DAY #7 - Wow, A Week Already?!

Today was a marathon day - I started talking at 8 am and finished at 8 pm! Luckily my throat held out. I do think I may have figured out what I am having an allergic reaction to out here in Kansas - Cottonwood Trees. Big fluffy white polen is floating all around and since I don't have allergies at home (nor do I have cottonwood trees) I'm going to blame it on them. Other than that, and my complete disgust with Mapquest, the day was exceptional!

I began the day at Lakewood Middle School speaking to 6th graders followed by 4th graders at Huesner and Meadowlark Elementary Schools and finally, 5th graders at Coronado. From there I went straight to the Salina Public Library for a talk and book signing and finally - after a quick burger at McDonald's - my last talk and book signing at Kansas Wesleyan University where I spoke to education students not only about the orphan trains and my books, but also about independent publishing and integrating my books and this subject into school curriculum.

During my typical school presentation, after talking about both the orphan trains and the baby trains and the differences in how the two trains worked, I always point out that, "interestingly, many of the children who rode the baby trains through the Sisters of Charity at the NY Foundling home were actually adopted by the people who took them in, as opposed to the children who rode the orphan trains through the Children's Aid Society who were more likely not to be adopted." Then I ask students why they think that might be. In all the presentations I've given over the years....hundreds by now....no student has ever come up with the main reason for this difference. Today, at Coronado, a fifth grader named Eli was the first student to ever answer this question! Congratulations Eli, you're a very bright and thoughtful young man!

DAY #6 - Great Kids, Great Questions.....and no guns!

One of the fun things for me when visiting different regions of the U.S. is noticing the quirky little things that the locals don't think twice about but which stick out to me like a big sore thumb and make me think, whoa...what's up with that? Take this sign, for instance. This is on the front door of every school in Salina, Kansas. It is also a sign on every bank here - and I've been to about 7 of them cashing checks for book orders. So today, as a smiling old guy is holding the door to the bank open for me (nice to know chivalry is alive and well in the Midwest), I couldn't help myself. I grabbed the door and pointed to the sign saying, "You know, I'm here from Delaware and I've never seen a sign like this on a bank. Is there a problem with guns around here or something?" With a deep chuckle he said, "Oh no ma'am, no problem with guns, we just don't want you carrying them around!" Okay...... I'll remember that. Note to self....guns okay in Kansas, no problem. Just don't carry one around, especially in the bank or the school - works for me!

So, then I couldn't help but picture the guy who gets up one morning and decides he's going to go rob a bank. He grabs his handgun, shoves it in his pocket and drives to the local branch of the Sunflower Bank. When he arrives, he nervously looks around, checking for any cop cars, then decides when the time is right and tips his cap down over his eyebrows and heads for the door. Just as he reaches for the handle, he sees the sign and stops. "Oh geez," he says to himself. "I can't bring my gun in here, better go and leave it in the car!"

REALLY?????

But then I got to thinking...I've been watching the news every night and I haven't seen a report of an armed bank robbery yet so maybe the criminals here in Kansas are just as nice and friendly as everyone else and maybe the signs do work, who knows??? But only in the Midwest - no way would that work in the Northeast!

The kids today were great! I had four presentations at three schools to 3rd and 5th graders and the questions at the end of each talk were the best part. It's always fun to see what kids will ask after sitting and listening to the story of the orphan trains and Oliver's adventures. Things like, "What did the kids eat on the train?" (the noses always scrunch up when I answer, 'mustard sandwiches') and "What if they had to go to the bathroom on the train?" Let's face it, these are the things that kids think about and worry about. It's a lot of fun :)

No talks tonight....although there are 6 on the schedule tomorrow - from 8 am to about 8 pm. Whew! Good thing the voice is holding out. Until day 7.......

DAY #5 - Let The Talking Begin!

Thankfully I finally got a decent night's sleep on Sunday, just in time, too, since today was go, go, go! I visited Oakdale Elem. for two presentations; one to 5th grade and one to 3rd graders. The kids were fantastic and had read all of the first two books and part of Peanut Butter For Cupcakes so they were very prepared to soak up everything I had to tell them and they had great questions to boot! The 3rd graders had even written me thank you letters telling me what part of Oliver's story they liked best. General consensus: the story of Little Red the piglet that Oliver couldn't bring himself to kill but instead cared for as a pet, was the best. It's a wonderful lesson in compassion.

I was also pleased, while at Oakdale, to have the chance to meet Sharon Benson from the Salina Arts & Humanities Commission, the organization that is sponsoring my trip.

After a quick lunch, I headed out to Cottonwood Elementary School to talk with 4th graders who although had not had a chance to read the first book yet, were very curious about what I had to say and especially enjoyed hearing Oliver's tape recording of life in a sodhouse - complete with rats nibbling on his toes in the night! It was a great visit and I even had a chance to use a "smart board" for the first time. What will they come up with next??? Chalk is definitely "old school" at this point I'm afraid!

At 4:00 I met my hosts at the mall for a peach smoothie......yes, I had to know everything that was in it before I would try it....and frankly the sugar content kept me going until....well, I'm still going and it's 11:25 pm.

After dinner and a quick tour of where tomorrow's schools are located, I visited the Eaglecrest Retirement Community (pictures above) where I was greeted by a very warm and welcoming crowd of active seniors who made me feel right at home. In fact, in a few years, I'll probably come back and move in!

