Williams-Sonoma and the Amish

Even William-Sonoma is getting in on the trend for all-things Amish. I was in the store the other day and saw this Whoopie Pie display.

And I noticed that Whole Foods is starting to sell Whoopie Pies in its bakery!

Just what is a Whoopie Pie? And how did it get its name?

First...the name:

Legend has it that when Pennsylvania Dutch children would find these traditional cream-cheese-icing filled chocolate cookie cakes in their lunches, they'd be so excited they'd cry, "Whoopee!"

Source: Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, page 47.

Next...the recipe:

4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup cocoa
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup thick sour milk
1 cup hot water

Cream together sugar, salt, shortening, vanilla and eggs. Sift together flour, soda and cocoa. Add this to the first mixture alternately with water and sour milk. Add slightly more flour if milk is not thick. Drop by teaspoons. Bake in hot oven at 350% until done.

Source: an Amish cookbook

This recipe doesn't have the filling in it, which you could add with whipped cream. If it seems too complicated, you could always to Williams-Sonoma and buy the mix!

Coffee-Less Starbucks and other Oxymorons

On the heels of yesterday's Wall Street Journal article that proclaimed coffee to be good for you...I celebrated by going to Starbucks. I ordered a decaf latte with low-fat milk and the server said to me, "Sorry. We don't have decaf in the afternoon anymore. Not after twelve."

Huh?

I get that Starbucks is hurting in this economy, and they need to trim down their overly ambitious menu...but why would a coffee shop cut back on coffee?

I mean, I don't have an MBA...but it seems logical to make some other cuts, first. Like, why not cut back on decaf in the morning (when people don't want it) but offer it in the afternoon...when they do?

So now I have to add Starbucks to my ever-growing oxymoron list. "Coffee-less Starbucks."

Or "Airline Schedules." Or "Fat-Free Half & Half." Or "Boneless Ribs."

I'm even on my oxymoron list! The Choice received a review last week that called it an "edgy Amish romance." That's good, isn't it?

Regardless, "edgy Amish" definitely goes on my list.

Cool Beans!

Great news today in the Wall Street Journal! COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU!

I quote: "Earlier studies linked coffee consumption with a lower risk of certain cancers and Type 2 diabetes. People who drink coffee are less likely to have cavities, gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, or to commit suicide.

Some interesting stats: 54% of American adults drink coffee regularly--an estimated 400 million cups per day--and coffee is the most widely traded commodity in the world, after oil.

Finally, some good news in the news! I'm off to Starbucks...

Source: healthjournal@wsj.com

How Less TV Changes Your Day

Great article about what happens when a person watches less TV from the NY Times. It won't make you feel bad, I promise!


December 16, 2009,
How Less TV Changes Your Day
By TARA PARKER-POPE

What happens when people start watching less television? Do they eat less? Exercise more? Sleep better?

That is what researchers at the University of Vermont set out to learn in a fascinating six week study to monitor television viewing, physical activity and eating habits. As it turns out, watching less TV doesn’t necessarily lead to more exercise or better eating habits, but it does result in subtle but meaningful changes in overall activity levels, according to a new study in The Archives of Internal Medicine.

Using monitoring equipment attached to TVs, the researchers tracked the viewing habits of 36 men and women who were overweight or obese. Among the study subjects, the average amount of time spent watching television was five hours a day, similar to national trends.

For the next three weeks, 20 randomly selected study participants had their viewing cut in half. Based on their previous viewing habits, each person was given a weekly limit of TV time. Once the limit was reached, a monitor automatically shut the TV off and would not allow it to be turned on again until the next week. A control group of 16 people continued to watch the same amount as always. During both the first and second phase of the six week study, the participants also wore armbands for a week that measured their movements.

To the researchers’ surprise, cutting back television time didn’t have an effect on calorie consumption, nor did it change sleep habits. The group that watched less television did, however, move more, burning an average of 120 calories more a day than the control group.

Although some participants did report getting more exercise by walking their dogs more often or signing up for a yoga class, most of the people didn’t use their television-free time for scheduled physical exercise. One person used the extra time to organize photo albums, others reported reading more or playing board games with their children. Many said they spent the time doing more household chores or paying bills.

