Happy Hearts — Here in the Bonny Glen

February 14, 2009 @ 12:07 pm | Filed under: Friends

hearts

Another week, another delightful visit with beautiful online friends.

4more

This time it was the charming Diane of Journey of a Mother’s Heart who paid San Diego a visit. Erica did the honors, opening her lovely home to me and my brood, Kristen and her sweet girls, and Diane and her sister-in-law and adorable nephews. What a fun day. I already knew I was going to love hanging out with Diane; her warm, funny, generous, lively spirit won my heart a long time ago.

dianenbuddy

Wonderboy was smitten too.

Delicious lunch, stimulating conversation, busy children, snuggly babies: a perfect morning. The time passed too quickly, is all.

All right, who’s next?

(And Erica, thanks so much for providing the cookie-decorating for the children. They were thrilled, and it got me out of having to muster a Valentine’s craft myself. Hee.)

On the CPSIA front: Alicia has started an Illegal Books Meme to help spread awareness of the issue. I’ll be chiming in as soon as I can upload some pictures of books it would now be illegal to sell.

Comments RSS | TrackBack URI

sarah says:

Another wonderful gathering And I see you got the baby in this time too He looks so snug in your arms – how do you ever manage to put him down?

The CPSIA thing boggles my mind and hurts my heart.
Posted on February 14th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Jennifer says:

What a lovely group!!
My children can’t stop talking about how much fun they had with Wonderboy.
Posted on February 14th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Maria says:

We HEART Diane!!

Maybe one day we’ll make our way down!
Posted on February 14th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Karen Edmisten says:

Wah! I’m jealous!
Posted on February 15th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Kathryn says:

Well, I dont know that I would count as a blog friend but since you specifically asked “Who’s next?” I’ll mention: My family and I are going to be in Southern California (Disneyland & Carlsbad) almost the first two weeks in March. Up for trying a meet up?
Posted on February 15th, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Comment a lot? Register here. Already registered? Login here.

Want your own gravatar? Get one here.

Welcome to

the online home of

children's book author

you'll find posts about:

and much more!

Where to find unabridged Martha & Charlotte Books

Jane, 15 yrs old
Rose, 12 yrs
Beanie, 9 yrs
Wonderboy, 6 yrs
Rilla, 4 yrs
Huck, 19 months

and Scott, the love of my life

“Exploration,” says John Stilgoe, author of Outside Lies Magic, “is a liberal art, because it is an art that liberates, that frees, that opens away from narrowness. And it is fun.”

Yes: it is so, so much fun, and that is why I write these posts all chattery with excitement over this or that connection the kids made today. (Or that I made myself!) I know I get carried away, but that’s the point, isn’t it, that way leading on to way has carried me away?

And yet—and yet—I think we are at once ‘carried away’ and made more fully present in the now, more rooted, by these relationships between ideas about things past and future. The joy of connection makes me want to celebrate this moment, this brief encounter with wild-haired child and broad-trunked tree, bus going by, sign on church wall, Scottish warlord creeping over the tower wall and startling the English soldier’s wife who has just put her babe in arms to sleep by crooning that the Black Douglas won’t get him. Child, laughing, shouting “Dinna ye be sae sure aboot that!” across the courtyard outside the library. How can I not celebrate this freedom?

(from a post called Way Leads on to Way)

Subscribe to my feed

Coming in October with a foreword by yours truly

sarah: So cute! Infact I think he is the masculine personification of cuteness (Rilla being the feminine.)
Penny in VT: T-shirts never lie. Nor do bumper stickers. Cute little fella ya got there .:)
Melissa Wiley: Mary-Alice! Then we owe you a huge debt of thanks! It is one of Scott’s favorite books to read...
Mary-Alice: Little Bean!!! I acquired that book from the UK when I was at Harper. I loved that little girl and her...
Murray: Perhaps the t-shirt does not lie. Why else would he have called me yesterday? Not that he had much to say,...
Sue: I’m always impressed with how you manage a large family, writing, blogging, and everything else you do....
sarah: A busy life is a full life. I envy you your Kindle! Although I doubt it would be as forgiving of raindrops as...

Check out this big list of children's-book-related blogs at Kidlitosphere Central

Author and Illustrator Blogs

Every day is complicated, messy, and full of friction. And every day has glorious or cozy moments worth celebrating. I seldom bother to chronicle the friction and the mess because writing time is fleeting and precious—and childhood even more so. I’d rather capture the small joys that I might forget—or take for granted—if I don’t take time to set them down in words.

(Excerpt from this post about Real Life, quoted here because I don't want anyone to be under the impression that things are always perfect around here! Heaven knows we are anything but. Perfect, frictionless, orderly? Nope. Happy? Most of the time!)