Celtic Festival!

The Virginia Mountains are surprisingly similar to the Scottish Highlands, with the difference of trees. And much of the Appalachians were settled by Scots and Irish, so Highland Games and Scottish history are well-represented here. So, when I heard there was going to be a Celtic Festival at a local park, I jumped at the chance to go and hear bagpipes! Happily, my friends Julie and Don were up for the adventure.
     It was a surprisingly small affair, but had all the proper trappings. There were the Highland Games that basically consisted of very strong men lifting very heavy things, and sometimes throwing them. And of course they were all wearing kilts. Gotta love kilts. We brought lawn chairs and just relaxed. It was such a gorgeous day! Here's Julie... And me with a Scottish flag! But best of all? I got to hear bagpipes! Made me feel like I was back in Scotland again - sort of. It all took place around "Twin Creeks Brew Pub" in an historic building where they host traditional Irish music every week: https://www.facebook.com/TwinCreeksBrewpub/ I emailed a friend in Scotland while there and shared the photos. She said, "It looks just like Scotland!" Well, not quite. Not quite. But it will do until I can get back to Scotland.

An Atlanta Adventure!

After summer semester ended, I headed to Atlanta to visit family and friends, to do a book signing, and to help my parents celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary!!! It was a busy trip!
     I love the drive down to Atlanta and back. Most of it is in the mountains and so incredibly gorgeous. I forget how high up we are here in Roanoke, until I head down into the lowlands. I listen to good music and audiobooks all the way while eating bad things: Pringles and Icees. It's fun! I lived in Atlanta for so long, my calendar was packed solid with people to visit.
      First and foremost was connecting with my dear friend Vicky Alvear Shecter. We spent a lovely day in Decatur and said 'hi' to our friends in our favorite bookstore on the planet, Little Shop of Stories! (Hi Diane!) I had lunch with Greg Christie at our fave Ethiopian restaurant, Desta. We've been going there for years now and we always get the BIG platter (OMG!): And my friend Melissa who has her own restaurant promotion business. We met taking Spanish lessons years ago and have been friends ever since. My mom has become my Atlanta marketing manager and set up a book signing at our new, local Barnes and Noble. It was silly, but it was FUN and became one stop shopping for some folks to visit with. I had lunch with Kathleen Bradshaw beforehand. (I didn't get a photo dagnabbit!) She was my Assistant Illustrator Coordinator for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, which I did for over six years before she became IC herself.
     This is my Aunt Anne, my Cousin Kelly, my mom, me, and Kelly's mom, Marilyn. They all came to support me - how nice! Long-time friend and illustrator Mark Braught drove down from Commerce, Georgia. Illustrator Laura Freeman dropped by too, then the three of us went for dinner and talked about old times and, well, everything! My mom, who is 80-years-old now, threw two parties while I was home. I can't keep up with the woman! One was in Atlanta for neighbors and another cousin's family - my 2nd cousins are heading off to college so it was good to see them before they left. And my cousin Jennifer and I had lunch in Roswell one day (no photos again).
     But a big reason to be in Atlanta was to help my parents celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary! 60! They were so sweet. I gave them gifts, of course... And they gave gifts to each other...It was very sweet! We went to the family cabin for a few days too, where Mom threw another party for the mountain neighbors, who were lovely too. All said, I wouldn't call the trip relaxing but it was FUN and it felt important. These people mean so much to me!

Julie Benbassat's wrap-up of our Hollins Summer

This summer was my first as Director of our graduate programs in children's literature, but I was curious to see if I could teach and direct at the same time. I'm also working on a book for Bloomsbury UK based on the Design class I've been teaching every summer for ten years, so wanted to keep my fingers in the dirt, so to say. So, we brought in Julie Benbassat, one of Mary Jane Begin's (Chair of Illustration) former students at RISD and now a very successful illustrator, to co-teach Design.
     Julie and I got along swimmingly well and it was so fun to teach together; however, I did learn that directing and teaching is really too much to do during our short 6-week semester. So, Julie will be taking the helm from here on out and I'll teach Design during our new year-round programming that begins this fall.
     Meanwhile, Julie did the most amazing wrap-up of her experience at Hollins this summer and even did caricatures of all the faculty (and our mascot animals). Click the image above or below to read her full post on substack! (Image shared with permission.)