bonnieeverett-hawkes.com

Whew was I busy!!
Current mood:  creative

It seems like I am always returning to my blog at the end of summer and saying,
“Whew where did summer go?”
I am so sorry I have been away so long, but this summer was a particularly busy summer for me.
I was busy illustrating three books this summer for three different authors and I barely had a moment to spare. So my blog had to be put on the bottom of my priority list. Now I know there are many of you who are so faithful in writing in your blogs and journal every single day, but me I just am not the type who can make the room in my schedule to do so.
Summer was ushered in with the arrival of a new lamb at our house. A tremendous joy for us here at Rustic Ridge Ranch only to be short lived as two months later her mama died after eating poisonous plants.
We sold all of our precious sheep shortly after Milly the mama ewe died as we did not want any more of our dear sheep who had become our sweet friends to also die. We were able to find them wonderful homes.
Soon after this sadness Jesse, our old Standard bred buggy horse made his exit over to the Rainbow Bridge too. It was a very sad day that day. The Farm was seemingly very lonely and empty in their absence.
Living on a farm with animals is bitter sweet, but well worth the risks of loss.

Rio a beautiful 5 year old gelding soon came to live with us and has made a wonderful companion for Breeze our other horse who was very lonely ever since Jesse passed over.  We added 25 chicks in March to our chicken coop who have now grown into adult hens and about 7 roosters. You should hear the crowing rivalry at dawn and sometimes various times of the day.
Then in July I bought a delightful little critter, a baby raccoon, we named Daisy. I had to obtain a permit to own her  and she was bought from a breeder. What a pure joy she has been to our family! She is now 12 weeks old. I recently bought her a Little Tykes piano and she has played it constantly. I think I have a natural on my hands…LOL!!
ON the illustrating scene…
Be watching for Willy the hard of hearing duck series by Rita Hestand illustrated by me to be released by Guardian Angel Publishing soon. I finished book three this summer titled “Maebelle’s Hat” the first two books were previously available at www.readerseden.com as e-books (”Willy and the Spider” and “Poor Mo”), but will now be available as print books. I am now working on book four in the series “Trick or Teet?”.
Also be looking for the second book I illustrated this summer, “Heavenly Animals” by Kate McGill, publisher and release date to be announced.
A great addition to the Hawaiian book I illustrated “Old Nene’s Book of Hawaiian Nursery Rhymes” by Nalani Scharsch Hao is a companion coloring book completed this summer soon to be released.
I signed with Best selling author Russ Michael to illustrate his blockbuster children’s series “Twinkle Top” and have begun illustrating the first book in the series. Mr. Michaels books have been on the best seller lists for over 35 years so be watching for his children’s series to be a big hit too. I am excited about them for sure.
Just finished the other day with a really fun Blog Talk radio interview with MJ Gillot with Red River Writers. If you missed it it is archived and you can still pick it up and listen to it. I had a lot of fun.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/RedRiverWritersLive/2009/09/30/Red-River-Writers-Live

Had a very successful book signing at North Vernon, IN. Perfect Day Cafe On Sept 4. Sold 25 books! What a great turn out too.

So between my farm with all it’s inspirational critters and their antics and my illustrating
Whew I have been busy! But looks like the pace won’t slow down for me for awhile.
Later gaters…

The day before spring came this year our ewe sheep Milly gave birth to a darling little ewe lamb. we named her “Spring” She is black like her daddy our black Shetland ram, “Licorice” Milly her mama is a black and white spotted Jacob sheep. Jacob sheep usually have more then one set of horns, Milly has three sets of horns. It will be interesting to see how many Spring will get.

It is such a joy watching Spring leap and jump around her daddy and the other two rams in the sheep pasture. The other rams, Cocoa who is a biological uncle (brother to her daddy Licorice) and ButterBean the musket colored ram. She is so innocent and sweet as she plays. Each of the rams watch out for her and protectively as her mama.  At night she bunkers down with them and her mama warm and safe in their little hut.  What a life!  I was there throughout her birth and there to dry her off minutes after. I took a pic minutes after she entered this world. It is amazing how quickly the critters are up and standing on all fours. A week later she was eating grass and hay with the adult sheep.

My life on my farm helps me with illustrating books for authors especially when they are animal books. I am presently illustrating the second book for author Rita Hestand in the Willy the hard of hearing duck series. Willy is a little duck who is hard of hearing and lives on Farmer Jack’s farm along with all the other critters that live there as well. The first book was about Willy and the spider, this book is about the old hound dog named Mo that lives on the farm. I’ll tell more in my next blog.

