When I was putting all those other books back on my shelf, I discovered a couple more that talk about endings/climax, but I haven’t reread those sections yet.
Preteen and I have signed up to be “costumed history interpreters” at the Hoover Library, Museum and Village this season, so we went to our training and costume fitting yesterday. Anyone who knows me very well will probably be surprised to hear this, but yes, I will actually put on a dress for this! (I may even post the proof sometime this summer for those of you who don’t believe me.) It sure was a production FINDING a dress, though. I am SO not a dress person! Or a clothes person. It took me so long to find something that fit and didn’t make me look too fat that I completely missed Preteen’s fitting. Of course, being a guy, the first pants, shirt and suspenders he tried worked. And I never saw it.
But anyway…before the costume fitting, we had to go around the room and tell everyone our name and why we signed up to do this. Just about everybody else talked about being a history buff (which would be a lie if I said it) or having an interest in Iowa’s only president (I’m not UNinterested in Hoover, but that’s not why I signed up). I told everyone I was a children’s book author and was there for “inspiration.” (That’s a good answer no matter WHAT I’m doing…) I also said I knew this was something Preteen would be interested in doing and I thought this would be a fun activity we could do together. When it was his turn, he just said his name and that was it. He didn’t give a reason why he signed up…which prompted the park ranger to ask if his “reason” for signing up was “my mom made me!” I DIDN’T make him…believe me! I figured he’d talk about his theatre background (that’s why he was interested!). But I think he was a little taken back by the park ranger’s suggestion, so he didn’t agree or disagree.
We ended up making a day of it because when the training/fitting was over, Preteen wanted to go through the museum. There’s something wrong when the kid says, “can we go to a museum?” and the mom says, “not today.” So in the end I gave in. I decided I didn’t need to get home and write THAT badly. We could go through the museum. And it was probably good that we did…I think we’re better prepared to be history interpreters now. And Preteen’s interest (and conversation while we wandered the museum and the village grounds) convinced me that he WASN’T doing this because his mom was making him.
I did work a little on my Boxcar book yesterday, though. And we’re going geocaching this afternoon…which is “research” for my Boxcar book! So I’m still doing some work this weekend. (I’m also waiting for my pregnant best friend to go into labor!)
I’ll be in Kansas for three days this week (and L., if you’re reading this, don’t you DARE have that baby while I’m gone!)…when I get back it’s time to buckle down on The Truth About Truman.