Welcome to my writing website! I’m so glad you found time to stop by. For about the last 14 years I have been on a journey of writing for children. This site will give you an idea of some poems, short pieces, art work and picture book manuscripts that I have written. I hope you may be inspired by some of the quotations and books I mention to start your own adventure.
Each of us has the ability to be creative, in big and small ways.
And ideas are everywhere!
Like the day I was helping chaperone a class picnic with my daughter at Congress Park in Saratoga Springs. Her second graders had just gotten ice cream from a local store when a baseball game started up. One boy placed his cone on the ground to join the game. Suddenly, down the tree came this squirrel who grabbed the cone, scurried back up and enjoyed the treat of his life. I grabbed my phone, captured the culprit in the act and a poem was born.
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Or the day I opened the newspaper in 2020 to read about a Sulcata tortoise named Daisy who had gone missing twice during Hurricane Laura in Louisiana. She was later rescued with the help of the Louisiana National Guard and was reunited with her owner, Keith Greenlee. I was inspired to write a fictional account of what happened and a picture book was born. I have been in touch with Mr. Greenlee and I hope to meet him one day when I visit Lake Charles and the tortoise farm where Daisy now lives. And I find that turtles show up when I least expect them. Maybe it's a sign from the universe. I hope so!
I invite you to head over to my About Me page to read more about how I got started and a few interesting things about my hometown of Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
This week I opened my fortune cookie to find the following advice:
Find joy in the journey rather than just the destination.
This advice has following me for the past 15 years of my writing journey. What more do I need than
to be conked on the head by the cookie sages. This is the best advice for anyone, no matter what stage
of the journey one is on. You have to enjoy the path of finding inspiration and then acting on it. You will have fun
if you stay with it.
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Growing up in a small town on the Hudson River, John could never imagine he would patrol the Hudson River one day as Captain of the Riverkeeper boat.
His father James Lipscombe was a seafaring mariner who loved to race sailboats, travel the world and make films about boating.
This story for youngsters will attempt to paint a picture of a young boy who loved being on the water and more importantly, desired to do everything possible to protect this amazing natural wonder for generations to come.
Published in The New Croton Review Fall/2022
When God picked up his pallet.
He knew just what to do.
He chose the brightest colors
To make a bird like you.
The blue is so majestic,
A redbreast to amaze.
Your wings chartreuse and purple
Deserve the highest praise.
Kaleidoscope of brilliance,
A wonder to behold
Wrapped up in one small bunting,
Creating joy untold.
Oh herald of such music,
You trill your song so sweet.
You grace earth with your presence.
I pray that soon we’ll meet.
And if my prayer is granted
I’m sure that I will say
I saw a bit of heaven
On loan from God this day.
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One day last week I was checking out at a local grocery store. The young man asked how I was and I replied the usual "Fine, Thanks." When I asked how he was, he replied "I'm Radiant, thank you!" I could hardly believe my ears. I had to pursue this and asked, "Why are you able to use such a beautiful word?" He told me that the sun in the morning and people, just people make him feel radiant." I asked if he was a student and his only reply was that he tries to learn something new every day. I wanted to learn more and we then veered off into the spiritual. The Lord was mentioned when we talked about serving others. The gentleman behind me was anxious to get his food items processed so I knew I had to go. I definitely need to look for him again and see what other wisdom he can impart.
his story came about when Sunny was staying at her grandparents’ home. One day she sniffed aromas in the kitchen that she could not resist. No one was around! Perfect, she thought. I’ll just grab onto that paper towel on the ledge and see what happens. Hmm. Sunny had never smelled such a delicacy. Down came the bacon and off she ran with the spoils of her victory.
Soon after I confronted her as I discovered what had happened.
“Say you’re sorry, Sunny!” was all I could say.
Not a word. Can dogs express remorse or act sorry? And so this picture book story was born. Tune in to a rhyming picture book that hopefully will happen one day.
