Canning

I've begun canning. I know!!! I've bought a living social coupon for a canning seminar, but I don't have a Saturday free to take it until August. But, with such thing as the internet -I've already broken in my new canning pot, rubber gripper thingy, and the first two jars.

I made....CHERRY JAM!

Ok. So Cherries plus a few things. Because the conversion from the big jar of pectin versus the original small paper packets wasn't very clearly spelled out, and I wound up putting in 3x as much as I was supposed to. Which led to chopping up the rest of the cherries I had in the kitchen. Which led to chopping up another cup of strawberries to add. Which ended with using a few tablespoons of grape juice instead of apple - because I had it around the house and didn't want to go back to the store...

And once my cherries were properly mashed and gelled, bottled, cleaned, topped and ready to go - I discovered that my stewpots were too short for the jars. So, after another mad dash to Value Village (bought a pot that would 'do') and Goodwill (found an actual small batch bona fide canning pot, complete with accessories), I made it home to boil the heck out of them.

I tasted the jam last night. It is GOOD!

Many thoughts...

So many thoughts today. So many things buzzing around my head in general recently. So, off I go.

1. Etsy:

I've been working pretty consistently on my Etsy site. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, but needed the right combination of steady work (for capital) and extra free time (to find/prep/photograph/list) to get started. The 8 weeks between Les Miserables and Funny Girl was ideal. My initial goal was simply to make enough profit to cover my crafting binges (and really, I'm fairly frugal even with those - but it felt better buying yarn if I knew that I'd contributed money to the general coffers JUST for that, instead of skimming off the grocery budget). However, as we stare around unknown corners of theatre work, with Alan still applying for artistic directing positions and directing jobs around the country, the idea struck me that this business would be one that could be easily moved to a different location as needed to provide me with continuing work. I'm not there yet, but I've made good progress. The business has already reimbursed my expenses, and left me with a tidy $200 of profit since March. Not a bad start to a brand-new enterprise.

2. Climate Change:

Maybe it's living in Seattle, and maybe it's getting a Prius and finding the DIY site to be very cool, but I'm more and more concerned about our environmental impact, and finding ways to eliminate it. I feel overwhelmed by reports of how quickly things are going to get very bad if we don't make radical changes. But I also believe in the power of ordinary people to make changes even when the powers that be can't. For example, we can get mad all we want at the oil companies and government, but as long as we -the consumer- continue to purchase gas for our car, we're contributing to the problem. If we all just got fed up and switched to electric vehicles (or hybrids, if we drive more), they wouldn't have a consumer base, anyway. I'm beginning to research the Smart Electric car, with the idea of keeping the Prius for hauling, and long trips.

3. Giving Back:

While appalled by the SPU shooting (and more so because my sister is a recent Grad, and her boyfriend who still attends classes was in the lockdown), I was heartened to watch both the GoFundMe Campaign to give a honeymoon and early marriage gift to the kid who stopped the shooter, and the GiveForward Campaign to pay for the funeral of one student, and medical expenses of the others. It is heartening to live in a community that cares that much (and I think the funds have both gone global now).

Doing what comes Naturally

Alright. I've done it.

Or rather, I've begun to do it. I've gone natural. Or at least, I've begun the process. It will take some time to filter out all of the chemicals and additives, but once you've fallen off the curb, you just keep gathering momentum.

I've always had a thing for the homemade and old fashioned. Growing up homeschooled - although a very suburban, "normal" homeschooled (no denim jumpers, waist-length "shining glory" hair, or livestock) - gave us kids a hands-on existance. We gardened, spent a lot of time outdoors, baked, quilted, sewed, and read. Later in life, the book "Entre-Nous: A Woman's Guide to finding her Inner French Girl" got me on the road to using real ingredients, getting off the shopping treadmill, and taking time to do things meaningfully. Then I went to Cambodia for a while, and learned that our cultural drive to BUY THINGS is something that can be overcome. I began trying to use things up completely before buying more and buying based on need instead of buying based on desire to buy something.

