Well, it is finally (and most mercifully) spring break for us. It’s the latest spring break I can ever remember, and while I know I’ll love it when we go back to work / school and only have about seven weeks left until summertime, I may need a day or two to recover from how twitchy I’ve been the last couple of weeks. Personally I think it’s high time for me to devote a considerable amount of energy to staring at a large body of water. That’s usually a good cure for whatever ails me.
Last week Alex had a lacrosse game on Tuesday night, and then Wednesday night I washed All The Clothes in our new washing machine. You may remember that about a month ago we enjoyed some exciting adventures with a new dryer that would not in fact turn on, and its replacement was finally delivered and installed a couple of weeks. But while we were waiting on it, our washing machine started doing weird things. When the repairman came to look at it, he said that we needed a new control board and a new doohicky and a new thingamajig, but since the washing machine was still under warranty, the manufacturer opted to just replace it instead of fixing it. SO, we picked out a washing machine that matches our new dryer, and here’s to hoping that we’re done with replacing any of those things for a while. So far I really like them both, but I’ll like them even more if they turn out to be dependable. Dependable is such a good quality.
Then last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I worked on recording the audio versions of A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet and Home is Where My People Are. I’m going to record the new book, too, but that’ll probably be a couple of weeks down the road. Anyway, I recorded A Little Salty… first, and since I haven’t read it in a long time, it was kind of neat and maybe a little bittersweet to walk back through those stories. It felt strangely full-circle since the book ends on Easter Sunday and I was recording it on Thursday and Friday before Easter – and we actually went to my hometown Easter Sunday. For some reason I was so, so nervous about reading, but the people who own the recording studio are actually from Mississippi, too, and they totally put me at ease about my accent and the fact that the “-ing” sound is hard for me.
I should finish up Home is Where… next week, and then we’ll get started on Giddy Up, Eunice. I think they’ll all be released about the same time as the new book, but I’ll keep you posted on specifics. The whole experience has been really fun and has also confirmed that there is no hope for this Southern accent of mine. I can try and try and try, but I will say “git” instead of “get” every single time.
Early Sunday morning we drove to Mississippi so we could celebrate Easter there. David and I ended up hanging out with Mama at home and watching First Baptist’s service on TV (Mama wasn’t feeling quite up to church that morning, though she perked up as the day went on), and Alex went to the church where we grew up with Daddy, who was teaching Sunday School, and Martha, who was greeting before the service. He had the best time getting to be with them there, and afterward we all went out to my cousin Paige’s for lunch. Paige and I planned the menu while I was sitting in the Publix parking lot Saturday afternoon, and I have to say: we got ‘er done, y’all. It’s nice to be able to do that for Mama and Chox considering that they’ve spent forty years planning and cooking for us, and it’s fun to cook for Martha just because she thinks every single dish is wonderful! perfectly wonderful! is this not wonderful?!?!?
We all had such a good time (that’s Paige’s son in the pictures with Alex, by the way).
Hopefully we have a good bit of quality time in store this week (along with no small amount of reading – I am SO EXCITED ABOUT THE READING). Hope y’all had a wonderful Easter – and if it happens to be your spring break this week, please know that we share in your joy.
Hallelujah. And also amen.
Out of all those wonderful thoughts, what I want to share is: I would LOVE to meet Martha one day. I just KNOW you understand! Love me some Boo Mama writing.
Enjoy this week!
Our spring break doesn’t start until next weekend and I’m just not sure I’m going to make it. It feels like I am in the midst of the longest stretch of school and homework all the packing of the lunches ever on the face of the earth.
Amen! Every teacher has invented every text, quiz and project they can think of – and they are all due Friday! SO over this school year! 4 days….we can do this!
Mercy. I think it’s been a while since I’ve seen Alex. He’s getting so tall!
And your accent reading your book? That’s what will make it yours! Do you remember a certain someone named Jerry Clower? Yeah. I think the audio will be just fine with your Mississippi drawl.
Can’t wait to listen to the audio books. I was bummed when I realized that you didn’t have an audio copy. Now I am so excited. Have a great vacation.
My favorite audios are the one where the author reads them. Especially with memoir. I am still dealing with the disappointment that Lee Smith did not read her new memoir DIMESTORE. (I am not angry, mind you, just disappointed. I’d have loved to hear her read it in her voice.) I’m so glad you’re reading yours in your southern voice, the way it was intended.
If you like southern novels and audios that the author reads herself try any of Joshilyn Jackson’s. Just whatever one strikes your fancy will do as they are all good.
What books are you reading this week? I am nosy. I always have to crane my neck and see what someone is reading if they are reading in public. Those ereaders have really cramped my style because you can’t see. So then I have to ask and it embarrasses my husband to no end.
Enjoy your spring break. We are also on spring break and it is divine.
Please don’t try to ‘correct’ your accent(I personally think the southern accent is correct)! Your voice is perfect exactly as it is, and it is exactly what I hear when I read your books. Most of your readers probably listen to you podcast so it would sound weird if you didn’t narrate in your voice.
Your own voice is exactly what your books should have. As a listener of the podcast, knowing your voices, I was able to have you and Melanie “read” your books to me. I would not have wanted it any other way.
We’re on Spring Break this week, too. Ours doesn’t involve a body of water, just buckets of paint. Interior paint to be exact. It’s pretty but not nearly as fun as the beach/lake.
By the way, Martha’s jacket is LOVELY! Just LOVELY! Is it a three-quarter sleeve? That would be PERFECT.
(Seriously, she is as cute as a button, isn’t she? I’d say the same about the boys, but that would only elicit an eye roll, for sure.)
I am even more excited about your new book after reading the synopsis! Looking forward to your take on multi-generational relationships. Saw this series of tweets in January by one Alastair Roberts, and cannot. get. them. out of my mind:
“One thing that really saddens me about social media is the way it dulls our sense of the difference between the generations. On social media we all tend to function as contemporaries. Even lingering ways that we show honour to our elders in person are less present. A society without ‘distemporaries’ and generational distinctions (beyond interminable takes about Millennials) is a much poorer place. … And the fact so much of our lives & interactions are carried out on young, new media is one of the many ways our elders are rendered invisible.”
Has me mulling, mulling, mulling …
ok, a couple of things. Oh My Word! I had no idea you existed until late last year when I could no longer listen to podcasts that made me have to think too much and rarely made me laugh. When I found Big Boo Cast I made it my mission to listen while doing regular household chores and while purging, organizing, etc. Thank you so much. I got all caught up! It was such a blessing when I found out you did one on my anniversary (Feb 22nd) and then again on March 7th. Right now, 3/30, I’m kind of depressed because there is not a new one. Then I read your blog for the first time only to discover, Sweet Minerva! You are reading your own books…just for me!?!?!? Ok, not just for me, but it feels like God has given me a special little gift today! Now all I need to know is where and when and how much can I get them? And also, may God bless you for being you and sharing it with us! I love you and Big Mama!!
Adorable pictures!