Coming Home

I hope you all had a nice holiday. We certainly did. We were worried about an ice storm that went through the route we would be taking home from Saratoga, NY. But the ice had melted by noon and as we came down off the high hills, the temperature kept going up until finally at Binghamton it was up to 43. It's risky to travel on some of these highways in upstate NY. It's a plan ahead thing.

I'm working on the 4th clown book. This one features Frankie and friends. But unless the weather gets better, I haven't got any more art paper for the illustrations. There's always tomorrow.

The picture is a sketch of Frankie and friends learning a new trick. The 3rd one - the highest - is hard to see since it is only in pencil as yet.

Winter Solstice

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE DAY!

Each year my husband balances an egg on solstice day. It's not an easy task and as far as we know, it can't be done any other time except during the spring solstice.
The sun is just about ready to set, so we quickly got a picture of it before the darkness set in.

A Poem by Elly

I wrote this poem about 10 yrs ago.

AIN'T SO BAD

I got my social security check,
it ain't so much but heck.

I can bag the groceries down south,
an look at pretty girls with red on their mouths.

Five bucks an hour ain't so much,
but I got me my trailer, food an such.

I got myself a colored TV,
so's I can choose what ever I wanna see.

Don't know how much longer I'll live,
but I'll go by what the boss upstairs is willin to give.

Don't know what more I could ask for,
if ya got lots of money, ya just want more.

I got all the folks at the trailer park,
and they never lived on a big ole yacht.

So guess I'll just thank my lucky stars,
the guy upstairs' been good to me so far.

cold & cozy

It's soooooo cold today. But our house is cozy with 2 gas fireplaces keeping us warm.
Bridget, our Cairn Terrier is like the bears - she lays around all day and sleeps. It's hard to get her to go out. I'm sure she has owl in her blood because she likes to go out at night. She hears animals out there and she has to tend to the estate with her threatening bark. The only way I can get her to come back in (when I'm ready to go to bed), is to get the cheese out. She comes running when she hears the wrapper.
My husband has a ritual with her every night. He whispers "brush" to her and she looks up at him in anticipation, then leaps off the couch, runs to the brush cupboard, and waits. After a nice fur treatment, she gets a treat. She is a smart little dog.
Maybe Santa will leave a toy in her stocking.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanakah everyone!
Eleanor Russell Brown

I have an idea for the third clown book. It's going to be about Morris the monkey, who is part of the A. C. Robat gang. I'll get busy this week on the illustrations, after which I'll write the text.
We put up the Christmas Choir on our antique buffet this last week. We began to collect the figures many yrs ago. They were given to us as gifts from students, my husbands civic band members and we purchased a few from holiday shops. In front of the singers is the Christmas Village. It is a glass collection of children doing their outdoor things in front of a barn that is lit up.
I love to decorate with things that have memories from many yrs ago. Students have made and gifted us with little tree ornaments that still grace the tree. They may not be in great condition and are crudely made, but they mean so much.
I hope for everyone who reads this a wonderful holiday. Peace.

ellysblog: Book Signings

ellysblog: Book Signings

Sweet Millies Blot

Book Signings

What a nice weekend it was. Saturday I was a vendor at a Community Center in Logan, NY. It's an old church that is gradually being fixed up. There were many people who came around noon to eat the great lunches they offer, and there were all kinds of cakes, cookies, pies, etc to buy. At one time, a group of hunters came in and bought a bunch of sweets, then left. They were not interested in anything that the vendors had to offer.

I sold a lot of books - mostly the clown books. Warm clothes were needed because it is a hard place to heat and the doors were opening all the time. 

It started to snow around noon and by the time it was 2:oo there was an inch of snow on the ground. That's when we all began to pack up and leave. It felt good to get home to my warm fireplace.

Today I signed my books at a charming place in Millport, NY. The Millport Mercantile. It is owned by an exceptionally creative girl who has a blog called Sweet Millies Blog. She served coffee, lemon water and Christmas sweets to everyone who attended the open house. I didn't sell as many books as yesterday, but did a lot of networking.  Great fun to just be there.

Calla's blog

You may be wondering why I have another blog on my blog. The other one belongs to my Granddaughter, Calla Brown. She is a med student at the U. of Rochester. She will return for her 4th year after her work in El Salvador, where she and her fiance are medical volunteers. 

I love her stories and the picts she sends and I hope to make a little book when she is finished, about the children there. 

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving - we certainly did. About 3lbs worth. 

Gigi and the story book

My husband teaches classical guitar to a 12 yr old student. His lesson wasn't today, but his mother made a visit with some of the kids. She brought some pumpkin bread with her. So gooood! While they were here, Gigi (3 yrs) wanted me to read her the White Cat story book. My husband took a picture of us. Gigi knows where the camera is and what she is supposed to do when her picture is taken. 

Holiday Bazaar

I went to a Holiday Bazaar yesterday and did very well with my books. I don't have any of the 3rd clown book left, so I have to get more printed. Money in, money out. But I love to do it all.

I even sold a few of the Mary Warin books - the kids like gorey science fiction. I was surprised that those books went so well. I have none of the cat books left, so those have to be printed too. There are more events coming in a couple of weeks, so preparation is needed.

I also made little stocking stuffers, teachers giftees, etc. out of old buttons, lace, linen and silk.

They smell nice and a lot of them sold.