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are suppose to write a note containing 25 random facts about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you,

(To do this, go to “notes” in your applications menu, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, age 25 people—in the right hand corner of the app—then click publish.)

1. I do not normally do this sort of thing. It goes against my make up. I am not one to bare my feelings on my sleeve for the world to see. I do not document my inner most thoughts in a journal or blog for family, friends or strangers to read. I have always felt this was sort of creepy. I do blog, but not to spill out my guts. I think it is unsafe, for one thing, but no one, not even my husband of 41 years knows my inner most thoughts. Only God and the spirits surrounding me have I shared such things with. But I feel I will make a small exception this time because some of you have expressed a desire to know me better.

2. It was a hot June night in the small, ratty town of Trona, California. A car pulled up in front of the tiny local hospital, the door swung open and a very pregnant woman struggled to get out. A man’s voice could be heard shouting; “I’ll see you in the morning!” She picked up her small overnight bag and waddled toward the hospital entrance. The car spun away and carried the man to his American legion meeting. He would return to the hospital the next morning and inquire about his 7th child, which had now arrived. He would find out the baby was yet another girl which brought his family total to six girls and one boy. His only comment was “Another Split Tail!” Thus was my introduction into this world.

3. “Dysfunctional” is a word that hardly describes my childhood. I had a troubled and difficult childhood growing up in that family of eight children. We were easy on the eyes all of us kids, not an ugly one in the bunch, gifted and talented in the arts. My parents years ahead of their time for the 50’s. My mother a woman that wanted to combine a large family with a career. She was a strong and domineering woman. My dad a passive and compassionate man, a Gourmet chef when not an Electrician. He succumbed to an alcoholic addiction, faithfully supported his family and never complained about anything. I never had a childhood. Older children raised younger siblings and took on household responsibilities.

4. I am related to great Americans. I knew that the same blood flowed through my veins and this made me aspire to achieve my best. Americans such as my great –grandfather George Miller Everett, Tenn. State Legislator, Civil War Hero and Circuit Riding Preacher, Edward Everett, Statesman, Helen Keller, Asa Brooks Everett & Benjamin Holden Everett, Gospel Hymn writers, Edward Everett Hale, author, Dr. Charles Everett, Thomas Jefferson’s personal physician & neighbor, to name a few.

5. I am a forgiving and compassionate. I see good in everyone. I do not regret the hardships of my childhood or my life, but choose to be thankful for all of them. I loved my parents despite their shortcomings. Especially those of my mother. She taught me much and for this I am very grateful to her.

6. From the moment I cradled my first baby doll I knew I wanted more than anything to be a wife and mother. I met my husband when I was 15 years old in high school. It was love at first sight. I told my sister, “I am going to marry him!” She thought I was nuts. We married at 19 years old. I was committed to be his helpmate and support him” until death do us part” We have 41 years under our belts so far.

7. I have had 6 children. Three died before they were born and after difficult and life threatening pregnancies I bore and raised three beautiful children. My children have sustained my life more than the air that I breathe. I put my art, my dream of college and a career on the back burner and gave them all of me. I wanted them to shine. I wasn’t the perfect mother, but I gave them the best of me.

8. I am a survivor of heartbreak, loneliness, depression, low self-esteem, cancer and arthritis. I have had 30 plus surgeries since the age of 17 years old. Including three hand surgeries, which almost threatened my ability to ever draw or paint again.

9. I love, love, love avocados! When I was a child I’d rather eat them then candy.

10. I decided to conquer my fear and learned to drive at the age of 41 years. I never felt so free.

11. I enrolled in art school when my youngest child was a senior in high school.
I graduated from art school with honors at the age of 48 years.

12. I love animals. I have scads of them. I truly believe one can analyze a person’s character by the way they interact with an animal or if they even own an animal.

13. I love the country. I live in it. I live on my childhood farm the only place where I experienced happiness in childhood, where the echoes of memories sing through the Maple and Sassafras trees, up the limestone cliffs and across the flowing creek back to my heart.

14. I love to cook. Some say I am a Gourmet cook. My father taught me to cook at the age of three. My first thing I cooked was scrambled eggs and toast. I love to entertain friends with dinner, fine wine and good conversation. I have the best friends in the world!

15. I dream of taking flying lessons some day, soaring through the clouds like a bird.

16. I dream of traveling to Europe and seeing the great works of art by the masters of old.

17. My art has been my constant companion throughout my lifetime. My truest friend. When my entire world comes crashing down—I always have my art to soothe me.

