Lisa Yee's Blog, page 4
March 25, 2013
Laughing Out Loud in the Heartland . . .
Even though I am here . . .
. . . my blog is here . . .
That's right. I am in Dubai!!!!
However, last week I was at Northern Illinois University for the Children's Literature Conference on Humor. And that's what we'll be blogging today. Ten years ago this October, my debut novel came out. When MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award . . .
So BOOM! I was considered someone who writes funny stuff. (Although many people tell me that my books make them cry, too. I hope it's because there are poignant moments, and not that the books are stinky.)
Oops. Let's come back from our digression. Back to DeKalb, IL and to the Humor Conference! The night before was a cozy dinner with fellow speakers and the masterminds behind the literature conference . . .
As always, David Lubar misbehaved. Peepy has yet to forgive him for using her as a coaster . . .
Fellow speaker Tom Angleberger's flight was delayed. So I brought him some bread from the restaurant. He gave it some thought, then opted to eat the butter instead . . .
We were up early for the conference the next morning . . .
These were the keynote speakers. Well, not really. These are books. But they were written by the speakers . . .
Peepy was excited about breakfast. It's her favorite meal of the day, in addition to lunch and dinner . . .
While Peepy ate, and David Lubar looked over his speech, I took a picture of Carolyn Crimi for my website page featuring famous authors . . .
(To see Carolyn and 300 other fabulous authors/illustrators with their favorite Peep, CLICK HERE.)
Carolyn and David were terrific and we laughed so hard that we worked up an appetite for lunch. Look who we got to sit with! Yes, a table full of Lisa Yees!!!!
Soon it was Origami Yoda's Tom Angleberger's time on stage. The last time we saw Tom, he and his pal were playing with scissors . . .
It was at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Look who else was there last year - John Green! (John appears to be everywhere these days, so I thought I'd include him here, again.)
(Peepy and I will be at the festival again this year.)
Oops. STOP digressing. Okay, back to the literature conference. Tom spoke without scissors . . .
He even taught origami to the entire audience, plus this unassuming volunteer . . .
Before long, it was my turn to close the conference . . .
We waited backstage . . .
And then we went on. As you can see from this speaker's POV, everyone insisted on not sitting in a large clump . . .
I think the speech went well. I know I had a blast!
What's that? It's a short story I wrote for SCOPE magazine!!!
The killer first line was written by a student named Keya Roy. Hers was one of the thousands of entries and though there were lots of really great opening lines, something about hers called out to me. To read the story based on Keya's line, CLICK HERE.
NEXT BLOG:
===========================
Love books? Love kids books? Know a kid who loves books? It's time for the Children's Choice Book Awards!!! To vote, CLICK HERE!!!
Pssst, to see the host(ess) of the this year's Gala, and the all-star presenters, or to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE!
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
. . . my blog is here . . .
That's right. I am in Dubai!!!!
However, last week I was at Northern Illinois University for the Children's Literature Conference on Humor. And that's what we'll be blogging today. Ten years ago this October, my debut novel came out. When MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award . . .
So BOOM! I was considered someone who writes funny stuff. (Although many people tell me that my books make them cry, too. I hope it's because there are poignant moments, and not that the books are stinky.)
Oops. Let's come back from our digression. Back to DeKalb, IL and to the Humor Conference! The night before was a cozy dinner with fellow speakers and the masterminds behind the literature conference . . .
As always, David Lubar misbehaved. Peepy has yet to forgive him for using her as a coaster . . .
Fellow speaker Tom Angleberger's flight was delayed. So I brought him some bread from the restaurant. He gave it some thought, then opted to eat the butter instead . . .
We were up early for the conference the next morning . . .
These were the keynote speakers. Well, not really. These are books. But they were written by the speakers . . .
Peepy was excited about breakfast. It's her favorite meal of the day, in addition to lunch and dinner . . .
While Peepy ate, and David Lubar looked over his speech, I took a picture of Carolyn Crimi for my website page featuring famous authors . . .
(To see Carolyn and 300 other fabulous authors/illustrators with their favorite Peep, CLICK HERE.)
Carolyn and David were terrific and we laughed so hard that we worked up an appetite for lunch. Look who we got to sit with! Yes, a table full of Lisa Yees!!!!
Soon it was Origami Yoda's Tom Angleberger's time on stage. The last time we saw Tom, he and his pal were playing with scissors . . .
It was at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Look who else was there last year - John Green! (John appears to be everywhere these days, so I thought I'd include him here, again.)
(Peepy and I will be at the festival again this year.)
Oops. STOP digressing. Okay, back to the literature conference. Tom spoke without scissors . . .
He even taught origami to the entire audience, plus this unassuming volunteer . . .
Before long, it was my turn to close the conference . . .
We waited backstage . . .
And then we went on. As you can see from this speaker's POV, everyone insisted on not sitting in a large clump . . .
I think the speech went well. I know I had a blast!
What's that? It's a short story I wrote for SCOPE magazine!!!
The killer first line was written by a student named Keya Roy. Hers was one of the thousands of entries and though there were lots of really great opening lines, something about hers called out to me. To read the story based on Keya's line, CLICK HERE.
