I just want to read!

I got a book in the mail today. Not just any book - it's the brand new book by Amy Grant, Mosaic, Pieces of My Life So Far. My friend, Karen, sent it to me. I guess it's accurate to say Karen is my friend; we've never laid eyes on each other but have communicated via email for the past several months. A friend of a friend put us in touch with each other because Karen's writing a book and I fancy myself a bit of an editor. I've enjoyed reading her work and hope in some way I've helped her.

I don't know Karen well, but I do know one thing that makes me instantly like her: she is a major Amy Grant Fan. Yes, we are capital F fans of Amy Grant, and both of us have been for years. So when we found out that her book would be out this October we were thrilled. And in a lovely gesture, Karen offered to buy me the book to thank me for helping edit her work.

The book came in the mail today and I cannot put it down. Well, I don't want to put it down, but shortly after I started it I then had to get lunch ready for my children. Ugh, did they really need to eat?! I should have made them get cereal so I could continue reading.

When lunch was finished I thought I could sit and read a bit, but no. Someone had a question about Dog Jack, someone else couldn't remember how to add two-digit numbers, someone else needed help diagramming prepositional phrases. ARGH! I just want to read my book!

After I wrote that paragraph someone needed 30 minutes of help with Wordly Wise vocabulary. Do these children not understand the Amy Grant book came today? Hello???

In the height of my Amy Grant fandom heyday, when a new Amy Grant record would be released my Mom would dutifully drive me to the Christian Armory bookstore on Lawrenceville Highway where the staff knew me by name. They'd usually have a copy reserved for me, along with whatever promotional posters or pictures they didn't need. I'd take the tape home (I felt so advanced that I'd progressed from vinyl to cassette tapes) and play it over and over and over again. I'd read the liner notes and go over the words of the songs as she sang them. Endlessly. Just ask my sister.

And now, the new Amy Grant book is here and I cannot read it.

I know you're thinking, "Well, quit typing about it and go read it!" But the problem is as soon as I sit down to read a child will need something. With this I can type as I get a moment here or there. (For instance, I've been adding to this post for the last 90 minutes.) With her book I just want to sit and savor the words. I really don't want to start reading about her life and then have to stop to encourage someone to practice the songs the piano teacher assigned as opposed to Jingle Bells, which was not assigned.

I guess I'll just have to wait until tonight. I'm sure I can find a way to carve out a piece of my life to read about hers.