Cafe Traditions... the Blog.

2008-09-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

A SCRAPBOOK OF CHRISTMAS FIRSTS

(Leafwood Publishers, October 2008)

A wonderful new gift book, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, is available in October for Christmas giving. Today, I’ve invited the six coauthors to share their unique story of how they came together to publish this exciting book full of stories, recipes, tips for simplifying the holidays and so much more (click on bookcover to see the trailer!).

First, let me introduce Cathy Messecar, Leslie Wilson, Brenda Nixon, Trish Berg, Terra Hangen and Karen Robbins. Thank you for being here today, ladies.

Karen: Thank you for the invitation.

You are from three different areas of the country—Texas, California, and Ohio. How did you all meet?

Terra: We all six joined The Writers View, an online group for professional Christian writers. Trish and Brenda met in person in 2004 for lunch, I understand, and on 9/18/04, after reading a post Brenda sent to TWV, I sent an email to Brenda, asking if she would like to join with me and walk alongside each other, as a Barnabas group. Brenda said yes that same day, and suggested Trish too. Very quickly Cathy, Leslie and Karen joined in and our stalwart band of six was formed. Living in California, I was so happy to find 5 Barnabas writers in other states so we could bring together a wealth of different viewpoints and expertise

Brenda: Actually, We haven’t met. We’re all great colleagues and friends via the internet. Four years ago Terra and I formed a dyad to support each other as Christians who write in the secular markets. Along came Trish, Cathy, Karen, and Leslie (not necessarily in that order) and we formed a close knit bond of support, creative energy, and professional accountability.

Karen: I met Trish through an online forum called The Writers View and she invited me to join the group.

Trish: Although we belong to the same Yahoo writing group, we met one by one online. Eventually, the six of us decided that since we all write as Christians for a secular market through magazine articles and newspaper columns, we could support and encourage one another.

Leslie: Though we met virtually through The Writers View, I have been blessed to give and get hugs from Trish (at a MOPS conference), Cathy (in the area on business) and Karen (in town for a writers' conference). I can’t wait to meet Terra and Brenda face-to-face, though I feel as though I already know them!

How did you come up with the idea to do a book together?

Brenda: The book is Cathy’s brainchild. She mentioned the concept of telling stories of events that happened for the first time at Christmas and sharing holiday historical tidbits and recipes and each said, “If you need any help, let me know.” That offer morphed into each of us equally contributing and co-authoring A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts.

Trish: Yep, Cathy came up with the idea and the title, and asked us if we wanted to join her on this project. Of course, we said Yes!

Terra: Cathy mentioned the idea for a Christmas book to the group, and someone (I think it was Leslie) suggested that maybe our group could all write the book together. Cathy agreed to lead the way on the project. The earliest email I have on this is from 9/7/05, which shows that this has been a three year collaboration from idea to publication.

Karen: (Chuckling) Terra is a librarian and keeps our historical records by saving our e-mails.

Leslie: Actually, Terra, I wrote that comment (in a group e-mail) kind of tongue-in-cheek. Cathy, the ultra-sweet person she is, took my joking at face value and here we are. However, I believe God prompted the passion and ideas we all bring to the project and that He will do mighty things as a result of our collaboration!

Why did you decide on a Christmas theme?

Brenda: It was Cathy’s concept to write a book centering on Christmas.

Cathy: For several years, I’d been thinking about Christmas as a threshold to introduce Jesus to folks who aren’t familiar with him, and I love a simpler Christmas with the emphasis on family, friends and doing for others. I knew of some families who had experienced “firsts” at Christmas—reunions, losses, special surprises—and I wanted to collect those stories.

Terra: Cathy’s idea immediately resonated with me because Christmas books are “a way past watchful dragons,” as C. S. Lewis wrote. Many people won’t buy a book about being a Christian, but will buy a holiday and family fun book, thus the “past watchful dragons.” People who want to grow in their faith, and people who have no faith but celebrate Christmas will buy our book and hopefully be led to put the focus back on Christ for the holiday, and for their lives.

Leslie: Though Cathy birthed the idea, the rest of us quickly hopped on board. Not only is Christmas special to me—especially now that I have a family of my own—but also that particular holiday cries out to be simplified, to return to the meaningful aspects of celebration, and to lose some of the hype and commercialism.

Tell me a little about what is in A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts? What is your favorite part?

Cathy: I like that you can read one chapter in about 15 minutes and, with all the different suggestions, it feels like Christmas Eve. Makes you want to set up the nativity! Many of the suggestions for family activities can be adapted for any family get-together.

Karen: There are heartwarming stories about things that happened for the first time at Christmas. For instance, one of my stories is about the first Christmas with our adopted children. And the book is pretty. When I first saw the colorful pages and drawings, I fell in love with the illustrator’s work.

Brenda: I don’t have a favorite part – I love it all!

