Aloha everyone!

As you know, I always like to begin my posts from magical Hawaii in the same way, with an e-gift of flowers from my yard. So here there are. I'll admit it's a small bouquet, not exactly stunning or eye catching, but these are among my favorite plants over here. And well, not eveything has to be top drawer, does it? Sometimes the very best things are those that are more often overlooked. Not that I mean to get philosophical. Frankly, after the last two weeks, I don't think I have enough brains cells left to philosophize well. :) For those of you that have been following me on facebook, you know how crazy busy I've been. What was it eight cities in ten days? For a girl who spends most of her life in sweats and flip flops, it was a blistering pace, that's what I know. The good news, no, the GREAT news is that I got to meet two Fireflies--Patricia and Linda. It was so great to meet them; after all the exchanges on the blog over the years, I felt instantly as if I'd know them forever. Thanks for showing up, girls! Patricia---post a pic on facebook!

Here are a few photos from along the way. This shot to the left is from Anderson's Book store in Naperville, Illinois. As usual, I had a wonderful time at this store. The staff is fabulous and so supportive, and of course, my good buddy, Susan Elizabeth Phillips lives not too far away, so she and her charming husband took me in and fed me until I couldn't eat another bite. Spending time with her was really one of the highlights of the trip. This is me at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. How cool is that? Me...at the Margaret Mitchell House. Like most of you, I grew up with Gone with the Wind. It was one of the most influential books of my teen years, and the movie was equally special. My mom took me to see it when I was thirteen--we had to drive over two hours to see it on the big screen. Of course, because I was a teenager, I'm sure I complained the whole way... She knew, as always, what was best. I know that somehow, she knew I was there...