Colleen McElroy reading, Christmas Parties, and a Family Visit

Well, I managed to make it though the Poet Laureate Event on Thursday night (a panel on e-publishing which was pretty well-received, I thought) AND get out the next day and go to both a poetry reading and Glenn’s corporate Christmas party! And today we’re cleaning and cooking in preparation for my little brother’s visit from where he’s living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We’re making Osso Bucco and cranberry meringue pies, braised endive and mashed potatoes.

Here’s a little pic of me with Colleen McElroy at Open Books, who read from her latest book, Here I Throw Down My Heart. She’s been having some health issues, but she looked and sounded terrific – if she hadn’t mentioned it, I would never have known. I was really glad to be there. Colleen is a wonderful, courageous writer and person. Really generous.

And this is a little picture of Glenn and I all dolled up for the night with our Christmas tree in the background. Glenn’s work party had lovely gluten-free dishes this year, and a band, in comparison to totally cutting the holiday party last year, so maybe his company is doing a little better? One can hope. Maybe it’s a good sign for the economy. Anyway, I had fun and even was tempted to get on the dance floor…