Unexpected

I miss my blog friends.

I won't be around blogland much for a while, because at least for now I need to focus on other things. Sometimes life throws you a curve.

It looks like some of my dreams will have to be put on hold for a while, too - but I'll find a way to get back to writing and illustrating.

Even though I won't be visiting much, I'll be thinking about you and wishing you all the best.

Hope to be back soon.

Post NaNo Help, Art Contests, and Proof that Life Really is Stranger than Fiction

A few random finds I thought I’d pass along:

For writers - Here’s something you might be interested in, particularly if you're in the process of revising your manuscript. To celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo, author Roz Morris is offering a free PDF download of her book, Nail Your Novel. She describes it as “a writing buddy in a book. It holds the reader’s hand every step of the way, from the blank sheet of paper to the finished manuscript.” If you’ve been struggling with any part of the writing process, this book may provide the inspiration you need to assess your material and successfully continue your project. Click here to find out how to download a copy.

For artists - Art supplier Jerry’s Artarama is holding a series of art contests. There’s still time to enter several of them. I didn’t notice any entry fees, but specific products may need to be purchased to create your entry. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to try out some new materials anyway, check out the contest guidelines here.

And, for anyone who just needs a break (I’m guessing that’s everyone), have you visited My Life is Average? It’s my new favorite place to remember how funny and surprising normal life can be. Who knew celebrating mediocrity could be so much fun?

A Small, Small World

My daughter's world history class was assigned to watch this video over the Thanksgiving break. I think it's a good way to keep things in perspective this season.



More information about the Miniature Earth project can be found on their website here.

P.S. The comments line might be pulling a disappearing act. If it's missing and you'd like to leave a comment, try clicking on the post title above. :)

Thanks

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought it would be a good time to say thanks. Thanks for visiting and commenting. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement, and for making me laugh, even on the days I think I might be chasing unicorns.

I thought blogging would be a good way to force myself to write and paint at least a little bit every day. I jumped into it with no particular focus in mind. As it turns out, a lack of focus is my focus. It’s worked out pretty well, because I’ve been lucky enough to connect with moms and writers and artists and travelers - all kinds of creative people who share some of my passions and are kind enough to share their ideas. I’m delighted and surprised every time you come back. I know my blog is a mixed bag. In the words of Forrest Gump, you never know what yer gonna get.

I hope you’ll keep visiting, and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Art of Reading Coincidences

I pay attention to coincidences. I always think there could be a message there. The trouble is it isn’t always easy to interpret what the message might be.

I don’t know how many times I’ve sent manuscripts out only to receive rejections all at once, within a day of each other. It doesn’t matter if I sent several different pieces out, or if they were sent months apart. If they’re going to be rejected, the rejections always come at the same time.

Naturally, I find that discouraging. It’s pretty hard not to jump to conclusions about what the universe is trying to tell you. My husband, the unrelentingly optimistic one, thinks this is the universe’s way of letting me get bad news over with at once, sparing me multiple days of misery. This way I spend less time feeling sorry for myself and more time on the business of writing and trying to find the right place for my work. I like his theory, but either way, I require a good amount of chocolate.

I pondered the meaning of all this after my last clump of rejections arrived. My son and I were taking the dog for her nightly walk. I was absorbed in my own troubles when I noticed how clear the night sky looked, and how many stars were out. I suddenly thought to myself that it’d been an awfully long time since I’d seen a shooting star, and wouldn’t it be nice to see one right now?

Less than a minute later I saw it – a flick of white across the black sky, as brief as a blink. I gasped, and then caught myself. I didn’t want to say anything out loud, since I’d probably just imagined it. Then my son, who’d caught my surprised expression, said, “I saw it too!”

I don’t know what it meant. But it did make me feel better.

Pods and Berries

No, the title of this post is not a reference to iPods and BlackBerries. Put those down, and go for a walk. Unless it's ridiculously cold where you are. Then make yourself some tea, and look at the pictures.


This looks like a good place to start. See, Mr. Duck thinks so. Okay, back to pods and berries. I noticed we have quite a variety in our neighborhood.


These Chinese golden rain trees line the streets where I live. In summer they provide showers of bright yellow flowers; in the fall, the papery seed cases resemble bougainvillas. The only downside is the seeds take root in my yard - they're tenacious little devils.


