I’m sure some people think I just goof off, sip coffee, play in the backyard, eat bon bons, and read great books.
It’s true. I do those things. Occasionally. Or maybe even almost daily.
But I also work. At home.
Last week, my grands and great-niece and their adult caregivers (mom and Nama) hit the road to visit Owen Beach at Pt. Defiance Park near Tacoma, Washington. As the road trip one-way was about 3 hours, there was plenty of time to talk. This conversation came from the way-back seat of our van.
Nama: Audrey, are you talking to grandma (via Face-Time)?
Audrey: Yes.
Nama: Is she at work?
Audrey: No, she doesn’t work. She just goes in her office.
Hayden: (Looking incredulously at Audrey) Nana does that! She works in her office. (Now looking at me) Nana, you write books in your office!
Long-distance-front-seat-to-backseat high five!
Yes! He gets it. I am working in my office. I do have a job. I don’t make much money right now, giving credence to the term “poor starving author,” but I am working.
This writer felt very pleased and encouraged by the voice and total belief in the voice of a 7 year-old boy. He believes in me.
Who encourages and believes in you and your life’s work?
When in Washington (the state), going to the beach may look different than going to the beach in other locations.
For instance, one may need to wear a winter hat at our beaches.
Hayden, Audrey, and Khloe sporting layers, hats (including winter), and beach tools.
Sweatshirts may be required.
You will get wet. With rain more than salt water.
Barnacles and tiny crabs abound.
Picnics are held under shelter. Or you eat wet food.
Picnics under shelter keep the food dry.
Seagulls will peck open unattended packages and ruin the cookies.
Sand will be discovered in odd and stayed-in-the-van-how-did-sand-get-there places.
You will bring too many things in order to plan for any type of weather.
Gage, 1. The same beach and same age when Hayden first went to the beach.
You will take home more than you bargained for. Some of those things will smell after a day or so.
Laundry and deep cleaning will be necessary once you get home.
He who wanted to throw himself into the water. Or eat sand. It was hands-on-Gage for one adult at all times.
Wet, cold, damp, briny kids smell just like that in the close confines of a van. Wet. Damp. Cold. Briny.
Umbrellas are often in use.
Can you see the little feathery barnacles? The openings are ones that are feeding.
One might wear a camera around the neck, but it will be covered with a plastic grocery bag that is tied tightly to keep out the rain. And sand. And stuff.
Water sandals are the perfect shoe. Waterproof and protective against stones.
Seals will wonder what you are doing. Bald eagles will soar, seagulls will annoy, ferries will pass, squirrels will steal, raccoons will beg, deer will graze.
Looking at wildlife.
Those dead looking rocks with barnacle crusts are not dead. Just put them in a bowl of ocean water and see what happens.
Strangers are kind. They may even bring a new crab specimen and seaweed clump for investigation.
Our barnacle and crab observation project.
On rainy days, you will mostly have the beach to yourself.
You can still get sunburned if it’s raining and cold.
If you want to go to the beach, go. Sunny or rainy, windy or stormy, the beach is a wonderful destination. Just know that our beaches will not resemble southern beaches (most of the time). The water will not be warm. Body extremities will turn blue. Noses will run.
But it will be the beach.
The group – minus the photographer who quickly unwrapped the camera for a quick shot.
Layer up, my dears. Or at least plan for a variety of beach weather. This is the life of Washington beaches.
A few days ago, I was reading in 2 Corinthians, chapter 2. Immersed in the words, it took me a moment to realize that I was reading with a scent in my nose.
Tantalizing wafts of fragrance swirled through my thoughts.
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15, ESV).
As the words I read floated through my mind, they were accompanied by the memories and aroma of lavender.
Lavender.
In my heart, Christ (and therefore God) has the refreshing, calming, soothing, and beautiful fragrance of lavender. He smells like lavender! The Peace that fills my soul and permeates my life is that of lavender.
Quiet. Peace. Reverence.
Is it no wonder that lavender is one of my favorite blooming herbs? I am drawn to lavender as the bees, seeking scent and beauty. I gently brush my fingertips along the flowers and attempt to capture the faint scent. Or I crush and bruise petals and stem between these wretched fingers, forcing the flowers to release their fragrance. For my benefit.
