Children's Book.

A few people have urged me to write a children's book. "You have all the stories in your blog, the book is there"

The thought makes me cringe. After several attempts to try new things, I have failed 99% of the time. I have learned not to invest money into my talents, and to climb the ladder one step at a time, very very slowly. Three steps is about as high as I have gone so far. I'm scared of heights, and success.

Ugh… this is useless… one of the boys has locked himself in his room. I can't even think STRAIGHT! How am I going to write a book if I can't even type this sentence!

Be right back….. kid needs rescuing from his room.

Thank you "Minions", Snacks  and Juice Cups… I can now get back to what I was saying. I even had time to switch over the laundry which included one wooden block, my husbands fishing license, and my mothers slipper. My brain might be in there too, but it's too small to find.

Anyway,
Children's books….
Another problem I have with writing a children's book is that there are MILLIONS of them… mostly ripped and colored on in my house. Every topic has been exhausted. Not to mention that I'm pretty sure people have stopped buying books. All the books we have were handed over from other grubby kids. I have never bought a book for my children.
That sounds terrible. I'm a horrible person.

Yet…. it didn't hurt me to look into the process. Which quickly became overwhelming, and daunting. Guess how much one book costs to print on average? $12-$25. On top of this, most authors invest a few grand into their books. With maybe a $500 payment back if they are good. So what is the point?

My kids have no interest in me, why should others? The whole idea is nonsense. It's a lot of work, and it costs way too much money. Plus the time, and effort to illustrate, and write, and edit, and… yuck.

Yet…. I suppose I could publish one on my blogger…. and then you…. the reader could let me know if it sucked. Who am I kidding. No one reads this blog.

Ok well that was my thought pattern. I'm done thinking about it. All the odds are entirely not in my favor.

Oh Mr Art, and Miss Creativity, how you kill me so. I wish I had been born with math skills, and an attention span to cure cancer instead of this nonsense and useless, money pit of a hobby.

"Oh…. I wish I could draw!"
That comment always pisses me off.

In my mind I scream…  "AND THATS WHY YOUR RICH!"

I'll stick to making greeting cards. It's easy, the cost is not exorbitant, and it is a great way to see if people like me… if they... really really like me, and my sick twisted humor.

And then maybe I will try taking a few steps up that ladder. But right now, I'm wearing a parachute… with holes in it.
Which coincidentally matches the holes in my pockets.

In the meantime, enjoy my mood with me… here is a quick sketch of a cartoon I did. My dad didn't like it…. (we can't always be happy daddy. We just can't).

This is a dead dear on the side of the road with a "Get Well" balloon tied to it's leg because the little girl thought it was just sick. How bout that for a children's story?  Bambie never woke up because it jumped in front of a car and that's why you should look both ways before crossing the road. It's a start, I can really feel the millions rolling in now. 

Cartooning

I was at Michaels the other day looking for some art supplies for my kids. As I browsed the art section, goosebumps sprung up on my arms… the smell of paper, crayons, and paints quickly gave me flashbacks to a younger me shopping for new paints for art school. I couldn't help myself. I bought a new notebook and some water color pencils. The cheapest I could find… thinking…that maybe I would do some quick doodles while the kids play.

My dad is always begging me to sketch out the stories I tell him on the phone at night. "Do me a favor and draw that…. it would make for a lovely illustration"

So I did… I drew something… and was done in 20 minutes. Pleased with the results I posted it to my Facebook page. The photograph came out much better then the drawing, popping the colors, and giving it a nice professional look. After that I was on a roll.

My dad would call and tell me to keep going. He was my ultimate cheerleader, telling me that what I had was such a talent, and that there is something that I did to those drawings that was unique. My dad was just being my dad…. everything I do is great. I know this.

Alas, it was fun, and it was keeping me sane. I decided to start a series of cartoons of animals doing people things. It was easy to come up with ideas with the help of my husband who finds animals doing people things hysterical.

I went a step further and asked my local tack shop if they would post my work on their Facebook page. They wrote back asking if they were for sale.

Soon I was there showing off my sketches, and made a deal to make some greeting cards to sell at the store. It's a start.

My work will be for sale at the Tollbooth Saddle Shop in about two weeks.
I have chosen a few sketches to be printed on greeting cards with funny sayings with the inside saying "Get Well" "Happy Birthday" "Congratulations" etc. Plus a few mugs…

I've invested about $40 so far… if my work sells… I think I will take it a step further and submit to magazines, and go to horse shows to open a booth. I could sell T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, you name it, I can have it made.

Here are a few items that will be printed up.
Enjoy.

Doc, I can't take it anymore. They put me in a coffin with wheels, put corn rows in my hair, made me dance in front of strangers. Don't even get me started on the chair they tie to my back. I look stupid. I quit. I just can't! 

Resume for Dog
 Objective: Looking for messy kids, willing to clean floors, counters, and tiny hands of all crumbs and scraps. 

"Snickers, I really enjoyed that stunt you pulled today where you stood in the middle of the ring and refused to go. Trainer was sure mad at you and yet you still got sugar cubes at the end of the lesson!" 