NEXT BLOG:
===========================
Love books? Love kids books? Know a kid who loves books? It's time for the Children's Choice Book Awards!!! To vote, CLICK HERE!!!
Pssst, to see the host(ess) of the this year's Gala, and the all-star presenters, or to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE!
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
March 17, 2013
I (Barely) Survived The Durian, and Other Foodie Adventures in Singapore . . .
My final Singapore blog features a food and fun!!!!
As you may recall, last blog we were visiting the bookstore of our dreams . . .
And the one before that, had us at speaking at the Stamford American International School . . .
When members of the Singapore Chapter of the SCBWI found out I was in town, one volunteered to show me and Peepy around! I met ex-patriot, Australian author Catherine Carvell on a gorgeous sunny morning . . .
She had told me to wear comfortable shoes, and I am glad I did. Behind all the buildings was a river!!! Who knew??? Well, besides Catherine and thousands of Singapore locals . . .
There were shops and restaurants along the river . . .
Catherine had never seen a geoduck clam before . . .
After a while, we hopped aboard our very own "bum boat" . . .
See that ship-shaped thing on the top of those three buildings? We were headed there, to the Marina Bay Sands . . .
Green space is at a premium. Can you see the trees growing in these buildings?
After the boat ride, we continued on foot to our destination. As always, Peepy made new friends . . .
This is the ArtScience Museum . . .
We took the elevator to the 57th-ish floor of the Marina Bay Sands. Woosh! We breezed right into Ku De Ta. Why did this chic nightspot let us right in? Because we write children's books!!! (Or maybe because we went in the daytime.) The coffee was $12 for a cup -- but it was worth every penny because of the incredible view ...
12,942ish people had told me that I HAD to try the black pepper crab. So next we headed to Dempsey Hill, an old military base that's now full of antique shops and restaurants . . .
OMG! It was the BEST crab I have had in my ENTIRE life!!!! Totally messy, but that's the price you pay for amazing!
Now, not all the food in Singapore is delicious. See this . . .
That's the dreaded Durian, the SMELLIEST FRUIT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. It's not even allowed on public transportation or in hotels!!!!
Here's what National Geographic says of the Durian.
But I kept seeing it. And I thought, "How bad can it taste is it's everywhere?" So I saw a nice looking Durian stand. They had the fruit inside a crusty pastry shell, and I bought one . . .
It looked so pretty . . . but I bit into it and THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. IT WAS THE FOULEST THING I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. IT WAS AS IF A DEATH EATER HAD MADE IT. THE COMBINATION OF THE SMELL GOING UP MY NOSE AND THE DURIAN GOING DOWN MY THROAT MADE ME WANT TO VOMIT.
So, I ran to another stall and bought something that looked like donut holes, but they weren't, and ate the entire bag . . .
Luckily for me, the dreaded awful Durian was only one bite -- one horrible bite that I will never forget. However, the rest of the food in Singapore was wonderful, delicious, incredible. Why? Because of the hawker fare Singapore is famous for. So, to off set the dreaded Durian, I'll show pictures of incredibly delicious fare. These are from Lau Pa Sat . . .
Of course, the best dinner I had was at a little restaurant tucked away in a corner in Tang's on my last night. Why? Because it was with a group of Singapore SCBWI members, plus Australian author Jacqueline Harvey who was on a book tour!!!
(From left: Sumi Chandrasekharan, Kenneth Quek -- SCBWI Regional Advisior, Ian and Jacqueline Harvey, David Seow, Angelina Jolie, and Sarah, Mounsey, and Peepy (middle)
All too soon it was time to head home. But not before one final meal in the airport . . .
Thank you, Singapore for your wonderful hospitality!!!! (But not for the Durian.)
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
As you may recall, last blog we were visiting the bookstore of our dreams . . .
And the one before that, had us at speaking at the Stamford American International School . . .
When members of the Singapore Chapter of the SCBWI found out I was in town, one volunteered to show me and Peepy around! I met ex-patriot, Australian author Catherine Carvell on a gorgeous sunny morning . . .
She had told me to wear comfortable shoes, and I am glad I did. Behind all the buildings was a river!!! Who knew??? Well, besides Catherine and thousands of Singapore locals . . .
There were shops and restaurants along the river . . .
Catherine had never seen a geoduck clam before . . .
After a while, we hopped aboard our very own "bum boat" . . .
See that ship-shaped thing on the top of those three buildings? We were headed there, to the Marina Bay Sands . . .
Green space is at a premium. Can you see the trees growing in these buildings?
After the boat ride, we continued on foot to our destination. As always, Peepy made new friends . . .
This is the ArtScience Museum . . .
We took the elevator to the 57th-ish floor of the Marina Bay Sands. Woosh! We breezed right into Ku De Ta. Why did this chic nightspot let us right in? Because we write children's books!!! (Or maybe because we went in the daytime.) The coffee was $12 for a cup -- but it was worth every penny because of the incredible view ...
12,942ish people had told me that I HAD to try the black pepper crab. So next we headed to Dempsey Hill, an old military base that's now full of antique shops and restaurants . . .
OMG! It was the BEST crab I have had in my ENTIRE life!!!! Totally messy, but that's the price you pay for amazing!
