Sherry Ellis's Blog, page 30
December 3, 2015
Guest Author, Virginia Wright
Today, I have special guest, author Virginia Wright, at my pad. She has an adorable new Christmas book and coloring book out. She's giving away one copy of the book and one copy of the coloring book. If you'd like to enter the contest, leave a comment below indicating such. If you want bonus points, share your favorite Christmas memory. The winners will be announced Monday.
Without further ado, let me tell you about Virginia's book and let her share some thoughts with you.
Blurb: Join Timothy, a house mouse, on Christmas Eve, as he tries to survive a cold winter's night, all alone in an old Maine farmhouse. To eat, he must venture out into a terrible snowstorm. Come along with Timothy and meet other interesting forest animals in this delightful children's holiday story.
* Great Christmas Eve bedtime story! My Review: It's Christmas Eve. Timothy the mouse is alone in an empty house. The residents have moved, and now there are no crumbs to eat. Timothy must venture out into the cold, snowy night in search of food. Timothy fills his bucket with acorns, but is surprised when other hungry forest creatures help themselves to his stash. Things look bleak until Timothy discovers a delightful Christmas surprise.
Timothy the Christmas Mouse is a lovely Christmas story to share with young children. They will enjoy the illustrations of all the forest creatures, and will want to know if Timothy manages to find a Christmas Eve meal. Also included, are some coloring pages. Children will have fun adding their own artistic expressions to the book. Recommended for children ages 3-7. Five stars.
Buy the books: Amazon Story Book Amazon Coloring Book Amazon Ebook Books-A-Million Coloring Book You can watch the video trailer here.
Interview: 1. Thanks for joining us, today! What was your inspiration for writing this book? The inspiration to write Timothy the Christmas Mouse came after my family bought an old New England farm house in Maine some years ago. The house had been empty for about two years before we moved in. There was a big breezeway and a barn attached to the main part of the old house. The former owners had chickens, horses, goats, and… house mice. I know this about the mice, as we found one mouse after another. We think that the mouse was attracted to the hayloft where it was a warm—it was this experience that prompted me to write Timothy the Christmas Mouse.Sounds like a very cool old house! I don't know about all the mice, though. I'm glad at least they served as an inspiration for your story!
2. What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Sherry, as a writer yourself, you know that writing every book evokes different feelings. With that said, I not only write, I also illustrate my own books. I want to speak about the illustrations, as I created pages purposely anticipating giggles. Anticipating the giggles is definitely what I enjoyed the most about creating Timothy the Christmas Mouse.I bet there will be a lot of giggles from kids reading your book!3. Share your favorite Christmas memory. I would love to share my favorite Christmas memory, Sherry. I was just four or five years old, and living on a farm in a small country town in Swanville, Maine. It was Christmas Eve and my parents told me to look out the window as Santa and his reindeer were outside. I crawled up on a stool and looked out of a frosty window pane just in time to see a red light bobbing up and down in the field by my house. Of course I assumed it was Santa with Rudolph, so I climbed down off the stool and ran to my bedroom to go to bed for the night as I knew Santa would not come to my house if I did not fall fast asleep. That's a great memory! I remember my uncle used to take me up to a room on the top floor of my grandparents' house and tell me to listen to the reindeer on the roof. The tapping sounds were pretty convincing!
4. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I always wanted to be a writer! Ever since I have been a young girl― I put words to paper. I can remember sitting on the veranda of my parent’s house writing, first it was a little diary with a lock and key, later, as I started growing up it was a pen and pad in hand—back then, I wrote mostly Poetry and Haiku’s. My excitement for writing was realized in 1981, when I sold my first writing to a regional publication Washington County Magazine, but the excitement for writing didn’t stop there, it continued to grow!So many writers start out when they're kids. I was the same way. I had no idea I'd ever be a published author, though! You've written a lot of wonderful books for children. I'm so glad you've continued writing! 5. What secret talents do you have? Secret talents… hmm. I am not certain some would call this a talent, but I hold an “FCC Amateur Extra Radio License.” In order to receive this top US license, which by the way is the highest class license you can make, I had to first pass a 5-WPM (word per minute) Morse code exam, then earn other class licenses, and in the end, to get Amateur Extra License, I had to pass a large theory exam, and pass a 20-WPM (word per minute) Morse code exam. I had to decipher words like SOS with dots and dashes, and all other words used in sentences. Those who hold an Amateur Extra license have all privileges on all US amateur radio bands.
