Brie Mathews

Hi All, I know I said you wouldn't hear from me until July, but I felt it very necessary to post this letter written by previous owner Laura Snyder. Brie Mathews Transplant Fund by Laura Snyder on Friday, May 18, 2012 at 1:56pm Dear Friend,  What if you were living on borrowed time?           For Brie Mathews, being healthy is a luxury she would love to enjoy. She was born with a heart condition that required three open heart surgeries when she was 12. Even with her longtime health issues, she lived a relatively normal life until she became extremely ill in 2010. She is now battling congestive heart and liver failure, and doctors say a heart/liver transplant is critical to her survival.Now she spends nearly all of her time in bed, too sick and weak to do the simplest tasks.             Despite these challenges, Brie loves life and refuses to take even one day for granted. She is grateful for the love and support of her husband, Brian, and their family and friends, who mean so much to them both. She looks forward to the transplant that could give her back the active, independent lifestyle she once enjoyed. She hopes to one day resume her favorite activities of gardening, photography, hiking, reading, camping and enjoying nature. But right now, she needs your help. Unfortunately, Brie’s hope for a new life will come at a very high price. A heart/liver transplant could cost more than $1 million. And that’s only the beginning. Even with health insurance, she’ll still face significant expenses for follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications for the rest of her life. Post-transplant medications can be very costly, and they are as critical to her survival as the transplant itself. To receive medical care while awaiting her transplant, Brie and Brian have temporarily relocated from Oregon to Texas, incurring substantial expenses for travel, food and lodging. For seven years, Brie loved working at a bookstore on the Oregon coast, but her declining health forced her to stop working. Not only does this add to her financial strain, but she really misses the customers and diving into new books. What if your life depended on the compassion and generosity of others? The National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) is working with volunteers and supporters to help relieve Brie’s growing burden of expenses. NFT has been assisting transplant patients with fundraising support for 29 years. Your gift—of $25, $50, $100 or more—will enable NFT to provide Brie with the financial support she desperately needs. You can help by visiting http://patients.transplants.org/briemathews to make a tax-deductible donation to NFT in her honor. Like · · Share Laura Snyder http://patients.transplants.org/briemathews to donate! It is secure and only takes a minute to donate.

National Foundation for Transplants - General Donation patients.transplants.org Use this page to see campaign donations. View all totals and watch them grow to ...See More

Another Scheduled Reading

Okay, so here's the deal...I was trying to edit the May/June letter and couldn't for the life of me find the edit button, therefore I had to add this information separately.

We had a good deal of interest in Dr. Catherine Al-Meten that we decided to have her again to do readings Sunday, May 20 from 11:00a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Lucy's Books.

Dr. Al-Meten is warm, kind, friendly, and very knowledgeable, which will put any anxieties to rest. Drop in or call Lucy's and schedule a time that's convenient for you!

May/June

I had written this three times, this is the fourth. If I lose this into cyber space yet AGAIN, the next blogg will be after I get back from Japan which is reason number one in combining two months. The other is that no matter how hard I try to make time at the store to write, something always takes precedent. How's that for sounding professional? Well, as I said above, we will go to Japan to join our youngest son, Andrew, and his wife, Ai, in their wedding ceremony. Yes, they are already married...it seems in Japan, to get hitched all you have to do is apply to the government and it is so. The ceremony will be a "Western" wedding, Japanese style. Weddings are expensive and Japan is no different. Ten thousand dollars will get you a pretty nice ceremony being that the average price going for these events is around thirty thousand. Yes, that's right. Andrew said that ten thousand was the best price. And custom there is that everyone gives a monetary gift of 300,000 yen, or $300, to the happy couple. Most of the wedding paid for! Our other son, Samuel, and our daughter, Nicole, will join us there. This is the first time in four years that we will all be together. I'm looking forward to that! Summer seems to be the time for relaxing with a fun book. Here are some suggestions: NON-FICTION: Turn Right at MACHU PICHU by Mark Adams. A man, a mountain, a rediscovery. Wild by Cheryl Strayed. A woman, a trail, 1,100 miles. FICTION: A Year On Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball. Three women, a farm, funny results! Weird Sisters by Elenore Brown. Three sisters, a family home, life experiences. EVENTS for MAY at LUCY'S BOOKS: Intuitive Catherine Al-Meten will be giving readings from 4:00p.m.-9:00p.m. at Lucy's Books, 348 12th Street, Astoria. Call to find out pricing and to reserve a time OR just walk in. 503-325-4210. See you in July!