Now, not all the food in Singapore is delicious. See this . . .
That's the dreaded Durian, the SMELLIEST FRUIT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. It's not even allowed on public transportation or in hotels!!!!
Here's what National Geographic says of the Durian.
But I kept seeing it. And I thought, "How bad can it taste is it's everywhere?" So I saw a nice looking Durian stand. They had the fruit inside a crusty pastry shell, and I bought one . . .
It looked so pretty . . . but I bit into it and THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. IT WAS THE FOULEST THING I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. IT WAS AS IF A DEATH EATER HAD MADE IT. THE COMBINATION OF THE SMELL GOING UP MY NOSE AND THE DURIAN GOING DOWN MY THROAT MADE ME WANT TO VOMIT.
So, I ran to another stall and bought something that looked like donut holes, but they weren't, and ate the entire bag . . .
Luckily for me, the dreaded awful Durian was only one bite -- one horrible bite that I will never forget. However, the rest of the food in Singapore was wonderful, delicious, incredible. Why? Because of the hawker fare Singapore is famous for. So, to off set the dreaded Durian, I'll show pictures of incredibly delicious fare. These are from Lau Pa Sat . . .
Of course, the best dinner I had was at a little restaurant tucked away in a corner in Tang's on my last night. Why? Because it was with a group of Singapore SCBWI members, plus Australian author Jacqueline Harvey who was on a book tour!!!
(From left: Sumi Chandrasekharan, Kenneth Quek -- SCBWI Regional Advisior, Ian and Jacqueline Harvey, David Seow, Angelina Jolie, and Sarah, Mounsey, and Peepy (middle)
All too soon it was time to head home. But not before one final meal in the airport . . .
Thank you, Singapore for your wonderful hospitality!!!! (But not for the Durian.)
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
March 11, 2013
Singapore's Chinatown + The Bookstore of My Dreams
Last blog, we were in Singapore talking to these students about writing ...
Not only was it great meeting everyone, but Peepy and I also had a chance to do some exploring. (Squeeee!!!) If you love books, you will love this BooksActually.
Ooooh, if I were a bookstore, this is who/what I'd want to be . . .
Look! Look! It's the owner, Kenny Leck!!!!
And it's not just books, it AMAZING RETRO STUFF and ORIGINAL ART!!!!
And here's handmade stationary and awesome writing tools!!!!
Want to see the BooksActually story? HERE it is.
On another afternoon, we visited Chinatown . . .
A while ago I wrote an American Girl book about a girl named Ivy Ling who lived in Chinatown, only it was in San Francisco . . .
In Singapore's Chinatown, I came across the SMELLIEST fruit in the world - the Durian. (In my next blog I will tell you how it tastes.) Plus, we were discombobulated by this odd package . . .
Then there were these sights . . .
This man carved my daughter's name in Chinese . . .
I bought tea here . . .
I am so glad I made it to the Chinatown Heritage Centre. The exhibits were enlightening, and it was sobering seeing the cramped "cubical living" spaces many families occupied . . .
Nearby, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Museum was gorgeous . . .
Next Blog: A Chinese American sees some Singapore sights with an Australian, plus a store devoted to picture books, plus plus food GLORIOUS food!!!
===========================
Oh, look! If you'd like an autographed book, order from Vroman's, tell them who you'd like me to sign it to, and they will mail it to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Not only was it great meeting everyone, but Peepy and I also had a chance to do some exploring. (Squeeee!!!) If you love books, you will love this BooksActually.
Ooooh, if I were a bookstore, this is who/what I'd want to be . . .
Look! Look! It's the owner, Kenny Leck!!!!
And it's not just books, it AMAZING RETRO STUFF and ORIGINAL ART!!!!
And here's handmade stationary and awesome writing tools!!!!
Want to see the BooksActually story? HERE it is.
BooksActually : The Documentary from booksactually on Vimeo.
On another afternoon, we visited Chinatown . . .
A while ago I wrote an American Girl book about a girl named Ivy Ling who lived in Chinatown, only it was in San Francisco . . .
In Singapore's Chinatown, I came across the SMELLIEST fruit in the world - the Durian. (In my next blog I will tell you how it tastes.) Plus, we were discombobulated by this odd package . . .
Then there were these sights . . .
This man carved my daughter's name in Chinese . . .
I bought tea here . . .
I am so glad I made it to the Chinatown Heritage Centre. The exhibits were enlightening, and it was sobering seeing the cramped "cubical living" spaces many families occupied . . .
Nearby, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Museum was gorgeous . . .
Next Blog: A Chinese American sees some Singapore sights with an Australian, plus a store devoted to picture books, plus plus food GLORIOUS food!!!
===========================
Oh, look! If you'd like an autographed book, order from Vroman's, tell them who you'd like me to sign it to, and they will mail it to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
March 3, 2013
Singapore School Visit and More!
I do a lot of school visits, like this one about a mile from my house. However, my most recent visit was 8,774 miles away from home . . .
We had a day to try to adjust to the eighteen hour time difference. So we explored some, and ate some, then ate some more . . .
During the week we also visited this amazing little street . . .
(We'll go into more detail about it at the end of this blog.)
