Word for Word Books

A NEW ATTITUDE

2011-10-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Until recently I've been taking this business far too seriously - looking at operating a bookstore/espresso shop as if I was hoping to trade shares on Wall Street, stressing about the continuing downhill slide of the economy. I've made some adjustments in my thinking now - accepted reality. I am a small, independent bookstore/espresso shop and have built-in limitations. I am not part of a chain, not a brand name, not providing a necessary commodity and not going to get rich at this anytime soon. I am what I am. This is a time for small business owners like myself to analyze who they are and decide who they want to be, and I have. This is a time to hunker down & make the best of having a small-town business in a diving economy, and I will.

Kindle & its clones get blamed for stealing the business of small indie bookstores, and although we've seen some loss of revenue I think in some ways we are overreacting. Our customers don't come to us just for the products we sell. Our customers come to us because we offer something they can't get through Amazon. We are the bartenders, psychologists & "Dear Abby's" of our biz - and that kind of personal interaction can't be replaced. We know our customers personally, we hear the stories about their children & hopefully help them through some of the challenges. We hear the happy stories and we hear the sad ones. Marriages, divorces, lawsuits, graduations, family celebrations, births, deaths - we listen to all the shared experiences and become part of a support group for our customers. When they come to us for books or coffee they are visiting us as friends, not just retail merchants or purveyors of our product.

And so I've adjusted my attitude. Ultimately I am here not to make a fortune, but because I love being part of this community. I love being that person who cares about the people I meet and I look forward to talking with the people who walk in this door. It doesn't matter whether they are looking for books, coffee, sparkling conversation (more available some times than others) or just someone to listen. I love being here and being a resource. And if I'm very, very, lucky I'll be able to make a living, doing what I love.

The Write Stuff

2011-06-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading an article by an author promoting her new book. If she is typical it makes me think it's a very good thing I've never persevered with getting my own scribblings published. This woman is BORING. Maybe her books are fascinating - don't know because I'll never read them. When she writes about herself she has nothing to say and spends 500 words not saying it. Is her real life lived through the books she pens?

Perhaps it wasn't my fear of rejection that kept me from being a published author. Maybe, instead, it was the subconscious knowledge that if I actually wrote for a living my day-to-day life would be of secondary importance and I wouldn't really be living it with my full attention.

I always thought I wanted to know more about the people who wrote the books that filled my obsessive need to read, but now I know. I don't. Sometimes they have put the best of themselves into their work and have nothing interesting left. Guess it was a near miss. One animator/publisher I submitted to actually encouraged me! I didn't follow up. Whew! Dodged that bullet.

I too have nothing to say and can spend 500 words saying it, but when my readers are bored they can just close this window (smile). I'll never know.

Celebrate Living History in Olde Towne St. Helens June 3rd, 4th & 5th

2011-05-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Henry Knighton Days June 3rd, 4th & 5th in Olde Towne St. Helens

PUTTING ST. HELENS ON THE MAP -
By Susan Conn -

Henry Knighton was the acknowledged founder of St. Helens, and we honor him for his foresight. Without his vision our history could have been very different. The reality of St. Helens as a town came into focus, however, when surveyor Joseph William Trutch, an Englishman who emigrated to San Francisco in 1850, was contracted to put Knighton’s dream of a city onto paper.

Trutch quite literally put St. Helens on the Map – the plat map, that is. His work was completed in July of 1851 and submitted to a San Francisco lithographer, Grafton Tyler Brown. A reproduction of the detailed lithograph Brown produced will be on display during Henry Knighton Days, Living History, June 3rd through 5th in Olde Towne St. Helens. Admission to the festivities is FREE.

This document, titled “Plan of the Town of St. Helens on the Columbia with a Chart of the River and a Map of the Locality”, includes three maps presented as one. The larger portion shows the original physical plan, laying out city streets in a grid. A second is titled “Map of the Locality”, and shows the relative position of St. Helens to the Columbia River and local mountains. The third, the “Chart of the River”, demonstrates the accessibility of the harbor in St. Helens, with depths listed in fathoms. Together the three maps comprise a complete picture of St. Helens, as it was originally planned, together with its surrounding features.

Visitors to Henry Knighton Days will have many opportunities to step into the past, among them this visionary view of the river town we have come to know as home, St. Helens. Stop by and see historic St. Helens, as planned in 1851. And stop by to see me, as well, at Word for Word Books & Espresso on 1st Street. Enjoy all of the charming shops and restaurants in St. Helens as we celebrate the founding of our town.

Special permission has been given by the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, for R.J. Brown and the Historical Society of Columbia County to display this map at our Henry Knighton Days celebration. Thanks are due to a local resident for arranging this use.

BUT I'M STILL OPEN!

2011-05-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

Tossing all dignity aside (dignity is not my strong suit anyway), I just found myself running out the door to respond to a passerby's comment to her friends. As I was standing here shelving books, waiting for the next customer, I heard her say "It's a shame there's nothing open. It looks like Wal-Mart has driven everyone out of business." Well, not everyone. Some of us are still here and hoping for potential customers to notice. While I can't argue with the fact that Wal-Mart has made an impact, I also can't believe that she didn't SEE ME. I'M STILL OPEN!

Hmmmm. What more can I do to grab the eye? I'm here 5 days/week all-year-round (and I respond to book & coffee emergencies if you call). I have attractive signage that screams WORD FOR WORD BOOKS & ESPRESSO, a neon GOURMET COFFEE sign, a quaint vintage exterior with outdoor seating, and an OPEN sign on the door. If you venture in you'll find a welcoming, charming interior with a good selection of quality books and a well-stocked espresso bar serving excellent fair-trade organic coffee from St.Johns Coffee Roasters, a local small-batch roaster. Besides which you'll find friendly people who welcome good conversations about books, politics, social issues, or whatever you'd like to discuss. Sometimes, if you get lucky, it'll be a day when I'm serving freshly baked pastries or cookies from Houlton Bakery or Wild Currant.

Really folks, I'm OPEN! Or at least I think I am. On the other hand maybe this is just some elaborately detailed fantasy. Perhaps it's just a figment of my imagination, believing that I exist. Have to admit, after all, I am living the dream - surrounded by my favorite things, books, coffee, conversation. Hmmmm. Well, if I AM dreaming maybe it's better that you don't open the front door and wake me. However, if you want to SHARE in my dream, by all means venture in and become part of the storyline here. OPEN, OPEN, OPEN, OPEN, or a reasonable facsimile thereof.

Have It Your Way

2011-04-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

Did I happen to mention that Word for Word has a new espresso machine? Yup, we were down for a couple of weeks and strictly selling books. But now we are full service again - both books and coffee - and just in time! I've become very dependent on having my machine always available, producing a rich, deeply flavored, aromatic espresso for me to savor & share. Without it I was lost. I found I didn't even like hot chocolate anymore without the steamed milk. Nope, microwaved just isn't the same, regardless of the quality of chocolate used.

And brewed coffee? Uh, no thanks! I grew up with grocery store coffee from a can, perked in a percolator and held at temperature for as long as needed. That wasn't my idea, though. I blame my mom. She made it, but she didn't even like coffee. Maybe that should have been a clue. Mom only drank green tea - BEFORE it was trendy & only from a bone china cup. It wasn't just that she was using not-so-great coffee, she occasionally was caught using the grounds twice! No wonder she preferred tea! I remember visiting my dad right after their divorce and having a cup of great drip coffee from freshly ground, high quality beans. I couldn't have been more surprised! Apparently the grocery store bargain coffee wasn't HIS idea either and he was moving forward.

Yes, I freely admit it. I'm spoiled. And now my mission in life is to spoil YOU. Wednesday through Sunday I make espresso drinks to your order, with organic, fair-trade, small-batch, locally roasted coffee. Both Burger King and I claim we want you to "have it your way". The difference is, I mean it (smile).

Day Tripping - Respite Self-Care

2011-04-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Suddenly the bookstore is silent. My husband, his buddy & his dad just left and all the hot air is coming from the heater now (just kidding, guys). Customers this morning have represented a cross-section of political & social thought - all serious subjects so far today. I'm looking for someone to drop in with a little light humor now, please. Something to lighten my day - maybe something entirely unrelated to my real life.

Hmmm. Can't really complain about my life, actually. What can be better than spending each day surrounded by books & coffee, engaged in interesting conversations? Even a perfect life requires a little time away, though. Too much perfection is wearing (smile). Once-in-awhile I need a little fresh air after too much time spent indoors.

I do feel refreshed after my recent "weekend getaway". Rob & I took a long overdue road trip on Monday. We took highway 26 over toward the coast, stopping for brunch at Camp 18 & then wandering over to 101, through Cannon Beach & up to Seaside. Seaside isn't my favorite place - it's always so packed with people & I prefer my coastline deserted. Monday was the day to be there, though. Very few people ventured out despite the sunshine, which was fine with me. We could enjoy the ocean without risk of a head injury from an unseen Frisby or fear of a collision with a free-ranging pooch fresh from the city, crazed with his sudden freedom & trailing his leash.

From Seaside & The Prom we went up the coast to Fort Stevens to check out the historic military sites there. I'd never been to the protective bunkers where troops defended the coastline before and walked around reading all of the signs & trying to determine where the ocean was. (Since WWII trees have grown up and block the view, so you have to rely on imagination to see what the men guarding our shores saw). One sign pointed out that the guns there were never fired in anger. Another (contradictory?) said that a Japanese sub was fired upon. Apparently nobody was angry though? Good to know. Bike trails abound and they're paved, so I'm pretty sure we'll be making a return trip soon.

