Rebecca H. Jamison's Blog, page 13

My Most Embarrassing Moment of 2013

Back in September, my husband and I discovered a fabulous new hiking trail. The trail followed a little stream up a steep hill studded with yellow flowers and wild raspberries. We enjoyed our hike so much that we planned to go back the next week.

As the time for our next hike rolled around, we noticed that the sky was a little gray. The closer we got to the mountains, the darker the sky grew. Admitting defeat, my husband suggested we go to a bookstore instead of going on a hike. "Okay," I said, "but I'm not going to sign any of my books when we're there. This is only for fun." (Not that people run up to me in bookstores asking me to sign books. I just sign the books on the shelf because some people prefer their books signed.)
We spent a few minutes wandering around, perusing the aisles. Then, fatefully, I decided to take a bathroom break. Bear in mind that I'd dressed for the stormy weather. I wore several layers and apparently had a difficult time putting them all back together.
As I walked out of the restroom, the bookstore clerk pointed behind me. "You have . . . toilet paper." I looked behind me to see a thirty-foot stripe of toilet paper following me through the store. Yep, that's me, the author with toilet paper. Only, thank goodness, no one knew I was an author.
Another woman standing nearby commented, "Oh, I was wondering what that was."
I walked back through the store, gathering toilet paper as I went and depositing the entire armful in the trash on my way out of the store. To my relief, I discovered the end of the roll stuck underneath the sweater I wore around my waist . . . not somewhere else. Phew.
Needless to say, I have not been back to that bookstore. I don't trust their toilet paper. 

The Christmas Break Reading Program for kids

I had every intention of writing something inspirational and mushy about Christmas. Then I remembered my kids are going to be home for two weeks, and if I don't do something to prevent it, they'll watch TV and play video games more than I care to admit. I found myself wondering why there isn't a library reading program for Christmas break or spring break or Martin Luther King day. My kids read a lot more when they have incentives. Then it dawned on me--I could do my own Christmas break reading program. So, here it is, in case you want to copy. I posted this on my refrigerator :

Mom’s First Annual
Christmas Break Reading Program

To get a prize, you must read a book on your reading level, and it must be a length that you and Mom agree is long enough (at least 100 pages for the older kids.)

You get a prize each time you read a book.

1st book – Microwave Popcorn package

2nd book—Package of gum

3rd book--$1

4th book—New Year’s Eve noisemaker

5th book--pizza

Our program starts the minute school lets out tomorrow, and two of my children have already picked out their books. Yay! They don't seem to care that most of the prizes are pretty cheap.

Sense and Sensibility: A Latter-day Tale Due August 2014

This week I signed a contract for Sense and Sensibility: A Latter-day Tale. It's my favorite of the Latter-day Tales series so far, and I am having so much fun writing the last few chapters. It's due this coming August 2014.

I wanted to celebrate with one of my favorite Studio C videos, which features none other than Jane Austen:


Of course, I disagree that Jane Austen always used the same plot. There's at least one character who doesn't get the guy she wants. Can you guess who I'm thinking of?

Gifts from Jane Austen's Time

As I've said before, Christmas wasn't such a big deal for people back when Jane Austen was alive. Michaelmas was the big holiday. Jane would probably be more likely to give a gift on Michaelmas (September 29) than on Christmas.

What kinds of gifts would Jane have given or received?

She would have given gifts of food to the poor, as Emma and Mr. Knightley did in Emma.


Perhaps, she would have given flowers as Brandon and Willoughby did in Sense and Sensibility.

This was Jane Austen's ring.
 If she had an admirer, she might have received a piece of jewelry like Fanny received from Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park.


Or maybe, if her admirer were extravagant, she might have received a musical instrument like the pianoforte Jane receives in Emma. Her female characters sometimes gave gifts of drawings, needlework, and other crafts.
An article from the Jane Austen Society of North America's Summer 2012 newsletter suggests a few more possibilities if you wish to give an authentic Regency Era gift. It lists companies that have been in operation since Jane Austen's time.

We can buy Twinings tea and Yardley soap at our local shops just as Jane Austen would have.


 For quite a bit more money, you can buy a Wedgwood tea set like the one Jane's brother owned, or Spode china, which also existed in Austen's time.

What do you think Jane Austen would think of the gift-giving practices of our time?

