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I’m Erin Dealey, and I write books for kids. I’m a teacher, presenter, rhymer, blogger, and proud Drama Mama.

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What Did You Do This Summer?

August 10, 2008

Rafting 2

MEXICO!!! 305 Back to school always seemed to include a prompt from my English teacher about "What I Did During Summer Vacation."  True confession: I have been known to give my own high school students the same assignment.

So here's a photo essay of my summer fun, starting with Zip-lining in Mexico, a huge lesson in letting go. This is something I can use when I send manuscripts off to publishers (or kids off to college!). I'm learning to turn those moments when the world has you dangling in mid-air into What-the-Heck moments and enjoy the ride!

Rafting 3 Which brings me to whitewater rafting on the American River in June.  (I'm  the second blue hat on the right near our trusty river guide.)  Another writing lesson: Keep paddling through the rapids and the slows–to get where you want to be. And what a rush when you finish that chapter or scene, or make it through Troublemaker!

Mammoth parade1Mammoth parade2

Speaking of trouble…4th of July found me INSIDE AN ELEPHANT pushing water balloon "poop" out of the rear end in the annual Mammoth (no pun intended) 4th of July parade.  Get this: the mammoth (ie elephant) was so mammoth (ie large) we had to lower the top part to get under the telephone lines as we paraded through Mammoth (ie Mammoth Lakes, CA). Is there a metaphor for writing in this scenario too? Tossing the "poop" was liberating–like trimming the excess "poop" from my manuscript. But enough about that… 

Slip n slide1

On to two wonderful weeks at Sugarloaf Fine Arts Camp where I head the Theater Dept. each summer. Second session we had fun with Shakespeare (no that's not an oxymoron) and first session with physical movement and clown noses. (Don't judge a person until you walk a mile in his shoes–or his nose!)  AND I took a flying leap on the Slip & Slide for the first time EVER! Talk about TRUST. Makes me think about the times I took a flying leap and sent manuscripts out.  And what a thrill to conquer those fears of rejection–or possible bruised bones on the slip & slide : )  I am happy to say I sailed through both.

Next flying leap: dropping our college freshman off at the dorms this August. Wish me luck!

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