Ice Cream, Black Eyed Peas and Collards

Hello January! Hello 2021! I welcome you into my life with arms so open that it hurts.

Flashback to ALA 2018. I was waiting in line to grab coffee, a muffin, some hard unripe melon for a seat for the Geisel/Sibert/Batchelder award ceremony when I met Jacquelyn from Alabama. We chatted a bit, sat together, exchanged cards and that was it.  I had no idea that we would keep in touch as strongly as we have and that she would be one of a few colleagues to get me through the past spring and beyond. The random personal connections gained from attending in person national conferences are so powerful and long lasting. Will we be able to meet again IRL in 2021? 

Flashback even farther to ALA 2015. Carole, from LA, had an empty seat at her table during a reception for Ashley Bryan. I sat down and the rest is really history. It was lovely to wish her a happy new year last night (and I won't complain that I got to admire a cloudless, blue sky behind her when we FaceTimed). It's Carole's Sabrina who will be competing against Trenton Lee Stewart on Monday in our Face-Off.

Today: Jacquelyn was wondering about our New Year's food traditions. Uhhh, ice cream? She eats black eyed peas for good luck, collards for money and cornbread for gold.  Since I can't resist luck, money and gold, I stopped at Hannaford on our way home from getting our annual sweet cream treat and I made the soup and corn muffins.  Because of our exchange today, my phone actually thought I was having dinner with Jacquelyn.  It was sort of right?

I chose The Lion of Mars as my first book of 2021. Perfect. Chocolate cake. Carrot cake. Ping Pong. Friendship. Family. First love. Grief. Toilet paper. A virus. Scrambled eggs. Mascara. Board games. Ahhh...Jenni Holm has yet to disappoint me.* Happy almost book birthday!

Took my first leap of the year at Schodack Island State Park on the banks of our beloved Hudson River. The sky doesn't look like Carole's did last night and the sun really wasn't shining, but that didn't stop us (and a whole lot of other people) from getting outside and taking our #ForestFriday #FirstDayHikes #AdventureNY of the year.  So with fresh air in my lungs and good luck in my belly, I'm ready for ya, 2021. Bring. it. on!

 

 

*ICYMI: Here's our Author Fan Face-Off with Jenni