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   This morning’s run

Four years ago today I started running the courthouse steps. I had been doing aerobics for many years, and one day while walking my dog past the courthouse, I thought I’d just see what it was like to run the steps; I was instantly hooked.

What I love about running steps goes way beyond the rigorous workout I get.  I wake up just before the sun rises, get dressed in an early morning daze and head out the door with my water and sweat rag on my bike when it’s just light enough outside to see where I’m going. The air is always fresh at this time of day and my senses are on high alert. My neighbor’s sprinkler overflow is scurrying down the street like a river along the edge of the grass, and I pedal faster to pass it up. Sloppily thrown newspapers sit patiently on driveways awaiting to be retrieved. Yellow parakeets chatter loudly as they fly over the rustling palm fronds, and through the slats of the metal fence around the water treatment plant, I see the sunrise glow as it pushes away the pink clouds. The workers at the plant know me now. I wave and speed down the street.

At the corner of the busy intersection where I must cross, I observe the blank looks on drivers’ faces as they head to work in the congestion of Metropolitan Miami. Some are looking down at their cell phones, unaware the light has turned green. The courthouse pigeons have moved their perch to the telephone wires on this corner after the courthouse officials installed sharp anti bird spikes along the roof’s edge. I look up at the pigeons for a quick second, but make sure to keep my mouth closed.

I park and lock my bike in front of the courthouse and head to the top of the steps where I remove my sandals and start my stretching routine. The security guard on the second floor nods at me and smiles. Invariably the pigeons on the corner take off and circle over my head, putting on a show as if to welcome me to their former perch. Overhead I can see planes from Miami International Airport ascending, and I daydream about the exciting places where they may be going. The cloud formations are ever-changing.

As I start to run up and down the steps I instantly go into a zone of sorts, whereby I no longer think about what I’m doing; it’s as if a force beyond my control is moving me. Out loud I count the “innings” or rather laps up and down as I listen to Mick Jagger singing in my ear. Negative thoughts are not allowed here. Courthouse employees arrive to work early, shuffling their feet, looking defeated to have to walk through the doors. I smile and make eye contact with them.

I see another familiar face. It’s Alaina, an avid walker, a 65-year-old breast cancer survivor, and she chats with me, telling me her dreams about getting rich with her cell phone invention. One day three years ago, a thin woman in a clean, long, white night gown sat in the middle of the courthouse steps and started belting out American songs. “Marines’ Hymn, You’re a Grand Old Flag, God Bless America” and so on. I never realized how many patriotic songs there were until this day. She was protesting something, but I don’t know what. There was no one there to listen except for me. Her off-key singing frustrated me for 30 long minutes before she marched off with her poster that just read “Justice” and her collection of flat tunes.

As the run progresses and I ascend the steps, I manage to keep up my pace and continue to not think about the challenge of what I am doing and that gravity is not my friend. I am competing with no one. I don’t dare acknowledge the heat and humidity of South Florida. Passersby ask me where the entrance is to the courthouse and a whole host of other questions. “Passports – room 160, Parking and Traffic Violations, well that’s room 200. No, there’s no entrance at the top of the stairs – it’s down there behind that wall, but you’ve got a long wait until the courthouse opens.”

People stare at my bare feet. Some men yell comments out their car windows as they whiz by. Thinking I couldn’t hear her, one day a young woman walking past the steps whispered to the young man next to her, “That running bitch is not wearing shoes. What must that bitch be thinking?!”

“That bitch is thinking she can hear every word you just said,” I blurted out as I ran past her.

Sometimes young men, who are on their way inside the courthouse to fight traffic tickets ask me about my workout and my shoeless feet and are looking for motivation to start a fitness routine of their own. I give them words of encouragement and explain that I run without shoes because this is how I keep injuries at bay – especially plantar fascitis, shin splints, hip and knee pain. Read the science of barefoot workouts from Harvard University.

Across the street is the Walgreens shopping center where I wave to Alberto, the hardworking groundskeeper there, whom I met many times when I used to cut through the shopping center to get home. On occasion I see my dry cleaner peek out the door of his shop to wave at me and the Coke and Lays trucks making their daily deliveries to Walgreens. Just how much Coke and how many chips can one Walgreens sell? I love it when the doormat cleaning truck pulls in from of the courthouse once a month, bringing fresh mats inside and dragging out the filthy ones.

I run up and down the 28 steps 20-25 times and then take a 90 second walking break on the top landing. In between sets I often do 10 pushups. I run between 3,360 and 4,200 steps each visit. When I finish, I text before and after running selfies to my daughter, who is in grad school in Colorado.

On the ride back I’m treated to an endorphin rush; it should be illegal to be this happy and energetic – not to mention sweaty. I’m 4 ft. 11″, middle-aged and strong. It’s only 7:30 am and my workout is done. Soon I’ll experience a calmness that only devoted yogis speak of.

