Bloom

I've been following a blog for about a year now.  It's called Enjoying the Small Things, and it's about the day-to-day life of a family whose youngest daughter was born with Down syndrome, which they were not expecting.  Even though Kelle can be a bit hippie-ish and uses language from time to time, I love reading her blog.  She's an animated story teller and an AMAZING photographer.  Add her camera skills and her adorable girls, and you've got photographs that make everything in life look beautiful.  

Kelle wrote a memoir, Bloom, which was just published on April 3rd, and if you pre-ordered the book by April 2nd, she would autograph and send you a bookplate.  I've never really been one who has to have books or DVDs or CDs when they're first released, but I wanted that book, and I wanted it autographed!  But I just never got around to ordering it until I realized it was about 10:00pm on April 2nd, so I got to it and ordered my book!  Last Monday when I got home from work there was a sticker on my door from UPS stating that they had tried to deliver my package but couldn't because I had to sign for it, which was going to prove difficult because I'm never home.  So I decided to have it shipped to the UPS store where I could just go pick it up.  Well it had to be picked up by today or it got shipped back, and that was also going to prove difficult since last week was super, SUPER, SUPER busy!  I didn't even have a chance until today to go get it anyways.  When I printed off the tracking information, I clicked on the map to see where this UPS store was, and thought I had a good enough idea that I could figure it out without printing directions.  Silly me.  Of course it wasn't where I thought it was.  There was a number on the tracking info I had at least been smart enough to print and bring with me, so I called it.  It was only the number for their main headquarters and they didn't have the number for the actual store in Johnson City, so I couldn't call and find out where they were located.  Awesome.  The lady was able to give me directions though, which eventually did get me to the right location, but of course took me the long way, and then I got turned around coming back.  What should have taken about 25 minutes ended up taking an hour!  Ugh!

When I finally got home tonight I plopped down on my red love seat, tore open the cardboard box, pulled out Bloom, sniffed its wonderful new-book smell and starting reading.  

 It took all that I had not to flip through and look at all the pictures first, but I knew I'd regret it later and refrained.  I read the intro and first two chapters and then I stopped and ate some dinner.  After dinner I stretched out on the love seat with it, and decided to take off the cover of the book while I read it.  I had no idea there was a totally different look to the actual book, and I loved the picture on the front.  I love red shoes, I have three pairs in the closet right now, and that picture made my heart happy.   

 I read chapters three and four, nodded off and then woke up and read chapters five and six.  There are fourteen chapters all together, so I still have a little ways to go, but I got a good start for my first night!