bessemer, alabama

These were all taken on 19th Street, within two-blocks of the Bright Star Restaurant in old downtown Bessemer, Alabama, after a lovely luncheon with Alabama teachers hosted by Scholastic Book Fairs, after the Alabama Library Expo in Birmingham. What do you think? Did someone save these stories? Are they lost forever?

Thanks for the hospitality, Bright Star, Alabama teachers, and especially Scholastic Book Fairs. I'm traveling with Fairs this week, in Scottsboro this morning, as the library expo wends its way to north Alabama. I leave this afternoon for home.

Here are Tracy (who does not know "her" song by the Cuff Links (aka Ron Dante) -- I will change that -- here you go, Tracy!), Alecia, Les, and Stephen, just a few of the lovely and hard working Southern Region team, always smiling, always at-the-ready, always can-do. Y'all are amazing.

what the...

I'm in Scottsboro, Alabama. I drove up today from Birmingham. As I wound into the north Alabama mountains and rounded the soft corners of a low mountain range, late-afternoon sunlight dappled the windshield. I spotted a gorgeous body of water spreading out on my left, serene and full of greenery -- even lilypads --  and thought, Yes. A little bit of beauty everyday, that's all we need....
Then I topped a rise and saw this.

You can read more about it here. And here you can read the latest (the TVA plans to revive construction/completion as of August 2010) here. You can even read about the current controversy, here.

Wowee. That's enough to shut me up for the day. More on why I'm here and what I'm doing, after some sleep.

Photo credit: Matt Fields-Johnson for the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

girlfriends

Kay made me this pie. 

While I worked at The Langley School and Cindy worked at Needles'n'Pins, Kay made supper. Chicken, homemade macaroni and cheese, and stewed tomatoes. 

The three of us sat in Kay's comfortable kitchen, in my old hometown of Frederick, Maryland, and shot the... stuff. We ate and licked our fingers and reminded one another of who we are -- "remember when..." and "I thought I wouldn't live through..." and "Can you believe we actually..." and "how did you ever..."

We didn't forget the present. We regaled one another: my stories of life in Atlanta and life on the road. Their stories of life in Frederick, and the stories of those we know and love. Sometimes it made me wistfully sad not to live here anymore. I miss these friends, and this place, so much. But on the whole, it was a celebration -- the room rang with laughter most of the night. I haven't laughed so hard in years. You know the kind of laughter that gives you a stitch in your side?

We capped the night with homemade chocolate pie and coffee. None of us worried for a second about calories, carbs, or karma.

Thank you, girlfriends. It's good to remember who we were. It's good to celebrate who we are. It's always so good to catch up, and move forward.

outward bound

Hey, y'all. I'm heading into a time of being away more than home, and trying to write a novel at the same time. Hmmmm.....

I fly this morning to D.C., to work at The Langley School for three days. Personal narrative writing with grades 3 through 8. Can't wait. My bags are packed... etc.

I fly home on Wed. night and fly out again on Thursday to Daytona Beach, where I'll speak and sign at SIBA -- Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. I love SIBA, and am so looking forward to seeing my bookselling friends again.

 Home and then out again to Birmingham and Scottsboro, Alabama, for some work with my southern region Scholastic Book Fairs friends.

Then it's October. And October is more packed than September. That's saying something.

Countdown will be front-and-center this fall with SBFs, and I'm proud to be essentially on tour with Fairs this fall. I'm looking forward to the good work and good friends along the way.

It has been a packed summer. Hard to find writing time. I've given in to the need for rest between travels and events and have slept in most early-mornings, mornings that used to be set-aside for writing. Maybe I can get that rhythm going again this fall as I travel. Maybe not. In any case, book two is coming with me today, and throughout the fall. Here's to getting a messy draft to Scholastic by the end of the year. More about that soon.

Thanks for coming with me this summer, and for keeping me company on the road this fall. It's good to travel with friends.

farewell

nearby

reading

signs