Jane Sutton's Blog, page 13

Busy Day, Part One: A Fascinating Museum

The day after we met the Berrett and Perkins families, Al and I got up early. We had a busy day ahead. First, we savored our delicious, homemade breakfast at Stone Lizard Lodging. One of the guests in the breakfast room was an unusually pretty, perfectly made-up young woman. Now, before the trip I’d made arrangements to talk to high school classes about my writing process. And I had been told that besides yours truly, the school would have another special guest the same day. A light bulb went on above my head.

Miss Utah 2017

“Are you Miss Utah?” I asked.

When she responded in the affirmative, I told her that both of us would be speakers at San Juan High School that day. Her topic was anti-bullying, and I suddenly realized that my book-musical, with its message that being different is nothing to make fun of, has a similar message to what she wants to convey to students. We smiled at the closely related themes and went our separate ways.

 

 

Later, I remarked to Eva that I had met Miss Utah at breakfast.

“Yes, she told me,” Eva responded.

“Miss Utah talked about me!” the voice inside my swelling head said.

But it wasn’t time to head for the high school. Our first stop was the fascinating Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, located right in Blanding. Actually, it’s not just a museum but is also an Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site. As we approached the desk, an employee asked where we were from, and when the magic answer was “Massachusetts,” he said he’d been informed (by Eva’s mom, Kd) that the visiting author was coming and then gave us a personal tour. You guessed it: I was again soaking up the feeling that my fame in Blanding preceded me.

We enjoyed the museum, learning a great deal about the history, culture and art of ancient peoples. At the same time, I was thinking about what was coming next: three presentations at the high school, one to the middle school cast, and the premiere of Me and the Krinkles that night! Plus, the night before, Eva and Ashley had asked me to say a few words to the audience. What exactly would I say when they called me up on the stage? As I admired the ancient pottery and other exhibits, a speech was formulating in my head…

Edge of Cedars Museum, with beautiful snow-covered mountains in background

 

Inside, the museum has an amazing repository of ancestral Pueblo pottery.

I t was so cool to recognize patterns of the pottery shards we’d seen at Bears Ears the day before, here whole and stunning.

Behind the modern museum is a village inhabited by ancient Puebloan peoples from AD 825 to 1225. Pretty amazing.

 

We Meet, at Last!

The young playwrights Ashley Berrett and Eva Perkins and I had communicated many times via email, some texts … but we’d never met in person.

After our wonderful day touring the area, courtesy of Ashley’s parents’ company https://www.riversandruins.com/ Ashley’s mom, Spring Berrett, invited Al and me to their home for dinner, where we got to meet both playwrights and their large, lovely families. It was a magical evening…

The girls and I were so excited to finally meet in person! From left, that’s Eva, me, and Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone in the family was so warm to both Al and me, appreciative of our coming so far to see the play and for my granting permission to turn my book into a musical and providing feedback on the script and lyrics. I responded that it had been an absolute pleasure and that I was so impressed with these high school seniors’ work.

 

Now Al’s in the picture. The Berrets and Perkins welcomed him warmly, too, and appreciated his accompanying me, which I did, too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eva’s mom, Kd, told me how much she loved ME AND THE WEIRDOS as a child and was eager to share it with her daughter. I was especially touched when she thanked me for allowing the girls to change certain aspects of the plot in the musical.

We all “hit it off” and felt like old friends right away. We learned about each other and our lives. We heard how the parents had pitched in at rehearsals when the girls had other obligations and had built the set. Everyone in both families was charming, including the adorable little siblings. On paper, we are very different–suburb near big city for us, little town far from a large city for them, etc. But  we shared a similar sense of humor and love of fun. The food was delicious, too!

We discovered that though Ashley and Eva and I live 2400 miles apart and I was 10 years older that they are when I originally wrote the book, we all had the same goal: through an entertaining piece of art, to show readers/audiences that being different is just fine.

And then, Eva and Ashley asked if we’d like to hear them sing a couple of songs from the musical before opening night. Yes!!!!

Ashley and Eva sang one of the songs along with the music Eva had composed. Their voices were lovely, and Ashley’s lyrics went perfectly with Eva’s music. Plus, the lyrics wonderfully explicated the plot.

