The Day My Book Came Out
Such a deal you got on this furniture, Mother. I approve.Today, October 4, was the day my book officially came out. October 4 was the target date for all the stores to have it stocked and on the shelves. So it's not quite the ceremonial splash that one might think. I thought it might be illuminating to you to see how I spent this momentous day. It was to me. The day rolled out somewhat differently from what I'd envisioned a year ago, when I found out that the publication date would be October 4, 2006. I don't know what I expected to happen today, but here's what actually happened:
1. Got up and got the kids ready for school. Made breakfasts, packed lunches.
2. Kissed them and Bill good bye.
3. Drank a preparation of algae and grains.
4. Checked e-mail. Got a comment about being a chicken-murdering hypocrite on my otherwise shiny happy blog.
5. Diddled around fielding email and comments for much too long.
6. Bawled, but not about being a chicken-murdering hypocrite. That was no news to me.
7. Called two best friends, got calls from two more.
8. Did an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the book.
9. Did three loads of laundry and hung them out on the line.
10. Sorted the recycling and lugged it out to the garage.
11. Moved the lawn furniture off the grass. This is not a trivial task since I went a little wild with the super-heavy on clearance Martha Stewart where-am-I-gonna-put-this-over-the-winter-lawn furniture this year.
12. Mowed the lawn.
13. Raked the lawn.
14. Plumb forgot to pick the kids up at the bus stop, something I've never done before.
15. Tried to think of what to start for dinner. Somehow chicken does not appeal.
16. Realized I ought to blog. This is what came out. Blaaaap!
The day is yet young. Who knows what romance awaits?
posted by Julie Zickefoose @ 4:27 PM
26 comments
26 Comments:
Isn't it strange how these supposedly important days are filled with the mundane? Are you feeling let down? Or are you able to see some beauty and order to your day? Just curious...
Congrats on the book...I've let Tom know to put it on the short list for any impulsive gift-giving.
You did pick up the kids, though? Right? ;-)
BTW, Phoebe looks like she is a member of my family! My nephew, Phillip, lives in Marietta and they look so much alike! In a good way, really!
Julie,
I'm so glad I didn't have to wait 'til today to get your book! I'm more than halfway thru already, and I'm really enjoying it. I do have one problem(?) with the book though. It reads so comfortably, like your blog, and I feel I've gotten to know you through your blog, so that I find myself wanting to add a comment or ask you a question after nearly every chapter!
I hope you have a few extra copies lying around, I'll need to be ordering some for Christmas gifts!
Kathy,
Circleville, OH
Baker is cracking me up in that photo. He looks like he's thinking "c'mere... sit down next to me and tell me what a fine dot I am".
My copy arrived safe and sound. I've been sneaking peeks in between taking advantage of the good working weather (it's warm! it's sunny! whoot!)
Any truth to the rumor a chicken cookbook is next? Maybe The Swami could contribute a recipe for Chicken Tutu? :-D
Here's to the day it "came out"! Now, I am waiting for the sequel...
Have you read Susan Fennimore Cooper's "Rural Hours"?. Published in 1851, the lady lived in Cooperstown, not far from your Chatauqua haunts. I think you would find a kindred spirit in that lady from the 19th century. She had an appreciation for, and a keenly observant eye about life around her, too.
PS.
The only thing that kept the vultures from circling our garage was the fact that they aren't attracted to 10# of rotten potatoes!
I missed them in the back deck of the SUV, they froze and then the temps in SD went to the 80s. A truly awesome olfactory experience after I finally located the remains a week later.
Caroline in South Dakota
Julie,
Congratulations today! You are an amazing woman and enrich so many lives by being you. Your keystrokes can turn a mundane day into a spectacular one and your blogs keep me laughing and/or brimming with tears...
Bill, Liam and Phoebe are so blessed to have you. And, oh, let that Chet Baker give you a spoon tongue kiss on your special day!
We had chicken for dinner. (Wink)
Mary in NC
I'm exhausted just from reading about your day. I wish i could be more like you.
Kids back yet? That's a Loooong driveway!
:-)
I don't have any champagne, so I raise my can of Coke to you, Julie Zickefoose, woman of integrity, woman of skill and humor, fun, fun chick, great mom and wife, and oh, I could go on and on.
Fan and friend in SW Ohio
Big Hugs!
Julie, I got my copy earlier in the week, and I am enthralled... completely enthralled with the beauty and sense of peace your book brings. I took it to my chiro appt to show him, and he plans on ordering some for Christmas gifts. It is just simply a joy to behold and I plan on telling everyone I know about it... err... except my mom and sister as their copies will be under the tree come Christmas. Congrats to you! I hope this is the first of many to come.