But even those minor changes in activity level counted a lot. While the group that reduced television viewing burned off an additional 120 calories a day compared with the previous three weeks, the control group became even more sedentary, moving about 100 calories less than before. The additional activity that resulted from less television time is the equivalent of walking about eight miles a week.

“A lot of people might say, ‘Of course people would move more with less television,’” said Jennifer J. Otten, now a postdoctorate research fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine. “What we were looking for was to see if there was a meaningful difference.”

Dr. Otten said the finding that eating habits weren’t changed by less television time was surprising. Earlier studies with children have found that reducing television time significantly reduced the number of calories a child consumed. The fact that a similar effect wasn’t found in adults may suggest that children are more easily influenced by food advertising on TV than adults.

Dr. Otten says the main lesson for adults is that reducing your television viewing time will result in a meaningful increase in activity even if you’re not using the time for strenuous exercise.

“Compared to watching television, you burn more calories reading, writing, doing desk work — pretty much any activity other than sleeping,” Dr. Otten said. “The main finding is that if you turn off the TV, you may burn more calories without really thinking too much about it.”

Do You Hear What I Hear?

At my church's Christmas Eve service, I learned that "Do You Hear What I Hear" was written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962.

Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker (married at the time) were inspired to write the lyrics 'Said the night wind to the little lamb, 'Do you see what I see?' and 'Pray for peace, people everywhere,' after watching babies being pushed in strollers on the sidewalks of New York City.

Years later, in an interview, Baker stated that neither she nor Regney could personally perform the entire song at the time they wrote it because of the emotions surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. "Our little song broke us up," she said. "You must realize there was a threat of nuclear war at the time."

However, it was Bing Crosby who made the song a worldwide smash hit when he released his own version of it in 1963, a week after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

Interesting to know the story behind the songs, isn't it?

We have so much to be grateful for in our homes and in our country, and yesterday's near-disaster in the Northwest plane is a reminder to take nothing for granted.

So on this day after Christmas, when the tree is starting to lose all its needles and you can't eat one more bite of rich food and the "Day After Christmas Letdown" settles in...remember that a Child has been born. And He is with us, still.

P.S. Pardon this sidenote of happy news...but I wanted to share it with my special bleaders. CBD recommends "The Choice" as a top pick of fiction! See for yourself!

Merry Christmas!

Get your hankie out for this one!



Are homecomings wonderful?

My daughter and son-in-law are flying from Rhode Island this very moment. We haven't seen them since July, and the time together will fly.

Tonight we're having our traditional Christmas Eve dinner with Steve's dear mom. Church later tonight, of course. And tomorrow, in between present opening, a full brunch and another big family dinner with my folks and brother's family.

Such treasured moments!

But I know that not everyone is going to be having a warm, family-centered Christmas this year.

At church last Sunday, we had an interesting benediction. A long line of people carrying cardboard signs stood, one by one, in front of the congregation. On one side of the cardboard was written (in big bold letters) a particular battle the individual had been fighting. On the other side...how an encounter with Christ changed him/her.

For example: "Addicted to Alcohol." Flipped over: "Sober for 2 years!"
Or..."Heading to divorce." Flipped over: "Marriage healed."

The music was beautiful last week, the sermon was a good one, but I will never, ever forget those silent messages that spoke of an encounter with Christ. Everyone around me was wiping tears off their cheeks. Including me.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
–Isaiah 9:2

When Jesus entered the world, after four hundred years of silence, the world heard from God. The people were not forgotten. God had spoken.

The angel of the Lord appeared to the most humble people of all--the shepherds. He went to the commoner, the worker, those who would come to Jesus with only tired bodies and empty hands. To those he brought great joy. To those he said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m bringing you good news. I have not forgotten you.”

God had spoken. A child had been born. For you. For me.

I hope you can meet Jesus Christ with fresh eyes this Christmas. I hope you will be open to having an encounter with Him. You'll never be the same.

And may your next 24 hours be blessed.

Hole in One

Not really sure why my blogs are sports-related lately...probably because my house is filled with males of assorted ages on vacation, watching football. Whether you're a golfer or not, you'll be amazed by this footage:



On an entirely different note, last night was the winter solstice. Today, the sun started setting a minute or two later. My husband loves the winter solstice...but not for obvious reasons. It makes him happy to think that each passing day means a later sunset...mainly because he hates driving to and from work in the dark.



