Crowing about Career Day

Friday's Career Day at S' school was amazing. I spoke at both sessions (morning and afternoon) meeting with 4th through 8th graders, and chatting with them about writing, the creative process, favorite reads, and more.

At the end of each session, we played Plot from a Hat, a little exercise J and I dreamed up for use with the teens at our writer's workshop. It's a crowd favorite, one I hoped the KG kids would enjoy. To say the students were falling over themselves to pull a prop from the bag and be the next to continue the story would be an understatement. To my amusement, this was also true of the I'm-too-old-for-games 8th graders, even the ones who made it clear with their crossed arms and sour expressions that they'd rather be anywhere else.

Note to self: I need to do more school visits. My creative well is filled, and my muse ready and willing to work. Now all I need is a spot of uninterrupted free time...

Coming up for air...

And celebrating the following:

1. E's serial casting (which we started in January) finally did the trick. Her range of motion is much improved, and she's breaking in a new brace.

2. The pathology on my tests came back normal. ***Raises eyes to the sky, and offers prayers of silent thanks.***

3. E's tests look good. ***pauses for more silent prayers*** And although yesterday's surgery to remove the offending lump was canceled last minute, we already have a new date: the 22nd.

4. The amazing ripple effect my current clean-sweep efforts are having on my writing. (Details to follow in an upcoming post.)

5. Teen Writer's Group is going strong, and members are hard at work on their very first magazine featuring their work.

6. The anticipated arrival of my very own copy of Eternal by Cynthia Leitich-Smith. A birthday present from moi to moi.

7. My first Family Time article hit the newsstands last week and is a two-page spread.

8. At the editor's invitation, I'm working on a query for more articles.