Strawberries in wintertime are something the author cannot recall from his boyhood in Ohio. This changed when his family took a Christmas vacation to Southern California in 1971. He had never before seen the ocean in person; explored tidal pools at low tide; or chased a “grunion run” under a full moon’s high tide. And here is something else magical: fresh strawberries in wintertime! Driving from the farmer’s market stand back to a beach house where his family was staying, Woody ate crabapple-sized strawberries by the handful, by the big mouthful, sweet red nectar dripping down is chin. The following summer the family moved from Columbus to Ventura and strawberries became a year-round fare. Still, in Woody’s mind they have always remained a special treat in wintertime. Hence the title of this collection of essays – each one will lift your spirits, make you smile, and leave you wanting another.
These “Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” – even the few about Loss – will warm your heart with topics including: hellos and goodbyes; celebrating “lasts” as well as “firsts”; old, new and rekindled friendships; childhood and fatherhood (and motherhood, too); wedding anniversaries and graduations; the magic of a jar filled with marbles and the beauty of a messy garage; Batman from his boyhood and heroes from adulthood; and much more that will make you smile, think, laugh and, perhaps, shed a few tears as well.
This collection has been kindly compared to the bestseller “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Further praise includes: “Woody Woodburn doesn’t just deliver pose and poetry, but vitamins for your hear.”– Jon Gold, of the Arizona Daily Star. And: “A great read! Woody Woodburn’s new collection of essays has a local feel and global appeal. From his first view of the ocean and grunion runs to a farmers market where he found those incredible strawberries in wintertime, Woody’s writing is delicious!” – Tom Spence, The KVTA Morning Show
These “Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” – even the few about Loss – will warm your heart with topics including: hellos and goodbyes; celebrating “lasts” as well as “firsts”; old, new and rekindled friendships; childhood and fatherhood (and motherhood, too); wedding anniversaries and graduations; the magic of a jar filled with marbles and the beauty of a messy garage; Batman from his boyhood and heroes from adulthood; and much more that will make you smile, think, laugh and, perhaps, shed a few tears as well.
This collection has been kindly compared to the bestseller “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Further praise includes: “Woody Woodburn doesn’t just deliver pose and poetry, but vitamins for your hear.”– Jon Gold, of the Arizona Daily Star. And: “A great read! Woody Woodburn’s new collection of essays has a local feel and global appeal. From his first view of the ocean and grunion runs to a farmers market where he found those incredible strawberries in wintertime, Woody’s writing is delicious!” – Tom Spence, The KVTA Morning Show