Rachel Berrett joined in on another terrific song. At the end of the performance, we all hugged. I was so moved that I almost cried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It had been an absolutely amazing day. We couldn’t wait for what would come next–opening night!

Exploring the Wild

Our next day in Blanding, Al and I were treated to a surprise trip, courtesy of young playwright Ashley Berrett’s parents, Jared and Spring Berrett of Four Corners Adventures and Wild Rivers Expeditions! We had our own private guide, Louis Williams, who drove us to wild areas we could not have reached in a regular rental car.

Louis had a suggested itinerary but invited us to choose other places we wanted to see. We ended up driving and hiking in Bears Ears National Monument, a fascinating, gorgeous area that made us truly appreciate why it needs to be preserved, Valley of the Gods (wow!), and Goose Necks State Park (another wow!)

Jeep that took us on dirt roads we’d never have dared to drive our rental car!

 

Along a hike in beautiful, fascinating Bears Ears National Monument, Louis pointed out rock features, plants with medicinal uses, spots significant to his Navajo culture, and evidence of ancestral Pueblo people’s life.

The end point of our hike was the fascinating cliff dwelling, Monarch Cave Ruin. Louis, Al and I were the only 3 people there!

Many, many shards around the cliff dwelling, left by ancestral Pueblo people who once lived there

Al and I were thrilled to learn so much from Louis and to be in such an amazing place, just one of 100,000 archaeological sites in Bears Ears!

Our next stop was stunning Valley of the Gods, with its deep red rock formations, all Rorschach test-worthy, against a bright blue sky. In January, we had the vast area to ourselves!

Views were vast. From Valley of the Gods, we could see Monument Valley in the distance.

Our final stop on our tour was Goosenecks State Park, a highlight of our trip with our children back in 1994. It was as awesome as we remembered. So for the second time we got to ooh and ah from an overlook way above the meandering San Juan River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole day of natural wonders left us sooooo glad we had made the journey to this corner of Utah. And that night held even more wonders…

First Day in Blanding, Utah

Al and I were so excited to see this sign and realize we had reached our destination, where we would meet the creators of the musical Me and the Krinkles and see it performed!

Our first stop was the Visitor’s Center, which had interesting exhibits and photos about the history of the town, including the courageous Mormon settlers who arrived via the Holei-in-the-Rock Expedition. We also learned that the town is near two Native American reservations, adding to the diverse culture of the area.

When the friendly staff member behind the desk asked where Al and I were from, and we said Massachusetts, she exclaimed, “Are you the author?!” and added, “I’ve heard so much about you.” I won’t lie: I felt like a celeb.

When we checked into our motel, Stone Lizard Lodging, I was also greeted enthusiastically as “the author.”

After our warm welcome, we entered our perfectly lovely room and found a gift basket filled with varied, thoughtful souvenirs and a thank you note from the Perkins and Berretts, the playwrights’ families. I was really touched.

 

 

 

 

 

Later we were enjoying a tasty dinner at Pop’s Burritos when we noticed this poster on the wall! By then my head was so big that I could barely get out the door!                                                                                                 The next day held even more surprises!

Happy Grandparent’s Day!

Two author friends and I have picture books featuring warm grandparent-grandchild relationships, and yesterday we shared them in celebration of Grandparent’s Day at the terrific Barnes and Noble in Framingham, MA.

Ellen Mayer, Toni Buzzeo and I lots of fun interacting with our young audience and their grown-ups and seeing the varied creations children came up with at the crafts tables.

Ellen Mayer with CAKE DAY, Toni Buzzeo with MY BIBI ALWAYS REMEMBERS, and me with WHAT’S UP WITH THIS CHICKEN?

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Toni Buzzeo reads MY BIBI ALWAYS REMEMBERS with expression and enthusiasm!

Ellen Mayer, wearing an apron like the grandma in CAKE DAY, makes sure her audiences sees all the details.

As I happily read WHAT’S UP WITH THIS CHICKEN? my hero of a husband, Al, turns the pages and holds up the pictures (easier for my sore neck!)

I must be reading the part of the book when Trudy the Chicken squawks, screeches, pecks, and flaps. No wonder Al is hiding his face!