That's pretty cool! I don't know too many people who have that ability. Maybe your next book can be a spy book and use some of this knowledge you have!
Bio
Virginia Wright (born Virginia Brown March 19, 1958) is an American author and illustrator of children's fantasy fiction and non-fiction books. She first became a published author in 1981 when she sold her first writing--Faith, to a regional magazine in the state of Maine. Faith, The Blessing, and Rosarium are published in an anthology--Soundings by the Poetry Fellowship of Maine. Wright received a World of Poetry Merit Award-- with Rank: Honorable Mention (1987) for her poem, Faith. The poems Picture Memories and Life, Love, Inevitably Death are published in Our Day of Passing Anthology by Ingrid Hall, Franco Esposito, Dennis Higgins, Virginia Wright and a collaboration of 30+ other talented co-authors around the globe. Besides poetry Wright has written six books, her first a children's book, "The Princess and the Castle, A Fairy Tale" (2010) and this was followed by three other fairy tales, The Prince and the Dragon, Crying Bear, and a Christmas classic, The Christmas Secret: Mikey's Story. Wright is the author of an educational non-fiction, short book for all ages, Buzzzzzzzz What Honey Bees Do. Her latest book, Wild Animal Sounds, was released November 2014. As an illustrator, the cover Wright, illustrated for Steampunk Alice by Dennis Higgins won the AUTHORSdb Gold Award (2014).
Connect with Virginia:
Blog
Amazon Author PageFacebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
Instagram
Thanks to Virginia for being a guest here!
Before I go, I would like to let you know that as part of my World of Ink Book Tour, my book Ten Zany Birds, is being reviewed at Families Matter. These are some of the bloggers who organized my tour. If you are a children's writer, and are looking for a company who will promote your book specifically to people who are interested in children's books, World of Ink Network, is a great place to go.
Without further ado, let me tell you about Virginia's book and let her share some thoughts with you.
Blurb: Join Timothy, a house mouse, on Christmas Eve, as he tries to survive a cold winter's night, all alone in an old Maine farmhouse. To eat, he must venture out into a terrible snowstorm. Come along with Timothy and meet other interesting forest animals in this delightful children's holiday story.
* Great Christmas Eve bedtime story! My Review: It's Christmas Eve. Timothy the mouse is alone in an empty house. The residents have moved, and now there are no crumbs to eat. Timothy must venture out into the cold, snowy night in search of food. Timothy fills his bucket with acorns, but is surprised when other hungry forest creatures help themselves to his stash. Things look bleak until Timothy discovers a delightful Christmas surprise.
Timothy the Christmas Mouse is a lovely Christmas story to share with young children. They will enjoy the illustrations of all the forest creatures, and will want to know if Timothy manages to find a Christmas Eve meal. Also included, are some coloring pages. Children will have fun adding their own artistic expressions to the book. Recommended for children ages 3-7. Five stars.
Buy the books: Amazon Story Book Amazon Coloring Book Amazon Ebook Books-A-Million Coloring Book You can watch the video trailer here.
Interview: 1. Thanks for joining us, today! What was your inspiration for writing this book? The inspiration to write Timothy the Christmas Mouse came after my family bought an old New England farm house in Maine some years ago. The house had been empty for about two years before we moved in. There was a big breezeway and a barn attached to the main part of the old house. The former owners had chickens, horses, goats, and… house mice. I know this about the mice, as we found one mouse after another. We think that the mouse was attracted to the hayloft where it was a warm—it was this experience that prompted me to write Timothy the Christmas Mouse.Sounds like a very cool old house! I don't know about all the mice, though. I'm glad at least they served as an inspiration for your story!