Other than, “Why are you not wearing shoes?’ the most common question I am asked is, “How do you motivate yourself to keep running?” Running for me is a habit – like brushing my teeth every morning – and if I don’t workout at least 5 days a week, I don’t feel good. There’s always a long list of excuses not to run, but I won’t entertain them. I have never been athletically inclined – actually more accident prone and was the last girl picked for teams in gym class in school. It’s uncomfortably hot and humid most of the year. I have chronic asthma and debilitating allergies; luckily the only time my nose and lungs are truly clear is when I’m running.

So today on my four year anniversary, I am grateful to be able to continue to run the steps. I’m 55 years old, and as long as I can walk, I can run. And run. And run.

I was thrilled to be invited back to the SOREF JCC Morrow Elementary After Care Program for the third time and to North Lauderdale Elementary for the 2nd time! What a pleasure it was to see some of the same smiling faces and respectful students again.

This visit was extra special because I brought with me one empty chrysalis, from which a monarch hatched in my own garden and another that died naturally and was still in full form. Along with a magnifying glass, the students could see up close what they looked like. The life cycle of the butterfly is so fascinating, there is so much to learn.

Morrow Elementary

How does one get from Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica? Big maps are always a big hit with children.

I’ll never grow weary of all the oohs and ahhs I get from showing the students my watercolor pencils and the  detailed questions I get about how a book is made and bound

With my new poster the children can see my daughter, Rachel, who composed music for the story and my huge standard poodle, Darwin

The adult Morpho Butterfly lives for only about three weeks!

North Lauderdale Elementary

It’s important for children to learn about how writers find heir inspiration

I shared my own photo of the monarch butterfly in my garden right after it emerged from the chrysalis

It’s so exciting to see what the chrysalises look like through a magnifying glass

The students could barely wait their turns to take a look at the chrysalises up close themselves

The best question of the day by a sophisticated 2nd grader: “What is it that made you want to be an author and what is it about being an author that you most enjoy?”

A big thank you to all the curious students who love Lilly Badilly. I hope you start writing your own stories! Thank you Sharon Schwartz, SOREF JCC Elementary Services Director, Site Directors, Ms. Angel, Ms. Nancy and all to Mark, Travis and Jordan, the friendly, helpful 4th grade students who helped me carry my props to and from the car on a very windy day.

Being an author and teaching artist has in turn taught me so much. Most enlightening has been learning about the many outstanding grant-based and donor-funded programs available to South Florida parents and their children. Because of these programs, many parents have affordable and often free before and after care options, so they can work to support their families financially. And there’s so much more to these wonderful programs, including dedicated staff members.

Kids in Distress was created to for “the prevention of child abuse, preservation of the family, and the treatment of abused and neglected children.” Since 1979, the Broward chapter has been educating children through their preschools, aftercare program and day camps. They support families with numerous programs such as adoption, foster care, recovery services, and health and counseling services. The Children’s Services Council of Broward is at the forefront of this agency’s funding.

I was thrilled to be invited to present my literacy program to 75 students who participate in the MOST Aftercare Program, under the direction of Kevin Bochenek. These kids were curious, eager to learn and asked me more questions than I’ve ever been asked before. By the end of the author visit, they had a new appreciation for the biodiversity of the rainforest and seemed excited about reading more about it on their own.

Learning about the many animals species of the rain forest is so exciting!

We learned about the importance of geography literacy and reading maps.

One five-year-old boy knew how birds are responsible for planting so many trees (Yes, they poop out the seeds!)

Any and every child who has the privilege of learning with MOST Director Kevin Bochenek is lucky indeed. Kevin has been a dedicated child advocate for more than 25 years, and he’s so kind and caring with the children.

I love seeing art projects made by the children, and this beautiful facility has them decorating their bright walls.

The charming children’s library offers kids a wide variety or reading and learning options.

I want to thank Kevin from Kids in Distress for inviting me to present Lilly Badilly and all the children for making my day so bright. Keep reading and learning!

Readers, to contact Kids in Distress, click here. For more information about foster parenting, volunteering or mentoring, click here.

I had the pleasure of visiting American Heritage Summer Camp in Delray Beach yesterday, where I was welcomed by many friendly staff members and hundreds of campers. The library there, which was built two years ago is the most beautiful library I’ve ever seen in any school, with it’s beautiful resin trees and skylights that change colors. There’s even a choral reef story time room! Who wouldn’t want to read in here?!?!?!?!

Thank you  Sally Schleifer and Ally Stein for inviting me and making me feel very welcome at your beautiful school. And an additional thank you to the extra friendly Mr. Jim from the library for helping me carry my props out to the car.

I was invited to share The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly with visitors at the wonderful Miami Children’s Museum on Saturday May 9 in celebration of Children’s Book Week.

