Librairies

So I'm going to have a children's picture book published. It's supposed to come out in September. I'm extremely excited because it's very difficult to break into that market. Even though I have years of drawing experience, I'm not doing the illustrations. I'll let a professional do them. It's going to be with Nocturnal Press Publications. It reminds me how much I loved books as a child. The drawings and paintings in my books were entrancing and the poems were great. Just turning the pages gave me a thrill. Of course as I grew my tastes changed. Nancy Drew was a great favorite and they still had drawings in them. Horse stories were another favorite. I had my own library card and used to go with my mom and get books. I suppose all kids know of that experience. Libraries in those days were silent. No talking allowed. It's so much different in Ottawa's libraries. They have a space set aside with easy chairs for people to sit in and chat. It's right next to the computers so it isn't likely to disturb any reading. Honestly, there is not much reading done in the library downtown. Mostly it's used as a drop-in center for poor people who have no place else to be. There, they can use the computers all they want. They wouldn't be able to afford computers and internet on their own. So it's good all around. There are some complaints from some, better? people who don't like the smell of them. But that's life in the downtown core. Aside from this complaint, the libraries are still a place where you can see mothers and kids looking for appropriate books. In my teens I was all about science fiction. Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and the usual 'gods' of the genre. Then I moved on to art books. Biographies about Van Gough and others. Now, my favorite is historical fiction although I'm open to read other things. Anyway, when my cover comes out, I'll try and post it here.

A Worm In The System

My mother didn't believe in doctors so I'll never know if I had any allergies when I was a child. After I moved to Ottawa, everyone I met told me that people in Ottawa had a tendency to develop allergies. So I had myself tested and found that I was allergic to maple trees and dust mites. I received a shot of something each week and after a while was cured of my allergy to maple trees. I am still allergic to dust mites. A lot of people are. So I was listening when on one of David's crazy science shows, they mentioned a new theory of allergies. It seems more kids these days have allergies. It also seems that farm kids have a lesser tendency to allergies. So what gives? The new theory is that city kids are too clean. Yes, they say, kids need to play in the mud and cavort with animals. They must play with dogs and cats and make mud pies and parents have to stop wiping and spraying their counters with anti-bacterial cleaners. Disinfecting is killing our kids. Oh, and one more thing. We need to swallow worms. They've found that there is a certain worm present in pigs, in fact, that can cure the allergy to dust mites. Yes, for two whole months you swallow one worm egg a day and your allergy will go away. They swear it works and that human resistance to allergies can be found in worms. We need worms to protect us. Ugh. That's what I'm thinking, too. I have to admit I'm intrigued by this finding but also that I'm hesitant to swallow pig worm eggs. Maybe after they've proven it, either yes or no, definitively.