Writing hubs and missing mothers

Buzz.
I'm all abuzz about my first solo weekend in two years.
Wahoo! I've got a bucket of paint and I'm going to paint the town red.
I'm going to tap dance on the rooftops.
I'm going to throw confetti out the windows.
I'm going to yell into a loudspeaker.

Okay actually I'll be sitting meekly and taking notes at the SCBWI conference in Seattle. A great hobnob for writers and an awesome chance to soak in good input.
I'm blurbing about this because if you're in the Northwest and you're a writer, this is the place to be this weekend. I hope I'll
get to rub elbows and throw confetti with you.


Clever words from "When We Were Very Young" by A.A. Milne:

Disobedience

James James
Morrison Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his Mother,
Though he was only three.
James James
Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he:
"You must never go down to the end of the town,
if you don't go down with me."

James James
Morrison's Mother
Put on a golden gown,
James James
Morrison's Mother
Drove to the end of the town.
James James
Morrison's Mother
Said to herself, said she:
"I can get right down to the end of the town
and be back in time for tea."

James James
Morrison's mother
Hasn't been heard of since.
King John
Said he was sorry,
So did the Queen and Prince.
King John
(Somebody told me)
Said to a man he knew:
"If people go down to the end of the town, well,
what can anyone do?"

(Now then, very softly)
J.J.
M.M.
W.G.Du P.
Took great
C/o his M*****
Though he was only 3.
J.J.
Said to his M*****
"M*****," he said, said he:
"You-must-never-go-down-to-the-end-of-the-town-
if-you-don't-go-down-with ME!"

If you haven't spent time at the feet of A.A. Milne, I encourage you to.
A brilliant wordsmith, his works are impeccably illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard, one of my all-time favorite artists. The illustrations above are by Mr. Shepard himself.
My kids love these books, but really I'm the one who gets a treat each time I read.


Here's to moms getting the weekend off!