stay for lunch

Still A Little Work to do....

2011-09-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of the 'launch your son into the world' era that I am currently entered into with my youngest, and senior in high school, Ben. I remember acutely my 'not so proudest moment' as a mother when his older brother Rob, who had requested my help at the computer with 'The Common App' website ( things were obviously not going well at all, my son asking me for help on the Internet?), and I exchanged some tense words. I looked at him after the situation had struck my very last nerve, and matter-of-factly stated, "You know, I wasn't even sure I wanted to have children, so you are on your own." and left the room. Before I stood up, Rob turned to me with surprise and disbelief and replied, "You can't say that to me, Mom" as if I had broken all rules of fair conduct. And shamefully, I had.

Anyway, back to Ben. He is one of those guys where in grade school we, as parents, shook our heads in bewilderment at school conferences and said "We want to be just like him, when we grow up." Seriously, an all-around stellar guy. And I could not be more proud of him in all aspects of his life. One especially is his natural tendency to be a good friend. 'Empathetic, caring and kind' are words that describe Ben. Jump forward to the launching process and this is where things get a little sticky. I feel like I have a few short months to teach him so many important, big and little, random things ( like stepping back for people to exit an elevator, or when and if you choose to drink, make sure it is not a punch made with grain alcohol). I liken it to the fabulous songwriter Ellis Paul who while travelling through O'Hare, learned from his wife that they were pregnant. He sat down and wrote the song " Nine Months to Fix The World". There is a sense of urgency to this. Here's how my son Rob reacted to his experiencing my ultra attention, "You know Mom, not everything is a life lesson". I beg to differ. I experienced one such opportunity with Ben yesterday morning.

[A little aside...my friend Jeanne whom you've met in my book, asked both my boys if they would be there for her as she grows old since not having her own children, she is 'another mother' to mine. They both solemnly assured her, 'yes, yes'. I think she also mentioned something about knowing how to craft a Perfect Manhattan and being able to deliver it perfectly chilled....]

Earlier this week I developed a glitch under my shoulder blade that was painful and irksome. Yesterday morning Ben entered our room (6:30 AM) to discuss what tie he should wear for his Rotary Student of the Week honorary lunch. I turned quickly to get up and set that little glitch into full nerve overdrive where it slammed me on my back and when I tried to raise my head I couldn't even breathe through the pain. As I lay writhing and panting on my bed , Ben stood looking at himself in the mirror. Without turning around, he looked in the mirror behind him and said "Are you OK, Mom?" I answered with a big Noooo groan and then he said "Do you need to go the hospital" and even though I felt like the exorcist contorting to find relief, I gasped out ,"No." and then he said "Which one, yellow or red?". "Oh, red ,Honey," I mustered, after which he left the room. Next, as I tried to find comfort in the 'Child Pose' with my face buried in the blankets and crouched back on my heels, I could feel Ben reenter my room. "Hey Mom, which shoes, boat or dress?" and I replied as I lifted my, by then, perspiration drenched face, "Oh the dress, sweetie" and thought to myself as I put my head back down, "What the hell is going on here???". Where did the empathy chip go? Where was my compassionate Ben? I thought I had covered this ground the time I was sick in bed when my guys were young and my husband immersed in our new small business tunnel and no one fed or watered me for five straight days. Life lesson: take care of the fallen in front of you. Even if they are that invisible person you know as Mom. Life lesson: lay your hand on someone in pain, a nice gentle pat just to show you care. And now somehow I have to break it to Jeanne not to age any time soon, we have a little work to do.

Be Open.

2011-02-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings... a common word and I've found a maybe not so common action. That's why I love my community, Beloit, Wisconsin. We are a city of greeters. And I am not talking about the ones Walmart hires to man their front doors. I am speaking of our every day lives. We make a point to greet each other on a regular basis. Walking down the street, in store aisles, strangers passing... actually lock eyes and acknowledge each other. As I travel, I make it a point to test other places' 'greetability pulses' and am often surprisingly disappointed. Cities and towns that I love to visit and explore, amaze me with their singularly focused citizens passing each other by. One of my little ' Francina's Calling!' life lessons bookmarks states 'Be open. Choose To Connect'. And Beloit is a place where we choose to connect. Thank God. Maybe it translates to a Wisconsin tradition, where else can we gather 80,000plus people in four square blocks, coexist passionately and civilly without one recorded incident of true disconnect? Sometimes I am hopelessly naive about the willingness of strangers to choose to connect. I was so pleasantly surprised one fine, sun-shiny May day in Manhattan. I was just plain happy strolling down 38th street and about fell over when a man sitting on a stoop said aloud to me 'Hey, how ya doin'!.' Just as I smiled back at him and started to reply, I heard him say next 'What time are you comin'?" which is when I noticed the Blue Tooth in his ear and realized he was not greeting me after all. Ever hopeful, I smiled at him and moved on. And continue to greet, in true Beloit fashion, one and all.