Next stop on our journey was the jetty at the point where the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean meet. As I am seldom a danger to myself anymore (mostly) I had no problem with signs instructing "Do Not Climb on the Jetty". 20 years ago I might have ignored the sign & clambered over the huge rocks, but no more. I am mortal now. The only climbing I did this day was onto a viewing platform that overlooks the juncture. Although the view was amazing I did get a little insecure when I found the platform had a built-in sway. Having spent much time in earthquake prone California I like the ground to feel firm under my feet so immediately made my escape, climbing quickly down when I detected movement. I really think there should have been a warning posted on the viewing platform, something like "Expect Movement". After all, I WAS reading all of the signs and following the instructions to not climb on the rocks. They might have warned me!

All of this walking, climbing & sightseeing prepared us for our next & final stop, the Wet Dog Saloon in Astoria. After a good dinner with locally brewed beer, topped off by dessert. Er, um, that is, I had dessert. Rob exercised more discretion & had room to gloat later (literally). Finally we headed home around sunset, physically tired but mentally rested.

Yes, even bookstore owner/baristas need some time away - time spent doing something completely unrelated to books or coffee. All the better to enjoy my daily surroundings when I return. OK, I confess, I did peruse the books at the Camp 18 gift shop, and enjoyed a latte with my dessert at the Wet Dog. Can't help myself, it's what I do - books & coffee. I can't quite do without them, even on a day trip. It's an illness. My name is Susan and I'm a coffee/bookaholic.

WANTED - 2-Group Commercial Espresso Machine

2011-03-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Can't count the number of times I've used the term "melt-down" without thinking about the literal meaning. Well I'm THINKING ABOUT IT NOW!

This morning I entered the shop to find that the pump went out, the boiler on the espresso machine went dry, & the whole bloody thing melted down into a fused pile of plastic & metal. The pump had been giving me hints, leaking & making more noise than it should. I should have listened. I should have dealt with that right away. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Well I procrastinated & the result was a lesson in what TOTAL MELTDOWN really means.

I know, I know. I'm lucky it didn't catch fire & burn the building down. As a customer of mine just pointed out, this is my lucky day. I should go buy a lottery ticket. I'll feel much luckier, though, when I can replace my beloved espresso machine & start pulling shots again. Guess I'll have to replace at least one of my shot glasses, as it was sucked down into the melting plastic & is now a permanent part of my very own cautionary sculpture.

My life is a series of lessons learned the hard way, and apparently my lesson for the day is to avoid procrastinating when things mechanical are involved. It's a hard lesson. No Caramel-Vanilla Latte for me today. (Sad Face).

Catching Up

2011-03-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today is a lovely, soft, rainy day in the Pacific Northwest & perfect for catching up on things. Also perfect for a nap, however, and if I weren't at the book shop today I'd be indulging in sleep.

Funny how just getting up one hour earlier can make me feel so sleep-deprived. So are you as tired as I am of gaining & losing & gaining & losing that arbitrary hour twice a year? Anyone out there want to sponsor an initiative on the ballot REMOVING Daylight Savings time in Oregon? I would be most happy to support that effort.

We are (for the most part) NOT an agrarian culture and we no longer need that extra hour - if we actually ever did (doubtful). Federal law doesn't require us to observe DST. Arizona, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa do not observe DST. They are on "standard time" all year long.

So why are we setting our clocks back & forward twice a year? No, never mind. Don't tell me. I don't care why, I just want it to GO AWAY. After all, I'm confused enough. I don't need time to stand still, but I do need a little consistency. If I want to get up an hour early to gain a little daylight I can set the alarm a for little earlier. I don't need everyone in the state to roll out of bed early just because I want to get a head start on my gardening. And I don't. The weeds will still be there.

Give Generously

2011-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Celebrate the generosity of our community and support two amazing community projects.This is an opportunity to demonstrate, at a very small cost, our support for those who fill primary needs in our community on a daily basis.

Tickets for this year's Empty Bowls, an annual fund-raiser for the Food Bank, are on sale at Word for Word Books & Espresso in Olde Towne St. Helens for $10 per person. Enjoy the company of your friends while dining on a simple meal of soup & bread provided by local restaurants. Take your bowl home with you as a reminder of the hunger in the world. Everything is donated by organizations, businesses, schools & individuals, so all money collected goes directly to the Food Bank.

Touch the Heart of a Child & buy a heart to support the Sacajawea Health Center. Pink hearts are $1 & gold hearts $5. All money contributed goes directly to providing medical and mental health services for St. Helens School District kids. The Sacagawea Helath Center provides needed care to St. Helens School District K-12, regardless of whether or not they're insured.

There are no admin fees on either of these fund-raising projects. 100% goes to support the Food Bank (Empty Bowls) & direct medical & mental health services for St. Helens School District kids (Sacajawea).

Reach into your pockets and help those in need, as you have in the past. Your kindness & generosity are appreciated.

Got It Covered

2011-02-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

As many of you already know, I have a helper in the bookstore this week. My 4-year-old granddaughter, Madeline, is visiting. After only a week of training she's turning out to be an able assistant. Yesterday a customer came in for coffee & was chatting with us. Using a friendly, conversational voice (Hmm, don't know WHO she might be copying) Maddie asked the woman "What is your favorite color?" When the woman replied "green" Maddie began checking the shelves of books, concentrating, tapping her chin with a pencil. She found a book she thought fit the bill & took it off the shelf, offering it to the woman. "Here's a green one", she said (in that same chatty manner). "Do you think you'd like THIS one?" Yup. I think she's getting the knack of this book-selling thing. I may have both of my stand-ins identified now. Jake can be the barista and Maddie can handle book sales. Between them I guess I can retire now - or at least take a vacation. Hmmm. I'm thinking Maui?

Thank You, Jake!

2011-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

Word for Word will be manned by a volunteer over the next two weeks: my youngest son, Jake. Hours will be subject to his availability, so please be flexible & encourage him - working here is new to him and it'll probably take him awhile to get his sea legs. Play nice, LOL!

As many of you know, the last few years have been rough ones in the lives of my entire family - hence my first priority is spending time with them whenever I can. For the next two weeks I'll be visiting with my out-of-town kids & grandkids, and I appreciate your understanding the importance of this GRANDMOTHER TIME.

You can still call me with questions at the number listed on my website: http:www.word4wordbooks.com. Thanks to the wonders of technology I am always available to help you - no matter how far I travel. Forget tattling on Jake, though (smile). He's in charge.

Thanks for your understanding - drop in and see me when I get back & we'll chat.

DEFINE SUBLIMATE!

2011-01-08T00:14:00.000-08:00

Okey, dokey, the holidays are over. A new year has begun and I started things out right this year by rearranging the entire bookstore on my days off. Actually, it was kind of an example of a small task that snowballed, turning me into an avalanche of activity - kind of like crossing OCD with ADHD. No, it wasn't too much caffeine! You all KNOW I'm a barista and a high caffeine tolerance comes with the territory. I think maybe it was my mom's intensive housekeeping gene kicking in a few decades late. Yeah, that's it. Maybe.

First I decided to stop procrastinating and defrost the freezer on my small refrigerator or the door wasn't going to close. Then I figured I might as well tackle the big one as well. Thinking about how inconvenient it was in the back room, it dawned on me I'd be getting less exercise if that fridge was closer to the sink in the middle room. Hmmm, but if I move THAT, where am I going to put the antique desk that occupies that space? The next thing I knew I'd drafted my husband and our friend Kevin to move refrigerator, bookshelves, desk, table & chairs - everything but the proverbial kitchen sink - into new positions. That's after I removed all the books from the designated shelves to lighten the load. Delores the mannequin & the chair she was sitting in got moved into temporary storage & the place looked like it had been tossed. I turned off the lights, locked the door & went home.

Move the clock forward 3 days (and how I wish I could really do that). Everything is put away. Furniture sits in new and interesting places and somehow the room has grown. Now customers walk into a more open, welcoming space. Coffee drinkers can pull an interesting book off the shelves & sit down with an espresso. Friends can visit & chat more comfortably and the entire ambiance has changed. It was charming before, but crowded (I thought of it as cozy). Now the lighting seems brighter and magic has happened: there's much more space. There is room for more books now, even though I re-shelved all that I had removed. I must have done a better job of organizing and consolidating this time because there are now FOUR EMPTY SHELVES that I could have sworn were filled to overflowing before. Not sure how that happened. I'm a better organizer than I realized (she said proudly, patting herself on the back).

Spring cleaning? Think I'll skip it this year, or maybe that's exactly what I was doing, if a little early. Maybe my unconscious self is taking its cues from our weather. Winter & Summer are confused, so why not Spring? Whatever. The only problem on my horizon is that I still have end of the year bookkeeping tasks to do.

Aha! Eureka! That's exactly what this binge of activity was really all about - I'm avoiding doing the work to get ready for taxes! Well, duh! I wasn't really energized to improve my surroundings, I was just procrastinating again! Oh well, I have plenty of space now. Think I'll sit down at the table in my newly organized shop & have a cup of coffee while I force myself to at least consider doing my taxes - soon. Or maybe tomorrow.

AND A MERRY HO, HO, HO!

2010-12-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

The Christmas shopping is almost done now, and either you've baked or not, decorated or not, and are ready (or not) to celebrate Christmas, the birthday of the son-god, Mithra, Winter Solstice, Saturnalia or Festivas. I was a little slow getting into the spirit this year at home, surrounded as I am every day at work by all of the Christmas merchandise on display in the store. I was kind of over decorated there, LOL. But now that Christmas is actually here I am ready! Ready to celebrate, that is.

