Dear Readers: My apologies to those of you who consulted this list earlier, and made plans to be at, say, Trinity Church on Sunday the 7th of November. All events through that day have been canceled or re-scheduled due to a family tragedy: My grandson Andrew Michael (“Drew”) Griffith, born on October 22, 2010, died on October 27th due to the complications of his birth. Though he lived only five days, he was deeply loved and will be sorely missed. Yours, Kate (“Granny”) Braestrup

EAST SANDWICH, MA. Nov. 9, Author Event and SIgning, Titcomb’s Bookstore (time TBA)

WELLESLEY, MA. Nov. 10 Author Event and Signing, Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills 7:30pm

MYSTIC, CT. Nov. 11 Author Event and Signing, Bank Square Books 12:00

WASHINGTON, DC Nov. 13 speaker, Aftershock Conference (more info TBA)

NEW YORK, NY Nov. 14 Author Event and Signing, All Souls Church (Lexington and 80th St.) 1:00 pm

NEW YORK, NY Nov. 17 Guest Preacher, Marble Collegiate Church (29th St. and 5th Ave) 6:15 pm

PASADENA, CA. Nov. 28 Speaker and book signing, 10:15 am

SAN DIEGO, CA./MISSION VALLEY: Author Event and Signing, Borders of Mission Valley 7:00 pm

SANTA MONICA CA. TBA

Reader Sue Bonk offered the following blessing tale after reading the article/excerpt in November’s “Good Housekeeping:” It’s lovely. Thank you, Sue!

“I wanted to share a blessing. After our daughter was born, a Catholic Nun shared a story about her youngest sister. The sister had married a Menonite and took on his faith. This had the entire family shocked and saddened. The Nun shared her reaction with me and said she had no concerns about her sister’s new faith, as long as she would always bless her children. I did not know at the time that this Nun had lost a baby at one time. She felt that God shines a blessing on all and it is our job on earth to help him spread the blessing. This gave me pause and I started blessing our daughter with the following blessing, gently tapping the body parts I included: Bless your forehead and Bless your nose… Bless your mouth and Bless your toes. Bless your elbow and Bless your knee….Bless your tummy and God Bless Thee!
When our daughter gained language she told me that I needed to Bless
her other eye too…then we realized that because I hurried through this ritual she thought I was blessing an eye when I was blessing her head. Whenever other children visited I would Bless them too and they always had me write it down to take home for their families.”

Announcing a new book, BEGINNER’S GRACE! Due out November 2nd (Free Press/Simon and Schuster).

Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly:
Beginner’s Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life
Kate Braestrup, Free Press, $25 (256p) ISBN 978-1-4391-8426-4
Braestrup (Here If You Need Me), a Unitarian Universalist minister who serves as chaplain to the Maine Warden Service, graciously escorts true prayer into real life. In her fourth book, Braestrup approaches prayer from 24 angles, including from the threshold, in mixed company, for enemies, before service, and with laughter…She understands that prayers can be posture and presence but never formulaic: “They need not be factual, but they must be true.” Braestrup’s voice registers in a wide range–from scholarly to deliciously earthy (she declares God a “noodge”) to motherly–as she plaits a story strand about herself with a good hank of biblical exegesis, then finishes with personal ribbons, drawing material from her family… and her friends in ministry and law enforcement…Braestrup remains a persuasive pastor, praying right through the amen.

(For a preview, see the November issue of Good Housekeeping, p. 168)

Events and Appearances:

SYRACUSE. NEW YORK: Sunday, October 31 Sunday Service
May Memorial UU Society in Syracuse, NY

CAMDEN, MAINE Tuesday, November 2 6:30 pm Author Event and Signing, Camden Public Library

HAVERHILL, MA. Saturday, November 6th 7:00 Author Event and Signing. The Universalist Unitarian Church of Haverhill

BOSTON, MA. Sunday, November 7th 10:15 am Author event and signing, Trinity Church in the City of Boston

EAST SANDWICH, MA. Monday, November 8th, Author event and signing
Titcomb’s Bookstore

WELLESLEY, MA. Wednesday, November 10, 7:00 pm Author Event and Signing Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills.

MYSTIC, CT. Thursday, November 11 12 noon, Author event and signing, luncheon (yay!) Bank Square Books

NEW YORK, NY Sunday, November 14 1:00 pm Author event and signing, All Souls Church, Lexington Ave. at 80th Street

NEW YORK, NY Wednesday, November 17 6:15 Guest Preacher for evening worship, Marble Collegiate Church, 1 W. 29th St. (at 5th Ave)

PASADENA, CA. Sunday, November 28, 10:15 am Adult education talk and signing, All Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Ave.

SAN DIEGO/MISSION VALLEY, CA. Dec. 8th, 7:00 pm
Author event and signing, Borders Bookstore, 1072 Camino Del Rio