Saturday Speaks: Accidental Clarity

The best moments of this week consist of about three open conversations that just happened this week. We struggle, I suppose, on many occasions deciding whether or not to confront things that have injured or bothered us... sometimes the best thing to do is to let it surface naturally when both parties are calm and open. I don't believe this is always the case, but it worked out for the best this past week. So, I thank those three friends for allowing these conversations to take place... gives me new faith in my friendships.

On that note, the best quote I have comes from Joyce who makes me feel useful:

Your singing at the wedding was a huge hit...you looked so happy up on the stage and so confident and at home. You really made me feel special, and at the same time feel so proud of you! But the singing was just part of it...throughout the weekend I was able to gain a sense of peace and calm through osmosis, perhaps, just by looking at you.

Friday Sabbath: Back and Forth

(from http://inillotempore.com)

At the risk of composing a "I used to... but now I..." paper from elementary school, I'd like to reconcile my need to write with my need to sleep. I offer some past and present thoughts in these sing-song verses:

At 5, I thought Gd was an invisible little girl who understood me and would talk with me when I was alone in my room.
At 15, I thought Gd was a mystical connection between all living things.
After 25, if Gd exists, I'm hoping Gd laughs as I contemplate what I understand about Him... Her... Whatever.

At 5, since we're all Gd's children, I thought Jesus was my big brother.
At 15, I thought Jesus was a myth used by the church to distract me from searching for more answers to why we're all here.
After 25, I think the Jesus saga is a great love story.

At 5, I thought the Holy Spirit was that "song high above the trees" from that "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Christmas carol.
At 15, I thought the Holy Spirit was adrenaline.
After 25, I think the Holy Spirit could only be the "spirit" or "feeling" of any spiritual practice, gathering, or prayer.

At 5, I thought the Bible was the most boring book ever.
At 15, I thought the Bible was a tool for argument to divide people further than they would have all on their own.
After 25, I think the Bible is a historical document that is more worth studying in Medieval Latin or its original languages.

At 5, I thought heaven was made of clouds and my room was lined with bookshelves that I could read on a comfy chair of white fluff.
At 15, I thought heaven was just for grandmothers.
After 25, I hope that heaven is more like a step 2 for existence... if it exists at all.

At 5, I thought hell was that red hot tub in the core of the earth from the Yosemite Sam Looney Tunes episode where one got prune-y in the waters listening to bad jokes.
At 15, I decided hell did not exist.
After 25, I think the only hell that makes sense is the one that one creates for himself or herself.

At 5, I thought prayer was like making a Christmas list.
At 15, I was paranoid about remembering all my loved ones every night so that if Gd existed, He/She would not forget to watch other them.
At 25, I see prayer as a way to focus, to meditate, and to concentrate good energy so that one can go on alone and answer his or her own questions...

At 5, I thought pastors and spiritual leaders were wise people.
At 15, I thoughts pastors and spiritual leaders were not to be trusted.
After 25, I think pastors and spiritual leaders truly touched by something divine or enlightening are rare and potentially valuable educators.

At 5, I thought people of other religions were distant cousins with more interesting stories than my church would tell.
At 15, I thought people of other religions were lucky.
After 25, I appreciate the thoughts of people from other religions whose fragments I find most sensible I collect to form the conglomerate of my own custom-made spirituality.

Here's to what evolves after 35...

Thursday Kitchen: Do the Can Can!!

There are a handful of elements that motivate me to visit a restaurant. For some places, it's just atmosphere. I just like the look, the feel, and what I can accomplish in the space. An example of such an eatery would be Aroma's in Colonial Williamsburg or The Coffee Beanery. The food is not worth writing about and, often, the coffee is only moderately better than Starbucks because it simply is not Starbucks. But, they both feature hardwood floors, warm colors in the interior, either interesting or unobtrusive decor, and usually there are people working on laptops or friends catching up in their own corner. Then there are some places to which one returns for the novelty... like a Rainforest Café or a Williamsburg Tavern. It's not that the food is great, it's just fun to be there. After that, I am obviously drawn to places serving great food such as Morimoto's in the Meat Packing District of New York City or, tucked away here in The Burg, the fabulous Fat Canary.

Can Can, located in the Carytown area of Richmond, has it ALL.