The tree is trimmed, the lights hung & there are sugar cookies, nut crescents & 2 kinds of thumbprint cookies for snacking (thanks entirely to Houlton Bakery). Ready for company? Not so much. I have done, let's see, oh - ZERO baking myself.

I did, however, do something exceedingly rare and wonderful over the last few days. Drum roll please - - - Yes a miracle has occurred! I've cleaned all of the collected mail, bills & paperwork off of the dining room table! Rejoice! You can actually see the surface of the table, or as my husband did last night, run your hand across the wood grain & feel the smooth emptiness. Rejoice! And to those of you who doubted, repent your disbelief and lack of faith!

I'm not sure the table will stay that way for long, in fact, with tax time fast approaching I seriously doubt it. Even so, we'll enjoy it while we can. Maybe we'll even be able to share a meal together, seated at the table like civilized folks, instead of juggling plates & trying not to spill on the unpaid bills. Yup, I think we'll try it. Right now, while we can still see the festive centerpiece and candles in the center.

And to those of you who are better organized than I, you cannot know the joy I feel when I look at my newly empty table. Truly a Christmas miracle! But what you CAN do is have a Very Merry Christmas, each and every one of you. Word for Word will be closed from Saturday through Tuesday while we, too, celebrate the season with our family.

Felice Navidad!

CHANGING IT UP!

2010-12-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

OKAY, I give up - I'll give the new and earlier hours a shot. Word for Word Books & Espresso will now be open TWO HOURS EARLIER each morning, to accommodate coffee drinkers who need their caffeine before noon (I confess, I'm one of them).

I've heard your requests and am willing to give it a go. Henceforth and from tomorrow forward on each Wednesday through Saturday I'll be opening at 10AM. Sundays I'll still be opening at noon. Rob & I still need our lazy Sunday mornings together. There's nothing better than sleeping late, sitting around sharing a pot of good coffee and catching up on the week together. Oh, except maybe accommodating my customers' need for a little espresso jump start.

Remember, that sweet jolt will now be available from 10AM on, Wednesday through Saturday and at noon on Sunday. Books,of course, will be sold as well (but you already knew that, right?).

And for a limited time (the Christmas Season, that is) we are also offering a large inventory of reasonably priced and very crafty craft and decorative items to put you in the Christmas spirit or to gift your friends.

Please join me tomorrow morning to launch the new AM hours at the shop. There will be a reward - Christmas sugar cookies and ginger thins for as long as they hold out. And if you're quick enough there may even be a Mexican wedding cake left. Napkins are available for any powdered sugar explosions and espresso drinks are always made to order with your satisfaction guaranteed.

Christmas on the River

2010-11-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

Word for Word is all about Christmas right now. Not only are there books, coffee & scintillating conversations to be found, but the whole place looks a little like Santa's workshop. Thanks, Kevin, for the marvelous holiday inventory. I'm not even going to bother putting up more than a few lights & maybe a garland or two. With all of the festive merchandise even Santa would have few complaints about the decor. My display window looks amazing and the response from customers has been great - hard to resist crafty Christmas stuff at bargain prices. Local bazaars beware! You have competition this year.

Tomorrow a group of us plan to decorate one of the empty storefronts in town - the "Old J.C.Penney's Building", more recently known as Antique St. Helens. It's sad to see so many empty storefronts in Olde Towne. Seemed like every time I turn around there's another empty space. The economy has not recovered as well as we'd hoped and sometimes merchants have had to cut their losses. This year we're fighting the emptiness, filling up those empty spaces with the Spirit of Christmas. In December when we have the tree lighting in the Courthouse Plaza and the Christmas Ships appear to cruise up and down the river we'll be ready. Businesses and buildings will be dressed in their best - trimmed with lights & greens and little vignettes, celebrating Christmas in style and showing off our Christmas Canes.

The Christmas Ships will be here at 6PM on December 11th. Come to St. Helens for the Christmas Tree lighting, watch the Ships, enjoy dinner at one of our fine restaurants, shop and celebrate Christmas on the River. See you then!

Just Another Lazy Sunday

2010-11-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Or maybe not. Although there are practically no people on the street in Olde Towne today I've managed to keep busy. My window is decorated for Thanksgiving, but I'm thinking Christmas: Everything Christmas (the theme of the Olde Towne Christmas festivities this year). Following on the heels of the success we had with our Halloween Scarecrows, displayed by merchants & individuals all over town, we are planning a similar display of Christmas decorations that I've been told to stop referring to as "Christmas on a Stick". Instead we'll be calling the decorating campaign "Christmas Canes". Yes, much nicer. Christmas Canes are an inexpensive, easy way to decorate the streets of St. Helens and this will be the first year of what is hoped will be an annual holiday decorating event.

All of our budgets are shrinking, whether public or private, so this is a way to keep costs low and still display our Christmas spirit. If participants are half as creative as they were with the Halloweentowne Scarecrows we will see an amazing variety of Christmas Canes popping up all over town. Can't wait to see what people come up with.

3 people so far have tried the idea out, making prototypes of the Christmas Canes to see how long it took and how expensive it was. The conclusion was A) not long - maybe an hour, and B) Very inexpensive - you can just recycle old decorations for the most part. Stop in at Word for Word to see the Christmas Cane that Byron Ohler made. OK, so his may have taken a little longer to make, but that's because he has a reputation to uphold. Byron is responsible for creating the giant lit-up pumpkin we had in the Courthouse Plaza during this year's Halloweentowne festivities, which was a reproduction of the one that sat in the same, exact place during the filming of the movie Halloweentown. Clever examples of Christmas Canes were also made by Doug Boyes, owner of Wild Currant Catering and Tiffany Smith, owner of the Dockside Stead & Pasta. We took pictures and will have them available as examples, but I am not sure when that will happen. Stay tuned.

So as I am not very crafty, more comfortable with words than paint & glue, my job was to put together & distribute press releases and instructions for merchants or individuals wanting to participate in displaying Christmas Canes or featuring an item in the I Spy Christmas contest. I'm safer doing something with words, as words rarely result in cut fingers or tangled knots (that would be my version of knitting).

I hope that everyone else in town enjoys Christmas as much I do and that our Christmas Cane campaign to decorate will be popular. Maybe it will help us focus on enjoying the beauty and fun of the season at a time when many of us are trying to economize. We can all use a little diversion from worrying about the economy. This year instead of spending a lot of money on a ready-made Christmas let's try something different. What do you say we all join together in decorating the streets of St. Helens with our Christmas Canes? Remember, this year it's all about EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS! And I'll try really hard to produce my own Christmas Cane - hopefully without gluing my fingers together.

On a Wet Sunday

2010-11-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

The heavens have opened and there's a river running down 1st Street - the water has overflowed the curbs (not a great feat as they are very low) & the sidewalks have a current. Does this mean the end of our Indian Summer?

It was chilly enough late yesterday to start me thinking about replacing the piece of plastic that I attached last year to block cold air trying to creep under the gap between the bottom of the door & the floor. The weather-ban made it warmer in here, but opening the door was a challenge - for each and every customer struggling with it. And this winter I am serving espresso, so they'll be juggling more than just books when they attempt to leave. If you drop a few books, no problem. If you drop a latte though, that's a mess. As for the back door? Nobody really notices my blocking the cold air with a rolled up blanket - as long as it's neatly rolled.

Today I'm weathering the wet chill with a bowl of cowboy beans & a caramel cinnamon latte. Coffee tends to make everything better, in my opinion. The cowboy beans are actually a potluck item for later - to accompany a showing of Blazing Saddles. I've only seen the movie about 40 times or so, but never with this particular group of friends and never in Hi Def Blue Ray (spell-check please?). Should be interesting.

All the Halloween decorations are put away now, except Delores. She's the mannequin I used as the witch in my Halloween window. Presently she is in charge of the reading room, sitting on an overstuffed chair with a book propped up on her lap. I was out of storage room so just tried to make her blend. Hope she doesn't frighten anyone - she is wearing kind of a scary bad wig. I might have to drop in at Jilly's & pick up something a bit more attractive - that or a hat. Hmmm. Maybe I need a new hat as well. It IS RAINING, after all.

Moving On

2010-11-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a chance to attend HalloweenTowne last Saturday - it was a blast! I really enjoyed seeing the entire Olde Towne area filled with people in costume, families & individuals enjoying the event. I'd say there were probably more than 1,000 people down here that day. The entire day was filled with activities: vendors, the Little Spooks Parade,with probably 400 costumed kids streaming down 1st Street then trick-or-treating their way around town; the campaigning & voting for Mayor of Halloweentown, with a last minute mutiny by the Pirates, who decided to run their own candidate; and the successful attempt to win a place in the Guiness Book of World Records for the most costumed people at a Halloween Gathering. Yes, we did it, even if we only held the title for one day before we were bested. The scarecrows all over town were amazing! Such creativity, and new ones kept popping up daily. What? You didn't make it down here? Well that is just sad. You missed a heckuva celebration. Maybe next year.

Between now and then, though, you might want to start giving a thought to the Christmas celebration we'll be planning next. We'll all be enjoying our Thanksgiving, but in the back of our minds we'll be thinking about what kind of a Christmas decorations we can display this year - something along the lines of our community scarecrows - something that will line the streets, brighten the holiday season and not break the bank. I've seen your creativity at work now, so I KNOW you will join me! None of us has a lot of money to spend, so what can we do that will be inexpensive and striking? Don't answer that question now, but give it some thought. And don't be surprised if you see me around, asking each of you to participate - and you know I will, LOL. I'll be seeing you!

Feeling Halloweenish

2010-10-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

Everything is all about Halloween at the bookstore. Check out my Facebook page (Word for Word Books) or previous blogs for more details on Saturday's Halloweentown events beginning at around 2pm. There has been at least quadruple the participation in the Scarecrow Contest this year & new scarecrows pop up every day.

