Merry Christmas to all

With Christmas but a few days away, I want to send my wishes that your Christmas will be filled with love and peace. Our condo is decorated simply this year and while many of our decorations are from our early years together, we do have some more recent arrivals. My favorite is is a  humble little tree sent to us by our oldest daughter, Ginger. When we were here for our first Christmas, she asked me if we would have a tree. I said, "No." That just didn't sit well with her. And so, a few days later, our tree arrived. It fits in quite nicely with all the "old" decorations we've accumulated over the years.

Over the years, we've all kinds of trees---tall spindly ones, short chubby ones. Will always went out and picked out the tree. Often, one or more of our daughters would go with him. Whoever braved the cold to do so always would claim "their tree was the best ever." We'd all gather around and decorate together, at least until they grew far into their teens. I confess my favorite part was tinsel, something that we don't see nowadays. Not sure why. Will would repeat his directions every year: "drape the tinsel, don't throw it or drop it on the branches."

Looking back on my childhood, I am amazed about how my parents created the magical feel they did especially knowing how stretched their budget was after WWII. When we went to bed at night as little children, there was no sign of Christmas. We believed Santa brought everything on his sleigh.

In the morning, we'd awaken to a tree centered on a large platform. Trains chugged around it. Our gifts snuggled at one end and our stockings were stuffed with candy, always a tangerine, and sometimes a bit of coal, too. Often our stocking held a note that led us to another part of the house where we'd find ice skates, a new sled, and once, for my sister, a bicycle.

My dad sometimes fell asleep in his chair while my mother made our Christmas dinner. Now I know why! For some reason, I never shared my appreciation with them. I wish I could now. Somehow, though, I think they know...

When Once is Enough: One-book Authors

If you’re like me, you’re hesitant to read Harper Lee’s second book, Go Set a Watchman. From what I’ve read about this much hyped book, the reader will leave with a tarnished view of the beloved character, Atticus Finch.

The discovery of this book so many years after To Kill a Mocking bird raised my curiosity about other one book authors, especially those whose one tome has become an iconic classic. I read a lot, but there's a limited number of books that continue to resonate with me, even after many years. I was surprised to find how many of my lifelong remembered reads were by one--book authors. These books influenced my life and affected my thinking immeasurably. 

Here’s my top five: 

                          

1.  Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Born in 1820 to a devoutly Quaker family, Sewell 

was influenced by her mother who wrote children’s 

books. Following a childhood accident, she traveled mostly by horse drawn carriages and developed a deep love and concern for horses. Unlike her mother, she didn’t write for children but rather to influence those who cared for horses. I read the book when I was twelve and never viewed animals without thinking about how they should be treated.

2.  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This classic needs no introduction! Is there anyone reading this post who hasn’t read this book or seen the movie? The classic lines throughout this masterpiece are still quoted today. The author was recognized in 1957 when she received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Like Harper Lee, she avoided the limelight, but unlike Lee, she died at the young age of 49. I read this book in my teens and it made me realize how much war affects so many individuals, no matter what their beliefs.

3.  An Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

This was another book that really affected my thinking in my teen years. In his book, published in 1952, he spoke to race in a way never done before. Consider these words by Ellison: “I am an invisible man…I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids—and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, simply because people refuse to see me.”

4.  Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Although this was his only book, Salinger wrote nearly two dozen short stories in many publications, including The New Yorker. Holden Caulfield, the main character, illustrates the importance of living an authentic life. I read this as a young adult and it helped reaffirm my own beliefs in following my own direction rather than to “go along to get along.”

5.  Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

 While this author is best remembered for his poetry, his novel, published in 1957, demonstrates the courage it can take to express your views even in fiction. Pasternak had to smuggle his manuscript out of Russia to be published abroad. In my early twenties, his story and what it took to publish it, served as inspiration to me in my early writings.

I’m still unsure whether I will read Harper Lee’s recently published work, Go Set a Watchman, because the characters within what seemed destined to be her one memorable work, speak so much to me. Perhaps, I will consider her the sixth of my one-book authors instead…

To learn more about one-book authors of these and other much loved books, visit Goodreads for a list of 100 well known titles.

       

A Little Help From Our Friends

My last entry was an easy one: a simple holiday reflection of Christmases Past. Somehow, after that, I just couldn’t bring myself to write another posting. My problem wasn’t only with my blog, but other writings as well. While I continued to write the mystery novel I’d already begun, it was a painful process to eke out enough pages to meet my writers’ group deadline twice a month.

I tried prompts, wrote a few drafts but only half-heartedly. Then, I read a friend’s blog. She apparently was having the same problem as I was. Her most recent posting, “First Step Taken,” on her blog, Musings, speaks to the solution. She illustrates so well what it’s like to want to write yet not feel able to do so.

And so now I’m feeling it’s time to hit the keyboard again. Seeing someone I know well experience and conquer writer’s block inspires me so much more than reading similar advice from those I don’t know, though all are well-meaning “experts” and seasoned writers.

Being part of a writing community is such an important support system. If you are a writer or aspire to write, whether fiction or nonfiction, find other folks who also yearn to do so. While friends and family can be encouraging, sharing your work and yes, your anxieties about writing with those who also experience them, helps the most.

