as i was sitting on the beach this morning with a bird-turned-sand-flea in my lap and a surf-side monkey in my purview, i had a conversation with the other adults around about good summer reading for moms.

take note: i, myself, was not reading in this moment, just wishfully talking about doing so, which is often as far as my literary interest takes me these days. nevertheless, we came up with a working list of summer reading titles for moms, each of which fits  at least one of the following requirements:

1. self-contained chapters that do not to add strain to one’s poor dwindling memory.
2. brevity, which comes in handy when one drifts to sleep and drops the book on one’s face.
3.  page-turner, which allows the reader to feel successful and be swept into another world at the same time.
4. awakens an old part of one’s self

so, without further babble, here’s the list. feel free to add to it by leaving comments:

mr. darcy and the blue-eyed stranger, by lee smith. this book of southern short stories meets requirement number one, and it has made me laugh out loud at least ten times.

on chesil beach by ian mcewan. this tale of love, sex, and timing scores points for meeting requirement number two. if you drop this book on your face, you will not wake up until the morning.

born to run: a hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen by christopher mcdougall. according to my husband and fiftyleven friends of mine who have read the book, this tale of the mexican tarahumara indians, their running style, and its potential to transform american running fits requirements three and four. all i know is that, inspired by this little gem,  my husband has reverted back to the habits of his high school cross-country days.

the sunday wife by cassandra king. this fictional account of female friendships and the life of a preacher’s wife allows the reader to vicariously vacation at grayton beach. it makes the list for meeting requirement number three.

an altar in the world by barbara brown taylor. for the theologically inclined, this book about finding god in the most ordinary places and experiences will have you looking to your dusty baseboards for signs of the divine. as is true for many of barbara brown taylor’s books, this one meets requirement number one.

the help by kathryn stockett. i might have been the last person on earth to read this fabulous book. i had a newborn when it came out, and it looked so long and daunting! but other mom friends read it and vouched that it meets requirement number three, and boy does it ever. i sped right through this illuminating and provocative story set in 1960’s jackson, and i was sad to say goodbye to the characters at the book’s end.

that’s all for now. feel free to add your own. i’ll probably add a few myself as the wishful conversation about reading continues. who knows… maybe i’ll even get to crack a book myself!

i’m new to this blogging thing, and most days i feel like i’m still in that sparkly-eyed freshman daze. it’s kind of like navigating a new campus without key knowledge, such as how to make the best use of short-cuts and how to make “rice krispy treats” in the refectory out of the breakfast cereals, the grain station butter, and the sundae station  marshmallows. this is important stuff, my friends!

my new friend kate of my mommy monolgues, also a blogging newbie, is one of those girls on the hall who (metaphorically speaking of course) has declared a major, landed a boyfriend, and organized a spring break trip all within minutes of moving in. a good friend to have, eh?

kate recently gave me this “award” on her blog:

i am to list ten things that make me happy and pass the award along to a few friends. so, here goes! (note, i’m truly going to list things, not people, since this isn’t an academy awards speech.)

1. the britches and bloomers sewing pattern, which has allowed me to go crazy making “crazy pants” for my boys.
2. books i’ve read lately: the help, the elegance of the hedgehog, and until i find you.
3. la croix water. i’m addicted.
4. this envelope template kit from the paper source, that allows me to make funky envelopes out of recycled paper.
5. screw kappa napa chardonnay
6. spending the month of july in montreat, nc
7. bluegrass music
8. marimekko fabric, clothes, and household items.
9. the home practice yoga sequences in yoga journal — a tremendous help when i can’t get to the studio but still want someone else to direct my practice.
10. chuck taylors

and now, i hereby award/tag four friends:

1. http://nursegolfdiva.blogspot.com/ honest (and funny!) accounts of parenting and nursing (RN) from my beloved college room mate and friend.
2. http://katy-uncooked.blogspot.com/ a raw and inspiring narrative about how my divinity school friend, katy, took charge of her life and her health.
3. http://stuffparentsneed.blogspot.com/ giveaways, recipes, and musings from a favorite fellow mom and former co-worker.
4. http://reverendartistmother.blogspot.com/ inspiration from suzanne, an artist, minister, mom, and soul friend.

gotta go. we’re streaking the quad!

happy 101 rules:

1. copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. list who gave the award to you and use a link to her/his blog (or hyperlink).
3. list 10 things that make you happy.
4. pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know about the award.