Last weekend my husband and I welcomed special guests to our house in North Carolina – Philippa Gregory and her husband Anthony.  I’d met Philippa a few weeks earlier at the National Book Festival and we made plans to reunite when she came to Highlands for a special weekend of festivities at Cyrano’s Bookshop — which is everything a small town book store should be! Owner Clair Simpson rolled out a red carpet worthy of royalty for the author of “The Other Boleyn Girl,” and the number of copies signed was staggering!  Philippa and Anthony also got a taste of Americana that few visitors to the states get.  The fall foliage really showed off for her, providing a perfect backdrop for all the pumpkins and chrysanthemums decorating porches and lawns.

At our gathering of local friends, over glasses of wine,  Philippa and I didn’t talk shop at all.  We talked about decorating, husbands, children, and –of course — shoes!