The recurrent theme: gatherings

Last weekend, Michael and I hosted a backyard celebration with a dual purpose - my mother-in-law's 90th birthday and his retirement from Misericordia. Over 70 people joined us for the afternoon of fun and food - a wonderful gathering of friends and family.

Then Anne Armezzani, a fellow writer (and beta-reader for Risking Exposure) invited me to take part in a multiple-author book signing as part of Clarks Summit's Second Friday Art Walk. Authors were housed in the old fire hall, which is currently undergoing a complete transformation. Soon the building will be called The Gathering Place, a community space dedicated to the support of local arts, community projects, and education.

Other authors who gathered for the signing were Gary Ryman, Patricia Thomas, and Suzanne Fisher Staples. Suzanne is instrumental in bringing The Gathering, an annual literary event, to Keystone College.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines gathering as: n. 1. an assembly or meeting, especially a social one. 2. a group of leaves taken together, one inside another, in binding a book.
The word is perfect for all of the above.