The atmosphere is straight out of a movie. The bulbous lights are dim and there are plenty of corners for private conversations or solitude. I can just as easily go with people and have a glorious time chatting as I can go alone to read. There are big windows along the Carytown strip so one may observe the passerby, the human drama. They also have outdoor tables with umbrellas guarding diners from the sun or the garish street lights. I've never had a bad experience with the wait staff (I probably shouldn't have said that... oh well)... come to that, I've never had a bad experience there at all. The floors are tiled, the bar is long and welcoming, and the bathrooms are rather pretty (very European with wooden stalls, lovely tile work in the walls, old fashioned sinks, etc). There's something about the place that coaxes you into wanting to lounge for hours just enjoying the finer things in life... it combines the elegance of gourmet food with homespun charm of simple white cloth napkins and plain silverware.

The novelty of Can Can derives from its French-ness. The menus are covered in the French name for plates along with the English (so as not to be stuffy but also, I hope, to educate). They bake French baguettes and boules or the absolutely most mouth-watering bread on earth... brioche. They offer the quintessential French foods such as escargot, croque-monsieur, classic oinion soup, etc... I can say, since I visited France once and made a point to eat absolutely everything, that these offereings are really rather close to the originals on the other side of the pond. This place is also the only French restaurant in Virginia (after trying Le Yaca and a handful of options in DC) that my French friend genuinely enjoyed. She is picky even on her turf in Lyon, but she was very content with a glass of French rosé and steak frites (my eyes are tearing at the memory... so lost she felt in America until she found this little corner of home).

But, if all that isn't enough, the food is amazing. Following the French method of fresh ingredients and simplicity, there's something for everyone. They make an excellent béchamel sauce to slather on absolutely everything... and that's more important to good food than it sounds. Jo and I had a fava bean salad yesterday that included argula, diced carrots and celery, with fava beans and dressing. So simple yet so filling and crisp for a summer afternoon. And for all the non-dairy eaters, their sorbet will keep you coming back. The other day, their trio consisted of strawberry, banana rum, and black currant. More flavor than sugar and just SO tasty. The wine list is partial but not bad and they have several entertaining options for the beer drinkers both on tap and in the bottles. They make authentic French cocktails as well such as the classic southern French Ricard.

French cuisine is not everyone's thing, so there are well made American favorites like burgers or even the ocassional and mostly seasonal attempt at Italian classics such as summer vegetable rissoto. Vegetarians can get away with eating here as well as Can Can makes magic with eggplants, salads, fennel, squash blossoms, beans, etc... the vegetables do not dominate, like most restaurants, but it's not impossible for veggie lovers to join the fun.

I am always anxious for excuses to make the drive to Richmond so that I might justify the trip to this, my favorite restaurant near the peninsula. Paint your own pottery night, anyone?

(images from www2.richmond.com and http://farm4.static.flickr.com)

Wednesday Valuables: Declare your love!

(from www.kazu.org)

My book club is reading LISTENING IS AN ACT OF LOVE brought to you by The StoryCorps Project (edited by Dave Isay). This book relates to the few miracles that have occurred in the course of a week that I'd like to discuss. The basic idea behind StoryCorps is to create a space in which pairs or groups of three can gather and record a story significant to them or their family history. You have stories of fathers to daughters, mothers to sons, siblings, best friends, etc. One person asks a question or two of the other and then allows the story to unfold.

A section in the book mentions the sorts of people hired to work these huts into which people record their oral histories. It reads:

Facilitators are both the core and corps of StoryCorps - the project's frontline workers and ambassadors who accompany participants through the interview process. The qualifications are simple: They must be extraordinary listeners... Facilitators are hired for a one-year term and typically spend nine months in New York City and three months on the road with one of our mobile booths...the most important lesson they learn over the course of their service has to do with judging others. Never assume from how people look that you understand who they really are... At the end of the facilitators' one-year terms of service, they're sprinkled back out into our world, having recorded hundreds of stories and listened in on the wisdom of humanity.
-LISTENING IS AN ACT OF LOVE, page 56

So, not only are there chances for mothers and brothers and friends to tell each other how they feel about one another or stories that illuminate, perhaps, aspects of their characters one could not possibly understand without knowing, these workers witness that exchange and take the lessons with them into their own lives. There is so much love, not gooey-mushy-love, but that pure, inexplicable love both between people and for humanity.

This only works, however, because two or three people stepped into the booth and started talking.