Emma's Gingerbread Men

"And I had but one penny in the world, thou should'st have it to buy gingerbread"--William Shakespeare
I've always had a thing for gingerbread men. Maybe it's because it's so fun to decide which part to eat first--the head to put him out of his misery? A foot to prolong the agony? A left arm?



Emma makes gingerbread men for a Christmas party in Emma: A Latter-day Tale, so I wanted to share my mom's recipe for gingerbread people. It's made with molasses and honey for those who don't like a heavy molasses taste. If you like the molasses taste, go ahead and substitute molasses for the honey. My mom adapted this recipe from one she got years ago in Colonial Williamsburg. Here it is:

GINGERBREAD BOYS
Mix together the following in a large bowl:1/3 cup shortening1 cup brown sugar3/4 cup molasses 3/4 cup honey2/3 cup water

Mix together in a medium-size bowl :2 tsp. baking soda2 tsp. ground ginger1 tsp. salt1 tsp. allspice1 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon7 cups flour
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 
Heat oven to 350.  Roll dough 1/3 inch thick on floured surface.  Cut with floured cookie cutters.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  

How Gratitude Helps Me Sleep

The weirdest thing happened after my youngest child started sleeping through the night. I found out I couldn’t sleep through the night. I’d wake up around three a.m. with all sorts of things to think and worry about. Those of you who do this know what I’m talking about. Usually, I would wake up the next morning and think, “Why did I spend an hour last night worrying about that?”

Gradually, I came to acknowledge that I have a slight case of anxiety. It never bothers me during the day—only at three a.m.. I’ve talked to doctors and specialists who recommended different approaches. I tried journaling and supplements. Nothing made that big of a difference.

Then, one day, I read a magazine article about improving your sleep. The article cited a study that showed that people who kept a gratitude journal slept better than those who didn’t. Study participants wrote down five things for which they were grateful before they went to sleep. I thought, “Hey, it can’t hurt to try.”

I have now been keeping a gratitude journal for six months. Most nights I write down five things for which I’m grateful. It hasn’t been a miracle solution, but it has significantly improved my sleep. When I wake up at three a.m. now, I’m much less likely to stay awake worrying. Keeping a gratitude journal has also helped me to feel more optimistic about life in general.

 Here's what I've learned about keeping a gratitude journal:

You have to write it down. For some reason, the process of writing makes it work better than just talking or praying about it. It works better if I come up with an original list each day.  I must write just before I go to sleep. It’s so simple, but it's made a huge difference for me. How has gratitude helped you in your life?

Why I Write Clean Romance

What is clean romance? I guess everyone has their own definition, but for me it means romance I could recommend to anyone--including my daughter, my mother-in-law, and the young women I know at church.
For most of my life, I underestimated the power of romance novels. I certainly never saw myself writing one. When I did get an idea to write a romance, I resisted the urge to write. I didn’t want to be a “romance writer.” But the idea wouldn’t leave my head, so I wrote it just for fun. As I wrote, I began to see how important clean romance is. I experienced the difficulty of finding clean romance writers to be my role models. There aren’t all that many of us. At the same time, I watched teenage girls devouring chick lit. Some of them read more than a book a day. I saw adult women carrying stacks of romance novels from the library. Whether or not I liked it, romance was influencing the world around me. That’s when I decided that if I have anything to do with it, romance will be a voice for virtue. Think about it: more than any other type of literature, clean romance exemplifies the values of chastity and self-control. It teaches young women to see themselves as more than objects.
Some say that if romance is clean you are not doing it right. In contrast, I believe the most beautiful love stories are about quirky characters who maintain high moral standards. One aspect of Jane Austen novels that intrigues me is her brilliant heroines.  One of my favorite characters is Elizabeth Bennet. I love her wit and the message that intelligent, witty women can gain much more in life than those who throw themselves at men and devalue themselves. Elizabeth’s strength captivates Mr. Darcy so much that when he describes his feelings for her he says, “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” No passion is missing in this novel. If anything, writing clean romance forces the authors to think even harder of how to articulate the feelings of their characters.
So my questions for you are:Who is your favorite clean romance heroine?What is it about the story that captivates you?And what is your favorite line in the book?

