Coffee shops signage touted “Peppermint mochas now in season.”  Really?  Under a backdrop of swaying palms, perpetual sunshine and Luke bowling oranges in my brother’s backyard it felt more like iced latte season to me.  I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective.  As we lounged on the beach clad in shorts and flip flops, natives walked past bundled from head to toe in scarves and stocking caps.  That’s the joy of travel for me feeling transported, even when in this case we were a mere two states away from home. 

So this Thanksgiving we embraced the warmth of the sun, the smell of turkey on the grill, and the delightful taste of peppermint mochas under palm trees.  Regardless of location or the temperature outside, the best part of traveling south was spending the holiday with family.

The one exception to my No Christmas before Thanksgiving rule that I’m willing to bend on is my Christmas list.  Now wait.  Don’t worry I’m not selling out here.  It’s more that I need to buy a little extra time to decide exactly what I want beneath the tree. 

It goes without saying that I consume a fair number of books.  Living in the Portland area doesn’t help since Powell’s nearly in my backyard.  Not to mention the slew of other indie bookstores and big box shops for those times I’ve gotta get a fix on cheap mystery before the weekend.  That’s not to say I don’t purchase books online every now and then, but I much prefer the experience of a brick and mortar store.  I like to browse shelves and linger over a coffee.  I like the low background music and lofty energy found in bookstores.  That’s why the Kindle hasn’t appealed to me. 

But now, Barnes and Noble is launching the Nook which might tempt me into diving into the world of e-books.  The Nook allows users to lend e-books to friends, offers endless shelf space and cute covers.  Oh no!  It’s easy to envision myself lounging on a plush chair at my local B & N with my Nook in hand, or downloading a title while holding a hard copy in my hand.

Weigh in here fellow readers…To “e” or not to “e” that’s the holiday question for me this season.  And, Thanksgiving is still a holiday too thank you very much.

Two of my earliest reading memories are practicing phonics with sandpaper cards my mom made by hand and reading Dick and Jane books aloud.  As a child I loved this time spent with my mother.  I’d scoot a chair from our dining room into the adjoining kitchen and “read” to her while she baked cookies or scrubbed the stove.  Now as an adult I have a deeper appreciation, not only for the gift of reading she gave me from such an early age, but also how impressive her teaching skills were. 

In the learning to read quest there are typically two camps:  phonics versus sight.  When I was working in speech therapy I remember many a heated battle in elementary school libraries over which method brought the greatest success.  But my mom’s simple solution was both.  The best part is that I didn’t even realize it until Luke cracked open the first of the Dick and Jane book a couple of nights ago.

He breezed through reading it.  His little body bursting with pride as he turned to me and said, “I’m reading Mom!  I’m actually reading.”  The simple repetitive words and phrases allowed him to build confidence word by word.  Since then he’s devoured the remaining books we borrowed and told anyone who’ll listen that he can read.  Looks like it might have been more than coincidence that I was drawn to the Dick and Jane books.  It also looks like another library trip is in order.

Here’s where my guilty pleasure comes into play.  When questioned, should I reveal my secret source for red velvet bliss, or offer up a white lie and direct those seeking confectionery delight to a perfectly suitable recipe like the one above? 

You guessed it.  I revealed my source.  Inhaling, I stared at my feet and muttered, “Um, I found it in a culinary mystery.”

“A what?”  someone responded. 

“Huh?” questioned another. 

Yes, it’s true, I’m secretly addicted to culinary mysteries–pure candy for the mind.  A sweet treat before bed is absorbing myself in one of these tasty gems .  Sure, I read a lot of non-fiction.  I consider myself well-versed in the classics, and my literary fiction repertoire includes many novels not found on any Oprah reading list.  But, I feel like it’s time to come clean about my cheap mystery fix.  Titles like “Dying for Chocolate” and “Espresso Shot” call out to me in the book store.  I’ve read late into the night trying to decipher who the cookie killer is.  And, I’ve decided I’m fine with it.  Reading these delectable tales serves up a healthy dose of escapism for me.  Plus, the recipes are to die for!

I used to watch friends who I thought were able to balance motherhood and work life with grace and ease.  They seamlessly shuffled carpools and cupcakes and then zipped off to the office.  It wasn’t until my reading group read Perfect Madness:  Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety that I realized the struggle to find balance in motherhood is universal. It wasn’t until the past month that I began my own struggle to find this balance.