Accidents Happen. Get Well Soon! 

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

"Bubbles was tired of giving pony rides"
Happy Birthday! 

A true love story

Love… such a complicated emotion, it is a necessity in life to love something, or someone to truly be happy.

This story is true,  I will change only the names of the people I will be telling the story about.

In the late 50's an english nurse in her 20's by the name of Rose lived in England and  was called to the United States to work in a hospital. She packed her bags and sailed across the Atlantic on The Queen Elizabeth II to start her life in America. She left everything behind; her family, friends, and familiarity.

Once she had settled into her new home she was given an assignment to work as a private nurse for an ALS patient who was a mother of six. She got to know the family very well, and they welcomed her with open arms and pretty soon; she was part of the family.

She left on vacation to go back to England and while there, she drove all around Europe with her boyfriend Ken. She loved him, they had a wonderful time together, he was the kindest man she had ever met… but her life was in America.

She came home to chaos. The ALS patient had some complications while Rose was away and passed away two days later, leaving the husband and children of six in ruins.

Shortly after, more family members passed away, the husband of the ALS patient being one of them. For Rose and the family it was a nightmare. It was a month of mourning. The oldest son had taken a liking to Rose, and began courting her.  She ended her relationship with her boyfriend in England and married the oldest son with a deal that after one year, if it doesn't work out, Rose would leave and go back to England. True love, not really…the trauma of that family is what brought them together.

Twenty five years of marriage, with three children, through good time's and bad…. Rose found herself with a husband that lied and cheated on her. He left her for another woman. She was never the same. She was an innocent woman that had never been hurt or lied to by anyone ever. She was heart broken. The blow was catastrophic to Rose. She spent the next 18 years alone, hating herself, with a low self esteem and mild case of depression. Finding a new man to keep her company was the last thing she wanted. She was hurt, and scared to move on and trust someone new. Rose would sit outside at night by herself looking out at the night sky…

One night she received a phone call from her brother. Ken was there, on vacation, and wanted to speak to her. After an hour of speaking to Ken, she hung up the phone with a head full of questions. Ken's wife had just passed away of cancer six months ago. He was going to travel, and was looking for a traveling companion and asked Rose if she would like to join him. She immediately thought that she was too old to go and do things like that… her life was still in America raising her grand children and helping her daughter around the house. She thought that he would soon be after the younger women, after all that's what men do when they lose a wife…they wait, and find something newer and younger to play with. Her mind was tainted by what her ex husband had done to her.

Rose's daughter saw something different in her. A woman that still had life in her, and was wasting it on her back porch watching the night sky alone. Rose was like an abused horse afraid to be touched by a human hand again. So, with much persistence, the daughter slowly started to work her magic and guided her mother to find love once again.

First step was email exchange. Rose and Ken quickly got to their iPads and would write tiny notes to each other. The title of the email: Romance. Rose would check her email every morning and walk away with her coffee in hand, some color in her cheeks, and a school girl smile. The "romance" was working.

After a few weeks of emails Rose was getting nervous. "I'm too old for this!" she would say. Rose couldn't sleep, and the daughter would be persistent in urging her mother to just let it happen…and quickly gave her a makeover. The new hairdo, wardrobe, and manicure helped, with lots of pep talk and positive ways to look at the situation.

The daughter quickly reminded rose that she was wasting her life watching her raise the kids. The 30's are a slow time in life…how the daughter envied Rose for her new found freedom to get up and go anywhere in the world with not a care in the world. She had no bills to pay, no mortgage, no kids to feed, no animals to look after. There was nothing holding Rose back... except herself. Rose would nod, and agree but her eyes were still filled with worry, and skepticism. She was afraid of being hurt again.

Next step was to get Rose across the pond to see Ken. Both were excited but nervous to see each other again after 40 years. They both complained of looking much older, and feeling nervous. Days flew by and after a month of communication with Ken, the plane ticket was booked. The daughter dropped Rose off at the airport with a final word of "CALL ME!"

Once in England, Rose stayed at her sisters house. The daughter emailed her Aunt and Nieces to find out how her mom was doing. They all confirmed the same thing, she was magically happy, and had never seen her like this.  Everyday, Ken would come to the house to pick Rose up and take her for a spin around the country side, have some lunch, dinner and then would drop her off in the evenings. The two were enchanted with each other.

Finally, the daughter got the magic phone call from Rose. "I am so happy!, I love him!" Rose exclaimed. For the first time ever the daughter could hear a smile in her mothers voice. She sounded younger, with energy…and wanted to stay longer.

At the age of 75, Rose had found love, (although it was there the whole time). She had always loved Ken, and he had always loved Rose. They picked right up where they left off in the early 60's. Age didn't matter, looks didn't matter. They were together again driving through the country side together, laughing and loving once again.

True love will always stay in the heart. Time doesn't affect it, nor do appearances. It's all about heart and soul. It's unstoppable. Life is short. Follow your heart, (and listen to your daughters.)

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies" -Aristotle.