Busy with Books

Wow, the Kunin booksigning led to bigger things. Hurrah!

Green Mountain Books and Prints will be selling "Pearls, Politics, and Power" at the Vermont Statewide Democratic Convention on Saturday May 24th. The former governor will be signing books at our table after her keynote speech. Hopefully I'll be able to move all of the stock I have. For some reason this makes me feel like I've arrived as a bookseller. Ego, ego, ego.

It is exciting to have so much going on with book signings and authors...money is tight right now, so all of these events make me feel hopeful that all will be well.

Actually I must remember that all is well.

Post/Pre Book Signing

The book signing with the former Governor of Vermont, Madeline M. Kunin was a success!! It was actually really easy, much of this ease can be attributed to Ms. Kunin. She is a gracious and lovely women. Her discussion of the book was all I hoped it would be. I definitely highly recommend it to anyone. Her passion about the issue of women in politics comes through in her every word and gesture.

It was also great to have lots of community support. The Caledonia County Dems came out in full force and there were several women from the NEK Business and Professional Women. Also there were several people who saw the ad in the newspaper.

It was fun and interesting, but basically I'm just glad it's over and I don't have to think about it anymore.

I am hosting another book signing on May 24th. Reeve Lindbergh will be signing her new book "Forward From Here: Leaving middle age and other unexpected adventures". Reeve is a local author and I'm sure several people will be out to see her. The pressure here is different, I was told I needed to have a minimum number of people for Ms. Kunin's signing so that was nerve racking. Reeve lives in St. Johnsbury (one town over) and knows the bookstore well. She is a highly recognized author and I'm sure the event will be well attended.

It feel as if the summer season has begun.

Borrowing A Kid

My partner and I borrowed a kid for the weekend. Her parents went to the Red Sox/Brewers game on Saturday so she hung out with us on Saturday and Sunday. She is four.

Four is a pretty fantastic age to be and to be with. S is an amazing child, she has so much curiosity and really notices the magic in the world. I have known her since she was born and it is so interesting to watch her grow. Her stages of development are really obvious and she is now at a stage where she is really watching how people interact with each other. You can see her learning about men and women and men and women together...in a way it's scary.

One of the blessings of being an Auntie is that I get to be with lots of children in a way that is so different from what a parent experiences. The children I spend time with are always happy to be with me, they listen when I give them directions (because I don't have to do it all the time.) and in general are very well behaved. I find this is not always true when they are with their parents. I don't think this is a safety issue, all the children I spend time with have known me for most of their lives, I think it has to do with the fact that spending time with me alone is a bit of a novelty for them, and I'd like to think that they have fun with me, I'm not too demanding, and they like me.

So if you have friends who are parents, be an ally, borrow a kidfor a day!

Book Signing

I am hosting an event tonight. Madeline M. Kunin, the former governor of Vermont, will be signing her book "Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women can Win and Lead". Great title huh? She is going to speak and sign books at our local library. I made this happen. (Just trying once again to stay focused on noticing my significance!) It is a big event and I'm a bit nervous, but mostly I'm excited to meet her and hear her speak.

The book is an interesting read for any woman, it is inspiring and real. She focuses on a lot of American women in politics and has quotes from them discussing what is difficult about being a female politician in a field dominated mostly by white men. She also addresses the unique issue that many women face, how to be a mother and a politician. She discusses time and how valuable it is, and how really there is none to lose. Another salient fact she writes about is the perspective women have on leading and how much it differs from the style most men lead with. She tends to see women building community and collaborating with others more often then men. This will be a powerful asset in the years ahead. The other piece of the book I really like is 12 short vignettes about different women leaders throughout history. She discusses who they were and how they effected change in the world. Overall it is a powerful book and I'm excited to here her speak about it.

I am a bit nervous about hosting and introducing and needing to be savvy...I am not the slickest person around, but I am good natured and will try really really hard.

The joys of being a bookseller.

One of the things I love about Tai Chi is that it is possible to focus on the microcosm and have that in turn, effect the macrocosm. Physically doing Tai Chi makes me feel strong and grounded, I gain energy which allows me to effect the world around me. It gives me the strength to to what must be done...but also a focus, so I have attention for other people, I can listen and think well about them. I also like that focusing on working with and on my body leads me into thinking about my emotional state and how those emotions effect me physically. It is physical, mental, emotional, inner, outer, on and off, yin and yang... such a balance.

I like that Tai Chi is a centuries old practice, used martially and medicinally. There is a history there which feels important and profound. (It is one of the reasons I love baseball too.) It leaves me feeling connected.

"Be as still as a mountain,

move like a great river."

The End of the World as We Know It???

I am experiencing an underlying low level anxiety in my day to day life right now. It is all about money and what is happening here in the U.S with our economy. In a way I believe that this is the beginning of the end of capitalism. For this I should cheer!! However, as a business owner it also entails a lot of stress.

There are many good reasons why capitalism needs to come to an end and whatever needs to come next (hopefully something better, please. So far us white people don't have a great track record...) needs to come next. It is the transition that is difficult. I am willing to live through a revolution, but I'm also terrified of losing everything and everyone I have. I don't know if this will happen in my life time, but it is beginning to look more and more possible.

I just keep telling myself people will always need books. Especially as our communication systems break down and our lives become smaller. People won't travel as much, everything is already getting more and more expensive. A nice night at home with a cheap used book will probably start sounding pretty good to people. In addition to this books are good resources for all of the things we are going to need to learn how to do, preserving food, making clothing, making alternative energy sources, etc. I could probably have a nice little barter/trade shop.

Ah...the possibilities.

Civilization

Some reasons put forth by notable Historians for the fall of the Roman Empire:

1. The changing character in native population brought about by pressure on porous borders.

2. The creation of an increasingly unwieldy and rigid bureaucracy whose survival is it's first and foremost goal.

3. The despising of the military and avoidance by leading families, meanwhile opening the offices to men to whom its ranks had once been closed.

4. The increasing concentration of the populace into richer and poorer by way of a corrupt tax system.

5. The aggrandization of executive power at the expense of the legislature.

6. Ineffectual legislation put forth with great show.

7. The moral vocation of the man at the top to maintain order at all costs, while growing blind to the dilemmas of ordinary life.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else out there?

Are we standing at a point in history now that will be looked back upon and recognized as the end of the American Empire? Is that a bad thing?

Or is it more than just America that is falling? When I think about Myanmar and now a huge earthquake in Western China it makes me wonder how much longer the Earth will tolerate a human presence wreaking havoc.

This world we live in, this country I live in, how does one continue with a quiet mind and a peaceful heart?