Babies have been on my mind a bundle lately. I see them everywhere and smile every single time I see one. I love to smile right at them. To get one of their sweet little smiles in return is a big bonus. I love to catch their eye, to make a happy connection. I like…
Category: family
How I Spent My Grandsons’ Summer Vacation
As a kid, I used to lament more or less that every September back at school I didn’t get to write a story about having gone to Disneyland in the summertime. Everyone I knew went to Disneyland for their summer vacations. Except me. Well, almost everyone. But, not my family and me. No, instead, I…
In Loving Memory
Dear Darlin’ Tamara Grace, You will be much more dearly and deeply missed by many more than you might have imagined. I hope you absolutely and profoundly know that now. You were my favorite cousin. Weren’t you everyone’s favorite? And everyone was your favorite. You loved everyone. You saw even the least goodness. You were…
To Nurture and Protect
I know this isn’t Mother’s Day, but this painting recently got me thinking. ‘The Lord of the Manor’, by Edmund Blair Leighton, reminds me of the indescribably profound protective love that I instantly felt for each of my children and grandbabies upon their arrival to this earthly sphere. To become a mother completely changed everything…
The Forgotten Dad
Last night I was talking to my youngest daughter about my thoughts regarding creatively artistic mothers sadly having to put their talents on hold while they do their noble work raising their children, and she rightly reminded me that many creative or artistic fathers are having to do the same. My oldest and highly talented…
Once Upon Another Grandmothering Summertime
My glorious grandsons were here for their summer holiday again and the fun was over before I knew it. I turned around, and then they were gone. Sniff, sniff, wipe a few tears, and miss them until they return to visit once more. Of course, being that I’m no spring chicken, it was no holiday…
Seeing Seattle Again
In a recent trip back out to Seattle area, I felt the formidable homesick pull once more. It’s always exciting to head towards the Emerald City territory again, and it’s always very hard for me to leave it. My heart has been a good deal in the Seattle East Side since long before I met…
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
I was going to write this earlier, you know, like when summer was just over and school was back in, but, I jumped back into my eighth novel instead. It’s high time to finish that story up. I’d left it alone at least all summer long. I’m on the home stretch with my solid draft…
An Ode to the Average Sized Woman
Why does a normal sized, healthy and generally fit woman, young or older, try to fit into a size zero to feel like she is something of worth? Is zero the only beautiful now? How healthy can zero be? Do high fashion models who look like they barely live on lettuce and celery, simply black…
A Snowman in May
Early this morning a snowy blizzard freakishly appeared and reminded me of twenty three years ago when we were living up in the ‘great white north’ of Alberta in Canada. I was uncomfortably overdue to have another baby. The weather had been balmy. April showers had already brought May flowers. I recall beautiful spring weather. I’d been catching some late afternoon rays as my kids played out in the sunshine. Suddenly (well, on the next day anyway), a wintery storm hit. It was a major blizzard, in fact. Wild. And cold. And then it was gone.
Just hours ago, there was snow everywhere outside. I just looked out again, and it’s all green again. Snow flurries of today brought back memories of snow of yesteryear (which strangely does seem like just yesterday) and so brings me to my favorite snowman that I decided to share here. My youngest three conjured him up. Well, my youngest son came up with the story and my daughters illustrated to bring the snowy fellow to life. What follows is most of my motherly review that I wrote for Amazon a while back.
Now, first I will admit to being possibly a fraction biased being that I am mother to these three wonderfully warm and talented young people, but, I shall still try to give a fully honest and fair review… at least from my own personal perspective. I found this story delightfully warm and the art beautifully wonderful, even after seeing it unfold before my eyes over the course of at least many months. It truly reflects its creators. Josh, Anna and Brina have enjoyed many congratulatory bravos and kudos from young and old through emails and personal contact relative to their first published creation. We have been told many times over that little kiddies (particularly two to ten year olds) do not wish to put the book away or up on a shelf once they have perused through it, and that it is carried around by the youngsters instead, as well as being requested as a nap and bed time story of choice. Some little folks in lands where it snows are noticing chilly snowmen everywhere during their winters, all hoping that each cold fellow will find warmth through the help of friends or family. This story of a snowman who can’t seem but to feel cold and a loving little girl and her parents who find a way to warm him up, will warm you inside as well.