One of the best stories in the openning section of the book is just an exchange between a grandson and grandmother. The boy, now 20, was dumped in her kitchen at the age of ten. The police took him out of his home because the neighbors suspected the child was being molested by his father (the boy had been moved out of his mother's custody at the age of 6). While it must be obvious that a love relationship would flow between the rescurer and the rescued, here they were actually saying it to each other. The grandson mentions during the interview that perhaps he hasn't really told her, in words, how grateful he is for her role in his life. Maybe she already knew in a way, but the expression of that love is such a gift...

Not wanting to specifically tell any of my "getting to me" stories, my topic on friendship today reaches out to thank a small handful of people for their gifts of affection in the past weeks...

I received an email from a good friend this week... that's the bulk of our exchanges; we mostly just e-mail. We met before he moved up north and now we have a sort of e-mail pal relationship. We talk mostly about what matters to us... books, simple pleasures, sorting out differences among people, etc... but I have to say that he is the absolute best I know at offering a little love at the end of every message. He leaves one or two sentences simply to remind the other person that he/she is significant to him. I hope to emulate this characterisitic in my other friendships... I'm not the most affectionate person I know, but the feelings are all there, and this friend's presence in my life confirms this idea of how much it means to let those people know how you feel. The last time he wrote me, though our correspondance is sporatic, he said: Always a great pleasure to see your name in my Inbox. I think of you daily. Just a simple declaration to remind me that, in between messages, we are still members of each other's everyday. I couldn't possibly know this, truly know this, without his telling me.

I also received an unexpected letter in the mail from a dear friend who lives less than five minutes from my house. That action in itself is a gift when she could have just as easily walked here and told me herself. Instead, she has recorded for me these feelings so I can hold on to it... maybe it wasn't her intention in the front of her mind, but it gives me something to look back on whenever I doubt myself, her, or humanity. Call me sappy, but when a desperately sad moment arrives, these treasures lift the spirit. She wanted to tell me that our friendship is important to her, even if that's a given in our brains. What touched me the most, however, was her determination to be herself and to love the people in her life as she authentically wishes... which indicates to me that our discussions about her growing up and moving on with her life have not been ignored... not only is she listening, she's going forward and actually doing something.

I have heard myself complaining a lot lately about people not listening. It's a big deal. No one wants to feel like they're putting themselves out there and no one cares about that courageous action... also, no one wants to repeat themselves constantly to people who can't be bothered with even listening to simple things. That's another great aspect of the StoryCorps project... yes, one person had the courage to sit in the booth and reveal feelings and events... but the other person is actively listening to you, acknowledging you, making it undeniable that they care about you because they care about what you have to say.

Now, when I complain a lot, as I just confessed, I tend to think that I might be falling behind somewhere. Maybe I'm not being clear enough or maybe someone drifted due to exhaustion and never meant to imply that they didn't care when they missed what I said... either way, I think listening is a simple way to express love and affection (in both directions)... so maybe I need to listen, too, to those who can't hear me for one reason or another.

There are other acknowledgements that make you feel special. Anya sends me messages when something is just funny, or sad, and she sends me pictures of her daughter, her surroundings, things that make her smile and laugh. I have always valued this in friendships when people tell you something that matters to them... and they thought of YOU to share the precious thing, event, what have you. I used to have other friends that called just to say they were "in a mood" or that something was funny or that the weather is awesome... just anything random thing that they wanted to make part of their experience with YOU. This, to me, is almost as powerful as open declaration, because by calling you they tell you that they trust you to listen...

Caro and Mike are great examples of active listeners. They both have this knack for making it abundantly clear that they're paying attention to you. They both ask good, relevant questions that follow the natural progression of a conversation. They are not quick to judge their friends... instead they are speedy at helping you find solutions to whatever bothers you. They find options, offer suggestions, and are highly Socratic in their conversation patterns making you think you got there yourself... But, guys, I know the truth... you're just excellent listeners. It's another attribute I hope to acquire as I have the privilege of being counted among your friends.

Mind you, I know a handful of good listeners... these two are just very consistent and remind me of places where I could stand to improve...

I certainly recommend the StoryCorps book, but I also suggest that we all remember to listen...

(from http://wfiu.org)

Tuesday Hobbies: Who am I?

A dear friend created one of those quizzes, you know, "How well do you know me?" sort of thing. Of course he goofed off with it and one cannot successfully score on the quiz unless you've followed him from high school through the end of law school...

I used to make those quizzes, too... When I had a LiveJournal account, I had numerous opportunities to create those sorts of quizzes and even more chances to take dumber ones such as What Character from Lord of the Rings are you (incidentally, I tested as Galadriel... whatever that should mean) or To What Circle of Hell are You Destined (I'll admit, that one was funny, though I think I was something lame, like bound for the 2nd Circle... and yes, it's based on Dante).