My favorite thing about Seattle is living in a culture where people really are trying to make a difference by thinking about their consumption - of gas, or food, of packaging, or chemicals. On the negative side, going organic/vegan/gluten-free/local/fresh is practically a fashion statement. Here there are plenty of farmer's markets, and every grocery store has a natural section, but if you're REALLY COOL you go to a Co-op that has REALLY EXPENSIVE organic everything. I understand why natural products have to be more expensive than cheap chemical laden alternatives. I DON'T understand why the same products have to be double and sometimes triple in price. With my husband and me trying very hard to keep a frugal budget on a two-theatre income, buying organic hasn't been an option.

Then, I bought a Prius. (This naturally prompts a smug lifestyle shift as one looks at other cars on the freeway and feels good about the reduced environmental impact) and my father was treated for Cancer - leading my parents into a hormone and chemical free lifestyle.

Then I found the site: DIY Natural.

Living in a rented 1/2 of a house with a septic tank has made me concerned about the chemicals I'm pouring into the backyard - and eventually into the river at the bottom of our hill. With the discovery of the DIY site, I can start transitioning out the chemicals in my house, and replace them with a homemade, natural version. And the perk? It's cheaper than store bought regular brands, and WAYYYYYYYYY cheaper than the corresponding Organic variety. And in a lot of cases, the old ways work more effectively.

One article on the site recommends that a good way to transition is to learn to make a new product as you run out of the old one, instead of trying to completely overhaul all at once. This seems very wise, and cost effective - since the startup product purchase can be a little expensive. Though cheaper in the long run, the initial purchases of essential oils to make things smell as pretty as the Bath and Body works and Herbal Essenses you're replacing can cost a bit.

So far, here is what I've replaced:

1. Laundry Detergent - blending up 1 cup Borax, 1 Cup Washing Soda and 1 Bar of Ivory took less than 5 minutes, and requires only 1-3 TBSP per load.

2. Dishwashing Liquid - I Tbsp Borax, I Tbsp grated soap, 1-3/4c water, boiled and let sit for 6-8 hours to gel. This worked beautifully. I used a little food coloring in this batch, but probably won't in future. I'm still waiting for the Creamsicle essential oil to arrive in the mail. It's weird using soap that doesn't contain foaming agents, but I'm getting used to it. If one has the money, Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap works, too, and foams naturally.

3. Shampoo - I found a bottle of organic shampoo at Grocery Outlet and decided to give it a try. Ditto on the lack of foaming, but the organic brand smells fruity and herby - so not a far cry from my Herbal Essences. In future, I may try making my own, but if I can get it at the discount grocery for the same money as regular shampoo, I'll let them do the work.

4. Toothpaste - the DIY site didn't help me here. I understand why a baking soda paste works, but I'm not fond of the texture. So, I bought Cinnamon Clove toothpaste on sale in the natural section of QFC.

5. Deodorant - The husband already uses Tom's - since he's allergic to most scents. This is my current work-in-progress. I emptied out two deodorant, and one footsie fixer tube and am gathering ingredients to begin making this. In the meantime, I'm doing my several day no-deodorant period - to allow the aluminum to sweat out of my system. Apparently, keeping your body from sweating is bad for you, and while I hate to jump on the "it causes cancer" bandwagon for everything under the sun, stopping schmearing chemicals on the largest organ of the body can only be a good thing, right? In the meantime, I found a bar of beeswax at goodwill for $3 instead of the $16 at the craft store, and oil of coconut was cheapest at Fred Meyer's natural section. I just need some essential oils (again, I like smelling like baked goods or flowers) and some arrowroot powder (optional) and I'm ready to go.

How far will this go? I'm not sure. I'm excited by the prospect, and if I'm making a lot of these products myself, I can justify the expense of the products I don't want to make. As I think about the products I use, an endless number of things that need replacing starts to get overwhelming. But, I will keep taking this one product at a time. And getting to make cute packaging helps!