Terra: I like the way the parts are woven into a seamless whole, like a patchwork quilt, that is stronger and more beautiful than the parts.

Trish: It’s like everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas, all the best tips and recipes, and neat stories all wrapped up in this perfect little package.

Leslie: I love reading the special stories, hints, recipes—whatever—and imagining the precious family time that precipitated each moment. Plus, the book is gorgeous, beautifully printed, truly something to be proud of. And we are.

I’ve heard that the book is really a nice gift book; can you tell me a little about the format?

Cathy: Yes, it’s a hardbound book, full color interior. The layout makes it easy to read. It has a definite scrapbooky look on the interior. Different logos identify sections, such as an oilcloth-look Christmas stocking appears beside the “Stocking Stuffer Tradition” (help for connecting family members), and the “Cookie Canister” recipes are on a recipe card, and the back ground of “A Gift For You” is a gift box with bow. It’s a classy gift that they can be placed on a coffee table or in a guest bedroom during the holiday season.

Brenda: I like to describe it as a Starbuck’s sorta gift book. It’s high quality, crisp, and practical.

With six different personalities and areas of ministry, how did you manage to put this all together and still remain friends?

Karen: We pray a lot for each other and it helps that none of us have an over-inflated ego.

Cathy: There were no squabbles. Surely, we had differing opinions, but we knew that any of us could suggest an idea for this book and that each idea would get fair reviews from others. We actually voted on some aspects—everyone in favor say, “Aye.” If you’ve ever watched women at a Dutch treat luncheon when they divide up a meal ticket, it can be intense as they split the ticket down to the penny. As the project came together, I was in awe of my gracious coauthors, unselfish women who respect each other.
For some decisions, we did a round robin—things like book title and chapter titles and what categories to put into the book. Then, as compiler, I’d send out a list of needs to The Word Quilters, that’s what we call ourselves. For instance in a section we call “Peppermints for Little Ones” (hints for children’s activities), I’d put out a call, and the WQs sent in their hints, and then I put them into appropriate chapters.

Brenda: (Smiling) Are we still friends? Seriously, we each have our own platform, ministry, and family life, and those interests kept this project in perspective – it was important but not the only thing on our plates. No one was so enmeshed in this project that she campaigned for her own way. We never had a bitter disagreement or insistence to be “right.”

Terra: We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.We offer support and ideas for our separate writing projects and for personal prayer requests. I love these ladies, and I have only met one of them in person. So far, Karen is the only one who has met each of us, and one day we hope to meet in person, in a circle of friendship and love.

Trish: I think we are all very flexible and forgiving. We do have a variety of personalities here, but God has worked amazing things through our little group.

Leslie: Though I have seven non-fiction projects in various stages of completion, I could not be more thankful that this is the one to reach publication first. I am truly blessed to have worked with these women, learned from them, watched as they’ve poured heart and soul into crafting a product that will impact lives for the Lord.

Where can my readers get a copy of SOCF?

Cathy: The coauthors will all have a supply, plus our publisher, Leafwood Publishers, will have plenty of copies and discounts for buying five or more. Or they can be ordered at most online stores or by your local bookstore.

Karen: And anyone who leaves a comment here can be entered in a drawing for a free book and a gift basket worth $200! For a list of its contents, check our blog, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts. And while you're there, leave another comment and increase your chances of winning!

Tell me more about your blog.

Karen: We started our blog in July and it is accumulating a wealth of information about Christmas. Each of us posts one day a week following the theme for that week. Watch for new recipes, tips, ways to simplify, stories, etc., similar to what is in our book.

Leslie: Ooh, ooh, let me answer this one. I’m probably the newest to blogging among the group, but I LOVE it. I’ve enjoyed posting and receiving comments back from readers. What an amazing adventure having an online voice can be! This blog will focus on a different theme each week—anything from tips to avoid overeating during the holidays to how to give a guest room special touches—and expand on the material in the book. I think readers will get to know the authors’ individual personalities and connect on a more personal level. Plus, they get that many more ideas, information, inspiration (!) at no additional cost.

WQs: As an added bonus for inviting us to your blog, we’d like to pass along this Christmas tidbit to you and your readers:

Enjoy a blessed Christmas this year! And thanks for inviting us to share our book, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, with you.

