day 3 picture book marathon

Today I discussed a story I would like to develop next month in the Chapter Book Challenge and then considered how I could have offshoot picture book stories from that longer story. So My idea today is to do some short short versions of the longer idea.  I hope I am up to dealing with mini WOW when it happens on the 14/15/16 of Feb in the middle of the PB marathon. I shall see. The best part of all these challenges is getting to know the marvelous people involved in the kid lit world (Children's literature).

Here are the last of my flower entries for the 52 week challenge.

They show that I need to do a lot more work with water colour to achieve any level of real skill with that medium.  The first is a scarf and my floral jewellery, the second is some form of purple flower from a bulb with bud and shoots and the final one is a rendition of water plants in the fish tank. 

Today was an odd day. I had to take my daughter's collection of wigs to the school because the photographer refused to take her photo because her hair is not coloured 'naturally'. I find this disgusting in this day and age and wonder how they can continue with this draconian attitude when 90% of all the woman staff have their hair dyed and probably at least 10% of the men. The staff push the clothing and hair angle at the expense of the academic support. How can an educational institution expect innovative and  wide thinking young adults to come out of the door if all that is important is clocking in and conforming to tight uniformity. I thought Hitler died and lost the second world war and did not realise we still live in such an overt dictatorship. Sadly my daughter used to raise funds for the Leukemia foundation but year after after year the school has harrassed her for it and refused to allow her to have her school photograph taken because her hair is 'wrong'. She no longer raises funds because it has become too much of a battle with the school.  Interestingly another student was given huge support for the same charity and shaved her hair off with kudos and sponsorship from staff and mention in school documents and I wonder what the difference is? Social status? Financial status? The girl was allowed to wear a hat and allowed to have her photo taken but not my daughter? Hmmm

I went to the hospital for my pre op checks and found the Nurse wanted to tell me her theories about cancer and why some people get it and some don't and how her T cells are obviously working really well and mine aren't which is "Not saying mine are better than yours..." and went on to talk at my Mona Lisa smile as she filled in paper work. I nodded and made noises that indicated I was listening. Then she went on to tell me all her dieting tips for me to lose weight and when I said I was a writer, proceeded to tell me all of the great story ideas she wanted me to go home and write.  I wonder if she was lonely or had a desperate need to be heard or if she thought I was an idiot and needed a lecture. Could be a hundred reasons for why she was doing that and I am pondering many of them for story ideas. Every moment is a story seed.