And Moonglow Magnolia was her name....

2010-06-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

Thank God I am beyond child naming years. If I had a daughter, I might have had to name her Moonglow.
Sitting under an old, twisty magnolia...every branch unfolding with plate-size creamy, dreamy blossoms. And it is evening. The sun sets and the scents rise. I'm a lucky girl.

PS. I just realized this is another post about a tree. Yikes.

It's a Tree Thing

2010-06-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

I think I've always had a thing for trees. (See post below). As children, my friend Miki and I were late for school one day because we performed a marriage ceremony between two trees...one had a protruding 'pregnant' bump so we thought they should be joined in matrimony in case any unexpected saplings arrived. And I've already talked about the Tall Pines. What I haven't mentioned is my morning bath shared with a tree. I am a bath taker, really do not like showers at all. There have been studies regarding the differences between bathers and shower takers....but I digress.
So every morning I sit in my soaking tub and look out my window at a huge maple that fills the entire frame. Living in Wisconsin, my backyard tree changes with each season dramatically. And this is how I measure and see the passing of time. During Autumn, I treasure the blazing reds and oranges that greet my day. Throughout the long Winter, I see the huge squirrels' nest perched between the stark, black limbs blowing in the gray gusts and feel if that squirrel family can hold on and make it through what seems to be an endless parade of cold, dark days than I can as well. Then slowly but surely, the green fuzzy glow begins to appear with the budding of Spring and before I know it, the tree is fully dressed in bright green leaves and I have no clue what the squirrels are up to. It's officially Summer. Somehow, I am comforted by this visual daily record that confirms that today is different than yesterday, again and again.
PS. Nobody has ever commented on this blog site, which makes me think these really are Notes to Myself.
If anything strikes you, please share so that I know I am not chatting with a cyber black hole. Thanks!

Happy Anniversary Darlin'!

2010-04-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today Matthew and I celebrate our twenty-eighth year together...this is the anniversary of our first date, which we celebrate more enthusiastically than our wedding anniversary. The photo accompanying this note (one of my favorite shots of all time) is a picture of Francina with her husband Wib taken shortly before his unexpected passing. I think we are about the same age as they were at the time of this photograph. What vitality and joy and sense of adventure we see shared between the two of them. Made all the more poignant knowing how fleeting it was for them. So, looking at this picture makes me aware and incredibly grateful for the here and now, our good health and the laughter we continually share as we trip through life together. I picked a good one.

Sixteen Candles, No Cake

2010-02-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

We had the pleasure of celebrating our youngest sons', Ben's, sixteenth birthday this past weekend.
One apple cobbler, two coconut cream pies later, and the fete was complete. What a guy!

'Stab 'em in the toe, Punch 'em in the chin! (Or how to successfully run a mogul field, one bump at a time.)

2010-02-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

I liken skiing down the mountain to my son's trumpet solos or my husbands guitar riffs. It's something singular I do and it thrills me. My ski of choice, K2 'Burnin' Luv's', act as one fine tuned instrument, like a race horse ready to charge so they keep me On My Toes the minute I head downhill. For years, I have spent the majority of my time skiing the groomers, runs that have been groomed into congenial surfaces, to accommodate my husband's skiing style. When I turned 50 last year something changed inside of me, the Burnin Luvs and I were ready to come out and play. Part of that fun, was spending time on the black diamond mogul fields with my two teenage sons and kidful older brother. Reacquainting my self with huge nonforgiving hardpacked snow 'bumps' on large vertical slopes almost did me in until my youngest son gave me a strange but surprisingly helpful tip. As I hesitantly kept swinging upward with my body (a deadly no-no in the bumps) Ben, my 16 yr. old, said, "Mom, when you face the fall line and plant your pole, pretend there is a dwarf in front of you, stab him in the toe and then punch him in the chin." The next thing I knew, I was headed down the slope, chanting the 'stab/punch' mantra and it worked! The most unnatural tendencies, to face downhill on fast moving surfaces and to throw yourself forward punching something in front of you in the middle of a vertical obstacle course, were actually what I needed to do to gain control of my run.