Some of the events planned for Saturday are the Little Spooks Parade & a Halloweentown festival in the courthouse plaza in Olde Towne (not far from where I am). There'll be bands, food, vendors, a fund-raiser for the Humane Society, an election for Mayor of Halloweentown & a try at breaking a Guiness World Record for the most people in costume in the same place.

Over the last couple of weeks I've seen lots of families spending time together, searching out the clues for our I Spy game, and I've completely run out of coloring contest forms - a good sign. I've really enjoyed watching parents and kids interacting and having fun.

By now I've spent the entire month in costume 3-days a week - this weekend will be your last chance to visit me decked out for the season. Stop in and visit. Pick out a book or enjoy a pumpkin-spice latte. I'll be the one in the pointy hat, channeling my Inner-Witch. It is the Season of the Witch, after all.

Election Countdown

2010-10-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Are you as weary as I am of political ads, polls and phone reminders? I can't wait for this election season to be over so I can answer my phone again. I've taken to checking the caller ID each time the phone rings - before answering. If I don't recognize the name I let the machine pick up. That is its purpose, after all.

I ALWAYS vote, but I don't always vote as soon as my party would like, hence the phone calls. They're only "reminders", but reminders get annoying. It's a lot like nagging, actually, and I do the same thing I do when I'm nagged - I tune it out and ignore it. Or I try.

So if you want to reach me during an election season email may be best. And if you call my land line and I don't answer, leave a message. I'll get back to you as soon as I clear all the partial robotic messages & phone polls from my voice-mail. What a pain!

And in case you didn't get MY message - REMEMBER TO VOTE! Vote early & you don't get nagged (smile).

The Halloweentown Buzz Builds

2010-10-17T00:19:00.000-07:00

Great day today. Had lots of visitors from Portland, Longview & other outlying areas checking out all of the scarecrows and shopping at our local businesses. Families strolled the streets, snapping pictures of the younguns posing by the Halloweentown Pumpkin or interacting with costumed store-keeps. There's a lot of enthusiasm around Halloweentown this year and the buzz grows.

One young couple told me that the traffic leading to Sauvie Island and the Pumpkin Patch made theme rethink their plans - they decided to visit us instead. Good decision. There are lots of activies, photo ops & shopping discounts at local merchants here all through the month of October. And don't forget, we have an I Spy game and a Coloring Contest going on, with entry forms available at participating merchants.

Check out http://www.oldetownesthelens.com for information on St. Helens' attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the Largest Halloween Gathering. We can do it! You'll find a link there for an online registration form which you can print and fill it out in advance to speed up registration on October 30th. There'll be entertainment, vendors, additional activities and a chance to be famous (for at least as long as it takes to break the record we set).

Other activities share the day on the 30th as well. Don't forget The Little Spooks Parade at 5pm with trick-or-treating throughout Olde Towne following the parade, and the Humane Society's annual "Dogtoberfest”, a Pet Fair with Tricks and Treats at Columbia View Park in Downtown St. Helens from 3PM - 5PM.

Even our Scarecrows have their own Facebook page (St. Helens Halloweentown Scarecrows). They're still popping up all over town as merchants get into the spirit of the season, but I think one of my favorites is the single oversize eye with an eye chart that reads "HAPPY HALLOWEEN". You can find it in front of Family Vision on Columbia Blvd. 2nd runner-up for me would be at the fire station: 2 firemen with carved pumpkin heads, holding a firehose. (Of course my favorite seems to change on a daily basis.) You can vote for your favorite Scarecrow by purchasing raffle tickets at the Vault in Olde Towne, or at other participating merchants. Votes are cast by putting raffle tickets into containers at merchant locations. Proceeds will be split between supporting the Splash Park and the Food Bank - both excellent causes.

Surely you can find an event somewhere in this list that piques your interest. See you soon in Halloweentown!

HALLOWEENTOWN IS ON !

2010-10-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Halloweentown in St. Helens is bigger and better this year. Every weekend in October you can find goblins, ghosts & ghouls wandering the streets (and that's just the merchants, LOL).

Join us throughout the month of October for the Scarecrow contest, I-Spy, a coloring contest, and an attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for the most people gathered in costume in one place. There are also special October sales, special drinks and dishes at our restaurants and a space set aside for family games & activities (located across the street from Word for Word). Forms for the coloring contest and I-Spy will be located at the stores of various merchants.

Participation by merchants in the Scarecrow Contest has doubled since last year - yesterday I counted 30 scarecrows lining Columbia Blvd. from Highway 30 all the way down into Olde Towne. The scarecrow in front of the Municipal Court bears an uncanny resemblance to the Municipal Court Judge who presides there. Coincidence? I think not, LOL. Visit the Vault and purchase raffle tickets so you can cast your vote for your favorite Scarecrow (and incidentally, win one of a number of prizes provided by local merchants). Votes can be cast at each of the participating merchants by dropping your raffle ticket into a designated container.

The Little Spooks Parade is back! Held in Olde Towne, the parade will form by the Vault at 4:30PM on Saturday, October 30th, and begin at 5PM with children in costume following a short parade route to show off their goulish attire. After disbanding they'll be able to do some safe Trick-or Treating among the Olde Towne merchants. A popular event, the parade attracted around 400 children & adults last year. This year the parade will be sponsored by the St. Helens Chronicle, who originated the idea many years ago in the Houlton District.

Also on October 30th, join us in Halloween Gathering 2010. We'll be making an attempt at breaking the record of The BlueBird Night Club of Bloomington, Indiana for the World's Largest Halloween Gathering. To beat their record we need more than 508 people in costume. If successful we'll be registered in Guinness Book of World Records. Take this opportunity to be part of something BIG. Visit the Facebook Page "Halloween Towne Gathering 2010" for more information.

Lots happening in little 'ol St. Helens this month. Don't get left out of the fun.

And before I forget to mention it: Come in costume to Word for Word Books & Espresso during the month of October, tell me where you saw this offer and get 20% off on your book purchase (excluding the collectibles).
HAPPY SEASON OF THE WITCH!

Take a Deep Breath And . . . It'll Be Halloween!

2010-09-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

I was just checking out a friend's blog and suddenly began experiencing pangs of guilt about my own - I have NOT been a good correspondent lately. It isn't that things have been quiet and dull or that there's been nothing to write about, but rather that life has been busy. One of the things I've been doing is helping plan Halloweentown here in St. Helens. Between that planning & a couple of trips to California in preparation for my middle son's wedding this month I've definitely not been bored.

An old tradition in St. Helens, the Spooktacular Sale, is being revived this year. Businesses in the Houlton, mid-town & Olde Towne areas will be offering great bargains between 6:13PM and 9:13PM on one of two Thursday evenings (no final decision yet on which) before Halloween.

Throughout the month we'll be having an "I-Spy Adventure", prizes to be awarded in both child and adult categories. There will also be a coloring contest for kids. Other games and activities are still in the planning stage, but the Halloweentown festivities will culminate in a Little Spooks Parade in Olde Towne at 5PM on October 30th, sponsored by the St. Helens Chronicle.

We are in the second year of reviving yet another local tradition that fell by the wayside, the Little Spooks parade. Originally it was held in the Houlton District, but last year was brought back to life as a new Olde Towne tradition. Children are invited to come and show off their costumes to the community, following the parade route from where it assembles at the intersection of St. Helens and 1st Streets, down 1st Street to Cowlitz & around the block to disband at Courthouse Plaza. The parade will be followed by Trick-or-Treating from participating local merchants who are all stocking up on candy, even as you read this.

A new October tradition was begun in Olde Towne last year and is being expanded throughout the other merchant areas this year: The Scarecrow Contest. Merchants located along both sides of Columbia Blvd. all the way down into Olde Towne are invited to display scarecrows of their own design during the month of October and compete for a prize. Raffle tickets will be sold which will then be placed in a voting box at each business to determine a favorite Scarecrow. Some lucky voters will win prizes, along with the business owner whose scarecrow gets the most votes. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank, with the other 50% going to Slash It Up, an organization raising funds to place a Splash Park in the Courthouse Plaza.

All in all October is going to be a busy month in St. Helens. And don't forget Banned Books Week from September 25th through October 2nd. Celebrate Your Freedom to Read! That freedom has been threatened in the past and will be again. One of my grandchildrens' favorite books, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?", by Bill Martin Jr., is on the list The 11 Most Surprising Banned Books: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/29/the-11-most-surprising-ba_n_515381.html
I think you'll probably see some of your own favorites on one of the many lists you can find online, as well.

WORD

2010-08-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing the term "woot" used on internet postings, and although I thought I could probably tell what it means just from the context in which it was used, I decided to explore further.

I've always love tracking word derivations. When I was young I spent many satisfying hours deep in the basement of the Pomona Public Library, absorbed in a world of enormous reference books and potential answers to my questions. The Pomona Public Library was one of the original Carnegie Libraries, complete with stone lions guarding the entrance. It was my favorite place to be and a major influence in my life. Thanks to the internet I can do my research from home now, although my laptop doesn't have the satisfying heft an old book or the odor of ancient wisdom.

Here's what I found in the Urban Dictionary:
1. WOOT
Woot originated as a hacker term for root (or administrative) access to a computer. However, with the term as coincides with the gamer term, "w00t". "w00t" was originally an trunicated expression common among players of Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-playing game for "Wow, loot!" Thus the term passed into the net-culture where it thrived in video game communities and lost its original meaning and is used simply as a term of excitement.
Examples: "I defeated the dark sorcerer! Woot!" "woot! i r teh flagmastar!" (Think Tribes)

Cool, huh? Another word is coined. Ya gotta love English. It's a convoluted, confusing, mongrel of a language, but it is constantly growing and changing. It's alive! WOOT!

