Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Listening to our four-legged friends and teaching children to be kind. Many adults were not taught as children to be kind to animals - loving an animal when it appears you have no friends and you are very lonely, a pet will bring comfort.

A small independent publishing company is trying to teach children through their books. http://www.thegryphonpress.com

On this blog http://missyandcocosblog.blogspot.com Missy and Coco are sharing their relationship and important information. September 23, is a special day for the owner of this blog, it is her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA ANN (Missy).

Friday, September 19, 2008

Favorite play areas as a kid: Country life, growing up on a farm while dreaming of far away places, dreaming of living the city life. I did get my chance to live the city life, well, it was small towns close to big cities. But, wherever I have lived the county girl still shows through. Being from a large farm family I was raised to share, be happy, budget, grow your own food, restore, and waste not was instilled in me and it never went away. I still love to explore creeks, play in the woods where I discover woodland friends and mysterious surprises. Barns were places that were one big play ground – fun and scary. Today, many weathered old barns stand alone uncared for, yet, are inviting as a building of mystery where bats, barn owls and other creatures have taken up residency.

This week I have been playing in the woods – my Woodland Garden. This year's storms with heavy rain and wind have changed my woods. Open spaces have entered creating a feeling I am being watched by neighbors. The wildlife, don’t visit as often – no place to hide. Oh, yes I still have lots of trees and rocks, but it will be something we’ll all have to grow into. I spent a couple of days, trimming, raking and burning. And I have more to do on my next visit.

Persimmons are falling in all shades of green, yellow, red and purple. The deer and raccoons love them. The mulberries, wild cherries, elderberries, service berries have come and went. There is still a few sassafras and dogwood berries, plus mushrooms to feed on.

The Woodland Garden has supplied many, many photo taking opportunities. Every time, I enter the garden my camera and I do a walk through looking for treasures that are framed and saved.

Check out GREEN PRINTS “The Weeder’s Digest” and WILDBIRD magazine at their website or blog.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Illustrators for children’s picture books: I have always been fascinated by different art forms. I have loved to draw since I was a young kid enjoying cartoons and funny books. Illustrations I have created by drawings, painting and using photographs. I have finished a 32 children’s picture book dummy, created posters, and art paintings of different styles. I still would love to do it. But, time is running out, so I am captivated with usages of digital photography and digital programs to create illustrations.

I am busy writing cover letters to go with my children’s book manuscripts, articles, and poems to be sent to publishers. Yes, I am still working on my military books for kids and a million (So, it seems) other writings. I am always busy, except when I am burned-out.

For people who are interested in creating digital illustrations check out, Photoshop, Adobe PhotoshopTM Corel Painter IX, Shutterfly (http//www.shutterfly.com) or Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006

Check out http://childrenillustrators,com/, click on style & medium gallery where you will discover all styles of art forms -3D-computer, 3D-conventional, digital, photo realistic, and retro and many more. Also, check out http://picture-book.com/ an advertise agency for illustrators, Digital Art by Tim Alt (http://www.digitalart.com/), and Richard Deverell, digital illustrator of children’s picture books (http://www.richarddeverell.com/).
Check out digital children’s books “Maggie Tales MT” http://www.maggietales.com/, a look into the future of children's books.

I love this music – Computer Animated Music at http://www.animmusic.com/. They have sold 500,000 copies. First of all, I love Wes Bensching's wonderfully crafted music.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Bull Shoals Historical Society Meeting Monday, September 15th at Bull Shoals Presbyterian Church in Bull Shoals, AR at 3:00 P.m. Guest speaker will be Mary Nida Smith sharing stories from her book, SUBMARINE STORIES OF WORLD WAR II.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Dachshund, Baby Girl as a young girl in the Mulberry tree. The trunk behind her and the one she is standing on were the trunks which had to be removed after the last storm. Oh, she love to go where tall people said her short legs shouldn't go. She has a children's picture book manuscript at a publishing company, and she is writing more stories.

Website: http://marynidasmith.homestead.com update

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Writers don't just write. There is a world within our world that encircles our property. What happen this morning was one of the huge five trunks' of the Mulberry tree came crashing down in the Woodland Garden. The red-belled sapsuckers and downy woodpeckers had homes in it, carved out after eating the embedded insects. The huge Mulberry tree was my center piece, it was filled with many memories where our little dachshund "Baby Girl" climbed one arched limb to look into chipmunk holes. Where Frank and Jessie, two little squirrels were born and stayed after their mother was killed by a neighbor. Where large fungi appeared as beautiful white flowers scattered along the trunk reaching upward. We have been trimming and cutting trying to be able to keep this treasured tree, but it is fading fast. One topped-off trunk has been producing shoots allowing a few mulberries for the birds to eat.

As the large dying trunk fell, it damaged two and brought down four of my beautiful dogwoods, plus destroyed some salvaged garbage items that I want to create pieces for the garden. It has been a sad year for trees, almost as bad as a draught.

I won't share the other stuff, it appears to be nothing compared to other people's problems elsewhere.

Books releases, blogs, writers conferences and meetings: The creative writing world continues to release exciting news updates. No one has an excuse not to learn something new and uplifting.
Carla McClafferty, Arkansas SCBWI Regional Adviser's latest book, IN DEFIANCE OF HITLER: THE SECRET MISSION OF VARIAN FRY was released September 2, 2008 after 2 1/2 years of nonstop work. It is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (htttp://carlamcclafferty.com) Congratulations Carla!

Arkansas SCBWI Fall Retreat September 19-21, 2008 for more information click on http://members.aol.com/ddpattison/scbwi/fall.html orhttp://www.arkansascbwi.org/arscbwi_08fallbrochure.pdf

SCBWI Missouri Fall Conference November 8, at St. Charles, Mo at http://www.scbwi-mo.org and Springfield monthly meetings at the Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway from 9-11 am.

Velda Brotherton is a WILLA finalist for 2008. The award is to the best book about women in the West, by Women Writing the West to honor Willa Cather.

BULL SHOALS BEACON, ONLINE NEWS MAGAZINE (http://bsbeacon.blogspot.com), a daily update of local news for Marion and Baxter County. News and photos you will not find in your newspapers. There are several blog columnists with interesting information about gardening, weather, wildlife and many other subjects. Editor and Publisher Onedia Sylvest, is in need of contributors/writers and photographers.