LWA, Long Letters and the Library

I've already mentioned the Letter Writer's Alliance a few times here on TMP, but I couldn't pass up the chance to include them in my postal themed A-Z!!!

I've been a member since 13 September, 2011!

I got a letter from Donovan just last week and I LOVE her sense of humor!  I have to write back ASAP.  My time is pretty spliced at the moment, and if I'm to succeed at some of my major long term goals, I have to acknowledge that MOST of my time in an average day isn't my own, at least for a while.

But I am still making time for the things that matter to me.  I'm still working hard, knowing that while I will never be a perfect person, I can perfect some of the facets of my life to be better versions of themselves.  Things like... writing back in a timely manner, for example!

Are you an LWA member?  I've met a few pen pals via LetterMo who are!  If you are not, you should definitely consider it.  A lifetime membership costs less than a movie ticket.  Check out the blog HERE.

Now on to the second part: long letters.  Am I the only one who can't bring myself to send a postcard sometimes because there just isn't room to do the correspondence I want to convey enough justice?  Please tell me I'm not the only person who habitually, after filling up both sides of a blank card's inside, carries over to a second 7th or 8th page??  Granted, a lot of times my additional "pages" are cut down to the size of the card, so they aren't full sheets.  But still.

Of course, a logical train of thought would be that if I didn't let so much time elapse between letters, I wouldn't have so much to try and write about all in one sitting, and therefore the letter would be shorter than the paperback novels unauthorized autobiographies pleasantly lengthy epistles I end up penning and trying to process through the mail system within the 3 oz limit.  It may be that I'm just frugal with my stamp money.  After all, it's limited and strictly budgeted, so I try to get as much news and pieces of life to the recipient as the $0.46 allows!  Maybe that's the real reason about the "doesn't send postcards".  I'm more apt to send a blank postcard enclosed with a 3 page letter to a pen pal than to send the postcard by itself.

Anyway.
Here is a fantastic children's book that we love called "The Long, Long Letter."

It's very cute.  Go grab it at a library near you.  Don't know where your closest one is?  Use this handy Locator!  :)
The Dog River Library is one of my favorite places to write letters.  It's quiet (well, duh!), and a lot of times I use their copier to keep a copy of my outgoing (see my explanation of this in yesterday's post.) because it ends up being cheaper than having to continually buy new cartridges for my ink guzzling printer at home.  It's also a great place to write letters, because I'm an avid reader and a lot of my pen pals are too, so they are always asking what I've read recently or ask me to recommend favorite books.  Rather convenient to simply look in my bag at what I've just checked out or am returning! ;)

Source

Did you honestly think that I could go more than 5 blog posts without working in a reference to Jane Austen?  Silly goose!  Have a lovely combination of the "Keep Calm" motto and Mr. Darcy.  Yes, I know it, I spoil you rotten.  You're welcome. :)
Do you write short or long letters?  Do you love getting long letters?  Or not?  Why?
Comment away, dear readers!

UGA vs OLE MISS

I was at the one year anniversary celebration of the new library while this game was going on, so I didn't get to hear it.  Another win, though.  My Bulldogs seem to have gotten their lucky streak back on after that unfortunate loss to SC.  37-10 Final

Auburn update: Finally, a win! 42-7 against New Mexico State (who?).  War Eagle!

Next week is the GA/Auburn game.  The Bulldogs will stomp the Tigers like there's no tomorrow.  I've already sent my Auburn fan friends sympathy cards, the same way I did with the Tennessee game.  Sorry for your loss...
I love being a GA fan.  All the time.  But especially during a good winning season. ;)

Wood, Don: King Bidgood's In The Bathtub and Heckedy Peg

The illustration style of these two books draws me back to them again and again.

We LOVE "King Bidgood's In The Bathtub"!  The Cute Gremlins think it is hilarious!  The King is having fun in his giant, bubbly, massive bathtub and refuses to get out.  So all the court has to move whatever plans they had going that day- yep!  Into the tub!  I immediately thought of Lauren at American Duchess when I saw the fashions of the court as they waited in the hallway, trying to coax King Bidgood away from his bubble-bathy buffoonery.

I wonder what Lauren thought when she saw what the water had done to the Queen's gown after having lunch in the tub?

