I don't have anything really substantial to say, but I want to say something anyway. So here it goes.

School is in it's 4th week of full force for my kids. They are all doing great. I have to say I am a little jealous of their lives. They get the normal routine of getting up, going to school, coming home, doing homework, doing their individual extra curriculum activities, and then going to bed. How funny is it that when you are child all you can do is wait for the day when no one is telling you what to do, and when you are an adult you wish you had the simplicity of childhood?


At this time, I would like to point out that my oldest daughter has the best self management skills I have ever seen! Truly, she is a wonder to me. She has since the time she was a little girl put herself to bed long before the bed time bell rings and it just astounds me. My daughter Chloe and I on the other hand will be burning the midnight oil until the day I die. Total opposites those girls are. It just makes me giggle to think of them. Same DNA, Same Parents, Even Same birthday month... yet so completely opposite!

Anyway where was I, oh yeah back to my kids back to school routine. SO they are back doing great and I am jealous of their simple lives. When we went shopping for school supplies I of course bought some for myself just to feel apart of the busy. Every time I do back to school shopping I think about the movie You've got Mail where Tom Hanks says, "I would like to buy you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils". That movie is an all time favorite for me because I can so relate to Meg and Tom's characters love of school supplies.

Moving on... SO fall is my favorite. I have told you that before. There is just something about this season that makes my heart go pitter patter. The leaves on all the trees around here are showing little signs of the change that is coming. One of my favorite children's stories of all time is a story called "Frederick". I am sure I have blogged about this book before, but it's about a field mouse who when all the other mice are scurrying about to get ready for winter, collecting nuts, preparing their homes for hibernation, Frederick is just sitting there. Seeming to do nothing the other mice get frustrated with him, but later they realize he was taking it ALL in. When it gets dark and there is no longer any color left in nature Frederick starts sharing about the colors he was storing in his mind so that he could tell stories about it later. IN the dead of winter he paints the pictures of summer and shares his poetry. That's what I feel like sometimes when I catch myself just soaking it all up before the leaves fall off and the trees go barren.

I just realized that Fall is nature way of saying that things are dying. It makes me awe in wonder at the God I serve that right before death we get such beauty! Isn't that true in life. Right before the elderly pass, we get such beauty if only we have eyes wide open to see it. This Fall my eyes are wide open to see the beauty. My ears are wide open to hear the beauty. And my heart is full of gratitude for the changing of seasons.

Brodey the Bishop and the Process of getting Published

I never imagined a year ago when I sat down at my computer to finally create a children's story that I would be here. I have been accepted by a publishing company, but now I am considering getting an agent and going with a bigger, better publishing company.
After reading a 10 page contract and having no idea what I was really getting into I have been reconsidering my first choice for a publisher for a lot of reasons.
I am still conversing with them about the book but I have also sent out queries to two separate agents that I am excited to hear back from. These agents in the world of children's books are HUGE!! So, if they like my pitch and my books then I am going to take the leap of faith and hope for something better for this book.

Introducing...

Brodey the Bishop and The First Day of Spring

Brody the Bishop

I have been working on a series of children's books since last year. It has taken a long time to get the perfect artist. I have been through 3 other artists before landing the greatest female artist Natalie Rose Heifner. She has finished the pages of artwork that we need to submit this project and I am getting nervous now.
I am of course hopefully optimistic about it all, but still there are some nerves involved there.

Will they say yes and and sign me finally after all this time?


It remains to be seen whether this will be the artistic adventure of mine that will finally come to pass.

Here's to Hoping!!

Children's Books

I have successfully submitted my ideas for a characther I created a few months ago that will be in a series for my children's books. I am excited about the fact that I am going public with some of the ideas that have been rolling around in my head for a long time. I also have to say that this process was so incredibly easy and practically fell into my lap. I have a freind who's cousin is an agent to authors and this was a hook up that gave me some great advice and a few heads up on ways to go and what to avoid. I will let you all know if anything comes of it. If you soon see Brodey the Bishop on your children's scholastic book order just know that it is a really great read(for your 3-6year old) and you should buy it !!!

This Morning

This morning I enjoyed the best cup of coffee. I was sitting outside my house taking in the morning rays and just being. While listening to the birds chirping and watering my lawn, I sat there for about an hour and just listened. It has been a while since I just sat and listened. At first all I could hear were the birds. The birds in my neighborhood are quite intense. We have doves, owls, bluebirds and lil tiny brown birds. All the birds were noisy this morning. Then I started to listen to the water. Then the breeze in the trees.
I was journaling and got to thinking that I remind myself often times of a character in one of my favorite children's books. The book is called Frederick. It's about a field mouse who sits and seemingly is doing nothing while all the other field mice are busy preparing for the winter. The other field mice begin to get irritated with Frederick, like why are you just sitting there doing nothing while we do all the work at which point Frederick defends his actions. He says that he is gathering colors for the cold winter days, and stories for the quiet still of winter, and poems for the lonely nights. I am a Frederick field mouse. I find it quite easy to sit and just be. Although, I am required to do laundry and dishes, and dusting, and taxi cab driving, and all kinds of other stuff I would much rather sit and listen and watch. I love to sit and watch, listen, and hopefully learn. This morning what I learned is that I wish I had more mornings like this one. I am thankful for the mornings that I do get like this. Where the world stops and the coffee taste so, so good!!