No App To Replace Your Lap

Talk About a Dream Come to True!

Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, February 2020

Back in 2018 when I published my first children’s book, Life in the Neck New Friends, I was invited to make an author appearance for Karen Rabe Schmidt’s home buyers at Tinucci’s in Newport as Christmas gift for her clients and their families. We all had a riotous time listening to my story, participating in a game and playing with the puppets from the story - Delaney, Rocket, and Cardinal Red. Each child “won” a puppet before they left for home. As the families left the restaurant, I heard happy voices talking about MY characters in MY story. As a first grade teacher in Hastings, MN for many years, I read thousands of books to thousands of children. This night my dream came true as I read MY story about MY characters to about twenty happy and interested children.

This winter we traveled to Orlando, Florida where we visited Universal Studios. How excited Dr. Seuss (deceased) must have been when Seuss Landing was created honoring the author and his many wonderful children’s books. We were immersed in Dr. Seuss mania including Sneetches, the Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, One Fish Two Fish, and of course the Grinch along with many more memorable characters from the pen of Dr. Seuss. What a dream come true for the extraordinary mind of Dr. Seuss.

Then it was on to Diagon Alley and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter created by the imagination of JK Rowlings! On top of the Gringott’s Bank, the dragon breathes out his fire while inside the goblins take you on a hair raising ride ten miles below the surface to the Gringott’s Vaults while being chased by dementors, snakes and giant spiders. A stop at Olivanders for a wand is of course a must before you leave the alley by riding the Hogwart’s Express from King’s Cross to the Hogmeade Station with a few surprises on the way. The Hogwarts Castle is a must see for all where you meet Harry Potter and his friends and follow them on a wild broomstick ride right through the middle of a Quidditch game. I can only imagine how thrilled Rowlings must be to see her stories come to life not only in her books, on the big screen and in Universal Studios. Talk about a dream come true.

Gringott’s Dragon

Happy Reading - Happy Dreaming