's own bonafide faith than that, he said "there is a narrow road and the road narrows down to one Person who is the hope for each person and the whole human race - Jesus and what the Trinity accomplished on the cross". I think that's pretty clear.

He is often asked if the story is true. He says, "Sure it is true. It just didn't happen." That sure reminds me of the storytelling methods of Someone else who told wild tales of needles, camels, pearls, mustard seeds and hidden treasure - earthly stories telling spiritual truths.

Please feel free to comment. If you click on the title above, "The Man in the Shack", you will link to the author's website.

Pacific Northwest Booksellers, Portland, Fall, 2008

2008-09-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Tradeshow in Portland. I look forward to this event every year because I meet great authors, learn a lot of from fellow booksellers across the northwest and come home with a PILE of new books. This year I volunteered some time to help and was given the "job" of assisting an author. I was assigned to Ivan Doig, one of my favorite authors! Ivan has won more PNBA awards than any other author!
My task, which was all delight and no work at all, was to assist him as he signed several hundred copies of his new book, The Eleventh Man. Later that evening, during the Author Feast, he and about 20 other authors moved from table to table, telling eager booksellers about their new books. Mr. Doig is a very nice gentleman and I was privileged to spend a bit of time with him. He is working on a sequel to Whistling Season, which is my favorite of his books. I am about halfway through The Eleventh Man, a thoughtful story of a champioship team of Montana football players, their dispersion to dangerous place during World War II and the one teammate - a reluctant journalist - who tells their story.

Last Sunday, Jim and I drove up to Mt. Rainier. We have an almost physical yearning to spend some time in the mountains every so often. It comes from being raised in the Cascades, smelling the noble firs, picking blackberries, and listening to the streams. Because last winter was so severe and our spring a little late so the wildflowers are still in full glory. Only the tips of the maples are starting their glorious color dance from green to yellow to orange and eventually to the ground. The day was clear and warm and my soul was fed as we drove through the trees and hiked a little bit.

One last picture to make you smile. This is our daughter, Piper. What more can I say?

September Days

2008-09-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings. September mornings are wonderful, aren't they? The sunlight is different, the mornings are cool, the flowers are getting ready for their last hurrah. I really like September. I loved school and I still get that excited, anticipatory feeling and near compulsion to run and buy pencils, 3-ring binders, new crayons (remember how they smell?) and new shoes. I took this picture last week in Alaska. We went up to attend the wedding of one of our special nephews. During rehearsal for the wedding that took place in the woods, I was fascinated by these little gems. Aren't they neat?

I would like to have many more of what my brother-in-law, Harry, calls "Annie Dillard Moments" this fall. It is so easy to miss the great show that creation puts on as the seasons change. I plan to keep my eyes open for some more great autumn moments as the geese get ready to fly and the leaves get ready to fall.

Wedding Wonders

2008-08-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 16th, 2008, Carrie became Mrs. Patrik Martinet. Though the day was toasty, the evening wedding was comfortable as the sun went down and the candles were lit. What a whirlwind of activity took place around here! So many friends and family members working together to make Patrik and Carrie's day just what they wanted it to be. The following pictures capture some of the joy. Most of these photos were taken on an iphone. The "real" pictures are coming soon, but I wanted to share these with you as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day perfect. Friends and family painted fence, put up wedding tents, baked scrumptious cakes, prepared food, toted ice, ironed shirts, put jellybeans in little bags, arranged flowers and made corsages, planted flowers, ran errands, helped with hair and makeup, took the dogs to the kennel, and reminded us to enjoy every moment. We are blessed.

Carrie and Jim come down the grassy aisle as the band, Camaraderie, plays a lovely arrangement of the wedding march. Under the twinkly lights and hydrangeas exchanging vows before God, friends and family. Pastor Richard Welch officiating.

Sophia, the sweet flower girl, finds a moment to enjoy a book before the ceremony

A pre-wedding photo as the happy couple pops into the air-conditioned house for a few minutes of respite from the heat. A few more minutes before that suit jacket needed to be on!

A solitary moment for the bride before the guests assemble.

Where have I been?

2008-07-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

On the way home from Friday Harbor, over the 4th of July weekend, we stopped at the Wooden Boat Festival on Lake Union. We parked in a small parking lot manned by the Wooden Boat Society and enjoyed a couple of hours of perfect summer Seattle. Gorgeous old boats, many we could board, lined the marina. Happy live music made a relaxed, enjoyable experience. The joy screeched to a stop, however when we wandered back to the car. A window was smashed out and my computer was gone. We had other luggage from our weekend away, but the computer was the only thing they could pull through the small side window of our Volvo wagon.

We headed home with wind whipping in the broken window. Jim drove and I called our banks and credit card companies, wracking my brain about what kind of files on the computer could be used to gain access to personal and business information. Once we were home, I changed account passwords and cancelled services and went to bed exhausted, but relatively sure that I had taken care of the vital accounts. So far, we have had no sign that anyone has tried to gain access to anything they shouldn't, but the last few weeks have been spent trying to retrieve appointment information, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and other documents that were in process. I had backed up a week before, but I'm still without many things I need.