[Edit/Update: I tagged Lauren on Facebook that I'd written this post and posed a question.  This is her reply: "lol! Well I think the illustrator knew/knows fashion history! Very impressive, that's not so far off what Elizabethan women were wearing under their skirts :-D"]

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Heckedy Peg is equally as charming with the illustrations, but a more serious tale:
A poor widow with seven children must go to the market and leave the children alone at home (think Europe mid 18th or 19th century/Grimms tales kind of setting).  While she is gone, the witch Heckedy Peg comes and tricks them, and they are transformed into food.  By remembering what her children had asked for from the market, the mother was able to correctly guess which child had been turned into what food and save them from the witch.

This is my favorite image from Heckedy Peg, because I've known the love and strong maternal instincts that turn the poor widow into a fearsome and formidable force to be reckoned with when she is protecting her children.

That stance and body language?  Just about every mom in the world, including me, has been there and done that and will on keep doing it, whenever and if ever the need arises.  But the illustration of her doing it gives me added courage.  This is a scary world to raise babies in, even without hungry witches named Heckedy Peg.

I'd like to find more books at the library that are illustrated by Don Wood.  If I happen upon any soon, I'll be sure to post an edit!

Cannon, Janell: Verdi, Stellaluna and Others

Today I'm going to share a few book covers with you.  They are all by wonderful author/illustrator Janell Cannon.

Verdi is our current favorite.  

I'm not going to ruin it for you, but if you want to know, my favorite images are color illustrations #6 and #14 (the book doesn't have page numbers, so you have to count the full color images).

Stellaluna

Little Yao

Crickwing

Pinduli

Head on over to your local bookstore or library and take a look!  I think this week we will trade in Verdi for Little Yau. :)

Southern Summer Showers

Here lately, we've been visiting the new Dog River Public Library several times a week.

The Cute Gremlins and I are voracious readers and, as you've seen from the last few weeks, huge aficionados of children's book illustrations.  The check out limit is 50 items.  We nearly always go home with about 10-15 in each of our library bags, (I'll be showing you how to make your own library bag in a future post! Stay tuned!) and we return 3-4 days later to swap them out for new titles.

Well, it's the season of pop-up summer thunderstorms here in the hot and humid South.  We had been inside the library for about 15 minutes when the bottom fell out of the sky and there was a deluge that lasted the better part of 40 minutes!  We read and read and read, and browsed the movie titles, and played with the stuffed animals/hand puppets in the story time area, and read some more.  Finally, it quit raining and the sun came out full strength.  As we walked to the car (feeling as though we should grow gills in order to breathe in the 200% humidity!), I captured this video of the drain spouts in front of the building.  The gutter system was designed to be pretty as well as functional, and after a monsoon like that, these "fountains" were so nice to look at and hear!  Enjoy!

Umscheid, Kit: Pirate's Alphabet

Today's featured illustrator is Kit Umscheid.

SO very appropriate for this A-Z Challenge, Kit illustrated the book "Pirate's Alphabet" by Patti Wigington.  Kit lives in the midwest, and is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators).

Here is the U page of the Pirate's Alphabet.  I love the treasure hidden in the well!

Here's a YouTube clip Kit made for the book:

Head on over to your bookstore or local library and enjoy!

Chapman, Jane: Bear (and his friends)

When Cute Gremlin #2 was 4 or 5 years old, she got this book (and a stuffed bear to match) for Christmas from my awesome aunt:

(c) Simon & Schuster

We were all instantly enchanted by the illustrations of Bear and his friends by talented artist Jane Chapman.  Along with Karma Wilson, Chapman has illustrated 7 "Bear" books, with an 8th to be released this fall.  Here are all of the "Bear" books.  (I was going to pick a favorite and I just couldn't!)

(c) Simon & Schuster

Gorgeous art from "Bear Wants More"
(c) Simon & Schuster

(c) Simon & Schuster

(c) Simon & Schuster

(c) Simon & Schuster

(c) Simon & Schuster

Pages from "Bear's Loose Tooth"
(c) Simon & Schuster

(c) Simon & Schuster

Coming Fall 2012
(c) Simon & Schuster

Chapman has also illustrated these books:

Dora's Eggs by Julie Sykes

Dora's Chicks by Julie Sykes

Big Bear, Little Bear by David Bedford

I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanagh

One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies

One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root

The Dark, Dark Night by M. Christina Butler

The Emperor's Egg by Martin Jenkins

The Very Noisy Night by Diana Hendry (Also a Ray Family favorite!!!)

