odds and ends

Still digesting the amazing ribs hubby Neil barbecued for the 4th. Thank you to Julie Reinhardt (She Smoke) for saving the day and our marriage. 

If you like cooking over coals, you need to own Julie's book. If you prefer to eat barbecue that others have cooked, get yourself over to Smokin' Pete's BBQ in Ballard (Seattle). Can you say yum?

Also, can you say spell-check? Mother and brother both pointed out that I had misspelled "curmudgeon" in my post on June 30. Can you just guess what our family Scrabble games are like??  Correction made. Forgiveness, I hope, bestowed.

And let me add one last ALA comment. I am so embarrassed that I didn't mention this earlier-- I can't even blame it on Hurricanes because I didn't even have one while in New Orleans!!! Oh, well. Fewer functioning gray cells; what can I say? 

Well, I can say "thank you!" to Lin Oliver and Sara Rutenberg for stopping by my Random House signing for The Friendship Doll. They were there to celebrate all the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) success stories ( Tomie who?). One more example of why anyone who wants to write or illustrate for children should join this amazing organization.