Our insurance deductible was higher than the replacement cost of the computer, so the only thing really covered was the replacement of the window. But now, my new computer has arrived and I am getting back up to speed. If you were in conversation with me via email and you've not heard from me lately, please resend your information to me at sue@inklingsbookshop.com or snoqualmie53@gmail.com so I can put you back in the system. Thankfully, the store newsletter addresses were stored elsewhere, but please take a minute to send an email to me with any information you'd like me to have, including phone numbers and addresses.

A few weeks ago, my friend, Kathie, and I visited the Wildhorse Windfarm near Ellensburg as guests of Northwest Public Radio. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and a tour of the windfarm. We were even able to don hardhats and go inside one of the huge towers. The massive size of these graceful energy machines is hard to fathom. The visitor center is open 7 days a week and it is fascinating to hear how the wind and sun are being harnessed on these windy hills to provide power for thousands of homes. Check out their website http://www.horizonwind.com/projects/whatwevedone/wildhorse.aspx or better yet, go see for yourself.

The wedding plans are coming along with a limited amount of fluctuating panic. The good thing is that we seldom all panic at the same time. It is a lot of fun to work together towards such a happy occasion, making lifetime memories. Ah, young love!

I sign off tonight with a link to a website that we are enjoying immensely. www.pandora.com is a music site where you can design your own music station. You are able to choose three artists you enjoy to make three separate "stations". They will then play music by those artists as well as by other artists who have a similar style. My three stations right now (and you can change them) are Emmy Lou Harris, Bruce Cockburn and Rich Mullins. You are able to rate the songs you hear and take off ones you don't care for. You are not able to download from this site, but my hope is that you will find what you like and then visit your local independent music store to purchase the album.

He who goes forth with a fifth on the Fourth, may not come forth on the fifth!

2008-07-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th of July from Friday Harbor, WA in the San Juan Islands. We planned to fly over, but since the weather was iffy, we drove over yesterday. It is surprisingly uncrowded here. We enjoyed gorgeous fireworks over the harbor last night and today we wandered through downtown, checking out the bookstores, gift shops and souvenier shops. I'm always amazed at the number of stores carrying and selling souvenier t-shirts. I bought a book. That is all. I know that is dumb since I can go home and buy it wholesale, but the proprietor of a small independent bookshop here was so helpful that I just wanted to add my little sale to his day. I bought a book of poetry, Women in Praise of the Sacred, edited by Jane Hirschfield. Watch for a review in the next few weeks.

We drove up to Roche Harbor where people were enjoying time on the water, eating ice cream and browsing local artist's kiosks. Discovered over 200 years ago by Captian de Haro, Roche Harbor became the location for a lime kiln to make bricks and cement in the mid-1800's when John S. McMillin, a Tacoma lawyer discovered the largest lime deposit in the Northwest there. At it's peak, 800 people lived in this company town. What a great place to spend a lazy July day, looking at the old church, at all the boats in their slips and visiting the historic buildings.

Tomorrow, we'll drive on to the ferry, head east and spend the afternoon in Ballard at the Wooden Boat Festival and then drive home. The phrase above is my dad's little reminder to watch out for drinking drivers on Independence Day weekend. Drive carefully, ok?

Get Smart Movie Review

2008-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

We went to the movies the other night to see how the new Get Smart compared with the old. It was an admirable effort. Bumbling Maxwell Smart, played by Steve Carrell, is an endearing combination of smart/dumb. There are a lot of explosions and action from which he escapes relatively unscathed. Anne Hathaway is the pretty Agent 99 and provides the right touch of sweet friendship/romance that balances the rest of the film. Fun movie, but you could wait for the video. 3 out of 5.

Reviewing The Shack

2008-06-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Bloggging from Vernon, BC , aye? I am at Fairhaven Ministries, a retreat center for Christian leaders. My friend, Linda, invited me to accompany her on her retreat this week. What a blessing. We've laughed, hiked, read, painted, eaten and slept. I am feeling rested. It is so wonderful to go to bed when you tired and get up when you are not. The June wildflowers include Indian Paintbrush, Trillium, and Wild Lupine. Linda saw a six point buck yesterday. I've taken my camera on every walk to capture some of the peace and beauty of this place. I'll blog some of those pictures next week.

We have sold many copies of The Shack at the store in just the past few months. I brought it with me to read so that I could enter into discussions with others who have read it. Interestingly, my friend read it on the plane and the author was here at the retreat center a week ago. Publisher's Weekly had a link to this week's New York Times article about the book and author. That article mentions Yakima. I've attached it here. This book is a word-of-mouth wonder. The marketing budget for this book, that William P. Young wrote for his children, was around $300. Some love the book. Some hate it. Some think it is good theology. Others think it is heresy.