18. I believe in one God. I am a professing Christian. However, I am not a Bible thumping traditionalist nor do I believe that if you live a good life when you die you will go to a heaven, wear a halo, sit on a cloud and play a harp. Hey, my God is bigger than that. My husband has a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Theology; my brother has his Doctorate in it and speaks both Hebrew and Greek fluently. They keep me straightened out in the true interpretation of the Bible. If you believe in him or not it doesn’t change anything, He still exists.

19. I speak some French, Spanish, and a little German and know the American Sign Language for the Deaf.

20. I love comedy, be it a book, a play or a movie, especially witty ones such as movies by the Cohen Brothers. I have firmly believe that laughter is the best medicine.

21. I make homemade Maple syrup every winter, raise sheep for their wool to spin, raise chickens for their eggs. We also have pigs and a horse. Used to have a good milk cow. Looking for one now. Know of any? (We don’t eat the horse, aren’t you glad?)

22. My mother taught me to sew when I was three. The first thing I made by myself was a doll’s pleated skirt. I love to sew, crochet, spin, write, and photography is my hobby. I have made everything from coats to bathing suits. One year I crocheted a sweater for every member in my family.

23. I am a grandmother of 5, but I have never experienced being a grandmother.

24. I love auctions, thrift and junk store and collect antiques.

25. I have patience coming out of the whazoo, and am a perfectionist in all that I do. (Did that just rhyme)

It’s that time of year again, time for the Preditors and Editors Poll when you can vote for your favorite artist, writer, or Publisher etc. Join in the fun and help your favorite win. This is a fun poll for the readers to participate in and helps the artist , writer and etc get their work picked up by Google as well. Hey we all need as much promo as we can get these days.

To Vote for me in the Artist category (and I will love you so much) So far I am No 3 this year. I’d sooo love to be Number 1 y’all ( hint, hint) so get your friends to vote as well, Go to:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/artist.shtml

1. click on the dot next to my name

2. fill in the bottom of the form

3. click on the submit button

4. don’t forget to confirm the email when it comes to your inbox.

And that’s all there is to it!

You can vote until Jan. 14, 2009.

I’d love to have that gif on my web site this year showing I am a Pred Poll winner!

Love y’all !

later gaters…..

I had a young person ask me the other day how do you handle people who resent you when you achieve a certain amount of success. Well unfortunately it is a fact there are such people.

As you climb the ladder of success and I hesitate to use the word “climb’ because it sounds so easy doesn’t it? When in all actuality, for one to succeed at anything in this life it literally takes blood, sweat and lots of tears.You will encounter many people that will resent your well deserved rewards and kudos. This is where I suppose the tears some times come in. Many may even be close friends and oh yes, you can count on even family, definitely family.

I think we have all seen movies to this scenario, jealous siblings not willing to walk the path of hard work and determined goals, but instead always looking for the parental handouts and the easy road in life.Then to discover when they’re middle age they have wasted an entire lifetime pursuing pointless ventures to satisfy selfish desires. And there you are sitting pretty now with success at your door because you set out on your own efforts to achieve your own dreams by your hard work.

Things you can expect to encounter from these type of people are usually all negative either in the form of gossip (and this includes taking what you have said out of context, twisting of your words or just plain lying that you said something in the first place) asking you for money, nasty emails to you (usually telling you what is wrong with you and giving you their worthless advice) or criticizing your work, ruthless phone calls. Thank God for email blocking and lawyers who handle cyber-harrassing suits and harrassment suits (save all emails btw)

The best way to handle most of this negativity is to just blow them off. After you have blocked the necessary email that is…LOL! There have been this type of jealous people since time began. I have even had Christian brothers and sisters or some that call themselves such, quote the Word of God or at least try to and then try to admonish me. Now this is a good one. You may have some one of your faith or a peers in your line of talent come at you in the same way.

It all boils down to the “haves’ and the “have nots”. And nothing comes easy in this world even those that are born with a silver spoon in their mouths give up much that the average person takes for granted such as a private life.

Let them rant and rave all they want. The best thing to do is to ignore them. They’re like the serial killer that longs for the public dispute for the thrill of attention. Jealousy is truly a green eyed monster that eats at the soul of it’s master.

The Word of God tells us to pray for those who are our enemies to ask for God’s blessings upon them. So much wisdom in this, if they receive blessings then they will not be so resentful of your’s.