2. What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Sherry, as a writer yourself, you know that writing every book evokes different feelings. With that said, I not only write, I also illustrate my own books. I want to speak about the illustrations, as I created pages purposely anticipating giggles. Anticipating the giggles is definitely what I enjoyed the most about creating Timothy the Christmas Mouse.I bet there will be a lot of giggles from kids reading your book!3. Share your favorite Christmas memory. I would love to share my favorite Christmas memory, Sherry. I was just four or five years old, and living on a farm in a small country town in Swanville, Maine. It was Christmas Eve and my parents told me to look out the window as Santa and his reindeer were outside. I crawled up on a stool and looked out of a frosty window pane just in time to see a red light bobbing up and down in the field by my house. Of course I assumed it was Santa with Rudolph, so I climbed down off the stool and ran to my bedroom to go to bed for the night as I knew Santa would not come to my house if I did not fall fast asleep. That's a great memory! I remember my uncle used to take me up to a room on the top floor of my grandparents' house and tell me to listen to the reindeer on the roof. The tapping sounds were pretty convincing!
4. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I always wanted to be a writer! Ever since I have been a young girl― I put words to paper. I can remember sitting on the veranda of my parent’s house writing, first it was a little diary with a lock and key, later, as I started growing up it was a pen and pad in hand—back then, I wrote mostly Poetry and Haiku’s. My excitement for writing was realized in 1981, when I sold my first writing to a regional publication Washington County Magazine, but the excitement for writing didn’t stop there, it continued to grow!So many writers start out when they're kids. I was the same way. I had no idea I'd ever be a published author, though! You've written a lot of wonderful books for children. I'm so glad you've continued writing! 5. What secret talents do you have? Secret talents… hmm. I am not certain some would call this a talent, but I hold an “FCC Amateur Extra Radio License.” In order to receive this top US license, which by the way is the highest class license you can make, I had to first pass a 5-WPM (word per minute) Morse code exam, then earn other class licenses, and in the end, to get Amateur Extra License, I had to pass a large theory exam, and pass a 20-WPM (word per minute) Morse code exam. I had to decipher words like SOS with dots and dashes, and all other words used in sentences. Those who hold an Amateur Extra license have all privileges on all US amateur radio bands.
That's pretty cool! I don't know too many people who have that ability. Maybe your next book can be a spy book and use some of this knowledge you have!
BioVirginia Wright (born Virginia Brown March 19, 1958) is an American author and illustrator of children's fantasy fiction and non-fiction books. She first became a published author in 1981 when she sold her first writing--Faith, to a regional magazine in the state of Maine. Faith, The Blessing, and Rosarium are published in an anthology--Soundings by the Poetry Fellowship of Maine. Wright received a World of Poetry Merit Award-- with Rank: Honorable Mention (1987) for her poem, Faith. The poems Picture Memories and Life, Love, Inevitably Death are published in Our Day of Passing Anthology by Ingrid Hall, Franco Esposito, Dennis Higgins, Virginia Wright and a collaboration of 30+ other talented co-authors around the globe. Besides poetry Wright has written six books, her first a children's book, "The Princess and the Castle, A Fairy Tale" (2010) and this was followed by three other fairy tales, The Prince and the Dragon, Crying Bear, and a Christmas classic, The Christmas Secret: Mikey's Story. Wright is the author of an educational non-fiction, short book for all ages, Buzzzzzzzz What Honey Bees Do. Her latest book, Wild Animal Sounds, was released November 2014. As an illustrator, the cover Wright, illustrated for Steampunk Alice by Dennis Higgins won the AUTHORSdb Gold Award (2014).
Connect with Virginia:
Blog
Amazon Author PageFacebook
Goodreads
Thanks to Virginia for being a guest here!
Before I go, I would like to let you know that as part of my World of Ink Book Tour, my book Ten Zany Birds, is being reviewed at Families Matter. These are some of the bloggers who organized my tour. If you are a children's writer, and are looking for a company who will promote your book specifically to people who are interested in children's books, World of Ink Network, is a great place to go.
