Dear Reader Column 11-18-09

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Dear Reader,

It's one of those mornings when I feel a little on the confused and grumpy side, so it's difficult to write. I didn't get enough sleep last night. Too hot, too cold, too hard, too soft, I even went into the guest room hoping to find Baby Bear's "just right" bed, but nothing could help me get back to sleep.

My internal clock seems to still be off with the change in daylight savings time. When it gets dark, that's my signal to put on my pjs, grab my quilt and pillow, and start snuggling in for a good night's sleep. But when I'm thinking sleep at 6 p.m. (that's when it gets dark here now) and I'm asleep by 6:45 p.m., my internal clock is ready to roll out of bed eight hours later, but it's only 2:45 in the wee hours of the morning.

What does this girl do at 2:45 a.m.? Last night she came up with a hilarious idea for today's column. Wrote every word, but only in my mind, and now my mind's too tired and the funny isn't within reach. So I'm turning over the rest of today's column to book club reader Mary Ellen Weiler.

Mary Ellen responded to this week's Energy Fairy and multi-tasking columns and her email was just way too funny not to share. (And she saved my writing behind today, but that's what reading friends are for, right?)

Take it away Mary Ellen, I'm off to take a nap. . .

"Dear Suzanne,

My idea of multitasking is chewing on a cookie while swallowing coffee. Your list exhausted me by reading it. By the time you described the second 8 minute and 30 second time period, I was fanning myself while rooting for you. 'Go Suzanne!'

I used to be better at the multiple tasks. I could dress my daughter, make breakfast, and get the gum out of her hair. Now I am amazed if I can get myself dressed and find the hairbrush.

Christmas. Wasn't it just Valentine's Day? I'm not ready for this. I am still eating chocolate bunnies, and candy corn. Now where did I put the box with the tree. It's a small tree-about 3 feet, it can get lost. Maybe it's in with the curtains? No, that's where the printer is. It's got to be behind the snow shovel in the spare room.(don't ask.)

Yesterday you spoke of Energy Fairies and such. I say we mate the Energizer Bunny with the Fairy and get some serious help out here. Enjoy those flowers. I can smell the cookies from here, and isn't Monk cute?"--Mary Ellen Weiler

Thanks for filling in Mary Ellen. Could you email me your phone number in case I can't sleep again tonight?

If you missed Monday or Tuesday's column, you'll find them at: http://dearreader.typepad.com/

To enter this week's free book giveaway The Power of Pause, go to: http://tinyurl.com/ygs9mxw

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

KIDSBUZZ: This week, books for all ages about fitting in, magic and adventure, humor, and reconciliation from: Rose Kent, Kimchi & Calamari; Charlotte Kandell, The Scarlet Stockings; Randall de Seve, The Duchess of Whimsy; and Valerie Patterson, The Other Side of Blue. For a chance to win free books and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz

* This month's Penguin Classics book is Under The Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson. To comment on the book and get some holiday recipes from Suzanne, go to: http://tinyurl.com/NovClassics

Comments

[Kate]

Your internal clock just wants to go back to its "normal" pattern, according to a story I'd heard on NPR some months back. Sleeping through the night is a modern development resulting from electrical lighting. Our ancestors would go to bed when it got dark, sleep for about 4 hours, then spend a few of the wee hours awake (reading by candlelight or pursuing other quiet activities), going back to sleep for a few more hours until it got light outside. Bodies aren't fooled by clocks and the silly stuff we do to them!