Manly Flowers

Tomie's publisher requested "manly flowers" from the florist for Tomie's birthday. The publisher did not want carnations and balloons sent.

Who knew "Baby's Breath" were manly flowers?

Once Upon a Time Pumpkins Were Orange

The Light of Tomie's Life

Sally (Kimball) Campbell visited this weekend. She was in town to attend her 50th class reunion at Colby-Sawyer College (called Colby Junior College 50 years ago).

Tomie and Sally met when Tomie acted in a production at the college in 1959, and Sally, as a student, was on the production crew and lighted the show.

Much later, Sally was a schoolteacher and Tomie visited her school.

She continues to light up his life.

Art House

Photographs of Tomie's "Mercer Room" are featured in the September/October 2010 issue of DESIGN NEW ENGLAND.

www.designnewengland.com
Click "Current Issue" at top of page.
Click "Style: Art House" at left under "Features," OR
Click the Art House photograph at the top in the middle of the page.
Click the turquoise arrows at the top of the page to see the entire article.

Calling All SCBWI Members!

The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators has made the Tomie dePaola Illustration Award a permanent annual award. Learn more at Alice Pope's SCBWI Children's Market Blog.

www.scbwi.blogspot.com/2010/09/scbwis-tomie-depaola-illustration-award.html
www.scbwi.org

STREGA NONA'S GIFT

The original artwork for STREGA NONA'S GIFT is being shipped today to the publisher in New York City. Tomie completed the illustrations yesterday. It will be published during the fall of 2011 by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of the Penguin Young Readers Group. Nancy's Fall 2011 list will be her first for Nancy Paulsen Books.

It was important that Tomie finish work on the book prior to next week which is known as "Tomie's Birthday WEEK."

The Rockingham Meeting House

We visited the Rockingham Meeting House with Jennette and Ted last week.

From the brochure:
"The Rockingham Meeting House is the oldest public building in Vermont that still exists in a condition close to its original state. The Meeting House was built between 1787 and 1801 to serve the needs of religious services and civic events in the town of Rockingham...

"Much of what stands today is original fabric from the eighteenth century: king-post timber framing, woodworking details of the exterior, many glass panes in the twenty-over-twenty windows, interior plaster work, and most of the material of the 'pig pen' box pews...

"The Rockingham Meeting House was designated... a National Historic Landmark on May 16, 2000."

Directions:
The Rockingham Meeting House is located on Meeting House Road, off Vermont Route 103 - 1 mile from I-91 Southbound, Exit 6, and 1.9 miles from I-91 Northbound, Exit 6.

Scottish Jenny and Muscle Testing Teddy

Jennette, retired teacher and librarian, and Ted, kindergarten teacher, recently visited from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Someone Needed a Haircut

The mohawk looks good!

McGuff

During the recent trip to Weston, Vermont, we got together with Marianna McGuffin (aka McGuff). Both McGuff and Tomie once acted on the stage of the Weston Playhouse.

McGuff's son is Sam Lloyd, Jr., best known for his acting in "Scrubs." McGuff's ex-brother-in-law is Christopher Lloyd, best known for his acting in "Taxi" and "Back to the Future."

On the Road Again

Yesterday's road trip with Connie and Peggy (owners of Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, New Hampshire): Late lunch at Burdick's in Walpole, New Hampshire, shopping at Vermont Country Store in Rockingham, Vermont, and "Damn Yankees," another sensational production at the Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont.

www.morganhillbookstore.com

www.burdickchocolate.com

www.vermontcountrystore.com

www.westonplayhouse.org

NANA UPSTAIRS & NANA DOWNSTAIRS, Chinese translation

Cove Gallery: Paintings Everywhere!