Summertime Fun

During the summer months, things get hectic. I usually do not get many opportunities to write or illustrate. My kids are home from school and we have to deal with camps, yard work, and preparing for the next academic year.  This year we are adding on to our home for my mother-in-law. Since so many people ask me the same question; yes, I am happy about her moving in with us. I have also joined some resident naturalists in The Clarence Bluebird Trail. We volunteer to monitor bluebird nest boxes during the breeding season. You can find out more about it on their website.

Therefore, summertime is my vacation time, but my brain does not seem to recognize that. I still get ideas popping into my head that I need to write down and craft into possible poems, stories, or illustrations. My current works in progress continue to tickle the back of my brain stem. That is when I take any moment I can get to rewrite a paragraph for better composition, or complete an illustration that I put aside to ponder. Sometimes I found myself working late at night, when everyone else was well asleep. At the moment, I have three books and multiple illustrations to tackle.

I have to admit that being an author and illustrator is much like being a parent. You do not have a regular 9-5 job and you cannot help but give your creations some tender loving care. Thank goodness, I do not have to send them all to college.