Candy Dragons and Marshmallow Pits
So the summer has been chugging along at near lightening speed–feeling barely able to keep up with it all! My youngest grandson was born in April and it feels like things have been in fast-forward ever since.
Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon, and A Jane Austen Christmas are now available in audio! Snowbound at Hartfield, will be available in audiobook very soon. I’ve been writing away and am about at the half way point of the newest dragon book, tentatively titled: Kellynch: Slumbering Dragon, and of The Vicar’s Daughter, which I’m posting here on Thursdays.
There are a few heavier things going on as well, so when my sister suggested we take sometime out and do something fun, it seemed like a really good plan. So we decided to go to Candytopia, an experiential art-ish installation that is in town for the summer.
I think the best way to describe it is half-art installation, half-playground with lots of candy and little kids. Though it featured candy-clad renditions of ‘Starry Starry Night’ and ‘The Scream’, they hung next to a candy portrait of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonky–they definitely did not take themselves too seriously.
But that’s not a bad thing, especially where there seem to be a lot of things happening that one should take very seriously. Of the entire experience, I have to say there were two particular favorite things. The first was, I am certain, a candy rendition of a young Pemberley dragon. She’s so sweet after all, it seems to make sense to render her in gumdrops–right?
The climactic finale of the whole experience was the candy-fied rendition of the classic kids ball pit, but in MARSHMALLOWS!
Ok, the really weren’t marshmallows, but foam shaped like them. All things considered, that was a good thing as with our heat and humidity, I shudder to think what would become of real marshmallows under the circumstances. The important part was that is was a great deal of fun to get in there and have a marshmallow fight with my sister without worrying about who was going to clean up the mess!
As Dr. Seuss says “Fun is Fun and Fun is Good!” Definitely something worth remembering!
Looks like you’re having a blast! I’ve got non-candy Starry Night in my bedroom and another Van Gogh (and a Dr. Who Van Gogh mash up). But the REAL QUESTION….
Will Kellynch be in Elizabeth & Darcy’s story, or are you branching out to Northhanger Abbey or Mansfield Park (Both of which would be splendid). I’m up for narrating as many as you want to write! Pemberly was one my 2 favorite I’ve narrated so far (the other being Dan Kimmel’s Father of the Bride of Frankenstein). I also just shared a picture of my 2 older daughters reading your books. They & my wife are now officially ahead of me. They’ve read the whole series. I’m looking forward to getting to Longbourn soon, but I’ve got a few projects to finish in the meantime.
Keep up the superb writing & have fun!
The “Starry Night”/Doctor Who mashup is my Facebook background, LOL!! I agree especially that Mansfield Park would be especially conducive to dragons! (It would definitely explain *a lot* about Mrs. Norris!!) The first chapter of Kellynch is posted here in Grace’s blog somewhere or perhaps at Austen Variations; I’m sure you could find it with a little searching.
I’ve been passing Grace’s dragonish novels around my church, and a few of the teen girls are writing their own fanfictions of Grace’s fanfiction series! The gift of fanfiction keeps on giving! 🙂
Thanks for all of your work on creating audiobooks of Grace’s works!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Wow, this is such a nice summer ! We don’t have anything planned as my kids are attending lots of camps. Thank for your post. I will just enjoy your posts for your summer adventures.
Sounds as though that was an amazing outing! Where were places like that when I was growing up? They just didn’t exist. I love the idea of rendering classic paintings in sweets/candies. ‘Starry Night’ is one of my favourites by Van Gogh and I think I know what Benjamin means by a Doctor Who/Van Gogh mashup. The episode ‘Vincent and The Doctor’ from Matt Smith’s tenure in the TARDIS is one of the best ever from the entire 56 year history of the series, in my opinion. Looking forward to listening to Benjamin’s rendition of ‘Pemberley’ a great deal and to your other new audiobooks.
Summe plans are currently on hold as my husband has been in hospital all week. We thought he’d had a heart attack but thankfully it wasn’t. He came home last night with a stent and seven (yes SEVEN!) different meds to take every day. Now comes four to six weeks of recovery and rehab before life can get back to anything like normal. Fortunately, I’ve found reading definitely helps take my mind off things, whereas mundane chores like housework and gardening don’t! I’m loving The Vicar’s Daughter, which I am reading even if I haven’t commented on it.
P. S. One of the best kids’ play areas I’ve ever seen was at Blackpool Tower, here in the UK – loads of scramble nets, slides, ball pits, tunnels to crawl through and probably other features that I now can’t remember as it was maybe twenty years ago. Our son didn’t want to leave and I think he rather wanted to move in and live there! We could only watch from the sidelines.
Sounds like heaven! Where’s is this located? We’re always looking for different family reunion locations appeal to children. Is there a waterpark nearby?
Discovering that dragon in gumdrops had to be the best day EVER. Did you know it was there? What a surprise. Too bad you didn’t have a cape with you. THAT would be an amazing picture. Mother of dragons indeed. [snicker] Someday you will get to do that and I want to see that picture for sure. I can ‘t wait to read of ‘Persuasions’ Kellynch dragon. That Austen classic is ripe for a dragon story. Such possibilities. I get all tingly when I think about it. Whew! Guess I’ll just have to wait. Blessings on the rest of your summer. A grandbaby is so much fun. Enjoy.
I love the narration of Pemberley. Mr. Fife has done an exceptional job creating all those voices…and those Dragon voices. I am eagerly anticipating the release of Longbourn as an audio book. I think the gumdrop Dragon looks like a young Pemberley as well.