Success is only the wisdom you learn and live after all.

later gaters…

My friend’s little granddaughter was asking her about what things she might possibly fear such as tornadoes, thunder storms, earth quakes, floods and their accompanying side kick activities. Her granddaughter brought up the subject of hurricanes. My friend quickly squashed this fear by telling her granddaughter that hurricanes simply do not occur here in the mid west states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa. Now grandmas are not suppose to tell grandchildren untruths and my friends would never intentionally lie to her precious granddaughter. How was she suppose to know that this year would be an historic year in more ways than one with the record flooding and hurricanes pounding our nation? Ike came to the mid west as unexpectantly as snow would be in July. Who would think a hurricane would hit Indiana, and Ohio? And Ike hit with a fury! What’s it like to live without power for a week…bitter-sweet. The little pre-civil war town I live near with it’s lovely old oak trees looked like a war zone after Ike went through. Trees scattered and down on the old houses, fences and out buildings taking with them countless power lines that were strewn all over roads and lawns.

My hubby and I watched in amazement tree after tree snap and crash to the ground on our farm. We had three large trees down across our driveway when the storm was all over and countless trees down in the woods. There was a mad rush to the local stores for generators. No one was sure how long we would be without power. We broke out the oil and kerosene lamps, candles, flashlights anything we could find that would produce light. My hubby was thrilled. He has always felt he was born a hundred years too late and would throw out all technology if you gave him the opportunity. He loves to sit around an kerosene lamp any day.

We were among the fortunate as we were able to purchase a generator to keep the frig going and wash clothes and maintain some sort of normal lifestyle.

The first night the storm hit was the one to remember, but not because of the fear or the danger. We went over to an old friend’s house for supper cooked on their propane camp stove. They had a house full of friends. We sat around the table lit by oil lamps and candles, ate good food and reminisced about old times. You would never have known there was a hurricane going on outside. The laughter and chatting seemed to have drowned out the storm’s ravage sounds.

Many good things came out of Ike. Neighbor helping neighbor. Friends getting together, people helping each other to clean up afterward, trees that needed to be cut up with chain saws, parks that needed cleaned up for children waiting to play in them again, fences that needed to be mended, houses with roofs that needed repair…people uniting for a cause.

This year we have seen many terrible acts of nature, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, but we have also seen man at his best. Giving his best for his fellow human being.

We have seen friends coming together, sharing, loving, expressing feelings for each other that may have lay buried far too long in their hearts while years ticked away.

I used to cringe when some one would use the term “Act of God” for a natural disaster, but I am not so sure it isn’t an appropriate term. Corrie Ten Boom survivor of a Nazi concentration camp once wrote,”God writes straight with crooked lines”. If you’ve been around this earth for awhile you learn that good often comes out of the bad in this life. I have also learned that what you see is what you’re looking to find.

later gaters…

IF YOU MISSED MY BLOG TALK RADIO INTERVIEW TODAY AT HTTP://BLOGTALKRADIO.COM/BOOKBITEFORKIDS WITH THE PROGRAM HOST, SUZANNE LIEURANCE YOU CAN STILL LISTEN TO IT AS IT IS ARCHIVED. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM AND LISTEN TO IT AT YOUR OWN LIEASURE. IT IS A 30 MINUTE PROGRAM AND I MUST SAY I REALLY ENJOYED SPEAKING WITH SUZANNE. I HOPE YOU GAIN SOME INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATING AND PERHAPS I MIGHT HAVE GIVEN YOU A FEW IDEAS.

SO HOP ON OVER TO BOOK BITES FOR KIDS AND LISTEN IN AND WHILE YOU’RE THERE LISTEN IN TO SOME OF THE OTHER GUESTS TOO. I KNOW I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO THEM.

LATER GATERS…

It’s that time of year again, time to vote on the annual Preditor’s and Editor’s Poll for your favorite writer, artist, publisher, artwork, book etc. I have been nominated again this year (thanks to my devoted fan base) I am nominated in the ARTIST category and in the Book/EBOOK COVER ARTWORK category for two books: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A RAINBOW FARM:THE MISSING COLOR KITTENS” By Trish Cousineau-Peiffer AND “RODNEY RAISES A FAMILY By Judy Caughron Byers. So once again P-L-E-A-S-E VOTE FOR ME! help me bring home the Critter’s Symbol so I can proudly display it on my website. Last year I made the top ten and I was one proud person! One of these days I woukd love to make to number 1 in the Artist category. One can always dream!

So go to http://critter.org/predpoll and cast your vote! To see the tallys each day check at:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/tally.html

I believe the voting goes to Jan 31st.

Tell your friends to vote too.

Love y’all!

