My New Year's gift to you, dear friends. Here are some videos from YouTube to make you smile.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Janice
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Articles on creativity, painting, writing, and crafts, from the beautiful Appalachian hills of SE Ohio.
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/31/2011
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/30/2011
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/26/2011
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/23/2011
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"Merry Christmas." I've been saying it all week. Sometimes I say "Happy Holidays." Next week it'll be "Happy New Year." What does it mean to be merry?
When I wish you a "Merry Christmas" I am wishing you this:
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Articles on creativity, painting, writing, and crafts, from the beautiful Appalachian hills of SE Ohio.
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/31/2011
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/30/2011
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Happy New Year! It seems like just yesterday I was making an effort to remember to write (or type) 2011 instead of 2010. Now, here we are again. When I was a child, a year seemed like, oh, I don't know, like three years seem now. One day at a time, right?
Well, I don't have much else to say about the New Year, except that today is the anniversary of my scary CT-scan dye terror. You can read more here, if you are curious. And, I do want to wish you a Happy New Year. And share with you my photos from the day after Christmas, earlier this week. After taking Bryce back to his home, I took some photos in Washington Court House and then checked the map and decided to take a different route from the Chillicothe to Logan, Ohio, portion of my drive home. Here are scenes from my ride… and a map showing (in red) the route I took from Washington Court House to Chillicothe to Logan to Athens.
For photos of the route from Athens to Chillicothe to Washington Court House (purple route) then home via Washington Court House to Lancaster to Athens (blue route) CLICK HERE. And for another trip of just the blue route in wintertime, CLICK HERE.
Washington Court House, Ohio
Washington Court House, Ohio
Washington Court House, Ohio
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/26/2011
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Christmas is over but until January 2nd, the holiday is not, is it? I am taking a light work week this week and am looking forward to some reading, a nap (or two), delving into the two beautiful watercolor botanical illustration books my son, Jesse, gave to me, watching "Islands at War" on Netflix, or visiting the magnificent "The Art Museum" a huge, beautiful, well-organized book of art from cavemen to the 21st century. Jeepers, I have a lot of wonderful things on my list for the coming week.
But first, a look back on our holiday season, which began when my son, Jesse, called to let me know about the new addition to his family… meet Larry (aka "Mr. Paws"). I am so happy Larry has found his forever home.
Below, you can see our Christmas card pile, including a lovely card with doves from my friend, Janis, and a lovely original drawing card from the talented artist Marion Pack of England.
Bryce completed the Beavis & Butthead drawing tee-shirt transfer project and off we went to visit Flo Clark, who is supportive and interested in all things creative. (See this previous post on her artwork, and here on her dog, Daisy, who passed away earlier this year.) It was lovely to sit with Flo and visit in her son's beautiful sunroom. Bryce wore his decorated shoes.
Farley was worrying about her Christmas present. She realizes, because of her uncanny abi
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/23/2011
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| Our parrot, Gracie, is mesmerized by Christmas. |
Merriam-Webster: 1. archaic : giving pleasure (delightful) 2. full of gaiety or high spirits (mirthful) 3. marked by festivity or gaiety 4. quick, brisk (a merry pace)
Macmillan: 1. British informal: slightly drunk 2. old-fashioned: happy and lively
American Heritage: 1. full of high-spirited gaiety; jolly 2. marked by or offering fun and gaiety; festive 3. archaic: delightful; entertaining 4. brisk
Collins English Dictionary 1. cheerful; jolly 2. very funny; hilarious 3. Brit. informal slightly drunk 4. archaic delightful
Farlex Trivia Dictionary "First meant 'peaceful' or 'pleasant,' which is what it first meant in "Merry Christmas."
