Catching up...

My best laid plans for this week are not coming to fruition thanks to the vagaries of Mother Nature and the consequent flood disaster happening in my hometown of Nashville.  I had planned a double week of celebrating mothers in fairy tales for Mother's Day and a series of some of my favorite things since my birthday is this weekend, too.  It will still happen in some way, but not the extent I had hoped.

But disasters, unrelated plumbing issues (I have a large hole in my living room ceiling which will be made much bigger before it hopefully disappears in a few weeks) as well as extended houseguest visits have set me behind.  The houseguest was a blessing and a very dear friend despite all the stress.  Once again me and mine have been very blessed through this crisis, but the emotional strain has been great and the repair and recovery is far, far from over.  The good news is that it appears we won't be losing city water although it came close and the city is still being asked to conserve.  I keep bottled water in more than sufficient supply but the guilt over bathing is not something I usually consider...

All that said, expect random postings this week, perhaps a few and perhaps en masse as I grab time for myself and get things off my lists. 

And thank you as always for your support both verbal and financial by using SurLaLune affiliate links to make purchases.  I couldn't maintain SurLaLune without either.  It won't fix my ceiling, but it doesn't take away from the repairs either...

On a side note, I have been pushing Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse to everyone in my "real world" circle, almost none of whom are fairy tale fans.  At first they are all a little trepidatious, hoping not to offend me in my obvious enthusiasm.  I briefly explain how the poems work and then let them read.  Then the light turns on in their eyes and they start thumbing through to read more as well as admire the illustrations.  No, not all the poems are as strong as others.  I usually offer up the Hansel and Gretel poem first since it is one of the strongest, but many are asking for the title and planning to find their own copies for themselves or as gifts.  It is that magical.  If I didn't already have my own copy, it would be on my birthday wishlist this week.

I know it's still early but I am hoping for a Caldecott Medal for this one. Some poetry awards would be wonderful, too.