So, thank you, Lois, for your wonderful words. Reading your posting helps a lot. I, too, will take the pledge to “not not write.” I look forward to seeing your next month’s posting and pledge mine will follow close behind!

Christmas Seasons

With Christmas but a few days away, I want to send my wishes that your Christmas will be filled with love and peace. Most of us can recall those special Christmases, perhaps those of our childhood, or with our first love, or later, those with a growing family, followed by those with grandchildren.

Over the years, Christmas celebrations tend to evolve as each of us builds our own treasure trove of memories. If you're like me, some of the memories fuse into others. As a child, I remember getting a tangerine in my stocking and so, the smell of a tangerine will always evoke childhood Christmases for me. Over the years, time changes our celebrations. I can't imagine ever putting a tangerine in my children's or my grandchildren's stockings!

I remember meeting my husband, Will. Those were the days when we took lots of pictures. This picture, taken in 1959, was our first Christmas together. We were young, then, and carefree, too. I recall we had to visit both sets of parents that year. And try to eat two turkey dinners, as well.

Since then, we've celebrated fifty-five Christmases together. If I had a chance to relive those years, I would have kept a Christmas journal. Then, I would be able to go back and check out each one. Now, they merge into a lovely pattern much like a quilt made of many hues.


In quick succession, our four daughters came along and with them, late nights of putting toys together, then arranging them under the tree. Ginger, our oldest, was always the "scout." While her sisters quivered with excitement, she would run down the steps, check out the scene, then call up to her sisters, "Santa came!" Then we'd hear another three sets of feet bound down the steps. And our Christmas morning would begin...way too early, but nevertheless, filled with joy.

Way too quickly, they grew up, married and began their own Christmas traditions. Again, Christmases evolved but with glad tidings as life was developing as it was meant to be.

Soon, grandchildren hit the scene. Another golden time, another gilded, ribboned wrapped growth of Christmas change. This, for me, was really special. This picture of me with our grandsons Nathan and John, was taken a Christmas that I'll never forget. Nathan, four months old, was sleeping on a blanket close to the tree while we were all in the kitchen. We heard a thud and ran in. The tree had fallen over and Nathan was under it! Not a sound was uttered by this dear baby boy. We pulled the tree off of him, unsure if he was hurt, but thankfully, not a branch had touched him.

Those years went quickly, way too quickly. And now my beloved and I find we're back to the beginning. Our children and our children's children all live far enough away that Will and I are two once more. We still celebrate with gifts and phone calls, then visits after Christmas day. We're content and feel blessed to be together and well. We rejoice in the day and knowing all of our loved ones are safe and celebrating, too.


May you and your family have a blessed Christmas and fun making memories together!

Protecting Freedom To Read

In yesterday's paper, an article about Banned Book Week caught my interest. This annual event is celebrated by libraries across the United States this year from September 21-27. This event is fueled by the belief that people should be able to determine what they want to read without any censorship from any group.

I was surprised when I read a sampling of some of the books challenged or banned at one time or another somewhere in America. 

To Name a few:

·         The Lorax by Doctor Suess

·         Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

·         Charlotte’sWeb by E.B. White

·         Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

·         Beloved by Toni Morrison

·         To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

·         The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck

·         The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

As an avid reader and one who absolutely loved all of the above, I wanted to know more. Before researching the topic on Google, I was sure that most of the challenges or banning must have occurred in the early history of our country, or at the very latest in the first half of the twentieth century. 

Not so, I learned. Challenges continue. In fact, in the decade 1990 to 2000, individuals have raised 6, 364 challenges to books, according to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Consider, in 2003, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was removed from the Renton School District in Washington State. Even more astounding, like the scene from The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, the Harry Potter series was burned in 2003 in Michigan.

As long as beliefs conflict, most likely there will be those who will want to challenge the reading of some books. The difficult determination for school boards, communities, librarians and teachers will be to protect intellectual freedom while respecting personal values.

That’s a daunting task! And one we must all weigh in on so we protect our freedom to choose. Perhaps the comedian, Tommy Smothers, may have said it best: “The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.” Or in the case of books, choose read or not.

In the meantime, I think about the loss of insight and inspiration these books offer. Most importantly, they challenge us to think and ponder life as it is and also how it should be.  The world would be less rich without them. So, I encourage all of you to check out the lists of past banned books. If there's books on the list you haven't yet read, take them out from your library. 

Most of all, find a way to Celebrate Banned Books week and intellectual freedom!

Have Blog, Will Travel

On my way from our Florida home to our summer hangout in New Jersey, Kim Trotto, a member of my writers group invited me to participate in this Writers’ Blog Tour. It sounded like too much fun to decline. So, suitcase yet unpacked, here I am.

The Writers’ Blog Tour is sort of a chain letter of writers all answering the same four questions. It’s a great opportunity to share about why we write and how. I’ll be passing the tour on to Doris Meredith and Karen Kelly Boyce. You can read more about them below. So here are my answers to the four questions.

   

1)  What am I working on?

