Lunch in Terabithia!

I'm not usually the gushing fan type, but frequent visitors to the Fire Escape would not be surprised that Katherine Paterson would be #1 on my list of living writers with whom to nosh and chat. Imagine my complete stupefaction and delight, then, when I returned from vacation yesterday to find this in my in-box:

An invite to have lunch with Katherine Paterson in Vermont!

Yes, I've become one of those celebrity-name-dropping types: "When Katherine had me over to lunch the other day, we laughed about ... blah blah blah." This dream-come-true event was graciously arranged by a Presbyterian ministerial colleague of my husband's (it helps to have spouses in high places), and author Anne Broyles is coming, too. Now I have the perfect excuse to spend the afternoon at the movies before I have to pick up the kids from school. Popcorn, anybody?