OMG! can you believe it, it has been months since I have posted in my blog. Can’t say having two major surgeries can really contribute to enthusiasm for anything that’s for sure. Late June found me recuperating from total knee replacement surgery (ugh!) This is a surgery I hope to never have to undergo again.  Then two weeks ago I under went ligament reconstruction in my left hand. I had this surgery done on my right hand about 12 years ago. I have been suffering from arthritis since I was very young and it continues to strike my joints whenever it can.

But it takes more than surgeries to keep me down. I often think how odd it is that my favorite painter is Renoir. He was so afflicted with arthritis in his hands that he had his wife strap the brushes to his hands so he could continue to paint, little did I ever imagine that I too would share more than his love of art, but also his affliction as well. On the lighter side, summer has passed and my favorite time of year has come, Fall! Fall with her wonderful glorious array of glowing warm colors.  The trees have just started to turn , but the weather remains stubborn and wants to cling to summer’s hot temps. The weatherman has predicted cooler temps for the latter part of this week. YAY!

On the farm front…Mrs. Turkey frequently comes to the back yard deer feeder with ALL seven of her brood still with her. Now they are all almost full grown and as large as she is.  She has done quite a marvelous job of protecting them and keeping them alive.

We have acquired another dog to add to our family. A full blooded Red Bone hound dog named Dixie.  Tater our golden Retriever mix is in 7th heaven to have a playmate and Joe our very aging cattle dog is much relieved as he no longer has to entertain Tater.

I have had many viewers write in to ask me how to get published this is a subject I will write on soon as it takes a column by itself. Please feel free to write me in and ask me questions, I will answer them the best I can and if I can’t I’ll refer you to someone who can.

“Have You Ever Heard of a Rainbow Farm? -The Missing Color Kittens” is now available at your local book store or online at www.lulu.com. It is a wonderful book in the series. So don’t forget to add it to your kid’s library. The author and I are already working on book 3 so you won’t want to fall behind in the the adventures of the kids of Rainbow Farms and their colorful animals.

This winter be looking for Mary Wilson’s next book I will be illustrating, “Red Hat Grandma”. It promises to be another delight from this accomplished author.

Off to feed the chickens and collect the green eggs (yes my chickens really lay green eggs) Hey, maybe I live on a Rainbow Farm??

Later gaters…

It’s time to update my blog again before  my hair turns white and I am put in a nursing home. I am so sorry that I take so long in between blog entries, but it seems I have little time to sit down and write  daily things. I never could understand how people have the time to keep a daily journal. I’m doing good on answering letters and writing thank you notes.

Summer is here again and this year the arrival is glorious. Gorgeous orange May flowers have bloomed everywhere. We had our pasture bulldozed and leveled last year and when we did it spread the May flowers all over the place. So now we have a field of the lovely bloom. The Yellow Popular tree bloomed as well this year leaving the wonderful fragrance filling the air as we drove up our drive way. At the entrance to our 1500 ft drive way we also have two Lilac trees, one on each side and they also bloomed..oh heaven! I can just stand there for hours and sniff their delightful fragrance.

The white tail deer and wild turkey are plentiful and seem to know our farm is a safe refuge for them. We have a gated and fenced property and no one is allowed on our land without permission so we can protect the wild life here. “Jesse”, our old Saddle Bred horse was recently given a new companion as we purchased a wonderful Appaloosa horse trail riding horse (named “Breeze” at a recent auction. You can see a pic of him at my web site at  in my Photography gallery.

Yesterday I picked scads of wild strawberries, yum yum!  July will bring blackberries aplenty, I can hardly wait. Winter will bring Maple syrup again…my little farm keeps giving back to me..God is good!

We also have added three new lambs to our family. All Shetlands. One is a buff color, one is brown and one is black. They are all rams. “Milly” our ewe has her hand (hooves ?) fulls now. She is so happy to be their adopted mama and has taken to motherhood like a charm. Sure solved mowing the backyard problem that’s for sure and fertilizing it at the same time.

It is definitely a green summer to start due to all the recent rain that has caused so much devastating floods in the central area of the state. We have been most fortunate here with no damage or flooding.

I am currently working on “Harry Goes to the Fair” by Norma Sutton and hope to have the illustrations finished soon. Norma is a wonderful writer and makes illustrating so much fun.

Be watching for “Grandma’s Many Hats” by Mary Wilson this is in two versions the African-American and the Caucasion version to be published soon. It is a charming book about a granny in the Red Hat Society by her granddaughter.

I am looking forward to drinking lots of iced tea and lemonade and have lots of fun visiting with friends on the patio this summer. I hope you are too.

later gaters…