Out to Lunch in Columbus . . .

Back to blogging after a fun week celebrating July 4th and 5th (my birthday) with hubby and son, who flew in so we could spend a few wonderful days together. 

Today, I had a fantastic lunch at Mitchell's Steakhouse.  (Yeah, I know.  I'm a vegetarian.)  But this place was amazing.  Excellent decor, service and FOOD!  I had the most delicious asparagus, creamed spinach and mac & cheese.  You can read about the owner, Cameron Mitchell and his many restaurants here.

Mitchell's Steakhouse in Columbus

Meg Brown and I enjoyed the company of Jeff Lyttle from Chase -- the sponsor of the Children's Writer-in-Residence Program at the Thurber House.

Jeff Lyttle

We had a great time chatting about his son Jack, who just graduated from college, and his sweet black lab and the recent, crazy storms the area has experienced. 

And I had the opportunity to thank him for the unique experiences his company has supported.

Then Meg, being a good sport, joined me for an evening boot camp class at Columbus Commons.  We had to work off those calories from lunch!

Meg Brown in the lower right corner; my thumb in the upper left.

Fun at the Thurber House . . .

Today, I met the young campers.

Can you say, "Enthusiastic?"

I call this one:  "Pick me!"

There were eager to write their six-words biographies and their character profiles.

 And when I was told a camper would "absolutely die" if he didn't get to share his writing with me, I did this . . .

I made it just in time.  Whew!

Favorite part?  When the last camper was leaving, she ran back and gave me a big hug.

In the evening, there was a reception to welcome me.  I met the coolest people:  Librarians.  A principal.  Teachers.  Corporate communicators.  A bookstore owner.  One woman was on the Newbery committee the year Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust won.

And I finally got to meet Pat Shannon, who recently retired from the Thurber House.  Pat was the one who originally interviewed me for the residency.  It was so good to finally meet her! 

Pat Shannon

The people who work and volunteer here and are on the board here are some of the nicest people I've ever met!

When the reception ended, Meg Brown and I sat under a huge, leafy tree and enjoyed the cool, breezy weather. 

Here's Meg playing piano in the Thurber House sitting room . . .

When everyone was gone, I sat on a lawn chair and ate an ice cream bar for dinner.  This was my view . . .

There will be a literary picnic here Wednesday evening with author, Karen Harper.  Can't wait!

Tomorrow evening, I will spend time with the teen writers.  

And if my agent is reading this:  Tina, I'm writing and re-writing and . . . HAVING FUN!

Guess Who's Freeloading at the Thurber House?

Somehow last week, I went from speaking at a conference in Orlando to speaking at a library in Miami Gardens to my residency at the Thurber House in Columbus, OH.   

That's right.  I'm residing in James Thurber's boyhood home!

That's me waving from the tiny window upstairs.  Or maybe it's the resident ghost.  Not sure.

Meg Brown, Manager, Children's Programming, gave me a great tour of Columbus, which may or may not have concluded with delicious sushi for dinner. 

Here's Meg Brown in the Thurber House store.

Seeing my books on the shelves in the store was pretty cool . . .

The first night getting used to new digs and not having my family around was a little strange. 

Sunday was all about exploring on my own. 

My feet found their way to the German Village.  There, I followed stone steps up to The Book Loft.

This bookstore has 32 different rooms!  It was a-MAZE-ing!

And because I'm the world's biggest book nerd, I followed that up with a trip to the Columbus Metropolitan Library.  The good folks at the Thurber House gave me a library card for this behemoth of a library.  (I'll be visiting often!)

And because I'm a cheapskate, I went to the Columbus Museum of Art.  (It's free on Sundays.)  There is a photography exhibit, a glass exhibit and paintings and sculpture galore.  Myriad opportunities abound for kids (and adults) to express their creativity through interactive art stations throughout the museum. 

Alice in Wonderland giant chess set in the museum's outdoor sculpture garden.

Tomorrow, I work with young writers at the Thurber House Writing Camp.

What are you up to this week?