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Friday, November 16, 2012

Smucker Satisfaction -- and a Giveaway!


I was never a normal child. To any of you who have known me for more than a few minutes, this fact will not come as a big shocker.

As in, my parents would take away my Reader's Digest as punishment instead of sending me to my room...at the age of six. Yes, I was that nerdy.

But Reader's Digest wasn't the only written literature I loved. From first grade on, I fell in love with the Register-Guard, Eugene's daily newspaper. Except for the business section, I read it cover to cover every morning.

(And yes, I somehow managed to find an incredibly attractive husband. Real men dig smart girls!)

One of the treasures I soon discovered was a column called, "Letters from Harrisburg." Written by a Mennonite minister's wife, it told the adventures of raising six children in an old farmhouse in Harrisburg. Even in elementary school, I remember being shocked that the RG would publish someone who wasn't a hippie or a PETA member. It gave me hope.

So I started studying Dorcas Smucker's secrets of a good essay. And over the years, I've had plenty of chances, because she's flat-out brilliant.

That's why I was so excited to review her fourth book, Tea & Trouble Brewing. As in, she has now personally e-mailed me and sent me free books. I love my job. 

 
 
Presented as a collection of essays, TATB can be read in any random order. But random isn't a word I would use to describe Dorcas Smucker. More like deliberate, hysterical, surprising and relatable.Why do I love Dorcas' writing? Simple.

1) She reminds me of my mother. And that's the biggest compliment I could give anyone. They both have six children, three boys and three girls, some biological and some adopted. They both live in the country and love it. They both are laugh-out-loud funny, most of the time on accident and without realizing it. They both dig Leslie Sansone's walk workouts. They both run the show quietly, mostly while serving and in the background. And as my mother says, "I could never be Amish, but I think I could be Mennonite." Ding ding! Dorcas has been both!
 
  Future best friends? I think so!


2) Dorcas' life is nothing like mine...and exactly alike. So she is fluent in Pennsylvania Dutch and wears a head covering. Suffice it to say her childhood was slightly different than mine. But really, after reading all four of her books, I'm still shocked at how similar we are. Her world -- the Willamette Valley, the joy of raising a bummer lamb, rambunctious boys lighting things on fire, the passion to serve God, family and community -- is my world. And I think, even if those things I just mentioned aren't part of your everyday life, that you will reach a similar conclusion.

3) She's subtly hilarious. I love ridiculous humor (hence my love for both "Father of the Bride" films and "Nacho Libre"), but I also thoroughly enjoy the kind that makes you smirk, then giggle, then finally crack up. Dorcas is the latter kind of author. While watching her son Ben give a speech, for example, she was immensely proud. A normal feeling for a mother. But then: "But I still clutched Paul's [her husband] hands like I was giving birth, and when Ben got a standing ovation, I went wilder than a Mennonite mom ought to go" (from "On Truly Winning," page 31). I may or may not have spit out my cereal in appreciation upon reading that gem.

4) Her writing is impeccably genius. This isn't some random blog with a few funny stories thrown together. These pages are chock-full of carefully-crafted beginnings, middles and endings. One specific reason I love Dorcas' writing? She ALWAYS connects her final paragraph to her first in a way that perfectly ties up the package. That takes serious talent and years of work.

So what does this matter to you? Glad you asked. Just for reading this blog, YOU can win a brand-new, autographed copy of Tea & Trouble Brewing!

Simply leave a comment on this blog (NOT Facebook!) with your name saying:

1) Why you would like to win
OR
2) Your favorite kind of tea...or trouble.

I will randomly choose a winner on Sunday morning, contact you and mail you your hot-off-the-press copy! (Winner must live in the U.S.).

If you're not the lucky winner, never fear. You  can still order a copy for yourself. Or send a $15 check to Dorcas at 31148 Substation Drive, Harrisburg, OR 97446.

Whether you're a winner or not, check out Dorcas' blog and her Facebook page. (Yes, Mennonites have Facebook pages). Happy tea-brewing!

