It’s been a full week and I’ve finally been able to fully unpack. I won’t be leaving town again until August. I’ll fly off to Tucson then to have my Crone Initiation.

Most of the week was spent catching up on paperwork, updating web sites and doing research for the new book. Tuesday, I drove into the city for my face to face interview with the woman from Voices for Children. It went well and I was able to surprise her with my answer to one of the questions. She asked me what I expected to gain from the experience. I told her what I might gain had never even crossed my mind. It hadn’t. I suppose some folks do have ulterior motives for volunteering, but I just want to help.

Thursday, I had to roust the teenager out of bed before noon so we could head into the city to have her braces removed. I strongly recommended she sit down and actually eat something. While we were sitting at the dining room table eating our cereal, the younger cat came into the room. Now you have to understand, this is one really vocal cat. He has been dubbed musical by a friend. He is frequently so talkative that it becomes quite annoying. We often tell him to shut up. He walked up to me and stated MEOWWWWOW! I looked at him and said – Shut up! He looked right back at me and asked Moi? It was quite funny. The Rabbit giggled through the rest of breakfast.

After she had her braces removed we killed time at the mall and did some girl shopping. Had a bite to eat and got her retainer. So the braces are gone. She has now slimmed down even further and a size zero is too large. I have no clue how I am going to cloth her come school. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

This evening, the entire family was home. My hubby decided we needed to take advantage of the situation and do something all together. We went to the movies. We saw Wanted. I must be turning into a real fluff bunny, I found the gratuitous violence and constant use of the “f” word a bit much for me. It must be all the time I spend focused on picture books. In any case, it was a very well done movie, and if you aren’t opposed to lots of splattering blood, I suggest you go see it. Don’t take the little kids though. It was nice to spend time with the hubby and the kid without having to rush off somewhere or do something other than enjoy ourselves.

A new review for both Aidan’s First Full Moon Circle and for Watchers by W. Lyon Martin have been posted to the internet by Michael Gleason. Thank you for the wonderful words, Michael!

Aidan’s First Full Moon Circle by W. Lyon Martin (© 2008 Magical Child Books, ISBN:978-0979683442, 32 pages, Hardbound, $16.95 U.S.)

This is going to be a short review, simply because the book itself is very short. Ms. Martin has created a book which fulfills multiple purposes in spite of the shortness of the story. She has captured, in easily understandable form, the feelings that everyone – child or adult – has when they finally celebrate a ritual with more than just their family.

The illustrations are soft and pretty. Little ones will enjoy looking at them as they read this story.

As well as learning a few simple ritual terms and actions there is a simple mystery. Seamus the squirrel needs to find his acorns in order to survive the winter. There are different numbers of them in each picture and they will inspire those too young to read on their own to find them.

The story is simple but the lessons are important – accept responsibility, take help if you need it, open yourself to new experiences, and act responsibly. This is a wonderful introduction to group workings and interactions.

And…

Watchers by W. Lyon Martin (© 2008, Magical Child Books, ISBN:978-0979683459, 32 pages, Hardbound, $16.95 U.S.)

Lyon Martin met a lady who shared a poem she learned from her grandmother. That poem inspired this book.

Thomas is being stalked by monsters at night. He can’t see them, but he can see their eyes in the dark. A plan is made to catch them. A trap is set – and triggered. Then the “monsters” are revealed as…Nope, I’m not telling. You need to get this book and share it with your little ones. It is a positive approach to childhood anxieties, as well as a fun story.

The illustrations, although some of them are dark (hey, it’s bedtime and lights out) are not in the least threatening, and because of their softness and depth of detail, will entertain your child almost as much as the story itself.

I highly recommend this book, as well as others by the same author. Her books are fun, the bindings are library reinforced (so they will hold up for the long run), and are printed on recycled paper.

“You must keep sending work out;
you must never let a manuscript
do nothing but eat its head off in
a drawer. You send that work out
again and again, while you’re
working on another one. If you
have talent, you will receive
some measure of success -
but only if you persist.”
~ Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992)

If it’s been a while since you’ve been by, you’ll notice the web site has a completely new look. Things have finally slowed down enough for me (or maybe I am getting more organized?) to spend some time updating and redecorating the place. I could be in nesting mode or something, I have been renovating and painting the real life house as well.

Since I am an artist and not a programmer, some of the things I still want to do are really giving the old brain pan a work out. I will get them figured out eventually. After all, other people have managed to get such things done on their sites, it’ll just take me while to get that light bulb going off over my head. Now that’s an image.

I am so thrilled with my progress through my to-do list for this week. I have managed to cross off nearly all the items I needed to get done. The last item on the list is the pencil rough for Rabbit’s Song. When I finish it up it will be scanned into the computer and sent to the people who need to approve it. I am half way there, so getting it out by Thursday should be no trouble.

On Friday I head out to Ozark Avalon for a very full 4th of July weekend. The land’s wardens are being handfasted on the 4th. On Saturday I will be giving a craft workshop of Sparkling Spiral Mobiles. On Sunday morning the very popular Family Story time is to occur. I have been rereading and memorizing some of my favorite childhood animal myths and adding the re-tellings to my line up of picture books. The kids love to be read to. I am just amazed at their faces when they hear new stories. I am reminded why I became a picture book author in the first place.

The only thing I didn’t do this week was check my calendar for appointments on Monday. So, all things being equal, I forgot about an appointment yesterday. Der. My daughter was scheduled to have her braces removed. You think she might have remembered as it was her mouth. Oh well, I was able to reschedule for next week. I had better NOT forget again.

Also next week, I have an appointment for an interview. I will be heading into the city to have my entrance interview for Voices for Children to be a child’s advocate in the court system. I’ve spoken to the director several times on the phone, she said I most likely will be accepted into the program. Training starts in August.