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Hi! I'm Kristin Emily Friend,

*Kristin Emily* A Double Scoop for May

Published almost 2 years ago • 2 min read

May 2022

Greetings, friends!

Ahhh! Someone please press the pause button on this incredibly lovely weather we've been having! A fall-blue sky, low humidity, and a coolness in the breeze are invitations to enjoy the out-of-doors whether it be walking, rocking, or talking.

The last Sunday of April, we hosted our sixth neighborhood ice cream social. After a two-year Covid hiatus, everyone was anxious to reconnect. Forty-eight folks gathered on our driveway to eat peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream, talk, and laugh while the children enjoyed playing in the cul-de-sac island.

In 2017, Gregg suggested hosting a SIMPLE ice cream social. We provide one flavor of ice cream, spoons, paper towels, and a few lawn chairs. That's it. Since it is held on the driveway, the coordinating, prep, and clean-up are easy and low-stress. We announce the flavor, date, and time on invitations which we hand-carry to houses a few days before.

Gregg and I were filled with joy as we watched our neighbors connect. We can't wait to host another social in the fall! How about you? Will you try hosting a simple neighborhood social? If so, I'd love to hear your ideas and how it turns out!

PICTURE BOOK NEWS

I'm Glad You're Here 'Cause There's Only One You with Aunt Kitten Your feedback on the first draft of my book has been invaluable! Thank you so much for your thoughts, insights, and encouragement.

Publishing a children's book is a lengthy process with many "steps." I'm not complaining; learning, writing, creating, rewriting, and collaborating with other writers continues to be extremely fulfilling.

Self-publishing has advantages over traditional publishing. A down side: I'm responsible to make decisions about the tasks a publisher would have arranged. I decided to do the illustrations and they are currently a WIP - work in progress. Watch me speed paint a tree frog in just over one minute.

I'm "pondering" which direction to take for the book-cover and interior designs and editors. Aunt Kitten is written in rhyme so it could benefit from an editor who specializes in poetry. My quandary is whether to invest in expert help in hopes that I will have a better end-product, or just enjoy the process, do my best, and see what happens.

How do you make difficult decisions?

PONDERING FRIEND TO FRIEND

​Memories Monday now reviews my life through age 16. That year, our family camped around the USA for eight weeks, visiting 25 states and Mexico. Posts can be found on Pondering Friend to Friend.

ICE CREAM ENTHUSIASTS

Gregg and I have enjoyed several ice cream focused vacations. The summer of 2020, we visited 43 creameries around Pennsylvania, most on small dairy farms. I blogged along the way, reviewing each ice cream we sampled. I have written an article about that trip and hope to have it published. In conjunction with the article, I created this list of 43 PA creameries with links to our review posts.

TRAVEL

Gregg was raised in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania, across the state line from Friendsville, Maryland. Nine years ago, we purchased a small house built in 1900 in his hometown. I wish it could reveal the stories lived within its walls. We will soon head to PA to visit family, refresh, and escape the Florida summer heat and humidity. No worries, an ice cream machine will travel with us!

How do you plan to refresh and be curious this summer?

Until next month,

Kristin Emily Friend

www.KristinEmilyFriend.com

Hi! I'm Kristin Emily Friend,

Author, Illustrator, Blogger, Ice Cream Enthusiast

I am a companion in curiosity and refreshment through mulling over questions (Pondering Friend to Friend), ice cream (Traveling Ice Cream Enthusiasts), children's books (Aunt Kitten), and world traveling (The Friends' Travel Blog.) . . Sign up for my monthly newsletter to join me! . . I look forward to companioning with you.

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