I really liked it. It did stretch my thinking and challenge my preconceptions, but that could be good, right? The Shack is a metaphor for a place of great pain. The author has used unusual imagery to remind us that God is with us in the pain and does not somehow abandon us and let bad things happen to us for no reason. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

The Elf on the Shelf

2008-06-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

I won! Out of a zillion other people at BookExpo in Los Angeles, I won! Ok, not quite a zillion, but over 25,000! I won an all-expense paid trip to the North Pole for four people! Really. Not just the North Pole, but Santa's Workshop! Ok, not the one in the far north, but instead to Santa's Headquarters EAST in the Adirondacks - North Pole, New York. If you click on the the title above, you can see the website for Santa's Workshop.

At BookExpo, from time to time, we'd see a cute elf zipping around in his little red suit. I found the booth where the elf "lived" and found that the product they were selling was the cutest thing - a sweet book and elf doll. I ordered some for the store and signed up for the drawing. Everyone who buys an elf and book will be able to go online, name and register their new little friend.

I grew up on a mountain pass where the snow was always deep and the winters long. In December, my Mom would decorate the mantel above the fireplace with green and red elves. I loved those little elves! When I married, my Mom gave me one. They are very 50's! Their hands were hooked together, so you could tuck their knees up under their chins and their joined hands would hug their knees. Their faces were like pixies and they just made you smile. When I had kids, we started hiding the elf every December evening. In the morning, the child who found him, would receive a candy cane. I remember one year, we awoke to the smell of something smoldering. We looked high and low before finally spotting the smoking elf. His felt arms, so handy for hanging him aloft under the dining room light, were ready to flame! After that sad episode, his hands hand to be amputated and Grandma Naoma replaced his hands with little pom-poms. Kind of pitiful. So, as you can see the whole thing struck a nostalgic chord with me. I hope that we get to take Sophia, our granddaughter, who now lives in Chicago. She turns six in December. What a memory we would make.

Unchain Yourself

2008-06-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Time to spare? Go by air. Sitting at LAX. Waiting. You never know how long it will take to get anywhere in LA traffic, so I came a bit early and still have a couple of hours before I board. I am , however, calmer for it.

Yesterday, at breakfast (ok, the word breakfast is a stretch for describing a rubbery bagel and watered- down juice). John Hodgman was the emcee for the morning. John's new book is titled More Information Than You Require. He introduced Ted Turner, Call Me Ted; Azar Nafisi, Things I've Been Silent About and Dennis Lehane, The Given Day. Dennis wrote Mystic River, the hit book that became a movie.

After breakfast I determined to finish navigating the huge trade floor and I made it a few blisters later. I found some new books, placed a few orders and hobbled back to my room when the trade floor closed at 4 p.m.

The Bookseller's Advisory Council met yesterday from 3 to 8 p.m. and again this morning from 9 to noon. It is such a privilege to be a part of this group of booksellers who, collectively, have been in business for hundreds of years! I have learned so much and I look forward to meeting with them three more times before my term ends. I am so much the rookie in the group, but they have included me graciously. We talked of many things that challenge me to think - all topics that were designed to further the mission of the local, independent store. We are trying to transform our communities to "think local" first and to educate our customers on the benefit to them and our community when they determine to be "Indiebound"! We all must sometimes shop at the big box stores, but we must also realize that unless we support the local independent merchants of all types, from bookstores to hardware stores. we will become a boring and homogeneous culture where we can shop blindfolded because we know the location and layout of every chain in every community. It is the independent stores that gives a culturally unique flavor to our neighborhoods. IndieBound is a program designed to help remind us to think locally. The program is designed to help not only the booksellers, but every independent. If you find that this message resonates with you, please consider visiting indiebound.org and reading and signing the Declaration of Independents. We are trying to heighten awareness and get as many signers as possible.

Eating in LA

2008-05-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

We have eaten well. Sometimes it feels as though we eat breakfast, walk once around the table and sit down for lunch. During lunch today the wait staff at the convention center went on strike. The staff of the American Bookseller's Association stepped right in and gave us wonderful, cheerful service. We ate a nice meal while we listened to four speaker/authors.

Thursday night we took a very expensive taxi ride to El Cholo, the oldest Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles. It was fabulous. Wonderful chips and salsa, distinguished waiter, great mariachi band and green chili tamales. Wow. We enjoyed hearing the band play Roll Out the Barrel - oh, the mix of ethnicities you find in LA.

Tonight we walked a few blocks to Mel's Drive-in, another LA landmark. A good old-fashioned hamburger and onion rings. Just the right way to end our day.

Carrie met Louis Sacher today and we both chatted with Sherman Alexie. Sherman is hoping to put together a bus tour to visit smaller independent stores in Washington. You can read more about Sherman's award-winning book in the archives of this blog. Michael Moore and Jon Krakauer had to cancel their appearance here at the BookExpo, but we heard Magic Johnson speak this morning on his new book and program to help the minority communities across the nation become entrepreneurs and turn around their neighborhoods.

And now. Aahhh. My shoes are off, my feet are up and I'm going to READ!

Hello from Hollywood!

2008-05-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood in the wee hours Thursday morning. I started reading my book group's latest pick, Loving Frank, on the plane. Carrie finished Anne Lamott's book, Grace, Eventually. We only brought one book each because we anticipate being loaded down with Advance Reading Copies here at the Book Expo.