For the next three days, I was at the Stamford American International School in Singapore!
I did two assemblies for grades K - 5 . . .
At the end of the first day, there was a welcome party for Peepy and it involved cake!
The workshops were wonderful, and the students were soooooo enthusiastic . . .
I taught persuasive writing, and Peepy taught rocket science . . .
We had some yummy meals on campus . . .
Here are some more students!
Peepy was always sad when the workshops ended. However, she was cheered by lunch . . .
Look! It's the library . . .
As always, Peepy made new friends . . .
Peepy likes to sightsee and shop, so we took a taxi to Arab Street . . .
We had a hot and spicy fish dish to fuel us, and kept going . . .
Haji Lane was just around the corner. If you like indie boutiques, vintage and handmade clothes and jewelry, and one-of-a-kind items, this is the place for you (and me) (and Peepy) . . .
$2 got is us into the toy museum . . .
It sort of reminded me of my office. I dunno, what do you think?
NEXT BLOG: I found the bookstore of my dreams in Singapore . . .
===========================
Oh, look! If you'd like an autographed book, order from Vroman's, tell them who you'd like me to sign it to, and they will mail it to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
We had a day to try to adjust to the eighteen hour time difference. So we explored some, and ate some, then ate some more . . .
During the week we also visited this amazing little street . . .
(We'll go into more detail about it at the end of this blog.)
For the next three days, I was at the Stamford American International School in Singapore!
I did two assemblies for grades K - 5 . . .
At the end of the first day, there was a welcome party for Peepy and it involved cake!
The workshops were wonderful, and the students were soooooo enthusiastic . . .
I taught persuasive writing, and Peepy taught rocket science . . .
We had some yummy meals on campus . . .
Here are some more students!
Peepy was always sad when the workshops ended. However, she was cheered by lunch . . .
Look! It's the library . . .
As always, Peepy made new friends . . .
Peepy likes to sightsee and shop, so we took a taxi to Arab Street . . .
We had a hot and spicy fish dish to fuel us, and kept going . . .
Haji Lane was just around the corner. If you like indie boutiques, vintage and handmade clothes and jewelry, and one-of-a-kind items, this is the place for you (and me) (and Peepy) . . .
$2 got is us into the toy museum . . .
It sort of reminded me of my office. I dunno, what do you think?
NEXT BLOG: I found the bookstore of my dreams in Singapore . . .
===========================
Oh, look! If you'd like an autographed book, order from Vroman's, tell them who you'd like me to sign it to, and they will mail it to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 25, 2013
Famous Authors/Illustrators Noshing, Last Bookstore Revisited, and Landing in Singapore
Last blog found us hanging out with astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Garrett Reisman . . .
So it was a "wha . . .?" moment when the gigundo meteor hit Russa a couple days later. Here's an AP photo it heading to earth . . .
The next day an asteroid was scheduled to come "this close" to earth. So we went outside to try to see it. However, NASA said it would be difficult for the "untrained eye" to witness it. I dunno. Not only did we see ONE meteor, we saw TWO meteors!!!
(Legal: These meteors have not been confirmed my NASA, yet.)
So then, meteors aside, I'm on the road (again) right now. Or rather, I was recently in the air . . .
I landed in Singapore on Saturday . . .
Yes, I left my house on Friday and two days later, arrived at my Singapore hotel totally jet lagged. I'll be blogging about my adventures here, and my visit to the Stamford American International School. But in the meantime, before I left, I visited The Last Bookstore in the heart of downtown Los Angeles -- again.
You never know what you'll find there!
Even though Peepy and I have been there before, but we can't get enough of the place. Some of their zillion billion books are even color coded!
This last time, before buying books, we needed to get fortified. So we went to the Nickel Diner. (The food cost dollars more than a nickel, but it was worth saving your pennies for. Did those bad puns make cents to you?)
Yay, books!!! Speaking of books, can you find the famous author hiding in my office?
Here's a hint: It's one of these two. And it's the one with the GIANT burrito . . .
(That's Origami Yoda's very own Tom Angleberger on the left and Dan Santat on the right.)
In other eating news, Mo Willems was in town recently-ish. He and Marla Frazee had a grand time goofing off with Peepy . . .
Then Bob Boyle and Peepy got all serious as Tom Warburton, Dan Santat, and
Here's the gang . . .
And lastly, here's a fan letter that I got recently. LOVE IT! This kid is going to go places!!!
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
So it was a "wha . . .?" moment when the gigundo meteor hit Russa a couple days later. Here's an AP photo it heading to earth . . .
The next day an asteroid was scheduled to come "this close" to earth. So we went outside to try to see it. However, NASA said it would be difficult for the "untrained eye" to witness it. I dunno. Not only did we see ONE meteor, we saw TWO meteors!!!
(Legal: These meteors have not been confirmed my NASA, yet.)
So then, meteors aside, I'm on the road (again) right now. Or rather, I was recently in the air . . .
I landed in Singapore on Saturday . . .
Yes, I left my house on Friday and two days later, arrived at my Singapore hotel totally jet lagged. I'll be blogging about my adventures here, and my visit to the Stamford American International School. But in the meantime, before I left, I visited The Last Bookstore in the heart of downtown Los Angeles -- again.