When I wish you a "Merry Christmas" I am wishing you this:
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 12/7/2011
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 Washington Court House, Ohio Well…it was another day driving from Athens, Ohio, to Washington Court House, Ohio, and I was on the look-out for something interesting to photograph… even though the leaves are gone, the amber waves of grain are gone, the brilliant snow and blue skies are not here yet, and spring is so far away I don't even want to think about it. There was not a single interesting farm vehicle lumbering down the road. (If you want to see past sunny and snowy scenes of this same area, click HERE and/or HERE.) Washington Court House is located west of Columbus, Ohio. We live in Southern Ohio, though, so I approach it from the south, taking the Appalachian Highway west toward Cincinnati, but cutting up on Rt. 35 at Jackson to Chillicothe and then to Washington Court House (thus named due to the Revolutionary War heroes who settled there, and were loyal to George Washington). There are many beautiful old homes, new homes, and wonderful new school buildings there. Chillicothe is located a bit farther south. I usually zip past it on my way from one place to another, but today I decided to get off the highway and see what the downtown looked like. It'd been a while since I'd seen it. I was drawn to the old things today… But I am also continually amazed by the smoke (?) pouring out of a factory of some sort in Chillicothe (you'll notice it too in a photo at the links noted in paragraph one). Today I wanted to see it up close and, boy, was I surprised to find it is just a block away from a school. Kids coming out of school see the white smoke just floating all around. I don't know what it is, but I put my car's air intake setting on "inside air" when I was there, just in case. I mean, it's got to be okay, right? But, jeepers, there were clouds of "stuff" coming out of there. I was wishing Erin Brockovich was in the car with me to tell me if I needed to worry…. Okay, enough editorializing… here are the photos!  In Washington Court House,
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 11/10/2011
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Note: Read this blog post and learn how you can win a free signed print! Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage––and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits, and she realizes she's been seeking fulfillment in the wrong place.The topics in this book include: music, performance, marriage, male-female roles within modern Greek society (the setting is Greece; the author is an Australian living in Athens, Greece), rock 'n roll, motherhood, corporate life and work, putting one's dreams aside for one's family, mother-daughter relationships, friendship and loss. Jessica Bell is a poet and musician. A collection of her poetry was released earlier this year under the title Twisted Velvet Chains.  Simultaneously with the release of String Bridge (in ebook and paperback form) is the release of a soundtrack for the novel entitled "Melody Hill: On the Other Side." The songs are written and performed by the author. Soundmag wrote:A piece totally dreamy, literally and figuratively, with incredible melodies and a voice kataplitiki over an acoustic guitar to inspire. Emotional flare-ups by Jessica Bell, excellent intonation and expression, and an avant garde philosophy. …a wonderful musical journey.The first time I visited Jessica Bell's website, about a year ago, she had a mock-up of her novel's cover there, it featured a photograph of a guitar resting in a corner. In fact, the original title of her manuscript as communicated to me in September of 2010 was "Dead in the Corner of My Bedroom." Since this seemed a more likely title for a mystery novel, which String Bridge is not, discussions ensued about a new title and String Bridge was the winner. (The main character was originally named Jane and her husband was named Max. Jane and Max were changed to Melody and Alex.) Originally, I envisioned a simple ink drawing of a guitar, very linear and spontaneous, with a line that would run from the cursive
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 11/1/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: art, outsider art, september 11, art galleries, bryce art, Add a tag
Last week was a fun, busy, and exciting week for our family. My son, Bryce Merlin's, artwork was accepted into the Artism Autism show at the Soho Gallery for Digital Arts, curated by Debra Hosseini. Artwork by many artists (from several countries) was included in the show. My husband, Mark, and I were happy to have the opportunity to drive to New York City and stay for several days. Jesse joined us, arriving from Philadelphia, so it was a family time as well. As Bryce's last (and only other) trip to NYC occurred on September 9 - 12, 2001 (see past blog post), it was extra sweet to take him there once again. (I had been back twice, in 2002 with Jesse and 2009 with Mark.) Below is Bryce's self-portait, one of his two drawings accepted into the show.
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 10/14/2011
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Today, I'd like to share with you links to 3 of my favorite blogs. Thank you, Jessica Bell, for mentioning Appalachian Morning on your blog and Matthew MacNish for the info on how to participate in this Pay It Forward Blogfest. 
