This is strictly speaking a fall event, when the UK edition of The Rules of Gentility is released by Little Black Dress UK–their first ever historical. But here’s the cover, with a whopping big typo on it because designers can’t spell. Isn’t it cute … and pink. Very pink. Girly. I like it.

And my horn-tooting over, I want to talk about summer even though it’s only April. What are your plans?

I walked from work to the Metro in gorgeous weather–sunny and in the seventies (divine intervention–the Pope is in town, with nuns leaping out of birthday cakes yesterday and forming cheerleader squads at a mass Mass in the new baseball stadium today). The cherry blossoms were giving way to azaleas, and all I could think was oh my god I don’t have any sunscreen.

That’s on the list. Plus, summer pants. I wore mine to travel to Dallas last year for Nationals and upon arrival found they had a huge hole in the butt and my luggage was lost. I kept my knees together until my suitcase arrived. And t-shirts. Why aren’t there any cotton t-shirts in nice colors anywhere this year??? For less than a small fortune, that is. Another question, why can’t I wear a cream-colored t-shirt (not that I can find one this year) without spilling something truly horrible on it within minutes which will never wash out?

So, salvage not-too-stained t-shirts from last year. Find sunhat which my daughter hates (but isn’t nearly as silly as this one) and has probably hidden somewhere. Find stain remover in travel form (I know I have one somewhere) to anticipate future food/tea disasters.

When I came home I looked at the wreck that is my front yard and decided I must get out there, even thought I have to write, because in a couple of months it will be too hot and mosquito-y to do anything.

What are your summer plans? If you’re a writer, are you attending RWA National in San Francisco this year? Are you planning a real vacation? I’m not, as far as I know, and the plans to visit My Father Who Is Not a Tree in England are on hold until I actually have some cash freed up.

Tell us about what you’ll be doing this summer–and apologies for this being so late. Blogger has been a very naughty boy today.