New Scene. New Sights to See.

Recently, the universe decided I needed change, and it made it so. Transition can be challenging, and I've done enough adulting to last a lifetime, but once dust settles, vision clears. My daily scene is different now, though some things are the same. Stephanie has her majestic pond, and I have a street to explore. It's filled with eclectic sights, and runs parallel to the Housatonic river. Change is swift when it comes; with open hearts and eyes we find the light playing in and all around us. Here's a peek into my new world...

Rainbow Ride finally realized in a proper circle. 

Her Highness chilling in the mood lighting.

I popped a moon flower seed in this pot. I hope it blooms!

Caught this rainbow playing with my house faerie.

Found this magical crystal ball amethyst treasure at The Ruby Tree in Woodbury, CT (a good reason to shop at local eclectic shops, that's where you find these stunning, unique artworks. This one was waiting for me.)

Sharky is still suspicious. 

Morning walk.

In December, we visited Barnes and Noble in Waterbury. As always, we had a great time talking to readers and spending time with the awesome staff there. 

Wishing all of our readers peace, love, and abundance in the new year! 

MMGM Spotlight: The Deliverers by Gregory Slomba

This week we're spotlighting an excellent middle grade series, The Deliverers. 

We connected with the author of the books, Gregory Slomba, some time ago, and we've been on the book block with him pretty much since the beginning of our own journey into the depths of the Begonia House. 

The Deliverers books have new illustrations that whisk you right off into the adventure, and the fourth book is in the works! 

Book 1: Sharky and the Jewel

Eric has never talked to birds before, nor has he heard of a land called Calendria.  All of that changes when an ordinary campout changes his life forever. After an owl named Stig asks him to go on an adventure with him, Eric is intrigued and agrees to go. They travel through a door to the Hallway of Worlds and the Gatekeeper gives them their assignment.  From there Stig and Eric enter a new world and meet a member of Calendria, Kate. She is convinced that they are “The Deliverers” from an old legend and that they have been sent to help her people get away from Sharky, a pirate that has been making life difficult for her village...

Continue reading this review 

Book 2: Order of the Crystal Lion

Eric and the rest of the Deliverers are back together on a new adventure. This time the Hallway of Worlds has sent Eric, Kate, Hallo, and Stig to a place where the people and beings are involved in a civil war with each other. A group of people called the Vynistri have been using a device, the Machine, to alter the DNA of the Chazum. The Vynistri is being ruled by the evil Chancellor Trelango. His brother, Selango, who claims to be the Crystal Lion spoken about in legends, is rallying the Chazum and their supporters. Two brothers fighting on opposite sides! It's up to the Deliverers to make sure that the Machine is destroyed and that peace is restored in the land...

Continue reading this review 

Book 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang

Eric, Stig, Kate, and Hallo are on another adventure to save a world under distress. The black mist from Eric’s recent nightmares seems to be connected to this new world, the Dragon Islands. Unfortunately, Eric isn’t sure what the mist is all about. Here the people rely on the Voice of the Dragon, a speaker who relays wisdom from Golden Dragon of Ang. Whenever a speaker dies, the next one is already announced and it must be a child between the ages of 12 and 15. But, not this time! The Voice is gone and no one is in line to take over. The governors from each of the five Dragon Islands are trying to figure out where the next Voice of the Dragon will be from, and they all want it to be the island they rule. With this unrest comes conniving and scheming in order to benefit different islands and bring them power...

Continue reading this review

Find out more about the author, Gregory Slomba!

Where did you get the idea for the The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion?

When I set out to write the sequel to Sharky and the Jewel I wanted to make it different than the first, so I made the setting a slightly futuristic sci-fi one. I actually wanted to make it more sci-fi than it wound up being, but as I wrote I kind of shifted back and forth between the future and the past. I don’t know if that was effective when all was said and done, but I think it made for a unique world.

Continue reading this interview 

Authors, Stephanie Robinson & Gregory Slomba

Visit Gregory's website to find out more about the books!

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.

Views From the Pond July/August/September

 

Well, my plan of posting one Views From the Pond post a month is not working out as planned. I take millions of pictures, but posting has been tricky. The last few months have been busy with family weddings, work trips, work, helping a friend move, and then I sprained my wrist when I fell at work. I am fine and the wrist is finally almost back to normal, but it is amazing how much life is altered when you can't type with two hands! 

So, this post will contain pictures for three months and then I will post three months in the beginning of January and I will hopefully be on track! Since it is three months worth of photos and activities- there is a lot to take in! I hope to be on a better schedule in 2024. Time will tell!

July

                         The brook had lots of grass growing in it. 

A family of deer which came daily for a while.

August

                                   (Our new weather station all set up)

                                                 (down the street)

                                       A visiting heron.

A short video of the heron (which I watched for a long, long time)

September

                                                (New grass growing in where we finally 

                                                  finished a project we started in May! We made

                                                  the space to walk to the pond wider- and it was

                                                  a lot of work, but well worth it!)

Thanks for coming by for a visit! I have so much fun watching the daily changes! Always amazing to me.  

Next Views From the Pond will be up at the beginning of January for October/November/December!