When we awoke, a very few hours later, I raised the blinds and was so surprised and pleased to see the iconic Hollywood sign on the hill nearby. We hustled off to the Day of Education sponsored by the American Bookseller's Association. I learned so much in the sessions I attended about new sidelines and planning and hosting wonderful events for the community. I am so FULL of ideas that were shared by other independent booksellers around the country. I can't wait to implement some new programs when I get home.

At the evening's Celebration of Bookselling, we enjoyed watching awards given for Bookseller of the Year sponsored by Publisher's Weekly. Another highlight of this event is to watch the awards ceremony for Booksense Book of the Year. This is always a very gratifying experience because the author's inevitably humbly acknowledge the independent bookseller as being integral to the success of their books. Here is a little recap of that event from the American Bookseller's Association website.

"Accepting his Book Sense Book of the Year Award in the Fiction category for A Thousand Splendid Suns (Riverhead/Penguin), Khaled Hosseini, said, "Thank you so much for this show of faith in my writing ... support that came long before the publication of [The Kite Runner], and then for handselling...my books." Sharing his memories of biking to his neighborhood bookstore in Kabul as a boy, he described a growing love of literature fostered by the reading suggestions and encouragement from the store's owner. "I fell in love with books in that store," Hosseini said, "and you can't become a writer of books if you're not a lover of books." Saluting the assembled independent booksellers at the Celebration, he said, "Those of you who chose to make a living in this craft [of bookselling] are cultural ambassadors in the communities you have chosen to serve.... Without that very unique brand of word-of-mouth ... [many writers'] careers would not have taken off."
Also present to receive his award was Children's Literature winner Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Scholastic Press), and accepting via videos were Barbara Kingsolver and family for Book Sense Book of the Year Nonfiction winner Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (HarperCollins) and Mo Willems for Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity (Hyperion Books for Children) in the Children's Literature category.'

A major announcement was made at the end of the Celebration. The American Bookseller's Association rolled out the highly anticipated new program called IndieBound. I am so excited about this new program, or "revolution" as they are calling it. It is basically an initiative that will help booksellers and other local independent retailers educate their customers about the benefits of buying local and develop an even greater trust in putting the best books available into their hands. Stay tuned. You will hear a lot more about this soon.

Today was spent orienting ourselves to the layout of the immense trade floor at the Los Angeles Exhibition Center. It is HUGE. Carrie shook hands with Henry Winkler (remember Fonzie?) who is now writing children's books, Sherman Alexie, author of many books, the latest of which is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Garth Stein. Garth has visited our store before and will come again in October. His new book, told from the perspective of a dog is called The Art of Racing in the Rain. We ate lunch with Jennifer Haigh, author of Mrs. Kimble, Baker Towers and her new book, The Condition.

What an amazing opportunity it is for us to be here. To meet authors whose work we are excited about and to bring home our excitement to our dear customers is so exciting! There is simply not enough time to get to all the autograph sessions that I want to attend, but I'm still keeping my eyes peeled for Barbara Walters, Robert Kennedy, Jr, Ernest Borgnine, Leonard Nimoy, Jan Brett, Robert Sabuda, Gary Chapman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ray Bradbury, Louis Sacher, Dionne Warwick, Brian McClaren and Garrison Keillor.

My eyes are drooping, my feet hurt and morning comes early. See you tomorrow.

Heading to Book Expo in Los Angeles

2008-05-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

Carrie and are heading to Book Expo America in Los Angeles this week. We know from past experience that we need very comfortable shoes for this 4-day book extravaganza. Over 600 authors will be in attendance and we will have an opportunity to meet many of them and receive signed copies of their books. We will also be taking advantage of many educational seminars that will keep us up to date as booksellers, introduce us to new products and procedures. We take our continuing education very seriously at our store and we are grateful for this opportunity. I will also be contributing to the Bookseller's Advisory Council, giving feedback to industry professionals from the perspective of a Northwest bookseller.

Our days will be full but thoroughly enjoyable. Seeing, touching and talking about books just can't be beat. We hope to see some sights and we look forward to the evenings in the hotel where we plan to READ! We will be shipping the books we receive back to the store to share with our staff. We love reading and reviewing the latest in great literature so that we can introduce it to our customers.

I plan to write a short blog report each day of Book Expo. I'll tell you what I saw, who I met and what I'm excited about. Stay tuned. Will there be chocolates on our pillows? Will I recognize Mariel Hemingway? Does George Hamilton still have that eerie tan? Will we find our way back to LAX? How much coffee does it take to keep on walking? What will we see people reading on the plane? Check back on Thursday to see what we are up to.

