keeping in touch with old friends

One of the things I am worried about moving is that I'll lose touch with old friends. Already with Rain Dragon, I have a hard time doing anything--from changing clothes in the morning to answering e-mails. But, I want to try to make more of an effort to actually see people.

So in Andover, after a school visit in the area (so maybe that doesn't count as making an effort!) Rain Dragon and I went to visit my good friend Elaine (she recently signed a contract for her first children's book with Chronicle!) and her granddaughter:

And then, a couple weeks later Rain Dragon and I took the subway to see good friends and oh-so-talented authors Mitali Perkins and Justina Chen for breakfast:

Yes, we traveled a whole 15 minutes.  So maybe that doesn't really count as making an effort either. But in both instances we had to get out of our pajamas! Don't we earn something for that?

Not that it wasn't worth it, of course. It was great fun and we can't wait to see them (and other friends) again. But we might stay in our pajamas...

looking back

My good friend Elaine posted a lovely retrospective of all my promotional efforts and triumphs of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Book promotion is such a long process which is truly a labor of love, I am so glad and grateful that I had readers (such as you) and great friends (like Elaine) with me on the way. And look how long my hair was!