Duck Dreams

A Duck Dreams Party....

Last Sunday afternoon my son Ken and daughter-in-law Sara were kind enough to throw a party celebrating the publication of my book.  They invited their friends--very special people--and a few friends of mine, particularly those who had helped me with the book.  Many of their friends had children of the right age to enjoy Duck Dreams.

To begin the more formal part of the event, I had asked my three granddaughters to read interesting passages of Duck Dreams and Naomi, 7, Abigail, who had turned eleven a week before, and Isabel, 14, all read with enthusiasm and clarity.

Then I read about an event in the book that seems to me very central (parts of chapters 19 and 20).  It noticed it brought tears to my husband's eyes (and not for the first time).  

I invited questions which gave me a chance to explain that the boyhood memories of a favorite uncle sparked the book, but 95% of it is fiction.

As people purchased copies (at the reduced rate for friends and family :-)), they came up for autographs.  Mostly, I was asked to autograph the book for one or more of the children who were there, but one guest after requesting the autograph, expressed admiration for what I've accomplished with Parkinson's, a disease which she sees close-up in her own family.

Sara and Ken had laid out delicious snacks attractively in the dining room.  We're at the age where we've begun passing family possessions on to our children, and it is such a treat to meet up with them in a new setting.  Sara and Ken have a gift for being hosts and I deeply appreciated the happy event.