A Matter of Taste

2010-08-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Tastings are the subject of the day at Word for Word Books & Espresso - tasted so much coffee this afternoon (trying to find a new source) that I may be permanently buzzed. Settled on a locally roasted (St. Johns), organic, fair trade Sumatran coffee. I'll give that a try for a few weeks and see how my customers respond. Stop in after Thursday and register your opinion. No food so far today, just caffeine. Hmmmmm, maybe I'd better think about a little late lunch.

Speaking of food (and tastings), my oldest daughter pointed out earlier today on Facebook that she hasn't yet been invited to sample the fare at the new culinary enterprise,Crossroad Chicken, opened recently by my two oldest sons. Located in Napa, California, Crossroad Chicken offers great food made from quality ingredients, which in Napa are available pretty much year-round. This is the only catering truck I've ever seen with an imported Italian wood-fired pizza oven. Not only does a wood-fired oven produce moist chicken with a crisp skin, it turns out superior pizza. And in Napa you know there will be fresh ingredients and great cheese involved. My next visit is scheduled in two weeks, so I'll be doing some sampling myself, I hope. At least that's the plan.

Meanwhile, I'm off to find something to balance all of the caffeine in my system. Enjoy the last days of August and I'll do the same - til next time.

Hot - Hot - Hot

2010-08-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

It's 5:30pm, and the outside temperature reads 97 degrees. Luckily for me I'm inside. No, I'm not a hot weather person, which is why I live in Oregon now, not Southern or Central California. I had enough hot, dry weather growing up to last me a lifetime. Hot is hot, regardless of the humidity. I'm a true Pacific North-Westerner now, preferring cooler temperatures & lots of rain to keep those beautiful forests GREEN. Green trees, blue rivers and lakes,and a plenty of books & coffee (keep 'em coming).

What? You don't live in Oregon? Well here are some sites that may at least make you think about visiting:
*http://www.el.com/to/oregon/ This site is full of fascinating information about the state that might be of interest to residents as well as visitors.
*If it's Oregon's state resources you're interested in, perhaps http://oregon.gov/ would be helpful. This is the official state site, offering information and links for information about Oregon business, education, employment, human services, natural resources, public safety, recreation and transportation.
*There's a site for Oregon facts and trivia, as well: http://www.50states.com/facts/oregon.htm . Did you know that Oregon is the only state that has a state nut? Yup, the hazelnut (also known as a filbert); or that the coastal town of Florence boasts the largest sea cave in the world (a cool place to be on a hot day)? Maybe you already knew that Bend has a volcano within its city limits, a cinder cone named Pilot Butte, but it was news to me. In my defense I DID already know that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, so give me points for that at least.

Well, now you know how I spent this extra warm day (besides huddling inside the store with my air-conditioner and an iced mocha). I was busy checking out online resources for you and learning about the state I call my home. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Easing into the Weekend

2010-07-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

The only activity at this end of the street today seems to be a poker run. Bikes are lined up all down the block over at Plantation House, with people spilling out of the restaurant to sit at the tables in front. Luckily our morning rain ended fairly early and everything had time to dry out in time for the ride. Not many retail customers out this late in the day and I see several shopkeepers are closing up early.

Twilight fans were out though - touring the locations where the first movie was shot. Even merchants (like me) who paid no attention at all to the filming are well versed in where each scene was shot, LOL.

A gentleman from Denmark stopped in for espresso & conversation while he waited for his family to finish their Twilight pilgrimage. We talked about coffee roasting, blends & shared information about our favorites while he waited. Now I have homework - learning about his favorite coffee, Indian Malabar. According to my extremely recent internet research (minutes old), Indian Malabar is a low-acid, fairly mild, earthy coffee. Here's a link to a forum discussing the opinions of other coffee drinkers on the "monsooning" process - interesting: http://www.coffeeforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7867

Slow Saturdays are good for catching up on shelving and pricing books, changing window displays, chatting with visitors, blogging and doing computer research. They are also rare, so I take full advantage of them.

Enjoy your weekend - meditate on the beauty of nature wherever you live, indulge in a good cup of coffee and a treat yourself to a great book. I'll do the same.

A Saturday Ramble

2010-07-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today I've been looking up authors who write fiction centered on Egypt - helping a customer with a little research. It's amazing how many such authors there are - who knew Egyptology was such a popular subject? OK, so maybe all of you already knew that but be polite, humor me.

Research is actually one of my favorite parts of this job, and a useful justification for a good laptop and wireless internet as well (smile). I never have time to be bored here, as there are always stacks of collectible books waiting for pricing, and each of those has to be researched first. Although most of my sales are paperback fiction, there are still folks who drop in to check out the classics or peruse the shelves in my antique secretary, which holds some of the older or more valuable tomes.

Secretary? Yes. I have a secretary. Unfortunately it's not the kind that transcribes notes, pays bills or does filing (I have to do that myself and there's always a backlog). This secretary is a lovely piece of furniture which was originally used as sort of a desk but also has drawers and bookshelves. It was imported from Wales and has been handy indeed. It's a nice focal point for the shop, as well.

Secretaries can be very handy to have around. A friend of mine who was a dealer in Egyptian antiquities and a custom framer used to refer to his secretary frequently. We'd be visiting, the phone would ring and he'd say "My secretary will get that", gesturing toward the enormous statue of Buddha over by the table holding the phone. Jacque's secretary was the perfect employee - never argued and the only benefit necessary was occasional homage. Also, she screened his calls very effectively. She wouldn't have been very efficient at shelving books, however, so I probably won't be looking for my own artifact any time soon.

Well, the clock on the wall tells me it's time to finish my iced mocha and flip the sign on the door from "open" to "shut" soon. Think I'll amble over to the Dockside for a Lavender martini - care to join me? I'll save you a seat.

Sitting in the shade with a cool drink and . . .

2010-07-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been awhile since I blogged. But then again, it's been awhile since I had anything to say. Along with about a zillion other things I've been shelving new inventory, putting away 4th of July and redoing the window for this month's focus on summer travel.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, many people are staying closer to home for vacation this year, which doesn't prevent me from displaying books on Belize, Germany & Tanzania. Ya gotta dream a little, right? Along with more exotic travel books, though, there are books on camping in Oregon, Washington and California. I have a pamphlet in the shop, "Columbia County Car Free Vacation Guide" that talks about where to go and what to see by bicycle and includes information on connecting to our local transit system, Columbia County Rider, from more metropolitan areas.

As I'm sure I've mentioned, some of our best (and least expensive) vacations as a family were the camping trips we took when the kids were little. The older 3 kids (Kevin, Kelly & Colin) were seasoned campers, although as a teenager my oldest daughter, Kelly, was less than thrilled when some of the campgrounds failed to provide an electrical plug-in for her hairdryer and curling iron. We joked about finding her a kerosene powered curling iron. Although she wasn't laughing, we were amused, LOL.

Jake & Sadie were explorers when they were little and tended to wander off and make friends with anyone they encountered within walking distance of our tent. Luckily my middle son, Colin, was usually around to help corral them. No big surprise that Jake was chosen for the Student Ambassador Program when he was 13 and got to travel to Europe and meet other students in Austria, the Czech Republic & Italy. He'd had lots of training in extending a hand of friendship while still a toddler. We met some very interesting people while retrieving our two youngest from neighboring campsites.

If roughing it isn't your style, perhaps you'd rather pick up some info about Bed & Breakfasts or Country Inns and Historic Hotels. There's something to be said for waking up in the morning to espresso and croissants instead of campground coffee (complete with egg shells to settle the grounds).

Whatever you choose to do this summer, do some research and be prepared. My very good friend, Google, will be happy to help you plan. Knowing what to expect will allow you to relax and enjoy your time off. Have a wonderful vacation! And don't forget to stop by Word for Word Books & Espresso and pick up some leisure reading material to take with you!

Enter Summer, Stage Right

2010-07-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Seems we've had a bit of a change in the weather. Summer has finally arrived and temperatures are in the 90's. A little warmer than I'd like, but maybe some of these super-size mosquitos will succumb to heat stroke. (I can dream!). I'm beginning to wish we'd gone the extra expense and installed air conditioning when we replaced the furnace in our house, but then don't want to make the wretched little biters too comfortable.

As long as I stay at the bookstore I'll be fine - maybe even work a few extra hours. Here I'll stay cool all day, sympathizing with overheated customers but protected from the heat by my lovely and much appreciated air conditioner.

I'll be happy to share the cool with anyone stopping by during our sudden change in the weather. Suspend reality with a good book, iced coffee and air conditioning. What's not to like?

Happy 4th!

2010-07-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

The 3rd of July dawned . . . Well, I'm assuming it dawned, but haven't seen the sun yet. On the other hand, it isn't raining, LOL.

We've had lots of Twilight fans visiting Olde Towne St. Helens this past week - celebrating the premier of Eclipse and the return to the screen of some of our favorite vampires by touring sites used for filming the original. Me, I haven't seen Eclipse yet, but I'm pulling for Jake (Don't tell me!).

Lots of activity down here this weekend, with multiple bands performing Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On the 4th there will be music & activities all day, culminating with our always excellent fireworks show at dusk. Come on out and join us if you're in the neighborhood.

Speaking of visiting, you might want to make a special trip down to Word for Word today. I'm featuring Houlton Bakery's wonderful strawberry scones (a mini version made with fresh strawberries) and also have some of Gaynor's rich double chocolate shortbread cookies with just a touch of salt to bring out the intense chocolate flavor. Delicious! Please come save me from myself, they're hard to resist. Coffee, chocolate & a good book - what could be better?