Check out her beautiful illustrations in all of these and many, many more at your local bookstore or library!

What Up, Moon-pie!

I'm still here!  I'm just REALLY busy with a lot of good things!!!  Such as:

• Lucy Jane orders are pouring in which is AWESOME, so if anyone seriously needs me, I can usually be found at the sewing machine with both it and my iPod blazing full speed ahead!  Some new things just done will be posted on the Lucy Jane blog very soon.  Hopefully by tomorrow.

• Also Lucy Jane related, she's been booked for a hurrah-and-to-do Art thing in Marietta in August, so we have that to prepare for! :)

• Cute Gremlin #4 turned 4 years old yesterday!  (Picking myself up off the floor from the reality kick of that one.) We're having her party on Saturday so that Husband can be here from working out of town. (Still. More. Again.  This majorly sucks.  Lots.  SO grateful he's back for the weekend at least.)

• Cute Gremlin #2 is being inducted into Beta Club tomorrow afternoon! :D  For her big project this year she's getting me to teach her how to sew a basic skirt.  Cause she's awesome!

While I do all of this, I manage to do regular life on some level.  Groceries.  Laundry.  More fun things (than groceries and laundry), like letter writing and taking the Cute Gremlins to the Zoo.  

I'm trying to keep caught up here too, and I discovered this week that The Modest Peacock just hit 40,000 pageviews!!!!!!  WOW!  Y'all keep me amazed!  I'm humbled and grateful, especially since I have been neglecting a regular blogging schedule.  I promise to work on that, particularly with the A-Z Challenge and my 4th blogaversary coming up in April!

I have still been frequenting the library and reading amazing books, some of which have prompted a new scheduled feature here very soon (when I get the Lucy Jane stuff down to a dull roar and figure out the time tables.  It's all a delicate balancing act...).  Also while at the library, I've been borrowing the completed seasons of the TV show "The Big Bang Theory".  If you've never seen it, please do!  It's hysterical!  I identify with the Penny character on a lot of levels (I even just figured out how to do one of her super cute hair styles!), but there is a huge part of me that is a closet nerd too, so it's a great way to de-stress.  I especially love this clip*, which is what I'm going to leave you with as I fall in the bed and get back to my sewing in the morning.  I still have to clean up my messiness of scraps and thread and pattern pieces and whatnot before Husband gets in at lunchtime! 

*YouTube has disabled embedding, so you can watch it by following this link. Enjoy the clip!

Illustrator Tuesdays: A New Weekly Feature

I'm addicted to children's books.  Sure, I leave the library with a stack of novels from the grown-up sections, but it's the children's section that really draws me in and invites me to get lost in a good book (or 8).  As I happen to have 4 Cute Gremlins, this is encouraged by the librarians, my friends, and by society in general.  I have taken great delight at browsing the shelves with them and exclaiming things like:

"George and Martha!  I loved to read those when I was a kid!"

"Pinkerton!  He was always my favorite!"

"Here are the Bill Peet books!  Look, here's Prewitt Peacock!"

"What do you think Little Bear will do next?"

My second post ever, on this blog, was on Donald Hall's "Ox Cart Man".  (Worth the click!)

The illustrations in all of these wonderful books just don't get enough attention.  Seriously.
So I've taken up the hobby of featuring a children's book illustrator each Tuesday as part of my regular posting schedule.  I realize, sometimes I get behind due to work and kids and life and have to retro-post on occasion.  I'm hoping I won't have to do that too much and can schedule posts when I have writing time eked out of each week.

I hope you enjoy this new feature!  Give me some feedback- what are some of your favorite children's books/illustrators?

November Gratitudes

While the first thing that tends to jump to people's minds at the word 'November' is likely Thanksgiving Day, I did my very best to not lose sight of my blessings from the first day of the month to the last.  I am blessed beyond measure.