December 2, 2015
Crossing the Log
A few days ago, my daughter and I were roaming around in the woods behind our house. Eventually, we came to the wide creek that flows though the area. There was no way to cross the creek, other than wade though it or walk across a very long log that stretches over it. Since it was rather chilly, wading through it really wasn't an option. That left the log.
I looked at that thing. "I don't know about this," I said. "It looks pretty dangerous."
"I've done it before with my friends," my daughter said. "The first time it's really scary. But then you get used to it. Watch."
She slid down the muddy bank to where the log was wedged into the dirt. Then she climbed up on the log and very carefully made her way across the creek. It took a good five minutes. This was no narrow creek, and the log was elevated at least four feet above it. "Your turn," she said when she was on the other side.
I sighed and made my way down the muddy bank. I crawled up on the log and stood there. The sun on the water ripples was affecting my depth perception. "Uh, I'm not sure I can do this," I said.
"Just stare at the log at a spot a little ahead of you, and walk."
I tried, but then stopped.
"Mom, your knees are shaking."
"No, they're not," I said. They couldn't possibly be shaking. I'm not afraid of heights, and a stupid little log shouldn't bother me.
"You'd better turn around and try again," my daughter instructed."The best way is to do it all at once and not stop."
I frowned and turned around on that log - which was no easy task.
I tried again. And again, the ripples of the water messed with my vision. I couldn't focus on the darn log.
I turned around. This time, I was mad. There was no way a stupid log was going to get the best of me!
The third time, I plowed ahead. I really didn't care if I fell off the log and broke all my bones. And guess what? I did it. I walked all the way across that thing.
My daughter grinned. "Way to go, Mom! You're the only mom I know crazy enough to do that!"
Yeah. All it took was me getting mad!
(In case you're wondering, going back across was much easier. The light was behind me, so it was easier to see.)
Today, as part of my book tour, my book, Ten Zany Birds, is being reviewed by Writer Granny's World. It is interesting to read the blogger's nine-year-old grandson's comments on it!
I looked at that thing. "I don't know about this," I said. "It looks pretty dangerous."
"I've done it before with my friends," my daughter said. "The first time it's really scary. But then you get used to it. Watch."
She slid down the muddy bank to where the log was wedged into the dirt. Then she climbed up on the log and very carefully made her way across the creek. It took a good five minutes. This was no narrow creek, and the log was elevated at least four feet above it. "Your turn," she said when she was on the other side.
I sighed and made my way down the muddy bank. I crawled up on the log and stood there. The sun on the water ripples was affecting my depth perception. "Uh, I'm not sure I can do this," I said.
"Just stare at the log at a spot a little ahead of you, and walk."
I tried, but then stopped.
"Mom, your knees are shaking."
"No, they're not," I said. They couldn't possibly be shaking. I'm not afraid of heights, and a stupid little log shouldn't bother me.
"You'd better turn around and try again," my daughter instructed."The best way is to do it all at once and not stop."
I frowned and turned around on that log - which was no easy task.
I tried again. And again, the ripples of the water messed with my vision. I couldn't focus on the darn log.
I turned around. This time, I was mad. There was no way a stupid log was going to get the best of me!
The third time, I plowed ahead. I really didn't care if I fell off the log and broke all my bones. And guess what? I did it. I walked all the way across that thing.
My daughter grinned. "Way to go, Mom! You're the only mom I know crazy enough to do that!"
Yeah. All it took was me getting mad!
(In case you're wondering, going back across was much easier. The light was behind me, so it was easier to see.)
Today, as part of my book tour, my book, Ten Zany Birds, is being reviewed by Writer Granny's World. It is interesting to read the blogger's nine-year-old grandson's comments on it!
November 29, 2015
Book Release, Question of the Month, Winners of Give Away
Lots of stuff going on at my pad, today. First, I'd like to let you all know about a new Middle Grade book that will be released on December 1, 2015. It's called The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow. It's by my blog buddies, Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson. It looks so cute! I can't wait to get my copy!
Release date: DECEMBER 1, 2015
Delacorte Press/ Random House Kids Books
MIDDLE GRADE/ ages 10 and up
ISBN: 978-0-385-74471-3
Authors: Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson
Illustrator: Roman Muradov
Publicity contact: Samuel Terris sterris@penguinrandomhouse.com
Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s absolutely certain she’ll die of boredom.
