My father sent me one of those chain emails with a subject line that reads "Handbook 2011." I'd like to retitle it "Handb...

Many moons ago when I went to social work school, we were taught that no emotion is bad. If you feel depressed, it's just one feeling. ...

Last night we watched a Mark Twain documentary on Netflix (Have I mentioned how we adore Neflix? Documentaries! Independents! Foreign Films...

We humans are a generous, compassionate species. That quality is never more evident than when natural disaster strikes -- I mean, who doesn...

When I first started dating Paul, oh about twenty-one years ago, I was immediately smitten. But I had seen a little bit of the underside of ...

Actually, I took this picture last Wednesday. It's a Bradford pear tree, and those of you who live in the south know these trees are ver...

You know how great it is when a dear friend writes a book that you absolutely adore ? Lindsey Leavitt's SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD is o...

1. It's Poetry Friday! And while I am not able to contribute this week, you should totally get your day off to a good start and head ov...

What a warm welcome I received today at Judson College in Marion, Alabama. Judson has its own china pattern, so this tea cup and saucer will...

Actually, I'm kind of partial to the beach in fall, when the heat is not nearly so brutal. And I love it at night best of all. There...

How awesome is this?? Thank you, Nancy Mercado, for wrapping it all up with a colorful ribbon and an artsy note. How could I NOT be inspir...

. for Poetry Friday, I want to tell you about all the juicy goodness spilling from the pages of the latest Birmingham Arts Journal. There...

You may not know this, but I am a big fan of reader's theater. I have such fond memories of watching the excitement of my own kids as th...

For all of you Poetry Friday folks, I have to tell you about this retreat that I am SO excited about: Dive Into Poetry Retreat with Rebecc...

A couple of weeks ago I walked out to the mailbox and found the most delightful surprise: an envelope with a book entitled Perfect Reader by...

So this quilt is the gift the enrichment students of Homewood Middle School presented to me. It's not any ordinary quilt: this one cont...

Day One of my two day visit at Homewoond Middle School , and I cannot wait to share some pics with you. I spoke to 6th, 7th and 8th graders,...

For Poetry Friday I thought it might be fun to put on my editor's hat. It has been my privilege to serve as poetry editor for Birmingham...

This week I've been listening to an audio version of WOODSONG by Gary Paulsen. This is a special book, and I am still trying to decode m...

This is my dining room table. Not a lot eating goes on here, as you can probably tell. And because it's cold, and because it's the ...

Welcome to Poetry Friday Roundup!! It's such a pleasure to host, and thanks as ever to Mary Lee at A Year of Reading for always putting...

After much thought and consideration about where I am in my life as the calendar flares "2011," I've made my choice. For all...

You may recall that every year I choose one little word to be my focal point. I'm not sure yet what my word will be for 2011, but I can ...

For Christmas Eve Poetry Friday, I thought I'd share a video. Check it out! Then head on over to A Year of Reading for roundup! and here...

...and her name is Ruby!

Every year there are really excellent books that don't get stars from reviewers or achieve NYT Bestseller status or find the audience wh...

As we move into 2011, I am thinking POETRY! Of course I am pretty much always thinking poetry, but you know. I'm thinking it extra right...

How 'bout this sweet little gingerbread village?? Adorable, and so much fun with some sweet girls in my life: Vonda, who awarded prizes...

So, in my effort to continue to be the best presenter I can be, I read this book by Tony Jeary. I sort of wish I'd read it a long time a...

Ummm, yeah. Youngest son was not feeling the Joy at the tree farm this year. And now we have this picture to remember the day FOREVER. Thank...

So I was reading this article in Ode Magazine by Rabbi Rami called Standing Barefoot before God about the "agony and ecstasy of writing...

Not the flamigos, although Stella in my new book DON'T FEED THE BOY really loves them -- and they are gorgeous. Not the gorillas, altho...