An Author Gets Her Start

I just love kids' artwork as I showed you HERE. Today I was going through some old papers, stories and art projects of mine that my mom had saved all these years. Wow, what a wealth of blog material was in this box!

For example, here are the pages from my writing journal when I was 7. Ever wonder where my spectacular writing abilities came from? Well, here's your answer...

(I like noodles because they taste good.) Some things never change. Thankfully, my spelling is not one of those things.

(I gave a Valentine to my friend.)

Unfortunately she couldn't accept it because she had no hands.

(A whale can swim.)

I like how I had originally written, "A dog can swim." Apparently I thought dogs had great abilities.

"I like our room"? Or "I like Rome"? I must have drawn this picture after I was a contestant on Jeopardy.

(I saw a dinosaur walking in the field. It was so big. I never saw anything as big as that.)

I've never seen anything quite like that either. Does it have 5 feet and 2 heads? Or does it just have a giant growth on his butt? He appears to be craning his neck to see just what's going on back there. "What the??? What did she just draw on my butt???"

I can make a deal? Again with the game shows? Actually, it says, "I can make a doll." That must be the doll on the floor. I'm pretty sure I've never made a doll, however. And look at the chair I'm sitting in. I think I broke the legs.

(A dog can jump over a car.)

Yep, clearly I thought dogs had special powers.

(I had a funny dream) about a girl and 2 boxes, I guess. I wonder how I ever got up on that bed? It's taller than I am! I do like my purple hair though.

(I gave a Valentine to my friend.) Again? Apparently I did a lot of this when I was 7. Well, my spelling of the word "Valentine" has changed at least. Unfortunately, I don't think it's an improvement.

(Here are some funny people.)

They have no hands. They have no feet. The guy on the left has half a head of blue hair, a nose and a mouth. The guy on the right has half a head of yellow hair, one eye and a mouth. Yep, they're pretty funny, in a really scary, sad, demented sort of way. Funny.

(I have beads. I can string the beads.) Oh look! There I am on the floor stringing beads. Why am I on the floor when there's a perfectly good chair with bowed legs right there? Oh, it must be because there's a spider on the chair! Quick, use your beads to whip the spider off the broken chair, Dawn!

Yes, even back 31 years ago, cookies were my favorite food group. What I especially love about this is that my sister has a carrot for dinner. My mom has a plate of spinach. My dad has some gray glop (must be left-overs) and I have a cookie. Yeah, life is good. (And note my pretty blue hair!)

Mmmm, poached Red Hadid drizzled with a light herbed lemon butter. De-Lish! Oh, what? You say it's supposed to be a "red headed fish"? Ohhhh. Scratch the lemon butter then. Hollandaise goes much better with that.

Just like whales. Not dogs.

...and a cage over my head. Oh, wait. That's not a cage. That's a chair. I've melded into the chair with the broken legs. Oooo and look! My hair's been dyed. It's a pretty blond here. I wonder how much hairspray one would have to use to get it to stick out like that. See those long, skinny, purple things holding the yellow yarn? Those are my arms. I know, I know, you thought they were Twizzlers, didn't you? They're not.

I was on a swing today. Or I was a swing today. Or I joined the circus as the "woman with the wild hair, the red eyes, and the green leotard on the flying trapeze".