Well a miracle occurred and we got out, went downtown and on out to Beaverton for a book reading - on a week night! Very few people could lure us so far out of our usual (and admittedly, a little lame) routine, but Gayle Forman is one of them! A dear friend who has been in our lives for almost 25 years, Gayle has lived in New York forever and we don't get over there even a fourth of how much we'd like to, so luckily - Gayle is famous, and goes on book tours which bring her frequently to Portland, so we get to see her anyway!!!! Hooray! Gayle's smash hit, best-selling, made-into-a-movie YA novel called "If I Stay" made her a world-wide phenomenon, and the last time we saw her was when she was here promoting its sequel. This time she is here for her newest novel called "Leave Me". I am very intrigued by the story as it's about a mother who works so hard doing everything for everyone that she has a heart attack and doesn't even know it. Wow! Having just survived the birth-18 years I have a lot of compassion for her. Mind-blowingly difficult no matter who you are, or who your kids are, motherhood in particular is literally a blood-letting. Physical at birth, and emotional all down the line.The all-encompassing love, desire to protect and teach your children is sometimes at war with your need for peace. For personal space, for room to think, for a personality that you might have forgotten you had. No matter what whether motherhood is bliss or bellyaching, whether it's the best thing ever, or just not for you, I think we can all agree that it is INTENSE. How we handle that in our own ways would make a million books, a million movies. I'm looking forward to seeing how Gayle's character handles it, and I'm guessing somewhat like Gayle seems to be herself. With a true heart, damaged or not. Because how do you get through life without a little heart damage, anyway? 
Also - it was a karoake book signing. It's a thing I hear! Gayle's choice was "Total Eclipse of the Heart" which took me back to MTV at my parent's house, circa 1983 or 1984, squinting at the teeny, tiny BLACK AND WHITE TELEVISION we had! Can you believe that?!! I might as well have come over on the Oregon Trail! A black and white freaking tv. Like a 12" square tv. Tiny. Wow. Ok, moving on....HOORAY FOR WEEK NIGHT ADVENTURES! And weekend ones, seeing as it's Friday!
Happy weekend everyone! xoxoxo DR
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