I write this from Charlottesville, where I am in town for the Virginia Festival of the Book. I drove down yesterday (long ago I decided that any trip six hours or less was a driving trip, not a flying trip, with the interminable airline delays, etc.). The first event, Wine and Words, was held at Enoteca Wine & Panini Bar and featured David Baldacci and Adriana Trigiani. David has made appearances at the Festival since its inception 15 years ago. He was there with his beaming smile talking about his latest project, Feeding Body & Mind, which collects new and used books to be distributed to the recipients of Feeding America™ emergency food assistance through their nationwide network of Food Banks, thus helping feed both the body and the mind.

My younger son has always wanted a dog. I, who read/saw MARLEY & ME, am a lot less sure about this concept. A few weeks ago, a teacher at his school told us about the Seeing Eye Dog program where people raise and nurture puppies from the time they are weaned until they are old enough to train. Thus our time with the dog would have a definitive start/stop date. This sounded reasonable --- and altruistic --- so I started to explore it.

Tuesday I was the emcee at a fundraiser luncheon for the National MS Society. The guests were the co-authors of THE NECKLACE, a really interesting story of 13 women in California who all share a very expensive diamond necklace that they purchased together; something none of them could afford on their own. What has evolved among them is a story with a lot more substance than glitz. Through this venture they have become best friends, comrades and advocates for one another.