Some of the best things aren't planned...

​When Patient Dave and I moved to Barbados four years ago, we had planned to make that our home base for some worldwide sailing. A circumnavigation of the globe even with adventure on every horizon.

Then we discovered the wind in Barbados and were abruptly sidetracked by working on some green energy projects which left me to my creative devices at the house most of the time.

Hence, I began writing and illustrating children's stories.

That creative whim turned into my favourite pastime! That's right! Sharing stories and fun with children! Not just through books but through classroom visits, workshops, and play! 

Library Story Time became a fixture of my Saturdays, and the little faces I saw every weak wormed their way into my heart and their questions into some of my stories. (Some of those will still be published, Shea, so please be patient and wait for the Bugatti story...)

School visits and helping Kiwanis Club of Barbados In Action to promote literacy through Book Nooks quickly added to that. Then the various workshops, speaking engagements, interviews and producing some handouts came about.

And then, a Very Patient Dave and I made the tough decision to leave those projects and people in Barbados and relocate back to Canada.

Are those people and projects behind us? Oh no! They are in our minds every day and we have some plans to do some virtual writing courses, classroom visits and live visits when we return to the island. The wind is still there and our team is still developing that.

But the whim that was let's move to Nova Scotia to be close to Eric, became a whim that was oooh Cape Breton. Then it became paradise is Isle Madame.

​The whimsy led to our house which is already becoming home. The characters from my books have landed on shelves and keep telling me their stories. The cats, Oscar and Aspen, have staked out their individual territories for best napping. A Very Patient Dave is rolling his eyes but helping gather some details.

Was this in the five year plan? No.

Is this the next twenty-five year plan? Absolutely!

Welcome home, everyone! It's a new garden and we are here to stay!

I'm working on starting some new projects locally and maybe a new Story Time! Certainly getting involved in an art sale this weekend...

​Now, where did I leave my notebook...?

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