Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 44

Welcome Home, Cookie

  One of my "likes" on Facebook is my local humane society. So as I'm reading through my new feed, sometimes I see photos of their events and the animals up for adoption. This adorable guinea pig photo came through one day, and I joked that it was a good thing that I was on my way to a school visit in Chicago, because otherwise, I would be pestering my husband to add this little guy to our family.

My husband asked why I assumed he wouldn't want him.  And so we agreed that if "Cookies and Cream," the guinea pig, was still at the humane society when I finished my September school visits, he'd come to live with us. 

For those waiting weeks, it really would have been fine if someone else had adopted him. But every time I checked the website, he was still at the shelter. And when I came  home last Friday, I really wanted him.

I submitted an online application that was accepted, but the lady who responded said they had a policy not to "hold" animals, so I should come in as soon as possible.  I had wanted to go Sunday, so my son didin't have to come with me, but he said he thought he could handle it. 

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More apple slices pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

So we drove right over to pick up our new little friend. But then when we got there, there was a sign on Cookie's cage with a number in NH. The sign said someone was coming to get him.. So while the lady at the desk called the number, we had to wait, thinking maybe we would be going home alone with the apple slices we brought as a first treat for Cookie.

But the NH lady had decided not to come. "You're destined to have him," the woman at the Humane Society said to me.

The humane society offered me his cage and all the things he came with for $10. It's huge and has everything a guinea pig could want.  "It's like the Barbie Dream House for guinea pigs," I joked on the phone with my daughter.

And I thought he might be more comfortable with the transition to our house if he didn't have to change cage, too.

I don't know much about his first family, though as we were carrying his cage to my car, one of the people at the shelter said, "His first family was very sad to give him up."

I asked if there children in the family and she said yes.  I have no way of contacting them or knowing who they are, but I hope seeing seeing his photo off the humane society's website gives them some happiness.



Milo is doing much better with the addition than I expected. The only thing he really doesn't like is when I use the "pet voice" with Cookie. He whines if I'm talking to Cookie, because he thinks that sugary-sweet voice should only be for him!

We had guinea pigs when my daugher was young, so it's been fun to hear their little noises again and bring Cookie treats. He's very friendly and social.  I gave him a little paper bag to play with and hide in and chew up. He had fun with that. He likes a project. :-)

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He was suspicious of the cucumber peeling and green bean I offered him. I don't think he'd ever had those before. But when I offered him a little carrot, he took that immediately. THOSE, he knew! 

 

You know when you start giving a pet nicknames, that they're yours.  Welcome home, Cookie, Cookie Dough, Cookie Monster, Captain Cook. 

October Events

Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Photo by my husband, John


Tuesday, October 16--Wednesday, October 17, School visits, Mason Intermediate School, Mason, Ohio

Monday, October 22, School visit, Willamstown Elementary School, Williamstown, Massachusetts

Thank you, Westlake Middle and High School!

On Friday, I had an amazing time at Westlake Middle and High School in Thornwood, New York.  The sixth graders had all read Rules, and I was coming to speak to the sixth and seventh graders. When I got my schedule, I was pleased to see I was having lunch with some selected sixth and seventh graders and the "Autism Speaks Club." 

I wanted to know a little more about the club, and I found a mention in the school board minutes from last year that said, "Ms. Jost reported that Team Mount Pleasant won the award for raising the most monies ($17,583) for the Autism Awareness Walk."

I was stunned. Of all the things a middle schooler can be involved in, these kids were using their time and talents to raise money for autism. It really touched me. 

On my drive to the Portland Jetport for my flight to New York, I was wishing I had known earlier about the Autism Speaks Club. I would have brought them each a signed rubber duckie as a thank you. But since I am one of those obsessively early people to the airport, I began to wonder if I really did have time for a dashing detour to Toys R Us on my way to the airport.

I did!  Here's what the TSA screener saw on her little monitor.



I had a great day!  Mary Knopp, the librarian for the middle and high schools, could not have been nicer!  And there was obvious support for books and reading at the school. Not only did the Assistant Principal and both Principals (middle and high school) come down to the library to meet me, here I am with Mary and the Superintendent!  That really says a lot.


Superintendent Susan Guiney, me, Mary

And I had scones and coffee with the teachers



The kids were great and asked good questions in my talks.  In this slide,  I'm talking about autism as it relates to David in Rules. When the kids have read the book, I find they really like David and want to understand why he does the things he does. 





I really loved my lunch groups, and it was wonderful to meet the kids in the Autism Speaks Club. They seemed pleased with the duckies and with this amazing cake Mary had brought!



I've never had my face on a cake before!

After school, I had a long wait for my flight and Mary had offered to take me to Sunnyside, Washington Irving's home in Tarrytown.

