A Month of Renewal

by Fran McNabb

As I thought about my topic for this month’s Classic and Cozy, I kept coming back to the idea that we’re already to the end of April, the fourth month of the year. This month has always been a favorite of mine and can elicit a smile just thinking about it. (I know, that sounds silly, but it’s true.) In my mind, April is a happy month.

No one knows for sure where the name of the month originated, but some believe it came from the Latin word “aperire” meaning “to open,” such as in the opening of so many flowers in spring. 

The traditional birth flowers for April are the sweet pea and daisy, and, yes, both of these flowers happen to be my favorite. I call sweet peas “old fashioned” flowers. My mother used to have them running up one of her side fences. The sweet fragrance filled the air during the summer months. She’d let me go out to pick a bouquet to put in a vase in our house or to take to some of the older ladies in the neighborhood. I don’t see many of these plants today, but when I do, I think of Mom and her green thumb. The other flower of the month is the daisy. I wasn’t married in April, but I used daisies for my wedding. I just love the simplicity of the flower.

April is frequently the month that Christians celebrate Easter, this year celebrated on April 21. As a child I remember always getting a new pair of shoes and a hat to go with a new dress that Mom usually made. We didn’t have much growing up, but Easter was always special to us. This year the day was cloudless and the temperature warm. After church my husband took me and two other ladies in the neighborhood on a boat ride. What a wonderful way to celebrate Easter!

Lots of other days in April are set aside for special (and some not-so-special) days. The month starts off with April Fools’ Day on April 1 and ends on the remembrance of George Washington becoming our first President on April 30. In between, there are days that many dread, such as tax day on April 15, and some fun days such as National Grilled Cheese Day on April 12. In 1973 the first mobile phone call was made by Martin Cooper in New York City. What would we do without our cell phones today?

April has many other days of celebration or recognition, but to most of us it simply means that winter is ending and warmer days are ahead. It actually is the “aperire,” the opening of something new and exciting—a renewal. As a writer I am reminded this is a good time to renew my enthusiasm for writing. It's easy for long-time authors to burn out. If you find yourself lagging in enthusiasm, find a way to renew that interest. Maybe stepping away from your computer and enjoying other things for a little while will help. Enjoy your family. Read other authors. Relax. Do whatever it takes to renew yourself and your writing life.

Whatever April means to you, I hope you enjoy the last few days of this month.

FRAN MCNABB lives on the Gulf Coast and loves the warmer days of spring and summer so she can enjoy the beaches and water with her husband and family. Using this setting (as well as a couple others) she has published nine sweet romances, mostly dealing with characters trying to start over with their lives. Check her out at www.FranMcNabb.com or at mcnabbf@bellsouth.net

Children and Reading

by Fran McNabb 

On a visit with our son’s family in Louisiana last month, I was able to read to my grandson’s first grade class. I was the “Mystery Reader,” someone who volunteers to come in to read for about fifteen minutes. 

I loved reading to these children. At one time in my life I was a senior English teacher. I’ve missed the classroom and the interaction with the students, but today I saw another side of education. These students weren’t seventeen-and-eighteen-year-old young adults. These were six-and-seven-year olds. What fun and how totally different.

Senior English consisted of analytical writing and British literature from the classics through the present day. Did these seniors get excited over what I was teaching? Maybe secretly some of them truly loved writing and reading the great authors, but mostly these students just wanted to get through the class so they could graduate.

 In this first grade class the children were excited from the moment I opened the book. I read from a Splat the Cat Halloween book. Most of them had read other Splat the Cat books so they knew what
to expect. Some of the children wanted to interject their own Halloween stories so we allowed them to share at the end of the session. Most told about what they'd be at Halloween.

 I loved, loved, loved seeing the excitement in these children’s eyes. It’s sad to think that with each year, most of them will lose their excitement of reading and learning. What happens in those years? As a realist I know as the children grow, their interests will change. Facing the future takes over the excitement of what to wear for Halloween.

Yes, I’m a realist, but that doesn’t keep me from wanting children and adults to love the idea of getting lost in a book and letting their imagination run wild. If they keep this love  and excitement of reading, they'll always be able to learn about the world around them. When a reader opens a book or turns on an e-reader, he or she will usually be exposed to something new. Even in the sweet romances I write, I hope my readers will learn something new—maybe they’ll learn about a new area of the world, maybe a new way of handling an emotion, or maybe realize there are other people in the world who face the same problems they do.

I hope these bright-eyed children who sat on the floor in their classroom  and listened to me read will hang onto that excitement for as long as possible. I know my son and his wife read to my grandson just about every night. The last time I was visiting he wanted to read to me. What a wonderful gift he is receiving, a gift that will travel with him throughout his life.

FRAN MCNABB is a retired English and journalism teacher who now spends her time writing, reading, painting, and spending time with her two grandsons. She writes sweet romances set on her beloved Gulf Coast and many times has included children in her books. Check her out at www.FranMcNabb.com or at mcnabbf@bellsouth.net