Judy's Place

Moving into Autumn and a New Challenge

Summer Update.

School Visit Fun

May is....Spring?

Apr. 1st, 2009

Friday Few

Sunday Update

FINISHED!

Help, please

Moving Forward

Year in Review

'Tis the Season!

Nov. 27th, 2008

In Case You Are Wondering....

Election Day: Moment of Silence

I VOTED!

Happy Halloween

Autumn in Florida and other things.

Monday Musings

One of those quiz results

Moving into Autumn and a New Challenge

Summer Update.

School Visit Fun

May is....Spring?

Apr. 1st, 2009

Friday Few

Sunday Update

FINISHED!

Help, please

Moving Forward

Year in Review

'Tis the Season!

Nov. 27th, 2008

In Case You Are Wondering....

Election Day: Moment of Silence

I VOTED!

Happy Halloween

Autumn in Florida and other things.

Monday Musings

One of those quiz results

NFPS - The Guru

NFPS - The Guru

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Sep. 25th, 2009 at 5:01 PM

It is officially autumn now, on the calendar, although one would not know it around here. Although the breeze feels a LITTLE more like fall, it is still running in the 90's almost daily. But routines have changed, so that makes a difference, too. Another month or so, maybe it will start cooling down a little, and be less humid.

September has brought me the following:

1. The release of The Art of Grandparenting, in which I have one of the twenty essays on advice for new and not-so-new grandparents.

2. The release of Ryan's Victory, my companion early-reader of It's Time, about a non-verbal boy with autism who figures out that he can independently use his communication book to let family members know what he wants.

3. I have started a new project...a 365-day challenge to take a photo a day that depicts a small snapshot of my life, so that at the end of the year, I will have a great record of all that has happened. It sounds like a fun thing to do, and so far I have done a week. I am posting on Flickr, Facebook, and at my http://judithmammay.blogspot.com if anyone is interested in following my progress. Or maybe some people would be interested in taking on the project themselves.

I saw these spoonbills on the golf course two or three weeks ago and knew I wanted to take photos of them, but never quite got to it until Tuesday, after I had started the project. Conditions were perfect, so I got a great shot. The funny thing is, the day after I took photos of them, they left the golf course. I like to think they were hanging around just so I could take their picture! <G>

4. I am lucky to be able to pick up my 7-year-old grandson from school daily this year, since he attends a school five minutes away from my house. It is fun listening to him tell about his day, and discussing all the things that are important to him.

5. We will be off on a three-week road trip to Colorado in the near future...am looking forward to that, also.

Hope everyone else is getting back into a good fall routine and enjoying the change in seasons.

Jul. 30th, 2009 at 4:58 PM

Seems summer is almost over...school starts here in Florida in less than two weeks. That just does not seem right! Glad I am not still teaching!

Have been busy enough in the last two months. My son and family came home from Germany on their way to Colorado, their new home for the next two years, and we enjoyed visiting with them. WE had my younger grandson for three weeks while parents flew back to Germany to finish up what they had to there, and that was good. We had a good time most of the time, but with the autism, we also had a few challenges we worked through. All in all, I was pleased with M's behavior...he has come a long way. Daily swimming and biking were things we all looked forward to. Also took a couple of trips to the zoo, and numerous library visits, one of M's favorite things to do.

.

Another thing I worked on this summer was writing an article about grandparenting, to be included in an anthology for new and not-so-new grandparents by Nightengale Press . Just had a note from my publisher saying the book was ready for ordering and should be on Amazon, etc. in the next week or two. Can hardly wait to receive my copies!

Received the cover of my new easy-reader, too...which will be out in September through Jason and Nordic Publishers. RYAN'S VICTORY is the story of Ryan, who has autism, but figures out how to communicate his wishes to his parents in spite of his inability to speak.

Other than that, not a lot has happened---golf two or three times a week (some good, some bad); son's wedding on Saturday, planning a trip to Colorado for September.

Only thing I have not done is to be diligent about sending out the two books I have completed and edited. Guess I will have to put that on my fall 'to do' list.

