cynthialord's Journal
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| Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 | | 7:33 am |
Week Off!
 I did about 50 school visits and other book-related events this past year, and now that summer has come, it's writing time. But first, I have a wonderful week off. My book is scheduled to return to me for a revision next week. So this week, I'm catching up with friends, my garden, reading, my family, my critique partners, Milo.
 And the little friend who lives here amongst the clover, moss, and tiny strawberries that grow wild all over our backyard.
This hole is not far from a bench where I like to sit outside and read. Yesterday, I was finishing Following Atticus, a true story of a man who climbed all of New Hampshire's 4000+ feet peaks during the winter to raise money for charity. He did all those hikes with his small dog leading the way.
As I read, my own small dog lay in the grass near my feet. And every now and then, a little black-striped, chestnut head would poke up out of that hole in the ground to check if we were still there.
He likes to forage under the birdfeeders, because the squirrels are messy eaters, and they spill even more as they leap at the feeders, trying to get in or grab hold.
This weekend, I'm going to see my friend, Tami, whose family owns Poland Spring Campground. I'm looking forward to seeing friends and also the loons and turtles and eagles that live on the lake. But until then, I'm enjoying glancing up from my garden or my book to see my own little wildlife.
 Current Mood:  calm | | Sunday, May 27th, 2012 | | 5:52 am |
Digging in the Dirt
I went to Lowes yesterday to buy some daisies.
But I couldn't resist the delphiniums.
 Current Mood:  gardening | | Saturday, May 26th, 2012 | | 8:40 am |
| | Friday, May 25th, 2012 | | 6:51 am |
Five Things on a Friday
Nubble Light, Cape Neddick, Maine
1. Yesterday I did my last full-day school visit for 2011-12. It was my fifth year in a row at York Middle School (Rules is a core 5th Grade book at York). It was a pea-soup-fog day! But after school, I drove out to Nubble Light. I hadn't been there in years and the fog was salty and wet and beautiful.
 2. It may have been a pea-soup day, but for lunch we had homemade chowder! Yum!
3. At York Beach, the sea roses were starting to bloom. My yard has big bushes of these rosa rugosas, but mine are barely budded. These pinks were stunning, cutting through the fog.
4. My next novel is scheduled to come back to me for revisions in a week or so. It'll be nice to have a week off now to do family things and clear my head and my desk for the book. But I'm looking forward to returning to that world and those characters.
 5. Thank you to the librarians of Mississippi for putting Hot Rod Hamster on next year's Magnolia Award List!
Current Mood:  cheerful | | Thursday, May 24th, 2012 | | 4:43 am |
Finishing up 2011-2012
Today is my last full-day school visit of 2011-2012. It's a school that I've been to four times already, so it feels like I'm off to see friends. :-)
 My assistant is excited to get our summer writing time started! Soon, Milo! Current Mood: happy | | Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 | | 4:30 am |
Wordless Wednesday
 Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Maine. Photo by my husband, John Current Mood: calm | | Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 | | 7:09 am |
Limington, Maine
Yesterday, I drove to the beautiful town of Limington, Maine. Western Maine is full of farms, rivers and lakes, woods, and small towns. It was a gorgeous drive.
 
I visited with the students at the HB Emery School in Limington. I shared Hot Rod Hamster with the PreK-2nd Graders and Touch Blue with the 3rd-5th Graders. The kids were enthusiastic and asked great questions. It was a pleasure to spend the day with them. As I was packing up to go, the second graders gave me a stack of artwork and thank you notes.
 I love how happy Hamster and Dog are in this one. Good friends come in all sizes and species!
 Here I am with Sakara. Don't we look pretty together?
 I told the kids about our upcoming Hamster book and it was fun to see their illustrations for it!
 Yay for Hamster!
 Thank YOU to librarian Regan Vitti and everyone at HB Emery School for a fun day! Or as Hamster would say, "Weeeee!" Current Mood: cheerful | | Sunday, May 20th, 2012 | | 6:30 am |
Penfield, NY
 On Friday, I spent the day with the wonderful staff and students at Bay Trail Middle School in Penfield, New York. The sixth grade reads Rules, and this was my fourth year coming to the school. It's one of my favorite places to visit. :-)
I had a beautiful view at my hotel, and I watched the sun set the night before my visit.
At school, the kids were fabulous and asked great questions. Several told me they were writing their own stories and books and shared those with me.
 At lunchtime, the media team hosted a fun lunch for a group of kids and teachers, including this cookie cake! I had a piece with my lunch, but when they offered me another piece to take on the plane with me for the trip home, I did not say no!
 Here I am with the media team at Bay Trail (Sandy, Mary, me, Ben).
Thank you to everyone at Bay Trail for another amazing visit! Current Mood: cheerful | | Saturday, May 19th, 2012 | | 2:37 pm |
Mayor Buddy's Book Club
 On Wednesday, I took a marathon daytrip to Orlando to participate in Mayor Buddy's Book Club's celebration for Rules at the Orlando Public Library! It was SUCH a great day!
I loved meeting the people who make this happen: the organizers of the club, the volunteers, and the KIDS! Entire book groups came--and even a Sibshops group came (for children who have brothers and sisters with disabilities). One sweet little girl who has a sister with autism didn't even say hello to me--she just rushed over and threw her arms around me. That's one of the many moments I will remember. :-)
There were fun activities based around Rules. In this activity, the kids picked a word that Catherine makes for Jason from a bowl. They had to draw a word card for that word but they couldn't lift their marker off the paper!
 
