Borders is Closing - Big Sales

The Borders in St. Peters is closing. Not a surprise to many of us, since it's practically across the street from Barnes & Noble.....and also the fact that their inventory began to dwindle over a year ago. When I was in there a couple of weeks ago, it was really stripped down.

The good news for customers is the SALE PRICES. I just received an e-mail with the EVERYTHING MUST GO words in it. The sale starts today. I imagine it will be like the Christmas rush. I'm sure I'll have to stop by and at least LOOK!

Welcome and Hello to my newest follower, Patti! Thanks so much, Patti, and I hope you always enjoy stopping by.
"So many books, so little time." -- Unknown

Borders, Books, Dogs & Cats

* Yesterday I made an impromptu stop at a neaby animal rescue, knowing full well I'm not ready to get another dog. So, what did I do? I looked at the cats. I saw one in particular that reminded me of some  friends' gorgeous cats. He/she kept rubbing right up against the cage and letting me pet/scratch him/her. "It" was the only one in the entire room of cats I was interested in, so I went to the desk to ask about being able to hold it. There was paper work to be filled out. Then an attendant walked with me to the cat area. Inside the little "getting to know each other" room, the cat had no interest in me whatsoever. The little rascal only wanted attention while IN THE CAGE. Not to worry, says the attendant. I've got just the right cat for you. She brings back a boney, scrawny cat that doesn't seem any more interested than the previous one. This one, though, has a special effect on me. I STARTED TO BREAK OUT IN A RASH THAT ITCHED. (yes, I have been "kind of" allergic to some cats before, but that thought never occurred to me. Duh!)

Tiger-Girl   1/1/1997 - 12/13/2010  (I miss her so.)

Okay, so I allowed myself to be escorted back to the dog cages. There were about 20 dogs, and none of them did a thing for me. Just proves I am NOT ready for another dog in my life. And maybe I never will......And it also proved to me that I really do NOT want a cat, either...and that's good to know.

* This evening I got an e-mail from Mike Edwards, President & CEO of Borders. Betcha didn't know I was such good friends with him, did ya? Ahhh, I can't lie. It was a mass e-mail to everyone on their mass e-mail list. The good news is that Borders IS NOT going out of business. Whether Borders is your favorite book store or not isn't really important. As a book lover and published writer, I don't want to see any book store or publisher or agent go out of business, but that's exactly what is happening in the industry. Partly due to the economy and partly because of ebooks and self publishing. (That's a whole other subject which I'm not going to go into.) I'm just happy to know that Borders, as of today, filed for Chapter 11 and is reorganizing. Anyone interested in reading more about it, here's the link: www.bordersreorganization.com.

(The book stores and online store are all supposed to be Open For Business, as usual.)

A special Welcome and Thank You to my newest Follower: Beth Fred. Thanks, Beth! I hope you enjoy stopping here from time to time!

And, speaking of stopping by blogs....I want to apologize... I just can't seem to keep up with all the blogs I want to check on! I do peek at some, from time to time and just don't leave comments, and some I don't even get around to very often. I hope no one takes it personally. All my blog friends mean so much to me. Please understand that I'm desperately trying to get my memoir completed. That is at the top of my list, and other things are suffering because of it. But, Wow....is it ever gonna be worth it when I'm finished!

"Give me a home with stacks and stacks of books, warmth in the cold of winter, and coolness during a heat wave. Give me plenty of my favorite drink(s): coffee, tea and diet soda. Give me my loving husband and entire family and friends.....and still with all of this.....I weep because Tiger-Girl is not here to share it with me." -- Becky Povich

Love, Friendships & Inspirations

I'm not ignoring the fact that today was/is Valentine's Day, but since the 11th is our wedding anniversary, The Ronald and I always celebrate the two Love Events at the same time. We don't give each other gifts anymore, either, because after all.....we ARE each other's gifts!

A big Welcome and Thank You to my newest follower: Zev! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you continue to like what you read and see here.

I've been trying to remember which blog friend's book I was planning on buying next....Does anyone remember if I even mentioned it? I may have to change my plans and buy one every other month or so. I still have such a huge stack of books in my To Be Read pile, I feel as if I should tackle a few of them. I've got two in mind, in particular, that I really want to start, and they're both on my night stand. Hmmm, which one will win out?

Wonderful friend, Tammy, presented this awesome "You Inspire Me" award last month and I kept forgetting to post it...until just now. Thank you so much, Tammy. You inspire Me constantly. Below is what Tammy said about me on her blog:

"And finally, to Becky, great friend and writer, who inspires me as both...even though my stupid computer won't even show me most of her blog page. SIGH...."

Thanks again, Tam. And I hope sometime soon you'll get rid of the gremlins in your computer!

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with friendship." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Book Review - "The Somebody Who"

Last night I finished reading a fabulous novel, The Somebody Who, by my blog friend, Katie Gates.

I think it was last month I declared that I wanted to buy one book a month, from one of my published blog friends. I don't recall if there was any particular reason I chose Katie's....but somebody had to be first, right?!

I am not good at giving book reviews, in the proper "being-paid-to-write-book-reviews" sense. In fact, sometimes I don't even read book reviews, or the inside flaps of books, because I've been disappointed so many times by being given "TMI"....too much information! I don't want to know the beginning, the middle, and the end of a book before I even read it! Duh!

