Here I am, much too early on a Saturday morning, getting ready to head out for an all-day meeting -- one that will involve financial reports, an auditor's review, and the dreaded 42-page IRS 990 form. Sound like fun? Actually, I look forward to seeing some old friends and a passable lunch, but there's somewhere else I'd really rather be.  Today is the last full day of the Annual Penn Center Heritage Days Celebration on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The Penn Center grew out of the original Penn School, founded by Laura Towne, the heroine of my next novel, The Road to Frogmore. Sea Island delicacies, a crafts fair, exhibitions, blues, an oyster roast, a parade, Gullah traditions and entertainment -- all of these activities would provide colorful details for my novel. If you'd like to see the full program, click here. As for me, I'll have to wait for next year's celebration, when I hope to be a part of the celebration by having a book launch for The Road to Frogmore. I'll keep you posted if I can pull all those arrangements off. But in the meantime, it's off to meetings and lots of math.  |
