'The day it snowed and snowed and snowed ...'

I usually post this story on my dad's birthday,  

(but as things go this time of the year ...)

So without further delay,

 Happy Birthday Bob Fitzgerald 

and here is your story, 

(with a few edits in text and in the illustration from last year :)  

Enjoy!!

'The day it snowed and snowed and snowed ...'

by Virginia Fitzgerald

dedicated to my Dad,

Robert Fitzgerald

My brother and I woke to a sky full of snow, and the feel of magic in the air.

Mom was worried about a big storm, but all my brother and I saw was a day full of merriment and fun.

After breakfast, we played in the courtyard, bundled in our snowsuits, hats, and mittens. 

During lunch, Mr. Schuller, the super, came by to make sure the heaters were working and warned us that this storm was turning out to be a big one! 

Mom watched the TV, as my brother and I watch the snow. 

Daddy came home early from work. He brought some groceries and some friends who were going to stay with us since they were stranded in the city. 

Suddenly our apartment was full of adults, neighbors and friends, music and laughter. We were having a snowbound party. 

As our apartment got louder and louder, the city got quieter and quieter. The snow kept falling, blanketing the streets; no cars were moving, all was as quiet as a graveyard. 

My brother and I gazed out through the steamed-up window watching the storm subside. Daddy joined us to admire the white wonderland, and then asked if we wanted to go sledding?! 

We explode with excitement!!! Yes!!!Yes!!!Yes!!! 

Mom didn't like the idea at all! She thought it was too cold, too late, too dark.  But Daddy convinced her, as long as my brother and I promised to go straight to bed when we got back. 

We promised!!! 

And so the bundling began again, this time with extra shirts and pants and scarfs and socks.  And when we felt as if we couldn't  even move, Daddy grabbed the sled and we tottered off.

The street was so quiet and white, it felt as though we were tiny mice in a giant's castle. All around us were large looming mounds of white, the sleeping giants, casting off dark engulfing shadows, made from the bright moon beams from the towering street lamps.

As we gazed around in wonder I noticed the sidewalk had vanished under these hulking mounds. They were impassable. I thought this would end our adventure right then and there, but my dad didn't waver. 

He trudged through the snow and into the street, where it was not so deep. My brother and I had been told to never play in the street, so we hesitated. 

But Daddy waved us on, explaining that tonight was a special night, with special rules. There were no cars out tonight, in fact, nothing at all was moving so we could be in the street. 

My brother and I looked around, he was right! 

So my brother and I clamored on the sled, my brother nestled in my lap, and we were off, down the middle of Dearborn St. Warm yellow lights streamed out of every window, adorning everything with an enchanted glow. 

As I held on tight to my brother and felt the cold air on my cheeks, I heard the sleigh blades skate along the snow, my brother's quick breaths and my father's boots crushing the freshly fallen snow. 

This was pure magic; to be out so late under the deep blue night sky, to be with my dad who left his friends to be with us, and to be surrounded by such snowy quiet, in the middle of the city, with my brother safe and snug in my lap. 

Later, we clambered back up the stairs, to our apartment, with our cheeks kissed pink with the brisk winter air. And after we pealed off all of our wet coats and boots and mittens and scarves, my brother and I said our sleepy goodnights to the party. Then we stumbled in to our toasty, cozy beds. And as my cheeks and toes began to thaw, snuggled deep under my warm blankets, and I held tight to the magical feeling I had from the day it snowed and snowed and snowed.

me and my dad

the end 

my styling mom and dad at a party

illustration friday ~ asleep

Once again I feel that it has been too long since I have lasted blogged, which is true. One reason is since I have been away soooooo long there is soooooooo much I want to say so I get stymied. But then I saw today's Illustration Friday's prompt: asleep, and knew I couldn't pass this up...

In fact this is a wonderful prompt for me... so much that I couldn't pick because all three if these are some of my favorite illustrations - from way back, so i'm posting all three.

