|

Jolabokaflod- An Icelandic Book Flood and Signing at the Wenham Museum

Hello My Darlings!!

I recently learned that Iceland has a dreamy Christmas tradition involving the gifting of books on Christmas eve, followed by a night of hot chocolate and reading together by the fire. This is my idea of a perfect night (I would add in dancing and jumping on the couch, but a great book, cocoa and a roaring fire on Christmas eve? Sign me up!)

This tradition is called Jolabokaflod which translates to a “book flood,” I would like to make this a tradition in my own household!

I learned about Jolabokaflod when the quaint little town next to me decided to host its own version of a book flood this year by hosting several local authors, including me. I wasn’t feeling very festive or up to it on Sunday (due to a family tragedy), but my kids encouraged me to get out of the house. Now if you know me, you know the more sad I am, the more sparkly I dress, something about cheering myself up. So I donned my pink elf costume, loaded my car up with books, and drove over to the Wenham Musem where I set up a table full of pink feathers, all 5 of my books, and even some postcards on my documentary. By happenstance, I was set up next to a horror book writer who’s table was covered in skulls and dark fiction, a perfect contrast to my exploding pink bonanza. His name was Rob Smales and I bought two of his books! (They looked scary! Especially the one about the monster centipede in the laundry room, based on a true story!)

I delighted in meeting the other authors, and was interviewed by WBZ Boston. You can listen to my little interview here:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-wbz-newsradio-1030-audio-28657113/episode/wenham-museum-embraces-traditional-icelandic-book-134471779/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-wbz-newsradio-1030-audio-28657113/episode/wenham-museum-embraces-traditional-icelandic-book-134471779/

Similar Posts

  • | | |

    Have You Ever Wrestled with a Rainbow Unicorn? How About a Hegelian Dialectic? Or an Ancient Text?

    This morning I woke up to the scent of baking bread and literally floated down the stairs on a cloud of cinnamon. My house guest, Alma Luce is a stress-baker, meaning this morning, she made three loaves of braided cinnamon-sugar challah bread, black beans and rice and molasses cookies. Alma Luce is a blue-eyed eighteen-year-old girl who is 6-feet tall with waist-length blonde hair that is currently dyed red and a smattering of new piercings and tattoos, all appearing in…

  • Burlesque Stars with Questionable Memories

    I can’t believe she didn’t remember me! How could she not remember me? I performed with her every week for more than a year! I sat in her crappy van with her while she practiced her opera, drank a gallon of water, and glued austrian crystal rhinestones on her shoes! She used the van to transport her props–her giant champagne glass, her costume made of more than a thousand peacock feathers, her enormous gilded birdcage, the one with a fountain…

  • Heaven, Hell, and the Easter Bunny

    Tonight I was trying to get Annabelle to go to sleep. I reminded her that the Easter Bunny was watching her and would probably really like it if she would fall asleep without whining or crying. She glared at me, stuck out her tongue, and then immediately clapped her hands over her mouth and shook her head, saying, “I’ll never do that again.” She knew the Easter Bunny was watching. The babies are completely off schedule after our week of…

  • Magical Morning

    We had such a magical morning. After retrieving the stuffed goldfish Henry was swishing in the toilet bowl, I turned on some beautiful classical music and set up the watercolors. Annabelle is at that age where her drawing has changed into people-type figures with heads and arms and legs. It’s amazing to watch. Henry is at that age where he sucks on his paintbrush and drinks the paint water. In any case, this is one of our favorite ways to…

  • | | | | |

    Looking for Clarity on a Foggy Morning

    I woke up feeling blue. I stumbled through my usual routine: grateful list, brush teeth, comb hair, put on mascara, fold laundry from last night and start the next load, toddle downstairs for a cappuccino, water my flowers… As I was watering, I listened to the birds chirping and watched the fog laying heavy over my yard like a thick gray blanket. I love fog, I have always loved fog. It seems to mystical to me, like something magical might…

  • Eartha

    I’m so sad Eartha Kitt died–one of my idols. Her music immediately transformed my car, my house, my parties, into complete fabulousness. She transported me to a glamorous world where women are one unto themselves, not needing anyone else to complete them. My best friend in high school, Matt, loved Eartha even more than I did. He had all her albums and he took me to see her at the Carlisle Hotel in New York for one amazing night. Matt…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *