Last week Miss A and I (and Little Ewe and Little Owl too!) made a special trip to Lexington, Virginia, a quaint historic town nestled in the lovely Shenandoah Valley. The week was refreshing and wonderful and extra special because it was our first in-person visit with my dad since before Covid.
How wonderful it was to be together again and we made the most of it. Our visit included daily early morning walks (for me) downtown to the Lexington Coffee Shop, a special do-together sewing project for my daughter and my dad’s wonderful Dianne, delicious meals, ice cream, and even a trip to Animal Safari Park in nearby Natural Bridge. And, of course, chatting and catching up throughout it all. And hugs. There were lots of hugs.
But the highlight for Little Ewe (and Little Owl too!) was a special LITTLE EWE (Beaming Books, 2021) and LOVE IS KIND (Zonderkidz, 2018) book signing at the Sugar Maple Trading Company on Main Street. Owner Cindy Hughes and her husband Jeff and their daughters were delightful hosts.
During the signing, we had a steady stream of customers who were eager to purchase signed books, including several who were in town from Indiana for a wedding. One of those was a young teacher, who just completed her first year teaching second grade at a rural Indiana school. (And I might do a virtual author visit with her class next year. I hope so!)
Others were parents and grandparents interested in books for their little ones. One was a fellow author who I had met back in November 2019 when I gave a talk at Kendal in Lexington. It was lovely to see her again as well.
Best of all, my dad, was there beside me, chatting and being his charming self. He also very kindly acted as chauffeur so that several residents in his retirement community who no longer drive, could come down for the signing. I felt so blessed!
Then on Sunday, I was invited to read LITTLE EWE for the children’s portion of the service at Lexington Presbyterian Church. What a special way to spend our last day in Lexington.
After church, I connected with this lovely woman who at the signing had told me that she was going to give LITTLE EWE as a gift along with a sweater with little lambs on it that she was knitting for one of her grandchildren. I said I would love to see it, so we arranged a time to do just that! It was a joyful moment for both of us, I think, and a wonderful reminder of one of my favorite things about being a picture book author— connecting with others!
I look forward to returning in the fall. Thank you, Lexington, for making Miss A and me feel so welcome! And, thank you, Dad, for being not only a great dad, but also the best “southern book rep” an author could hope for!
To close, here’s a fun Instagram Reel we made to promote the event beforehand. Such fun!
Laura Sassi Tales 
What a fun time! Still love that little sweater!
I know. It has me in the mood to knit!
This warmed my heart. So glad you got to have a visit with your father and that Little Ewe came along and even got a sweater ❤
I’m feeling all heart-warmed as well after such a lovely visit. Boy, did it feel good to see my dad. It felt like a long time since we’d been together because it had been a long time.
What a wonderful time you had with your Dad and connecting with so many others through your books. The little sweater was sure adorable! thanks for all the lovely pictures!