When it comes to assessing one's personality, there are other more "sophisticated" evaluations such as The Myers-Briggs Test and so on... I actually think the former pastor of the church in which I was raised used it to determine general compatibility between people and to make his warnings and recommendations accordingly. I remember the first time I took the test was for that pastor... and then there was a significant shift when I took it in high school, once more in college, and then I took a shorter version similar to it again today.

The resulting options are E (Extroverted)/ I (Introverted), S (Sensory)/ N (Intuitive), T (Thinking)/ F (Feeling), and P (Perceiving) / J (Judging). One generally can gather what it means to be member to these letters... In my case, as a middle schooler, I tested as an ENFJ. In my case, two letters have never changed... I've maintained my intuitiveness as well as my judging factors (meaning I work with ideas and I'm calculated or a planner). What has moved around since then, which is not terribly unique, are my social preferences and my method of choosing a course of action. Today, I've tested as an INTJ... I prefer intimate gatherings and a few close friends to a crowd of strangers or a grand ridiculous number of acquaintances. On the T/F item, I'm actually right on the line (1% over onto the Thinking side), so, I'm actually a wildly empathetic and emotional person with thoughtful control over how I act upon those feelings. I prefer reason to unleashing unbridled emotion onto people. Apparently, I'm in company with Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Jefferson, Stephen Hawking, and Michelle Obama... unless I tested on the other side of the line (maybe tomorrow), then my INFJ buddies are Chaucer, Goethe, Nicole Kidman, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Theresa.

I remember explaining to the man I refer to as My Russian Father that I was taking this test for Health Class. He asked me, in his customary rude way, "Testing for what? That you have a personality? I can tell you the answer to that one."

Nowadays, his comment does get me thinking...

Still, most of us can tolerate talking about ourselves, so, go take the short version of this test and tell me how you did: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

I know this is a somewhat odd idea for a Hobby entry, but as my friend was sending his thoughts on the matter, I'm wondering how many of us slow down to consider these topics about ourselves. Knowledge is power, so, reminding ourselves to turn inward can only help in the ways we deal with others, ourselves, our pasts and futures. One of my favorite yoga teachers tends to say during class, "Take your practice seriously and yourself lightly." Perhaps these silly quizzes and evaluations help us to do just that.

As my friend put it:

...of course, most people who take these tests just take the tests and leave it there, and they think, oh how neat, and they stop there. A better understanding of MBTI is that the system divides different ways of interacting with the world into 8 functions, E I S N F T J P, and we test for preferences to yield a person's basic type. But, see, as a person DEVELOPS, then, hopefully, he or she learns to use more than just his or her core functions.

So, on that note, here are a few questions about myself... to which I'll provide an answer key to those who bother to comment:
1. I own all of the following cds EXCEPT:
a) Peter Cincotti; On the Moon
b) Earth, Wind, and Fire; In the Name of Love
c) Bach; Organ Works
d) Jewel; Goodbye Alice in Wonderland
e) Sarah Brightman; Eden

2. The virtue I value most is:
a) Mercy
b) Optimism
c) Justice
d) Generosity
e) Sensitivity

3. My favorite season is:
a) Summer
b) Autumn
c) Winter
d) Spring
e) What kind of question is that?

4. If I had other talents, my dream occupation would be:
a) Lawyer
b) Arts Critic
c) Broadway actress
d) Photojournalist
e) Astronomer

5. My approximate favorite movie list:
a) Sliding Doors, What Dreams May Come, and Mirrormask
b) Coraline, UP, and Howl's Moving Castle
c) Contact, Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, and Spirited Away
d) Bend it like Beckham, Conversations with Women, and Paris Je T'aime
e) All the above

This is silliness and will barely determine how well you know me... but some truths are in there, and it might show me what I share and what I conceal to specific people... I wonder how selective I am and if it's conscious...

Happy Hunting for personalities!

Monday Review: From The Knot came The Nest

I'm not really sure why I'm getting this magazine anyway. I did go to one of those wedding shows sponsored by The Knot.com to get some ideas and potential vendors... but I did not sign up for a subscription to anything... Oh, wait. That's a lie. I did order a subscription to Modern Bride in December of 2007... it was supposed to come free for one year when one buys this idea book. I bought the book. Asked for the subscription. It started arriving February 2009. Yeah.