 
I signed lots of books and met such nice people. Thank you to everyone at Mayor Buddy's Book Club and the Orlando Public Library for a great day!
Current Mood: cheerful | | Thursday, May 17th, 2012 | | 7:27 am |
| | Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 | | 3:30 am |
Off to Orlando!
I'm off on a day trip to Orlando, Florida to meet the great kids and inspiring adults involved in Mayor Buddy's Book Club! Current Mood:  excited | | Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 | | 6:04 am |
Thank you, Hollis Elementary School!
I had a lovely day yesterday with the students at Hollis Elementary School in Hollis, Maine. I had the chance to speak with all the kids in Grades K-5. Everyone made me feel very welcome!
When I walked into the library, I was greeted by a wonderful display of presents for Hamster's birthday from the Kindergartners. Hamster would love all his presents! Here are a few.
Every party needs cake and hats!
 
How fun! A motorcycle and a PlayStation!
 
A new house and a rocketship!
 
And Hamster loves to read! So it's wonderful that his friend the Pigeon came to the party, and Hamster got a new Mercy Watson book!
 
It felt like it was my birthday, too! Look at this wonderful cake we had at lunch!
Thank you to Regan Vitti, the wonderful librarian at Hollis, and to everyone at Hollis Elementary School for an awesome, lucky, groovy-great day! Current Mood: happy | | Sunday, May 13th, 2012 | | 7:03 am |
| | Saturday, May 12th, 2012 | | 4:29 pm |
| | 6:11 am |
Graduation Day!
My daughter is graduating college today. And yet, when I look at her, I still see glimpses of this little girl.
Happy Graduation Day, Julia! Current Mood:  nostalgic | | Friday, May 11th, 2012 | | 5:30 am |
Five on a Friday
DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
1. On Wednesday, I spoke at the Massachusetts Library Association conference in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was a great conference and I had so much fun. Everyone was very friendly and warm to me. As part of their auction, I gave away a signed set of books and a free library visit. I'm anxious to find out who won!
2. My daughter, Julia, graduates college TOMORROW. How can that be possible?! And yet, there it is on the calendar. :-)
3. My little assistant is very excited to get back to work.
4. I've been enjoying this loon cam from Minnesota. I grew up on a lake with loons, and my new book has loons in it. I even had the webcam on when the female laid her first egg (there are two now). It was exciting to see and funny to read the comments on the scrolling chat. It was like the loon had hundreds of Lamaze coaches. "PUSH!" "You can do it!"
5. I'm getting down to the end of my events for this school year. I have six left now, three of which are next week. That will be a busy week: Maine, Florida, New York. Current Mood:  busy | | Thursday, May 10th, 2012 | | 9:10 am |
| | Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 | | 6:25 am |
| | Monday, May 7th, 2012 | | 6:11 am |
A Happy Ending
Back in March there was a story in our newspaper about a pair of bald eagles that had fought each other up in the trees to the point of exhaustion, each gripping the other and unwilling to let go. The Maine Warden service came, and finally one eagle released the other. One flew off and the second eagle was injured in the fall from the trees. Yesterday, I was so pleased to see this follow-up video on the Portland Press Herald website. Current Mood: cheerful | | Sunday, May 6th, 2012 | | 6:14 am |
Rules in TURKISH!
According to Google Translate, the title is: MY BROTHER. Current Mood: pleased |
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