 
 

15 comments:

  1. This blog tour for Dorcas' new book has been such a delight! A new and well-written review every day and a whole fresh smorgasbord of great writers whose blogs I may peruse! =)
    My favorite kind of tea is just your regular orange pekoe and pekoe cut black. I have at least one cup every morning. =) Having raised (alongside my husband) five children, I've had my share of trouble too. One that stands out in my mind is the time my then 8 year old youngest son decided that if an air mattress floats, so should the one from his bed. He was a skinny little person and how he ever hauled that heavy old cotton stuffed/button sewed old thing down the stairs and out to the above ground pool, I will never know. But haul it he did, and heaved it up and over the side, whereupon it promptly sank like a stone. Oh yes, and it turned the water completely green--and completely ruined the mattress.

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  2. I will agree with enjoying this blog tour and Crystal you did an excellent job today. I love reading Dorcas's blog and would so enjoy reading her book. My favorite tea is hard to answer: I drink a lot of different kinds, but I do like peppermint.

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  3. My favorite brand of tea is Twinnings. They are a British tea company. I especially love their Chai teas! I also love making home made orange spice tea..very comforting on a cold, wet day!
    i hope I win because I would love to read this book!

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  4. etsYour review was delightful. While I enjoy many flavors of tea there is nothing quite like fresh (especially the first of spring) garden tea. Not sure what our growing brand was but it had fuzzy leaves. Either hot or cold.

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  5. You might already know my favorite tea - in honor of my British mother of course - Red Rose original tea. I thoroughly enjoyed readying your review, and as I am very sleep deprived right now, it brought happy tears to my eyes. Love you to the moon and back, and I'm so proud of you. I've met Dorcas before, but we live too far apart to really interact. She would be a great friend, I have no doubt!

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  6. I enjoyed your review very much. I love Dorcas' writings, and I'm looking forward to reading this book. My favorite tea is Peach, and Mint is a close second.

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  7. What a good review! I enjoy Dorcas' writing because she reminds me of myself, only she writes better!
    My favorite tea is Ruby Red Chai from Trader Joe's.
    With nine children, many of my days are filled with wonderful "trouble", and I wouldn't trade it!

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  8. I love reading Dorcas's blog and her columns as well. I really should order her books, but haven't so I guess I'll try to win one!
    My favorite tea is probably spearmint, usually hot. I also love vanilla chai (if it's made right) iced or hot. (with whipped cream, of course!)

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  9. I enjoyed your review as much as I enjoy reading Dorcas' writings! I would love winning this book! Dorcas always inspires me and gives me a good laugh to boot!

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  10. I enjoyed this review, and would love to have the book. I have laughed out loud, myself, many times upon reading something Dorcas wrote in her blog. I love her sense of adventure. My favorite tea is something I make before bed time. I steep a teaspoon of chamomile flowers along with a teaspoon of licorice root. It is mildly sweet and very soothing. Caffeine makes me talkative, which is not a good thing, so I avoid teas that contain it.

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  11. It is so much fun to read each review on this blog tour. It is remarkable how Dorcas' writing connects with each person in a unique way. I never get tired of reading her blog entries. They make me smile. Sometimes my family wonders what I'm laughing about and then I get to share Dorcas' stories with them too. My favorite tea is peppermint, but I prefer coffee :) I would love to win Mrs. Smucker's new book.

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  12. It would make my week to win this. Thanks for hosting the giveaway. I love how you said that she reminds you of your mother, because Dorcas often says things in her writings that I know my mother would think but never to say to anyone but me!

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  13. I love reading Dorcas's blog, and I would love to read her book as well. :) I have gotten many a good laugh out of her blog! She is a superb writer. Oh. And my favorite kind of tea is chai. Mmm. :)

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  14. Love Dorcas' style of writing too and would love to win her book!

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  15. I just love her style of writing! I find myself saying, "That's what I meant!" when I read her books. That's why I'd love to win/read her new book.

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I love love love your comments! :-)