Thankful Thursday

I’m thankful for bees and butterflies today — thankful that lgburns ‘ stunning photographs on  her blog lately have inspired me to slow down and look more closely at my own backyard. Here’s what I  found…


My daughter is convinced this Monarch we spotted yesterday is one of those that we raised from caterpillars and released a couple weeks ago, come back to visit.

I’m also thankful — and downright excited — that I get to sign books with my mom in the Finger Lakes this weekend.  When I sold Spitfire, I didn’t really understand how book covers worked and suggested to my editor that my mother, who’s an artist, do a painting for the cover.  

"Well, we generally take care of finding an illustrator," he said.

"Can she send you something and you can see what you think?"

Happily, they thought good things, and Mom’s art appears on the covers of both Spitfire and my new book, Champlain and the Silent One.  My mom has always been a terrifically talented artist but didn’t often make time for her own art when she was teaching and taking care of four kids as we grew up.  I’m not only in awe of her talent now; I’m proud of the time and work she’s put into her painting, and sharing the creative process with her has been an absolute joy. 

You can see some of her latest work on her blog – she’s gailschirmer  – and if you live in Rochester or the Finger Lakes, I hope you’ll stop by to say hello to us this weekend!  From 2-4 pm on Saturday, we’ll be at the Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery, where Mom is one of the featured artists this month. It’s at 71 South Main St. in Canandaigua.

And one more thankfulness… I’m glad so many of you have stopped by to enter my drawing for a signed copy of Champlain and the Silent One. If you haven’t entered and would like to, click here for the details.

10 Replies on “Thankful Thursday

  1. How cool is that? A partnership with your mom! Have fun this weekend and thanks for sharing those beautiful pictures – although I’m not so sure I like that hornet’s nest. Ack!

  2. That’s so funny! I discovered a bee’s nest yesterday too, on the peak of our store. It’s huge, with bees going in and out, in and out,

    I sat mesmerized for quite awhile.

    Thanks for sharing your photos!

  3. Is that a wasps’ nest? Yikes!

    I remain impressed by your writing and your mother’s art. How cool to be so closely involved with one another in the creative process.

  4. I think I would be a lot more grateful for bees if I didn’t swell up like a grapefruit every time I get stung. Maybe I’d even be more grateful if I didn’t get stung so often—more than a dozen times about counting.

  5. Where the heck do you guys get yards like that? You get bees and butterflies and all kinds of exotic flowers. I get mangy cats, weeds, sterile pumpkin plants and lots of scattered kid’s toys!