Hope you're close to being finished with your shopping and will be ready to pause, enjoy this week, and savor the time with your family the next few days.

And Moms...turn off the football games!

A Fisherman's Best Efforts

First, here is a youtube clip about a host of a fishing show that will make your side hurt from laughing so hard. The poor guy is so sincere!



Next, thank you to everyone who left comments or e-mails about the Giveaway last week! It was inspiring to hear from my bleaders (blog + readers = bleaders) who are trying to be so intentional about Christmas: listening to beautiful music, getting shopping and cards done in advance, making special foods, watching good movies, treasuring time with family.

I love to hear you're trying to slow down to savor this week. It's going to go by so fast, and the pace of life will pick up again (into a full roar!). It takes effort to be fully conscious of all that Christmas means--both on a practical level with some vacation time with families, and on a spiritual level, as we celebrate our Savior's birth.

There were so many posted comments that I decided to draw two names: Connie and Joann K.

I need your addys, ladies, and will pop those books in the mail.

Hope your Monday is off to a good start! And if your to-do list is making you crazy, scratch off all the non-essentials. One more gift, one more card...they won't make any difference. But time with your family...time in the "here and now"...that will be remembered.

Lead Like...the Amish?

This is taken from Gifted for Leadership, an on-line community for women that is part of Christianity Today.

Lead Like...the Amish?
by Caryn Rivadeneira

December 18, 2009 |

A month or so ago, Suzanne Woods Fisher sent me a copy of her new book, Amish Peace, with a note that said, “The chapter called ‘For the Good of the Community’ might have some leadership applications for GFL.”

Although I was a bit skeptical on what a book about the Amish and peace might have to say about women in ministry leadership, since I' love Suzanne's writing and since all things Amish are pretty “hot” right now (at least in the publishing world) I cracked the book open—maybe there was an Amish leadership angle after all.

And lo and behold, at the end of this little chapter were some words that struck me—and have stayed with me since I read them. I think there is indeed some application—especially for us leaders who tend to fall in the “comparison/competition” camp more than the “cooperative” one. But I’ll share what I read and then we can discuss.

Here’s an excerpt from Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Amish Peace:

---

Cooperation is a cornerstone for the Amish way of life. It is a value that is ingrained at home, reinforced in school, and illustrated in the community. As cooperation is encouraged, competition is equally discouraged. Even on the playground.

Matthew is a thirteen-year-old Amish boy who loves softball. Maybe a little too much, worries his teacher. “Just the other day,” said Lydia, Matthew’s grandmother, “Matthew told us that he was playing softball during recess and yelled to his team to get some hits. He was frustrated because his team was losing. The teacher chided him. Said he shouldn’t be so concerned about winning.”

The problem with winning is … it requires someone to lose.

Comparison, like competition, are discouraged by the Amish. For example, an Amish teacher would never grade on a curve. During so would mean that one’s child good grade depends on another child’s poor grade. The children encourage one another’s good performance so that the whole class or school may do well. Differences in learning are acknowledged and respected by the teacher and the children. “Hard learners probably have an easier time of it here than if they were in the public education,” said Susie, mother of six. “They’re still ‘in the conversation.’” She means that an individual is valued, even if he learns at a slower pace and can’t keep up with his peers. To the Amish point of view, there is a place and a purpose for each person, like pieces of a pie. Each person is part of the whole.

The very nature of competition seeks to extol an individual by crowding out rivals, causing them to fail. To lose. In the upside down world of the Amish, they seek to build community by helping all individuals succeed. Everyone wins.

----

I’ve continued mulling what it means for me as a ministry leader to embody a true spirit of cooperation. Honestly, I’m not hugely competitive, but I do spend too much energy comparing my life, my efforts, and my ministry with others’—which is awfully close to unhealthy competition.

So, I’d just like to know from you how the whole competition vs. cooperation thing plays out in your ministry. How might a little bit of Amish attitude help you as a leader? How might it just not work—because maybe being driven by competition isn’t so bad…?