May. 8th, 2009 at 5:29 PM

backdrop created by the third graders at Odyssey School

Librarian Linda Baker, me, and parent/fellow writer June Brown

I had a great time visiting Odyssey Charter School in Palm Bay, FL today...did two presentations--one for grades 3 and 4, based on KNOWING JOSEPH, autism, and how to become a good writer, and one for grades K-2 based on IT'S TIME, also talking about writing as well as autism. There was only one little glitch, when the projector closed down because of a power surge, and I was told they probably would not be able to get it back up while I was talking. But then it fixed itself, so all's well that ends well.

The kids were great and had some wonderful questions. I was particularly impressed with the K-2 group, where the kids were sitting on the floor and were packed in to the media center like sardines in a can, but they were still attentive and asked good questions. Most of them thanked me or otherwise complimented me as they filed out...one little girl told me that she liked that I was 'fashionably dressed.' That's really something for me, who is totally unfashionable in just about anything I wear. My thanks to Linda Baker, who coordinated the visit, and especially to June Brown, who set up the visit with the school!

When I got home, I was thinking I was done with the special projects for May, but then remembered that I have a 3000 word 'letter to new grandparents' to write for inclusion in an upcoming book, and a six-hour class to prepare lessons for as an instructor at the Creative Writing Institute here in Melbourne from May 17-22. So off to work I go.

Happy Mothers' Day to all you mothers out there!

May. 3rd, 2009 at 8:48 PM

Ever since I moved to Florida, I have been taking the tops off pineapples I get and planting them. NOW I am beginning to see the fruits of my labor...I actually have a plant that is producing a pineapple for me!

April was a busy month, but May is going to be just about as busy...I have a school visit scheduled for Friday, and then three sessions of teaching at the Florida Institute of Technology's Creative Writing Institute near the end of May. I am definitely seeing more of my grandkids, now, too, especially since son #2 has moved even closer than the half-hour away place where he was leasing.

So writing...NOW I have to come up with an idea for my next book. I continue to send out the two I have ready to go, and May is supposed to be a good month to make progress with such things, so I remain hopeful.

11:34 AM

Check out

hindustar 's site for some good links to learn more about autism and what you can do to support families with autism. (*Update--find hindustar's site in Autism Spectrum group.)

I am giving a talk for children and adults at Melbourne Library on April 20th to promote autism awareness through the use of literature. Of course, I will pull from my own experiences as a teacher and a grandmother of a child with autism, and use my own books, KNOWING JOSEPH and IT'S TIME, but will also be pointing out other books, such as

cynthialord 's RULES, as good examples of books that help kids and adults understand autism better.

I will also be attending the AUTISM AWARENESS FESTIVAL in Melbourne at Wickham Park on April 25th, to promote awareness through literature.

Mood: contemplative

autism awareness

Mar. 6th, 2009 at 10:02 AM

1. I have been able to spend some extra time with the grandkids in the last couple of weeks, and that is always fun. Last week the six-year-old was here for three days with a fever, but otherwise feeling fine; Sunday I had the one-year-old, and Tuesday the three-year-old. The picture shows the playdough we enjoyed for quite awhile on Tuesday...I was amazed at his attention span for the activities we did...AND that the playdough colors were never mixed, although they were in close proximity.

2. Have been waiting patiently for the results of my MG submissions...had a couple of results this week...one positive. It really made my day! Of course, it was just a partial, but that is the first step, isn't it? It was not a rejection!

3. Have added something new to my schedule--tutoring...a third grade home school student whose mom wants him to learn to write AND enjoy writing, and an adult man with autism who never had the chance to learn to read when he was in school many years ago...both are doing very well and I am enjoying the process.

4. Still have not come up with an idea for my next story...it will come, though, when the time is right. Currently I still have to revise my chapter book mystery, so that will keep me going for awhile.

5. Tomorrow (Saturday) I am participating in the First Annual Brevard Authors' Book Fair. If any of you happen to be anywhere near Cocoa, Florida, tomorrow afternoon, please stop in. There is an impressive list of participating authors.