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 9/22/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: autism, outsider art, art galleries, ohio outsider art, Add a tag
We are excited as our family plans to meet in NYC at the SoHo Digital Arts Gallery for "The Art of Autism" show on October 27, 2011 (6-9 pm) and a special performance event and film showing on the 28th. My son, Bryce Merlin (age 30), has had four drawings accepted into the show, organized by Debra Hosseini, author of "Artism: The Art of Autism," SoHo Digital Arts Gallery, and Keri Bowers of Normal Films. Other wonderful artists will be there as well, from the U.S. and other countries such as Israel and Morocco. Like everyone on the face of the earth, Bryce has experienced challenges. He has strengths and weaknesses, dreams, and ideas. He is himself and all that brings, surprising those he meets with his creativity, persistence, and approach. Bryce also faces obvious hurdles as he navigates through life in yellow glasses, yellow hearing aid, yellow shoes and a hand-painted T-shirt featuring Sponge Bob Squarepants. He is friendly, verbal, and colorful. (We are in discussion on what to wear while in New York. Since his only other visit there was on September 9 - 12, 2001, this 10-year anniversary visit is going to be extra special to our family.) Here is more information on the gallery show/event and Outsider Art:
ARTISM: The Art of Autism
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 9/18/2011
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 Last October a writers' group on Facebook gave a prompt for a story that began with a pumpkin. I wrote a few lines and that prompt planted a seed and a few days later I learned of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), held every November. I decided to participate and a few paragraphs about a pumpkin that witnessed a suicide became the start of the first draft of "The Memory Tree" a novel about two brothers, a robbery, and the Athens Lunatic Asylum. I reached the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words within 30 days, but then the story languished on my computer. Recently, I began looking closer at three novels I had in various stages of completion, trying to discern which to finish and submit, after a lot of work, to an agent. In looking at the following paragraphs as they are in "The Memory Tree," I am not sure if they will make the final cut, because the book takes place in 1939-1941 and this scene is from the mid 1990s. Last night I read it again and thought, well, maybe it can be a story for the blog and so I offer it here. In memory of Allie Dickinson, who died much too soon. PUMPKIN by Janice Phelps Williams A woman called Erin picked me and four other pumpkins off the back of a truck one Saturday morning, loaded us into the trunk
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 9/15/2011
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I didn't need present-day technology to give me a short attention span… within a week I had gone onto other bright ideas (immersion in the book business was still a ways off). But, since I have a difficult time throwing away any piece of paper, a file folder has traveled with me from Florida to Columbus to Athens… and now, thanks to the remarkable miracle of scanners and the Internet, I present to you a few frames of Dictioneerie!    
By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 9/9/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: family life, outsider art, september 11, family photos, Add a tag
It is important to honor those who died on September 11th; to remember them, to mourn them, to celebrate them. I did not lose a loved one on 9/11. I can only muse on our family's luck that day, the thankfulness I feel for the decade since, and the empathy I feel for those who must think 9/11 was both "last week" and a lifetime ago. I was in NYC on 9/11 with my sister, Joan Phelps, and my son, Bryce. You can read a post I wrote about that day AT THIS LINK. When Osama bin Laden was found and killed this year, I thought more about those who died on 9/11. The blogpost I wrote this past May on that event "Justice on May 1" is AT THIS LINK.  The photo above was taken on Sept. 9, 2001. Bryce is looking at a souvenir he's just bought and Joan is in the photo too. We had gone to NYC to meet with Publisher's Weekly and to see Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary concert on 9/10. The concert was incredible and you can get a sense of the sounds and excitement at this YouTube clip. Here is Bryce earlier in the day, on 9/10/01 in Central Park.  A week after 9/11, we were back in Ohio and the nursing home where Bryce lives has an annual Sept. family cook-out with an Elvis impersonator. Joan and I were there and in 10 days we'd gone from Michael Jackson in Madison Square Garden to the sorrow and shock of 9/11 to a week of nonstop terror attack coverage to a small parking lot in Ohio where we were invited to dance. We did and this photo captures that moment.