As if leaving Manhatten and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad, weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past.
Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where she finds an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a curious portrait of a red-haired lady. These seemingly unrelated items prove to be the first in a series of clues that takes Fairday, the visiting Lizzy, and their new squad member, Marcus, on an amazing adventure.
Can the members of the Detective Mystery Squad piece together the puzzle before it’s too late? Or will whatever’s causing trouble find Fairday and her friends first?
Catch the Book Buzz...
"I really enjoyed this book. It was a marvelously done, debut, thriller novel. Ms. Robinson and Ms. Haight are great authors that really pull you into their story. I couldn’t get out until that final sentence. And, by then I wanted more. To say I want a second book is an understatement. The writing style is compelling, and makes me feel as if I was there with Fairday and her friends. I really like the illustrations in the book. They are like the ribbon on a present, or the icing on the cake. I give this book five out of five bookworms!"
~ Erik Weibel/ This Kid Reviews Books
"Mixing realism and fantasy, Haight and Robinson’s debut opens with 11-year-old Fairday’s move from Manhattan to a small town in Connecticut, where her relentlessly cheerful parents plan to turn a dilapidated Victorian into a bed and breakfast. No sooner has the family arrived than eerie sights and sounds begin to haunt Fairday. The house turns out to hold dark secrets that everybody in town suspects but nobody can explain: a perfect mission for Fairday and her best friend Lizzy’s Detective Mystery Squad (DMS)."
~ Publishers Weekly
"Fifth-grader Fairday Morrow's new home lives up to its spooky reputation, but she and her companions in the Detective Mystery Squad find out why. At Begonia House, strains of bagpipe music issue from behind a padlocked door, grains of sand in an hourglass have stopped falling, and a malevolent weeping willow looms in the backyard. A magic mirror shows an invisible door; a wardrobe hides secrets and a portal. Ruby Begonia vanished more than 50 years ago. Is there also a ghost? Fairday has a new, helpful friend in classmate Marcus, and her best friend Lizzy can visit on weekends to help solve the mystery. What more could readers want?"
~ Kirkus Reviews
Jessica Haight is a true New Englander, with a deep desire to be near the ocean and a love of the four seasons. She enjoys drawing while standing up and cultivating magic in her garden. She easily floats away in the pages of a good story and is still waiting for her owl from Hogwarts.
Stephanie Robinsonlives with her husband in a quiet town, though not as quaint as Ashpot. After teaching fifth grade for almost fifteen years, she is now enjoying her role as a school media specialist.
Links:
Fairday's Blog
Fairdayfiles.com
@DMSfiles
Second, it's time for the question of the month, hosted by Michael d'Agostino. This month's question is, "What social custom bothers you that you would you like to get rid of?"
Well, I have two. Both are social greetings. The first is that thing European people do, where they kiss each cheek when they greet. What's that called? Fortunately, it's not done in the United States, but my relatives are from Europe, and I have to deal with that every time I see them. I'm so worried I'm going to break my nose when I do it. My second is the deal where guys kiss my hand when they greet me. I really, really, really, dislike that! I have a thing against womanizers, and when a guy does that, I put him right in the womanizer category. So, if you meet me, please do not do that European greeting thing, and please do not kiss my hand!
Last, but not least, the winners of my give away have been selected. Congratulations to Chrys Fey and Nick Wilford, who have won copies of Ten Zany Birds. Congratulations to Dawna who has won a copy of That Mama is a Grouch, and congratulations to Tracy Terry, who will be receiving a copy of That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN!
So, what social customs do you dislike?
November 24, 2015
Brave Mama and a Give Away
Yesterday, I took my daughter, along with four of her teenaged friends, to the store. It was an adventure. We had to stop every three seconds so the girls could take photos of all the things they found interesting, so they could share them with their friends on Instagram. And of course there were all the selfies. My goodness!
When we finally made it to the check out, the cashier looked at me and smiled. "You are a very brave woman to go out with all these teenagers!"
