Home …

Home is such an important place. A place to just be yourself, to relax, a refuge, a place to foster growth, a cocoon of dreams, an inspiration of life, a place to heal, and so much more.

April is National Poetry Month, so I’m offering this lovely poem by Christopher Marlowe.

Song for A Little House

I’m glad our house is a little house,
Not too tall nor too wide.
I’m glad the hovering butterflies
Feel free to come inside.

Our little house is a friendly house.
It is not shy or vain;
It gossips with the talking trees,
And makes friends with the rain.

And quick leaves cast a shimmer of green
Against our whited walls,
And in the phlox, the courteous bees
Are paying duty calls.
– Christopher Marlowe

But home is not just the structure itself; it is also the place, the neighborhood, the city, the town. They’re all part of “home.” And so, a few more photos of my home, as spring comes slowly into bloom. Above, the trees, just beginning to green up, and their late afternoon shadows accompany me on my walk along the river to the bridge.

Looking north, life is just awakening from slumber. This sentinel, which has steadfastly looked over the river for the 19 years I’ve lived here and much longer, is now showing the most shy of buds.

Crossing the Delaware River to Pennsylvania, where the blush of green in the trees is heartening.

Forsythia in bloom around one of our many turn-of-the-century homes, with the Chestnut Hill B`n B just behind.

Home is where we walk, where we become, and who we are for however long we stay.

Words with Flower Accompaniment

Well, I love quotes. I love to share them. I need to draw, and I’m a big fan of words and images together. So there you have it.

This quote, often mistakenly attributed to the late, great Kurt Vonnegut, caught my attention while reading this morning. It seemed like such a good one to share in light of the daily onslaught of news.

And then, another note of hope, Spring. This lovely display of pussy willow, baby daffodils and iris just needed to be shared. Taken at my local farm market, Phillips Farms, a fabulous source of home grown fruits, vegetables, flowers, as well as locally sourced milk, eggs, cheeses, and other dairy.

We may feel frightened and/or confused by all that’s going on right now, but there are still so many blessings to behold and embrace.

Book Giveaway!!

I’d love to give you a signed copy of my beautiful picture book, Where Do Butterflies Go at Night, 2nd Edition, so I am sponsoring a giveaway on Instagram from March 25th – April 10th.

To be considered, you’ll need an Instagram account, and then, just follow this link.

Once on my post, you only need to:
* Like my post ❤️
* Follow me @jeannebalsam
* Comment that you’d like to receive the book

You’re now in the mix to win!

The recipient will also receive 2 bookmarks and a butterfly coloring page. Offer only good in U.S. The winner will be announced the weekend of April 12/13. Due to the prohibitive cost of shipping outside this country, I regret that the offer is only good in the U.S.

Should you wish to purchase the book, Where Do Butterflies Go at Night? – 2nd Edition is available on Amazon.

When you have a book …

There’s a kind of almost-glamour that comes with having a book published. People suddenly look at you differently, with a kind of respect, a bit of awe, maybe amazement (they didn’t know you could actually do that!) It’s kind of funny, really.

As if writing the book were the greatest thing ever. But to me, it seems that who I am – who you are – and all the amazing thoughts and dreams we have, is the real deal. The everyday kindnesses we offer, the work we put into healing ourselves and growing so that we may be better humans on this planet – the untold efforts of just staying steady in the midst of so much going on in the world.

Don’t get me wrong. I was thrilled to finally have my picture book “Butterflies” published. And I am thrilled to have produced it myself in the face of my publisher closing their doors. But what I’ve been thinking about lately is how much work it takes to get a book out into the world, and then … all it takes to get the word out that it even exists. It’s daunting, truly daunting. Especially self-publishing.

If you are already published, you know. If you are working towards being published/self-publishing, be forewarned, it’s not for the weak of heart.

I love this book. I want to know that little ones are hearing and smiling to the rhyme and finding all the magical notes in the illustrations. And I will continue promoting it to make that happen. And I have more stories to tell and bring to the world. I have lots to do and will get there. As will you, so take heart and be brave. We can always hold hands on this journey.

Maybe the “news” today was just exceptionally toxic.

Working with An Illustrator

Yes, my book has a dog! But it didn’t always have one.

“Where Do Butterflies Go at Night?” – 2nd Edition’s text brought the reader into the rich imagination of the little boy who has fallen asleep dreaming. But during the illustration process, Stella asked if we might have a dog. Hmmm. After a not-terribly-long discussion about it and an inquiry as to what kind of dog, I was good with it, and now we have an adorable Beagle pup guiding the young reader throughout the book.

As an illustrator myself, I have a process when I write a picture book – I start the story, visualize it, continue writing, visualize that, and so on. By the time I’ve finished writing the story, I have completely illustrated it in my mind. So one of the challenges in working with an illustrator is that their images, no matter how gorgeous, often contradict what’s already in your mind!

It takes surrendering your own ideas, and trusting someone else to imagine your story. And what a wonderful job Stella did on that. And the Beagley-boy is such a perfect touch.

“Where Do Butterflies Go at Night?” – 2nd Edition is now available on Amazon.