Status Report

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the bus sky, is by no means a waste of time. 


                                   -Sir John Lubbock, The Use of Life


Here I am- back over on the other side of the world again for a short while. I'm connecting with my peeps and rereading the entire Calvin and Hobbes collection. I go out into the garden (which can only be watered on Tuesdays and Fridays) and I put my hands in that gorgeous soil that we have been working on improving for a few years now and I pull some weeds and I trim some things back and find a perfectly beautiful tomato there- the best tomato. 

There is much to do in a short time. Lots of appointments and business meetings and sorting and tossing...rethinking and shopping and retooling to head back to my other home on the exact opposite side of the world. 

Fred was in town for only 4 days. They were a good four days. We watched sunsets, went for walks...talked a lot and ate copious amounts of sushi and visited with friends and family. Now he's somewhere in the atmosphere heading for Dubai and then onto Mauritius. 

I'm joining him in just a short while. I am relishing being home for a little bit- before I head back and continue making a new home in a new place with a new language and culture and all that come with that. Adventure. It's good to be roving and learning and creating. 

Interesting TED Talk on Parenting

Percolating ....More Soon.

Back in the States for a little bit- finishing up some projects, checking in on the house, visiting family, just got back from L.A. and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference (it was great)- saw so many friends and made new ones, was inspired , laughed, laughed and saw Judy Blume- so great... now I'm in a mad rush to finish off some paintings before Fred gets here for a few days. He is at the White House tonight- no kidding...black tie. He looks goods thanks to the most charming tailer, Joseph. 

I'm doing a whole revamp of the website for the arrival of...

STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos- looks gorgeous doesn't it??!! Can't wait for copies to get here- this is my wonderful editor, Katherine Jacob's desk in the Flatiron Building in NYC.