Yes, I am. I should get a medal!
(When we got home, the chaos continued. The girls raided my kitchen and made cupcakes, all while singing and dancing to Christmas music!)
I don't know if I will be posting again before Thanksgiving. So I'd like to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you so much for being my blog buddies!
As my little way of saying thanks, I'm going to give away two copies of my newest book, Ten Zany Birds, and one copy of my book, That Mama is a Grouch. (If anyone is interested in That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN, I'll include a copy of that, too.) Just leave a comment below and let me know which, if any, you'd be interested in. I'll announce the winners next Monday.
Today, as part of my book tour, my book has been reviewed by Chat With Vera. She thought it might be nice if I wrote some music to go with the text. What do you think? You can visit her site to read the rest of her comments.
When we finally made it to the check out, the cashier looked at me and smiled. "You are a very brave woman to go out with all these teenagers!"
Yes, I am. I should get a medal!
(When we got home, the chaos continued. The girls raided my kitchen and made cupcakes, all while singing and dancing to Christmas music!)
I don't know if I will be posting again before Thanksgiving. So I'd like to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you so much for being my blog buddies!
As my little way of saying thanks, I'm going to give away two copies of my newest book, Ten Zany Birds, and one copy of my book, That Mama is a Grouch. (If anyone is interested in That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN, I'll include a copy of that, too.) Just leave a comment below and let me know which, if any, you'd be interested in. I'll announce the winners next Monday.
Today, as part of my book tour, my book has been reviewed by Chat With Vera. She thought it might be nice if I wrote some music to go with the text. What do you think? You can visit her site to read the rest of her comments.
November 23, 2015
How Long is a Day?
"Mama," my eleven-year-old son asked. "How long is a day?"
"Twenty four hours," I said, without thinking twice.
"No, it's not," my son said.
"What do you mean?"
Bubba explained. "Scientists discovered that a huge earthquake caused the earth to alter its rotation. There is one less millisecond per day, than there used to be."
"That's nice," I said. "So, how long is it going to take to notice the difference?"
Bubba shrugged. "I don't know."
That wasn't a good enough answer. Since I was curious about the situation, I did a little math. One day equals 86,400,000 milliseconds. It will take 2, 367,123.29 years for all those little milliseconds to equal a full day. Guess I'm not going to worry about it too much, and neither should you.
Today I'm a guest over at Indie Authors. If you'd like to read the story behind my latest book, Ten Zany Birds, please stop by!
November 20, 2015
Sassy Siri
In case you don't know, Siri is a computer generated voice that answers any question you might have. You just talk into your smart device, and Siri recognizes what you say. It's pretty remarkable technology. Some of the answers can be a little questionable. And snarky. Like the answer my son got when he asked Siri what zero divided by zero was.
Here's what Siri said: "Imagine that you have zero cookies, and you split them evenly among zero friends. How many cookies does each person get? See? It doesn’t make sense.
“And Cookie Monster is sad that there are no cookies, and you are sad that you have no friends.”
Well, isn't that just terrible.
"Mama," my son said after he heard it. "You need to go make some cookies, and I need to get my friends. Then nobody will be sad."
Makes sense to me!
Here's what Siri said: "Imagine that you have zero cookies, and you split them evenly among zero friends. How many cookies does each person get? See? It doesn’t make sense.
“And Cookie Monster is sad that there are no cookies, and you are sad that you have no friends.”
Well, isn't that just terrible.
"Mama," my son said after he heard it. "You need to go make some cookies, and I need to get my friends. Then nobody will be sad."
Makes sense to me!
November 17, 2015
Scaredy Cat
Even though our hundred pound German Shepherd looks ferocious, he's nothing but a scaredy cat. Let me tell you about his latest scaredy cat episode.
There have been Diwali celebrations in our neighborhood. (It's a big Indian holiday for those who aren't familiar with it.) People have been shooting off fireworks every night. Schultz doesn't like it. When I came home from work, he immediately ran over to me and tried to hide between my legs. He just about knocked me over.
"Schultz. Chill. What's the matter?"