You never know what you'll find there!
Even though Peepy and I have been there before, but we can't get enough of the place. Some of their zillion billion books are even color coded!
This last time, before buying books, we needed to get fortified. So we went to the Nickel Diner. (The food cost dollars more than a nickel, but it was worth saving your pennies for. Did those bad puns make cents to you?)
Yay, books!!! Speaking of books, can you find the famous author hiding in my office?
Here's a hint: It's one of these two. And it's the one with the GIANT burrito . . .
(That's Origami Yoda's very own Tom Angleberger on the left and Dan Santat on the right.)
In other eating news, Mo Willems was in town recently-ish. He and Marla Frazee had a grand time goofing off with Peepy . . .
Then Bob Boyle and Peepy got all serious as Tom Warburton, Dan Santat, and
Here's the gang . . .
And lastly, here's a fan letter that I got recently. LOVE IT! This kid is going to go places!!!
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 18, 2013
Hanging Out With Buzz Aldrin and Dining Under Endeavour
Before I begin, Peepy insisted I tell you her big news. That's right! She now has her own Facebook Fan Page.
Sigh. She's always been something of a diva, so we'll just have to see how this goes.
In other news, some of you know, I am something of a space geek. I taught myself how to speak Klingon. Sort of.
I even wrote a book called WARP SPEED, about a Star Trek geek who gets bullied. It's jammed packed with Star Trek and Star Wars. Oh, and Batman.
Here's a video about WARP SPEED.
So then, last year one of the highlights of my life was being selected to part of NASA's Social Media team covering the Endeavour's journey atop a 747 to Dryden Flight Research Center, and then onto Los Angeles. CLICK HERE and HERE to see those blogs.
Here's my video of the shuttle leaving for Los Angeles. I was 500 feet from the runway!!!
I couldn't get enough of the shuttle.
And NASA was amazing. They even went looking for me when I got lost in the desert . . .
I was on the road when Endeavour continued its journey through the streets of Los Angeles to the California Science Center. Luckily for me, my friend Mary Legallett was right there with it!
Mary is a product manager for Toyota, and their Tundra towed the shuttle. But we'll get to video proof of that later. What you need to know is that Mary drove one of the two trucks carrying the camera crew to make Toyota's commercial!!!
These photos are courtesy of Mary. Note night to day. She was with Endeavour for over 17 hours . . .
I normally don't like commercials, but I love this one. Here's the Tundra TOWING the shuttle . . .
To see behind-the-scenes of the Tundra pulling Endeavour, CLICK HERE. (It really is a cool mini-mini-documentary)
(Fun Fact: Mary and I went to USC together. Then later we both worked for Doyle Dane Bernbach, an advertising agency in LA!)
So then, when Mary invited me to a LA World Affairs Council dinner to hear Buzz Aldrin and dine UNDER the Endeavour at the California Science Center, I said, "YES! YES, OF COURSE I'LL GO!!!" And I did.
The Science Center was closed to the public. . . but open to us! Squeeeeee!!!
There was a HUGE photo of the Endeavour traveling to the Science Center. Though we couldn't find Waldo, we found Mary!!!
(Mary is pointing to her tiny self. To see Tiny Mary in the Tundra, you have to find her hand, then her finger.)
We admired the exhibit before going to the main event . . . seeing the shuttle again.
Dinner was served under the Endeavour. Every third bite, I'd look up to remind myself how awesome it was to be sitting under the shuttle! I mean (if I were taller) I could have touched it!
First Endeavour astronaut Garrett Reisman spoke . . .
Then Buzz Aldrin, American Icon and namesake of this fellow, spoke . . .
Then they sang a duet. (Actually, they answered questions.)
Here are some of the answers:
1. Buzz does not believe there is life in outer space.
2. Garrett believes there is life in outer space.
3. Buzz was the first man to pee in his pants on the moon. (Yes! He told us that.)
4. Garrett holds the record for peeing in six different urine containers in space.
Later, the astronauts got to admire the out of this world beauty of Peepy . . .
Garrett and Peepy had a staring contest. Even though the NASA astronaut lost, he was very gracious . . .
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Sigh. She's always been something of a diva, so we'll just have to see how this goes.
In other news, some of you know, I am something of a space geek. I taught myself how to speak Klingon. Sort of.
I even wrote a book called WARP SPEED, about a Star Trek geek who gets bullied. It's jammed packed with Star Trek and Star Wars. Oh, and Batman.
Here's a video about WARP SPEED.
So then, last year one of the highlights of my life was being selected to part of NASA's Social Media team covering the Endeavour's journey atop a 747 to Dryden Flight Research Center, and then onto Los Angeles. CLICK HERE and HERE to see those blogs.
Here's my video of the shuttle leaving for Los Angeles. I was 500 feet from the runway!!!
I couldn't get enough of the shuttle.
And NASA was amazing. They even went looking for me when I got lost in the desert . . .
I was on the road when Endeavour continued its journey through the streets of Los Angeles to the California Science Center. Luckily for me, my friend Mary Legallett was right there with it!
Mary is a product manager for Toyota, and their Tundra towed the shuttle. But we'll get to video proof of that later. What you need to know is that Mary drove one of the two trucks carrying the camera crew to make Toyota's commercial!!!
