On a recent work trip, I was clumsily making my way from security to departure gate, when something caught my eye in the airport gift shop.

There it was–the “bad” display–an eye-catching, so-bad-it’s-good, naughty-but-nice example of reverse psychology that worked on me for completely different reasons: I smiled (and maybe squealed a little), as if I had caught sight of an old friend.

I always travel with a book–I may pack a good beach read for summer vacation or my next book group pick for a long weekend, or the pages of a book I’m editing (okay, maybe it’s not a  book yet) into a tote for the subway ride — but flying falls into a different category for me. I put down the sensible reads (and not going to waste a beach read on the plane!) and pick up a magazine, a puzzle or game book, or something light that will make me laugh so hard I’ll forget that my legs are too long for the space, my headphones don’t work, and there are four more hours before we land.

I turn back to that “bad” display–these are things that we arm ourselves with: Something to keep us laughing to ourselves, silently shaking the seat as we try to contain it. Or something to make us smarter as the air thins and our brains seem to droop a little.

And, I admit, there was this little swell of pride when I realized that wherever I go, there we are. Nestled right between the froggy washcloths and the cowboy-themed tea towels.

The Place: Mood, mecca of fabulous fabrics and site of Project Runway’s high-speed shopping sprees

The Book: A much-loved, much-referenced copy of Diana Rupp’s S.E.W.

Come across any Workman books in the world? Snap a pic and post the link in the comments section!

Something clicked in my meditation practice this week. It happened not while I was sitting in a peaceful room or doing a lovely “walking meditation” in the park on one of those fleeting spring-like days last week… no, I felt something click as I was doing the most mundane of household chores: folding laundry.

Truly, is there more irritating a household task than folding laundry, particularly when you have a billion and one other things to do? Given my distaste for it and my tendency to get it over with as quickly as possible, it seemed the perfect task for an “everyday activity” meditation. Sharon Salzberg says that meditating while doing a routine task can be “a time of coming into the moment, paying attention to your actual experience, learning about yourself, deepening your enjoyment of simple pleasures, or perhaps seeing how you could approach a task more skillfully.”

So, as I folded towel upon towel, t-shirt upon t-shirt…  as I matched each pesky little sock with its mate, I made a conscious effort to focus carefully on every step of the process, to be mindful of each and every part of the  experience–the feel of the cotton, the smell of the fabric softener… the smooth clean lines of a folded towel and a neat stack of pajama pants. Before I knew it, I was actually enjoying the experience of folding laundry. I began to feel an overwhelming sense of peace, and for the entire rest of the evening, an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Since that moment, I’ve been slowing down, keeping myself aware of the satisfaction of small tasks that I’d normally take for granted or even intentionally rush through: Making and drinking a cup of coffee.  Painting a room. Sweeping a floor.

As Sharon says,  “In an ordinary day we can be moving so fast that we lose touch with quieter moments that could nourish and sustain us.” I’m beginning to see what she means.

Click here to read a fascinating interview with Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation.

My previous Real Happiness posts:

Week 2

Week 1

Taking the Challenge

As we count down to the the swankiest, most prestigious, most hobnobbing-est awards show of the season, the Oscars, we’d like to pause for a moment to appreciate the unsung heroes of Hollywood. We’re not talking about producers, directors, editors, or costume designers, all of whom get their due somewhere on the Oscar ballot. No, we’d like to celebrate the assistants. Yes, behind every HPP (Hollywood Power Player) is a great assistant, or often, a whole team of them, from casting assistants to production assistants to art department assistants, and beyond.  Check out the IMDb page for any one of this year’s nominees–The Social Network is lousy with them!  Assistant to Mr. Fincher (nominated for Best Director), assistant to Mr. Sorkin (nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay)…if only there were an Oscar category that  recognized their work.

Assistants are gatekeepers–they’re the ones with the first crack at reading scripts, and they’re the ones who answer their bosses’ phones.  That means that in all likelihood, before it was a hit movie, The King’s Speech was just another screenplay in a pile on a lowly assistant’s desk, and before Natalie Portman got on board, maybe it was an assistant who saw something in Darren Aronofsky’s twisted vision for a ballet thriller.  Whoever wins on Sunday night, we hope they remember to thank their assistants–and maybe throw in a bonus while they’re at it.

While a statuette may remain elusive for a while, those with entry-level Hollywood dreams should be sure to check out The Hollywood Assistants Handbook by Hillary Stamm and Peter Nowalk, the only book out there that gives the skinny on la vie assistant: landing a job in entertainment, living in L.A., and succeeding in the industry are well-covered.  You never know, this year’s assistant could be next year’s nominee.