OH...the sorrow of a bad audition...

This job is hard. I mean it. Most days I can be pretty philosophical, and let things roll (as much as possible considering that You have to sell Yourself every time you walk into a room).

Today, I bombed an audition that I REALLY wanted. I prepared, I chose music, I worked on it for a week, I transposed the "easy" version back into the original key, I arranged good cuttings. But my coach wasn't available, and my musical director didn't have time to do more than run me through the music...and I walked in and did a terrible job. I had to stop and start over because I'd transposed the chords but not the melody, and so I started in a different key from the accompanist. My previous coach, who was playing for the audition, sent me a message with two frowny faces in it. It was that bad.

I've had a good cry now, and I'm feeling less useless. It's bad enough to do a bad job when you really felt ready to go blow it away. It's worse when it was on an audition that really meant something. Actually, that's usually when I flub the worst.

So, I have to go into the theatre tonight for tech. And try not to spill my guts all over a room full of other actors. And try to get over the disappointment that I most likely won't be considered for a role I'd have been REALLY suited for.

Sigh...

Being Not a Pioneer Woman

I've had this phrase in my head for a while, as a self-description. Probably because of the television show with the same title: Pioneer Woman. But, from what I can tell from her cooking show and books, she means good ol' down home traditions. So, that's not quite what I'm feeling for myself.

I think that I'm a throwback to my Depression-Era ancestors.

The Great Depression was a terrible time, but the values our Great Grandparents learned is something we can aspire to. Every item was used until it was worn out, and then turned into scraps for quilting or scrubbing. The need to not throw anything away is similar to our reminders to reduce, reuse and recycle. In Seattle, this is made fairly easy - we can compost with our garbage pickup, and have cut our landfill waste in half with our recycling services, which are easy to use. Our consumer culture dominates our world, and we are constantly inundated with messages to BUY THINGS! I try, periodically, to put myself on spending freezes, to remind myself that I have plenty of clothes, plenty of crafty things to be creative with, plenty of pens and pencils and paper and shampoo - and that the desire to go out and buy "something" is more an impulse to be shopping based on a culture that equates acquiring things with happiness. I try to spend those times using up what I have already.

I've always had a pathological need to not waste anything. Not in a scary hoarder way. [I actually am not very sentimental about things, and can happily recycle or donate most possessions if I haven't thought about them or used them in a while. I have a few baby toys, clothes I can't part with, and pieces of furniture that travel with me, and many few file folders of letters and cards that I won't give up. My husband says that I don't buy clothes, I rent them from Goodwill.] My family are all thrifters. I can't remember not being aware that, if you take the time to look, you can find really nice quality things for a fraction of the cost of buying them new. It's partly economical (I can't afford a silk beaded dress in a store), but the more time my job sends me to multiple thrift stores in a day, the more I see just how many perfectly good items there are 2nd hand in the world. So why do we keep manufacturing things, when the world is bursting with good, usable items that haven't worn out yet?

This also extends to food. I'm not in my backyard composting and growing vegetables, but I am trying to "shop around the outside of the grocery store" to fill my diet with fresh foods instead of processed items full of preservatives. When I can, I shop at one of several farmer's markets for locally grown items. At home, I try to use up every scrap of food by transforming it as many times as I can into another dish. Right now my Easter Ham is bubbling away on the stove becoming "Ham and Navy Bean Soup." This, again, is partially economical. Foods that you prepare from scratch are better for you, yummier, and cheaper than pre-made anything. Case in point: If I send my husband (good man - shares the cooking, but shops like a guy) to the store to "get something for dinner" - he decides what he wants and comes back with two pieces of specialty meat, a tub of pre-made mashed potatoes, a tub of side dish or a loaf of garlic bread, and a bottle of wine. These items by themselves are frequently $35-40. In my mind, it's silly to spend that kind of money on food and STILL have to do the cooking. At that point, you may as well have gone to a restaurant. When I go to the store, I look in the freezer to see what meat we've frozen from the manager's special, check to see which produce is near spoiling, and see what staple sides I have in the pantry. Then, I do an ingredient search on Allrecipes.com and see what dish can be made from what's lying around the house. I then go to the store for any missing ingredients: usually a couple of potatoes to mash, some spices (if you don't use them frequently, you can go to the whole foods section and buy a teaspoon or so from the tubs there, instead of a whole jar), and walk away having spent less than $10 for the same meal. (And PS, if you're cooking for two - a whole loaf of garlic bread is dumb. Just buy a hoagie from the deli and DIY)