Fast and Easy Yeast Bread

Here is a recipe my husband loves to make. (Knowing how much he hates cooking, that's saying something.) It's pretty fool-proof.  Thank you to my friend Kathy for sharing this with us.


SISTER NADAULD’S 90 MINUTE BREAD

4 cups very warm water                              
4 tsp salt                                                
3-4 Tbsp oil                      
 8-10 cups flour (You can use up to two cups whole wheat flour.)
 8 Tbsp. sugar or honey
2 1/2 Tbsp yeast

Dissolve yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar in 1 cup of water.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add remaining water and oil to the yeast mixture. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the yeast mixture into the hole. Mix into a soft dough.

Let the dough stand 15 minutes.

Knead well.  Put into 4 greased loaf pans.

Let raise 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.


                                                                             

Road Tripping with My Teens

This is my eleven-year-old enjoying the geology building on the USU campusLast weekend, I took three teens and my eleven-year-old on a whirlwind tour of colleges. My daughter, who's a senior, brought her best friend, and planned the whole thing. My son, a junior, only came along because his dad told him he needed to shop for colleges the same way you shop for cars.

While the teens took the guided tours, my eleven-year-old and I did our own informal tours, which always included a taste of the ice cream and a perusal of the library. I really didn't expect that my eleven-year-old would enjoy the trip so much. But he kept telling me how excited he is about going to college. He took pictures until his camera battery ran out. I've included some of his pictures, so you too can see why college is so cool.



My daughter, not surprisingly, completely approved of my skipping the tour. (It's "so lame" when parents go on the tour.) I got to hear about the tours afterward in the car. Most of the descriptions compared the general attractiveness of the tour guides and the amount of free swag each college gave them. The best swag included T-shirts, folders of information, water bottles, and pens. One university, which shall remain unnamed, only gave them one folder of information to share among the three of them.

My mother-in-law kindly watched the younger kids and gave us some of her points for a free hotel stay. After eight hours of driving on Friday, I decided I'd relax in the hotel tub while the kids watched a movie. I tried to ignore the screaming while I soaked, hoping it wasn't actually coming from our room. (Surely, I could leave a few teens unsupervised.) Well, it turned out that the hotel staff had cleaned the air conditioning units and released eight wasps into our room. The staff gave us another room . . . which also contained wasps. Darn! So my son and I killed wasps, and I got to sleep next to the air conditioning unit.

It was a learning experience for all of us. My daughter and her friend learned that they really didn't want to go to some of the colleges where they'd planned to apply. They also found one that they liked a lot more than they'd thought. 

Self-Criticism

Have you ever heard of the composer Paul Dukas? Neither had I. Dukas was so self-critical that he destroyed most of his compositions. The score I heard last week only partially survived. Another composer had written parts so the music could be played as originally intended. Feeling that Dukas was a kindred spirit to many of us authors, I listened with interest and liked what I heard. How sad that he’d destroyed so many of his other works!
Norman Vincent Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking, also struggled with self-criticism. He threw the entire manuscript to The Power of Positive Thinking into the garbage. His wife rescued it from destruction. What a waste that would have been! Because he published that book, millions of people have learned to think more positively and blessed others’ lives because of it.
My latest issue of  The Humanities at BYU shared the account of  the
African American singer Sarah Vaughan:
Frank Sinatra, always the one for colorful descriptions, said “[she is] a singer who sings so good, I want to cut my wrist with a dull knife and let her sing me to death.” But despite her achingly beautiful voice, she suffered from persistent racism much of her life. On tour, she had difficulty finding hotels or restaurants that would allow a black woman. She later said, “They’re memories not easily erased, and at the time, I was ready to quit show business.” But instead, she transformed the pain and humiliation into a voice like warm honey poured over the soul.”
Discouragement seems to be a common thread in the life of artists. As I talk to writers who haven’t yet published their works, they often tell me they’ve been working on a book for years. Often they haven’t let anyone read it.
I suppose we could say we’re being humble when we keep our talents to ourselves. We tell ourselves we wouldn’t want to bother anyone with our inferior work. But I’ve come to look at it in another way. If God gave us talents, why aren’t we sharing them? Art has the power to bless others’ lives.  Maybe instead of feeling that it would be self-centered to share our work, we should feel that it’s selfish NOT to share our work.