That's when I heard the fireworks go off. He looked at me with his brown soulful eyes and whimpered.
"It's okay, Schultz," I said, petting his head. "It's just fireworks."
More went off. I sat down and Schultz put his head on my lap. That dog would not leave my side until the fireworks stopped.
(Meanwhile, Bootsy, our cat, sat nearby watching the whole thing with utter disdain. After a while, he parked himself on the back porch and enjoyed the rest of the fireworks show. He's not a scaredy cat!)
Before I go, I'd like to thank Tracy Terry for her wonderful review of my book, Ten Zany Birds! You can read her comments here.
There have been Diwali celebrations in our neighborhood. (It's a big Indian holiday for those who aren't familiar with it.) People have been shooting off fireworks every night. Schultz doesn't like it. When I came home from work, he immediately ran over to me and tried to hide between my legs. He just about knocked me over.
"Schultz. Chill. What's the matter?"
That's when I heard the fireworks go off. He looked at me with his brown soulful eyes and whimpered.
"It's okay, Schultz," I said, petting his head. "It's just fireworks."
More went off. I sat down and Schultz put his head on my lap. That dog would not leave my side until the fireworks stopped.
(Meanwhile, Bootsy, our cat, sat nearby watching the whole thing with utter disdain. After a while, he parked himself on the back porch and enjoyed the rest of the fireworks show. He's not a scaredy cat!)
Before I go, I'd like to thank Tracy Terry for her wonderful review of my book, Ten Zany Birds! You can read her comments here.
November 16, 2015
Cat Conversations
Bootsy, our cat, has been very vocal lately. I'm not sure what his issue is, but he's been needing a lot of attention.
The other day I found my daughter sitting with Bootsy having a conversation. It went like this:
Bootsy: "Meow!"
My daughter: "Meow!"
Bootsy: "Meowwww!"
My daughter: "Meowwww!"
Bootsy: "Meeeeeow!"
My daughter: "Meeeeeow!"
I walked over and looked at the two of them. "What's going on here?"
My daughter grinned. "Bootsy needed someone to talk to. I'm his therapist."
The other day I found my daughter sitting with Bootsy having a conversation. It went like this:
Bootsy: "Meow!"
My daughter: "Meow!"
Bootsy: "Meowwww!"
My daughter: "Meowwww!"
Bootsy: "Meeeeeow!"
My daughter: "Meeeeeow!"
I walked over and looked at the two of them. "What's going on here?"
My daughter grinned. "Bootsy needed someone to talk to. I'm his therapist."
November 13, 2015
The Aging Machine
"Mama," my eleven-year-old son said. "I need to invent something."
"What do you need to invent?" I asked.
"An aging machine."
At looked at the kid sideways. "Dude, why in the world would you want to invent that?"
"I want to hurry up and be eighteen. Then I can be a grown-up and nobody can tell me what to do."
Uh, right.
"Okay, Bubba," I said. "But after you're done, can you invent an anti-aging machine? I'm kind of sick of this getting old thing!"
"What do you need to invent?" I asked.
"An aging machine."
At looked at the kid sideways. "Dude, why in the world would you want to invent that?"
"I want to hurry up and be eighteen. Then I can be a grown-up and nobody can tell me what to do."
Uh, right.
"Okay, Bubba," I said. "But after you're done, can you invent an anti-aging machine? I'm kind of sick of this getting old thing!"
November 11, 2015
Doggy Spa
Our hundred-pound German Shepherd was in serious need of a bath. When he smells like dirty socks, you know it's time. In the fall and winter, Schultz gets the royal treatment: bath in the Jacuzzi. My husband took care of it. When he was done, the Jacuzzi was trashed, but the dog was clean and shiny.
I was practicing when the dog proudly marched in to show off his clean coat. He looked good. But then I took a sniff. It smelled strangely familiar.
"What did you use to wash the dog?" I asked my husband.
He grinned. "Your shampoo!"
Seriously?
(Well, at least he smells good!)
Today, as part of my book tour for Ten Zany Birds, I'm at Traci McDonald's blog, where she gives a very nice review of the book.
