I'd Rather Be Reading

A Year of Family, Travel, Art, and Millie Two months into 2026 and we’re already exhausted and shellshocked. That said, I’m taking this opportunity to look back at 2025 – another auspicious year, but for me, it was a year of discovery, creativity, travel, and even some jazz hands. In no particular order (and lord knows I’ve forgotten some details - I don’t even remember what I had for lunch today), here is my list of accomplishments, including one big thing in each category. Crafting: I have reinvigorated my inner Martha and made some cool stuff. Along with painting wine glasses, starting an art journal, painting a bit, purchasing a copious amount of art supplies (So. Many. Brushes.), I made a crib quilt for my new great-niece, Audrey Lu! I now meet with a small group of passionate, talented women to create, chat, gripe, encourage, and support each other. And sometimes, there's even a bit of wine involvement. Audrey Lu. Family: The Schwabs are a far-flung but tightknit gr...

To Sue Wilson, with Gratitude and Love As you go through your career, you often get a question something like, “Who is your mentor?” Mine was Sue Wilson, who passed away in early November. Here are some things she taught me. I met Sue the day I applied for a job at Borders Book Shop on the outskirts of Castleton Square Mall , in Indianapolis…let’s say, 1986 or so. At the time, I worked for a little independent bookstore owned by a mother and her daughters, at the Indianapolis Union Station mall. It wasn’t ideal; in fact, it was a bit like Cinderella – mean mom, two lazy sisters, and me. But after a couple of years, I knew I could run that store alone, with its (woefully understocked) shelves and huge espresso machine. When my brother Mike told me about the new Borders opening, I scoffed. These women needed me!  But soon after the store opened (and the little Cinderella store was planned to close for good), I wandered into Borders to apply. Store #16, the fourth store in the system,...