These photos are courtesy of Mary. Note night to day. She was with Endeavour for over 17 hours . . .
I normally don't like commercials, but I love this one. Here's the Tundra TOWING the shuttle . . .
To see behind-the-scenes of the Tundra pulling Endeavour, CLICK HERE. (It really is a cool mini-mini-documentary)
(Fun Fact: Mary and I went to USC together. Then later we both worked for Doyle Dane Bernbach, an advertising agency in LA!)
So then, when Mary invited me to a LA World Affairs Council dinner to hear Buzz Aldrin and dine UNDER the Endeavour at the California Science Center, I said, "YES! YES, OF COURSE I'LL GO!!!" And I did.
The Science Center was closed to the public. . . but open to us! Squeeeeee!!!
There was a HUGE photo of the Endeavour traveling to the Science Center. Though we couldn't find Waldo, we found Mary!!!
(Mary is pointing to her tiny self. To see Tiny Mary in the Tundra, you have to find her hand, then her finger.)
We admired the exhibit before going to the main event . . . seeing the shuttle again.
Dinner was served under the Endeavour. Every third bite, I'd look up to remind myself how awesome it was to be sitting under the shuttle! I mean (if I were taller) I could have touched it!
First Endeavour astronaut Garrett Reisman spoke . . .
Then Buzz Aldrin, American Icon and namesake of this fellow, spoke . . .
Then they sang a duet. (Actually, they answered questions.)
Here are some of the answers:
1. Buzz does not believe there is life in outer space.
2. Garrett believes there is life in outer space.
3. Buzz was the first man to pee in his pants on the moon. (Yes! He told us that.)
4. Garrett holds the record for peeing in six different urine containers in space.
Later, the astronauts got to admire the out of this world beauty of Peepy . . .
Garrett and Peepy had a staring contest. Even though the NASA astronaut lost, he was very gracious . . .
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 11, 2013
Dot, Dot, Who Did The Dot?
Can you guess who this Asian kid is?
Yes! It's me. I'm Asian, or to be more specific, I am a Chinese American. You know that that means, right?
GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!!!!
Happy Chinese New Year!!!! Here's hours of fun to help celebrate . . .
Are you done with your Dot to Dot? Because, there's lots more dots in store for you.
Oops. Wrong Dot. Here's what I'm talking about . . .
I first met Peter H. Reynolds by reading his marvelous book, THE DOT . . .
I've also had the fun of meeting Peter in person . . .
Plus, I've had a blast at The Blue Bunny, the marvelous indie bookstore owned by Peter and run by his twin, Paul, and Janet, Paul's wife (did you get all that?) . . .
So when T.J. Shay asked me to create a "Dot," I was like, "excuse me?" Then I saw the website.
Here are some "celebri-dots" created by famous authors, like Peter . . .
And Kathi Appelt, Deborah Underwood, Sarah Weeks, Jeff Kinney, and Sharon Creech (twice!) . . .
A dot? What would I create? That's when I realized that there were dots everywhere in my office!!!!
So, then. How could I incorporate my office into my dot? The it hit me!
Check out the website to see more Celebri-Dots or to create your own.
(Sort of) speaking of libraries (you can read THE DOT in the library), is this the cutest little library, or what? Came across it in my neighborhood. You can read more about the Free Little Library HERE! If you decided to make one yourself, send me a photo and I'll post it on the blog!
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Yes! It's me. I'm Asian, or to be more specific, I am a Chinese American. You know that that means, right?
GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!!!!
Happy Chinese New Year!!!! Here's hours of fun to help celebrate . . .
Are you done with your Dot to Dot? Because, there's lots more dots in store for you.
Oops. Wrong Dot. Here's what I'm talking about . . .
I first met Peter H. Reynolds by reading his marvelous book, THE DOT . . .
I've also had the fun of meeting Peter in person . . .
Plus, I've had a blast at The Blue Bunny, the marvelous indie bookstore owned by Peter and run by his twin, Paul, and Janet, Paul's wife (did you get all that?) . . .
So when T.J. Shay asked me to create a "Dot," I was like, "excuse me?" Then I saw the website.
Here are some "celebri-dots" created by famous authors, like Peter . . .
And Kathi Appelt, Deborah Underwood, Sarah Weeks, Jeff Kinney, and Sharon Creech (twice!) . . .
A dot? What would I create? That's when I realized that there were dots everywhere in my office!!!!
So, then. How could I incorporate my office into my dot? The it hit me!
Check out the website to see more Celebri-Dots or to create your own.
(Sort of) speaking of libraries (you can read THE DOT in the library), is this the cutest little library, or what? Came across it in my neighborhood. You can read more about the Free Little Library HERE! If you decided to make one yourself, send me a photo and I'll post it on the blog!
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
February 4, 2013
Young Author's Week Visit and a Book Tree
I speak at schools all over the country -- and every now and then, I visit a school in my own backyard.
Monterey Hills Elementary is not too far from my house . . .
The school was celebrating their Young Author's Week, and since I'm a young author, I was invited to speak!
What was that? Oh. Okay. Um, I think that the "young authors" they were referring to were their own students.
