A bit of an overcast day but Nicke and Anne are already out on the deck amazed by the tropical flowers, ocean, etc. as it was barely above freezing when they left Finland yesterday a.m. Basically a 24 hour trip for them. They arrived at the airport in Helsinki as 5 a.m. their time and arrived here at a little before 5 a.m. their time, almost 10 p.m. our time. I thought for sure they would sleep late, but they are outside on the deck checking things out. I am going to Montessori today to let them have the day to veg and to walk down to the beach at Secret Harbor if they want. Anne looks wonderful! I have not seen her in 19 years and we started talking like we were together yesterday.

I have the new paperback editions of Virginia Hamilton's Zeely and M.C. Higgins, the Great in front of me. The covers are very attractive. I love the updated cover for M.C. Hamilton's books should be in every MS and upper elementary collection so I was delighted to see that Simon & Schuster is bringing them back in Aladdin paperback editions. The cover of The House of Dies Drear is spooky with a close up of a old man with snow white hair and beard. A new generation of tweens needs to be introduced to these books.

Sorry I don't have anything new to talk about today. I am having a hard time concentrating. Nicke and Anne are craving their caffeine and I don't even have filters for the coffee pot. We don't drink coffee so she has to use a paper towel! Steve and I get our caffeine by opening a can of diet coke first thing in the a.m.

That's it for me today. Need to finish getting my stuff ready to leave.