This year I was back on the Burnin' Luv's and found myself thinking of Francina and some of our shared life lessons in the most unusual circumstance. It was after lunch (the hardest time to move, ski and breath due to the lack of diaphragm space and high altitude) and I chose to ski with Ben, and my intrepid brother, known as Uncle Robbie. As we all three took off in a blaze of cruising speed, I followed where they led and then questioned my sanity when I heard my brother say to my son, "Let's go do Lovers Leap and Ollie's run." Hmmm.."Lover's Leap?" I repeated, with trepidation out loud, "Oh don't worry, you don't have to leap, you can just ski off the ledge" assured my brother. And then we got to the ledge and I made the mistake of looking down. "Nope, this doesn't feel like me." I declared, shaking my head. The longer I looked the surer I became. But then I thought about all the little lessons on my 'Francina's Calling!' bookmarks like saying 'yes', and 'choosing to participate', and 'choosing faith over fear', and then I made the 'leap', which meant for me sliding off the ledge and holding my breath as I headed down a bump field situated in between signs warning 'cliffs ahead' posted along my right and left. I was not handling things well until that little mantra came back to my head, and I started 'stabbing and punching' my way down the mountain. By the end of the run, I felt at one with my skis and incredibly thrilled with my accomplishment. I ruefully smiled and thanked my brother for the extra push and faith in me, and my son for skiing behind me as the 'pick up the possible Mom pieces' guy and we moved on. I discovered a new life lesson along the way... if we choose to 'act with purpose as oppose to react with fear' facing life's twists, we might actually find our way through them and emerge stronger on the other side.
Burning Luv Mama signing off.

Tree Hugging Time

2009-12-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Noted Thanksgiving, Pinehurst NC:

I hugged a tree tonight. It was a great hug. I felt a little strange at first, but it was just me, and the Tall Pines. Need I say more?
What strength. What straightness. What warmth. I remember one of my most favorite people on this whole planet, Greg Samata, once hugged my vintage refrigerator. He wrapped his arms around it and squeezed. This place of the Tall Pines is sacred. I am thrilled to be here. And I love that tree. Enough to hug it to pieces.

Another Lovely Lunch!

2009-11-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

I had the great pleasure of reconnecting with Francina's son Bill, and his lovely wife Nancy (both are featured in Stay For Lunch) after not seeing them for over eighteen years. I was struck how much Bill favored his mother, it was almost as if I were looking across the table into my friend's bright eyes. I was amazed how neither seemed to have aged a bit. I guess grand parenting and living life large agrees with them. We shared many laughs, Francina stories, and caught up on all the young ones in our lives who have aged along with us. Nancy regaled the table with tales of her daughter-in-law, who is expecting her seventh child this month. She recently visited their mountainside home and found the mom camping (for the adventure of it!) by the side of their creek with her six other children all bent on getting water boiling, in order to cook breakfast. They are a colorful family. Even though I've met few personally, they feel familiar to me since Francina shared many of their escapades during our visits. I hope to meet more along the way and definitely will not wait another eighteen years before I see dear Nancy and Bill again. An added bonus to the visit was their son Clarke, who chose to join us. Francina was a major beacon in his life and I look forward to sharing thoughts about her influences and inspirations with him. Towards the end of our visit, I commented on how Francina would have loved our lunch, and we all agreed that we felt her smiling with us. Next update, Francina and Anne hit the streets of Manhattan. Stay tuned.

"Top Pick!' per Midwest Book Review!

2009-10-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

'Stay For Lunch' received a 'top pick, highly recommended' review in the October online issue of Midwest Book Review. (Please see link below) A happy honor indeed!

Biography Shelf

Time for Tea.

2009-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

I really don't like the word 'blog'. It sounds like the combination of several bodily functions gone awry. The concept of 'Notes to Myself' is pleasing to me, so that is what I will be posting from now on-
Note to Myself: Sometimes you find the most unexpected treasures in your own back yard. Enter the Angel Museum in Beloit, Wisconsin (http://www.angelmuseum.com/). I had the pleasure on national 'Be An Angel" day to be the featured guest of their lovely annual, full Victorian Tea. If you know me, you know that I am crazy for a tea sandwhich done right. And they were crazy about the angel qualities in Stay for Lunch, so it was a perfect pairing. We were in the 'Heavenly Cafe' which is nestled in well-tended, lovingly cared for gardens below the 14,000 angels housed in the reclaimed brick 1920's 0ld church on the shores of the Rock River. (Oprah's collection is housed there.)The volunteer 'angels' of the museum know their Tea. It was perfection.

