I have a sickness. I don't think it's yet been identified in the DSM-IV (do they even call it that anymore?) but I'm fairly certain it's incurable. I love to unpack. Like really really really love to unpack. Suitcases, groceries, shopping bags, mail orders....
But mostly, I love unpacking boxes after a move. It's like Christmas but with stuff you've had for years yet forgotten about. Then, just when I think the fun is over, I remember I get to organize it all. WAHOO! See? I am sick. Who likes this stuff?
There's something even more satisfying about unpacking when you only have some of your stuff. Back in May, we went to our storage unit in the States to pick out the stuff we wanted shipped to Manila. Needless to say, it was a hurried and frantic process and we left the facility having no clue what we actually put in the Manila "pile". Fast forward to July and you'd be right if you guessed that we had 100% forgotten what we had shipped out here.
As you can imagine, this temporary amnesia has both an upside and a downside. Downside? LOTS of forgotten essentials. Curtains but no rods. Iron but no board. Vacuum but no bag. You get the idea. The upside? Random shit that I love but haven't seen in years. I have NO idea how some of this stuff got here but I couldn't be happier. For instance, Earl Wyatt Armedadillo (a story for another post) made it. As did The Grumpus Under the Rug, my favorite book as a child.
Which brings me to what was SUPPOSED to be the original subject of this post. But first, since I have go so far afield, if you were packing up all of your worldly belongings but could only bring certain things to your new home, what could you absolutely not do without?? For me, it's at least one photo album/scrapbook with pictures of everyone I love, my favorite shoes/purses/scarves, and legit bath products.
Now, back to the task at hand. What was YOUR favorite book as a child? What did you always force your poor parents to read or what did you read yourself so many times that you wore the edges off and the ink was so faded, you had to "read" from memory? Mine was The Grumpus Under the Rug. I vividly remember my mom reading that to me as a kid and if she didn't do it with enough enthusiasm (which was rare, given she was an elementary school librarian. she wouldn't have been worth her salt if her own daughter was bored.), I would make her read it again. Later, of course, we read it together and then I'd read it by myself when I missed her. I've held on to that book all these years and every time we move, I am always overjoyed to rediscover it. We didn't bring many books here to the Philippines. Kindles and ipads and weight limitations precluded that. But some gems did make it and Grumpus is one. I'd love to hear your bedtime story....stories. What did mom and/or dad read to you?
I'm still allowed to brag!
My mom is a published author...several times over. Although, unless you were into historical romances in the 80s, you probably wouldn't have read her books. I have no doubt that she would have continued in her success as a writer if life...and us kiddos hadn't interfered. Now, finally, after some fierce prodding and miraculously getting her to retire, she's back at it and I couldn't be happier....or more proud.
Before you harumph at the historical romances, let me tell YOU something. First of all, she has so much more depth than steamy sex scenes. Second, who needs depth when you have the 50 Shades chart toppers. Third of all (in my head, that reads perfectly), she's not really writing historical romances anymore. She has dabbled in different genres and I think she's always wanted to write a mystery or thriller because really, that's what she likes to read most.
Long story short, she has been sending me snippits of one of her older novels that she's sorta re-writing and I'm just blown away at how beautiful the imagery and descriptions are. So much so that I felt like I should share just a couple.
[Caveat: But first, you should know that just because what you're about to read will knock your socks off, does not mean you should go stealing it and using it in your own amateur writing endeavors. This shit was born in the noggin' of my creative and intelligent mama and will belong in HER novel once published. Any thievery is verboten! I will not hesitate to send my vicious wiener dog after you. Your ankles will never be the same. This may all sound silly but it's been done before...you can never be too careful. Well, maybe the wiener dog part hasn't happened before but there's a first time for everything!]
Gasp and/or sigh as appropriate:
"The rustling cadence of the
breeze through the tops of the tall trees had stilled, as had the near-constant
noises of birds and small animals in the forest around her. It was utterly
still and completely quiet. The total lack of sound was unnatural."
"This odd assortment of
primitive structures kept its secrets well, he thought." - in reference to Mayan ruins.
"It was an unease without a
definable source, the leading edge of nervousness, of panic."
I think that last one is my favorite. "...the leading edge of nervousness..." Wha??! I mean...I know exactly what she's talking about but I never would have come up with such a beautiful way to describe it. You'd buy that on amazon or at Barnes and Noble in a heartbeat, right? Right! me too :)