It’s inevitable—somewhere around hour 23 of the Oscars, you’ll start to get restless. Much of the food you painstakingly prepared (or, let’s be honest, hastily unpackaged and arranged on a serving tray) will be picked over or lifeless. The popcorn bowl will be empty save for unpopped kernels and an oily slick of salt. One lonely caulifloweret will sit sadly on the crudité tray. But you’ve made it this far, and the guests who haven’t begged off for an early morning meeting or departing babysitter will look to you—their fearless host—to keep them going until Best Motion Picture.

How, then, will you keep your listless friends entertained? Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You Belong on a Film Set by Tony Bill. Recite your favorite passages. Quiz your guests (do they know the difference between a taco cart¹ and a honeywagon²?). Heck, even distribute copies and read quietly to yourselves while poor Randy Newman gets passed over for Best Song—again. It’ll get you through the mid-show slump in no time.

1: A cart carrying grip equipment. Named after the ubiquitous southern California sidewalk vendors.

2: The crew’s portable toilet truck or trailer, coyly named, as if to spare the crew’s delicate sensibilities. The origin is from honey bucket, a slang term for a bucket or container that was used when a toilet wasn’t available.

Here is a list of a few things that kids love, in no particular order:
1.       Gross stuff

2.       Making a mess

3.       Making things explode

4.       Experiments

When you combine all of these, and throw in some pictures and facts, you have the most dynamically explosive and dangerous book, perfect for boys and girls who want to make things and learn about them too. We give you, THE BOOK OF POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SCIENCE by Sean Connolly. Sean made his way through five cities and six schools last week, wreaking havoc and demonstrating some of the best experiments from his prize-winning book.

Those watching learned a little about friction with Newton’s Science Friction and got messy with the crowd-pleasing Edward Jenner’s Germ Experiment. In the photo you can see a group of 4th, 5th, & 6th graders from Knapp Forest Elementary School in Grand Rapids, MI, with their eyes glued on Sean.

The tour ended in Washington DC as Sean accepted the 2011 AAAS & Subaru SB&F Award for Excellence in Science Books in the hands-on category presented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Quite the honor!

On Sunday, Sean appeared at the AAAS Family Science Day, where he presented the great video made by the Workman Studio and demonstrated more of his dangerously cool experiments. Even The Washington Post took notice!

Cheers to our friend for bringing a first-place prize back home to the UK and representing Workman children’s authors!

Welcome to Inside the Author’s Studio, where we give you a peek into the minds of your favorite Workman authors.

Today we step inside the mind and studio of Randy Sarafan, author of 62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer, and Community Manager at Instructables.com, where he’s hosting a computer hacking contest called Keyboard vs. Mouse. Don’t forget to enter!

Recent book you loved/learned from

Everything Flows by Vasily Grossman.

Favorite bookstore

City Lights Books.

Hidden talent

Baking.

Bookmark, dog-ear, or virtuality?

Bookmark.

Book you are most ashamed never to have read

Creativity: Theory, History, Practice by Rob Pope. I keep reading the first half of the book, getting sidetracked and then starting over.

Most frequent form of writerly procrastination

I am constantly starting new things at the expense of everything else that I am working on.

Favorite childhood book

Anything with Curious George.

Alternate ambition

Musician.

Your perfect meal

Authentic NY-style cheese pizza.

Big dream

I’d like to take over a ghost town in the New Mexico / Colorado high-desert and turn it into a community for new media artists, hackers, and pizza chefs.

Super power of choice

Invisibility.

So, Keyboard or mouse?

In light of being a judge for the upcoming Keyboard vs. Mouse Speed Challenge, I can’t yet pick sides.

Mac or PC?

Mac all the way.

What Workman book would you like to receive as compensation for your involvement?

Cooking Jewish seems like it could come in handy in my household. (I currently make chicken parmigiana for every Jewish holiday.)

—

Randy Sarafan is the author of 62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer.

Think you know your American presidents? Now that you’ve read up on the two commanders-in-chief whose birthdays—and presidencies—we’re celebrating, test your knowledge with our Presidents Day Brain Quest Challenge! Then tell us how you did in the comments.

1. Who was the only President born on the Fourth of July: Calvin Coolidge or George Washington?
2. In 1801, which President was welcomed to the White House with a 1,235-pound piece of cheese?
3. Who was the youngest candidate ever to win a presidential election?
4. Who is pictured on the $50 bill? (Hint: He graduated from West Point in 1843.)
5. Which President appointed the first female cabinet member: Franklin D. Roosevelt or Rutherford B. Hayes?
6. Does the Vice President live in the White House with the President?
7. Have more U.S. Presidents been named William or George?
8. Who was president of Columbia University before he became President of the United States?