Graduation Traditions

2008-05-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

I truly enjoyed my college years, but I must admit my graduation itself (the ceremony, etc.) was really not very memorable. I remember sitting through a bunch of boring-ish speeches and waiting for my name to be called so I could walk across the stage to grab my diploma. It's kind of a shame that the culmination to my 4.5 years at the University of Wisconsin wasn't something more memorable. With that said, what do you expect, finals week was still going on and Christmas was just days away.
I found a post today from the Swarthmore College Arboretum. The Arboretum takes part in a special graduation tradition. Prior to marching and receiving their well-earned diplomas, graduates can meet Arboretum staff to have a fresh cut rose from the Dean Bond Rose Garden pinned on their gown. In addition, after the ceremony, graduates are given an Itea virgincia ‘Henry’s Garnet’, Virginia sweetspire, as a living memento of their years spent among the gardens of the campus-arboretum. ‘Henry’s Garnet’ was named and introduced by the Scott staff in 1984. It has exceptional fall color lasting from October into December reflecting the Swarthmore College school color of garnet.
Read more about this wonderful tradition on the Scott Arboretum's Website.

What a unique and memorable tradition. Do you have any special graduation memories or traditions? Please let us know.

Girlfriends Traditions

2008-04-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Speaking of getting together with girlfriends (I had my get college roomie get-together this past weekend.), I found an awesome website called Girlfriend Celebrations that's all about strengthening women's friendships.
Girlfriends are such an important part of lives and this cool website serves as a resource, gathering place and forum for women interested in forging, honoring and strengthening female friendships. In addition, the site offers awesome ideas for girlfriend celebrations.

The Celebration Index is my favorite because many of these celebrations would make great girlfriend traditions too. You gotta check it out!

Getting Together with Girlfriends

2008-03-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you know that it's often difficult to find a time to get together with old friends... especially when you have more than two or three people. I have four wonderful college roommates and while we're all close, it's rare that we all together at the same time. So it was really a treat to spend some quality time together this past weekend in Milwaukee. We'd been talking about it for months and finally found a date that worked for everyone. Of course, we ate a lot! Talked a lot! And laughed a lot! Overall we had a great time and a lot of fun. Everyone wants to do it more often.We're planning on seeing a Brewers game this spring/summer and expanding the fun to include husbands too!

We also made our weekend visit a bit educational. We visited the Body Worlds exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. If you haven't heard about it, the exhibit features authentic human specimens preserved through a process called Plastination. This preservation technique replaces bodily fluids and fat with reactive plastics, thereby preserving human tissue in its natural state. It's an amazing look at the human body. It was especially interesting for my two roommates that are a doctor and a nurse to see the body in such a unique display. I was surprised that many of the bodies were not behind glass, but were right out in the open. On many of the bodies, you could get up close and personal to see the minute details. It was truly a remarkable show that left us talking about the amazing body and the controversial nature of the exhibit.

St. Patrick's Day Tradition - Dyeing the River Green

2008-03-17T14:02:00.001-07:00

I was in Chicago this past weekend and got to witness the famous St. Patrick's Day tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green. Boy, when they say green, they aren't kidding! The river turns a beautiful shade of emerald green.
Witnessing it for myself, I decided to learn a little bit more about the unique tradition. Here's what I found. First of all, they've been dyeing the river green for 40+ years. It's a privately funded operation by the Chicago Plumber's Union and the monumental task is pulled off by a group of volunteers. They head out in boats and dump 40 pounds of a vegetable-based dye into the river.

So how did it all start?

The Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union #110 sponsored the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago since 1957. In 1961, Stephen Bailey, the head of the local Plumber’s Union was approached by a fellow plumber wearing white coveralls that were covered with splotches of green coloring. The splotches were the result of the plumber using dye to locate a disconnect in a waste line emptying in the Chicago River. That’s how Bailey came up with the idea to dye the river green to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day and they’ve been doing it ever since. The dyeing takes place on the same day as Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The downtown parade is held every year on the Saturday before March 17. The dye is dumped into the river about 10:30 a.m. and the green color lasts for four or five hours.

The magic of a Leprechaun?

Believe it or not, the actual dye that is dumped in the river is orange in color, and it turns green when it hits the river. I think it's probably a little Leprechaun magic that turns it into the perfect emerald green color.

Shopping In Style

2007-11-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

I just saw an ad for the day after Thanksgiving sale at Kohl's. They said the store is going to open at 4:00 am! Is that insane or what?!? When I was younger I used to look forward to the Day After Thanksgiving (DAT) sales. I would wake up at the crack of dawn and brave the crowd. I would get to the department stores early enough to get the special savings ticket or whatever little gimmick that lured me there. For the last 5-10 years, I've spent the DAT at home. I just don't have the patience to do it anymore... that is until I heard this.

I was talking to a friend of mine about DAT sales. She said last year when she was shopping she ran into four women who were wearing sweatsuits and hot pink boas and having a great time. She asked them what the boas were for. They apparently have a DAT tradition where they rent a limousine to drive them to all the stores so they don't have to deal with parking. They stock the limo with mimosas (champagne and orange juice) and snacks to get them through the day. They make shopping into a party and they have a great time because they make it unique!
I don't have my limo rented for this year, but I'm seriously considering adding this tradition to my list. And, if I ever decide to wake up early enough to make it to a 4:00 am sale, I might just bring my pillow so I can get a little shut eye in the limo between stores.

