Brays Of Our Lives

Art by Brian Simons www.BrianSimons.com

I delighted my husband this week with my statement—over our one-working-burner electric stove—that I would rather have a new gas range than a mule carriage. It would, he concurred, get more use. He, on the same day, delighted me by stating that he would one day like to own a Highland steer. I'd like that, too . . . I love bovines, and dream of owning one. The range may come before the steer, and in a remarkably mature moment I actually find myself hoping it does!

Everything's coming up roses for me lately (and no, I'm not just saying that because a new stove and a someday-future-calf lie in my future). I have received a wholehearted YES! from the artist mentioned in last week's post, and we are well on our way to publishing our collaboration. I'm applying for an ISBN number, looking into filing a copy with the Library of Congress, and crunching numbers for my very kind father/investor, who's helping with the cost of this endeavor. He believes in this. 

I got a bear via email today—a beautiful, vibrant, life-infused watercolor bear, the first of a cast of a dozen-or-so animal characters that populate my story-in-verse. To see these images, these pictures from my mind, brought to the page by a woman I've never met—it's amazing. To think that somewhere in Pontypridd, South Wales there is someone who sees what I've dreamed, whose pictures exactly match those that grew in my brain when I dreamed up this little picture book—it really is something. 

All sorts of good stuff cooking. 

M