Authors, Book Fines and New Year's Resolutions

I recently had a conversation with some of my friends from the library and we all agreed that we are fans, not of the most popular reality show (someone really needs to explain "Jersey Shore" to me), movie star, or rock group, but of men and women who create characters, towns and counties from their imaginations-authors. First, I don't need Oprah to tell me what to read, I've been selecting my own books since I was three. Secondly, many of the movies and television programs we enjoy wouldn't be there without these wonderfully creative people.

One of my favorite author stories is when I met Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse Vampire series author) at the ALA summer convention that was held in Chicago many years ago. This is before she wrote the series that would become "True Blood". I was wandering the vendor aisles and looked up and saw a woman coming towards me. What caught my eye was her necklace-a cloisonne skull. I said "What an interesting necklace!" I then saw her name tag and immediately followed it with "And I love your books." She wrote a series about a librarian, Aurora Teagarden, who frequently stumbled on bodies. I know the Sookie books are extremely popular but I do miss the character.

I have enjoyed the talks I have attended by Dr. Barbara Mertz (Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters), who doesn't love the Amelia Peabody books that draw up on her doctorate in Egyptology. She is very entertaining as a speaker and her sense of humor frequently comes through her writing.

I just finished "A Christmas Mourning" by Margaret Maron. She is a multiple winner of many awards and her character, Judge Deborah Knott, and the various members of her family are part of my literary family. Each year I look forward to a new book in the series, it isn't just the mystery that is always engaging, but reading about what is happening in the life of Deborah, her husband Dwight and others in the fictional Colleton County. Margaret was recently in a car accident and I know that many of her readers were concerned for her recovery. Check out her website at http://www.margaretmaron.com. She frequently writes a blog entry and you can become a friend on Facebook.

When I was helping to chaperon a group of students last spring, I met a Michigan author, Peg Herring, in Pennsylvania. I learned that she was on her way to the mystery writers' convention Malice Domestic. I was jealous and would have liked to climbed in her car instead of the van. Peg writes historical novels located in 16th and 17th century England. Her novel "Her Highness's First Murder" featured a young Elizabeth I, before she ascended the throne. It was a well written book that received good reviews. She encouraged me to continue writing, as she wasn't published until after she retired from teaching. Peg's website is http://www.pegherring.com.

Finally, my New Year's Resolution is to return my library books on time so I don't pay horrendous fines and to write more, maybe.

Friends beside me

This has been one of the busiest years I can remember. I directed two plays,one of which I wrote, taught a new class, had to write two additional reports for the state and keep on top of all of the usual things. However as much as possible I tried to meet with my friends for a little R and R . Last week before Christmas, I had a few friends come for lunch, just Tomato Basil Soup and paninis. We opened gifts and talked for almost four hours, a rare luxury for us all. This is part of the group of friends from when I worked at the local public library. I feel so blessed that they are still in my life and even though we don't see each other as often as we once did.

A few days later I met my colleagues, current and retired, from the position I have now at a local restaurant . We talked and laughed for the next few hours. Some of the subjects were the same: elderly parents, children, grandchildren, upcoming weddings and health of spouses and other family members. As I reflected on the gifts I receive during this time of year, I place the gift of friendship I receive from these two groups of women at the top.

I am paraphrasing a quote on a plaque I saw when shopping with my sisters yesterday and thought of all of them, including my sisters:

"When it hurts to look back and you are afraid to look ahead; look to the side for the friends who are there to support you."

Thank you all for being at my side and here is to a healthy and better New Year.

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day today and in my small town that means a parade that ends at the cemetery and a day in the village park. Community members who have been in the military or on active duty march in the parade, along with the high school band, the Girl and Boy Scout troops, riders on bikes and horses, and a few of the fire trucks, At the cemetery, an old family friend usually speaks and a wreath is laid at the memorial for the war dead.

After the parade, there is a chicken dinner sponsored by the local LIONs service organization, an ice cream social by the Boy Scouts and a bake sale for the youth services of one of the local churches. It is one of the social events that happens in small town America still and something I remember from my childhood. I went to the local park to get my dinner along with old friends and neighbors and caught up on local news.

Yesterday I planted flowers in the urns at my parents' graves and put out a new flag on the fence post. I couldn't help but remember the rows of white markers I had seen three weeks earlier at Arlington cemetery on a trip to Washington D.C. Thank you to all who have served in the military, it is your sacrifice that allow us to have those special summer days in small towns and large cities across America.

Snow, Comfort food and Kicking Back

Tomorrow, after running a few errands, I plan to take down the Christmas decorations outside and straighten up the garage before I put them away. It has either been too co-o-o-ld or snowing so a chore that is usually done right after the New Year was put on hold. Last week we had our first snow day of the new year when 90 schools in a five county area called off school.

I must admit as I saw school district after school district names scrolled across the local news, I was sure my district would be called next. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer and had started out the door when the phone rang. It was the school secretary and she was making sure I knew school had been called off before I made the drive. So I put on my lounging pj's and curled up with a comforter, two cats and a book. Certainly not what I had orginally planned for the day.

A few hours later when the sun came out, I put on my boots, heavy coat, hat and gloves and got to work on the driveway and sidewalks. I still haven't convinced myself that I need a snow blower. I like shoveling snow, go figure. But I knew a treat waited for me inside the house and so I think it added a special impetus.

Earlier I had pulled out the recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks that had been published by the women's group of a local church. I gathered the ingredients for soup, my favorite comfort food on a snowy day and knew it would soon be ready.

Tomato-Basil Soup

8 oz. cream cheese 1 large can V8 juice

28 oz can of stewed tomatoes Dried Basil

1 large onion diced Fresh garlic

1 pint half and half Salt and pepper

6-10 oz cans of tomato soup 1/2 stick butter

(or equivalent in larger size cans)

Process the cheese and stewed tomatoes in blender. Combine the tomato soup and half and half. Add the blender mixture. Add the V8 juice. Saute the onions and garlic in butter. Add seasonings to taste. Cook on low or in a crock-pot until flavors blend about 3 hours.

When I serve the soup to a large group, I have croutons and mozzarella cheese for toppings. However, I like to follow the custom of some local eateries and serve the soup with a slab of corn bread.

New Year's Resolutions, Ben Franklin and Me

When I started the blog in September I had these plans of writing if not daily at least weekly. So much for plans. There are many things that I had slated for the past four months that didn't happen either,such as Christmas cards. One of the few things I have done is I read a biography on Benjamin Franklin this fall. I also reread a little of his autobiography in which he wrote about improving and perfecting his virtues, Ben didn't make it either. So I guess I am in good company. However, I will try to do better on this and other things. One of my resolutions was to create a place for mail that included a spot for bills to be paid and letters and notifications to be filed. It also had to include the shredder for all of the pesky mail that seems to invade the mail box on offers for credit cards etc. It is all ready to go. I also took care of some of the mail that seem to accumulate in various spots around the house. Let's see if I can continue with the process.