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Fear and Exhilaration
Here I’m showing the kids my mad illustration skills. Thank goodness Mina Sanwald was the illustartor for the map and Timothy Banks the illustrator for the cover. This past week I found myself fluctuating between extreme fear and exhilaration. The date was set for me to have my first author visit in a school. For years I’d dreamed of when I could be in front of students as an author instead of a classroom teacher. Now it was really happening. Really happening!!! My stomach was churning all week. My gym workouts were easy. I had enough nervous energy to run for miles! I created a PowerPoint, packed extra books of mine,…
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Love Your Characters
I love three real characters very much! Eric, who continuously teases me and keeps me laughing or squinting and uttering “grrrrr!” Kai, who takes after his father but then plays beautiful music for me so all is forgiven. Arielle, who remembers to keep in touch from college because she knows how much I miss her. Happy Valentine’s Day to my family and Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone. Today, I’m writing about fictional characters. The ones I create. They are with me daily and I strive to understand them as much as I would any family member or friend. In MYSTIC a character named Sri (a wizard) has fallen in love with a man from another world. In order for me…
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Information and Inspiration
Information and Inspiration Do you know how when you take on a new project around your home like cleaning out a closet, painting a bedroom, or planting flowers, all the other jobs such as cooking dinner, doing dishes or vacuuming still have to be done and you can feel happy that you’ve accomplished something new but overwhelmed because your laundry is sprawled over a bed or bureau? Well, that’s me right now. Happy and overwhelmed. If you have no idea what I’m writing about and your laundry is always folded and put away right out of the dryer then you might want to stop reading right now because you’re about to…
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Spreading the Love
Spreading the Love Caloosahatchee River bridge Valentine’s Day is on its way! I say let’s spread the love to everyone. Let’s make the holiday more than loving just our immediate family. I read an article the other day that said Americans are lonely especially older Americans. Living in Cape Coral I can say that it is all too often I see an elderly person sitting alone in a restaurant. This Valentine’s Day do something in your community or online that shows people you care. Compliment someone, buy a few desserts and take them to your local police or fire station with a note of thanks, or write a kind letter to…
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Valentine’s Day Pupcakes
Here are some Valentine’s Day pupcakes for your best friend. I thought my gang would be excited that I was baking treats…not so much. Ollie and Nahla were all : Yeah, whatever, please don’t disturb our afternoon nap. Buddy was bummed Ollie and Nahla took his bed. Really? You’re gonna make me sleep on the floor? Not cool guys! Meanwhile Kai decided it was the perfect time to change the heads on his drums. This is not a quiet process. Amidst the banging and lack of enthusiasm I continued baking my pupcakes. Bang! Thump! “Sorry mom.” He’s adorable, my beautiful boy. The recipe came from Cesar’s site. February 26th is World Spay Day. There are…
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Marriage and the Mountain
Marriage and the Mountain When I was young I used to look out my bedroom window at night and gaze at the bright moon. I would think right then, at that very moment, the man I was going to one day marry was looking at the same moon. When the time was right we would meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. Then I met him he said he was never getting married or having children. It wasn’t as I envisioned but was a challenge I accepted. Along the way I learned a lot about love and marriage. I discouraged my daughter from believing in the fairy tale…