After years of stretching every penny because I didn't have very many, the habit to spend as little as possible to get the best quality has stuck. Here's some of my favorite ways to stretch my dollars

1. MAKE SOUP - Soup are incredible for using scrap foods. Throw anything that's leftover into a pot: veggies, beans, rice, meat - and add onion, stock cubes some spices and a bay leaf, and you've turned a few handfuls of nothing into as many tasty meals as you can freeze for later.

2. DONATE TO VALUE VILLAGE - Every time you donate, they will give you a coupon for $3 off your $10 purchase. Take one bag each time you go, and amass a coupon collection. Combine this with their sale tag of the week (50% off one color), and only spend $10 at a throw, and you can walk out with quite a few items for your $7.

3. USE COUPONS AT FABRIC STORES - You can find a lot of what you need as a crafter at thrift stores. The big chain stores are just bursting with people's donated stashes. (The little church run places aren't great for this - they have retired volunteers who take the donated scraps and make things for the store to sell) I find bags of quilting scraps, half skeins of yarns, knitting needles, and yardages of fabrics. When you do need to purchase new items at fabric stores, collect coupons from their mailers, the website, emails and auto text messages. As long as the numbers on the coupons are different, you can use as many of them at a time as you want. Use every coupon you can, even for small cost items like thread. Fill in with on-sale items if needed, but generally the full price item with a coupon will be better value than the sale item. The savings are huge over the long run.

4. MAKE POT PIES - another great way to use up scrap foods, anything tastes yummy inside of a flaky pastry crust. DITTO FOR QUICHES.

5. COOK FROM SCRATCH - That tub of mashed potatoes? $5. Two potatoes, some milk, butter, salt and pepper? About $1 to make it yourself, and you can make two portions to eat right away, instead of 6-8, half of which will be forgotten in the fridge.

6. THRIFT FOR QUALITY, NOT NAME BRAND - Thrift store employees are taught to recognize name brands that can be priced for higher sale - but mostly at the teen buying level: Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, XXVI Forever and H&M. These items will be more expensive than the silk blouse (no label) next to them, or the couture item (Cache) that they don't recognize. Running your hand along the racks, you can "feel" for quality (no mistaking wools, silks, cottons and linens compared to polyester blends) instead of shopping for labels, and walk away with a very expensive, timeless wardrobe for less than you would have spent on a Gap tee, and those Old Navy jeans.


This morning, I began my day reading This Article on Etsy, about building an eco-friendly business. I liked the scope of the article, because it wasn't too strictly defined - allowing for ANY combination of recycling, vintage, combination of used and new materials, or making completely organic products under the banner of "Eco-Friendly."

When you’re adopting eco-friendly practices, there might be trade-offs – and there often is not only one right answer. “It’s a direction, not perfection,” notes Andie of Andie’s Specialty Sweets.

My shop on Etsy, which I've finally started in earnest, is in that direction. I sell some vintage finds, some things handmade completely from scrap materials, and some combinations of new and used materials. There's nothing wrong with buying new, but I try to do it sparingly, and to only purchase things that I know aren't available second hand. I like that the article praises those who create new items with new, high-quality materials, as building the heirlooms of the future - valuing art of creating something new, and non-disposable.

