Blog
Lessons From the Library
Thank you to all the children and adults who braved the rain last night to attend the Groton Public Library Lullaby Concert; to Judith and Miss Vicky for arranging these events, and supplying the holiday treats; and a special thanks to the little ones for becoming such great “wild things” during my reading of Where […]
Upcoming Library Appearance
My next appearance at the Groton Public Library will be on November 30th. 6:30 pm. The talented Barbara Harvey will join us. She is a guitarist and singer. Norman, my gorilla friend, is already planning what he will wear. My three-year-old granddaughter, Ava, has requested to have a seat up front, next to me. When I […]
From Baa Creations to Writing For Children
For twenty-three years I designed appliques for infant and children’s clothing. Ducks. Baby giraffes. Cows. Bears sleeping on the moon. Bunnies. Lobsters. Crabs. Penguins, and whatever unique design a customer asked me to do. Special requests always stirred my imagination and led me to work with different fabrics and designs beyond what I would have ordinarily done. I specialized in making matching baby gifts […]
What is CWORS?
CWORS abbr. 1. Children’s Writer Obsessive Revision Syndrome This is the place where a children’s writer is stuck. On one page. One paragraph. One sentence. And while meticulous revision is necessary, there is a point when you cross over into CWORS. How do you know when you have left your editorial mind behind and fallen victim to […]
How Life Works in the Mind of a Three-Year-Old
Last Friday, while I was driving to the park, my three-year-old granddaughter announced there would be a change in our weather conditions. “Grandma! Guess what! It is gonna snow tomoooorrooooow.” “It is?!” I adjusted my rearview mirror so I could watch her facial expressions. She was obviously excited. The front passenger seat jiggled every time she danced her […]
Betsy’s Wild Things Window
Every few months we have to create a new window display at The Toy Soldier. With the release of a movie based on one of my favorite picture books, Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, I got the green light to do a Wild Things window. My one challenge was to not spend any money on […]
The Right Fit
On my drive home, after attending the NJ SCBWI Mentoring Workshop, I began to think about jeans; how hard it is to find the right pair. And how every time I feel hopeful about discovering the perfect pair, I end up with a pile of jeans in a dressing room, all of which need to […]
Paris and Greece
I learn the destinations of our trip on the way to the airport Page one of book prepared by my husband for our trip Just prior to leaving for New York JFK Airport, I was handed a binder prepared by my husband. This is when I learned our secret destinations were Athens, Greece; the […]
Where in the World is Betsy Going?
As I prepare to leave on a secret trip – planned by my husband for our fifteenth wedding anniversary – I am faced with how to pack, and whether choosing outfits for two unknown destinations outside the United States is more difficult than plotting a novel. The answer is painfully clear as I am obviously […]
What is Bravery?
Bravery is: Telling jokes before your surgery. Telling even funnier stories after you’ve left the recovery room. Allowing your sister to film you. And laughing later at the video. Getting discharged from the hospital, and instead of going directly home, you arrive unannounced at the hair salon where your twins are getting their back-to-school haircuts. Patiently showing […]