But my favorite part of this unexpected road trip with Francina, as experienced yesterday, is the stories shared when groups, large and small, gather to chat with me about life lessons gleaned from the book (see bookmarks, on home page, http://www.pleasurablepausepress.com/). I'm amazed by the commonalities in the twists and turns life offers each of us. We had many laughs over tea and shared experiences, (I was positioned between the savories and dessert, so we kept it moving!) and I also saw many eyes brimming with tears, mine included. A truly delightful, genuine, intimate gathering of what became, new friends. Thank you Angel Museum for being here and for thinking of Stay For Lunch and for having me to Tea.

Sandwich anyone?

2009-08-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

I have recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by a couple of radio stations regarding Stay For Lunch. I joined Stacy McKay on The River in Ohio and Mary in The Morning on YOU-FM out of Traverse City Michigan. Radio is a challenge for me. I tend to not find my words as quickly as I would like, especially at 6:OO AM! But gaining the experience is fun. The topic on the show prior to my visit with Mary was 'The Sandwich Generation', the challenges we face simultaneously taking care of both our families and elderly parents. I am definitely part of this phenom and last night after a particiuarily discouraging evening with my parents had a quiet contemplation and came up with this thought: If more of us made the effort to befriend people of different generations and spend time with and help these friends and enjoy these friendships as Francina and I experienced, we might not need a term such as 'The Sandwich Generation'. By sharing a sandwich with Francina on a regular basis, perhaps I helped ease her children's minds on their Mother's well being, at least over the lunch hour! Maybe it takes a village to raise a grandparent as well.

OOPS!

2009-07-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Just learned that my 'contact' button on my website http://www.pleasurablepausepress.com has not been working quite right.
My feelings were becoming a little hurt because I never heard from all those people who promised to email me from my website so I did a little test and discovered I've been unattached.
Darn it. Anyway, if by chance, you are someone who did try to reach me, to comment on the book or just say 'hey' please try again! Love to hear from you. best. a.

It's a Gold!

2009-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings after a little book hiatus. After finding out that my medal was indeed a sole Gold IPPY awarded in the inspirational/spiritual category of the Independent Book Publishers awards (the category with the most number of entrants), I returned to New York with my friends Jeanne and Dawn (team Anne we called ourselves) to attend the spectacular IPPY awards event. What fun to meet other IPPY recipients and learn of the fabulous books that independent publishers produce each year. I was proud to be in such fine company and compliment the event organizers and judges who commit so much time and attention to recognizing our efforts. And I must admit the gold sticker looks pretty darn good on my book.

Since then I've been enjoying some quiet time at my cottage on Pleasant Lake as I plan for the next phase of introducing Stay For Lunch to the world-at-large. Stay tuned for more info on that front. And it was my pleasure to chat with a Pleasant Lake Book Club in the 1920's one room lake cottage that belonged to my mother-in-law, Kathryn Goodwin who was a dear friend, inspiration and first fan of my writing attempts. We had a lovely discussion centered around my 'Francina's Calling' bookmarks. People actually told me the experience was life changing for them. Francina would have been thrilled to hear that her simple messages are still making ripples and shining light on peoples' lives. This is fun.

Y'IPPY!!!!

2009-05-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

May is turning out to be an incredibly exciting month around the Goodwin household. We are off to NYC to witness our 18 year-old son, Rob's, performance in the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center under the tutelage of the famed and revered Wynton Marsalis.
Next for me it is a mini book tour from Virginia to North Carolina (watch out, if you say it out loud it might come true!) and then the icing on the cake is a return trip to NYC to receive either a bronze, silver or gold (they all look bright and shiny to me) medal in the Independent Book Publishers' award, otherwise known as an IPPY, in the Inspirational/Spiritual category. What fun. The real pleasure is thinking of Francina and the opportunities unfolding ahead that are allowing me to share the 'life lesson' gifts she not only bestowed upon me but insisted that I continue to pass on. As she put it, "We have alot of work to do girls' and this is a challenge that I am honored to fulfill.

