Thank you to everyone who commented on my new site and first blog. I really appreciate the kind words. My sister Allison says I should write about the time she put a big garbage bag full of hand-me-down baby clothes in the backseat of my car as a surprise, but realized 10 hours later she had actually put her GARBAGE in my car, since they were both by her front door.

Imagine my surprise when I opened my car (which had been sitting in the sun all day) and was greeted by the smell of cat litter and rotten eggs. Good thing I love my sister.

So I just discovered in my diary that there was a point in my life I didn’t like reading! I couldn’t believe it. Here’s what I wrote on February 14th, when I was ten years old:

“Today was pretty great. I got 11 valentines, and Miss Goodman gave out big heart shaped lollypops, were they ever delicious! We also didn’t have reading witch I’m glad about. We had science. I love science! It’s so neat! I pulled a fast one on Mrs. Lahm in piano. I said I had my report on Beethoven in my Chord Speller, but I also forgot my Chord Speller! From, Wendy.”

I love the fact that I spelled Beethoven correctly, but messed up on witch/which! The very next day I apparently had a change of heart. You’ll notice below that my best friend was also named Wendy, except her last name started with a “B”. A lot of the stories in Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall were inspired by our “misadventures”. Wendy really helped a lot with the end of the book, too. She’s a very deep person. She’s probably never even HEARD of American Idol. Which I’m about to go watch as soon as I finish this. But I digress.

February 15
“Lunch time was the best! Me and Wendy B. got to stay in Mrs. Horey’s room and look through magazines for a picture of a typewriter for the talent show. I found one, but Wendy B. found two and Mrs. Horey took hers. We did have reading today. It really wasn’t that bad. I think I’m beginning to like it. After school I played with Robin. It was fun. Allison said Bobby smiled at me. I don’t know if I should believe her. From, Wendy”

I seem to remember that back in 5th grade when I wrote these things, “reading” meant reading out loud, not reading to ourselves. I was very nervous having to read in front of people. I’m glad it didn’t scare me away from reading on my own, because I can’t even imagine my life without books in it. Although there would be a lot more room in my house!

Check out my Author Pals section for some new photos from this weekend. And below is a sneak peek of the cover for my next book, Every Soul a Star. It’s not coming out until September but I really love the cover and couldn’t wait to share it.

Parting thought: “We do not see things as they are. We see them as WE are.” - Kare Anderson

Cheers,
Wendy

So did everyone see the lunar eclipse the other night? Wasn’t it awesome?? I took this picture from my backyard and magnified it.

My fingers almost froze, but it was worth it. When I was working on EVERY SOUL A STAR, which is about a total eclipse of the sun, I got hooked on eclipses. I think it’s so interesting that the whole country could have seen this eclipse of the moon (unless it was covered by clouds), but only the smallest areas of the earth can see an eclipse of the sun. We tried to use our new telescope, but every time we centered the moon in the eyepiece, it moved again and we lost it! (The earth constantly rotates, so you have to keep moving the telescope in order to keep something in view). We’re so clueless about how to use it, that we finally had to give up before we missed the entire thing. You’d think the moon would be too big to lose! Apparently not! Binoculars worked almost as well though.

As promised, here’s another excerpt from my 5th grade diary:
“Dear Diary,
I’ve been thinking, when everyone asks me who my boyfriend is I always say Bobby, but a boyfriend is when you like the boy and the boy likes you. Now I’m all mixed up.
Yours Truly, Wendy”

I’m glad to say I finally got THAT all sorted out!

On the last page of the diary I had my younger-by-a-year sister Jennifer “rate” me at the end of each day. Here’s how I did:

Day One: Wendy is a good kid most of the time. We get into fights but we usually make up. She’s smart. 10 +
Day Two: Wendy did not get a good rating today. No offense. Good kid!! She’s tricky. -5
Day Three: We got along good today. She’s nice. 10
Day Four: Wendy was very nice to me today so I am going to give her a very high rating. 100.
Day Five: Wendy let me make rice krispy treats and she gave me TWO complements. 1000+

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that we’re all different people to each person who knows us. Our parents see us one way, each of our friends another, our teachers a whole other way, etc. No one really gets the whole picture because we act differently around each person. We show different sides of us. This is what made me choose the opening quote for my second book, LEAP DAY – “The real you is who you are when no one’s watching.” So in keeping with this theme, I thought it would be fun to look back over my old report cards to see what my teachers thought of me:

Grade 3 – “Now that Wendy has begun to rely on her own good judgment, instead of a friend’s, her workbook and worksheets are much improved.”
Ok, so is this my teacher’s way of saying I was...gasp…CHEATING? Harrumph!

Grade 5 – “Wendy’s papers should be done more neatly.”
I’m sure this was true. My handwriting is still horrible.

Grade 6 – In the section under “Personal and Social Growth” my teacher wrote: “Inconsistent self-control.”
What does that mean? That I answered questions without raising my hand? Did I get up and dance on the desk? Alas, it is lost to the sands of time.

At least my 8th grade Hebrew School teacher appreciated me! She had this to say on my progress report: “Wendy is a lovely girl and a real pleasure in the class. She has a high interest level and great ability to learn. Let us teach her and encourage further studies in Judaism! Let’s also try for better attendance!” I love the dig at the end about how often I was absent. I’m not surprised. After all, instead of using a rabbi when we got married, my husband and I each had a close friend ordained over the internet to co-officiate. Instead of a rabbinical robe, his friend wore a college graduation gown, while mine wore a long black coat like Keanu Reeves wore in the Matrix movies. Actually, it WAS the one Keanu Reeves wore (or at least the Halloween costume version). Instead of reciting the prayer over the wine during the ceremony, my friend mistakenly recited the prayer over the Chanukah candles instead. It was pretty funny. Maybe if I hadn’t been absent so many days during Hebrew school I could have prepared him better. :o)

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful Leap Day on the 29th (or HAD a wonderful Leap Day, depending on when you’re reading this!). I had a lot of fun learning about what it would be like to be born on this day when I was doing the research for LEAP DAY. Take advantage of this extra day and do something special. I’m planning on learning a new magic trick and donating business clothes I don’t wear anymore to my local Dress for Success branch. You can also donate fancy dresses like prom and bridesmaid dresses to the glass slipper project (www.glassslipperproject.org) which offers prom dresses to girls who might have trouble affording them otherwise.

Leap On, everyone!