It's March!

Wow, how the time flies. And I totally blanked out on February. I tell you, those two readings in February were back-to-back and extremely exhausting. It is always a worry when you plan these events; you stress about if people will show up, and if they do, will it be two, three, five...any? Then you worry about the expectations of the author and did you meet them? So, February was definitely a learning experience, one that moves me up that good ol' learning curve a bit more.

Again, I am so appreciative of this community and their support. Through these slow months they still come in to Lucy's Books. Sadly, my wonderful employee has to move away so I am on my own here ordering books (she did most all of the ordering) and hoping I am meeting most of the tastes of the customers.

March has come in like a lion, I wonder if it'll go out like a lamb? The weather today has been wild...hail, rain, more hail, then hail again, now broken blue skies. What a roller coaster of precipitation.

This is the time of elections...the campaigning has begun. Now we have to pay attention to candidates and their policies (this is my reminder, really). I wish the "Occupy" had stronger roots so we could have made a difference in the Government. Don't get me wrong, I am not one to overthrow those who govern, but when will we get the "Honest Abe" person(s) in office? I know talking politics is a very sensitive issue and I don't want to offend anyone reading this. We have to weigh the good with the bad then make our best choice.

PLEASE NOTICE THE CHANGE OF TIME FOR KRISHNA IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS:
Events for this month:
March 30, 2012 @ Lucy's Books from 7:00p.m.-8:00p.m., Scott Teitsworth's reading and signing of his new book Krishna in the Sky with Diamonds
which will be very interesting and informative. Call Lucy's Books for more information at 503-325-4210.

January News

And January is halfway over. How about that? I thought the older you got, the slower the days. NOT TRUE. The two truisms: death and taxes. So, live on even if the days fly past. And taxes, well, there you are.

After Christmas the store seems empty (of customers) but not books. I'm stocking up on gardening books (for both adults and children) and bird and nature logs for kids. Got to get ready for spring...it's time to plan the garden, plot the plans out on paper, and dream of the bounty that will come at the end of summer! Until then, while those little seeds are warming up and growing, it's time to take the children or grandchildren out to watch those flighty feathery friends. Record what you hear and see, look through the binoculars; observation is another way to teach ourselves to just be still. Remember: make sure the books are indigenous to your area.

Some books that I have in the store for such gardening and birding events are:

GARDENING
Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older by Sydney Eddison

The Pruning Answer Book by Lewis Hill & Penelope O'Sullivan

Gaia's Garden by Chelsea Green

The $64 Tomato by William Alexander. This memoir is about a man who was on a quest for a perfect garden, and the cost to grow one of his Brandywine tomatoes.

It's a Long Road to a Tomato by Keith Stewart. This gardening, nature book is about how a man quit the big city for the life of organic farming.

For Children:
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy. this is a gardening book for parents and children.

BIRDING
Again, remember these books are recommended for Oregon and Washington. You can order these specific for your region.

Lone Pine puts out a beautifully illustrated book Birds of Oregon by Roger Burrows & Jeff Gilligan

The National Geographic Field Guide to Birds edited by Jonathan Alderfer.

Audubon Pocket Backyard Birdwatch by Stephen Kress

For Children:
Beginning Birdwatcher's Book by Sy Barlowe. This is a Dover Children's activity book that includes stickers of birds, facts about their habitat, eating habits, bird size, and more.

So, getting ready for spring will be a fun read.

Now, events coming up:

January 26, 7:00 p.m.- at Lucy's Books -this is the first night of Lucy's Books book club. We are reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka.

February 9, 6:00-8:00 p.m.- at Lucy's Books - a book signing by Charly Heavenrich. His book Unimagined Gifts will be the focus. Charly is a Master Storyteller, Personal Life Coach, and Expert on Change Management. He has quite the career going so check out his website www.charlyheavenrich.com.

February 11, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Lucy's Books - a book signing evening with Northwest author Richard Powers who wrote The Astoria Chinatwon Conspiracy. The evening will also include discussion on the writing and publishing of his novel.

March 30 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Lucy's Books- an evening with Scott Teisworth and his discussion and signing of his book Krishna in the Sky with Diamonds More to come about this in the February newsletter.

