Amazing evening. Not quite a full house, but full of laughter, enjoyment, and friends old and new. Amazing to get to spend time, if small, with high school chum Judy Marchbanks Findlay, now a celebrated Professor of Education who takes groups of student teachers all over the world to let them experience the educational experience and atmosphere in other parts of the world, from Brazil to South Africa to Pakistan. I always knew she’d amount to something. She brought husband Bill and three of her students. Such a joy to see someone so very smart and compassionate involved in work that is so rewarding, fulfilling and offers such a wider world view to her students and the people they reach. Hooray for you, Professor Judy! Hope to see more of you this fall as I pass by there on a research trip.

Also on hand at the DC show were NPR’s Neda Ulaby, who interviewed me re: a story she’s working up about Debra and Winter’s Bone and then stayed for the show, along with her assistant, whose name I should have written down. Another NPR pal in attendance was Renee Pringle, an engineer on Morning Edition who regularly shows up in West Plains every summer as part of the National Audio Theater crew, and who cheered and clapped in all the right places. It was a great night of fun, over too soon, and then we were off to Philadelphia, but the drive was too long for one night. We ended up at another Motel 6 somewhere on the north side of Baltimore, this one far better than our Phoenix experience, and everyone got a good rest.