• 11.30- Leftover 'Fish Legs' from our date at Joe's Crab Shack
• 11.29- Jake's home improvement accident involving a work knife and his arm could have been so serious. I'm thankful he didn't die. No, really. It could have gone that way and God kept it from being so.
• 11.28- Tallied up the hours scheduled for this week and it merits a low, "how awesome is this!" whistle
• 11.27- Excellent message at church from Pastor Godwin
• 11.26- Same as yesterday
• 11.25- No fights breaking out in our store
• 11.24- Happy Eat-Yourself-Into-A-Stupor Day! :)
• 11.23- Quick closing at work so that we could come home and get ready for Thanksgiving.
• 11.22- Grocery shopping by myself for some quiet down time
• 11.21- Several friends are expecting! I love new babies!
• 11.20- Choir practice and cute pass-along clothes from friends
• 11.19- A soft bed to sleep in
• 11.18- Sturdy shoes
• 11.17- Great day at work, wonderful last Bible study class, a good car to run all over town doing errands in, and books waiting for me at the library. :)
• 11.16- I GOT THE JOB!!! :D
• 11.15- A good rainy, snuggly kind of day to get my room cleaned up and then write letters and catch up on other work
• 11.14- Quiet time writing letters at the new library
• 11.13- Church and bringing Christina with me! :)
• 11.12- All day of a gorgeous wedding and wonderful people to photograph!
• 11.11- Getting an elephant made and delivered and getting to have a chocolate peanut butter milkshake afterwards
• 11.10- Getting to tour the wedding venue early to compose some shot ideas
• 11.9- My pastor
• 11.8- Morning: spending time at the new library while Emily was in daycare. Writing letters, finding books for myself and letting the older 3 kids browse. Also thankful for my right to vote. Evening: spending time visiting with my friend Adam Jones.
• 11.7- Quality time spent with Emily at the new library and grocery shopping
• 11.6- My mother in law coming to church with us before she had to head back to south GA
• 11.5- Morning: The new library is open! Evening: Going to see Joe M. Turner's magic show
• 11.4- An evening at the opera. So beautiful.
• 11.3- A (once again) stellar Bible study session
• 11.2- Dayquil
• 11.1- My awesome Aunt

Abundant Blessings

My Grandmother had hip surgery yesterday, and aside from the pain that any major surgery brings, she came through it very well.  I am blessed to have in-laws keeping Gremlin #4 for a week while we adjust to Gran's schedule when she gets home.  That means I can drop everything at a moment's notice and help, but mostly it means I can stay on top of the housework for everyone (there are 8 people living in the house, remember) without Gremlin #4 being underfoot/needing attention/turning my brain to oatmeal with her Barbie movies being played over and over and over.  :)

Last night, Cute Gremlins #1 and #2 asked to go play at a friend's house.  With Gremlin #4 gone, that left just Gremlin #3 and me to ourselves.  So I took him to eat pizza at Stevi B's.  The best part of the meal was when he wanted to "clink" our (plastic) cups of Coke together and have "cheers".  That's just pure 6 year old silliness and I have missed enjoying that when my attention is divided amongst 3 more Cute Gremlins.

After supper, we stopped by the office supply store.  While I was admiring some pens, he tried to sneak up on me from around the corner to the next aisle.  Of course I could hear him- because he's a first grader, he's about as stealthy as a dinosaur crossing a gravel parking lot that's been covered in bubble wrap.  So I turned around and he says the most awesome thing:

"Awww.  I was trying to sneak on you.  Did you hear my footprints?"

Yes, sweet baby.  I heard your "footprints".  LOL  I am so blessed to have him.

I was also blessed today when we went to the new library (that would be trip #6 in the space of a week and a half, for those of you who are keeping track. ;)) and got these books.

I know I've blogged about my stationery addiction, but I think this is coming in a close second!

Anyway, while we were on our way to the library, I got a call back from a job I had put in for a month ago and I'm hired!!! PRAISE GOD!!!  I report tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. to fill out paperwork and get acclimated to everything.  I already know where everything is, since I'm there all the time anyway. :)  So I'm VERY EXCITED!  It's part time seasonal, so I will still make time when I am home to post for you, dear readers.  I may have to make good use of the "schedule" feature in the post options!

And with that good news, I'm headed to bed!  Big day tomorrow!
Love to all.