From Erika Bolstad in Washington, Pennsylvania --

Sarah Palin says in her new memoir, "Going Rogue," that there are no coincidences. But how about this one?

I drove up to Washington, Pa., last night from Washington D.C. to do a story on Palin's book tour. (See tomorrow's paper.) The event was at a Sam's Club in one of those shopping centers dominated by big box retailers – a massive place that looks like hundreds of similar developments across America. After I'd interviewed a number of people outside the Sam's Club, I walked over to the Starbucks next door to write. (The sign above the drive-thru window: "Sarah, we have moose mugs!")

And right out in front of the coffee shop? Palin's mom, Sally Heath, Palin's aunt, Kate Johnson, and Palin's son, Trig. They didn’t attract as much attention as, say, Palin would have. But plenty of people whipped out camera phones to snag a picture of Trig tucked into his stroller, wearing a knit Pittsburgh Steeler's cap. (Washington, Pa., is just outside of Pittsburgh.)

Heath said that she and her sister are taking care of Trig while Palin is at book signings. The family has been trading off traveling with Palin, Heath said. She just swapped out with Todd and her granddaughters. "It's our week to be here," she said.

Heath, describing the supportive crowds at Palin's book signing events, said that she found it "exciting to be with so many people of like minds. We just really appreciate the support, the love and the patience that people have had."

She added that her daughter "feels terrible when she can't spend a few minutes with everybody, but it’s a tight schedule," a reference to the people who were turned away from an event in Indiana yesterday.

Health also said that she hates that her daughter is stuck inside all day, but noted that Palin did get a run in early Saturday morning "before the world was awake."

As for her involvement in Palin’s book? Not much, Heath said, other than to answer a few questions for her daughter about "what year was it we did this or that?"