Isn’t that what happened so long ago? He was crushed and bruised, all to release the gift of His life, the fragrance of salvation. But that was not just for me. Rather, it was for all of us.
The fragrance of lavender.
Do you read with your nose? What fragrance is God to you?
There are not many words to read in The Typewriter, but oh, what a story they tell!
Three children out riding bicycles discover an old-fashioned typewriter on the back of a merry-go-round bee (the merry-go-round is not working). Fascinated, they place the typewriter on the ground and start to type out words. Very few words.
That’s because each word that is typed instantly becomes reality.
Beach. Ball. Ice Cream. Crab…
Each word does not come to life in the size one would imagine. Some are much larger. Imagine what would happen if a crab the size of an elephant appeared?
The children discover the ways of the typewriter and finally decide enough is enough.
I was enthralled by the illustrations and story line of this simple yet complex picture book. Readers will be surprised and enchanted as they read The Typewriter.
KID KANDY:
Typewriter Exploration
Materials: an old typewriter (the kind with a ribbon, not a printer), paper, crayons
Hint: Borrow an old typewriter or find one at a thrift store.
Welcome to old-fashioned computers!
1. First, you have to roll a piece of paper between the rollers on top. Turn the knob on the right side to advance the paper.
2. Now you are ready to type words or write a story. Start by typing your name.
3. Explore what each key does. Can you find the shift key? Punctuation marks?
4. To go to the next line to continue typing, you have to advance the paper again with the handle on the right side.
Fun, isn’t it?
5. Try typing single words like in The Typewriter. Use your crayons to illustrate your own story.
Okay I might be exaggerating a tiny bit with the title of this blog, but it is an intimidating transition nonetheless. I am a picture book author. I’ve been writing picture books for the past…
The first hint that something was wrong was the sound of the cat door furiously flapping.
The next hint was the flash of gray darting across the floor to the cat box. Monet had the kitty runs. Eww.
I mean the nasty smelly potty stops. While I’ve been there myself (though I don’t use the cat litter box nor do I go through the cat door), I’ve never seen a cat make a mad dash to the toilet!
Poor baby!
The dash and go lasted all evening and we were getting concerned. But since she continued to eat, drink, and play with her toys like a wild thing, we figured it would pass.
But this morning there was blood.
That definitely meant a trip to the vet. There was initial interest in the cat carrier by both girls, but the second I grabbed Monet to put her in, Mabel dashed off for hiding, afraid she would be next.
$125 bucks later, Monet was home. Colitis. Who knew cats could have that?
Cats eat all sorts of things. Especially Monet. She’s the wild girl and she very aggressively hunts, consumes, and shares her prizes. According to the vet, this is common.
No fever, healthy teeth, eating and drinking, playing, good fur, no temp = colitis and maybe a some worms (from eating before mentioned outdoor treats).
“Are you able to give her pills?” he asked.
“My guess is no, though we’ve never had to give them to her before,” I said. “Monet is our more intensive cat and pulls no punches when she plays. I’m guessing I would earn a bite or scratches from any attempts.”
This idea was confirmed when the vet came back with Monet after a little visit to the back room. “I did manage to give her a pill, but I had a technician and an assistant helping me. I gave her a shot. It’s not my first choice, but to prevent bites and scratches, it will be best for her.” (And me!)
As I thought.
How Monet loves to sleep.
So, guess what $125 buys? A vet inspection. A very strong antibiotic injection. One pill. Worming medication.
And a very happy-to-be-home cat who has already brought me a moth.
Not just any cat, but a very talented, imaginative, and creative cat.
Chester loves to be in the limelight. He also has ideas about what type of limelight and focus he wants.
And while Chester is all of the above, he is also – gasp – somewhat NAUGHTY!
Meet Melanie Watt, the author who is trying to tell the story of Chester, a very large calico cat who carries his own red correcting pen. At all times.
Meet Chester, the star of the book, who repeatedly hijacks the story and turns it to his own purposes.
