BOOKS! BOXES AND BOXES OF BOOKS. OH MY.

My daughter, Hillary wanted a book from her childhood. Anastasia Krupnik. I was NOT home. When I got home I found 13 boxes of books that she had her dad bring up from the basement and garage. Thirteen boxes of books. Books, everywhere. Anastasia Krupnik was not in any of the thirteen boxes of books but hundreds and hundreds of books were. They are now in my living room. The Book Searcher left and went home. I'm overwhelmed.

These are going to DI. Do you think if I just burned the living room down the problem would be solved? The one bright spot in the day? Her daughter's funky toenails. Every one a different color.

SIX WORDS FOR OVERHEARD ABOUT STEPHENIE MEYER'S BOOKS

I'd have to be gay, dear.

THE PARKING SPOT

Pam and I went to Border's today to pick up a book about my favorite subject--not that I want this subject to happen, mind you, but it's fascinating--the end-of-the-world or perhaps the almost-end-of-the-world, where civilization is struggling to stay alive. This book is called The City of Ember and they are making a movie about it. I can't wait. Also, I had a 20% off coupon. I also bought a book for one of the grandkids but won't say just which one, in case...well, I don't think they read this blog but sometimes their parents do.

Anyway, we parked, went in to Borders, came out, drove off and had the never ending discussion of where shall we have lunch. We decided, drove around the round-about, and Pam said, "Oh, there's a good spot," and it was the same spot we just drove out of except this time she drove all the way through so she didn't have to back up when leaving...for the second time.

Here she is, being so smart to find such a good parking place. Again.

We had a lovely lunch at Shoots and she sent me home with her leftovers and I gave them to Phil, along with mine, because the first words out of his mouth, when I got home was, "You were going to be gone an hour!"

He really should know better by now, don't you think? And we saved tons of time by finding such a good parking space, too. I could have been gone much longer if Pam didn't have such a good eye.

A SUMMER READ--THE TUB PEOPLE

Today we got a call from one of our grandchildren, Joe Cool. He said he and Hollywood wanted to come over. What for? Just to come over. They did and then Mary Poppins called and wanted to come too. Just to come over. Not to do anything special.

I fixed some lunch--not much, just a peanut butter and honey sandwich and some grape slush and then we sat on the lawn swings and I read books to them. They were content to just sit there and let me read and read. It was like old times when I used to read to my own children.

One of the books I read was by the author Pam Conrad called THE TUB PEOPLE. I saw her years ago at a BYU Writer's conference. I was impressed with the love she had for her stories. In fact, hearing her passion was maybe one of the reasons I thought I might want to write.

THE TUB PEOPLE is one of my favorite picture books. Joe Cool, Mary Poppins and Hollywood said it was one of their favorite books too so I must have read it to them before. It is about loss and reuniting.

The Tub Boy is lost down the drain. No one smiles anymore. Finally a plumber comes and rescues him but puts him in the bottom of the tool box, snaps it shut and leaves. And then...they are all reunited on a soft bed. It is exactly like my belief of death and resurrection. I told the grandchildren what I thought the book was really about and hope they understood.

Pam is gone now, she died young, she was 48. She died almost exactly eight years ago. She left a legacy of wonderfully written books that I treasure.

I also hope that someday, my grandchildren might remember a summer day, sitting on the lawn swings, slurping grape slush and listening to their grandmother read wonderful words to them. I hope they might remember that she talked about comforting things, about death not being totally sad because the Savior made resurrection possible for all of us. I hope they will remember that we will all be together again.

We have all lost someone so Pam's words are comforting. Comforting for me. I hope they are comforting for you.

It was a good summer day. Sitting on the lawn swings, reading and having three of my grandchildren all to myself.