So, here's my thoughts on: The Somebody Who. I am an impatient reader. If a book doesn't grab me in the first couple of paragraphs, or pages, or at least the first chapter, I'm putting it back on the shelf. This book grabbed me from the very beginning.

Katie's descriptions are wonderful. I could visualize everything. I became friends with Evelyn and her housekeeper, Claudia. I felt the sadness and sense of loss, knowing that Evelyn's husband, Davy, had once been not only a brilliant man, but a loving husband and father to their four now grown children. Davy has Alzheimer's. Most of the book takes place around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Evelyn's love for Davy, her children and grandchildren is shown so well. There's also a touch of mystery, in the sense of questions that haven't been satisfactorily answered.

If I were giving out ratings for books, I'd give this one the highest rating -- ☺☺☺☺☺ Five Happy Faces!

I e-mailed Katie shortly after I began reading The Somebody Who, and told her it was one of those books I couldn't wait to get back to at night. I read and read until the words were so blurry, I had to stop, even when I wanted to keep on reading. I highly recommend it!

An Anniversary: Through the Years

28 years ago today, The Ronald and I were married.

We have the kind of marriage that I dreamed about when I was young. A loving, kind, appreciative husband. One who thinks I'm a talented writer. One who laughs at my jokes, and at my crazy singing and dancing. One who listens (when I tell him "I need your attention. This is really important!") One who holds me when I'm sad and need comforting. One who is darn near perfect....

(a story I wrote about our relationship, "Through the Years" is included in this Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology. Published in December 2007. Page 94)

"We don't need to win the lottery, because when he and I chose each other, that's when we hit the jackpot." -- Becky Povich

* Uptight, Twitchy & Disturbed *

First of all I'd like to thank my three newest followers: Aine Tierney, Marissar and Jan! Thank you so much. I hope you'll continue to stop by from time to time and enjoy what you see.

As I wrote in the previous post, my life has been crazy busy, and I was feeling a bit....agitated. I laughed at some of the synonyms Mircosoft Word 2010 offered for agitated: Uptight, twitchy and disturbed were my favorites! Just reading the word disturbed made my mind break into song... Gee, Officer Krupke from "West Side Story". See how I am?? My brain jumps from one subject to the next. I'm typing about life being crazy busy, and I start singing in my head!

The Wise, Witty & Wonderful Mr. Robert Brault left a comment on that previous post of mine: "Becky, You describe a thoroughly involved life that many would kill for. Enjoy it to the hilt. You can do as many do -- catch a few winks while driving." Well, then I'm sure I'm living an almost perfect life and I'm following my bliss. Thank you, Robert, for pointing that out to me.

One more thing. Yesterday morning, since I was already in the Land of Uptight, Twitchy & Disturbed, and I was talking to The Ronald while putting on my socks, I wasn't quite paying attention to what I was doing:

Oooh, my feet are so embarrassed!

"Before I speak, I have something important to say." -- Groucho Marx

Hanging On for Dear Life

I feel like this gray bear, hanging on for dear life, while my days go speeding along.

(photo courtesy: artymiss.com)

 I'm not complaining. Really, I'm not. I'm grateful for my busy life. I love what I do. Every now and then, though, I get a little overwhelmed with so many things on my "To Do List." Prioritize, you say? Sometimes that's easier said than done. Lately the worst part is that even when I'm exhausted at night, and climb into bed, my mind won't shut down. Not only does it not shut down, it zips from topic to topic, staying barely long enough for me to promise myself I'll remember in the morning, or to sit up and jot myself a note:

I really need to finish that greeting card I started making last week.

Don't forget to call so-and-so tomorrow.

Oh, remember that e-mail that needs a reply.

How many bills do I still need to pay?

I've got to get back to that one chapter I'm trying to complete.

There are about 5 contests I wanted to enter....When were those deadlines?

I think we're out of clean bath towels. Better throw a load in the washer when I get up.

And sometimes I do get up and begin any number of those projects, even if it's 3:00 am.

I think this is something many of us have in common. What are the answers? I'd love to hear suggestions!

Oh...Hello & Welcome to my two newest followers: DeanO and Amanda Holtom!

“Chance can allow you to accomplish a goal every once in a while, but consistent achievement happens only if you love what you are doing.” -- Bart Conner

Saturday Night Thoughts

Have you ever written to a famous writer? I have, and to more than just one. And guess what? More than just one actually wrote back to me!

Before the days of e-mail, I either hand wrote or typed letters, expressing my love of their newest book, or their writing style. In one case, it was to tell the author how much her autobiography meant to me. How after reading what she went through in a terrible point in her life, helped me to have the courage to do something I desperately needed to do. And I did hear back from her!

There were a couple of others that besides expressing my love of their writing and their fictional characters, I included sample writings of my own, asking for advice. (Sometimes it helps to just be plain naive' or a little self-promoting!)

In the past ten years or so, I've written to seven authors.....and I heard back from five!

*Sunday afternoon note: Just wanted to add that I would never send an entire manuscript to anyone, without a request for it. I knew not to do that, even when I was a new and naive writer....now, let's say a 400 word story, that's different! And I'm NOT suggesting anyone should do that sort of thing, either. I'm just sharing something that I did when I didn't know any better....But hey, sometimes taking the road less traveled is the best road in life. 

What about you? Have YOU written to any famous writers?

"How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter?" -- Woody Allen