I favor the idea of grass roots efforts towards being a less instantaneous, less disposable culture. Some people are called to drastic things like The Man Who Quit Money or Only Eat Local Food, but we can all make small changes in the direction of being more frugal, using things up, wearing them out, donating the unused, and even neater - being Creative in the way we live.

And, Now What?

This has been a frustrating and immensely fulfilling year. Six years into my five year goal of seriously pursuing my vocation(s) to see if it was possible to make a living in theater, I am seeing some results. I am getting steady, well-paying acting work from one of the "big houses," and starting to have other houses take interest as well. In 6 months, I will have done enough work to have qualified to join the Actor's Equity Union, and will have to make a decision on that sooner than I'd imagined.

On the design front, doing alterations for the Big Corporate Empire now pays most of my bills, leaving me a little freer to be a little choosy. I've recently had the time to take on an assistanceship with another designer in town, and had the opportunity to work on the ground floor of some major productions in a very small capacity.

On the negative side, one job that I'd had for several years suddenly evaporated when they hired another designer to take over. Admittedly, it was a good move in the end. It was a job I had less and less time for with a very long commute for the pay. I hear the new designer has managed to convince them that the job isn't possible as a part-time position. Also, this summer I finally said goodbye to the waitressing job I'd had for five summers. The money was excellent, but the work environment was very poor. On a day when equipment had broken down, and a busser was sent home afterwards, we were forced to run food up and down the hill from the lower kitchen. The boss came in and told me I was the worst server ever (not true - I'd outlasted every one of my co-workers), I finished the day, but called in and quit. Both jobs were a relief to let go, in the end. After a lifetime of happy employment at most places, it was strange to leave two jobs within weeks of each other.

The luxury of choice is a new one. Suddenly, after being geared for years to take any gig for any pay just for experience, I'm finding 2-3 shows per year to be plenty, without needing to pack in extra things during my down time. Admittedly, doing five month runs of shows instead twelve performances does make the evenings at home a nice change for a few weeks. This year I will have only 16 weeks off from doing 6-day-per-week runs. Design-wise, the houses are getting better and better. The pay has stayed in a similar spectrum for now, but the professionalism of the company is improving so much that it's suddenly a shock to go back into the places that are badly run and perpetually short on cash when contracts come due.

All of this isn't meant as a brag. Many people who begin working in this town at about the same time are experiencing similar upward motion. Actors that I've done the audition rounds with are having similar success in the same houses. Designers graduate upwards, leaving space for new faces in the medium places. I used to look longingly at the clique-y groups in the middle of the room at callbacks, wishing for a friendly face. Now there's very few places I go where there isn't someone I've worked with before. The theater community is a very small group.

The better pay coming regularly has left room for some musing over where I'd like to go, and what I'd like to do, now that I have the luxury of some breathing room instead of the constant flurry of production.

I've realized that I'd like to keep striving to work in my dream houses, but I've lost the need to be perpetually in show after show. The few weeks of breathing room to pursue some hobbies, enjoy the at-home night life, cooking, and seeing my spouse is very nice for a while. My design portfolio is now full on every page, forcing me to rip out pictures and glue over top for new additions. I keep trying to take on one new theater per season. This season, I already have three.

This leaves time for a personal life again. What a strange feeling. I'm trying to work out once a week again this year. I've started making a conscious effort to add healthier foods to my diet, especially in the gaps between eating-on-the-go. I've mostly removed pop from my diet, replacing it with juice at home for my sweet beverage. After some success designing my own line at an antique store (I sold enough things to feel it was a profitable experience), but discovering at the time that I needed a more secure way to make money, I've decided to try again on Etsy. Alan and I had time for church last week. (That sounds bad, but Sundays are work days for actors) I've starting making dates with friends from past shows to try and cultivate a teeny social life. I'm looking at taking tap dancing classes again.

There is much still to do, but I'm getting better about pacing myself. It's nice to have moments to breathe.

