Peg Kehret Blog

Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite meal of the year, even though I am a vegetarian who has not eaten turkey for over twenty years. I love stuffing. I was at Anne’s house yesterday and she uses soy “sausage” in the stuffing; I eat the extra that’s baked separately, out of the bird. Her alternative to the canned green beans/soup/French fried onion rings dish is steamed whole green beans tossed with slivered almonds and browned butter. Yum. I also love homemade cranberry sauce, Anne’s yeasty potato rolls, and pie. Lots of pie! Everyone contributes to the feast. Kevin’s brother-in-law makes the world’s best pasta salad and his sister inherited her mother’s talent for pie baking. This year I took a fluffy sweet potato casserole (made with applesauce and beaten egg whites) and a pecan pie.

Even more than the food, I love the family traditions that go with Thanksgiving. Anne’s table was covered by a cloth embroidered in Fall colors decades ago by Carl’s mother. The Haviland china belonged to my grandmother. Lovely crystal salt-and-pepper shakers were from Kevin’s mom, as was a favorite pie tin. The cranberries were served in a Steuben glass bowl that had been my mother’s. Delicious food fed our bodies while fellowship and good memories nourished our souls.

After Thanksgiving dinner, some of us played Bananagrams, my new favorite game. I’ve always like word games, but Brett is the champion. My problem with Bananagrams is that I don’t like to hurry, and this is a fast-paced game. In games, as in writing a book, I prefer to ponder over each word, to deliberate and rearrange and consider alternatives. I lose word games that way, but my books are better than if I rushed through the writing.

Stolen Children  is a nominee for the 2010-2011 Golden Sower Award, which is the Children’s Choice book award in Nebraska. The Golden Sower committee sent an author questionaire to each nominee, then included the answers in a manual for teachers and media specialists. The questions were so unusual that I’m posting them, and my answers here.

1. What is under your bed? (Be honest)  My cat, whenever I have company.

2. What is the best place for you to write your books? I have a small office in my home, with a view of the woods. I often see blacktail deer, elk or rabbits outside my window.

3. If you weren’t an author, what would you be? A librarian, or maybe the owner of a small book store. If I had the physical strength, I’d like to work for an animal rescue organization.

4. Where would you like to go on vacation?  I’m lucky in that I have traveled a lot and have been able to go to almost every place I’ve ever wanted to see. I still hope to get to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

5. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know. When I lived in California, I sang with the Oakland Symphony Chorus. So did my husband.  My favorite movie star is Toto, from “The Wizard of Oz.”

6. What would you do with a million dollars? I would establish a trust fund and use the proceeds to pay for mobile spay/neuter clinics to go into low income areas and do free spay/neuter surgeries on cats and dogs.  I already give a portion of my royalties to support two such clinics. Unfortunately, my royalties have never been a million dollars.

7. Tell us about a time that you got in trouble at school. I never got in trouble at school. I loved school and was a good student. However, I got in trouble at Girl Scouts for talking too much.

8. If you could eat lunch with anyone, who would it be and what would you eat?  Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine. I would thank him for his work. As for the menu, it would be a vegetarian meal and would include chocolate milk shakes.

9. What is the most unusual job you have ever had?  One of my volunteer jobs was “Dirty Dog Driver.” I picked up filthy dogs from the Humane Society and drove them to a groomer who volunteered her services. The dogs were bathed, clipped, brushed and generally made more presentable and, therefore, more adoptable. During the time I was a Dirty Dog Driver, my car always had a rather strange odor.

Thanks to the Golden Sower Award committee for interesting and fun-to-answer questions.

Last Friday my Dutton editor called me to say that when she arrived at work that morning there was a package on her chair, addressed to me. She said it was from a school in Texas, and asked if I knew what it might contain. I had no idea. Then she said, “It’s postmarked last June!” She didn’t know where it had been hiding since it was delivered five long months ago. I suggested that she open it, but she preferred to send it on to me, which she did.

