Driving in the mountains, Iām often greeted by a view that takes my breath away. These photos were preceded by a gasp. I love the full moon, as anyone who follows this blog already knows. It was the inspiration for my first book.
But the full moon, hanging low in the still blue sky is magical.
I’ve been meaning to share this for a week but I’ve been under the weather and had a few deadlines.
I love visiting schools to share ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON with children. It’s fun to watch them respond to the story and then talk about it afterwards. I also share a slide show with a bit about me when I was a child, my inspiration for writing the book, and some of my photography. The photo above is the skylight in the space where I did a recent presentation. In the book, Aliana uses a skylight to create the surprise at the end of the story so it was a magical feeling to read the book beneath one.
I was welcomed by a display case with information about me, ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON, and phases of the moon which is part of the story.
Connecting with children is the thing I miss most about teaching. I knew every day in the classroom I was changing lives and making a difference. It was both an honor and a responsibility. The feedback was immediate and also something I could see over time. They were also changing my life in the process. With writing, the impact on children is still there, but I may not even know about it except when I’m able to visit a school.
Written with gratitude for librarian Jolene Gutierrez, the teachers, and the children of Denver Academy.
The moon brought along a friend to this photo shoot, or maybe it’s a reflection. š
Either way, it gave me the idea to take this picture my book, ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON and MOON’s FIRST FRIENDS, by Susanna Leonard Hill. A wonderful pair to celebrate the moon.
The clouds added texture to the view and slid away for the moon to show off
To say I’m honored to be on this list of Thought Leaders from the Apollo 11 celebration at Wings over the Rockies is an understatement.
As I said to a friend yesterday, I’m a drop in the bucket in this ocean of talent. I suppose a more appropriate analogy would have been I’m a tiny star š in the infinite expanse of endless knowledge others on this list possess. Regardless of the depth of talent and amazing people I met, I’m grateful beyond words and am inspired just as Aliana is by it all. 
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of landing on the moon, I’m sharing music, photos and an occasional interesting fact about the moon each day leading up to 7/20/19.
Zoomed in on the moon
Moon (left) with Jupiter
Moon (left) with Jupiter 
Zoomed in on Jupiter