6. Goal this week has been to get back to more regular attendance at the gym...so I am off to follow through with that. It is my second time this week, so that is one or two days better than I have been doing.

Have a great weekend...hope the weather cooperates where ever you are.

Feb. 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 PM

Not much going on here...have been thinking about a new topic for my next book, but have not come up with anything yet...I am open to suggestions, because I always have an easier time developing and writing a story if someone gives me the problem to solve. Maybe another mystery Aaron and Zeke could solve, or maybe something more mid-grade...with boy issues. Or maybe an adventure...something altogether different than I have written before.

This week has been fun...took two grandkids to the zoo and playground on Monday...the zoo had just opened a whole new area called Paws On, so we got to pet several animals, and then play in the 'lagoon'. Then yesterday we celebrated two kids' birthdays, which is always fun.

Hubby and I also attended New England Day at our park. There I was talking to the mother of a man who has autism...he does very well...works at a grocery store, etc. and is quite verbal, but never learned to read. I am thinking that was more due to the type of special ed programs they had when he was growing up rather than having to do with his abilities...there are so many new methods of teaching now than there were thirty or thirty-five years ago when he was in school. So he, his mother, and I decided to see what we could do to help him learn to read...should prove interesting. I have not taught adults before, so if anyone has any good suggestions of materials to use, let me know.

Weather is up and down here...today it is up...beautiful, picture-perfect day.

adult literacy; grandkids

Feb. 7th, 2009 at 12:24 PM

Today I finally finished my early chapterbook mystery! It has been sitting around for a couple of months at least waiting for me to write the last half chapter, so today I finally did it...NOW starts the process of revision.

In other news, I enjoyed a visit to Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, FL,where I did four presentations about 'Writing What You Know--Autism' and ate lunch in less than five hours. I was very impressed with the school and its students. There is real evidence of very caring students in that school.

One thing I learned is that I need to adjust the length of my presentation...I had much more than I needed and never quite made it to the end. Although I had planned it for the right length, it seems that I added quite of bit 'off the cuff' material along the line. All important to the presentations, but next time I will need to take into account that I will probably do that when planning for length...

Jan. 31st, 2009 at 2:15 PM

Things are beginning to calm down here, after a busy month of conference preparation, etc. The SCBWI-FL conference in Miami two weeks ago was awesome, as was the SCWG conference we put on in Cocoa Beach, where our own

cynthialord was so well received.

Now I am focusing on getting my manuscripts out and doing some school visits...which is where I am looking for some help. I have read about all the wonderful books by people on my friends list, but being me, cannot remember the names of most of them right now. What I am looking for are books for grades 3-5 where the reader can identify with the main character because that character may be experiencing situations similar to what the reader is going through, whether it be death, adoption, school or family problems of any kind, etc.

If you are the author of such a book, or know some good ones to recommend, please let me know ASAP so I can add them to my list.

Thanks.

mid-grade books

Jan. 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 PM

I have been reading on many other blogs about resolutions, how to start the new year, goals, dreams and lists, and have come up with something that might work for me. Here it is.

Several people have said that what we do on New Year's Day will be what we do all year long, and also what we do to get ready for the new year will carry over. Unintentionally, I would have to say, I have set myself up pretty well, by cleaning, organizing, having good friends over to celebrate, relaxing, reading and listening to good music on New Year's Day and the days leading up to it. IF those things carry over into the new year, I will be happy.

The only thing I didn't do that I would like to do more consistently during the new year is to write.
Here are some of my goals:

--Finish and revise my chapter book mystery, and get it out.
--Find an agent and/or publisher for my mid-grade novel.
--Do more school visits.
--Write additional books...after first coming up with topics...the hard part for me.
--Continue to develop and improve my website.
--Learn more about the finer points of my camera and develop my skills in nature photography.

I also have a few dreams, one of which I will share:

I would like to see a marked increase in the presence of my book KNOWING JOSEPH in public libraries and schools, or otherwise in the hands of kids...then it just might help someone in some way.

We'll take it day by day and see what happens.

goals; dreams; writing; photography

Jan. 1st, 2009 at 3:28 PM

Happy New Year...

