Five Things on a Friday

From the top of Cherry Mountain, Jefferson, New Hampshire. My daughter and I climbed this last summer.

1.  The end is in sight (and it needs a lot of work!).  I'm back to the last chapters of my draft of my new novel and now I have to make them work. Crunch time!

2.  My daughter applied to four graduate schools for library science, and she heard from the final school this week. . . she got into all four programs! So now she gets to choose. I'm excited for her! She's a smart, creative, thoughtful, and kind person. She'll make a great librarian.

3.  I've really enjoyed this eagle webcam from Iowa.  It's a wonderful chance to see an eagle's nest and babies up close. 

4.  I have a school visit next Wednesday at Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico, Maine, and they have an amazing day planned. The students have all read Rules, so they will hear me speak, but they'll also cycle through programs related to differences in their area of Maine.  They'll meet people who work at Hope Association who work with children and adults with developmental disabilities, The Iris Network who do programming and education for the Blind. A group of therapy dogs and their handlers who visit local hospitals, a group of high school students who have learned sign language, as well as other activities.  It'll be an awesome day for everyone--including me!  I love that this school has involved their local organizations, because the kids may never see me again, but these people are their neighbors.

5.  Speaking of sign language, I came upon this cool Youtube of a high school student who is deaf signing the story of Hot Rod Hamster for deaf children.  Sometimes I can tell where she is in the story, and other times I have no idea!  But what really struck me was that she's storytelling our book.  Sign language is not a literal translation, so it's not about the rhymes or the fancy word choices I made. It's not about Derek's beautiful art.  It's all about the *story.*