Masterpiece Theater Review - Cranford

2008-05-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Cranford

is a three-part PBS series based on the book of the same name. The setting is a small English village in the mid-1800's with a seemingly disproportionate number of spirited spinsters and widows. Dame Judi Dench has the lead role in this funny, yet touching program. Beautifully filmed and acted, this is one of those programs that I was sad to have end. My daughter and I both enjoyed it immensely. I've not watched anything as entertaining and substantive on television in years. Click on the words "Masterpiece Theater" above to go to the webpage. Highly recommended. Five out of five stars!

cards and flowers

2008-05-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem like it was very long ago when my four children were bringing me dandelion bouquets. I have saved all the creative, loving cards they made for me on Mother's Day, labored over with crayons, markers, glitter and the ones that always, always made me cry. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones with tracings of their little hands. I heard from each of them today and two of them gave me flowers that are a bit more sophisticated than weeds. Beautiful flowering plants in cute pots! No hand tracings today, but I did get a pretty card from my granddaughter, a card that nicely rounded out an already special day. It has mermaid stickers and a crayon and marker signature. It's perfect.

Movie Review

2008-05-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

ONCE

I've been a bit under the weather this week, so I've watched a couple of videos. Today I enjoyed "Once". A sweet story of a street performer and a young mother. I watched it with the sub-titles turned on. It is an Irish film and I sometimes had trouble understanding dialogue. I didn't, however, need sub-titles to understand the great music. Other than some language that is perhaps typical of the UK, but makes me cringe at times, this movie is just full of wonderful moments. As they enjoy each other's company, spending time together, helping each other and forming a small band, they both pine for lost relationships of the past. The harmonies are marvelous, the tone of the movie is kindness and friendship and I found myself rewinding so I could hear their duets just one more time. This is a feel-good movie and I loved it. To see a preview just click on the words "Movie Review" above.

Book Review

2008-05-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

This young adult novel kept this old adult captivated. Vassar Spore is an overachieving sophomore who has her summer planned with AP classes to keep her on her fast-track and assure that her future holds valedictorian honors as well as a spot in a prestigious women’s college. Her parents named her Vassar for that very reason. However, a phone call from a mysterious, eccentric relative with an invitation to travel to Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos sets an entirely different kind of summer adventure in motion. Learning to LIM (Live In the Moment), Vassar finds adventure, danger and a handsome young cowboy (?). Well written by a former missionary kid from New Papua, this book is full of bugs, climate challenges and food adventures that only a resident of southeast Asia would know.

Concert Review - Leo Kottke

2008-04-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Carrie, won two tickets to hear Leo Kottke last night at the Capital Theatre in Yakima. We met each other at the theatre, entered the darkened auditorium and sat down amid a very small crowd. From the first song he played on his twelve string guitar, we were mesmerized. Truly, he sounded like three guitarists! I've attached a link from youtube that does not begin to do him justice. You may want to look for an album by Leo - you won't be disappointed!

What's on your desk today?

2008-04-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?

- Laurence J. Peter

When I saw this quote, I looked at my own desk. I remember once hearing someone speak about the fact that the appearance of your purse is an indication of your spiritual life - neat and tidy or chronically chaotic. I don't agree at all. Could it not be that the appearance of your purse, car, desk is only an indication that the "owner" of those places is busy with things that are far more important than lining up your staples and post-it notes. I saw a magnet that said "A clean house is a sign of a dull woman". That statement is equally wrong in another way. I do not wish to judge other's on the basis of the organization or lack thereof of their possessions and I sure don't want people to judge me on that basis!

Here are two pictures of our office at the store. The first is my desk taken earlier today. The other is our manager's desk, taken with his permission.

Notice the little cubby underneath my desktop, full and messy. If I can't see something, it just doesn't exist. So, the important things need to be visible. The vegetable hospice or bin in my refrigerator often contains unrecognizable items. I have lovely, flowered files at home which hide bills that need to be paid. If the brown shoes in my closet are pushed back too far, I don't have any brown shoes and I go and buy some new ones. So, there, you have my reasons or excuses for what may appear to be sloth. Send me a picture of your favorite horizontal surface, whether desk, countertop, car interior or drawer. Whether it is shipshape or slovenly, we promise not to judge.

Movie Review -- Leatherheads

2008-04-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

We went to see Leatherheads tonight and had a popcorn supper. This is a LOL movie - perfect for the end of a long week. This one will remind you of "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?". If George Clooney isn't careful, he'll be typecast as a Likeable Scoundral. Clooney plays an aging football player in the mid -1920's. Trying to keep the sport alive during a time when professional football teams were disappearing, he holds his team together by his charm and wit. When a young fellow, played by John Krasinski, is lured away from his college team in his junior year to save Clooney's faltering team, the trouble begins. Krasinski, a war hero, creates a following both by his patriotism and his incredible skills on the field, taking the troubled team to sudden fame. Enter Renee Zellweger, the young reporter who is looking for a promotion to assistant editor at a Chicago newspaper and who is tasked to get that Big Story by ruining the reputation of the young hero. Of course, this task gets a bit complicated when she finds herself drawn to both Krasinski and Clooney. This romantic comedy is a lot of fun. I give it a five out of five rating because it made me laugh, was not entirely predictable and kept my attention even though I'm really not a football fan!