So, we began setting up in the cafe-torium . . .
When, suddenly . . . BEEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEP. No, Peepy didn't light anything on fire. It was a fire drill!!!! BEEEEP . . .
We were totally impressed by how calm and collected everyone was . . .
One time, I was giving a presentation at a high school in the Chicago area, when BEEEEEEEP!!! Fire drill?
No! It was a real fire!!!!
Oops. Digression. Back to South Pasadena. I told the students that even though the many of my books are set in the fictional town of Rancho Rosetta, CA, it's really South Pasadena. Here's what they thought about that . . .
After, we visited the library. Super librarian Amy Blum and her furry friend presented us with CHOCOLATE!!!!
(How did she know that we love that stuff?)
Here's more of the library and some book lovers . . .
BTW, look! I get to play library at home . . .
Oops. That's another digression. Before we left Monterey Hills Elementary, Peepy got a gift all her own. These three played a concert just for her!
So how did we cap off our great afternoon? Here's how . . .
Hey! What's that? Why, it's the Children's Choice Book Awards . . . the only national book awards program where winning titles are selected by young readers of all ages. And who's hosting? CLICK HERE to find out. (Squeeeee!!!)
And finally, there's this. Look what I saw when visiting Art Center College of Design, near the Rose Bowl. Don't you want one of your own?
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Monterey Hills Elementary is not too far from my house . . .
The school was celebrating their Young Author's Week, and since I'm a young author, I was invited to speak!
What was that? Oh. Okay. Um, I think that the "young authors" they were referring to were their own students.
So, we began setting up in the cafe-torium . . .
When, suddenly . . . BEEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEEP, BEEEEEP. No, Peepy didn't light anything on fire. It was a fire drill!!!! BEEEEP . . .
We were totally impressed by how calm and collected everyone was . . .
One time, I was giving a presentation at a high school in the Chicago area, when BEEEEEEEP!!! Fire drill?
No! It was a real fire!!!!
Oops. Digression. Back to South Pasadena. I told the students that even though the many of my books are set in the fictional town of Rancho Rosetta, CA, it's really South Pasadena. Here's what they thought about that . . .
After, we visited the library. Super librarian Amy Blum and her furry friend presented us with CHOCOLATE!!!!
(How did she know that we love that stuff?)
Here's more of the library and some book lovers . . .
BTW, look! I get to play library at home . . .
Oops. That's another digression. Before we left Monterey Hills Elementary, Peepy got a gift all her own. These three played a concert just for her!
So how did we cap off our great afternoon? Here's how . . .
Hey! What's that? Why, it's the Children's Choice Book Awards . . . the only national book awards program where winning titles are selected by young readers of all ages. And who's hosting? CLICK HERE to find out. (Squeeeee!!!)
And finally, there's this. Look what I saw when visiting Art Center College of Design, near the Rose Bowl. Don't you want one of your own?
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
January 28, 2013
Newbery? Caldecott? NY Times #1? National Book Award? Yep. They're All Here . . .
I'm back! In the last couple-ish of blogs, Peepy and I were in Scotland.
Here's an old shot of Peepy during an earlier visit. She was in Braveheart with Mel Gibson. However, her beauty detracted from him, so all her scenes were cut. Too bad. It would have been a better movie with her in it.
This week was a big one in the KitLit Universe. Yes! ALA Awards were announced. The winner of the Newbery is Katherine Applegate for THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN!!! Seen here with the one and only Peepy . . .
And the Caldecott goes to Jon Klassen for THIS IS NOT MY HAT. Here is he with this is not his BatPeep . . .
On the subject of people who can really draw, we went to see our pal Kazu Kibuishi the creator of AMULET, at Vroman's in Pasadena where I've had a couple of book launch parties . . .
He talked and drew a landscape the same time . . .
Here's his illustration . . .
Just kidding!!! I did that. Can you tell? (I wasn't able to get a good photo of Kazu's drawing.) However, you can see and even own one of his (see below) HERE.
Then, we went to get our Book #5 in the series signed by Jason Caffoe, the colorist for the series, and Kazu . . .
See those two little notebooks with Peepy? One's mine and one's Kazu's. We both store our ideas in them. Plus, Kazu shared some of his sketches . . .
And before we go, we just had to share this with uber fabulous video of this National Book Award winner . . .
YES! It's my dear friend Jeanne Birdsall's brilliant TEDx Talk. Here she discusses writing, childhood, and 6th grade love. And to think Jeannie started writing because a boy she once knew said . . . well, watch the video and find out for yourself. If you can't see it below, or by CLICK HERE.
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Here's an old shot of Peepy during an earlier visit. She was in Braveheart with Mel Gibson. However, her beauty detracted from him, so all her scenes were cut. Too bad. It would have been a better movie with her in it.
This week was a big one in the KitLit Universe. Yes! ALA Awards were announced. The winner of the Newbery is Katherine Applegate for THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN!!! Seen here with the one and only Peepy . . .
And the Caldecott goes to Jon Klassen for THIS IS NOT MY HAT. Here is he with this is not his BatPeep . . .
On the subject of people who can really draw, we went to see our pal Kazu Kibuishi the creator of AMULET, at Vroman's in Pasadena where I've had a couple of book launch parties . . .
