Here is to a wonderful school year! : )

Press the button on this bottom right hand side to make it fill up your computer screen with happiness!

Field Trip to Salem : )

Yesterday I got the chance to go to Salem with a good teacher friend of mine.  We had lots of fun and laughs!  Missing many exits from talking so much with so much catching up to do!

I don't think I have ever been to Salem before.
It was very interesting.
We went to see Ansel Adam's exhibit of pictures with water.  
Fascinating!


We then went browsing around and I found the most interesting bookshop.
I thought this looked like something from Harry Potter in Diagon Alley...




It only gets better inside....

I asked the man....(now try to picture this....piles of books on either side on a counter....about a 8"wide opening between very tall piles and the clerk (very nice by the way) sits behind the opening on the other side of the counter...
I asked him if I could take pictures.
He said if I made a purchase I could take all the pictures I wanted.
I only had 5 dollars in my pocket so I chose carefully.
I ended up buying a children's picture book to use as a reference for what I am working on.
After I made my purchase I asked, "Now can I take some pictures?" And he basically said, take all the pictures you want!  : )
Lots of people frequent this shop from what I could see.
It was amazing!








I just found this on Google......

https://plus.google.com/107615714618423195889/about?gl=us&hl=en

You can see a picture of the man behind the stack of books that I was trying to describe!  : )

Definitely worth a peek if you are ever in the area.  Just hold the top of the stack as you gently pull the book from the bottom....if that is where you favorite book is located!  : )

We ended the day going to a great place for lunch!
Thanks Maria for treating...since I only had 2 dollars left after my book purchase!


View from my seat!


O'Neils Pub - Delicious!!
http://www.oneillsofsalem.com/


Cajun Chicken wrap and coleslaw!!  : )

Oh and one more thing....
I discovered this wonderful artist at the gift shop at the Museum.
Loved this!!

KOCO New York
http://www.kocony.com/

Happy Sunday!!  : )

sketching....

My new favorite place to hang out is Panera Bread... http://www.panerabread.com/.  They have great food, great coffee, and great lighting. It is so spacious that you don't feel like you are taking someone else's seat so you can settle in for a while....

I splurged and got a shake...they featured it with the salad....and .... it was low fat!  Delish!


working on my project....

This has been a wonderful diversion to the many things I need to be doing right now...

This kind of sums up how I feel this morning....

Betsy aka Life looks pretty friendly...I better start wrapping up some of current life situations...condo....finances....
Here I come Betsy!

Inspired....


I just finished a course, The Art of Picture Books, at the Worcester Art Museum with Suzy Becker, author and illustrator and New York Times bestseller of, All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat.  
 I loved it!!
I told Suzy that she was like a movie star and she had the answers on how to get to HOLLYWOOD!  
I learned so much in her class about writing a children's book and illustrating!
We had a wonderful group in our class and I hope to be able to catch up with all of them soon.
I felt so inspired and it gave me a goal to tuck into my pocket to work towards...

To be continued....

: )


Finding my passion....



This summer marks one year of being unemployed.
It has been a challenging year.
I remember as the year began, I imagined my life inside one of those plastic sifters you bring to the beach.
I was to begin the process of sifting.
What would remain?
I sifted through my condo...
I sifted through the reality of not being employed...
not being a teacher...
of being a mom...
of being a daughter....
of being a daughter who needed her mom....
of losing everything....
my home, my job, my beloved Rocky...
Things did slip away....
and I did feel lost...
and I must say, at times, like a bit of a loser.
But then....

What remained...

My funny, resilient, strong son
who means more to me than he will ever know.
Being his mom, has taught me some of my greatest life's lessons.

My mom.
My confidant, morning coffee maker, owner of Bernie's Bed and Breakfast.
Her home became my respite, as I was recovering from a few of life's blows.

My cat Rocky
My pet who taught me about unconditional love and second chances.

Slowly, I have sifted and I am finding... 
myself.
The girl who loves the Senior Citizens and helping them grocery shop.
The girl who loves books and loves to volunteer at the library to help find books for others to read.
The girl who loves to tell stories and illustrate them too...
What I am finding,
by sifting...

are my passions.

: )