Thursday, March 31, 2005
Dogs of DOG Street
The main street in Colonial Williamsburg is Duke of Gloucester Street and locals call it D.O.G. Street. My son and I have been interviewing dogs on DOG Street for almost two years. I have presented a book proposal to three publishers, so far without success.
A Lottie reader wanted her dogs to be interviewed, and today I interview Coda and Flash. They were well behaved and handsome. Both are only nine months old!
A Lottie reader wanted her dogs to be interviewed, and today I interview Coda and Flash. They were well behaved and handsome. Both are only nine months old!
Signing Books at Colonial Williamsburg
Part of being an author is signing books. Wednesday I signed books at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. I thoroughly enjoy meeting and talking with readers. I always give readers my business card and invite them to e-mail me. I have a wonderful correspondence with kids around the country.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Sunday, March 27, 2005
The Easter Bunny Came!
The Easter Bunny brought me jelly beans, chocolates, Easter critters, and new earrings. I hope I never get too old for the Easter Bunny.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
I Love Easter
I love Easter. Some people are collectors and I have never really been one. However, for years I have been buying decorative Easter eggs. Every year I hang them from the cabinets in my kitchen at Eastertime. They brighten up my day and I hope they brighten up your day, too.
Happy Easter to all my readers!
Happy Easter to all my readers!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Poisoned Dwarf, Rawls Byrd, and Final Battle
On Saint Patrick's Day, an Irish band named Poisoned Dwarf played at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. What a great group! I purchased their new CD, Six Shades of Green. They played all kinds of neat instruments, such as smallpipes and whistles. They have a vocalist and a percussionist. All together they produce foot-stomping, delightful music.
I'm sure kids must think that the only music I like is classical since I've had a couple of postings about classical music. That's not true at all. I like most kinds of music, and I highly recommend Poisoned Dwarf.
That evening I attended the book fair at Rawls Byrd Elementary School. It was mobbed. I signed lots of book and enjoyed meeting readers. The Media Center at Rawls Byrd under the direction of Viky Pedigo is a favorite place to visit. There is always a lot of fun things going on for kids.
Friday night I was delighted to present awards to the winners of the Regional Battle of the Books. Congratulations to Newport News in the fourth and fifth grade contest and to Poquoson in the upper division. Poquoson edged ahead of Williamsburg to win 37 to 36. What an exciting contest!
Congratlutaions to all the kids who participated in the Battle of the Books. You read great books and were able to answer questions in front of a large audience. You are all winners!
I'm sure kids must think that the only music I like is classical since I've had a couple of postings about classical music. That's not true at all. I like most kinds of music, and I highly recommend Poisoned Dwarf.
That evening I attended the book fair at Rawls Byrd Elementary School. It was mobbed. I signed lots of book and enjoyed meeting readers. The Media Center at Rawls Byrd under the direction of Viky Pedigo is a favorite place to visit. There is always a lot of fun things going on for kids.
Friday night I was delighted to present awards to the winners of the Regional Battle of the Books. Congratulations to Newport News in the fourth and fifth grade contest and to Poquoson in the upper division. Poquoson edged ahead of Williamsburg to win 37 to 36. What an exciting contest!
Congratlutaions to all the kids who participated in the Battle of the Books. You read great books and were able to answer questions in front of a large audience. You are all winners!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Battle of the Books
Children in 100 Tidewater area schools are participating in a reading program developed by the Williamsburg Regional Library. Each year, librarians create two lists of kids' books, one for kids in fourth and fifth grade, the other for sixth through eighth graders. There are 20 books on each list. Kids read the books, form teams in their schools, and then compete to send the winners to a regional contest. The program is its sixteenth year.
On Friday night Williamsburg area teams competed to win trophies and send representatives to the regional battle. Congratulations to the kids from Providence Classical winners of the fourth and fifth grade competition and to the students of Walsingham Academy who won the older division. However, all the kids are winners since they read great books. This year since Lottie was on both lists, I read about half of each booklist. I am richer for the experience and know that the kids who did the reading are richer too.
The final battle is next Friday. I have been asked to present the awards at the regional competition. I'm delighted to do so. What a teriffic program!
On Friday night Williamsburg area teams competed to win trophies and send representatives to the regional battle. Congratulations to the kids from Providence Classical winners of the fourth and fifth grade competition and to the students of Walsingham Academy who won the older division. However, all the kids are winners since they read great books. This year since Lottie was on both lists, I read about half of each booklist. I am richer for the experience and know that the kids who did the reading are richer too.
