About Me

Here I am!   That’s me with my incredible hubby.  We’re celebrating my retirement after thirty years of teacher and toasting my future as a writer and aspiring author.  Actually, it was kind of hard to find a decent picture of me.  All of the best pictures I have of myself are with one of my adorable grandchildren.

And as far as telling about myself… well, there’s not that much to say.

#1   I love Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream and the beach.

Unfortunately, those two don’t go together.  First, you can’t get Graeter’s ice cream outside of Cincinnati,where we have no beaches.  And second, too much Graeter’s ice cream makes for uncomfortable beach pictures.

#2  I love movies, books, and television.  I love getting lost in a character’s life, even if only for five minutes.  Some of my best friends are fictional!

#3  My family, friends, and faith are the most important aspects of my life.   If you know them, you know me.

That being said, I’ve attached a few pics of the family dogs for your enjoyment.  Whiskey is a chocolate lab.  Secret is a flat-coated retriever mix.

Whiskey collects logs.

Secret gathers the kindling.

Both are great helpers!

As you read this, I am quietly crafting stories on my laptop. I can’t share my work with you here, but I can share some wonderfully crafted and published stories which touch me in some way.

I am an avid reader of picture books and use these as mentor texts. If you are like me, I have some old favorites, and sometimes it’s easy to grab one of those instead of a newer book. So as part of my growth as a reader and a writer, I am consciously seeking out new picture books.

In 2014, I decided to match picture books with daily celebrations. If you are a teacher or parent of young children, I hope you will take a look at my daily pages and CELEBRATE EVERY DAY WITH A PICTURE BOOK.

And, I’m updating this page to include my newest service. I call it BOOKS ALIVE! I am reading as many 2015 picture books as I can this year. I give a brief synopsis of the story and then offer fun suggestions to help you bring the story alive with your child. Most are craft ideas or easy recipes, but others are musical, kinetic, or intellectual in nature. I hope you’ll join me in this endeavor too.

Well, enough about me. Please leave me a comment and tell me about yourself. Look forward to hearing from you!