May - Time for A Buslte in Your Hedegrow

May is almost over - hard to believe it.  This has been a busy month both with my work (lots of training and its actually been fun) and lots of marketing.  Something I'm not very good or diligent about.  But with my book signing for Shaman Circus on July 4th at Milagro Studios, it was time for me to send out press releases, which I did to many many places and most of them have responded at least with info on the signing and I've had requests for some to do reviews.  I was most thrilled though with publications in my home town of Lowell, Mass, which were not even in existence when I lived there to include info about my book on their website or print copies.  Wow - that felt surprisingly good.  I guess, as authors, we hope at least one publication in the town we live in will pick up the news, but I haven't lived in Lowell for 29 years so it really made me smile.  

I've also finished the 4th ending of Foxglove and hope it's the last.  We shall see.  It may still need a revision.  But my the 31st it will get sent out to at least one market that I've had my eye on, so it better be as good as it can be by then. 

This is also a busy month with school ending and my granddaughter busy with lots of things.  She just performed in four dance/song musical routines with three costume changes in a three hour show with the Phillis Wheatly Repertoire and the Phillis Wheatly Ballet Troupe. These groups are amazing and a huge shout out of Kudos! goes to Miss Jennings and Miss Wilson, the directors of the groups!!  The youngest child is in first grade and the oldest is in high school and they would knock you over with their talent.  Some of them need to be on American Idol.  They bring the audience to their feet, some with tears in their eyes!  (guilty)   

The first photo above is my granddaughter, Kendall, on the far left performing  "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"  a jazz dance number and the second she is portraying a child from Romania and singing "We Are the World" with the Repertoire. Her other two number were a Michael Jackson tribute and "Kumbaya."  She's a real trouper.  Her mother and I were exhausted after the performance and Kendall has been in school all day and then at her after school program so it was great those kids were so energetic and empowered to perform such a difficult program.

A Bustle in Your Hedgerow.   Can anyone guess where this reference comes from?

Indulging in the Arts

Another glorious weekend in South Carolina!  Mark and I discovered how far Greenville has come in broadening its outlook on the arts this weekend.  After the Saturday Downtown Farmers Market where I found my favorite barbecue sauce again, we headed to Artisphere, an annual arts event drawing both local and national artists.  They had unveiled the new Marriott Plaza and wow - it's stunning, with it's massive courtyard, Stone wall of water fountain but especially for the two new life size sculptures by Tuan, a Viet Namese sculptor brought to Greenville by Midtown Artery. 

The two sculptures involve three nude or semi-nude figures.  And they are gorgeous.  I'm so thrilled Greenville has opened up.  I remember the years when a nude was a no-no in this one-time conservative town. The art was great, we were exposed to all kinds of music, including the great Rumba drum circle. And since I'd gone to see Cindy's nephew and his band, sons of Iris, on Friday night at the Handlebar, it was a weekend full of the arts.  Songs of Iris were amazing! It was like hearing Jimmy Page and Pat Benatar on the same stage.  Very tight  originals with awesome lyrics and boy can their 18-year old female sing belt one out.  They had the audience mesmerized.
So I went home, let all the sensory input wash over me and not only finished my now close to 5,000 word streampunk, short story, The "Foxglove Broadsides" but also started designing and creating the Victorian corseted bustle dress in green satin and faux duponi copper-colored silk that I'll be wearing for the daytime part of the Upstate Steampunk Con.  I have another outfit chosen for the ball in the evening that's more appropriate for dancing. 
Becky and I had our writers group sitting out in the garden which has never looked so lovely. One of my foxgloves is five feet tall!  I'm only an a few inches taller!  And you wonder why I wrote about foxgloves.  Well, there's much more to that story, my dears!  Much much more!