He talked and drew a landscape the same time . . .
Here's his illustration . . .
Just kidding!!! I did that. Can you tell? (I wasn't able to get a good photo of Kazu's drawing.) However, you can see and even own one of his (see below) HERE.
Then, we went to get our Book #5 in the series signed by Jason Caffoe, the colorist for the series, and Kazu . . .
See those two little notebooks with Peepy? One's mine and one's Kazu's. We both store our ideas in them. Plus, Kazu shared some of his sketches . . .
And before we go, we just had to share this with uber fabulous video of this National Book Award winner . . .
YES! It's my dear friend Jeanne Birdsall's brilliant TEDx Talk. Here she discusses writing, childhood, and 6th grade love. And to think Jeannie started writing because a boy she once knew said . . . well, watch the video and find out for yourself. If you can't see it below, or by CLICK HERE.
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
January 22, 2013
Scottish Highlands Highlights, Feeding the Hairy Coo & Museum Quality Photos
Wait, wha . . . ? You're still in Scotland? (Meaning, me. I'm still in Scotland.) Well, yeah. Duh. Time Machine!
The Downtown Abbey gang was in Scotland for the holidays, and so were we . . .
(Peepy and Lord Grantham, aka Hugh Bonneville, met for the first time, here.)
So then, Scotland-wise, I was HERE, and I was THERE. Now, I'm here and there . . .
Let's start with here with some museum-quality photos. Yes, we visited the National Museum of Scotland . . .
Oops. There was an accident, but everyone was okay . . .
While we were at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery we saw this painting of Professor Peter Higgs as in HIGGS Boson . . .
It was so cool to see it because in my upcoming Young Adult Novel, SEVEN DAYS DOWN, the main character's name is Higgs Boson Bing! (The book is about the last seven days of high school for a Harvard bound senior . . . and what happens when it's discovered that he cheated on his application.)
(Above: Not to brag, but that's my illustration IN THE MUSEUM. Um, anyone who wanted to draw was allowed to.)
Here's more of the museum . . .
The Museum of Childhood was full of awesome rare toys!
And now, let's visit way over there. We took a day trip to the famed Scottish Highlands. Our guide, repeatedly, repeatedly, said that the movie BRAVEHEART was an affront to the Scottish people and everything in it, including Mel Gibson, was all wrong . . .
So, here's the real deal . . .
It was great fun running around Doune Castle, the site of the filming of Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
Our guide even lent us some coconuts so we could pretend to be horses. (If this makes no sense to you, see the movie.)
Later, we went to the ness (a.k.a. "lake") . . .
But the highlight of the highlands was meeting the Hairy Coo. Them's a sort of Scottish cow. Aren't they cute?
Cows are my friends. In fact, in another lifetime, I co-wrote this video for our Dairy Farmers . . .
When our guide asked for volunteers to feed the Hairy Coo, I jumped up and down and cried, "Pick me! Pick me!"
Ah, what a wonderful time we had in Scotland. We'll be back!
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
The Downtown Abbey gang was in Scotland for the holidays, and so were we . . .
(Peepy and Lord Grantham, aka Hugh Bonneville, met for the first time, here.)
So then, Scotland-wise, I was HERE, and I was THERE. Now, I'm here and there . . .
Let's start with here with some museum-quality photos. Yes, we visited the National Museum of Scotland . . .
Oops. There was an accident, but everyone was okay . . .
While we were at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery we saw this painting of Professor Peter Higgs as in HIGGS Boson . . .
It was so cool to see it because in my upcoming Young Adult Novel, SEVEN DAYS DOWN, the main character's name is Higgs Boson Bing! (The book is about the last seven days of high school for a Harvard bound senior . . . and what happens when it's discovered that he cheated on his application.)
(Above: Not to brag, but that's my illustration IN THE MUSEUM. Um, anyone who wanted to draw was allowed to.)
Here's more of the museum . . .
The Museum of Childhood was full of awesome rare toys!
And now, let's visit way over there. We took a day trip to the famed Scottish Highlands. Our guide, repeatedly, repeatedly, said that the movie BRAVEHEART was an affront to the Scottish people and everything in it, including Mel Gibson, was all wrong . . .
So, here's the real deal . . .
It was great fun running around Doune Castle, the site of the filming of Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
Our guide even lent us some coconuts so we could pretend to be horses. (If this makes no sense to you, see the movie.)
Later, we went to the ness (a.k.a. "lake") . . .
But the highlight of the highlands was meeting the Hairy Coo. Them's a sort of Scottish cow. Aren't they cute?
Cows are my friends. In fact, in another lifetime, I co-wrote this video for our Dairy Farmers . . .
When our guide asked for volunteers to feed the Hairy Coo, I jumped up and down and cried, "Pick me! Pick me!"
Ah, what a wonderful time we had in Scotland. We'll be back!
===========================
Books make lovely gifts for you or someone you know, or someone you may know sometime. If you'd like an autographed book o' mine, order from Vroman's. Be sure to tell them that you'd like me to sign them, and include the name(s) of who the books should be made out to. Then Vroman's will mail it/them to you!"
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