And I do hope to be posting a bit more regularly because there is just so much to share, to ponder & to post. (also my teaching position is ending so i will have a bit more time on my hands, well at least until my girlies get out of school :)

peace & happy memorial weekend!!

illustration friday ~ transportation

this week the 'topic' for illustration Friday is transportation .... so many possibilities ~ boats, cars and truck, oh my!!! When I finally settled down my creative brain and perused my portfolio for an appropriate illustration, I came across this one. And even though this might not scream transportation, like a big yellow taxi :) I wanted to use it, because this painting was done for a picture book and yesterday I read a disturbing article in the New York Times about the decline in the publication of picture books ~ Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children By Julie Bosman, published: October 7, 2010. Reading this article upset me greatly, as an illustrator and a parent. I believe in the importance of the picture book!!! I bet we all have a cherished memory of our favorite picture book ~ the one we sat with for hours, disappearing into the pictures ~ fighting dragons, rocking with mama bunny or cruising along one of Richard Scarry's wonderfully busy streets. Our house is still full of picture books even though my girls are nine and twelve. I don't think there is an age limit for enjoying a picture book; however this seems to be the main reason for the decline, according to this article. The article concentrated on how parents are pushing their children to read chapter books at an earlier and earlier age ~ ack!!! As a parent I see so many elements of my children's lives disappearing in the name of 'advancement'. How many parent conferences I have gone to where I am told that all these new procedures are preparing them for the MCAs ~ the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. Now don't get me wrong I am all for giving our children a wonderful education with as many opportunities that they can have, but I feel like we are losing some of the wonders of childhood! And this article stirred many of these feelings, especially this section ~

Now Laurence is 6 ½, and while he regularly tackles 80-page chapter books, he is still a “reluctant reader,” Ms. Gignac said.
Sometimes, she said, he tries to go back to picture books.
“He would still read picture books now if we let him, because he doesn’t want to work to read,” she said, adding that she and her husband have kept him reading chapter books.

I read this and it made my heart ache ~ I think as parents we are not only responsible for teaching our children to read but, and maybe more importantly, we need to cultivate a love for reading, especially now that children have so many other entertainment options besides a good book. I know that I am a bit biased on this point (you can ask my girls) but I feel that the written word can take you so many wonderful places and you don't need an outlet!

The article did mention that the cost for a picture book could also be contributing to the decline in sales ~ and I can see that, however then again, authors and illustrators do need to buy groceries and pay rent too!!
So go find a good picture book (or go buy one) and enjoy!! If you feel so inclined please tell me one of your favorites ~ one of my favorites is The Bedspread by Sylvia Fair ~ visually amazing and the story warms the cockles of my heart everytime I read it!!

happy reading and looking!! peace

once upon a chair.... in Groton

Here is the chair that i painted for a fund raiser for the Groton Public Library. 10 artists participated, we each got an old library chairs and asked us to do something that related to children's literature. I was honored to be asked and excited to be thinking about children book ~ it is a passion of mine. I have a dream to illustrate a children's book some day ~ (I tried the free lance illustrator stint with a portfolio full of illustrations but i never seem to get my book on the right art director's desk at the right time ~ alas). So I enjoyed being back in that mind set again and I was also happy to be painting again.

The minute i heard the theme for the project I knew that i would be doing the frog prince.... this frog is a bit of a muse for me. He has appeared on my bottle cap jewelry, hand painted clothing and other hand painted furniture. To read more about this muse and the chair project you can go to the Groton Library site.

Also the project got written up in the Boston Globe today!!! click here to see the article ~ I am mentioned (always nice).

Here are the details of the event . I am planning to go to the artist's reception ~ should be fun!

“Once Upon a Chair’’ runs through April 10 at the Groton Public Library, 99 Main St., with bids accepted at the library through April 8, when an artists reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. The chairs can be seen on the library’s website, www.gpl.org. 978-448-1167.
'ribbit'