Another Year, Another Resolution

It's a new year. I'll admit to having forgotten to kiss my husband at midnight, as we were in the final minute of a Doctor Who episode. There was champagne. We kissed at 1am.

I completed my first ever serious New Year's goal from 2013. I wanted to try to get a little healthier and more toned by working out 52 times last year. With a couple of hour-long segments towards the end there, and three workouts in a row those last few days of December, I squeaked it out at the end. I've decided to make the same goal for next year - and am contemplating adding another 25 home yoga sessions. I made my new kindergarten-style workout chart complete with stickers for every workout completed. It's VERY motivating. Everyone, at heart, is 5 years old. Getting to color in a progress chart or checking a box works, too.

Today I have first fittings for The Nerd at lunchtime and then my family is celebrating a late Christmas together with Miles and Becky. I managed to finish the gifts last night after dinner. With the run of Les Miserables going through the holidays, I had anticipating hours of backstage time. However, in this show, my free time is sucked up by costume changes, and I have only about 45 minutes of crafting time per show. So, all of my carefully planned homemade Christmas gifts, plus Alan's amazing birthday gift (just learned to knit with it - and I'm SOOOO close to finished!) took up more time than I had, in the end.

Doctor Who is a new obsession. Everyone backstage is geeky, and I finally got on the bandwagon. Up until midnight last night, every episode of the reboot was On Demand. But Comcast giveth, and Comcast taketh away. I'll have to sign up for Netflix.

I'm sure there should be more reflection on the old year, and the new one to come. Last year was a good year. This year is shaping up to be a good one. I had an interview for a job I'm very excited about - we'll see if it comes to pass. Alan also has had a surprising job prospect, which is a much longer shot - but came out of the blue. This may be an exciting year, and if none of the "special" options come to pass, we'll at least have a busy and productive one.

Happy 2014 everyone!

Why I'm glad I DIDN'T get a nose job.

Most people who know me, know this story. While I was working in Southern California, I rubbed elbows with several former Disney actors and Vegas Crooners. I met them through the pianist at the lounge on the resort, and eventually was invited to their Thursday night soiree to help fill in after the "regular joe" singers got up. It was upscale kareoke in the lobby of the hotel.

A year later, while touring with my first educational theater gig, I got a call. One of the Disney actors wanted to offer me a nose job to help my career. He and his wife thought I was too pretty to let it get in the way. At 23 years old, this was kind of devastating. I told them I'd think about it. After much consideration, and several days of feeling just butt-ugly, I realized a few things:

1. I do stage work, not film. If I'd wanted to go the Hollywood route, perhaps having some things corrected that would be a disadvantage on a television or movie screen would be understandable. I'd never had any interest in getting out of theater.

2. A professional opera singer and mentor of mine in college once told me that I had a stage face that she and a lot of other performers would kill for.

3. My nose was perfectly functional. The breathing was working well. Could I really justify having thousands of dollars spent on a cosmetic change. And how did that fit in with knowledge of global poverty - in light of people lacking necessities, was a cosmetic change worth it. (I'm not trying to negate all cosmetic surgery. I think the reasoning for it or against it is very personal. These were just MY concerns in justifying it within my own conscience. I don't expect everyone to reach the same conclusions.)

The end result - I didn't get a nose job. But a few years down the line my eyes rejected contacts, and I was too blind to perform without them. I sent a letter to my friend with a headshot and resume, asking if he would be willing to trade in his offered nose job (which I didn't need) for some lasik (which I did). Between he and my grandmother, my lasik was funded, and I ended up with new eyes instead of a new nose.

-------------------

Last year, after 5 years of trying to 'make it' as an actor, I got my first professional gig in a "Big House." I was hired because I could pass as Jewish for Fiddler on the Roof. In the callback, I wore only lipgloss and mascara, to emphasize my features.

A few days ago, I was called back for "Funny Girl."


