I am still having conversations with customers every day in the store about the huge impact author Sherman Alexie had on each person and, hopefully, our community.  I planned to write more, but I think I’ll let one of Mr Alexie’s quotes, stated during the presentation at the High School, speak for itself.  Thanks to all the individuals and organizations who made his visit possible.

We are sold out again of Sherman Alexie’s many books!

I’ve nearly blown my first resolution to make some decent resolutions.  Usually they boil down to “do better”  which is less than desirable in specificity.  And I have to make a few goals for the store every year.  I’ll list them here and open them up for comment, in the interest of #1 of course!  Notice I do not resolve to have a neat and orderly back room.  As of January 10th, and 150 people bringing us books, from one bag to 12 boxes per batch, I am not foolish enough to think I can keep that resolution beyond one day.

1.     Keep blog alive as communication tool with customers

2.     Keep store alive as a community asset and as a community of book lovers

3.     Don’t buy so many old books for store:  I obviously love old and vintage books and tend to load the shelves with them.  Obviously too, I am a minority here and need to leave room on the shelves for the popular contemporary works.

4.     Keep buying old books:  If used book stores and libraries don’t keep old books on the shelves, how else will they be rediscovered?  How will we combat ebooks if the old books are forgotten? What about all of those wonderful illustrations and covers?  I don’t know about the wisdom of stocking old books from a business perspective, but I do feel a little like a crusader here – I just need to remember BALANCE, right?

5.     Make fewer mistakes.  Well there are not too many, but I sure hate them and feel terrible, so less would be better.

6.     Make more room for western history and nature writers, again.  Shrink sociology, womens studies, and political science, again. 

7.      Shrink Religion and Christian Living, again.  These books come in by the ton, and virtually none leave.  If you have interests, better let me know, because I am NOT stocking so many any more otherwise. 

8.    Display childrens  books better to generate interest:  The reality is that few children browse for books anymore.  They either come in knowing what they want or see something interesting right in front of them.  There are MANY wonderful kids books on the shelves, as sellers we need to try and be familiar with as many as possible and display them well in order to point kids in the right directions.  I can’t read them all, so keep feeding me your recommendations please!

9.     Have more storytimes.  I know perfectly well that I enjoy reading stories more than the listenees enjoy listening, but hey, SOMETIMES they remember and look for a wonderful book!

10.   Read more books.  Of course that should be on the personal resolution list, but I can’t give any decent recommendations if I haven’t read the book, which makes it a CAREER REQUIREMENT, and therefore not a selfish indulgence to read instead of doing laundry.

I do look forward to enjoying another year with my wonderful customers.  Thank you for your kind words, patience and support.  May your 2011 be richly blessed, and full of good books!

If you live in the Owens Valley, you have probably heard by now that the Bishop Bronco Football team WON the CIF section championship. The first championship since 1957!  I am incredibly proud of them, as much because they overcame the jitters and anxiety such a big event generated as for any other reason.  It has been an exciting week to see the community support grow to an unprecedented level.  I personally learned yet another lesson from the whole escapade….waving is wonderful, and probably therapeutic.

Kristen Carr, also a football mom, was the genius behind the Bishop Tailgate Parade from Vons to the field.  With an extra girl in our house for the weekend, we thought she and Katie would have fun decorating the truck and joining in….but we were really expecting about ten vehicles with goofy  parents tootling on down to the field with maybe a honk or two.  Instead, there were more than 100 decorated vehicles and people emptying from stores and motels, the fire and police departments, and the whole early afternoon crowd at Rusty’s, to line up and wave along Main and Line.  The boys on the team were not even there since they were already suiting up and getting ready, it was just the enthusiastic supporters cheering and waving to each other.  It was so moving;  just amazing to feel that much positive energy all channeled towards these kids, one of which happened to be my baby.  (okay he is 6’2″ and will hate me calling him baby, but he is).

Remember the reading chains we stretch around the store in the spring?  The Read Across America project has elementary kids and community members contribute links to a paper chain that is then stretched along Main Street, from Penney’s to the fairgrounds last year.  Yes it is a wonderful visual/physical  embodiment of how many books the community reads, and hence how important reading is, but the best part I think for the kids is all the cars waving and honking to support them!  I have said both years that the waving was everyone’s favorite part of the event!

And yet another example –  my kids use Sierra Street to get to school in the morning, and for several years they have counted it a good day if “the waver” was out to greet them.  This gentleman came out nearly every morning and just waved at each car as it went to school or work.  He certainly always looked happy to do it, and as I said, it made our day to see him, so that has to be a win-win situation!  I have not seen him lately, but hope he is still at it.

As our Bishop Broncos played teams from Pasadena and Palos Verdes, the Southern California media made a big deal of the “small town” experience, and and the unique “atmosphere” the city teams would face in Bishop.  We laughed when that theme came out in an LA Times story, since the other finalist team was Boron, and have you seen Boron lately? I think it should be considered small.  Apparently though, proximity to the Big City made up for small population, and they do not have the same qualifications for “small town USA” as we do.  The Times had to mention that the team went waving through the Christmas Parade, but they really should have seen the tailgate parade!  

So to all of my friends and customers that waved us through town to support our boys, THANK YOU.  You made my day and probably the year.  If you are a more sophisticated sort that missed the whole thing or thinks this was all a silly display, let me suggest you give waving a try.  Yelling is good too; “Go Broncos!” works really well, and I am sure Huskies, Eagles or Warriors would as well if you happen to be in those neighborhoods. 

And Soccer Teams?  I am keeping my posters handy – I am all ready for another CIF championship parade!! It should make you glad to know we have the right “atmosphere” here in small town USA!