Some people add a shimmer and a glow to my life. Some people add depth, laughter, fun and meaning. These people are two of them:

Moi, Diane, and Heather

I was privileged to spend the full two days with them--and even room with them for lots of laughter and good conversation at the VHE Conference in Modesto.

There is so much to share that I don't know where to begin. It was ten times smaller than the FPEA Conference, but that did not mean it was ten times less interesting. It was certainly more manageable for the attendees! (Including me.)

Susan Wise Bauer was there and, as always, displayed her charming and lovely self. We three enjoyed a wonderful dinner with her and some marvelous conversation. I appreciate her mind and heart a great deal and she is just so funny! I only wish she lived closer than Virginia!

We also were thrilled to enjoy a really wonderful time with Diana Waring and her husband over dinner the second night. She was kind enough to share with Heather and I some of her life experiences and to gently encourage us in our family life. It was really so precious and her heart for the family is so, well, heartening! :+)

It was really wonderful to meet some of the vendors we have never met face to face and to see some new faces. Beautiful Feet Books' Russ Berg was there and he was a delightful intelligent man. They publish some of the most wonderful books (and some of which I got to take home to review!) The Old Schoolhouse Magazine will be featuring some of their books in future issues so you can keep an eye out or check them out on their website.

We were blessed to meet Diane Taylor with P. E. for Children Schooled at Home. I hope she has a website soon because she was so wonderful and had a heart for the health of homeschool children. She was so neat! peisfun@earthlink.net is her email if you want more information on her program.

Adam Adams from Teaching the Classics From Seuss to Socrates--Literary Analysis for Everyone was also there and he is a true gentleman. His product is making the rounds onto many vendor tables and it makes me wonder what it is all about! (Someone else is reviewing it for TOS so I guess I will just have to wait and read it!)

Steve Clark was there and I just have to say he is so warm and funny. Heather was the one who did the thorough review of VideoText's new Geometry program so they chatted "MATH" quite a bit. She was a happy camper as she is my math-smart friend. :+) I only wish I knew as much as she!

For those of you who love unit studies, Jennifer Steward from Steward Ship was there and had so many neat units available! Look for a future post on one of her daughters in the near future!

Whew! And there were so many more people there with so much to share with us. I really recommend attending a conference if you can. I never thought this before, but I am a believer now. They really are so beneficial for encouragment and vision.

That's my wrap for now!