I want to thank Kayla Sewell for her tender and sweet note. Yeah, it brought tears to my eyes. If it had'nt been for students like her, I would have quit teaching long ago. Kayla, come visit me when you are in town!

Season's Greetings, Happy Solstice, Merry Winter, and December Celebration to All:

We have had a busy season so far. Many thanks to loyal Lucy's Books customers!
We could not survive without you.

The weather has been mild here in Astoria. We have had many sunny days that is not typical during this time of year, so I'm told by the NBA's (native born Astorians).
I on the other hand am a ABC, Astorian by Choice. Just a little bit of local jargon and trivia that always seems intriguing with small communities.

The Christmas Season, Hanukkah, and other Celebrations are fast upon us- I had planned to get something out before now. It is a season for giving and forgiving. Of buying gifts, those special ones, that makes the receiver tickled down to their toes. Of giving good cheer, and continuing it in the New Year. Giving is the easy part- forgiving might be a little harder for me. I have been pondering over this for a few weeks, not to mention worrying too.

What's on my mind is the greed of a large online company that, paired with the ever smarter smart phone, is now offering a discount when a person goes to a store, scans the ISBN number or code off an item, then buys it through that large online company which the customer will receive five dollars off the already discounted price. This is, to me, not just (as in fair) business practice...it encourages and propagates greed. It is unethical and underhanded. How will the small business owner survive this onslaught- he can't compete on their level. Is it the end of the small businesses in this country? We've heard about the middle class disappearing...is this yet another step involved in that? How did the Grinch get so...so selfish, fat, destructive, and gluttonous? It is unforgiving if small businesses go under because of the big cyberspace company's need to eek out every last dime.

On a happier note...I still have to be grateful to this community here in Astoria who still believes in having a small bookstore in town and supporting it when they can. That's love and devotion. And a great Christmas gift for Lucy's. We'll keep on plugging through despite the obstacles.

Wow, these books have been popular here and flying off the shelf...if you have any holiday cash to spend between now and after the season, check these titles out (if you haven't already):

Fiction:
Faithful Place by Tana French
Swell by Corwin Ericson
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Non Fiction:
The Dirty Life:A Memoir on Farming, Food,and Love by Kristen Kimball
Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg
Profit Over People by Noam Chomsky
Matter Horn and What It Is Like To Go To War by Karl Marlantes
Working in the Shadows by Gabriel Thompson

Young Readers:
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
The Graveyard Book by Niel Gaiman

Children's:
I Want My Hat Back by John Klassen which won the Best Illustrated Children's Book Award from The New York Times.
The Frog Wore Red Suspenders by Jack Prelutsky, and this book is a New York Best Seller plus it's a selection of the Junior Library Guild.
Ugly As A Toad by Jullie Fox. This simple book shows how things can ALWAYS be worse. Tommy is a toad who thinks he's ugly. However, what would be worse than that? Well, you could be an ugly toad WITH ants in your pants and butterflies in your stomach! Being a toad isn't so bad,eh?

Have a Happy Season and a healthy New Year!

November Already!

Can you believe it? November. How time does fly when you're selling books.
November brings to mind fall leaves, cold crisp days, blue blue skies (not always available in Astoria), cocoa, and (gulp, do I really say this?)Football. Charlie Brown football, I mean. AND November means curling up with a good book.

Some of the books that are piquing my interest (and if I get the time I'd like to read all of these) are: Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr, fiction, which tells of a young American Japanese girl growing up in a small town. Of course more happens to thicken the plot but this is always a subject that is tender, hurtful, and ever present in our society STILL.

The next read, Christmas Exposed, by the outspoken newspaper- The Onion- which provides a tongue in cheek satire about mall shopping, dysfunctional family events, and more. Now, remember here, these are books I haven't read yet so I have to go on what I sneak peek through the pages and from reading the back of the books.

There are two children’s series that are calling my name:
The Secret Series written by Pseudonymous Bosch (the author’s name alone makes me want to read the book); with the first book titled The Name of this Book is Secret . This is a mystery around finding a dead magician's diary and trying to find immortality.

The second series The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart is about an ad in the newspaper asking children to take a series of mysterious tests. Only four of the most intelligent and resourceful are chosen to go on a secret mission.

I’d love to hear what you have read and recommend.

As far as the store goes...I'm still climbing that learning curve, and I certainly have made my mistakes and foibles. A very humbling lesson. I will learn from this and grow.

Happy Thanksgiving.