The final battle is next Friday. I have been asked to present the awards at the regional competition. I'm delighted to do so. What a teriffic program!
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
The Wonder of Mozart
A kind neighbor gave us tickets to an all Mozart choral concert. Eight-six members of the Williamsburg Choral Guild sang Mozart's Requiem and Missa Brevis in d minor. They were accompanied by a 26-piece orchestra and four outstanding soloists sang the appropriate parts.
I did not see a single kid in the huge audience and I felt very bad about this because the program was so powerful. It was the kind of experience that fills the listener with wonder and awe. It just about knocked my socks off.
I never was exposed to classical music growing up and I didn't take any music classes in college. But I aways suspected that I was missing something. It was only in middle age that I took a couple of music classes. And yes, I was missing a whole wonder-filled world. I hope any kids reading this will not wait as long as I did to become acquainted with classical music.
I did not see a single kid in the huge audience and I felt very bad about this because the program was so powerful. It was the kind of experience that fills the listener with wonder and awe. It just about knocked my socks off.
I never was exposed to classical music growing up and I didn't take any music classes in college. But I aways suspected that I was missing something. It was only in middle age that I took a couple of music classes. And yes, I was missing a whole wonder-filled world. I hope any kids reading this will not wait as long as I did to become acquainted with classical music.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
The Writing Life
Perhaps you have wondered what it might be like to be a writer. I'll tell you about my last couple of days and you can see if the writing life might be for you.
On Friday I got yet another proof of my newest children's book off to the publisher. I can't tell you how many times I've read Divided Loyalties. I can say that the discipline it takes to get a book published is much greater than the discipline it took to train and jog thirteen miles.
Saturday Phyllis' bus picked up two seniors at a local senior development and a William and Mary student and took them to a poetry reading. Two members of my poetry workshop were reading. It was an excellent session and it was a good turnout in spite of the wintry mix that persisted all day.
Back home I assembled ham biscuits for a potluck dinner that evening. The dinner was for members of a book discussion group I belong to at our local library. David Price the author of a new book on Jamestown, John Smith, and Pocahontas was our guest. So it back to the library at five for a dinner and a discussion of Price's book. One participant remarked that being in a closed library was like being in a closed toy store. What a delight to spend time with people who love books. The food was good, too!
If doing these kind of things sound boring to you, perhaps you shouldn't be a writer. But if this sounds like a way your time, consider a career with books.
On Friday I got yet another proof of my newest children's book off to the publisher. I can't tell you how many times I've read Divided Loyalties. I can say that the discipline it takes to get a book published is much greater than the discipline it took to train and jog thirteen miles.
Saturday Phyllis' bus picked up two seniors at a local senior development and a William and Mary student and took them to a poetry reading. Two members of my poetry workshop were reading. It was an excellent session and it was a good turnout in spite of the wintry mix that persisted all day.
Back home I assembled ham biscuits for a potluck dinner that evening. The dinner was for members of a book discussion group I belong to at our local library. David Price the author of a new book on Jamestown, John Smith, and Pocahontas was our guest. So it back to the library at five for a dinner and a discussion of Price's book. One participant remarked that being in a closed library was like being in a closed toy store. What a delight to spend time with people who love books. The food was good, too!
If doing these kind of things sound boring to you, perhaps you shouldn't be a writer. But if this sounds like a way your time, consider a career with books.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Thursdays With Johann 2
Today was the last of six classes on Bach cantatas. We covered cantatas 1-11 and in each session we had live music. Many of the musicians were students from the College of William and Mary. Others were local musicians who came to sing and play for us because they love the music.
We had a sight and sound treat every week, and our teacher, Ruth van Baak Griffioen, is so knowledgeable that we learned a lot about all kinds of music. For example, in explaining what Bach did in Cantata BWV 10, she taught us about Gregorian Chant.
We became so enthused with the music we bought Das Kantatenwerk, Sacred Contatas, Vol. I (a six CD set, covering Bach's first 19 cantatas.) Now each night at dinner, we can hear the cantatas we studied.
The class will resume next fall for six more sessions. Life is good.
We had a sight and sound treat every week, and our teacher, Ruth van Baak Griffioen, is so knowledgeable that we learned a lot about all kinds of music. For example, in explaining what Bach did in Cantata BWV 10, she taught us about Gregorian Chant.
We became so enthused with the music we bought Das Kantatenwerk, Sacred Contatas, Vol. I (a six CD set, covering Bach's first 19 cantatas.) Now each night at dinner, we can hear the cantatas we studied.
The class will resume next fall for six more sessions. Life is good.