I have been reflecting over the last year and have come to the conclusion we were blessed.

It started last February on Super Bowl Sunday, when my husband had a near-fatal heart attack, followed by a triple bypass, followed by some hard work, but eventual recovery and back to normal activities.

A week or so later, our latest grandchild was born--healthy, AND the first girl our family has had in a long while (following three sons and three grandsons.)

My youngest son and his wife decided to build a new house, so in September they moved, and my second son and family (father of new granddaughter) moved from Massachusetts to Florida, leasing youngest son's house until they figure out what they want. Now I have three of five grandchildren (counting the really cute step-grandson) within a half-hour's drive.

My oldest son is safely through more than half of his current tour in Iraq, home in Germany for the week with his family. We look forward to having them back in the States in July.

Awhile ago, I went back to review what I wrote last January in this blog, and found that although I did not meet the timetable for my goals, I did accomplish what I had set out to do in the first three months by the end of the year.

--I finished the revisions on my mid-grade novel in August, and sent it out to a few agents.

--I organized my poems and verses, and got them ready to send out, although I have not yet done that.

In addition:
--I wrote and sold an easy reader companion to IT'S TIME, which should be out in the spring...it's called RYAN'S VICTORY.

--I am within a half a chapter of finishing a chapter book mystery, which I will finish within a few days.

--I have done a few school visits, and look forward to doing more in the near future.

--I have remembered to take my camera more places, so have gotten some decent pictures throughout the year.

So I feel blessed and pleased to have done as much as I have this year, while going through the 'bad stuff' successfully...I look forward to an even better year in 2009!

May all of you also have a successful and blessed 2009!

Location:home
Mood: contemplative
Music:Small World

Dec. 5th, 2008 at 10:00 AM

Hubby has started decorating the house and yard for the Christmas season...and LOOK! My maple tree has chosen NOW to turn red and be part of our Christmas scene!

In other news, I am happy to announce that I have a contract for my easy-reader/picture book, Ryan's Victory, with Jason and Nordic Press. The book is due out in the spring.

This is a busy month as far as my books go. Tomorrow I will be with a group of SCWG authors at the large craft fair in Cocoa Village, next Friday I am doing three sessions at Career Day for a school in Merritt Island, and next Saturday will be at an SCWG Children's Book Fair at the Merritt Island Library. I don't usually sell a lot of books at these events, but I enjoy meeting all the people and often make some good connections with people who are connected to autism in some way, or to education, and sometimes, it's fun just talking to people who stop to look.

Hope you all have a happy and stress-free pre-holiday season.

1:32 PM

Nov. 15th, 2008 at 2:21 PM

This is NOT the moon!

This is the shuttle seconds after launch, as viewed from the street in front of my house last evening. It had just come up over the horizon and into our view...we live about fifty miles south of the launch site. It was a clear night and our view was spectacular, considering we were so far away. We followed it for much longer than we can usually follow such launches.

To compare, here is a photo of the full moon, off to the right of the shuttle path.

( More photos beneath the cut )

In other news, today I participated in a Family Health Fair, with a table about 'Promoting Understanding of Autism through Literature. I displayed several books I found in our county library system, and had a handout for those interested. I got to talk with several children, as well as making connections with a few adults, and when I pointed out RULES by

cynthialord , and told them it was a Sunshine book, most told me it was already in their classroom.

If anyone is interested in seeing that list of books, let me know and I will send it to you.

Nov. 4th, 2008 at 3:36 PM

I like this idea, which I got from

lillpluta , who got it from

tamarak .

1. Stop talking about politics for a moment or two.
2. Post a reasonably-sized picture in your LJ, NOT under a cut tag, of something pleasant, such as an adorable kitten, or a fluffy white cloud, or a bottle of booze. Something that has NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS.
3. Include these instructions, and share the love.

Nov. 4th, 2008 at 3:18 PM

I promised Kate Messner that I would post a picture of myself after I voted if I remembered my camera...well, I remembered the camera, but there was no one around the polls to take my picture, so this will have to do, along with my I Voted sticker.