Hey, I figured out how to make items in the blog clickable, so if you click on the title above you should be taken to a review site where you can read more about the flick.

On the home front, I watched an osprey swoop down and nab a frog this evening! So very cool! I was hoping to paint the fence tomorrow, but since it is predicted to be cold and blustery, well, oh drat, I'll just need to read a book or two. Halfway through Siddhartha which I really don't like much and just started our book groups new pick, In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham. Stand by for a couple of book reviews soon.

Book Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

2008-04-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

I just finished The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Sherman Alexie is a Seattle author who won the National Book Award for this book. Some store staff and I attended a banquet in Portland on Saturday where Alexie was also awarded the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association 2008 award. We met him and he signed a book for each of us. He barely made it to the ceremony because of the crazy mix of spring weather. Hail, snow, rain and a little bit of sun gave him a schizophrenic drive down I-5.

This really is a good book - a novel based on Alexie's life, growing up on the Spokane Reservation. One line in the book has stayed with me. Describing the small town on the edge of the reservation he says, "...it's a hick town, I suppose, filled with farmers and rednecks and racist cops who stop every Indian that drives through. During one week when I was little, Dad got stopped three times for DWI: Driving While Indian".

What is daily life like for a 14 year old, on and off the reservation, not really feeling like he fits comfortably in either world? Arnold, the main character, had attended over 40 funerals in his short life. Most of those deaths were somehow related to alcohol abuse. He often hitchhiked to school when there was no money for gas or his Dad was too hungover to drive. In spite of these things and more, Arnold, persisted in his quest to be more than he could be if he stayed close to home. He attended a "white" school and eventually played basketball against the reservation boys he had grown up with. There is some subject matter that might be troubling - as a bookseller, I would only recommend it for 14 and up. Many adults are reading it. I liked it, though I squirmed a bit. I've never been inside the mind of a 14 year old boy before and this book took me there. I've emerged a little more understanding of both his gender and his race.

Blogging Irregularity

2008-04-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that folks may interpret my silence in several ways. I could be very busy. I might be suffering from writer's block. I might be depressed. My computer could be broken or the Internet down. I'll let you guess. I hope no one has been frustrated by the stale content here in my blog. I have several blogs that I like to read, but it frustrates me to visit their site and find nothing new, so here I am to catch up a bit.

Ok, I'll admit to a bit of depression. Sophie, our granddaughter, moved to the Chicago area last week. Her absence is sorely felt by me and many others who have been delighted to watch her grow these first five years. I looked in the toy cupboard yesterday and was overwhelmed with missing her because there were her dollhouse, her puzzles, her favorite books. I know we've been blessed to have her near up to this point but I am very sad today. I am open to suggestions on how to be a good long-distance grandparent.

And then came the morning

2008-03-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

He has risen just as he said.

C.S. Lewis, a popular British theologian, said, "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

Good old Clive Staples Lewis, one of the Inklings, wrote a lot of profound things, didn't he?

This was a good day, though bittersweet because we had to say goodbye to Sophie, our granddaughter. She moves to the Chicago area on Tuesday. We had a great time with her today, playing cards, eating lemon cake and hunting Easter eggs. At five years old, I'm not sure if she will remember this time with her aunts, uncles and grandparents, but it will be a cherished memory for me. Stay tuned and I'll share a couple of pictures of her in her Easter finery later this week.

Easter Eve

2008-03-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

I've been puttering in the kitchen all day. I thought a lot about my Mom as I baked, made deviled eggs and scalloped potatoes. Her specialty was Lemon Meringue Pie - the best I've every had. I always miss her most at Easter time though she has been gone for over ten years. She loved the triumphant hymns like "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" and "Up From the Grave He Arose". She always helped us color the eggs and made sure that I had a new dress and shoes for Easter. I hope I'm a little bit like my Mom. I want tomorrow to be very special for my family. The extra leaf is in the table, there are flowers in the vases and the ham is ready to pop in the oven. Now, I'm the Mom and Grandma who makes sure that our time together tomorrow is just right. Sophie, our granddaughter is coming tomorrow. I want to make extra sure that her memory of this Easter, complete with an egg hunt, is a wonderful one.

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer; Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light; Stronger than the wrong, the right;
Faith and Hope triumphant say
Christ will rise on Easter Day. - Phillips Brooks

Spring

2008-03-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

When I think of the word "spring" it looks green in my mind. When I listen to Handel's Four Seasons - Spring, I hear babbling brooks and chirping birds, too. I am amazed at the power of spring to push hope up through the last layer of winter. I even plucked the first dandelion of the season last weekend, though I was truly shocked to see it's little yellow head on it's short neck so early in March. I wish it was truly as sweet and innocent as it looks, but I know its relatives are gathering...

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and I can't wait for the children to parade into the sanctuary with their palm leaves or, rather, construction paper replicas of palm leaves. We may live in the Palm Springs of Washington, but their foliage is sparse.

I'm baking a belated birthday pumpkin pie for my son-in-law-to-be, Patrik, and smoke is curling around the edges of the oven door - a little fire - a little smoke. I forgot that my last pie boiled over. Oh, and did you know that yesterday was Pi Day? Yup - 3 /14.