Morris the monkey, A. C., the clown and Laila, the lion.

Here is a preview of the 3rd clown book.

The text for this page reads: 

 Morris threw a ball that hit Laila in the eye,

I'm very sorry, said Morris, to make you cry.

Morris, the monkey, is a main character in this book. He is a sweetie. Always around for an audience laugh.

I hope you can see the tear in Laila's eye. Do lions cry? Laila did. But she will be ok.

new books

I'm getting stuff ready to go to a show next week. I now have 10 books to take. 

The third book, "Break A Leg" They Yelled To The Clown, is now ready and bound. It turned out really well. My favorite pict. and text in it is one of a small horse with a contraption on his foot. Frankie the dog, and Morris the monkey are balancing on the horse's back. A. C. Robat is working with some rings.

The accompanied text reads:

Horsing around is not good for a pony, 

Hildie jumped the rope and broke her big toeny.

There is a gallery down in Watkins Glen that is full of all kinds of good antiques. They also have some very nice art. My original art from the books has been included. They are also carrying the clown books and the original fish art.

centerpiece

Yesterday I needed a break from the books, so I messed around with some wood stumps from a cherry tree that fell during an ice storm. I felt creative. Got the glue gun out, went outdoors and cut some grape vine, went up the road and picked up some chestnuts off the road and went to work. I put some little glass candle holders on top and voila, I have a center piece. 

Seems like my mind is always thinking of new stories, but I seemed to be lazy about writing the ideas down. I may have to carry a little writing pad around my neck all the time. But then will I be ambitious enough to pick up the pad and jot down my ideas? 

My granddaughter is a medical volunteer in El Salvador. When she gets home, I think I'll quiz her on some of the details of her experiences with the children there, and maybe write a story about that. Sounds interesting to me.

Break A Leg, They Yelled To The Clown

Back to the print store today. The 3rd clown book is ready for the www.windowsillstories.com  site. It should be on within the next 2 wks.  A. C. Robat falls off the highwire in this book. He is such a farce. But he is a very cute, sweet clown. 

What I've done to start the ball rolling with my website

I decided to have a rubber stamp made with my website on it. When the bills or any other mail goes out, I stamp the website on the back of the envelop. 

Every time I visit a store, the clerk gets one of my business cards. It never fails to create interest.

I email my site, facebook any one I can without being a pest. I have to know them first.

Now the blog - this is fun and a good way to connect with people who have the same interests as mine. www.windowsillstories.com     

Tomorrow I am going to a rummage sale with some stuff (sample of items in pict) I need to get rid of, but I will take the clown books, plus a couple of others. There won't be much room on the table, but I'll shove the junk together. My business cards will be on the table.

I hope to make a bit of money - this is an expensive business!

Networking at Kinkos

I have been getting my books printed over in Ithaca at Kinkos. Everytime I go there, someone sees my clown art and remarks on it. Did I do it? What are you going to do with it? I answer that I write children's books and some of them are about an endearing little clown called A. C. Robat (acrobat). The art plus the text about the clown's actions make up each book.

 Today I met some very interesting people from Cornell who wanted my card. I have been handing out a lot of them.

My husband says that I need to go there every day.

Today's book was getting the art and text together in book form. I always get a CD with it.

Ranking frustration

Have been trying to find sites that have ways to get ranked other than by Google's AdSense, etc.

There are so many children's books on the market that it's next to impossible to get a good ranking. There must be some secrets out there that websiters are using to get ranked. I know keywords, links and ads are vital, but those don't necessarily get the rankings either. 

I have decided on a plot for the next Mary Warin book. It's going to be exciting! And scary!

My husband just brought in a beautiful bird's nest that he found in the yard. I've never seen one like it and we are wondering what it's made of and what bird made it. We'll keep it as long as it lasts.

new books

I'm working on the 3rd Mary Warin book. I've come up with lots of ideas for the plot, but nothing seems to pop into my head as the one that I could do anything with. Maybe Mary Warin morphs into a person from another galaxy and can't be recognized for who she really is. She might lead the girls through another time in space. My mind is full of far-out stuff, so I'll come up with something weird.

The 3rd clown book is done. I have to take it to the printers so they can put it together. Then I will send it to the publisher.

I've heard from a few people who have viewed the site. All good reviews. Now for some orders! Yeah!

WHEEL of ARTS CLASSES

The clown isn't afraid to try.

I'm new at this, so stay with me. I tried to delete one post - didn't work. The paragraph about Frankie, the cairn terrier, should have been first and about the clown next. But I'll leave the pict of Frankie on because she is so cute and is featured in the 2nd and 3rd books.

My books all carry messages for kids. A. C. Robat, the clown, isn't afraid to dream about and try different things that he might be when he grows up. He messes up, but he goes right ahead and attempts to try something else.

A. C. Robat, is a funny, happy clown who doesn't know he is a clown and wonders what he will be when he grows up. He is, as one reviewer related, very endearing. I hope you like him as much as all the kids who have read the books about him.

 Frankie, the cairn terrier is featured in the clown books along with Morris the monkey. They go everywhere and do everything with the clown. They are learning more tricks in the 3rd clown book the is entitled, "BREAK A LEG" THEY ALL YELLED!

 There is another cairn terrier in the WHEEL of ARTS section of the website. Her name was Cassie. She could talk. Read about her.