it started with a birth...ended with a marriage...and the Geese are back in town!

baby Bayliss

What an amazing, crazy, busy weekend I had (no, that's not my baby), it's my best friend Bronwyn's, who gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy. Happy Birthday Bayliss, and congratulations BB and Gino!
I'm sad that I wasn't in town to witness his birth, but while his mom was experiencing labor pains, I was in a position much less intense, seated on an airplane and headed across the country for a wedding.

It wasn't an easy start for the bride and groom-to-be; zippers on bridesmaid dresses weren't working, flights were cancelled for friends arriving from New York, and worst of all was a tragedy in the family, but everything came together in the 11th hour and love prevailed. I couldn't be happier for my two newly-married friends. There really is nothing like witnessing the union of two people madly in love with each other and then celebrating that with good friends - congrats you guys and thank you for having me be a part of the wedding!

bridesmaid flowers

So, after all of the excitement ended and I was squished back into my seat on the plane recovering from too much champagne and tequila (wait, whose idea was that again?!) and sad to part from good friends, I passed the time by editing my new book, Trevelyn's Shimmer. A nice, older couple who saw me madly marking up the manuscript with ink scribble, said they felt bad for whomever had to make those changes - yes, me - but wished my luck and talked to me about writing and books. It would be amazing if I could write a publishable first draft that didn't need revisions (has anyone ever accomplished that before?). But my point is, it's refreshing to receive encouragement from strangers. We've all probably met someone who was laid-off recently because of the rotten economy, and so switched gears to focus on something that they really love to do (even if they get paid next to nothing for doing it) so give that person a high-five next time you see them, because the reward that comes from a planet full of happy people is absorbed by everything and everyone, and we definitely all benefit from that!

Canadian Goose (not the one I heard)

And finally, you guessed it, the Geese are back! I heard their call this morning from outside my window, which means that Autumn is fast-approaching. Do you ever wonder where these passport carrying Geese go in Canada - they do go all the way to Canada, right?...somewhere really nice I'm sure. I'm reading The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, which has got me thinking differently about the long-absent Geese this Fall. I know, they don't really walk around with chalkboards tied around their necks and write messages to people and other animals, but I think it's a great example of a story that makes us more aware of the world and different species around. That's what every children's book writer hopes to accomplish I'm sure....

So now, with the Seasons changing and love and new life in the air, and of course the Geese back in town, I'm looking forward to the rest of 2009 and what's to come. Oh, and for those of you who were curious, this time when I was gone, Sadie, I'm happy to report, what with all of the belly rubs and love from her aunties, didn't even seem to miss me, and she definitely, didn't miss a meal!