 Thi
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 8/23/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: nature, outdoors, photography, trees, Add a tag
The older I get the more I love trees and the more photographs I seem to take of them. They crop up everywhere, these photos of trees. When I travel, I notice the architecture, the artwork, the people, the climate, the food -- but what I notice most of all are the trees. When winter presses glaring whiteness against every window in our house, it is the trees I notice first -- their ink-like branch-strokes creating veins and arteries against the light grey February sky or their ice-covered bark holding on against weight and gravity or snapping like gunshots in the woods behind our place. (See photo below of the view from our kitchen window in the wintertime.)  When I remember being a little girl, my happiest afternoons were summers spent in the shade of a tall tree, on a blanket, playing with dolls. Here I am at age 10 picking oranges from the tree in my grandparent's yard in Bradenton, Florida.
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 8/18/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: photographing pets, making memories, travel, photography, scrapbooking, Add a tag Photographs are taking an ever-more important place in my life; perhaps they are in yours as well. I'm talking about photographs that I've taken of events, people, and scenes in my life--for better or worse, they are the "proof of life" for me. Four things have led to this increased documentation: 1) my husband bought me a great camera for Christmas in 2009; 2) my son, Jesse, has a similar camera and shares tips with me; 3) I began attending a workshop once a month where several women get together to work on scrapbooks and talk photos and family; 4) there is so much to see in the world and I want to remember the scenes, events, and people who are so important to me. I now take photos on my Canon Rebel, iPhone, a small Cannon Powershot that I keep in my purse, and a Diana+ camera. When we go on vacation, I want to take them all! The room I save by bringing my books on an e-reader is now lost to cameras… hmmmm…. Anyway, this morning I went through and picked out a few of my favorite photos thus far this year. They aren't necessarily the best photos, but they are the ones that have meaning for me. Here they are with short descriptions…  In February, Jesse visited and, when out for a drive, we stopped at a small cemetery that held the remains of soldiers of the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War. It was very meaningful to me to take photos there with my son. Later in the year, I joined ancestry.com and began researching our family history. This has been a wonderful project, full of interesting surprises.  In 2010, Mark and I ate at L'Albatross in University Circle area of Cleveland, Ohio. I had squash soup and it was the best soup I'd ever had in my whole life. So delicious that at the performance of the Cleveland Orchestra later that night, I kept thinking about the soup. I longed to have more! So, this past February I found a recipe and made squash soup and, yes, it was every bit as good. This was also during Jesse's visit and he advised me to take photos of food from the side, a little above the side, rather than straight down. It was a very helpful tip!
By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 8/14/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: travel, art, museums, Add a tag
 Last night at dinner, Mark and I were discussing cities we would like to visit in the future. Mark has done extensive traveling throughout his life, I have not. We would like to take one real vacation each year (in addition to "staycations" which I also like), and I'm a planner, so… Some on our brainstorming list: Edinburgh, Scotland; San Juan, Puerto Rico (again); Buenos Aires, Argentina (again for him, first time for me); Washington DC (again); Atlanta (again, Mark lived there for a while); San Francisco (neither of us have been to California, how can that be!); somewhere in Ireland; London (again for Mark), and also our regular trip each year to Philadelphia and a nod to NYC where we have visited separately and together in the past. So, we were talking about the pros and cons of various places and how we would like to spend our time while away. I said I would like to visit the National Gallery of Art again as well as the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires (they just had a 15 million dollar rennovation) and also the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. I got to thinking about the museums I've visited and photos taken, and thought it would be fun to share them with you. (I always ask for permission, or a definition of the museum's rules, before taking photos.) I'm sorry I don't know the artist or date on some of these pieces, but perhaps you will enjoy seeing them anyway.  Above: Paul Klee  Above: Marc Chagall 