Caryn Rivadeneira, managing editor of Gifted for Leadership, is author of Mama's Got a Fake I.D.: How to Reveal the Real You Behind All That Mom. She and her family live in the western suburbs of Chicago. Visit her at her blog or or The Mommy Revolution blog.

Excerpt used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without written permission from Baker Publishing Group.

Giveaway!

I have just wrapped up a wildly busy week! Too busy even to keep up with my blog, which is rare for me.

On Tuesday eve, I had a book event at Rakestraw, an independent book store in a nearby town. I was hoping and praying for at least five people to show up...it was a cold night and rain was on its way.

Would you believe that 45 people showed up? 45! I was touched beyond words...and it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Such bright people, so interested in the Amish and the takeaway value their culture provides for us (my main mantra!).

On Thursday morning, I spoke to a young mothers' group at a church about an hour away from my home. Awesome church, remarkable group of women, sincerely interested in raising their children to be grounded in an unstable world.

I'm not the smoothest speaker in the world...as much as I prepare and practice, I still wish I could edit myself and do it over! But I love the Q&A time...the questions people ask are so interesting. And those questions help me learn what I'm not addressing, or clarifying. For the next time...

Starting in mid-January, I am speaking at an event every single week through the end of March. Phew! (Not complaining! Not at all. A packed calendar is a good thing for a new author.)

I have a little breather with speaking engagements/radio interviews now...which I'm ready for. My house is happily filling up this next week with kids/husband on vacation and I have many details to wrap up for Christmas.

To bump up the celebratory mood a notch...

Let's have another giveaway! I have a hot-off-the-press copy of "The Choice" in my hands and I have another copy of "To Love and Cherish" (a devotional). Your pick!

Here's the catch...you need to answer this question: What helps you slow down in the week before Christmas?

I'm looking forward to the answers! We all need to slow down and savor the week ahead of us. It will be over all too soon.

You have until Sunday eve to post or e-mail.

Leave a comment or pop me an e-mail: suzanne at suzannewoodsfisher com

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend! And remember to slow down, at least once a day, to stop and soak up Christmas.

Peace, Peace

I really enjoyed reading about everyone's favorite Christmas carol last week. Funny thing about music...it just seeps into your soul and stays there forever. I can't get over how my dad (in the late stage of Alzheimer's) can still belt out "Amazing Grace," but can't string a sentence together. Music just goes deep.

This Youtube clip is my very, very, very favorite Christmas carol. The other day, I heard it in a store and I just...choked up. It brought tears to my eyes and I had to leave the store! The memory swept me away...to many Christmas Eves, when I was a teenager at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. Peace, Peace was always the last song of the service. The sanctuary lights were turned out. Each parishioner was given a candle. A candle was lit, then one by one, the firelight was shared all through the sanctuary. Such a beautiful, catch-in-the-heart moment!

Well, until the fire department got wind of it and shut that down. :)

Take a quiet moment today, get a cup of tea and listen to this rendition...

Winners of Last Week's Giveaway

I was delighted by all of the comments and e-mails for the To Love and Cherish book giveaway! Loved every one...the stories were very touching about why a Christmas carol holds a warm spot in your heart. Put me in the holiday mood!

Plus, now I know my "bleaders" (that's not an insult! Remember...bloggers + readers = bleaders) CAN leave comments! By the counter, I know there's a lot of daily hits...but hardly anyone leaves comments! I figured it was a technological issue...or an age thing...or my mother reading my blog over and over and over again...but NO! I've found the cure! Giveaways!

So in a very scientific manner, I put the names in a hat and drew two:

Denise F. and Linda (under Anonymous)

Denise and Linda, please send me your home addresses. I have to make a run to the post office (ugh! But for you, I'll do it!) so I will get those books in the mail asap.

And I promise to host another giveaway soon. I want to do some for The Choice but I have two enormous book events this week and need every one of my advanced copies! Happily, The Choice is off to a flying head start before its official January 1st release. And I'm receiving some lovely e-mails about the book from readers who ordered it thru CBD and got it early...those e-mails means so much to me!

An update on the two missing climbers: nothing to update. The weather is bad on Mt. Hood so rescue operations are hampered. Please keep these families in your prayers. I'll post an update if/when I hear something.

Hope your week is off to a good start. Thank you, dear bleaders, for reading my blog and posting those great comments! You've added meaning to those beautiful Christmas songs.