It is not lost on me that today, April 19th, is the 16th anniversary of Oliver Nordmark's passing. There are no coincidences....Love you Granddad, I hope I'm doing your story justice :)

That's all for today....See you tomorrow!

Day #4 - A DAY OF REST :)

Okay, so these pictures are from DAY #2 but I finally found the camera cord so I'm catching up :) The washtubs were on the lawn with the goats at a house in front of our hotel in Warrenton, MO and THE HIDE OUT....Beer Food & Fun! was our next door neighbor. We admit to being tempted to find out what the "fun" was all about, but our good sense got the better of us!

Today I was up at 2 am - don't ask me why - and we had to leave for the airport at 4:30 am. I was back in the hotel by 7:30 and tried to catch up on some sleep, which never works - at least not for me. So....I settled for a swim in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub for about an hour, then getting set up for tomorrow's presentations. Went to the mall in town to visit with Sara and Tina and then drove to find tomorrow's schools which, as it turns out, are quite close to the hotel. Tomorrow I will have three school visits and my talk at the Eaglecrest Retirement Community. Freddy....if you're reading this....I still remember your advice and will take it to heart at Eaglecrest!

See you tomorrow :) p.s. HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY to my "little" brother Brian!

SAFELY IN SALINA!

We arrived in Salina Kansas after a six hour drive from Warrenton, MO to the much appreciated news that we had been upgraded to a roomy suite with a sitting area, office area, bar, bath and separate bedroom. I am unpacked and can see that I will be very comfortable here for the next two weeks. The suite is on the ground floor with a nice view and the added bonus of windows that actually open. It is sunny with a cool breeze blowing in through the window as we relax for a few hours before heading out to dinner with our hosts for the week.

Many thanks to Sara Gault and the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission for sponsoring this book tour as well as all the hard work that went into the planning and publicity for the various speaking events.

Having visited the very north of Kansas in 2006, I was a bit surprised to find that the scenery in Central Kansas is quite different. Where in the flat north you would see mile after mile of various farm crops growing, interspersed with gorgeous fields of sunflowers, the central part of Kansas is a little more hilly with cattle grazing on prairie grasses. We saw many controlled burns in circular formation which we will ask our hosts about this evening at dinner.

We will be leaving at 5:00 am for the Wichita airport, an hour and a half away so that my travel companion, Donna Brown, can board her flight back to her family in Delaware. I am so grateful for her willingness to give up three days of her otherwise very exciting life to drive 1/2 way across the country with a control freak behind the wheel! .....her words, not mine :)

Enjoy your day!!!

Day #2 - FREAKY FRIDAY!

Today's drive was a bit tougher due to the endless stream of bugs colliding with the windshield, rain that hit right as we got to a congested St. Louis at lunch time on a Friday, and a one hour back up in traffic as we waited for what ended up being a horrific tractor trailer collison to be cleaned up. Feeling a bit rammy, we both passed the time jamming to The Sugarhill Gang and flirting with every truck driver we inched past....in our defense, "they started it, mom!"

Did you know that the fine for speeding in Indiana is $1000 and can be penalized with 8 years in prison? In THEIR defense, they do set the speed limit at 70 so I was okay since I always abide by the speed limit (right?), but the other Donna seemed hell bent on driving like the New Jersian she is; tailgating trucks, weaving in and out, going 80-90 mph and attempting to text while driving! I think she thought I owned a hummer instead of a zippy little volvo wagon. She might be taking that steel cage thing a little too much for granted. Needless to say, I had to take the keys from her - doesn't she know I have to get to Kansas in one piece-lol! I have hundreds of school kids waiting to hear about the orphan trains, not to mention a fancy dinner waiting for me in Abilene (thanks to Sara!) But....all kidding aside, I do admit to control issues, and I did in fact take the keys. And, I am happy to say, we are safely in Warrenton, MO for the night.

Now, the goats, log cabin and "The Hide Out Bar" across the street are another story. "Beer, Food, and Fun" was not really my idea of what our choices would be for dinner in Missouri so instead, I am going to bed hungry and praying that nothing knocks on the window in the night. We are the only guests here at the hotel (can't figure out why....the goats are kinda cute when you get up close). Oh, and did you know that transporting chickens in the back one's SUV with the hatch open is perfectly normal......in Missouri??

So...let's recap. 8 years for speeding.....chickens hanging out of the back of the car and goats grazing in the yard...perfectly fine. Can I leave now????

And yes......we have pictures. Haven't found the cord yet...

Day #1 - PIECE OF CAKE!

Well, we got a little bit of a late start but were on the road by 7:30 this morning. West Chester, PA proved to be a bit of a bear but once we made it to the PA turnpike the traffic was light and the sun was shining! I have a great travel companion - although that's about all I can tell you because....what happens on the road to Kansas, stays on the road to Kansas.... :)

The mountains of western PA did not disappoint although things are not as green yet as they are at home in Delaware, and we even got to breath the polluted air of West Virginia-lol! Crossing into Ohio, we couldn't help but notice that the state animal must be "road kill" (of all sorts). Arrived in Columbus Ohio ahead of schedule only to drive right past the hotel. Once settled in, we enjoyed a dip in the indoor pool and hot tub then a light dinner at Panera Bread.

Yes, we are taking pictures, but the cord to connect the camera to the laptop must be in a different bag so I'll post some once I find it. If you're following this blog tour, please take a minute and sign in as a follower and then post any comments or questions that come to mind. I'd love to hear from you!

Back on the road tomorrow - next stop, Warrenton, MO. Enjoy your day!