1. Hugged a Dinger and a Honker at the same time. (see picture if you are unfamiliar with these characters!)
2. Realized my irrational optimism is genetic when my dad lost his prescription glasses in a wave and my mom and I searched the ocean floor like crazy people. We found a grocery bag, a pair of underwear, 4 pairs of sunglasses, a stingray barb, and eventually... his glasses.
3. Had a red postman butterfly lay a tiny orange egg on my head at the butterfly museum. I'm pretty sure this was a message of love from my grandparents.
4. Have a pumpkin growing from last year's jack o'lantern seeds.
5. Received a magazine acceptance from Stinkwaves for the January 2015 issue!
6. Took the bus into the city all by my big girl self to attend the Children's Book Writing Intensive class at Gotham Writers' Workshop.
7. Won Vesper Stamper's Cruel Summer Contest with my poem Allergic to Fun. The poem was inspired by her NJSCBWI conference winning illustration of a goth child at the beach under her black lace umbrella.
Why not celebrate Labor Day Weekend with an ode to the dangers of summer? Hope you have a great rest of summer.
Allergic to Fun
By Lauri Meyers
Annabelle
hated the summer.
Maintaining
her cool was a chore-
In a velveteen
gown,
With a serious
frown
Vacationing
down at the shore.
Mom nagged her beneath the
umbrella:
"Oh, Annabelle, go have some fun!"
"I better lie low,
'Cause wouldn't you know?
I break out in hives from the
sun."
Her sister was sculpting a
fortress.
She shoveled the sand from a
ditch.
"Come help with this pail?"
"I'm afraid I must bail.
Your sandcastle's making me
itch."
"A-Goo-ba-ba-Goo?" Her bro babbled.
He toddled and sprinkled her
knees.
"Be careful li'l man
With that watering can-
The saltwater's making me sneeze!"
The heat was becoming excessive,
And sweat saturated her hair.
She looked to the sea.
How cool it must be...
No way was she going out there.
A triangle poked through the
water.
"A shark would be
brilliantly bleak."
She left her sweet shade,
Not even afraid,
And walked to the shore for a peek.
She watched the gray fin as it
glided.
Excitement arose like a flame.
A dolphin then breeched,
And Annabelle screeched.
"Those beautiful things are
so lame."
She stuck out her tongue at the dolphin
And wished it was something to
dread.
She turned without pause,
Not looking, and was
Surprised by a wave on her head!
Her family came for assistance.
She shook and was feeling undone.
"She's having an
attack!"
"Try rubbing her back!"
"She's deathly allergic to
fun!"
Annabelle's skin was so clammy,
Her mother soon started to fret,
But was shocked to see
The girl grinning with glee:
"It feels really good to be
wet!"
Annabelle ran to the ocean.
She'd learned about keeping her
cool.
But after a dive,
She noticed a hive-
And sneezed out a salty Achoo!