Speaking of Patrik, an airline first officer, he is starting to gather book titles for me - watching what people read as they travel. I find it really interesting! Last week, on a flight from Seattle to Edmonton, a woman got off the plane with a copy of Never End, a mystery by Ake Edwardson. Someday, if we observe long enough, perhaps a pattern will emerge.

Family and Quotes

2008-03-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

It was a family weekend with our sweet granddaughter spending the weekend, my sweet mother-in-law's birthday and my sweet son-in-law-to-be's birthday. Yes, you read that right, they are ALL sweet! On Friday night, Mr Beaver and I even found some time to drive to a nearby town for a quiet dinner and conversation . We both speak Beaver fluently. We chewed on steak and greens.

I saw this quote today and it made me smile.

I know a lot about cars. I can look at a car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming. - Mitch Hedberg

Speaking of family and quotes, isn't it interesting that every family has it's favorite, personal quotes, borne out of laughter, great movie lines or some kind of humiliation. Sometimes they come from the mouths of babes, but even those often contain a certain "rightness" in their "wrongness". Here are a few of our family favorites:

When our five year old left-handed daughter's left hand became tired as she was practicing her penmanship, she said "May I turn my desk around, because", she said, holding up her right hand, "then THIS will be my left hand!".

Did you say "lurk"?

Mary mashed them. (ok, movie buffs, which movie is that from?)

One very little daughter to another, I said "N - O, NO" - read my nose!

OK, enough. These could become like home movies that have overstayed their visit. Please feel free to respond and share a few of your family favorites. It's only fair.

Books

2008-02-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

How many books slipped through my fingers today? Who can count them! For, as the writer of Ecclesiastes said, "Of making many books there is no end." Surely this is true in our time as over 400,000 new books are published every year!

The first time I "touch" a book is usually when I read the review, hear about it from a customer, find it because of an interest that I have or see it in the media. The next time is when I type the book information into a purchase order and send it off to the distributors and/or publishers. I do this every weekday, ordering well over a hundred books a day. Early the next day, many of those books arrive at our counter and I often stop and pick them up. I look through them longingly, peruse a paragraph, admire their covers, read the jackets and sigh. The sighing is because I'll never live long enough to read all the books I'd like to read.

The books then are shelved for awhile but soon they slide through my fingers one last time as I scan the barcode when a happy customer is purchasing them and pop them in a bag.

The excitement of unpacking a box of books has never grown tedious for me. There are some books that I will only see once, but other favorites will come back over and over, like old friends. Truly, every day is like Christmas morning. What a great business this is that allows me to fill my hands and heart with books!

Movie Review

2008-02-25T22:18:00.000-08:00

I thought that I had seen a lot of movies this year, and maybe I have but most of them were not the movies that got a lot of attention at last night's Academy Awards. I saw Enchanted with my daughter and granddaughter. It is a funny and romantic film that I predict will become a beloved classic for the whole family. I saw Michael Clayton, which was well-acted with a good plot. The Bourne Ultimatum was a satisfying film in the Bourne series, though that movie was pushing the envelope for me. I'm not a fan of chase scenes, crashes, blood or horror, so I ruled out many of the "winners" from the beginning. Though I like Johnny Depp as an actor, there is no way I would pay money to see Sweeney Todd, nor will I watch it when it is eventually on television. Even though several of the movies this year were adaptations of books, such as No Country for Old Men and The Golden Compass, I wasn't really drawn to them for one reason or another. My taste in movies leans toward romantic comedy, drama, and documentaries. My taste for popcorn leans toward half the butter with a tiny bit of salt.

What were your favorite non-Oscar nominated movies this year. Reply to this blog and tell me what you liked and why.

Poetry

2008-02-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

I am alone in the house this Saturday morning. I've spent the time writing poetry. This isn't something I usually do, but I had some words and phrases bumping around inside me and I just had to let them ooze out through my fingers. I'm not ready to share any of them here on my Blog, yet. I'm feeling a bit insecure about them, but maybe. Someday.

April is Poetry Month. I'm going to look for a new poetry book that I can savor this spring. Maybe something by Emily Dickinson. Here is one of her poems that I like.

If I can stop one Heart from breaking

by Emily Dickinson
If I can stop one Heart from breaking

I shall not live in vain.

If I can ease one Life the Aching

Or cool one Pain

Or help one fainting Robin Unto his Nest againI shall not live in Vain.

I like all kinds of poetry, serious and humorous. Here is another one I like:

The Frog by Anonymous

What a wonderful bird the frog are –
When he sit, he stand almost;
When he hop, he fly almost.
He ain’t got no sense hardly;
He ain’t got no tail hardly either.
When he sit, he sit on what he ain’t got – almost.

Eclipse

2008-02-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

Did you stand still and look up last night? On my way to meet with our daughter and her wedding coordinator, I got a glimpse of the misshapen moon. I was disappointed to miss it's full glory, but excited to find that my seat at Red Robin gave me the best view of the event I could have asked for. Small blessings.

