To read a book...

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"To read a book for the first time 

is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; 

to read it for a second time 

is to meet an old one."  

~ Chinese Saying

I really like this image of books being our friends ~ it certainly seems that way whenever I read one!

Only My Opinion

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Only My Opinion

Is a caterpillar ticklish?
  Well, it's always my belief
That he giggles as he wiggles
  Across a hairy leaf.

~ Monica Shannon

I've seen dozens of caterpillars lately, most of them crawling along the bike trail at our local forest preserve.  Every time I spot one, I think of this poem and smile. :)

Vamoose and Skedaddle

Today I'm giving you two words for the price of one. :) The words are synonymous and both are fun to say. I was thinking about them while riding my bike yesterday, using them in a rough draft of a picture book manuscript I was writing in my head! The first word is vamoose [va-moos]. The second is skedaddle [ski-dad-l]. Both words are verbs that mean "to leave hurriedly or quickly; flee".

Here are a few sample sentences:

The two boys looked at each other, their eyes wide.  

"We're gonna be in so much trouble if Mom sees this 

mess," said Tommy.  "Time to vamoose!"

The man peered over the top of his glasses, 

his whole face frowning.  "You kids get off my lawn 

right now!" he shouted.  "Skedaddle!  I mean it!"

"If we don't skedaddle, we're going to be late to the party!"

How would you use the words vamoose and skedaddle?

Be still and listen...

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"The discipline of the writer 

is to learn to

 be still and listen

 to what his subject has to tell him."

 ~ Rachel Carson 

I'm still learning how to do this -- how to be still and listen to the characters in my head so that they can tell me their stories. When I do, though, it is so much easier to write! Have you ever had this experience?

Autumn

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Autumn

Now the summer is grown old

the light long summer

                                     is grown old.

Leaves change

and the garden is gold

with marigolds and zinnias

tangled and bold

blazing blazing

orange and gold.

                               The light long summer

                                is grown old.

~ Charlotte Zolotow

I don't know about you, but I can't believe that fall is already here.  This year has been flying past!  I'm a couple of days late, but -- goodbye, summer and hello, autumn!

Someone asked the other day what my favorite season is.  I don't really have a favorite.  I like them all! While I will miss some things about summer (sunshine, warm weather, chilling out in the pool, lazy days with nowhere to go), I am looking forward to all the joys that autumn brings.  I love the colors of fall, the crisp days, picking apples, decorating for Halloween, and so much more.  Wishing all of my readers out there an amazing autumn! :)

A "Blue... is Two!" Grand Prize Winner

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Surprise, surprise!  Yes, I AM still alive, and yes, I did FINALLY draw a grand prize winner for June's "Blue... is Two!" Birthday Contest.

I sincerely apologize for neglecting this blog for the past 2-1/2 months and for not drawing for a winner back in July as promised.  It was never my intention to be gone from here for so long.  I'm back now, though, and I pulled the grand prize winner's name out of my blue bowl earlier this afternoon.  Congratulations to my friend

Tara

who has won a $10 e-gift card from Barnes & Noble as well as the book BookSpeak! by Laura Purdie Salas.  Tara is a fellow poetry-lover, so I know that she will appreciate that book!

To see the video of the drawing, please click on the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153306966225515&set=vb.145859868841596&type=3&theater

(P.S. I am hoping to get back to my regular posting here at Blue Sky, Big Dreams this week. :) )