Anyway, from whatever twist of fate, I get this magazine every few months. It's called The Nest and it's clearly targeted to the recently married. But... well, just look at the cover:
Okay, so you've got a nice young couple who, judging by the sub-topics listed on the cover, are throwing a little get-together on a budget. The magazine claims from the front that you have a decorating style-- you just don't know it yet (and after reading it, I still don't). It also says it can teach you how to make the Ultimate Cheeseburger and How to Protect Yourselves from Bears. In addition to that, it wants to know if you and your spouse are sexually in sync...

Geez... where to begin...

First of all with the cute couple thing... I'm going to use a phrase I haven't used since ninth grade: Gag me.

The magazine is full of little asides where they quote "other nesties" on a variety of topics. The examples, in just this one issue, range from:

"Nestie Firsts"
(For example, first trip abroad or first, and I quote, "Cheesy Sweater Party")
"Strange Turn-Ons"
(The best one says, "He does these hilarious imitations of cartoon characters, and to me, funny=sexy.")
Real Couple Stories
(How they met, what they do, like you care, blah blah blah)
"Hate It, Hon"
(Things couples hate about each other... it's a tie for the best comment between, "He has Japanese anime action figures all over our living room. I want to knock them all over," and "I hate his snandles (*sneakers with no back)... he's had them since high school and they're awful.")
"Fun on a Budget"
(The one that scares me the most says, "Wii+cocktails+karaoke= fun)
"Just Moved"
(Nesties offer advice on shopping for homes...)
"thenest.com/local"
(Nesties from certain cities tell you their favorite places to eat, shop, etc... again, like you care...)

And this is just a sampling. Throughout the magazine there are several opportunities for young couples to express their opinions on topics only those desiring a quarter-page of fame could possibly care about one way or the other.

The Ultimate Cheeseburger article is very disappointing. You'd think they'd at least be Rachel Ray about it and show you a new twist to the making of the Ultimate Cheeseburger... for instance, the use of a different sort of cheese or bacon or maybe experimenting with spreads like Wasabi mayo or maybe even new breads like that pretzel bread on which the Bennigans restaurant used to make turkey sandwiches. Nope. They just tell you to use a bun, onions, lettuce, tomato, Cheddar, and beef. Now, really... anyone who grew up in America can pretty much remember this kind of detail from rushed trips to McDonald's. Not impressive. Sure, they tell you how thin to cut the tomato, that white Cheddar has the best "meltability," and that sesame seed buns are fun. Right.

On "Are you sexually in sync..." go get Cosmo or Glamour. You'll get the same stupid quiz that draws the same broad conclusions without any consideration for bad experiences or physical ailments that might change what constitutes "normal" for a couple.

There's an article concerning fighting. It tells you that fighting can have an effect on your relationship... NO... really?

Worse than that, it's using odd scare tactics to convince you to stop... like how excessive fighting might, maybe, someday lead to heart attacks, break-outs, yeast infections, stomach troubles, balding, impotence, poor judgment (No, way... who could have thought it?), and colds. Furthermore, there's more of that charming Mars vs. Venus theory that broadly states the differences between how men and women fight. I am NOT one of those twits who uses silent treatment and expects you to read my mind or that needs to talk it out right now as this article seems to imply... if anything, I always let one know what I'm feeling and I'm the one who needs a timeout so I don't say something terribly hurtful. Advancing stereotypes... real clever, people. It's insulting, pig-headed, and an incomplete thought... the description of the article reads, "The verdict is in: Constantly arguing with your spouse hurts your health- but a spat here and there can actually help you in the end." Where's that? This article relays absolutely NO benefits to arguing. Obviously we know that expressing our anger rather than bottling it up is healthy... but this genius who wrote the article (with NO references to any medical studies proving the information, thank you) couldn't be bothered with actually discussing what he said he would discuss in his title.

There's plenty of pages devoted to saving money. Alright already! You can get the same wisdom with more variation from Real Simple or even Body+Soul. Besides, who isn't trying to save money right now?

The Nest features some recipes. Uh huh... again, you'll find more interesting stuff with Rachel Ray. With anyone. Call Grandma.

One of my favorite sections is the Camping for Couples article. There's a cutsie little map of a couple on a camping ground sprinkled with hints. The best one is labeled "potty training..." "Guys should avoid peeing too close to the campsite; the salt can attract wild animals and snakes." Speaking of wild animals, they have some helpful hints for fighting a bear: Travel in groups and make noise, Avoid cooking near the tent and build your camp fire at least 15 feet away, No food in the tent and the leftovers should be burned, or hung in distant tree 10 feet off the ground to attract/distract bears, Don't make eye contact, and Since you just cannot outrun a bear, back away slowly.

