Fall color is peaking this week, here in mid-Missouri. And this year, that means something extra. There is nothing bad that doesn’t carry with it some good, as Caroline Ingalls said. In this case, the cold and rain that delayed planting, stunted crop growth, and now threatens to make harvest drag on through Advent—all these things combine to make it an unusually beautiful autumn this year. My heart wants out, but life is life, and so I’m trying to nip little bites of soul food from the driver’s seat of the van—burning bushes so bright that they look finger painted…pears, deep crimson on the surface and bright yellow underneath…fiery sweet gums, with a golden cross of yellow at their heart…maples in every shade, from russet to blinding red and gold…neon yellow ginkgos…even the oak trees are turning red and yellow this year. It makes me happy…and restless. I’m greedy about beauty. I wish this peak would last a few weeks instead of a few days.
But times are too busy and too exciting to allow me the luxury of going out to revel in it. Child care has been one obstacle after another this semester, and this week I am without it altogether. So it was a good week to take the boys and their friends down the street for a combine ride.
But the real excitement this season lies indoors, on the computer. This is Crunch Time. Deadline Time. I finished one submission yesterday, and have two more due by the first of the month. A novel that whose final polish phase has, once again, ground to a halt—and after the news of the last five days, it’s probably going to remain there for a while. Because I have sold my Advent book!
You may remember that last year I decided enough was enough; we were not going to have a crazed, stressful, Grinch-y Advent and Christmas. I wrote about reclaiming Advent. Our project succeeded beyond my wildest dreams—in fact, midway through the season, I realized I was onto something bigger than our family, and I started thinking about how to get the word out to others. I quickly realized that what I had was more than an article, so I started organizing a book proposal.
Well, last week I spent most of an hour on the phone talking about the project with Liguori Publications, and last night I received the official word: Advent for Families: Reclaiming Advent, is a go!
It won’t be out this year, but should be in time for 2010. It will be short and inexpensive—under $10, and, I hope, will be a blessing to many families.
But for now I have a 7-month-old trying to write his own opus within mine, so I’m going to have to close out for today.
Kathleen M. Basi 