Answers

1. Calvin Coolidge, in 1872. (And both John Adams and and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826.)
2. Thomas Jefferson. It was inscribed, “The greatest cheese in America for the greatest man in America.”
3. John F. Kennedy. He was 43 years old when he was elected.
4. Ulysses S. Grant (Genius Points!)
5. Franklin D. Roosevelt. He appointed Frances Perkins as his secretary of labor.
6. No, the Vice President and his family live in separate quarters.
7. William. There have been four Presidents named William and three named George.
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower (Genius Points!)

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Thanks for playing, and happy Presidents Day!

—Avery, who is thankful for the 19th Amendment.

Presidents Day honors two of America’s early presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays—February 22 and February 12, respectively—fall so close together that they get to share a federal holiday. Before you crash into the long weekend, take a crash course in two of these most iconic of American patriots, courtesy of the “Presidents” Fandex Family Field Guide. Then hit the deck (of cards, that is) to brush up on the other forty-one.*

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

Add to this “first in the presidency of the United States” and you have a fairly comprehensive picture of the Father of Our Country, George Washington.

Washington started his career in public office as surveyor for Culpeper County, VA. By 1753 he was an officer in the army, and two years later he was named commander in chief of the Virginia militia. An early proponent of colonial self-governance, Washington earned his title as national hero during the Revolutionary War when he led the Continental Army to victory. In 1787 he presided over the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, where the Constitution of the United States was adopted. Two years later Washington took the oath of office and became the first president of the United States. It was Washington’s idea to have a cabinet. In short order, the Bill of Rights was approved by Congress and the new government empowered to raise funds by taxation. But laying the groundwork for the American government as we know it certainly didn’t go to his head: His diary entry for March 4, 1797, the day he relinquished the presidency to John Adams, read in its entirety: “Much such a day as yesterday in all respects. Mercury at 41.”

“Dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Self-schooled, sinewy, and intensely singular, Abraham Lincoln changed for all time the course of human history.

In 1847 Lincoln began a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, forging a name for himself as a man of strong principles indelibly expressed. But it was not until the enacting of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, sponsored by Senator Stephen Douglas, that Lincoln’s righteous indignation was fully roused. In 1856 he joined the new Republican party and two years later ran for the Senate against Douglas. Taking a firm stand on the most divisive issue of the day, Lincoln proclaimed slavery fundamentally evil. Though he won the debates against Douglas, he lost the election—but won the presidential election in 1860. The challenges he now faced were grave—seven Southern states had already seceded from the Union. On April 12, 1861, the Civil War burst into being. In 1863 Lincoln issued his great Emancipation Proclamation declaring slavery unlawful in the rebelling states. The Union forces routed the Confederate troops at Gettysburg, and on April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on the steps of the Appomattox Court House.

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*Yes, Barack Obama is widely considered president #44. But Grover Cleveland was the only POTUS to serve two non-consecutive terms, making him #22 and #24. So technically Obama is the forty-third unique president of the United States!

—Avery, who thinks that William Henry Harrison (#9) could have been a great president, if only he’d worn an overcoat.

Whew. Week 2 really put the word CHALLENGE in “28-day Meditation Challenge.” Not only have I had a nasty cold all week, but I’m also in the process of moving.  Attempting to find a peaceful space in my maze of boxes and bubblewrap, and then trying to focus on congested breathing slightly reminscent of a chainsaw… yep, it’s been a challenge. Thus, I must confess that I didn’t follow the book’s program as closely as I should have this week—and I only got through one complete meditation session.

But! What a satisfying session it was. This time  I listened to the first track of Sharon Salzberg’s guided meditation CD that comes with the book—and let me just say, for anyone trying this program or any meditation program for the first time, I can’t recommend the CD highly enough! It’s a wonderful tool; it really helped me focus and made a huge difference in my session.

Truth be told, I was afraid the recording would be a bit… hokey? Hippie-dippie? I asked myself, do I really need this, anyway? I was preparing to cringe as I hit play, but I was so pleasantly surprised once it began. It’s straightforward, rational, and very calming. Sharon’s voice has a naturally soothing quality, and she seems to choose the exact right words to say and the right moments to say them. She leaves long quiet spaces for you as she coaches you through the meditation.

I see now, after this week’s session, how badly I’d needed the extra guidance. This time around I felt a greater awareness of myself, a sense of connection between my body and my mind that lasted well beyond that session. I still haven’t noticed any drastic changes in my day-to-day emotions or feelings of wellbeing, but for now, that “connected” feeling is pretty neat.

I’ll continue with the program this week, moving on to the next track on the CD, and I’ll report back next week about how it goes. In the meantime, check out blog posts from the numerous other (much more articulate!) people trying out the Real Happiness program….

My previous Real Happiness posts:

Week 1

Taking the Challenge