After we read, kids headed to the crafts tables. Thank you, Barnes and Noble, Framingham!

More Utah: Onto the Better than Golden Arches

En route from Salt Lake City to Blanding, we spent the night in Moab at a quaint motel, Kokopelli Lodge http://kokopellilodge.com/ It was spotless, a short block from restaurants and shops, and evoked happy memories of motels we stayed in when we were kids.

Our main reason for stopping in Moab was to return to one of our absolute favorite national parks, Arches. Al and I and our children had all fallen in love with Arches back in 1994, and now we were so excited to go back. When we planned this January adventure, we wondered if snow would prevent us from hiking, but there was barely any (far less than back home in Boston), and the temperature was surprisingly mild!

As soon as we arrived in Moab, we drove directly to the park, and as we approached it, we gasped at the gorgeous deep red rock formations, as stunning as we remembered. We went back the next morning (and gasped again) to hike in different sections of the park, and a third time on our drive back from Blanding, to hike on still another trail.

With all that gasping, it’s amazing we could breathe at all!

A Window in Arches National Park

Our favorite formation, The Three Gossips

You see this iconic arch on the license plate, and there it was!

Snow on distant mountains added drama to the views.

Back to Utah…

My posts about Utah were rudely interrupted by some woman, oh, it was me! Now I’m back on the case. When I left off, I was considering whether or not to attend the premiere of the musical based on my middle grade novel published in 1981, Me and the Weirdos. My husband, Al, and I were weighing the hassle of traveling during January from Boston to to Salt Lake City, then driving five and a half hours to Blanding — against our desire to see the musical and meet the young playwrights I had been corresponding with.

In the end, our curiosity and spirit of adventure won out, and we’re so glad it did!

Before heading for southeastern Utah, where the play would be produced, we decided to spend a few days in Salt Lake City, a fascinating city we had never visited. Some sites of particular interest—

Al and I like to check out State Houses when we travel, and Utah’s was gorgeous!

The State House was stunning inside and out.

 

 

Another shot of the State House

Here’s the Family Research Library, where volunteers help you start finding out more about your ancestors. We saw census reports about our grandparents, including what they paid for rent! And we learned the extact dates they arrived in the US.

Wonderful natural history museum, complete with roof top view of mountains.

Magical night time view of Temple Square from our Airbnb

Stunning public library! Last stop before heading for one of our favorite national parks…

Coming Up: Grandparent’s Day!

It’s been a looong time since my last post, but I do have an excuse: Following a rear-ending car accident, I’ve had to limit my time at a keyboard. Usually, I mourn the end of August, but this year I’m hoping September will find me in fine fettle (whatever that is).

I’m looking forward to this event at the wonderful children’s department in the Framingham, MA Barnes & Noble! Stay tuned for more details…

Reading to Savor

It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s just plain yucky. Normally, I love being outside, but not today.

Luckily, I came across some sweet and creative thank you letters from students I visited this past school year. And they warmed my heart…not in a sticky way, but a good way.

Here is a sampling of my favorites:

Yes! I am “amazing and cool”! Wait until I tell my own children!

This student included her own charming illustration of 1 of my books, with a clever, original caption!

A letter that made me happy to learn that my messages came through loud and clear.

And who doesn’t like to have her portrait drawn?

 

 

 

I got a Kick out of Kick Off Summer Reading!

Last week I had the good fortune to be the featured author at Leicester Memorial School’s annual “Kick off to Summer Reading” night.  This fun and ingenious event includes a book swap in which children pick “new to them” books collected from families and the community.

A few months ago I had done 3 sessions on revision at the school, so the students and I were excited to see each other again. I got a chance to meet their parents, sign books, and marvel again at the wonderful literacy initiatives by Principal Tina Boss and other members of the Memorial Schools staff and faculty.


To sweeten the deal, I got to eat some delicious pizza and baked goods!

Happy summer to all!

How lovely to see oneself in the limelight!

Signing DON’T CALL ME SIDNEY, about a poetry-writing pig

Happily explaining the origins of WHAT’S UP WITH THIS CHICKEN?

Chatting with students and parents was lots of fun.

Signing a copy of Confessions of an Orange Octopus