 

Such a beautiful place, right on the Hudson River. 

 

We had a tour and I learned lots of things I didn't know about the author of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. You would think an author of such dark tales would be a brooding sort of person, but that wasn't the impression I left with. Washington Irving's brother and five nieces lived with him and the girls called him "Uncle Wash."  I don't think I'll ever think of Washington Irving without thinking of that nickname!



We went to supper with Janet Matthews, a curriculum leader in the English Dept., at a Persian restaurant and it was my first time trying that cuisine.  I loved it! 



Thank you, Mary and everyone at Westlake Middle and High School for a wonderful day!!!

WOW!

While I was in New York, Susan from Avoca West School in Illinois sent me this AWESOME video they made of my recent visit there.  Thank YOU so much, everyone!  (They had presented me with a school sweatshirt when I arrived).

Off to New York!

Today, I fly to New York for a school visit on Friday in Thornwood in western Westchester County. My flight home on Friday night is direct to Maine, but not until 10:30 pm. There were earlier flights, but they weren't direct or less expensive, and I wouldn't have gotten home any earlier.  So I just planned to bring work with me to do in LaGuardia.

But Mary, the librarian at Westlake Middle School, asked me if I'd like to go sightseeing and visit Washington Irving's home on Friday after school. How FUN!  "Rip Van Winkle" was one of my favorite stories my mom read to me as a child.

Sometimes even now when it thunders I think of the old men in the sky playing nine-pins.



Now I'm really glad I chose the late flight. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

Runaround Pond, Durham, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

Mount Desert Island, Maine

I had a lovely trip with Island Readers and Writers to visit the Pemetic School in Southwest Harbor on Mt Desert Island, Maine.  SW Harbor is a three-hour drive northeast for me, so I drove up the night before. 

When I arrived, Jan from IRW took me out to supper, and she asked me if I'd like to drive up Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. I hadn't done that in 20 years, so I jumped at the chance!



It was a beautiful evening. From the top, I could see some of the islands I visited for Touch Blue, including the island that really took in foster children many years ago.  The sky was so clear, I could even see Mt. Katahdin in northern Maine. 



Then we had supper at the Jordan Pond House. I had lobster stew and popovers!



Southwest Harbor is gorgeous, and I was touched to see this sign outside the school!



We had a fun day together!  I presented on Hot Rod Hamster and Happy Birthday, Hamster to the kindergarten through third graders. The fourth and fifth graders had read Rules.


Thank you to Michelle from IRW for these photos!

What great kids!  Each group was full of wonderful ideas.  When I told the kindergartners and first graders that the working title for our next Hamster book was Hot Rod Hamster and the Monster Truck Mania, they burst into spontaneous applause. It just doesn't get better than that!



After school, I took a drive around the island.  Mount Desert Island (or MDI as the locals refer to it) is such a beautiful place and I don't get up there more than a time or two a year. So I try to make the most of it when I go.  I pulled out my Delorme Maine Atlas and chose to take the loop around Bass Harbor.







I have another event with Island Readers and Writers in November. The next school is about an hour further down east from MDI in Millbridge, Maine.  I can't wait to come back!



Thank you to Jan and Michelle at Island Readers and Writers and to everyone at the Pemetic School for an awesome day! 

Headed Down East

Today, I'm off to beautiful Southwest Harbor, Maine for a school visit tomorrow at the Pemetic School with Island Readers and Writers. I'm going up a little early to enjoy some time in Acadia National Park before meeting up with Jan of IRW.  :-) 

Thank you, Avoca West School

Yesterday, I spent the day with the wonderful students and teachers at Avoca West School in Glenview, Illinois.  I was greeted with lots of fabulous artwork outside the media center, including Touch Blue wishes from the fourth graders.



I loved them all, and here are a few up close.   I would wish for. . .

  

A magic wand and many trips to Korea with my family.

  

No gravity and to be the first American Ninja Warrior.

  

To go to the top of the Statue of Liberty and to help abused animals.

  

To end global warming and for all of the homeless people to have houses.

  

To make an invention that would help the world and to help the homeless animals at the shelter.

  

To meet One Direction and to have a dog.

  

To be a famous Irish dancer and to get a good scholarship in college.


Thank you third graders for this awesome welcome sign!

My own wish is for . . . all your wishes to come true (well, except maybe the "no gravity" wish. I think that would be fun for just a little while!). :-)

Thanks so much to everyone at Roselle Middle School and Avoca West School for a wonderful trip to Illinois!

Hello from Chicago!

I'm in Illinois doing school vists. Yesterday, I had a great day at Roselle Middle School. The students had done an all-school-read of Rules.

And Touch Blue is one of this year's Illinois Bluestem Award list.



I gasped when the kids took me over to show me these shelves. And these weren't even all the copies they had!