Miami Children’s Museum is located on Watson Island along  the MacArthur Causeway, overlooking the port and downtown Miami. It’s one of the country’s largest children’s museums and includes 14 galleries, a wide variety of impressive educational outreach programs, an auditorium, a pre-school and a charter school. You can even have an awesome birthday party here. The building is so uniquely beautiful; check it out . . .

Parents and their kids stopped by to see what Lilly Badilly was all about.  We had a great time dancing and learning about the animals of the rain forest. Children are never too young to love maps! Each child at the presentation received a free copy of the book, courtesy of the museum. Everyone is so nice and accommodating here, and I’d love to come back for another visit.

I want to thank Ashley Harrison, Public Programs Manager for inviting me to Miami Children’s Museu and Laura for helping me bring in all my props, setting up and taking photos.

If you’re in Miami and have children, you’ve got to visit Miami Children’s Museum:

980 MacArthur Causeway, Miami, FL 33132

305 -373 -5437

I’m excited to start a new year of school author visits, returning to some I’ve visited before and many new schools and aftercare programs. In anticipation of this season, I’ve spent a great deal of time updating my author visit materials and presentation. I’ve got a pile of new posters I’ve hand-painted too. Check them out!

© Copyright by Debbie Glade – Cannot be copied or used without permission

© Copyright by Debbie Glade – Cannot be copied or used without permission

© Copyright by Debbie Glade – Cannot be copied or used without permission

© Copyright by Debbie Glade – Cannot be copied or used without permission

© Copyright by Debbie Glade – Cannot be copied or used without permission

© Copyright by Debbie Glade – Cannot be copied or used without permission

This is an exciting day – the first day of the Lilly Badilly Literacy Project!

Our goal is to raise money to cover the cost of printing 3,000 books and CDs so we can give them to students who cannot afford to buy them. Please check out our IndieGogo campaign and help us spread the word on Facebook, Twitter and by emailing your friends and family.I promise our video will make you laugh!

Thank you for your support!

I returned to two wonderful City of Miramar, FL camps today, I visited last summer – the Miramar Youth Enrichment Center and the Ansin Sports Complex. I am once again awe struck by the dedication of the staff members and by the excellent programs the city offers to children.

No matter how many author visits I’ve done, no two are ever the same. Today I spoke  to a small group of middle school students at the Ansin Sports Center, and we had a fabulous discussion about publishing, reading, inspiration, writing, editing, getting into a good college and even writing a resume. The students were most fascinated by the writing I’ve done for mountain climber, Jeff Gottfurcht, and they wanted to know all about his climb. They were so sophisticated and polite, it was as if I were taking to adults.

I was asked a great question today I’ve never been asked before: “Do you get nervous when you speak to groups of students?”

My answer: “In the beginning, when I first started talking to students I was very nervous. Now I’m never nervous, because with experience, I’m comfortable with the topics I discuss.”

Many thanks to Billy Neal, Gerald, Dralin Celestin and all the other staff members for inviting me back to your camps.

Media Specialist, Debra Divich, from Ramblewood Middle School in Coral Springs, gave her class an assignment; they were to try to book a school visit from an author.  One very determined student found me online and sent me an email to ask if I’d come to her school to speak to students about being an author. The students were extremely receptive, attentive and had the most clever questions for me. Asking constructive questions was part of each student’s grade for the day. What a brilliant assignment. Thank you Jael and Ms. Divich for having me. I love middle schoolers!

I am going to answer a list of questions I’ve been getting lately in one blog post:

Are you on Twitter?

Yes! http://twitter.com/DebbieGlade

Is your book, Lilly Badilly, still discounted?

Yep. $16.95. Order it here.

Can I still get free shipping on your book on your website?

Sure you can. Use this code FBS1209 (case sensitive)

Where can I read reviews of your book?

Click here and read away!

What is your platform?

I believe in making reading and learning fun. Mastering (and loving) reading at a young age is the key to lifelong success. I am an advocate of geography literacy, as our nation falls far behind others in that category. Creative learning with laughter is far better than rote memorization and strict teaching. I post videos answering kids’ geography questions. The program is called Ask Lilly Badilly All About the World. I am a member of the National Council for Geographic Education and attended a fabulous conference in October in Puerto Rico. My company also just sponsored a HUGE travel writing and art contest. You won’t believe the talents of these young writers and artists!

Do you have an author program?

Yes, I visit schools and libraries regularly. Check it out.

Where can I read your comic strip, Smart Poodle?

I publish a comic strip every Friday on my blog. Click here.

Where do you get the ideas for your comic strip?

From my own life, my crazy imagination and from observing others.

Do you write anything other than children’s books?

I have been a travel writer for far longer than I care to admit. I used to write stacks of brochures and marketing materials for luxury cruise lines. Now I write travel-related articles and some weird entries on my blog and am the Geography Awareness Editor at Wandering Educators. On that site I write articles and review tons of travel-related books and guidebooks. It is a fabulous website! I am also a children’s book reviewer for LA Parent Magazine’s 0 Comments on Questions Answered as of 1/1/1900