Whatever you do for the 4th, enjoy yourselves - and stay safe. There are many more celebrations ahead.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE!

Summer Sun!

2010-06-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day today - great weather to be out and about. Now that school is out families are spending more time together and everyone is thinking about vacations. Disneyland and Disneyworld are always popular vacation destinations, but not everybody is leaving the state. Many of us are looking for things to do closer to home this year, exploring the cities and countryside around us.

What to do without spending a small fortune on airfare or fuel? Camping vacations are a good choice, both economical and easy to plan. And we here in Oregon are lucky. Oregon is full of great places to camp, fish, swim, bike and explore. Most of them are within an afternoons drive of wherever you live, and there's something to be said for not spending half your vacation on the road. Here are a couple of websites to help you decide. Follow links at each site for even more local opportunities:

http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/vacations-oregon (parks, museums, zoos, waterparks)
http://www.allgetaways.com/region.asp?areaid=100578 (Oregon family vacations & getaways)
Oh, and don't forget about Columbia County - Portland's nearest escape. http://www.travelcolumbiacounty.com

Whether you choose the mountains or the seashore, hotels, B&B's or tents, don't forget to stop in at Word for Word to pick up some summer reading material. After a run or a hike, with cold drink in hand, you can always find a comfortable spot wherever you are and dive into a good book.

PARADE ALERT - PREPARE TO ENJOY!

2010-06-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today is PARADE DAY in St. Helens. This is an annual shindig, sponsored and managed each year by the Kiwanis Club. This year the parade will extend all the way through town. It will meander down Columbia Blvd. and through the Houlton District, down past IGA & Lewis & Clark Elementary, and then wander through Olde Towne, disbanding at the Old School (the old John Gumm School site, for those who remember the day).

One of the Little League coaches was down earlier, walking the route his boys will be walking later. Good idea! That much walking can wear littlest guys out quickly. My granddaughter Maddie (visiting me for the week), her Uncle Jake & I will be watching from the bookstore. We'll be enjoying all the floats & music & balloons & festive entries. But we'll especially be watching for the Little League teams and thinking of Mario, Alex & Evan, my grandsons, who all play ball on Little League teams in California. (In fact, Mario will probably be practicing at the same time we're watching, as he made the All-Stars this year! Way to go Mario!).

I'm hoping to see lots of people out and about before, during and after the parade, enjoying the wonderful shops and restaurants here in Olde Towne St. Helens! Enjoy the parade and we'll see you here!

Sunday Morning Muse

2010-06-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

I do love the rain, but today I am sitting on my deck (not a comfortable thing to do when rain is pounding down), enjoying a cup of coffee and soaking up the beauty of sunshine on the river. OK, there is some cloud cover, too, but that just keeps the temperature down below "broil". That, too, is a good thing.

I'm feeling lazy today - won't be going in to the bookstore til around noonish, which gives me plenty of time to greet this Sunday morning on my terms and have that second cup of coffee. Time, too, to stare across the water and contemplate life - both as it is and as I wish it could be.

As author and syndicated cartoonist Ashleigh Brilliant points out, "My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot."

I'm still working on that.

Ahhhh, The Weekend

2010-06-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Chilly day for the opening performance of "13 Nights on the River." Hope the jazz band from St. Helens High School are wearing their longies this evening.

It's been coolish all day, although it isn't raining (for which I guess we should be grateful). Judging by conversations I've been having with some of my customers today it sounds like lots of folks will be out with their mowers on Saturday, catching up with the fast growing grass. I know my own husband is hoping some miracle stunts the grass in our back yard, but sorry Rob, ain't happening!

So maybe this won't be the weekend to lounge in bed - at least not unless the sound of weed-eaters, lawnmowers and hedge-trimmers lulls you to sleep. You might just want to give it up, have that second cup of coffee and shut out the real world by burying yourself in a book. Better yet, come see me for espresso, books and good conversation. No lawn equipment allowed.

Experience the 1850's This Weekend - FREE EVENT

2010-06-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Take a giant step back into the past and join us in Olde Towne this weekend as we celebrate the founding of St. Helens by Henry Knighton. Bring your family to this free event and experience living history. Activities are scheduled from June 4th through June 6th. Don't forget to also visit the Oregon is Indian Country Exhibit, a traveling exhibit produced by the Oregon Historical Society in partnership with Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes.

While enjoying the festivities, be sure to stop in at Word for Word Books and sample our Ginger Thins or Heritage Tea Cakes with a cup of espresso, drip coffee or tea. A complete schedule of activities can be found online at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5832935&id=320499334147

I'll look forward to seeing you!

Pleading the 4th

2010-06-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Has summer been canceled for this year, or has it just been postponed? I don't think we'll have to worry much this year about fires caused by 4th of July celebrating - we'll be lucky if we can see the fireworks through the cloud cover.

Speaking of 4th of July, last time I heard donations were still being sought by the Fireworks Committee. Come on folks, dig deep. You know we all enjoy seeing the sky lit up with color and color is expensive. I don't know about you, but I plan to spend the evening of the 4th on our deck, watching the fireworks display over the river, surrounded by friends and full as a tick from good holiday fare. (Full as a tick? Where on earth did I pick that up?).

And while you're reaching for your checkbook, don't forget how much you enjoy 13 Nights on the River every year. Free concerts in the park are lovely, but they're not really free. The committee is still looking for sponsors, having lost a couple of key supporters. If you can help out, I know donations would be welcome.

I know, it pretty much sounds like I'm begging, but do remember it's for a good cause. We all take pride in our wonderful annual events and would hate to see them discontinued or even diminished because funding fell short by a few dollars. Forgive my blatant pitch and think about it. Isn't it worth a few measly bucks to keep a tradition going? Right! I thought you'd agree.

Honoring the Spirit of Memorial Day

2010-05-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, was declared a nationwide observance in 1868 in General Order 11 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. In this document it was directed that "The 30th day of May 1868 is designate for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades, who died in defense, of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every City, Village, and hamlet, church yard in the land." (Logan Family Papers in the Library of Congress.)

The first Memorial/Decoration Day was celebrated on May 30th, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. As with many things, it was not an original idea. In issuing this order General Logan knowingly or unknowingly emulated a custom established long before. Over 2,500 years ago the Greeks were honoring fallen community heroes by placing garlands of flowers on their graves.

Congress, with The National Holiday Act of 1971, made Memorial Day into a 3-day holiday, although many felt it distracted people from the original spirit and meaning of the day. It became a time for camping and BBQ's, beginning the summer, instead of a day for honoring fallen heroes.

On May 2, 2000, President William Clinton declared a National Moment of Remembrance, which was to occur at 3 p.m. (local time) on each Memorial Day. Legislation had been introduced in 1999 to move the observance back to the actual May 30th date, but was referred to committee and didn't actually reach a vote. President Clinton's declaration may have been an attempt to refocus our attention, but it's hard to compete with a 3-day weekend.

So as we enjoy our camping and barbecues and family parties this weekend, I hope we keep in mind the reason we have the freedom to celebrate this way. I hope we remember the original intent and honor our fallen heroes, at least in our thoughts.

Henry Knighton Days - Living History in Olde Towne St. Helens

2010-05-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

PUTTING ST. HELENS ON THE MAP -
By Susan Conn -

Henry Knighton was the acknowledged founder of St. Helens, and we honor him for his foresight. Without his vision our history could have been very different. The reality of St. Helens as a town came into focus, however, when surveyor Joseph William Trutch, an Englishman who emigrated to San Francisco in 1850, was contracted to put Knighton’s dream of a city onto paper.

Trutch quite literally put St. Helens on the Map – the plat map, that is. His work was completed in July of 1851 and submitted to a San Francisco lithographer, Grafton Tyler Brown. A reproduction of the detailed lithograph Brown produced will be on display during Henry Knighton Days, Living History, June 4th through 6th in Olde Towne St. Helens.

This document, titled “Plan of the Town of St. Helens on the Columbia with a Chart of the River and a Map of the Locality”, includes three maps presented as one. The larger portion shows the original physical plan, laying out city streets in a grid. A second is titled “Map of the Locality”, and shows the relative position of St. Helens to the Columbia River and local mountains. The third, the “Chart of the River”, demonstrates the accessibility of the harbor in St. Helens, with depths listed in fathoms. Together the three maps comprise a complete picture of St. Helens, as it was originally planned, together with its surrounding features.

Visitors to Henry Knighton Days will have many opportunities to step into the past, among them this visionary view of the river town we have come to know as home, St. Helens. Stop by and see historic St. Helens, as planned in 1851. And stop by to see me, as well, at Word for Word Books & Espresso on 1st Street. Enjoy all of the charming shops and restaurants in St. Helens as we celebrate the founding of our town.

Special permission has been given by the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, for R.J. Brown and the Historical Society of Columbia County to display this map at our Henry Knighton Days celebration. Thanks are due to a local resident for arranging this use.

"Blogging for Dummies"

2010-05-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

A copy of Blogging for Dummies, by Brad Hill, just came in the door, so thought I'd take a look. One mustn't turn one's nose up at fate, after all. Maybe there's a reason it appeared. Maybe this is part of an overall cosmic plan. Published in 2006, Blogging for Dummies is actually a very good guide to doing this (blogging) and I think it might have been helpful had I read it first, instead of diving into the world of BLOG with minimal instructions, as I did. Yeah, well, where's the challenge if you have all the instructions? In addition to the basic setup information, the author has helpful suggestions on utilizing blog search engines and promoting a blog. I think I've found enough information while scanning this reference to justify sitting down and spending some time reading. Hmmm. Maybe I need to keep this one in my private collection for future reference. Fellow bloggers are welcome to come in and talk me out of it. You have to promise to let me borrow it, though.