Do you have any Day After Thanksgiving traditions that you celebrate? Shopping, baking, decorating? Please share them here.

Two Blogs to Share

2007-11-18T10:54:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered two cool blogs that really make you think. The first I found a few months ago. It's called "Post Secret" (http://postsecret.blogspot.com) and it's a compilation of secrets mailed in by people all around the world. In addition to revealing very interesting information about people, the secrets are miniature works of art. The site is absolutely fascinating on so many levels. If you haven't checked it out, I encourage you to do so.

The second blog is called "To Do List" (http://www.todolistblog.com) and it's pretty similar to the Post Secret blog. It's a compilation of to-do lists from around the world. I guess I never realized how interesting a to-do list can be. The site (and the lists) really reveal a lot about the people that wrote them. You have to check it out!

That's all for me today. I'm off to update my to-do list.

Sorting Through Magazines

2007-10-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

I was paging through some old magazines and found a few things I wanted to share. This is a list of very cool ideas that make family dinners more fun (submitted by the readers of Better Homes & Gardens).

Once a month, the kids spin a globe and put a finger on it. Whatever country the finger lands on, we scour the library for information. Dinner is based on the recipes we've found and each family member shares what he or she has learned.
On a cold winter's day, I make friend chicken, potato salad, and baked beans. We spread a quilt out in the living room, bring out the paper plates, and play a cassette tape of ocean sounds. The kids talk about the beach and what it would be like to go there.
We have theme dinners based on something our kids are learning in school. A dinner about the letter "B" would include broccoli, baked potatoes, beef and brownies. At dinner we would use as many "B" words as possible in our conversation.

Do you have any fun traditions to share that make your family dinners more fun. Tell us about them.

Fox News Chicago Called Today

2006-11-29T18:13:00.000-08:00

Today I got a call from Fox News in Chicago. They're thinking about doing a story about Cafe Traditions (www.CafeTraditions.com) I'm so excited! It sounds like they'll probably come to Madison to do the story and tape at my house. I think it's a great opportunity to spread the word about the website. I'll keep you posted when I know more.

On a somewhat related note, I checked out the Fox News Chicago website (www.myfoxchicago.com) and ran across a list of cool websites. I thought I would share a few of my favorite (from their list) with you. You'll want to be sure to check these out.

* www.regiftable.com -- the rules of re-gifting, plus some pretty funny re-gifting stories

* www.elfster.com -- helps you organize and enliven your Secret Santa exchange. Who would have ever thought that Secret Santa would go high-tech?

* www.plasticjungle.com -- buy, sell or trade your unused gift cards.

* www.wheresgeorge.com -- find out where the money in your pocket has been.

* www.iusedtobelieve.com -- a funny and bizarre collection of ideas that adults thought were true when they were children.

Welcome to the family Copper

2006-11-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

I had a great Thanksgiving dinner at home with my family. Everyone was there and we ate well. My Mom made the traditional dinner of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, pumpkin and apple pie. My sister made her usual Sweet Potato dish. All I can say is yum, yum, yum. I'm much too full to write more... really.

One quick note, my brother introduced a new member to the family. He just got a brand new Doberman Pinscher puppy he named Copper. He's only 10 weeks old, but towers over my two dachshunds. He just had his ears cropped so they stand up, so he still looks kind of funny. And, because he's still a puppy, he sleeps a lot. I couldn't resist taking a photo of him sleeping soundly in his new puppy bed. I can't wait to see him again at Christmas.

A Mexican Thanksgiving Feast

2006-11-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

Today is Thanksgiving. We put a bit of a spin on the traditional Thanksgiving this year. John's parents came to visit so we decided that rather than cooking a big Thanksgiving turkey for four, we would do something a bit different. This year we made a Mexican feast. Don't get me wrong, we still ate like pigs, but no turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. We made red mole, green mole, steak fajitas, Mexican rice and refried beans. We kind of switched gears for both our appetizer and dessert course... I guess you could say they were more American. For an appetizer we had stuffed mushrooms and for dessert Rocky Road ice cream with chocolate syrup. We had great conversation and great food. Who knows, maybe it could become a tradition.

I have to admit it felt a bit funny without a turkey. That's the first time ever, but tomorrow I'm having turkey with all the fixings with my family. I guess somethings never really change (and probably shouldn't).

Happy Turkey Day!

Dog Tired!

2006-10-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last night while watching television (Dancing with the Stars and Boston Legal to be exact), I sat on the couch with Julie and Silver (my two darling dachshunds) to do some work. After feverishly typing away, I took a break to relax. When I looked down, I saw Silver fast asleep on my keyboard. I quickly called up to John to bring the camera. He snapped this cute (and funny!) picture of Silver. I guess this is what it looks like to be dog-tired!