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Now we're really home!

OfficeMouse learned all kinds of web-related goodness from the WebGod, Theo Black, who is a calm, ordinary sort of guy.

While they discussed Flash and code and other things I do not understand, I mostly curled up in a corner with my revisions. But Theo insisted that I try out the Wii, which I had never seen before. Note to BH - we must not buy a Wii or I'll never write another book. Addictive, to say the least.

After they were done with the computer magic, OfficeMouse and I went to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. This bug, disguised as a very hungry caterpillar, was in the parking lot.

This is a quilt of the famous caterpillar in the lobby. Visitors are not allowed to take photographs in the exhibit galleries, obviously, so I can't show you how wonderful they are. Three hours evaporated while we slowly walked through the exhibits and created our own masterpieces in the art room.

Mr. Carle painted these gorgeous, massive paintings for the front hall. We could have stood in front of them for hours, just lost in the color. I know gas is expensive, so you should carpool with some buddies and take a trip to this museum. Well worth the drive.

NPR has a wonderful interview with Eric Carle as well as a terrific slideshow of the man and his work.

Your fact of the day: Eric Carle was born in Syracuse, NY and credits his kindergarten teacher at a Syracuse public school with being the person who opened the door to his lifetime as an artist.

This reinforces my hunch that Central New York is a magical place for writers and artists. You should probably move here.

Although the polish on my final revision was calling, we were in the Amherst/Northampton region, and there was one more home of art we had to take in: the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton. Along with other cool stuff, there is a terrific collection of the work of children's book illustrators there. Very satisfying.

Remember in my SCBWI-NE speech how I talked about the need to make time and space for art in your life? What artistic adventures have you gone on recently?

I'm back in Smalltown and it's 2008! The past few days have gone by in a blur of travel, reading, family, and viruses, but now I'm ready to get back to work and thankful for it. (Oh, and it's caucus time here in Smalltown. After hundreds of hours of research [I'm not kidding], I have finally decided on my first choice. I'm still uncertain as to who my second choice will be if my first choice is not viable. I have three more hours to decide.)

• Yay for the Cybils lists! Four of the nine lists are now up and they are great ones this year. Check out Fantasy/SciFi, Fiction Picture Books, Poetry, and Middle Grade Fiction. The rest of the lists will be up on January 7, so keep watching.
• I have to say I'm thrilled that the U.S. finally has an Ambassador for Children's Literature.
  
• The Class of 2k8 is here. And, don't miss their blog. This group of writers, whose first books for children will be published in 2008, includes a member of my writing group, P.J. Hoover! I'll be following them closely.