A Prayer, Please

Yesterday, we received a phone call that Luke Gullberg, my husband's cousin's son, had gone hiking on Mt. Hood and hadn't returned to the ranger station. He had been missing for over 24 hours and the Search and Rescue Team had been called off for the night due to poor conditions.

Luke is an experienced climber and knows Mt. Hood well. In fact, the ranger even recognized him as he set out with his two friends to make a technical ascent.

Later that day, we learned that Luke's body had been found. The other two hikers are still missing.

Please pray for Luke's family and also for the other two hikers to be found, alive.

I'll keep you updated as I learn more. This link is the most recent update.

Anna's Amish Overnight Blueberry French Toast

Remember Anna's Overnight Blueberry French Toast? That recipe, including a very delicious photograph, made it all the way Down Under! To Australia!

Relz' Reviewz posted it on her website. If you haven't come across Relz' website, bookmark it. It's one you'll want to come back to again and again.

I have to remember to tell Anna that her recipe is a world-wide hit.

Being Amish, I can just hear her deflect the compliment, saying with a slight wave of her hand, "Oh, I don't know about that."

The Marshmallow Test

Thursday Giveaway!

Let's start the weekend early with a giveaway! I have two copies of a brand new devotional book by Barbour, To Love and to Cherish: 365 Devotional Readings for Wives.


It's a well-done book with inspiring devotions by many different authors.

Including... moi!

So send me an e-mail at suzanne at suzannewoodsfisher dot com or leave a comment on this blog...and tell me...hmmmm...let's see...tell me which is your favorite Christmas carol and why.

The winners will be picked on Saturday...and I'll try to get to the post office asap (oh...the sacrifice! The post office in December?!) so you can have it in plenty of time for Christmas. Fa la la la la la la la....

Blog Talk Radio Interview: "The Wellness Experience"

Last Thursday, I spoke to the host of the Wellness Experience program on Blog Talk Radio for an hour. My longest interview yet!

I'm finally getting these interviews down to a science. I close all the shades in my kitchen because it is so easy to lose my train of thought when an interesting bird swoops past my kitchen sink window.



And I have a cup of warm (not hot) water, to counteract the horrible coughing fit I had during an interview last month. I put a note on the front door to not ring the bell or knock persistently or even think about trying to come in. Basically...just go away for now.



I press *67 on the phone to hold off incoming calls...which I'm not really sure works. I spread out all of my papers and books on the kitchen counter. And then I wait, nervously, for the phone to ring. Takes a minute or two of talking before I get into a rhythm. Sort of.

This is kind of what I look like on the radio. Other than the hair and the body and the flawless features and the breathy voice.


I never think I sound very smooth on radio (that's what I like about writing...I can edit myself!). This is a long interview, but here's the link, if you're interested.

A Little Tuesday Christmas Cheer

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Anna's Hope

When I was a freshman in college, I was blessed with a happy coincidence. Across the room from my dorm room was a delightful 19-year-old girl, Laura, who was an exchange student from Wheaton College in Illinois. Laura and I quickly became friends and spent many hours talking in her room while we were supposed to be studying. After that semester, Laura returned to Illinois, I went my way, but we kept in touch. A little spotty, but we did our best.

Fast forward twenty or so years. By now, Laura and her husband, Bob, have four kids and are settled in Illinois. I live in California with husband Steve and our four kids. Laura and I still stay in touch though but now it's only through Christmas cards.

Then, in 2002, I received a Christmas card from Laura that stilled my heart.

The previous summer, Laura's eldest daughter--Anna, aged 17--returned from a two-week mission trip to Dominican Republic.



While overseas, Anna had lost some weight and now noticed a funny bump on her abdomen, on the right just below the rib cage. She has no discomfort and no symptoms; just a funny stomach. Her grandfather, a doctor, looked at it and quickly realized that they were dealing with something serious. The lump was quite large and appeared to be associated with the liver. Within days, Anna's lump was biopsied. She was diagnosed with Stage IV, high risk Neuroblastoma, just prior to her senior year of high school.