I wonder what ever happened to ball fringe. Didn't it hang from things like lamp shades and sombreros? I always think of it when I see these sycamore seed pods.


Here are crepe myrtle berries. The dried out cases (in the top left of the photo) are shaped like tiny sectioned oranges.


These butterfly iris seed pods are almost as delicate as the flowers. They look like they're ready to take flight.


Indian hawthorne berries.


Heavenly bamboo.


I have no idea what these are, but I think they're cool.


Not a pod or a berry. More like a nut.


Here's some desert broom - our version of snow. This kind can give you the sniffles, too.


A magnolia seed pod about to burst.


Jacaranda seed pods remind me of castanets.


Way up in the tree, some palm fruit. Those are awfully big berries...


...and last, some tiny birch cones, about the size of an almond. They look cute on small holiday ornaments.

I hope you have the chance to get out and explore - maybe somewhere other than the mall.

Another Little Poem...

...made up entirely of picture book titles (the last one can be found here).

This is what happens when I spend too long in the picture book section of the library. It inspired a new illustration, too.


Rainstorm

Raindrop, Plop!
This is the Rain
Rain
Love, Splat
Tick-Tock, Drip Drop
The Rain Came Down
Rainstorm
Up
High in the Clouds
Shadows and Reflections
Terrible, Terrible!
Clang Boom Bang!
What’s Up, What’s Down?
Achoo! Bang! Crash!
Ker-Splash!
Monsoon
Roar!
Now What Can I Do?
In My Heart
A Blue So Blue
Close Your Eyes
Make a Wish
Just a Minute
I Can Hear the Sun
Peace at Last
The Gift of Nothing
A Rainbow All Around
Rise and Shine
Let’s Go Home

Organizing is Just Another Chore

A trip to the store with the upscale cardboard boxes and frilly coat hangers was supposed to inspire me to get organized. It didn’t work. Not even the expandable spice rack tempted me.

We do at least have a way of dealing with dreaded household chores. Eight of the chores that ought to be done weekly in a civilized household get divvied up. Two chores per week shouldn’t be too much to gripe about. We rotate, so no one gets stuck scrubbing toilets more than once a month.

To help keep track of whose turn it is to do what, we write the tasks on a dry erase board. Sure, it sounds a little stringent, but it helps keep peace. Under each of our names is plenty of leftover space to indicate whether we’ve done our chores for the week.

There’s been some evolution in how we mark off our completed chores. In the beginning, a checkmark or a simple ‘x’ sufficed. Things have changed. Let’s take a look at this week’s chart.

Here’s how my husband filled in his space:

Two little piggies…one for each chore! Don’t they look jaunty? I’ll bet that’s because they don’t have to live in a pig sty.

Now here’s my entry:

Oh, yes, you can tell who the artist is in this house. Those are supposed to be mice. I think the cleaning fumes got to me.

Moving on to my daughter’s space:

Wait a minute. I know she did her chores – I saw her sashaying about with a bottle of window cleaner. I hope she put more effort into the chores then she did in checking them off.

And finally, my son’s input:

I think he has some issues he’d like to take up with the management.

One Holiday at a Time

You might remember me mentioning the neighbors who had Halloween decorations up in early September. As I passed their house yesterday morning, I was greeted with a four foot pine wreath and Christmas lights. On November seventh. The best part is - they still have a big hanging skeleton and a witch decoration up on their front porch.

These people don’t just rush the seasons, they clump them all together. Happy Hallo-giving-mas. Or maybe Merry Hallowistmas. They could be taking the retailers’ approach and skipping over poor Thanksgiving altogether. I’m starting to see why some communities have rules about decorating.

I wonder if these neighbors take the same approach to everything. Do they skip ahead to read the last chapter of a book, but reread the same Family Circle every month? Did they potty train their kids at six months but bottle feed them ‘til first grade? Do they eat breakfast before going to bed, but stay in pajamas ‘til 3 pm?

Is this a sign of how overstretched are we – racing through special times and letting other things slide? I’m always curious to hear how people manage the stress of the holidays. Most people I talk to don’t really seem to enjoy the pressure of all that’s expected of them. I’ve learned that even if it comes with a twinge of guilt, I enjoy things more when I scale them down.

I’ll be pondering this, while fully expecting to see jingle bells AND Easter bunnies sometime in January.