Right now I’ve written the beginning of a mystery about a traveling nurse. I’ve also started a relationship story about a woman in her early sixties who realizes her life needs changing. I’m also considering writing a sequel to my first novel, Bellehaven, an idea that I initially rejected but after so many readers asked me for a follow up novel with the characters they said they loved, I’m considering it.

2)  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

When I write, I try to leave out the parts of a novel that many readers, including me, skim read “to get to the good stuff.” I avoid filler as much as I can. I also incorporate my life experience working with older individuals in a way that I believe is unique and speaks to the value of all people. My novels are character rather than plot driven.

3)  Why do I write what I do?

Much of what I write, though fiction, comes out of my life experience in elder care. I learned so much from those I cared for as a nurse, nursing home administrator and consultant. I want to help others understand the life process, but in an entertaining way, if possible. It’s important to me that my characters reflect their life history and are drawn as completely and multilayered as possible, even though they are fictional people.

4)  How does my writing process work?

I like to write spontaneously when I first begin a story and just let it unfold, though I must admit I do have a loose outline of how the story will go. Then I put it aside for several days. While I’m letting it ‘rest,” I find I am still writing in my head, working out what I may change or what the next scene or chapter will contain. Once I have the rough story or novel written out, I review with what I like to think is an analytical eye to see what is missing, out of place or unnecessary. I would like to say I write every day but while I don’t do actual physical writing, I am always writing in my mind. Sometimes, while driving, I  pull over to jot down an idea or scene I visualize. Fortunately, whether we’re on our island home in New Jersey or Florida, the traffic is not thick enough to get in the way!

Now it’s time to introduce our next two bloggers. Be sure to check them out next Tuesday, May 13, to read about their writing.

Karen Kelly Boyce: http://www.karenkellyboyce.com/blog, has written and published six books and the first four won the esteemed Catholic Writers Guild seal of approval. Down Right Good was awarded the 2012 Eric Hoffer Gold Award in fiction. She’s written a memoir, A Bend in the Road, which speaks to her journey with breast cancer. Her other works include fiction for both children and adults. All her books are faith based and uplifting.

D.R. Meredith: 
http://highwatermysteries.wordpress.com , is a split personality: a suburban wife until all the chores are done and the errands run, then she locks herself in her office and commits murder. As her second personality she has written three different mystery series, multiple short stories, and a historical series as a chance of pace. She has twice been a finalist for the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original. She reviews books in her spare time.

The Test of Time

Today, April 23, is Shakespeare’s birthday. Many communities will celebrate with World Book Night. World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person.  Each year on this date, thousands of people in the U.S. go out into their communities and give away a half a million free paperbacks. In the future, I hope to join this effort as a volunteer. 

Since I couldn't participate this year, I thought I’d commemorate the occasion by asking a few avid readers if they could name the best novel they’d ever read, the one book that stood the test of time. For some who participated in my informal survey, it proved to be an impossible task. They were driven to name more than one book. Others had no problem at all choosing one. Here’s a few of their picks:

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Tinka first read the book as a teenager, then attended the movie with a friend. “We packed a lunch and took it with us because it was such a long movie,” she relates. The book will always represent a special memory of those years, she adds.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Lorraine chose this classic because she “reread this two years ago and was so impressed on so many levels---narrated by a child who sees the world through innocent eyes and Atticus Finch who bravely challenges the social prejudices of the times.”

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: Ginger had a hard time narrowing her choices down to one, however, this was the first book she mentioned. She explains, “This book caused me to question so many things I’d ‘assumed’ about the world around us, forcing me to realize I’m pretty ‘democracy centric’ and yet there is a whole world beyond what I’m accustomed to in terms of ideals---that our way is not the only way.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: Megan chose this book without wavering because while reading the novel, she felt a sense of belonging, almost as if she was in their world.  “What I love most was how Louisa May Alcott portrayed the character Jo.  Jo was strong, driven, stubborn, and she refused to accept gender stereotypes and conform to society's expectation of women.  Jo pursued her interests and dreams and allowed no one come in between them, even though they were frowned upon. I have always admired Jo, and even used her name when I played ‘make-believe’ as a child.”

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy: Fellow writer, Iris, chose this book because she appreciates the author’s passion and his gift of language. “You can pick up the book, turn to any page, and enjoy his descriptions of characters, places and events without even knowing the plot of the story. I’ve read this novel more than once and have always found something new to make the reading worthwhile.”

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper: Bill read the book as a young boy and the vivid tale fueled his imagination of that time in history. “I’ll always remember reading this book and how I could see the characters---Chingachgook and Hawkeye. I could visualize living as Hawkeye did in the woods.”

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: This is my pick. Recently, it was a selection for my readers group. I hesitated at first, not sure if I wanted to read it again because I feared it wouldn’t resonate as it did when I first read it as a teenager. My second reading experience was even richer and I found my life experience enhanced my understanding of the book and the metaphor that the title exemplifies.

Can you name a sole favorite book? A book that stands out from all the others you’ve read? Try it. There’s something about singling out one book from all the others. Not an easy task, for sure, but one that is worth the effort.

And next year, consider finding a way to celebrate World Book Night and the great book giveaway.

Happy Reading!