Q & A

TODAY I celebrate the life that God has graciously and generously given me. Thank you, Lord, for your continued mercies which I find to be new each and every morning (esp. this past year)! Thank You for Your faithfulness in the midst of painful situations and in the midst of great blessings. You are faithful and You are good all of the time and I revel in that!

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Many of you were kind enough to leave early birthday greetings AND to leave questions for me to answer about myself and about books. As Jennifer pointed out, my life IS an open book for the most part. I won't name my children on this site or share pertinent information about them. But me? I don't mind so much. For better or for worse, I can think of very few things that I would choose NOT to answer. I also don't want to overwhelm you! ha! But here are a list of Q&A's:

To answer a few personal questions....

Linda asked if I was born ON Labor Day and the answer is yes! I was born September 4, 1978. (To save you the math problem, that makes me 31 years old.) In relation to age, I've never cared about telling. I was MOST excited to turn 25 years old because I was convinced that was a respectable age. Before then, everyone still treats you like a teenager who doesn't know anything. Twenty-five is close enough to thirty that I thought it would make a remarkable difference. It didn't. I still prefer age. Maybe when I'm 40 people will take note of my age and great wisdom. (I hope you read that sarcastically!)

Amy asked how Jonathan and I met. Here's the short version:

I moved to Oregon to live with some friends of mine and it turns out they were mutual friends with Jonathan. I took a job in a law office around these parts which ensured the fact that I would not be moving away any time soon. So, I took the job and then all of my friends moved away. The only one I knew was....Jonathan!

And we didn't like each other hardly at all.

One day he found an announcement for an introductory ballroom dance class. Having never danced before, he thought it might be something he would like to try and wanted to ask someone who had an equal amount of experience. So he finally he thought to ask me if I wanted to go. I said no because, unbeknowst to him, I had always said that I would dance my first dance with my husband. Then I thought about it for a few days, figured I was being an awful stick in the mud, and told him I guessed I would like to go and learn how to dance after all. (He didn't realize that meant that we had to get married, I guess! - ha!) Two years of dancing later, we learned how to argue over where your feet are supposed to go to achieve proper balance and frame and we're still waltzing away (more or less).

Children, of course, do not allow for as much practice time when it comes to dancing but this is something I don't particularly mind. (I have a bad knee now. Nothing to do with dancing.) TMU, being very aware of the fact that we are awaiting the arrival of our second son (via adoption) asked:

In what ways are you getting ready for baby #2?

Well, I pulled out all the baby equiptment and now we have two carseats in our vehicle instead of two. I'm not sure how big Bookworm2 will be upon arrival, so I've pulled out all of Bookworm1's clothes from 6 months up and I'll find out which ones are needed upon arrival. We set up a little crib in our room which feels very surreal.

In some ways, I miss the idea already of not having one-on-one time with Bookworm1. I'm told that this is normal. I am simultaneously excited about having two little boys and even referencing, "The Boys" sounds WILD to me! I speculate that bringing home a second kid is much like bringing home your first - you think you know what you are doing but you really have NO idea. However, it works itself out and you grow and you learn, right? Right!?

Now, onto book related questions.

Stephanie asked three really tough ones and they demand a great deal of honesty so, of course, I picked those to answer first!

1. Which book review was the hardest for you to write?

A review can be "hard" to write for a variety of reasons. Perhaps I just didn't like it but felt pressure to review it anyway (that has happened). Perhaps I felt like I was inadequate to write a really good, well-thought out review. That has happened. My memory is also really bad so I only remember the most recent struggles.

I had a hard time writing the review for The Secrets of Happy Families.

I had a hard time writing about The Shack because I wanted it to be just so.

(I had a hard time writing about The Discipline of Spritual Discernment for the same reason.)

2. Which was the easiest to write?

The easiest reviews to write are by far away the children's books. There are few that I just really don't like and the issues are still relatively small nit-picky ones. They are a breeze!

3. Is there a book you just can't bring yourself to review?

I cannot bring myself to review modern mainstream fiction. I tried reading a Meg Cabot book and could not even finish it, let alone feel remotely decent about reviewing it. I utterly detest reading about ditsy girls who have no purpose in life that they know of except to be gossips and flirts. No thanks. (See? I can't review such books and obey The Golden Rule of Thumper.)

Jama, who knows that I adore Lucy Maud Montgomery and C.S. Lewis asked me the following question:

If you could spend time with LMM or CSL, what would you ask them?

I would ask Lucy Maud Montgomery if she was truly happy. She would answer the question in the affirmative because, being a very private person, she would not be honest with me. I would want to ask her how she managed to reject Christianity and be actively involved as a minister's wife. I doubt she would know how to answer me.

As for CSL, I would be afraid to ask him anything at all, least I reveal my utter stupidity. If I could get as far as asking him if he liked "one lump, or two?" I would consider that a high success!

Jama also asked: I'd like to know if there are any contemporary authors (children or adult books), that you'd like to have dinner with?

Trenton Lee Stewart! But I'd feel intimidated and probably wouldn't say very much. (This may surprise you but I talk less in person about books than I do around these parts. I HATE having a conversation about things because I can't carefully and slowly think through things as well as I can by typing it up.)

Abi asked:

What is your all time favorite Children's classic?

I've thought and thought and I really don't think I have a favorite. (How's that for an answer? Pathetic, I know.)

Kind of along the same lines, Melissa asked if there was a particular book that sparked my love for reading.

I would have to say "no." There was just a mom who took me to the library. A lot.

Sky asked: If you had a chance to bury a book in a time capsule and someone had already put in Anne, what would you put in?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, of course! It MUST be preserved for posterity's sake.

Amy asked: What's one book you've never read that you've always meant to?

I've been slowly chipping away at this list for some time (like, by reading The Little House series just last year)! Probably now, I would have to say that 1984 by George Orwell is at the top of the list.

Lisa asked "What sort of book would you write, were you to write a book?"

Very fun question! If I were to write a book, it would likely be non-fiction (because I can barely make up a "silly story" to save my life. If I were to write a non-fiction book I would want it to have relevance to people today and so it would likely be a book either about a.) history or b.) spiritual matters.

Lastly, Page Turner asked:

I would like to know how and when you find the time to read and blog as much as you do?

This answer is likely three-fold:

1. We don't have television and rarely watch movies. If I'm looking for entertainment in story-form, it really does come from books. (Yes, we do watch movies and tv shows that we've obtained on DVD but we really don't watch much.)

2. I only have one kid and when he takes naps, guess what I do? Watch this blog change over the course of the next year though! Virtually guarenteed. I still plan to read, but I imagine I'll be blogging much less.

3. It's what I love to do and so I do it. It's my hobby, if you will, and I find reading to be one of the most enjoyable and relaxing activities. I love it! So, here I am!

Thank you all for your questions. They were fun to answer! Now, stay tuned for the birthday giveaways which should be popping up here on the site in the next little bit . . .

In the meantime, Random.org selected Stephanie as a winner to my Q&A "contest." Stephanie, want to pop me your contact information and I'll be sending you a copy of this:




Upon Amy's recommendation, we picked up a copy for ourselves and I can assure you that this book is WAY cool! I can't wait to send a copy to you for your family!