So Many Restaurants - So Little Time

2010-05-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Pretty quiet in Olde Towne today. The weather can't seem to make up its mind - rain, hail, sun - so I think everybody is staying in, waiting for a final decision. Me, I'm focusing on food today. Couldn't decide whether to have the lunch special from the Klondike (spicy tuna open-face sandwich with a side of slaw, potato salad or house-cut fries) or the Dockside (Panini with brie, fresh spinach and prosciutto and a raspberry aioli, along with cream of broccoli & leek soup). Tough decision, so naturally I decided to compromise and try BOTH. Yes, really. (OK, I shared with my son, already. I didn't really eat 2 full lunches. Back me up here, Jake). Sort of a lunch "tasting" after all. We are really fortunate in having so many wonderful eating establishments in the Olde Towne area, alhough I am going to have to learn to exercise a little restraint. So now you all know where my coffee tips from Word for Word go - they never leave the neighborhood. I do my best to support local business (smile).

Good News/GOOD NEWS

2010-05-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Our espresso machine is fixed and Word for Word will be serving coffee drinks again beginning tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at 10 AM! Nothing goes together like books and coffee. I don't know about you, but I have missed my daily latte. Thanks to all who have stopped by to check on the coffee status - repairs are finished and we're back in biz. See you soon for your favorite pairing of organic-fair trade coffee roasted in the Pacific Northwest and a wonderful pastry from Houlton Bakery. What a way to start the day!

In Memoriam

2010-05-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Sad day. I just got the news that another friend has passed away - far too many friends lost in the last few years. I know that dying is inevitable, but somehow (whether fair or not) it doesn't seem as poignant when you read the obituary of someone in their nineties who has led a full life. Toward the end of her life my mother was ready to let go - to join the many friends who went before her. She had been prepared for years and often said as much. To lose someone younger, someone who hasn't completed her life and still has so much to give, is harder to accept, if accept we ever do. We'll remember you Mary, and we'll miss you.

Good News/Bad News

2010-05-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

The bad news (pause for effect) is that my espresso machine is on the fritz. (Now there's a phrase you haven't heard for awhile. I picked that one up from my folks). It suddenly stopped heating and steaming yesterday, leaving my coffee customers high and dry with no warning. I spent much of the day doing an internet and phone search for someone who services and repairs Carimali's. Apparently not everyone does.

The good news? I found a repair person in Portland, so it won't be down for long. Norm, from "It's a Grind", and his associate Arthur are working on it even as I post. The initial estimate was for repairs to take around 6 days, but that has been revised downward. Hooray! I'm missing my coffee, as are my regulars, who have been checking in periodically for updates.

Word for Word should be serving espresso drinks, as usual, by the beginning of next week. Meanwhile, you can still stop in for an Italian Soda or Cremosa as you browse for that perfect book. See you soon!

Sunshine & Blue Skies

2010-05-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day! Blue skies, warm weather, it's time to get out of the house. What are you doing still sitting at your computer (or checking your phone)? Get out there and do the things you've been dreaming of all winter! Maybe gardening is at the top of your list today, or perhaps a trip to the coast. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy this break in the weather - who knows how long it'll last? It's a perfect day for a walk through Olde Towne with its charming shops, first-rate restaurants and beautiful waterfront park. Sit outdoors, visit with friends and indulge in espresso and pastry at Word for Word . Hope to see you!

"Is It Tuesday? This must be Belgium."

2010-05-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Old age is surely setting in - I can't seem to remember anything without a list lately. Do you ever walk into a room and forget why you're there, or is it just me? Or have you, maybe, opened the door of the refrigerator and reached in, only to wonder why you opened it in the first place?

I spent much of the morning here yesterday keeping the plumber company and by about 2 PM I was anxious to get home and enjoy what was left of my day off. Maybe a little too anxious. I figured I'd have plenty of time to take care of those little extras this morning. Yeah, well that worked out well. Shoulda made a list. I arrived at the shop early this morning - allowing extra time to get set up and out of the plumber's way. He was scheduled to arrive at 10 AM to finish installing my new 3-part sink. I unlocked my door, chatted for a few minutes with the merchant next door, and finally started to set up all the coffee paraphernalia.

My first customer didn't arrive until 10:30, but at about 10:20 I had just realized I had forgotten to clean and fill the cream whipper thingies, so was still in the middle of that when she ordered a mocha. Fortunately she was also shopping for books, so not in a rush. While making her a large drip coffee and a mocha I suddenly realized why I had so much time yesterday. Yup, yesterday I was supposed to make a trip to Cash & Carry for supplies. I didn't. It was only when the pump on the Ghiradelli chocolate syrup began sucking more air than chocolate that I remembered. Fortunately I had about 1/4 of a bottle left that I save for making chocolate whipped cream. Whew, crisis averted, mocha served, and I'll be making a trip to Cash & Carry this evening.

The plumber is having the same kind of day I am. He arrived later than planned because he had to drive back to his shop for a tool, only to find the keys to the shop were still back at his house. After about 1/2 hour and 6 trips up and down a ladder he just had to leave again - broke his last blade on another tool and has to run to the hardware store to replace it. Are you sure this isn't Monday? Maybe it is and I've just forgotten!

April Tease

2010-04-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ah Spring, still you elude us. The sun peeks from behind the clouds, then hides again. Customers duck in to look for books, order coffee drinks and wait out the "intermittent showers" predicted (accurately this time) by the local weather guys. Sunday I sat outside in the sun, reading, drinking coffee and talking with people passing by. It was like a taste of summer. I've optimistically added a small garden table and chairs to the front of the store, knowing that once the weather clears people will again gather at the sidewalk tables in Olde Towne to take a break from shopping and visit with friends. Today, though, the table and chairs are collecting rainwater along with my plants.

Creative Architecture for Book Lovers

2010-04-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

My youngest son, Jake, sent me this link: http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/graphics/kansaslibrary.jpg . It's an actual photo of one wall of the Kansas City library, built to look like books on a shelf with bookends. The photo's authenticity is verified by Snopes. What a great idea!
Titles represented are:
* Kansas City Stories
* Catch-22
* Children's Stories
* Silent Spring.
* O Pioneers!
* 100 Years of Solitude
* Their Eyes Were Watching God
* Fahrenheit 451
* The Republic
* The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
* Tao Te Ching
* The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes
* Black Elk Speaks
* Invisible Man
* To Kill a Mockingbird
* Journals of the Expedition (Lewis and Clark)
* Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
* Lord of the Rings
* A Tale of Two Cities
* Charlotte's Web
* Romeo and Juliet
* Truman

Lost and Found

2010-04-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Just an update after my earlier post, for those who follow this blog and are on the edge of their seats: I've located my sister.

My middle son, Colin, found Kate's daughter on Facebook, I wrote to her, and the rest is history. Another Facebook miracle! Now I have her address, phone # and email address. Hopefully I won't misplace her again (smile).

For Twilight Fans

2010-04-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just met the owners of Experience Twilight, the Twilight themed retail store that recently leased a space directly across the street from Word for Word. Nice folks. They also do events, and in addition to their Twilight focus they also offer computer graphics and web design services. I see collaboration in our futures!

We already have lots of Twilight fans visiting St. Helens every week, roaming the streets with cameras, computer printouts in hand. Now they can stop in for Twilight related merchandise while touring the filming locations.

Cross your fingers that the Twilight production returns to St. Helens for filming! We got a much better review in the British publication The Sun than Forks did - we're friendlier to tourists and after all, most of the 1st movie was actually filmed HERE, not in Forks, LOL.

Happy Birthday Kate, Wherever You Are

2010-04-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

April 14th is my sister's birthday. Today Kathleen Louise hits the 59-year mark and I wish I could call and talk with her - extend my happy birthday wishes, or celebrate even. We have a shared history. We grew up together in the same house (houses), with the same parents, attended many of the same schools and knew the same people. We have both always loved reading and books, writing and arguing our independent opinions and beliefs. Although we often disagree the conversation is always interesting and never predictable. We have a shared genetic heritage as well, which has marked us both in some ways.

I haven't heard from Kathy in several years and have been unable to find her, although I’ve tried. I've called all of our mutual acquaintances and driven up and down the street where she used to live, hoping for a glimpse. I've knocked on doors in her old neighborhood and worn out my welcome with friends, not to mention their patience. I've done everything short of hiring a private investigator. Kate has dropped off the map and despite my repeated attempts to contact her maintains her invisibility. Perhaps it is me she's avoiding and so has made a deliberate decision to separate our lives, or maybe she just needs to focus on coping, surviving. Diagnosed many years ago with Hepatitis-C, she struggles with her health. In addition she has been responsible for raising her grandson. Kathy’s life has been a challenge.

Kate is my baby sister - 3 years younger than I am. We fought our way through childhood, but when she went missing as a teen I'm the one, not my parents, who sat down with the police detectives, trying to locate her and trying to convince the police she wasn't a runaway. Actually she was and this was only the first of many times she ran away from her life, looking for a better one. Maybe she has found it. I hope so. Although I'd love to see her, talk to her, laugh with her about the ironies of life and cry over our sorrows, that probably isn't going to happen any time soon - or maybe ever. So I'm leaving her this message and hoping, somehow, she finds it.

