Katie Belle's first snow

Rejection letters

I've been looking up lists of agents for children's books and writing a nice query letter along with a few pages of The Adventures of Octopus and Octopie.  Got a lot more responses than I thought I would.  Unfortunately they are all REJECTION letters, but at least they responded.  Some even said, "Don't give up, it's just not my genre".  I need to find out how many time J.K. Rowling was rejected before someone took a chance on Harry Potter's first book.   OK, I just googled and Ms. Rowling said she had "loads" of rejections and they weren't nice.  When I emailed Rich and to him I was getting quite a few rejection letters, but most nice, he sent this back in response,   :)    Rich is a man of few words, but I took that as encouragement.

I think I'll run a tally on my own website, www.lottiekateminick.com of how many rejection letters I get.  Then I won't be depressed I'll just feel like I have new pen pals who won't ever write to me again.  Sounds like a plan.

Check out the Octopus and Octopie blog:

http://www.octopusandoctopie.com/octopus--octopie-blog/rejection-letters

Me and Arnold at Walmart

I didn't realize Arnold shops at my Walmart and when he offered to drive I couldn't say no.
But let's get real, neither of us looks good in our new camouflage outfits.  Well, I look better
than Arnold.  Black Friday, who can resist?  They sell Arnold's book about his girlfriends and
mistresses, but nowhere could I find The Adventures of Octopus and Octopie.  Oh, wait, it's an ebook on Amazon.com/books.  No excuse.  Still Arnold and I had fun and our pumpkin frappuccinos at The Mansion were delicious.  You didn't think Arnold took me to a lowly Starbucks did you?

Plant perseveres

Walking with the girls this morning when this little plant/weed stopped both the dogs and us.  Growing in a crack between the curb and the street in the middle of cement, this little guy perseveres.  Dallas, Texas heat, drops of runoff water and the occasional tire crunch seem to inspire growth.  Makes me think I really can grow taller learn to sing opera.

Or live in a gnome house: 
http://eastdallasartgardens.blogspot.com/2014/07/gnome-house.html

www.lottiekateminick.com

LottiePops Shop on Etsy

Gnome house

Abby discovered the garden gnome house in the back yard.  She opened the door of one house and pushed her head in tho her head was nearly the size of the house.  Abby sat up and the house with her.  She wore the King of the Gnomes house on her head several days before realizing it wasn't desirable head attire.   

Always the fashion statement, Abby tried to remove the house from her head, but alas it was stuck.  In retaliation, the gnomes poured Quick Statue on Abby.  Once a statue, the gnomes built several gnome homes on her and lived happily ever after in Abby Crevice.  

Moral:  There's always an upside.

www.lottiekateminick.com

http://eastdallasartgardens.blogspot.com/2014/07/4th-of-july-flight-of-bounce-house.htmlhttp://eastdallasartgardens.blogspot.com/2014/07/4th-of-july-flight-of-bounce-house.html

LottiePopsShop on Etsy

4th of July flight of the bounce house

We filled it with helium.  Let a few kids tie themselves to the towers.  Parade dads gave it a boost from below and with a bit of wind - Flight of the Bounce House - leading the parade.  Over the fire truck, past the police car, into the treetops toward the lake.  Who knew one of the ankle biters tied to a tower wore cowboy boots with spurs?  And he's a kicker?
You guessed it, just as the wind carried Bounce House to the middle of the lake.  Except for a shark eating the ankle biter, all was not lost.  Sea horses carried the rest of the children to shore.  Mermaids restored Bounce House and made it a safe house for wanna be flying fish. Happy ending.
Till next 4th of July.

www.lottiekateminick.com

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Tomorrow's the 4th of July

Tomorrow's the 4th of July.
Our neighborhood parade starts at 10:00.  Picnic for all courtesy of one of our most generous families.  Games for the children and a bounce house.  Hope it doesn't fly away, but a big balloon house flying over would be great.  Kids inside would win the coolest summer story. 
Many years ago the fire truck left us for a fire right after the parade started.  Happened again the very next year.  Now I walk in front of the truck leading the parade.  Stopped that nonsense.
Happy 4th of July East Dallas and USA.
Let Freedom Ring

www.lottiekateminick.com
on Etsy - LottiePopsShop