Busy days

Illustration attempts…
I did it. I cleared off my messy art desk in the basement, where the creepy spiders like to lurk, and I sat down to work. It only took a couple minutes for the cats to notice I was downstairs, and they mewed and rammed the door until I opened it. Only Penny, my long-haired cat came out.

She sniffed the floor, rolled around, tried to hop in the puppet theater, and then decided to check out what I was doing. I would have loved to hold her, but then I wouldn’t get any work done. So, she hopped down and explored while I worked.

Before I started getting pinged by Cub Scout emails, I managed to get 3 pages of a book dummy and part of a storyboard finished. I was hoping to do more, but I guess I need to think in small steps. Tomorrow, I’ll try to finish the dummy and the story board (after my library work). Then, I’ll take a stab at illustrating my cousin’s chapter book.

I love black and white illustrations. Last year, I took a chapter book / middle grade novel illustration workshop with Patrick Collins, Art Director for Henry Holt. It was fabulous! I am hoping to build a small portfolio before I go to the NJ SCBWI conference in June. Wish me luck!


Weeds!
If the weeds didn't choke anything I placed in the garden, they'd be kind of pretty to leave in there, especially the ones with the yellow flowers.

I love gardening (the veggie kind), but I really hate the weeds. They have invaded and taken over my garden space, and I dread the task of clearing them out. On the brighter side, my chamomile is up and there is a lot of it. Tomorrow, in my spare time, I’m going to harvest some of it.


Scouts scouts scouts…
I am up to my ears in Cub Scout stuff. I get at least five scout related emails a day now and at least one phone call. Now, if only they could make a flattering uniform for women that stayed tucked and buttoned… it would be nice if I didn’t need to wear a shirt underneath during the summer.

Scouts, Writing, and Frogs, Oh MY

A Scouting I will go…


Did you know that the Boy Scout program was modeled after The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling? I didn’t before my kids joined.

When my boys asked to join Cub Scouts, I was thrilled. My husband—not so much. The Cubmaster at the time convinced me to be a Tiger Den Leader. It was a scary idea at first, but it grew on me. I’ve been a den leader for three years now. The boys know me and sometimes joke around as if I’m not there. (excellent opportunity for story fodder) One of my scouts even called me “dude.” I’ve never been duded by a kid before.

My older son is now a Webelos, and my little one is a Wolf. They love Cub Scouts. So, when we found out that nobody wanted to be Cubmaster, and the pack would fold without one, I made a decision. Some may call me crazy, but I volunteered to be Cubmaster. Wish me luck. I have big shoes to fill. (My Webelos are very excited about it, by the way)


The Writing Life…

I will be stubborn. I will not give up. And I’ll revise until my fingers lock up or fall off. Then, I’ll type with my nose.

After the incredible responses from my local MG/YA critique group, I have redirected my writing focus. I’m working on my YA science fiction novel again.


Frog…

The frog is making croaking sounds. He is definitely out of hibernation, and I’m thinking about buying a few friends for him.