It's not that a lot of people DON'T vote here...my husband was over this morning two or three times and decided to wait until later because he did not want to stand in the lines. It has more to do with the fact that 1) it is a small polling place covering just the park and a few surrounding streets, 2) many people in our park are snow-birds and are more likely to be registered it their home states, and 3) a great number of Brevard residents chose to vote early. That is what I was counting on when I waited. Every day there was an article in the paper about how long the lines at early voting were, so I figured there would not be a line today...and I was right.

voting

Oct. 31st, 2008 at 5:30 PM

Hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween!

happy halloween

Oct. 15th, 2008 at 1:31 PM

I have been looking with envy at all the beautiful photos of the fall foliage in the northeast posted recently here on LJ, wishing I were there to take such photos and to enjoy the color, too. But since that is not going to happen, I decided that maybe I could take photos of autumn in Florida..

In Florida, autumn brings the color of oranges and yellows to our fruit trees, as oranges, grapefruit and lemons ripen. Here are some of the lemons on the tree beside my house...will not be long before I can pick and enjoy them.

Here is one of our colorful trees, with these blooms appearing in the fall. The flowers on this one are sparse, compared to some I saw earlier when I did not have my camera...on those, you could barely see the green. Unfortunately, I have not been able to figure out what kind of tree this is yet, so if any of your southerners know, please tell me. Last fall I spent hours trying to figure it out, but never came up with the answer.

In other news, I have about one more chapter to write on my chapterbook before beginning the revision stage. I am also sending my mid-grade off to my editor this week to see if she is interested. Unlike many of you, I don't have a contract for the second book, but there is an option clause in the contract, so here is hoping.

Last weekend hubby and I went to Daytona for a three-day golf outing...and stayed right on the beach. It was great weather, too, so we could actually walk the beach after we finished golf. But alas, again I did not have my camera with me, so there was another photo-op blown!

Oct. 6th, 2008 at 5:52 AM

Photo from the Everglades

For some reason I am awake and up early this morning, so I think I will get some extra writing time in. After not writing for over a week, I am back at it, and am very close, within a chapter or two, of finishing it. This chapter book mystery has been relatively easy to write...kind of a fun thing for me after spending so long on my second mid-grade.

So I guess the question is what do I want to do now? I have sent the mid-grade to several agents with no success. I am about to send it off to my editor, who gets to see it first, per my contract for Knowing Joseph. So now I don't know if I want to keep sending the MG to agents, or just let it sit for awhile and see what happens.

My next step, of course, is to finish the mystery and go through the revision process a couple of times. But then what? I really don't like the part of trying to sell them. But if I am not going to do that, I guess the question is why write them?

Enough of the musings...

Today (and every Monday) I get to go do writing with the first and second graders at Indian Harbor Montessori School. When I told my librarian that I needed a good book to encourage kids to write, he gave me MY DUCK by Tanya Linch. It is the story of a young child writing a story at school, but every time she starts, her teacher tells her there is something wrong with it and makes her start over (like 'Ducks don't wear shoes). Each time this happens, the character she has been told not to use shows up in her new story all on its own, until she finally does a story about the zoo that her teacher will accept, and is happy that her teacher doesn't see the duck and the fairy on the path to see the pandas, and asks the reader not to tell. My librarian said that teachers don't like the book because it puts them in somewhat of a bad light, and it does, but I also think it can lead to a discussion of different kinds of writing...and the fact that sometimes we have to write what a teacher wants so we can learn about that kind of writing, but at other times we can just write from our imagination.

The other fun thing I did this weekend was to take care of my seven-month old granddaughter...kind of fun, but am really glad I am past doing that job full time!

Sep. 28th, 2008 at 8:23 AM

I liked this one...and it seems pretty accurate, although I did find it hard to make choices on several of the pictures.

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

Nature, Foreground, Big Picture, and Shape

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on what's in front of you (the foreground) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to deal directly with whatever comes your way without dealing with speculating possibilities or outcomes you can't control. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

September 2009