Happy Birthday Kate! I hope wherever you are you have a birthday cake and friends to celebrate with you. I wish you could sit in the reading room here at Word for Word Books and chat with me. (You’d love the bookstore – always interesting people stopping by to talk – right up your alley). You are one of the smartest, funniest people I've ever known. While we haven't always agreed and there is a lot of water under the bridge (OK, rapids and treacherous white water), we and our children are pretty much all that's left of our family, and I miss you. I wish you health, happiness, peace, and love. Happy Birthday!
Love,
Susan

Deep Thoughts on a Sunny Saturday

2010-04-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

Lots of folks out enjoying the beautiful weather today and stopping into the book shop to chat. I've been enjoying the conversations and learning a lot. One of the things I just learned about is a series of books designed for teens. A teenager was in the store with her mother, looking for a trilogy called The Uglies. It consists of 3 books, "The Pretties", "The Uglies" & "The Specials", by Scott Westerfield.The series has an interesting premise - one I find a little disturbing. The fantasy/sci fi books are about a world where everyone is beautiful - physically perfect - due to an operation they all have upon reaching 16. One group of teens decides NOT to have the operation, creating the conflict. It's full of technological advances and lots of action, but I wonder. Is this our future? Are we as a society so narcissistic that we will someday leave our genetic differences behind, exchanging them for the predictability of conforming to a groupthink perception of "beauty"? Something to think about.

Comfort Is Where You Find It

2010-04-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

There's been a lot written about comfort food, even cookbooks dedicated to the taste of home, the flavors that remind us of childhood and recall the good times in our lives. Not so much is written about the sounds and smells and vistas that relax and nourish our spirits. Driving to work today I realized that one of the most comforting sounds to me is the sound of windshield wipers slapping. I'm the perfect Northwesterner, even though it took me many years to make that discovery. 21 years ago I caught a lucky break and discovered a place that wasn't dry & arid - someplace I could breathe clean air (well mostly) and not risk heat stroke by spending time outside in the garden. And the smells! In the greater NW we have less traffic, less exhaust, less factory olfactory output and thus we can really smell the flowers and scents of Spring. As a bonus we view pine, fir and all the deciduous trees and growth that make up our forests, and we enjoy a bountiful abundance of rivers, streams, mountains & coastline. I know, not everyone shares my pleasure when we have days on end of drenching rain and near-freezing nighttime temperatures, cold enough to keep us indoors but not quite cold enough to bring snow days. For those of you who prefer the dry arid beauty of the deserts, there are other places. For me, this place is splendiferous and I'm so grateful to be here. I'll continue to enjoy the weird weather which changes precipitously and confounds the computer models. And I'll continue to enjoy the sights and sounds and smells of the Greater Northwest as I spend my days handling the books I love and talking to customers and friends about authors, while sipping on a latte. Not a bad place to be in life!

Warm Fuzzies

2010-04-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'm still smiling, feeling good about a chat I had this morning with Doreen, the owner of Oregon Maiden. She told me about a conversation she had with a customer earlier this week. The young man pointed across the street toward what is now Twilight Experience, describing the bookstore located there years ago, when he was a child. He talked about how much he enjoyed going there with his mother and how it is one of his fond memories of growing up here in St. Helens. The store, of course, was the original Word for Word Books. I closed that store 11 years ago to take a "real" job. Who knew that all of these years later I'd come back and reopen directly across the street from my previous location, or that a child would grow up and remember my bookstore fondly? Imagine!

The View From My Deck

2010-03-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've taken a few unscheduled days off this week, not by choice but out of necessity. I'm forced to slow down and in doing so find myself looking out the window toward the river. Blue sky and sunshine are peeking from behind the clouds and raindrops are landing on the deck. I love that about Oregon.

Since I've been out of the shop I'm a little out of touch with the world of books. Well maybe that's not quite true. Maybe I'm more in touch, as I've had more time to read. It's amazing how I spend most of my days in a shop filled with books, but do most of my reading here at home. At work I spend time in conversation with the interesting people who walk in my door.

Words are one of the cornerstones of my life. When events overwhelm me I bury myself in a book or I write. Words are my refuge and my coping mechanism. How fitting that I spend every Tuesday through Saturday in rooms lined with burgeoning bookshelves - burgeoning bookshelves brimming with a bounty of books (sorry, I got carried away!).

People ask me sometimes why I opened a bookshop. They assume it's been my life's dream. Maybe I should confess that, really, I just wanted my own private library - an endless supply of books in a shop by the river where blue sky and sunshine peek through the clouds as raindrops fall on my deck.

Twilight

2010-03-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided I'd procrastinated long enough and finally sat down and watched Twilight. Yeah, I know, they're shooting the 3rd movie and I'm just now watching the first. What can I say? I can't keep the books on the shelf - they fly out of here, and we have people from all over visiting St. Helens daily, taking pictures of sites used in the movie. I've certainly known enough about the film. Just hadn't gotten around to watching it. Last week we even had reporters from a newspaper in Great Britain interviewing some of our local shopkeepers involved in the original production.You'd think I'd have put watching it at the top of my list. One of the things that struck me was how much of the first half of the movie was actually shot in St. Helens, not Forks. There was one scene in the high school office that was actually the office at St. Helens High School. Strange, I would have thought all school offices were pretty much the same, so the question is, why ours? And the town where the girls shopped for a prom dress? Yup, that was St. Helens, and the dresses were from Jilly's. The dress shop, park & courthouse, parking lot where the confrontation happened & the street they raced through were all familiar. The restaurant was a building 1/2 block from Word for Word, and the book store was the office of a local attorney. The Columbia Theater - yup that's ours too. All of those backstreets and alleys? That's where my youngest daughter, Sadie, & her friends would hide when she was about 13 and I was trying to track her down. Did I mention Bella's house? It's on 6th street. The 2nd half of the movie was mostly shot in other locations, but the first half should definitely put us on the map - the tour map, that is. Have to say, though, my favorite character wasn't Edward. It was Jacob. Always did go for those shoe-shufflers, the ones who weren't the obvious heroes - especially in high school. So tell me Twilight fans, what does that say about me, LOL? Well, whatever held me up this time, it probably won't take me quite as long to getting around to watching the 2nd movie in the series Have to do my homework, right? Got popcorn?

Organic Fair Trade Coffee Has Arrived!

2010-03-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Now I can feel especially good about the coffee I serve at Word for Word Books. It was already good, but now it's better! We just received a shipment of Loop d' Loop from the Port Townsend Coffee Company in Port Townsend, Washington. After sampling a number of coffees on our recent scouting trip we settled on our favorite and are looking forward to sharing this rich, dark coffee. It is organically grown and purchased directly from cooperative farmers who are paid a fair price, giving them a living wage.

In the general coffee market growers often receive less money for their product than the cost of producing it. This keeps them trapped in an endless cycle of debt. The middleman makes the profits, while the farmers are forced into poverty, selling future rights to their harvests to pay for their basic and immediate needs. A recent study showed workers in Guatemala earning less than $3 a day for picking 100 pounds of coffee. Farmers in 50 nations make 30 - 50 cents on a pound of coffee for which consumers pay $10 -$15 a pound on the retail market. Since the 1980's activists and organizations have worked to change this situation and there is now a national movement toward supporting fair trade coffee cooperatives throughout the world. More information about the history of the Fair Trade movement is available at http://www.organicconsumers.org/Organic/faircoffee.cfm , from which I have excerpted this material.

Tuesday - My Monday

2010-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Back to work today. Spent a wonderful weekend relaxing in Port Townsend for my husband's birthday. While I was there I mixed in a little business with pleasure. We did a lot of sampling and found a new coffee supplier. Soon Word for Word will be offering Organic, Fair Trade coffee from Port Townsend Coffee Roasters. I hope you'll stop in and try it next week - let me know what you think. No more thermal pot, either, for the regular coffee drinkers. You'll all be enjoying drip coffee made to order by the single cup. Coffee, as you like it.

Spring Weather in St. Helens

2010-03-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

As the sun begins to show itself more often it's a lot more pleasant to walk around town. Restaurants are readying their outdoor dining spaces for the warmer weather to come, and there is no more ducking into doorways to avoid sudden downpours or stepping into ankle-deep water rushing in the gutters. Yes, I think it's safe to say that Spring is finally here. Well, that's supposing we don't get a sudden reversal. Hopefully winter won't reappear, belatedly bring us the cold weather that never quite arrived when we expected.

Here at Word for Word spring flowers and herbs have appeared in front of the store, together with a box of "SALE" books. Finally I can put them out where they can be seen without getting drenched by rainshowers. Soon I'll be looking for a cafe table and chairs - a little outdoor space for both my book and espresso customers so they can enjoy the fine weather to come.

I'll be closed on Saturday to celebrate my husband's birthday, but will be back for my regular hours next week: Tuesday - Saturday, 10AM - 6PM. I'll have to figure out my summer hours soon, but not yet. Just now I'm basking in the warmer days, anticipating our weekend escape to Port Townsend.

See you when we return refreshed and with new stories to share!

Tapping Into My Inner Blogger

2010-03-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Once upon a very long time ago I was bitten by the language bug. There is no known antidote, and so I blog. Hopefully future posts will be more focused, but this will serve as an introduction to me, Susan, and to my charming little storefront bookstore and espresso bar, Word for Word. This is the second incarnation of Word for Word and is a very intimate version of the original, offering an eclectic selection of both paperback and hardcover used books in all genres. In March of 2009 I re-opened Word for Word as a way to be actively involved in my community. Bookstores are magnets for interesting people with issues to discuss, and so I've recently added both a reading room and an espresso cart to better serve my customers. Please feel free to drop in and visit when you find yourselves in this area. Be advised that there are often quite interesting discussions taking place and your input is always appreciated. I'll look forward to seeing you!