Books and A Blizzard

This past weekend we experienced the first blizzard in a few years. Since I had a goodly supply of toilet paper, milk, and home made bread, I didn't agonize over the fact. Bobby and I spent Saturday in front of a cozy fire and we re-watched Last Holiday with Queen Latifah. I do love a good comedy with a fine leading actress. We enjoyed toasted bread with cinnamon and sugar which took me back to my childhood and the many times my mama made cinnamon/sugar toast for my brother and me.
And Emily went sledding with a friend and didn't return home for a couple of hours.

When Sunday rolled around, I woke with and idea for a story and thoughts on six main characters. You can't imagine how happy I was to know I had a note book in the bedside stand in which to write those ideas down because I would have never remembered everything. I made breakfast for everyone: spelt waffles, sausage, and Ohio maple syrup. And just when I thought the day couldn't get any better, Bobby retrieved the mail from Saturday when he out to clear the drive.

This proved especially exciting, because amongst the stack, I found a delicate flowered envelope. An envelope that held a letter from a seven year old fan from Georgia. A touching letter, it almost made my husband cry when I read it to him.

Dear Aileen Stewart:

I really enjoyed the book Cooking In Fern Valley because it included both of my passions, reading and cooking I love doing them both and your books have made me quite hungry and I have tried your recipes before and I wanted to let you know that they are quite delicious I have read Cooking in Fern Valley many times. However this time halfway through the book I suddenly had a urge to write a letter to you so I did (that is this letter you are reading right now.) Your books are quite fictional and interesting and I want to read them all but now I have an urge to go downstairs and make some scrambled eggs.

Sincerely, Lilianna Yun age 7

au revour!

Despite the lack of some punctuation, this is a most moving letter. It doesn't get better than a seven year old, with the same passions as me, loving my book. And I'm pretty sure her scrambled eggs were the bomb.

And last but not least, I read Andy and Sandy's Anything Adventure by the legendary Tomie dePaola. A perfect book for snowbound book worms, Andy and Sandy use a dress up trunk to stimulate their imaginations.Incredible imaginations and friendship abound in this story perfect for three to six year olds.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.