My volunteer work for the Alzheimer’s Association led to a new position:  The Director of Public Relations and Public Policy for the state of Oregon.  I vacillated for days, well actually weeks, about whether the timing was right for me to take on this new role.  My previous work allowed me the luxury of choosing projects and clients on my own time.  This new position would require structured hours, power suits, and re-arranging care for Luke.  It would also bring a fresh and exciting challenge and allow me to implement change and policy for a cause I have true passion for.   

Should I have you all weigh-in on whether I took the job?  Leave you hanging?  No, I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise that I did indeed accept the position.  Thanks to the wonderful director and staff at the Association they are allowing me to tread lightly.  I’ll be starting halftime this year, allowing for time with Luke and writing projects.  So here’s to the New Year and a new challenge.  I’ll keep you posted as to whether I’ve found my perfect balance.

[singlepic id="95" w="100" h="100" mode="" float="" ]The reader in me couldn’t resist chefs in white hats serving cocoa while effortlessly turning pages as we bounced along the tracks. The traditionalist in me soaked in the scent of musty train cars, ginger cookies, and the wet dark air. But, the mom in me saw it all through Luke’s eyes–peeking out the foggy windows for a glimpse of the North Pole, craning his neck in hopes the big man might have boarded the train, and the look of brimming belief as clutched his bell and wave goodnight to Santa Claus.

If you’d like to hop aboard the Polar Express check out your local reading railroad here.  If  you’ve somehow never read the Polar Express click here.  Or, if you’d like to pass the magic on pick up a copy and drop it off at a local shelter.

[singlepic id="81" w="150" h="150" mode="" float="" ]Why pears?  I blame it all on the oh-so-talented Cynthia Rylant.  Her writing for children is subtle, sophisticated, and philosophical.  If you have children, her books are a must read.  The Mr. Putter and Tabby series resonates with me because of the clever and careful way she writes about aging.  The books resonate with Luke because of the crafty solutions she creates for her characters.  For example when Mr. Putter can no longer climb a ladder to pick his pears, he makes a slingshot and shoots them over his house.

Aside from the slingshot, which we thought the farm owners might frown upon, Luke recreated his favorite story, pulling pears from the trees and sampling pear jelly on salted crackers.  Watching him I thought to myself, this is why I read.  All great writing regardless of whether it’s written for a four year old or forty year old is transformative.  Today for Luke, that meant he understood he was lucky to be young and agile enough to pick pears.  For me it was a reminder that transformations start young.

I hate to admit it but back to school season is upon us.  Aside from choosing a new Brady Bunch lunch box, my favorite part of back to school preparation as a child was shopping for clothes.  Inevitably my outfit choices lead to battles with my parents over which one was to be worn the first day of school. 

The year I entered second grade they gave up.  I think it was part of what my mom deemed “natural consequences”.  The first day of school arrived.  I donned a plaid wool skirt, green tights, a long sleeve blouse, and matching wool sweater vest.  One small problem…September in the Pacific Northwest is hot, really hot.  Some might argue it’s the best month of summer.  By recess my tights and sweater vest were discarded in a pile of bark chips, my blouse sleeves rolled up to my elbows, and my face drenched in sweat.  Did I learn my lesson?  Of course not, the next year I wore a sweater dress.

This year as you battle the back to school blues you can support a worthy cause.  RIF (Reading is Fundamental) is teaming up with Macy’s to help provide books for kids.  The campaign is Book a Brighter Future and here’s how it works.  Simply stop by any Macy’s (it’s probably already on your list) and donate $3 to the campaign.  In return Macy’s will give you a $10 shopping pass good for any purchase of $50 or more.  100% of the $3 donations received will go to RIF.  Happy shopping!

After letting my manuscript sit and ferment for a few months, I recently finished a new round of edits.  Edits isn’t exactly an appropriate description.  It was more of a layering and fine tuning.  I’m happy with the end result, but am eager to tackle the ever growing stack of books on my shelf.  Especially since I’m still waiting to hear back from a number of agents reading my full manuscript.   

I’m currently reading The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, which just might turn out to be the perfect summer read.  It should be paired with an iced lemonade in my hammock, but in the Northwest we’re experiencing June-uary, complete with wind, horizontal rain, and temps in the forties.  I’ve been asked by an author friend to write a review of his recently published novel.  I’ll be sure to post once I complete my review, and otherwise I’m going to devour my summer reads despite the weather.