The 12 Gifts of Signing Books

(SUNG TO "THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS")

Bold phrases are sung to ("5... Golden... Rings...)

1 On the day I got the email

the owner said to me:

"Could you come 11 to 3?"

2 Gathering up my items

my husband said to me:

"Here's a hot cup of chamomile tea."

3 On the day of my visit

I am filled with glee!

Can’t wait to do this!

Meeting with the children,

Author’s what I wanted to be.

4 Lugging my book bag

The owner said to me:

"I'm here to help you.

So glad you came.

Here is your spot.

Is there anything else you might need?"

5 As I set up my table

a vendor said to me:

"How I love cats!

So glad you're here.

This is fun,

I'm over there."

As sweet as a person could be.

6 In the first hour of signing,

a small boy said to me,

"My name is Emmett

I love your cats!

I like writing too

Who wrote this?

Guess how old I am?

My baby brother is three."

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/d9550d_3397b520c3644c7ab5be2710a5fd185a/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

7 In the next hour of signing

12 voices sung to me:

All the favorite carols

I was getting misty

"Are those your cats?

I have two cats too

one's 'Meow-Meow'

then there's 'Lilly belle.'"

Then I smiled and gladly signed three.

My precious cats: Angel and Camille, How I miss them!

8 While waiting at my table

a vendor said to me:

"My cats have helped me...

deal with my cancer..."

My heart was touched...

Gifted her a book

signed, "To Jean"

Both our hearts were full

Then I cried into my chamomile tea.

Jean, If you see this... I will never forget you.

Your courage, strength and joy despite it all, reminded me of what is really important.

9 Sneaking up the stairway,

my grandie peeked at me:

"Grammie, it is Miller.

We came to see you.

Look at my t-shirt.

I'm feeling hungry.

I miss your cats!

Are you selling books?

Let's go home.

What is in your cup?"

Just my frosty, cold chamomile tea. ;)

Me with three of my grandaughters: Hadleigh, MIller and Quinn

10 On the tenth of the hour

A sweet teen said to me

"Can I have a Kit-Kat?

I really like them

Kitties are amazing

Mine's Russian blue,

But she passed away.

Goodbye is hard!

I want a cat

fingers crossed

Hope they let me soon

Her name will be Elsa McPhee."

A beautiful Russian Blue.

11 In the last few minutes

a grandma asked of me:

"Do you do school visits?

His class would like one

Maybe after Christmas?"

Feeling very grateful

Hugs are the best

When a friend stops by

I miss my cats

They are touching hearts

and teaching

families to adopt

and it makes me so very happy.

If you're a cat person... you know.

12 On the way home from signing

my head is spinning round:

12 Men were singing

11 Children laughing

10 Books a-signing

9 Ladies chatting

8 Men a-waiting

7 Pets adopted

6 Stories sharing

5 grateful moments

4 crying toddlers

3 granddaughters

2 new friends

Finally time for some chamomile tea. :)

Thank you to everyone who stopped by yesterday at Hopkinton Card & Gift.

Special thanks to Julia- for the invite. You have such a beautiful store!

To Julie- for your friendship and ever present smile.

To Jean-who was such a blessing and inspiration.

To my family and grandkids for their never-ending support. When you surprise me at these events it makes my day.

and lastly to Emmett- Keep on writing! Can't wait to buy your book one day and have it signed :)

See you at the next event!

Purchase signed book for the Holidays on my website.

Local pick-up available.

How I miss my writing buddy, Camille

Savory Connections

It’s time.

I flip through the red recipe book,

pulling the ragged paper, stained with Thanksgivings past

and set it on my counter.

Soon my knife is sliding through onions,

little white dices fall into a pile.

It is rhythmic, meditative, despite the many details swirling through my mind.

Celery green soon joins the mirepoix.

Scraping these tiny gems to the side,

I am nine years old, back in Des Moines,

watching my mother pull white Wonder Bread

from a bag with red, blue and yellow balloons-

scattering them on cookie sheets across our kitchen counter

to dry for hours.

Torn into pieces with fingers freshly painted with peach polish,

the dry bread is gently tossed in the pink and white Pyrex bowl

that now holds mine…

With her own her tiny gems, S&P, sage, a sprinkle of water

and copious amounts of butter.

The memory makes me smile,

and wish more than anything,

I could step back into that kitchen and slip my young arms around her.

My turkey waits on the stove,

stuffed, dressed and lovingly coated with butter.

I turn the oven to 325.

The click of the gas brings unexpected tears,

All at once, I am not alone in the silence of this kitchen,

but gathered with the visions of Gram, Nana, Mom, June and all the moms before me,

adorned in aprons,

who on many similar crisp fall days

slid their knives through onions and celery,

making tiny gems of their own.

Hours spent prepping, stirring, baking.

Creating all the little delicious details which passed on their love

through the comforting scent of turkey tickling noses just in from the cold,

plates piled high with stuffing,

gravy dripping over every scoop.

I can see their smiles,

smell their perfume,

and feel their love.

I am so grateful.

Happy heavenly Thanksgiving.

How I miss you all.

It was Fascination, I Know...

Today I came across some videos I had taken of my parents talking about how they fell in love and got married. Hearing their voices was such a gift. The spark was still there after 58 years together.

Mom was only 18 when she fell in love with my dad, 26, an insurance salesman. That 8-year age gap would have been a red flag to most parents, but the Monsons had been dental patients for years of Dr. Norpell, mom's father. The families knew each other well and my grandfather watched as little Nancy Norpell and Craig Monson grew up with each dental visit.

As a teenager, my mother cut out this picture of her "Ideal man."

Do you see the resemblance? Mom thought Dad looked just like him.

The love letters I discovered, while sorting through the house when my mom died, show a sweet glimpse into what "courting" was back then. No cell phones or texts, just the yearning across the miles, followed by pen to paper, licked and sealed with love and dropped in the mail box the very next day. Their emotions popped off the pages as I read. Tender, sweet, longing.

At the young ages of 19 and 27, they married.

65 Years ago today my parents, Nancy and Craig, said their "I Do's" in a small town in Illinois. "Their song" keeps running through my mind this morning... Fascination by John Gary.

On many an Iowa evening, when the corn fields had stilled in the evening air, and moonlight shined in our dining room, Mom would check the pot roast for tenderness with a two-tine silver carving fork, while the five of us kids ran rampant around the house and my dad sipped his martini in the living room, floating away on the soothing music of John Gary. Hawaiian Wedding Song, Softly as I Leave you, and The Nearness of You were only a few of the songs that were the score to my early life as a 9 year old.

Take a moment, and let Fascination take you away...

I was surprised to see what a society wedding it was, complete with spreads in the local papers. The trip to Europe my father had won by being IBM salesman of the year in 1958, even made the headlines. An audience with Pope Pius? A whirl around the worlds fair in Brussels? Wow!

Fun on their honeymoon cruise-1958.

Five kids, 12 grandchildren, 3 dogs and 3 cats later, we gathered in South Carolina to celebrate 50 years of marriage with a renewal of their wedding vows. It was so wonderful to be together.

These are the roses that my father bought, dipped in gold. Each of us 5 kids got up and presented a red rose to my mom with heartfelt tributes to both. Dad's rose was all gold

which he loving gave to his wife that he affectionately called, "Mrs. Moonlight."

It was a very special moment...and mom was very surprised!

The joy on their faces that day are ones I will always hold in my heart. I'd like to think of them just like this today...together in heaven and just as joyful.

How I wish I could call and wish them a happy anniversary and ask were Dad is going to take Mom for dinner tonight. :)

Love you Mom and Dad. Happy 65th. We miss you!