Here is a list of Moo-Cow Fan Club events we've got planned so far for Summer 2009. If you are near any of these locations you should come out and see us because we have a lot of fun at our book events! Plus, if you come and participate you can get an original illustration like this.

May 16th - Main Street Book Ends in Warner NH @ 2pm

This is during the "Spring Into Warner" festival, so lots of fun stuff will be happening all day long.

May 21st - 23rd - FPEA (Florida Parents & Educators Association) Homeschool Convention @ The Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando Florida

I don’t know about where you live, but here at MCFC headquarters we have been getting buried with snow, ice and freezing rain this winter. Normally, we keep pretty busy in winter with snowball fights, making snowmen, sledding and ending our day with a hot cup of cocoa. But the first major storm of this winter was a major ice storm which knocked out our power (and water) for 13 days! Then, we got buried by a number of giant storms that dumped a foot or more of snow, and added to all that we had a week of arctic weather with temperatures reaching -20 degrees!

The Milford Toadstool Bookshop is located at Lorden Plaza
586 Nashua St., Milford, NH 03055
603-673-1734

Our home for the next two weeks is actually pretty nice. It's a great spot, and it's completely surrounded by trees (when you are going camping with Moo-Cow and the gang it's best to have no other sites too close because a marshmallow fight can erupt at any time). We've also got an incredible view out over a nice big pond, and we have a picnic table and fire pit. What more could we possibly want?

For the past few years we've had a new Easter Day tradition. Ryan and I head on over to a friend's house (Beth & Michael W.) for a little dinner and some very competitive rounds of Egg Battles! That's not the official name but that's what happens. You pit your eggs (hardboiled and decorated of course) against other peoples eggs to see which one has the hardest shell.

Those of you who have visited the MCFC Music Hall might already know the name of Christopher Staknys (the official MCFC composer). Well, Ryan and I finally had the pleasure of meeting Christopher, along with his mom Audrey, in person! Within minutes of meeting them, we watched Christopher give a perfect performance of two very difficult pieces on the piano and then we got to hear a string orchestra perform a piece he had written. It was amazing!

So how is an 11-year-old able to compose so many great pieces of music and play them so well? Well, he might be young in age, but he has an impressive resume. Here is part of the brief overview he gave us of his life in music so far.

When I was a kid, I dreamed of the many things I wanted to be when I grew up…an airplane pilot, Olympic gymnast and movie star to name a few. But last week I got the chance to be something I never thought I would ever be. I was a model.

No, I didn't dress in fancy designer clothes, and no I didn't fly to New York for the shoot. The wardrobe was my winter coat, and the location was our front yard. Okay, in the pictures to be honest you really can't even see my face. But I DID stand around while things in my pockets got photographed. And that's basically all models do, right? Stand around and get photographed? See, I was a model.

Part 4 - It Ends With A Splash

Over all it was a very successful trip, and I think we made a lot of new Moo-Cow fans. Plus, it's good for the gang to work for their living sometimes. Although, I think if we're going to make a living, Becky and I better be the ones who run the table at most shows.

The last morning, before we flew home, we all went down to the hotel pool to just take it easy after a couple hard days work. That all went well until F.W. showed off one of his trademark Wicked Wombat Water Whumpin' Cannonballs.

Part 3 - Sales Techniques

The FPEA conference is huge and we are a small company, so I thought having Moo-Cow, Ramses & F.W. along might help us stand out. Now I'm not so sure it was such a great idea to have them working the table.

One of the big events of this past summer was our trip to Orlando Florida for the 2007 FPEA (Homeschooler's) conference, and for some "relaxing" vacation time. We brought Moo-Cow, F.W. and Ramses along for the trip , and I used the occasion to bust out the sketchbook and start my "Sketchbook Travels" series. All pictures are done with pen and watercolor pencils.

Part 1 - The Fun Begins

*Cough* *Cough*