Anna has been in treatment for over six years. This cancer, common to very young children, originates in the sympathetic nervous system but quickly metastasizes to other organs in the body. Anna has lesions on the bones of her right arm, legs and hips and throughout her abdomen and lungs. Since then, Anna has endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy, major surgery to remove the primary abdominal tumor, many rounds of radiation and has participated in numerous clinical trials. She has been unable to rid her body of this disease, yet has been able to remain relatively stable for the past several years.

Even with all of the treatments, Anna graduated from Wheaton College in May, 2007, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Mathematics. In the summer of 2007, Anna’s disease began to progress, spreading throughout her abdomen and chest, eventually showing some positive response to the Thalidomide and Temazolomide regimen. She is continuing on this oral treatment and and has started a foundation to benefit research for a cure for neuroblastoma called “Anna’s hope.”




Last week, Anna spoke at Wheaton College Chapel about her story. You can listen to it here.



Anna is a gifted speaker and has shared her journey many times on TV, radio, and at events. It's her hope to raise money for Neuroblastoma research so that these many children can win their battle against this disease. Funding for neuroblastoma is pitifully poor, especially compared to other forms of cancer.

Of course, all of Anna's friends are hoping and praying for a cure. I've prayed for her nearly every morning since I learned of her diagnosis. If you'd like to know more about the amazing Anna and her remarkable, wonderfully supportive family, check out her website here.

And please join me in praying daily for Anna's full recovery. Her parents believe that she is a living testament to God's unfailing love. "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God'" (Mark 10:27).

A Little Christmas Spirit

Roses in Oregon!

If you're a college football fan, have you caught this student-created You Tube video? "I Love My Ducks!" And Eugene really does love its Ducks. This clip has had over 300,000 viewings and stirred a buzz in the Oregon media.



So now the Ducks are on their way to the Rose Bowl! Last night's U of O vs. OSU was an incredible game to watch--neck and neck all the way to the end. Even though OSU lost, all of Oregon won. We're pretty sure the entire state took the day off yesterday, preparing for the Civil War.

Go Ducks!

The Instrument of Your Heart

This is an inspiring story about guitarist Jon Abel. Love his perspective!

Rave Review Recipe

Have you eaten a wonderful dish at a potluck, or have you received “rave reviews” over something you've served?

I've been preparing this dish for various occasions (mostly brunches) during the past umpteen years. It is an easy entertaining dish since you put it together the night before and refrigerate it. Feel free to substitute turkey or sausage for the
ham. To make a vegetarian version, leave out the ham and use mushrooms or spinach instead. To make a smaller amount, you can cut the ingredients in half and use a 9x9-inch baking pan.

Makes: 10 – 12 servings

8 to 10 slices of white bread, crusts trimmed
4 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups ham, cubed
2 Tblsp. minced onion (Can use dehydrated onions)
1 Tblsp. flour
8 to 10 large eggs
3 cups milk
2 Tblsp. prepared mustard (Dijon or your favorite)
Garlic salt, to taste
A little white pepper, if desired

1. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with Pam. Cut the trimmed bread into
cubes. Spread evenly in the bottom of prepared pan.

2. Assemble by sprinkling in order:
• Layer the cheese over bread cubes
• Layer the ham over cheese
• Layer the onion over ham
• Sprinkle the flour over onion

3. In a bowl, beat to combine the eggs, milk, mustard, garlic salt and white
pepper. Pour over the layered ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. The next day, preheat the oven to 350º F. Bake, uncovered, for 60 minutes.
It will come out of the oven like a puffy egg dish. Serve hot or warm.

The Choice is Here!

The Choice arrived yesterday afternoon! Two big cartons, straight from the printer. It will take some time to find its way into stores...but the book looks so beautiful! Front and back! (And my son still wants to date that cover model.)

It's such an amazing feeling to think that a story started in my laundry room...in my TINY laundry room...where the computer is squeezed into a corner.

The manuscript gets sent off to the editor, comes back for edits, goes back again, then off to the project editor for more proofreading and edits...back and forth a couple of times as galleys, then proofs. Meanwhile, the graphic artists have created a gorgeous cover. The marketing and sales team have worked their magic to start an industry buzz...

Then voila! The doorbell rings and the UPS guy is standing at my door in his brown shorts. By his side is a dolly filled with boxes! And back that story comes, just a few feet away from that laundry room.

It never gets old, that feeling!