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Hello all,
I got a respectful, apologetic note from the person who raised the vegetarian issue. I'm not sure that a new visitor to this blog quite knows what he's tying into when he walks into the comment room. It continues to surprise me, too. The easy thing would have been to hit the delete key, but that's not very interesting, either. Thank you all for your support. Let's give the chicken references a rest for now, and recognize that he certainly raises a good point, one that I've thought about before and continue to think about. (see my factory farm piece in the September archives). I'm about to start reading Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma," and I hope to learn a lot more about how we treat the animals we eat by the time I'm done with it.
I think we should all be thinking about everything we put in our mouths--where it comes from and whether it actually nourishes us. I absolutely believe that eating with forethought is the only way to eat. If I find myself asking, "Why am I eating this?" I put it down and walk away. This, of course, usually applies to cheezy puffs.
We interrupt The Swami's normally ridiculous comments [WHO SAID THAT?] to bring you a bit of capitalist wisdom.
As the father of two writers, I would like to mention to anyone buying Julie's book that you will be contributing more to Julie by purchasing directly from her.
This should have the ancilliary benefits of hastening a second book and it will help Bill and the children. Their education will be broadened as they crawl through the underbrush looking for roots and berries for dinner, since Julie will be back to shipping books!
jz
Does merlot go with algae or murr-lott?
Mer-lot
Noun
Definition
1. red wine: a red wine made from a variety of black grape originally grown in France
2. black grape used for merlot: a black grape that is used to make merlot wine.
3. *********Early 19th century – French, “small blackbird”******
So is this a bird wine? What part of the bird?
From your odd international commentator.
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing what your day was like with us. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of your books (but not in any sort of "what the heck is taking so long" way since they are Christmas gifts and I am going to have my kids wrap the one I got myself and give it to me so I won't even allow myself a peak in it! Sigh! But, still, I'm eager! :).
What a fine-looking being! I'm glad the furniture meets with his approval; there's no box on the Reason for Return form for "my canine son doesn't like it."
(So is the single glove a fashion statement, a gesture of solidarity with the deposed King of Pop, or had he just reached into a bag of confectioners sugar when this was taken?)
Hi Julie,
just finished your book, it is beautiful! I love it and thank you for it.
I will leave it next to my bed so I can reread chapters when I need them.
thank for sending me my book!
Dawn
Julie, I'm so glad I found your blog. Congratulations on the book release! What a hilarious summary of how you spent the big day.
Not to beat the vulture story to death, but I am just glad they don't circle around washing machines with forgotten laundry in them. That has happened several more times than I would like to admit. I think it gives my clothes that lovely basement mildew perfume that says "homeless" or perhaps "hopeless on the domestic front".
Julie, your book is a treasure, and so are you. And yes, you can do more in one day than most mortals. Whether it is a special "book coming out" day or not.
Shila
It's finding grace in the mundane- that's the trick!!
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Yes, Lynne, I agree. It's a trick. There are certain days when I can find grace in the mundane. These tend to be days when my hormonal influences make scrubbing the sink all shiny seem like my highest calling. Most of the time, I want to get it all the h-ll out of the way so I can find grace where it dwells naturally: in creating something, in nature, in the scent of the back of my kids' necks. There's just so darn much mundane out there, always piling up, blocking the door, and beginning to smell (to loosely quote Erma Bombeck).
Do the several deleted comments mean you're still getting flamed by vegetarian activists? Interesting how humans are so skillful at compartmentalizing their ethics, isn't it? One would hope that a person insisting on non-violence toward animals could also practice non-violence (including civil discourse) toward other humans. In any event, I highly recommend the documentary "Peaceable Kingdom," for a look at why it matters to know where our food comes from - it enlightens without preaching.
But the real reason I wrote is to say that I saw your book in a prominent window display in a little bookstore in Corvallis, OR on Saturday, September 30! I promised myself I'd remember the name of the store, but I didn't.
The 8:00 am deleted comment was self-deleted by The Swami after he decided to not include yet another carnivorous comment.
Hi, Julie--
How long do you check comments on your entries? Am I too late for Wednesday's?
Your book is fantastic, wonderful, delightful, beautiful, uplifting, frequently hilarious, poignant, terrific, did I mention fantastic? I am savoring it--but I'm savoring it really fast 'cause I can't wait to read the next entry--many of which are old friends.
The Borders in Fredericksburg FINALLY put their five copies out on Wednesday--they were holding them back till the publication date. I've been lurking there with my post-it notes off and on for two weeks waiting to put (removable) notes on the fronts of the copies. "Look inside--this is a funny, poignant, beautiful book." (If the staff can have picks, why not the customers?)
I also requested that our library purchase it--I hope that this doesn't backfire--I figured that lots of people who saw it there would want to buy it and not just read it for free. You probably get even less than 10%-15% from library sales. (I think that tiny percentage is a real bummer--you did all of the work--you should get at least 50% or more.)
Have a great gig and a fun "big sit" and buy yourselves some flame retartdant hats.
Sharon
Never too late to leave a nice comment, Sharon. Is that Fredericksburg Maine? Or Virginia? Or Minnesota? I'm corn-fused.
Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Sharon
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