Freezing Frozen Finale

There's something about people that sit in the front row. I just LOVE front-row personalities. They're out-going. They're extroverts. They're helpful. They're supportive. They're encouraging. They help me make the bridge to those who are in the back. It's been fourteen years of audiences in workshops. This afternoon I have a special "shout out" to any participant who has ever selected the front row. Thank you for living up there on the edge with me. Thank you supporters. Thanks for making the investment in my materials. Thanks for taking my projects into your world. Thanks Schaumburg Library. Thanks Children's Aid Society. We are better today due to your support.

Road Bloggin'

Right this minute, I am fascinated by technology. Even more, I am fascinated by what I have learned on the technology-to-my-real-life continum. At this minute we are in the car, driving thru downtown Indianapolis on their interstate. More accurately, Allen is driving my car and I am sitting in the passenger seat. I have my laptop in my lap, hooked up to the web, thru a series of gizzmos & gadgets that all are ultimately connected to his phone. Voila. Road bloggin'. So I can sit here whizzing by the Keystone exit and simultaneously be reflecting back to last evening and the smiles and personalities that inspired me.

I kept them moving. Plenty of up & down. Lots of energy. Laughter. How I wish I could bottle the laughter and energy. There is a market for laughter & energy. People ask me where I get all of my energy. This world of ours is in need of laughter, that's for certain. Good to capture some of that laughter. ***Thanks Allen for doing all the driving, schlepping and hauling -- so that I can share my brand of happy.

Fun Among Friends

It's been a long day for everyone. Everyone's taught a full day with children. Then everyone travels to the library. To make the most fun out of such an evening, attend with several of your friends. Laughter among friends. Silliness. Acting like children. The best way to conclude a big day is learning with friends.

It's TEACHER TIME!!!

After our glorious morning of fun with the children & their families, we all returned to Nancy's Fancy Bed & Breakfast so that I could take an afternoon siesta to rejuvinate for the evening fun. The Schaumburg Library co-sponsors an evening of continuing ed for teachers with The Children's Aid Society a couple of times a year. The maintenance people got the room all reorganized. The tech people got the awesome projector hooked up to my laptop. The AV people had the state-of-the-art microphones operational. Nancy had all the paperwork organized. Allen had all of the handouts readied and all of my CDs, books & DVDs in order. Ring the bell and bring on the participants!!

"It's time to celebrate! We are great!!" Hand-jive pattern making for "Glad I'm at School Today." Then before you know it, it's time for me to don my thrift-shop-lion's-mane-tutu and tell a story or two. Wow. It feels so good to climb back into the saddle again. It's now been just over three months since my surgery. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep moving toward the light. One step at a time. One workshop at a time.

Goldie Goldie Goldfish

With the younger crowd I switched things up a bit and "Goldie" got to make an appearance. That last picture is dear sweet Evan and his wee little sister Kate. They are now my offical fan club representatives as their family is leaving soon to live in Morocco. The set of my books is headed abroad!!! That's an exciting opportunity, to have my work headed half-way around the world..... and it all launched from the Schaumburg Library.

Show Number Two

A few minutes to catch my breath and then the Rasmussen Room is ready for Part Two. It's a younger crowd. A seriously rambuncious younger crowd. A keep-me-on-my-toes-to-stay-ahead-of-the-cresting-surf crowd. WOW!! What fun!

Schaumburg Shananigans!!!

What a great morning!! What great gusts of energy to share. The room was full with kindergartners all the way down to the teenie tots. We sang. We danced. I autographed & personalized my books. We hugged and gave high fives. It was a memorable morning that's for sure.

Tall Giraffe Comes "Home"

Once upon a time there was a Children's Librarian named Nancy. Some of her best friends called her Fancy Nancy, only because she is capable of THE most amazing acts of kindness and generosity with seemingly little effort. It was Nancy O'Connell of the Schaumburg Public Library that wiggled me single-handedly onto the program of ALA (American Library Association) in New Orleans several years ago. It was Fancy Nancy who has been responsible for my appearances at her library's family story-time, thru the years. It was Fancy Nancy who put together evenings of staff development periodically for Chicago-land PreK & K teachers. All of these acts of great vision are worthy of a prize to be certain, but Nancy's real "gift" to me has been her love of my song "Tall Giraffe." It was Nancy alone who urged me to create a book from my call & response sing-a-long. It was Nancy periodically dropping me an email saying one of her patrons wanted to check out a copy of "Tall Giraffe" and how was the project coming along?? It's truly a gift to have such a benevolent supporter. It has been a real treasure to get to know her as the decades roll one into the next. She's a marvel. She's a blessing. I'm a fortunate person to have such a champion in my back court. I know you are just as proud of Tall Giraffe, the picture book as my own mama. Thank you Nancy. And by the way, you make THE VERY BEST buttermilk pancakes ever!!!