“We get so preoccupied with ourselves, the words we speak, the plans and projects we conceive that we become immune to the glory of creation. We barely notice the cloud passing over the moon or the dewdrops clinging to the rose leaves.The ice on the pond comes and goes. The wild blackberries ripen and wither.The blackbird nests outside our bedroom window. We don’t see her. We avoid the cold and the heat. We refrigerate ourselves in summer and entomb ourselves in plastic in winter. We rake up every leaf as fast as it falls.We are so accustomed to buying prepackaged meats and fish and fowl in supermarkets we never think and blink about the bounty of God’s creation.We grow complacent and lead practical lives.We miss the experience of awe, reverence, and wonder.”
Brennan Manning, Ragamuffin Gospel

Book Review

2008-02-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it. I re-read a book. There are few books that I would take the time to read again, but I am still so excited about Leif Enger's new book, So Brave, Young and Handsome, that I read it aloud to my husband as we drove about 450 miles this weekend. We almost finished by the time we returned home and now he plans to finish it on his own. The purpose of our trip was for him to attend a grant-writing seminar, so I had several hours to read another advance reading copy, actually the first novel I've read by Jodi Picoult, Change of Heart. I was absorbed and impressed as the story unfolded. The themes of capital punishment, forgiveness, and family will ensure that this emotionally-charged book soars to the top as many of Jodi's other books have. Look for this new title in early March, 2008.

Caught My Eye

2008-02-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

On a cross-country flight last week I saw the following books being read or toted about:

Eastbound:
Before I Say Goodbye by Mary Higgins Clark
How Starbucks Saved My Life (Salt Lake City)
Tahiti and Polynesia Travel Guide (I wanted to ask if I could go with him)
Westbound:
Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Rising Tide - a Novel of World War II
An Innocent Man - John Grisham

Bumper Sticker: Buckle your seat belt. It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of the car!

Profundities to Ponder

2008-02-10T19:09:00.001-08:00

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr MLK Jr. January 21st, 2008

What are these things for me? The plight of the poor, the silent cry of the unborn, and my faith come to mind. Sometimes I just get tired and overwhelmed and my silence is an indicator of my fatigue, but I must be diligent to distinguish between weariness and apathy.

I saw this by Bodie Thoene this week: Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand.

Movie Review

2008-02-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

The Bucket List Jack Nicholson, the actor I love to hate, and Morgan Freeman, whom I love to love whether he is Driving Miss Daisy or narrating for penguins, are a great team for this funny, yet touching movie. These two older men, unlikely roomates in the hospital through no choice of their own, find comfort and friendship in learning to accept their impending deaths. Carter (Morgan Freeman) has a Bucket List, a list of things that he wants to do before he kicks the bucket. Though Edward (Jack Nicholson) initially scoffs at Carter's list ambitions, he comes to see the wisdom and hope embodied in Carter's outlook and he begins a list of his own. As their treatment allows, they then set out to fulfill the dreams they have, from racing cars to reconciliations with loved ones. I'll admit to a few tears and I must say that the movie has been on my mind for days as I think about my own Bucket List. My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review

2008-02-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

Gardens of Water by Alan Drew

A devastating earthquake near Istanbul disrupts the lives of two families, one Muslim and one Christian American. Dealing with their losses very differently, the two families come to understand that though they are culturally different, it is possible to gain some understanding of each other when their lives intertwine in ways they never expected. The writing is emotionally stunning as the family members each look for and long for their version of a perfect Heaven. Reminiscent of Kite Runner and Thousand Splendid Suns – I love this book. Great for bookclubs.

This book is a Booksense Pick for February, 2008.

I'm still basking in the afterglow of Winter Institute. I love books and I love booksellers. What a generous, friendly bunch of people. I sent home two boxes of Advanced Reading Copies, so stay tuned for more reviews.

Movie

We are heading out to see The Bucket List. Feeling a little mid-lifish and mid-winterish, so perhaps it will be a shot in the arm. I'll give you my rating next time I write.

2008-02-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

"thinklings" are musings, observations, opinions or questions on books, culture, family, faith and life with some quirky things thrown in for good measure.

Just finished reading Leif Enger's new book, So Brave, Young, and Handsome. Actually, the book won't even be published until May, 2008. One of the advantages of being a bookseller, and there are many, is having access to books before they are born. Another advantage is that we often get to meet authors, as I met Leif last week in Louisville. I attended the American Booksellers Association Winter Institute (and believe me, it was WINTER in Louisville) where I was delighted to find that my favorite author finally had produced his second novel and he was in attendance, signing his book. I was delighted to meet him and report that our store had sold hundreds of his first book, Peace Like a River. That book, one of my most recommended for years, is referred to in the store as a "bun burner". Lest you think it is somehow racy, let me assure you that it only means that one customer loved it so much that she let the buns burn! Leif's new book reminds me of Huckleberry Finn, Oh, Brother Where Art Thou and The Fugitive all wonderfully rolled up together. I can't think of anyone who would not enjoy this one.