Happy New Year

May your New Year be MAGICAL!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ CLANDESTINE

"Just between you, me and the lamp post......."

Under the umbrella of secrecy the three friends shared the latest news....

That wonderful Feeling

This is how I feel right about now.
9days and 10 nights without power...then the phone was out for three more days... snow blowing and shoveling, treading gingerly on ice, serving my family over the holidays.... and now at least one day to rest before we begin the next week and a brand New Year.

Happiness and Peace to all.

Merry Christmas to All ~

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirin'i-us was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

- Luke 2:1-14

UPDATE ~ DAY 10

THE POWER IS BACK! We are overjoyed and grateful to the crews that have worked so tirelessly to restore our electricity.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ VOICES ~ DAY EIGHT

The VOICE of winter is a silent one. Rain that slowly turns to icy creations...snow that blankets the earth quickly and quietly.


The VOICES we are hearing in the tiny market down in the town, and in churches and on TV are still announcing that there are present outages in our area.
Our street and all those right around us and on up the mountainside are still without power for the 8th day in a row. When we talk to strangers we find everyone has a story, and yet the VOICES are cheerful as is the custom for this time of year. We are still operating on a small generator and we have some internet service from the satillite connection. That puts us in the category of very lucky as many people are still spending their days and nights in our middle school shleter.




So here for your winter enjoyment are scenes of the season...at least up here in the Monadnock Mts. of NH.
The ice is now melted away, and we expect 10 " of snow to top of the small snowfall earlier this week.


People exist with woodstoves, fireplaces, generator, and that typical New England attitude. It seems like they can handle anything with a smile and an ability to rise to any occasion. We have only been here five winters, so we are novice to the challenges, but we are learning FAST.....

Be of good Cheer, Christmas is a few days away. Even in the dark, the light of this Holy season will shine.

Day SEVEN and counting...

Maybe you have heard... maybe not. There has been a HUGE and nasty ice storm in the New England area.  Our town was one of the hardest hit. That is what you get for living in one of the  most gorgeous mountainous areas in NH.  Here are two photos that were taken by residents of NH... My pix can't be uploaded because I am on such a limited amount of energy from our small generator. This is day seven without power.  

We are managing, but many are less fortunate and are still being sheltered day and night at our middle school.   I'll get back to blogging once the power returns... 

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ RAMBUNCTIOUS

©Ginger Nielson

The SnowDuster

©Ginger Nielson 2008

THEY'RE HERE *******

The book I illustrated for SHAMWARI PUBLISHING in South Africa is finally here. The inventive rhymes of Brettell Hone have created a newer view of some African animals that might otherwise be overlooked. A pair of trout, an African fly and a Wood Owl are just some of the characters for whom Brettell has created a story in rhyme. And to add to all that, this is a book that BOYS will enjoy very much. There is a bit of action, some surprise, some danger and lots of fun!

The books are available now at Amazon.com and you can take a sneak peek as some of the story here. Books are also available from Atlas Books.

I really enjoyed working with the author on this project. His lifelong association with these animals and his idyllic location in the Limpopo provence of South Africa have given him a unique perspective on the lives of these animals. The books were printed by IMAGO printing and I have to admit that although there were some ups and downs with the process the finished product is gorgeous. The colors are true and vivid and I am totally pleased with the outcome.

If you want the book directly from your bookstore, just ask for it and include the ISBN number which is:978-0-620-40992-6.

THE DUET ~ ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ SIMILAR

This Brother and Sister have a SIMILAR goal, but had a tough time getting the message out.

Another Version... Polar Mom ~ Polar Fleece

I often like to get up close to the subject... I may go even closer in another version.