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Month: March 2020

#37 – This Moment

I very much am of the belief that what we focus on – is what makes up our world. Our reality. This moment in time is completely of our own creation.

And so…

I have been having the extremely uncharacteristic urge to watch Christmas movies.

And read Jane Austin books. (Ah – the world of muddled love somehow magically becoming un-muddled. With basically no communication at all…)

And bake. I have a freezer full of blueberry muffins, banana bread, and granola. And, I am obsessed with somehow getting my hands on long-ago grabbed up yeast and flour. So, I can bake more. Or, at least, have it on hand…You know just in case, we are in sudden need of preparing for a tea party. Or something.

My dance parties have become parties of one. To the likes of Simple Minds, Liz Phair, and Smashing Pumpkins – music from another lifetime. And, yet, having  the effect of a warm embrace. And, a total release at the same time.

Olive, Cash, and I have been losing ourselves in The Golden Compass. A strange and beautiful modern-day fantasy classic – in which an evil woman is trying to steal children’s detached souls (in the form of ever-changing animals) and ferocious bears fight one another to the death for the role of king. An other-worldly story that I have, at times, while reading out-loud, transported myself to. Surrounding myself with the competent and brave heroes.

“This moment in time is completely of our own creation.”

The elegant notes of Vivaldi and Pachelbel float through my house as my daughter works on Spring, Largo, and Pachelbel Cannon on her violin. I ask Olive every day after her practice, when she is getting ready to pack up  – ‘Please, one more time?’ It is so lovely…like a riot of airy colors…flowers…laughter. Joy.

The Bee Hive is stocked and anticipating the influx of spring break visitors from Texas, Colorado, California, New York. The street is quiet though. The neighborhood deserted. But, if I put music on and don’t look out the windows too much – I can be in there filling orders and having phone conversations with customers and doing book fairy work. And, it can feel like…the Bee Hive is alive. And well.

It is magical…the worlds we are able to create with what we decide to focus on. We are the gods of our universe. If we choose.

I believe it is why I have been so obsessed with books my whole life. They – along with music, cooking, and adventures – have saved me. From what could have otherwise taken me down.

Let’s be smart and do the right thing to keep everyone well. And safe.

But then…

Let’s save ourselves.

And do what it takes to bring a reality into focus full of comfort and ease.

And wonderment.

And beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

#36 – The not-as-bad-as-the-flu-but-yet-way-worse Virus

So…I was a little late to this party. For sure.

Due to my several months-long news boycott, I can’t say I even know when it all started. What I do know is when I figured it might be a good idea to get some hand sanitizer for the store – and I went to six places – it was long wiped out. The sales associates at CVS and Walgreens looked at me like I was an alien when I asked if they were expecting more in.

I have started reading the news again. I was a journalist in my past life and I do realize (although somewhat reluctantly) that my simply ignoring it will not change the state of the world.

However, it wasn’t newspapers that have made me understand the extent of the destruction that could be the fallout of the whatever this not-as-bad-as-the-flu-but-yet-way-worse virus is (I am utterly mystified by the whole thing). It was a book industry trade publication where I read about a Mercer Island – just off of Seattle – book store that is facing closure due to the coronavirus, that painted a clear picture of what we are up against. And then the fact that Italy has called that all businesses be closed.

At times of disaster and destruction, it has been shown that humanity can truly band together as one. Hurricane Katrina and several hurricanes in Texas have proven to be amazing demonstrations of beautiful heroics that erased any sort of discriminatory class and color lines, and saved countless lives.

“During this nutty, uncharted, anxious, social-distancing moment in time, I am going to choose to see it as, Us all being in it together.”

It is these moments that show that at the end of the day – we are all in this together.

Right?

So, I was telling my mail carrier — Who I discuss all important current events with. He kept me in the loop during my news cleanse — how I could not find one bottle of hand sanitizer. Not one. He explained that he had been delivering boxes and boxes of sanitizer and surface wipes and paper towels to people on his route for weeks. The same people! “They’re hoarding them!” he yelled.

Good lord.

Ok – so hoarders aside. During this nutty, uncharted, anxious, social-distancing moment in time, I am going to choose to see it as, Us all being in it together. And, I am going to make a plea….

Bee Hive has an awesome website – you can order any book at all off of it to be either picked up at the store – but if it gets to a certain point and you don’t want to come to the store – which I take no offense from – we will mail your books to you, or whomever the receiver (at the lowest possible rate – or possibly free depending on how many books).
Another thought is, if there is a book you know you are going to want, that is going to be released in the future – you can pre-order it! Your paying for it during this time, could be a huge help. And then you will have it as soon as it is out.

At this point, Bee Hive has gotten through more then I can say – all of which you have been privy to. I am not afraid of the coronavirus. Sure, Bee Hive has persevered partly because of my sometimes choosing to turn a blind eye to reality (news boycott = case in point), but also, because of you – this awesome, wonderful, beautiful community that loves Bee Hive as much as it truly loves you.

And, not only are we all in this together.

But, perhaps, we can read away the anxiety and isolation.

Books and stories make everything okay. Always.