Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Receiving the Emma

I love going to RWA's national conference each year, and when I'm not able to go -- usually for financial reasons -- I spend the entire week feeling very sorry for myself. I love meeting up with friends I only see once a year, meeting my editors face-to-face, participating in the Readers for Life Literacy Autographing, and attending workshops when I can. I love travel, and enjoy visiting new cities or going back to places I've been before. This year, I had a special reason to attend the conference. RWA's Board of Directors voted to present me with the Emma Merritt Service Award, which is presented for: "the accumulated body of work a member has contributed as a volunteer to RWA.The award is not only for service to individual chapters, but is intended to honor major commitments of service to RWA. A member may receive the RWA Emma Merritt Service Award only once in a lifetime." To say that I'm deeply honored is a serious understatement. Even though RWA President Diane Pershing notified me of the board's decision in March, I'm still shaking my head in disbelief. My friend, Jude, managed to snap this picture as I said thanks to the luncheon crowd (that gold blob in the lights is me.) And tonight, as I try to decide on the perfect spot on my office wall to hang the plaque, I want to say it again. Thank you! _______________________________ Copyright © 2009 Sherry Lewis

Monday, July 20, 2009

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

I’ve been the world’s worst blogger again recently, despite my best intentions. I spent two months with my youngest daughter, helping her when Baby Wonderful #2 came along. Copy of DSCF0414

I had great plans to blog every day and talk about how great it is to be a grandma again, how much I love those two incredible little girls, and how much fun it was to write on the beach every day.

Every day? Snort! Was I ever delusional. I spent most of my time making bottles and changing diapers, and occasionally trying to get a little sleep. Came home again, had houseguests for two weeks, and then packed my bags for DC and the RWA annual conference.

I even carted my camera around the hotel with me for six days, planning to get great pictures that I could post here when I came home and became a reliable and interesting blogger, but somehow only managed to pull the camera out of my bag once.

So I’m home and thinking a lot about my busy spring and summer, and really planning to get myself in gear again now that things are settling down.

Really.

I mean it this time.