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 8/8/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: photographing pets, photography, Add a tag One afternoon last week, Mark said there was a katydid on the sliding glass door in his office. Well, it took no convincing at all for me to leave the fascinating world of small publishing to investigate a large bug that masquerades as a green leaf. Little did I know, how endearing this little creature would seem to be. I grabbed my "big" camera, a Canon EOS Digital Rebel (nothing fancy to you photographers out there, I'm sure, but the best camera I've ever owned…I am in love with it), and scuttled into "Shakes, Shivers, and Dithers' " domain, parking myself on the floor in front of the glass. Katydid had no idea she was there to teach me the finer points of the "M" setting on my camera and how to use f-stop and ISO more effectively, without losing my cool. There was no way to get what I wanted without fussing extensively with the settings, and then when I did get the light right (what did people do before digital cameras?) I had issues with the focus. And then I remembered the manual focus switch near the lens, which my son, Jesse, had shown me on his last visit. (I wish I'd remembered that a week earlier when trying to get a good shot of a spider web…)  (Photo 1) Here you can see Katydid and her (or his?) shadow. I like how you can see her wings and how much they resemble a green leaf. From what I've read, I think this is a young katydid because the back legs are not that long in relationship to the length of her body. Maybe this is why she was not at all afraid of me…I continued to snap photos...  (Photo 2) When I figured out the right setting, I got the background (above) dark and I started to see the incredible detail in Katydid's underside. (Photo 3) Later, I took one of the full body
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 8/6/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: music, Japan, mourning, Add a tag On this, the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, by the United States, I wish I had a poem or essay or something intelligent to say on the matter. But, all I am today is feeling…feeling the sound, the ash, the shock, the grief--of families forever ruptured and touched by grief. I think of a hymn that goes "�but other lands, have sunlight to and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine. Oh hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine." So, while I have nothing to offer about the events of 66 years ago, I can offer this… This past March, after the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, I wrote this song while driving in my car through the flat farmland and rolling forests of Ohio. Later, I picked up my guitar for the first time in 15 years or so, grabbed my laptop, and made a recording. It is very rough (I haven't sung in 15 years either) and will likely stay that way for, wisely, I gave up any ambitions of being a singer long ago. Still, it meant a lot to me to work through my feelings via music and I appreciate your listening. (Note: this appeared on Lucky Press's blog in March, but I hadn't put it here yet.) Photos: All but four of the photos (two stormy sea photos, one with the silhouette of a bird flying, and one with clouds and tiny birds flying high, which are from a stock photo agency) were taken by me. Please consider a contribution to a reputable charity to help the people of Japan. You can find a list on Charity Navigator at THIS LINK. 
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 8/4/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: flowers, summer, photography, family life, Add a tag
Below is a photo from 1970 (photographers of photo at left and below, unknown.) Aunt Wanda is sharing a blanket with me, with my parents on the right. When my children were born in 1981 and 1983, Aunt Wanda was there to be a part of their childhood memories as well. A registered nurse, Wanda once told me her dream job would have been to be an editor.
 Here are some photos for you today. Some of these were taken in Mark's
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 8/1/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: illustration, graphic design, book covers, Add a tag There was some interest in a previous blog I wrote on creating the book cover for Melissa Kline's young adult sci-fi novel, My Beginning. So, I decided to repost this article, which originally appeared on Lucky Press's blog. * * * I love creating illustrations for book covers, but there are some interesting common moments that happen in nearly every case. First, I have a vague idea of what the cover might look like. This idea germinates with the input of the publisher and author (In this case, Lucky Press is the publisher, so I wore two hats, publisher and designer. Cynthia Neale's input regarding historical costume and Norah's personality was vital.) Second, I am sure that implementing that vision will be too difficult for me to accomplish. Three, I figure out (well, okay, I wake up one morning and have a good guess) how I might be able to create the cover. Four, I begin the process and worry again that it's not what I want it to be. Five, everything clicks and I finish it (which usually coincides with arrival of deadline). 1. You can read a synopsis of Norah at this link, but basically it is about an Irish immigrant, Norah McCabe, whose family lives in Five Points in New York City in the second half of the 1800s. Norah is in her early twenties, strong-minded and creative. She owns her own used-clothing shop, and takes cast-offs from wealthy women and resells them. She also dreams of being a journalist -- there is no stopping Norah from reaching her dreams.  