how my blog got its name, or, happy father’s day

I’ve gotten a couple of questions over time about my blog name. Queries such as: How did I come up with it? Does it have a story? If so, will I share? I’ve put off answering until now because I felt that such a special story deserved a special day.

First off, my real, full name IS Cecelia. My friends have called me a variety of nicknames over the years, but mostly I’ll answer to anything in the vicinity of my name, even on occasion to ‘Cynthia’ or ‘Sylvia.’ It’s lovely to have a special, old-fashioned name, but it is a bit difficult for remembering and orthography.

Secondly (for this story’s sake), I came by my love of reading via my family. My mom, though not a big reader herself, was very conscientious about reading aloud to my siblings and I every day. We went through dog books, horse books, Narnia books, adventures and fairy tales, and even a scary tale or three. She read aloud most mornings and some evenings, and on camping trips. I think that was absolutely fantastic, and part of the reason I’m such a bookworm today.

But there were also a couple very special moments in my childhood when I remember my dad reading aloud to me. It didn’t happen often, so that made it all the more memorable. My dad worked from 6am to 4pm every weekday so that he could be home with the family in the afternoons and take every other Friday off. He came home tired most days, but he was always kind, patient, and generous with his time.

You may have already guessed this, but the title ‘Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia,’ is adapted from the title of children’s book The Adventures of Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish. That’s because I remember my dad reading the book aloud to me and substituting my name with Amelia’s every time. When the absurdly literal title character was mentioned, she became Cecelia Bedelia. I must have been six or seven years old, and I thought that that was the height of fun. My dad was telling me a silly story, he was reading it to ME, and for me. Those moments were so special that even now they make me tear up.

So this blog, in a way, is dedicated to my dad. He’s a great man, and a great father. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!