So, in the end, I think it was a good career move. Of course I've done other shows that don't require a particular look. I do a lot of shows set in the 20's and 30's as well, because I my French heritage lends itself to a bob. In fact, at those callbacks, I always bob my hair and wear cat-eye makeup to show off that side as well. And I got cast in Les Miserables.

How Tipping Works

"Tipping is still optional, after all. Unless a preset tip is worked into a bill (usually for large parties or banquets), the amount of extra cash a patron leaves at the end of a meal is up to him and based, supposedly, on the quality of service rendered. Sounds reasonable. However, there are many variables that interrupt a seamless implementation of this fairly simple notion.

One such variable is the tip-out policy. Almost every restaurant I've worked in has required that servers tip out a certain percentage of their tips to other workers. The tip-out where I work now is as follows: 15 percent to the busboy, 8 percent to the bartender, 5 percent to the hostess, 5 percent to the food expediter, and 2 percent to the extremely underpaid wretch who makes the coffee drinks. [Rachel's note: At my restaurant, where I make all of my own coffee drinks, half of my non-alcoholic beverages, and all alcoholic beverages if the bussers are underage, hostess my own tables much of the time, clear plates, clean and reset my own tables unless a busser can stop making juices and help me, I still tip out 10-15% to the bussers, and 20% of my food sales to the kitchen)] The math is easy to do. In order to walk out the door with $100 in tips, I have to earn $155. On some nights my busboy, who services three waiters at a time, will actually make more than me. The bartender makes more than me every night.

The tip out doesn't really end there. Because servers are required by law to report all their tips. Regardless of whether or not a server declares [them], the government knows how much she has sold during the course of the year because her restaurant is required to report it. 10-15% of your sales is considered taxable income. To illustrate how this all plays out, I'll offer an example. Say on a given night I sell $1,000 in food and beverages. Say it's been an average night, and I've netted in $150 in tips. After I tip out, I'll have $97 left in my pocket. But shortly I will owe more of that $97 to the IRS, and that will be deducted from my hourly wage. In fact, the more I sell, the more I will owe, regardless of whether I've made any set percentage or now. If I am not tipped, or tipped badly, I will still owe a percentage of my sales. Guests who don't tip, therefore, are effectively costing their server money."

From "Waiting" by Debra Ginsberg.

My new favorite author!

Who knew Madeleine L'Engle wrote so much? I'd read all of her children's books, and loved them, but found an adult book while looking through the "L" section of the used bookstore.

That's my new book buying trend. I pick a section of the store, and then grab everything off the shelves that looks interested. There's just too many books to be more particular, and I speed through them so quickly, I'm not always looking for a great book, but just an interested one for a couple of days' worth of commute. Also, at 5:15am, it can't be too deep. I'm barely awake. Ditto for the ride home. I often pass out on the train as soon as I sit down.

Summer is my favorite time to read. As a child, we used to walk to the library every few days, where I'd pick out a stack of books, bring them home, and read them one after another. My favorite thing about waitressing is all the reading I get to do during the commute.

It's wonderful that my husband is a reader as well. Every place we go, we can count on amusing ourselves at an Antique Mall and a Used Bookstore. We have 9 bookcases in our 650 square foot house. Plus extra stacks on our bedside tables. Yesterday we went to Half-Price Books to scope things out in advance of today only's 50% off one item coupon that came in the mail. Alan got a "History of DC Comics" book, and I grabbed the 4th Book of a Madeleine L'Engle series. I'd bought the first yesterday, and went to ABEbooks.com to purchase the other two.

If you've never been to ABEbooks, you should look it up immediately. It's the online conglomeration of all of the independent booksellers. They often have rare and out of print books, and sell things generally cheaper than Amazon. I picked up two books from two different booksellers for a total of $7.50.

I love finding a new author, and devouring everything they've writted\n. I feel that Madeleine L'Engle will have a permanent spot on my bookshelves, in my Inklings Section.