We wanted a cover that would capture Norah's strength, her love of fine clothes, and the "feeling" of that period in NYC's history. I asked the author, Cynthia Neale, to send me any documentation she might have on dresses Norah might have worn (though Norah is a fictional character, accurate historical details were most important to the author as she wrote her book). Cynthia sent me a book of historical costumes, noting the images correlating to Norah's generation; I also found some costume images, from museums, online (see photo at left). 2. In the meantime, I also looked at photographs available from stock photo agencies. There was one photo that I liked very much, but the woman's face was not right for Norah. I also looked at images of women in period costumes, but they all looked very posed. Here are some images we came across (available from Superstock Images):
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 7/26/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: family photos, photographing pets, pets, photography, family life, Add a tag Jackie, December 2009 The media is all abuzz about new science findings regarding dogs who "are much smarter than scientists have thought." Thousands of dollars of research might have been saved, had they spent anytime at my home, or observing the lives of many of my friends who also have dogs. Here's what I could have told scientists, for free:
By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 7/23/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: family photos, Athens OH, Add a tag
It is my pleasure to share with you some of my photographs of water. Keep cool, everyone. And don't forget to pay extra attention to the needs of your pets during this heat wave.  St. Kitts  Sunset, Eastern Caribbean  St. Croix  Our dog, Tyler, on Drummond Island, Michigan  Bradenton Beach, Anna Maria Island, Florida  Old Man's Cave in the Hocking Hills of Southeastern, Ohio 
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 7/18/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: family life, on writing, Add a tag
On Saturdays when I visit my son, Bryce, especially in the early summer months . . . when the air is just warming up, yet not laden with moisture . . . I keep the windows rolled down on the drive over and listen to “This American Life” with Ira Glass. I love the program, the way a story is woven, up down back forth, through the circumstances of an individual. Not dissected as in Vanity Fair. Not marketed and sensationalized like CNN or “Dateline.” Simply told, much like a welcome guest tells an interesting story. Think Meryl Streep as Isak Dinesen in Out of Africa: “I tell stories.” A good storyteller invites, rather than seduces with sensationalism or bullies with fear. A great storyteller not only captivates with plot, but with the art of description. The words themselves and the sounds of the syllables create an audible prose that elicits a response from the reader: intrigue, disgust, anticipation, empathy, pity, anxiety, peace, jealousy, understanding . . . I am not Ira Glass; not a gifted storyteller, noted journalist, nor best-selling author. I’m a woman who works with wo
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 7/13/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: family life, Add a tag
This snippet, which I hadn't read in twenty years, brings a bit of a smile to my face, and a disconcerting lump in my throat…my son is now 30. He has not, however, lost one bit of his tenacious hold on what he wants from life, though as a person with disabilities his life might look different to others, something they don't quite understand. In any case… Free Kitten! Our family loves animals but my personal pet limit was reached after a dog, a rabbit, two hamsters, two gerbils, and an aquarium. My eldest son, Bryce, was determined to get a cat despite my firm, exasperated, "No!," and was looking through the classified ads in the newspaper for a free kitten. Finally, he accepted the fact that I would not take him to get a cat, and after our "discussion," I went to my bedroom to get dressed for work. I then heard my optimistic child talking to someone on the phone. "I called you about the free cat," he said. "Do you deliver?" 
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 7/11/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: poetry, pets, Athens OH, Add a tag
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By: Janice Phelps Williams,
on 7/6/2011
Blog: Appalachian Morning (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap) JacketFlap tags: Sharpie markers, books, illustration, book covers, colored pencils, Add a tag
Melissa is a very creative person, not just with words but also with art and craft materials. She is a miniature artist and has displays in the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls, and Toys, coinciding with the release of My Beginning. Melissa's enthusiasm for all things creative made creating the cover of My Beginning even more fun. My Beginning tells the story of 16-year-old Ivory, a blonde-haired girl who lives confined in an "institution" -- a place where many children live under the watchful eyes of mother-nurses. The children are not allowed to go outside, for they are told that if they
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