Chester and Chester’s Back! are delightful, funny, and imaginative picture books. The voice of Chester interacts seamlessly with the author’s voice of Melanie. Kids will love Chester and his antics.
But beware, kids might get some ideas from Chester!
KID KANDY:
Make a Paper Plate Chester
Materials: wax-free paper plates, construction paper, scissors, glue, markers, crayons
1. Draw a cat face on your paper plate. Include eyes, nose, whiskers, and mouth.
2. Color your cat Chester colors (or any color you like – that’s what Chester would do).
3. Cut ears, paws, and a tail from construction paper. Glue them in place.
4. Cut a pen from construction paper. Make sure it is red! Glue it to Chester’s paw.
Now you have your own Chester. Both of you can make up your own stories!
There used to be an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don’t know why, but she swallowed that fly. Kids love to read and sing this silly song.
Now we can enjoy There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight.
A dragon, not a lady. A knight, not a fly.
I love this book!
Part nursery rhyme song, part fairy tale, part humor, part adventure. This picture book has it all. Sure the knight gets swallowed (along with many other fairy tale sorts), but what happens in the dragon’s belly is quite comical.
Told in rhyme, There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight is a delightful and inventive take on the old stand-by. Never fear, the dragon does not die at the end.
KID KANDY:
Make-Believe Castle Fun
Materials: connecting blocks, horse, people figures, blue felt, dragon (or a large sock)
Make up your own story or use the items to retell There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight.
1. Build a castle with connecting blocks.
2. Choose people figures to be the knight, cook, squire, and lady. Add the horse and blue felt water.
3. Retell the story and let the dragon pretend to gobble up the other characters in the story. Or put your arm in the sock and pretend it is the dragon grabbing things to eat.
What other things could the dragon eat? Make sure he burps at the end and spits out everyone!
Do weekends go faster and seem busier than the rest of the week, or is it just me?
Pull up a cup of your favorite tea and let’s chat. I am drinking PG Tips with a tiny swirl of honey in the bottom. If I really wanted to be reminded of my visits to England, I would add a dash of milk and use raw sugar instead. Delish!
Here’s what I’d share with you about my weekend:
On Friday, I went grocery shopping. This is only worth mentioning because of the crowds! It was insane. But I did have my pint-sized helper, Miss Khloe. She assisted me as we grazed our way through Costco.
Nana with her 5 grands, from 5 weeks to 7 years-old.
The Quantrells took Fort Simcoe by storm on Saturday for a birthday plus a birthday plus a graduation picnic day. It was very nice, but it turned into a HOT day as the temps kept rising. We were done by 1, back in the cars, and on the road seeking AC. We enjoyed hanging out together. Nana especially loved having the grands in one spot, though it only lasted for 5 minutes. And then they were off and running.
Saturday was a free National Park Day, so we wanted to take advantage of the special day by visiting Fort Simcoe. You can read more about Fort Simcoe here.
We saw:
– a passel of squirrels, rolling and tumbling all over each other
– no snakes (Amen)
– no bears (double-Amen)
– cows (yes, cows – and plenty of cow-pies, ick!)
– old buildings
– 2 springs
– canons
– a tiny museum
– a parade of Model T’s that also traveled out to Fort Simcoe for a picnic
– a park worker in a golf cart chasing away the poopy-cows who wanted to graze (and poop) on park grounds
– the location of my son and daugther-in-laws’ wedding
On Sunday, we continued our celebration of graduates at church with a relaxed gathering where we viewed photos, chatted, and shared cake.
Our beautiful graduates!
My honey and I went on a lunch date. This was followed by relaxing in a cool theater and watching a movie. We migrated home, dodging the heat, and stayed inside and under shade. Temps were in the triple digits, so there was no working outside or going for a walk. Nope.
Back-to-work Monday has arrived. Triple digit temps are in the works as I type. I think I hear the beach calling me, if only it weren’t 5 hours away.
Thanks for stopping by. I’ve so much enjoyed tea with you.
Lavender from my garden and a tea cup we received as a wedding gift (31 years ago)
What did you do during the weekend? I’ll make another cup and you can tell me about your weekend.
Love, Laughter, and Life 