2009-04-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

It'a been great fun to introduce my little book to the world. thanks to all who came to the 'happy book' party at kevin and becky's fabulous home...really 'magazine cover' level of entertaining. please visit my website at www.pleasurablepausepress.com for further information on purchasing 'stay for lunch'. best. a.
December 17, 2008 10:57 PM
pleasurable pause press said...
Last week we were fortunate to introduce 'Stay For Lunch' to the guests and staff at the resort/spa Miraval outside of Tuscon. It was a great week of author's sharing their books and writing experiences. Hopefully we will be invited to return! For more info visit www.pleasurablepausepress.com
December 31, 2008 6:02 PM
pleasurable pause press said...
Turkish Imports, Beloit's fabulous world class boutique will host a book signing evening for 'Stay For Lunch' Thursday, February 12th. I am honored and excited. It is always such a 'great explore' to see what Mary Ann and company have designed and gathered from the far corners of the world to share with us. I will post details as they come.
January 9, 2009 3:59 PM
pleasurable pause press said...
Now that the fairy dust is settling regarding actually publishing my book, I am setting my sight on how best to distribute it. And I think one place to start is to ask for a little help from my friends. If anyone has a bookstore, or favorite retail shop or library where you think 'Stay For Lunch' would fit nicely please leave me a note and I will follow up. Thanks again for all the nice reader comments and support. www.pleasurablepausepress.com
January 16, 2009 4:09 PM
pleasurable pause press said...
I am starting to dream a little dream about organizing a Southern Book tour. I hope to find book stores/libraries/book clubs in Virginia and North Caroloina and then hopefully end my tour in Atanta where the story began. They say you have to dream first! I'll keep you posted.
January 29, 2009 5:51 AM
pleasurable pause press said...
Just had the pleasure of booking the first venue of my Southern Book Signing tour at the wonderful boutique, The Potpourri, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. 'Stay For Lunch' will be showcased there along with some fresh cheese biscuits on Friday, April 10th. Please stop by if you are in the area. Pinehurst in spring...I can hardly wait.
March 10, 2009 5:43 PM
pleasurable pause press said...
I am really such a baby at blogging. Hopefully I will become savvy enough not to embed my own posts! Or Whatever! And will be having brilliant discussions regarding all things creative soon.
March 18, 2009 1:36 PM
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My new friends say the loveliest things

2009-04-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last December, I was thrilled to introduce 'Stay for Lunch' to the Spa at Miraval when it was hot off the press. A previous visit there served as a great inspiration for me to actually produce the book so I returned with it as a 'thank you' and donated one to the Quiet Room. Set in Tucson, Miraval is one of those places that refreshes your mind, body and spirit in a very special way. (It's one of Oprahs favorite places on earth). It was sheer coincidence (although nothing at Miraval ever feels as much like coincidence as it does destiny) that Miraval was hosting an author's week and had the most wonderful group of authors as guests. I had the pleasure of hiking, doing outdoor challenge courses, eating, drinking and connecting with some of our best, most inspiring writers and left Miraval proud to know them as new friends.

One of those women was British comedienne Alison Larkin. She is the author of The English American, a best-seller. Here's what she has to say about my book:

"Stay For Lunch is a delightful gem of a book that touches the soul."

Thank you Alison!

And then Amy Cohen, best selling author of The Late Bloomer's Revolution said this-

"You'll want to stay for lunch, dinner and even breakfast the next morning reading Anne Goodiwn's sweet, moving account of her friendship with Francina. It's a wonderful gift for a friend who may not know that she changed your life and the perfect way of saying thank you."

Wow! Thank you, thank you.

Friendly visitor

2009-04-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

On my tours, I'll be mixing family with work. Here, my son Ben, surveys the setting.

25 books sold!

2009-04-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Through the Spring and Summer, I am bringing Stay for Lunch to a whole new set of appearances at a variety of venues: gift stores, bookstores, libraries, senior centers and so on.

If last weekend's appearance at the gift shop, The Potpourri, in Pinehurst NC, is any indication, then I am excited about meeting many readers. At this book signing , we sold 25 books! Thank you, Eldora Wood, proprietor of The Potpourri, for such a lovely and welcoming location.

Happy!

2008-12-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to finally have my book in hand and hope that it provides a pleasurable pause for those who choose to read it. please visit www.pleasurablepausepress.com a.