Is it really October already?
I feel like time is rushing past me these past several months, with my recovery from surgery (if you missed that story, read it here.) and all the appointments and school activities with the kids. I am feeling pretty good these days, although I am still not back to my old self. When I start doing physical activities, I don’t usually last longer than a few minutes before my stomach reminds me that I just had surgery and I need to stop.
I am thankful for how well I am doing, and praying for the patience I need to continue to recover slowly and steadily without getting frustrated or hurt.
“We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day. These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.”
Project Updates:
I have been working on a few things.
Picture Book Showdown has more episodes online, and I would love it if you would like, share, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
I have also been working on finishing the illustrations for my Bulldozers in the Sky book. I have not had luck finding an agent for it but I still love it and want to see it in the world, so I am going to finish it and see if any small publishers would be interested, or I will self-publish.
Here’s a sneak peek of some more of the illustrations.
Books I’m Reading and Recommending:
Picture Book:
Wonder Walkers
by Micha Archer
This book has a beautiful illustration style of cut paper, which I love and I am trying to incorporate into my own images. I also love the childlike imagination of the words.
When two curious kids embark on a “wonder walk,” they let their imaginations soar as they look at the world in a whole new light. They have thought-provoking questions for everything they see: Is the sun the world’s light bulb? Is dirt the world’s skin? Are rivers the earth’s veins? Is the wind the world breathing? I wonder . . . Young readers will wonder too, as they ponder these gorgeous pages and make all kinds of new connections. What a wonderful world indeed!
Middle Grade:
The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Our latest read-aloud is a fun adventure. For reading aloud though… these chapters are long! We have to break them into smaller chunks, luckily there are usually some good breaking points inside the chapters as well.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.
Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
Adult:
A Girl Called Samson
by Amy Harmon
I enjoyed this historical fiction based on a real woman who became a soldier in the American Revolution.
In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure.
Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental army. Her impressive height and lanky build make her transformation a convincing one, and it isn’t long before she finds herself confronting the horrors of war head-on.
But as Deborah fights for her country’s freedom, she must contend with the secret of who she is—and, ultimately, a surprising love she can’t deny.
Until next time,
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