Yeah, I'm not going out camping with this guide book anytime soon. Not that some of the information makes no sense, but, considering the track record here, I'm not feeling confident.

What is most disappointing is the deterioration of language. This magazine features another article (most of these are one-two pages long and are certainly not in-depth) concerning what is best to buy organic and what is not. That's fine... this is legitimate information that most of us do not have memorized... but the things you should buy organic are marked "go 'O'," whereas the things you should avoid in organic options are labeled "'O' no". Also, the names in this magazine, all the charming quotes and what have you, are not actually names. They're screen names or online handles such as "Ready4TheParty" and "JNSTEWART". Most damnable of all is the comic at the back... it is oh-so-cleverly entitled "me and my bromance". It concerns a husband going out, not checking in, trying to see it from his wife's point of view, checking in the next time, sitting with her at the end saying "Cool." The comic concludes with, "See, you CAN have your bromance AND your romance." Bromance? Seriously? I can't remember the last time I even heard men referring to one another as "Bro".

I think, in terms of what I suppose is most relevant to newly weds, I'd prefer articles that actually reference some research rather than rehashing over stereotypes. Psychological testimonies of survival of the fabled tough first year of marriage... advice that deals with conflict with the in-laws... starting a family while fighting off family's expectations... perhaps how to keep disappointments in perspective... all this crap about burgers and camping and one's sex life... I just don't find it helpful.

In case it's not clear how I view this magazine, I leave you with this:

(from www.papermag.com)

"Winner of the sexiest 'stache award"

Douglas Friedman is a photographer whose work has appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Elle Decor, and Wallpaper... not that you should care... because... c'mon... "sexiest 'stache?"

Off to the Recycling Bin we go!

Sunday Reflections: Fifth Grade Read-A-Thon

I think this day has come to mind because I'm longing for another one like it...

Mrs. B was probably the most popular of the fifth grade teachers. She was the youngest, the loveliest, and the funniest. She had a Texan drawl and was a ten year old's introduction to adults saying words like, "Duh!" She was very supportive and easily inspired most kids to perform well at their tasks. She also brought one of my favorite young adult books into my life...

(from www.ebooknetworking.com)

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster is really an allegory for the English language and mathematics... the two most basic things one learns in grade school. Without falling into review mode, I really do recommend this to anyone, but certainly fifth graders... I can't recall anyone complaining about the book in class or even in line to other classes when Mrs. B was not within earshot. It's not specifically a "boy book" or a "girl book" either, which are among my favorites to suggest since they can be hard to find... I like books that bridge the gender gap and even (Can you imagine?) get kids to talk to one another about what they read.

Anyway, really, it's awesome.

But what has stuck in my mind today is the Read-A-Thon Day that Mrs. B set up. She picked a day and gave us about a week or two to get excited about it. She said we could bring in anything we wanted to read (as long as it was a book/novel) along with our blankets and pillows. She asked us to come to school our PJs... all we were going to do the entire school day was read. There might have been some sort of contest involved... perhaps, if we, collectively, read over a certain number of pages we'd have an ice cream party before the end of the year or something. The day itself was so much fun, I can no longer remember if we won something or not.

I'm sure I was reading something sort of stupid... I remember reading things like Mary Downing Hahn's Wait Til Helen Comes or Louis Sacher's Sideways Stories from Wayside School. I might have been reading Roald Dahl's Matilda again or maybe the beloved Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. I know I brought at least five books with me so I could switch for some variety every hour or so.

We never left that room. Mrs. B ordered pizza for us so we wouldn't have to walk downstairs to the cafeteria and disturb our reading. You'd think that a coup would somehow arise with a day spent not studying or doing math... but I can't remember anyone breaking the "reading silence"... you know? The kind of quiet where you can almost hear people thinking? We had lined our desks along the walls and draped blankets, sheets, sleeping bags and whatnot over them to create our own personal reading environments.

It was pure heaven.

I'm thinking I need to indulge in a day like this soon... I won't have a bunch of other people my age around me to do the same thing, but I'll put a dent in a new pile of books I'm trying to read all at once (I get too excited... hard for me to focus on one book at a time).

Maybe I'll camp out under the table with Minerva...