The long delayed box arrived yesterday. When I opened it, I was delighted to find a lovely plaque announcing that Trapped won the 2008 Children’s Crown Award, presented by the National Christian School Association. I’m embarrassed that the sender had to wait so long to receive a thank you from me, but delighted to add this meaningful honor to my credits.

I was spoiled and toasted all last week. My birthday celebration included dinner at the Karp’s (with chocolate birthday cake and the pleasure of holding Simon, their six-week-old grandson,) two lunches with friends, a gift of Small Steps toilet tissue from Jenny & Jerry, many phone calls and e-mails, and a wonderful birthday lunch with Anne, Kevin, and Eric. Thanks to the many readers who sent me greetings.

On Saturday I did a book talk and signing at Garfield Books in Tacoma. This is a wonderful independent book store which serves the community as well as Pacific Lutheran University. Their author events are in a cozy area with a gas fireplace and comfortable chairs - homey and inviting.  Many parents had brought cameras, and an overstuffed love seat was perfect for having my picture taken with individual young fans.

I’ve been reading books about wildlife, particularly black bears and deer, to educate myself about the creatures who share my land. I normally have five or six books checked out of the library at all times. When I read one that I especially like, I buy it so that I can loan it to others, keep it to reread, and support the author who provided me with pleasure and/or information. Last week after reading  The Hidden Life of Deer  by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas I purchased two copies, one for me and one for my neighbor who has named each of the deer who frequent our woods and can tell them apart.

I get the most wonderful gifts in the mail. This week I received a beautiful pewter cup - the 2009 Virginia Reader’s Choice Award. It arrived in my mail box because middle grade children in Virginia voted The Ghost’s Grave  as their favorite book last year.

The pamphlet from Camelot Pewter which accompanied the cup explained that it is called a Jefferson Cup because it is a replica of cups owned by Thomas Jefferson.  In 1806 Jefferson received two large silver beakers from the estate of a friend. Later he had a silversmith convert them into eight smaller cups with rounded bottoms. These cups were used by Jefferson from 1810 until his death in 1826. Four of the original cups are on display at Monticello today.

I’ve always had a special fondness for Jefferson, partly because he is the author of the Declaration of Independence but also because his 6000 books were the original volumes in the Library of Congress. Anyone who owns 6000 books is a person I would enjoy meeting. That can’t happen, but I will cherish my Jefferson Cup. Thank you to the children of Virginia.

The same hunter who illegally shot the bear two weeks ago was again hunting on the public trail behind my house. Other homes also adjoin this trail so it is dangerous and irresponsible, as well as illegal, to hunt there. This time he shot a beautiful buck that I had enjoyed watching earlier that afternoon. The buck ran onto private property which is posted No Hunting, and died there.

The angriest letter that I ever received from a parent was in response to The Hideout, which is about bear poaching. The man ranted at me for trying to brainwash his child and turn him against the fine sport of hunting.

I was awakened by the telephone at 11:45 Sat. night. It was actually later, since I had turned the clocks back before I went to bed. “Hello?” “I read Small Steps.  My teacher loves your books.”  I asked the kid if he realized it was 11:45 p.m. and he said, “Oh, it’s 12:45 here in El Paso, but this was the only time I could call you.”  Fan phone calls are an increasing problem for me. Periodically I remove my phone number from as many web sites as I can, but it always comes back.  Although I don’t want an unlisted number, it may soon be necessary.

There have been many good days, too, including an afternoon at the Children’s Bookshop in Puyallup with a huge group of young fans, their parents, and members of W.O.R.D. (Washington Organization for Reading Development.) I was there for three hours, spoke twice because the crowd kept changing, and signed 175 books. We ran out of Runaway Twin in the first hour so the store took orders and I will go back this week to sign those.

Also fun: a ragtime concert with friends and dinner at my house afterward. Eric came down the next day to help me with leftover pie.