Gratuitous Garden Post

Hard to believe tomorrow is December 1, and the garden is still going. I probably should have been decorating and shopping this past Sunday, but couldn't quite bring myself to get into holiday-insanity mode. Not with the sun shining and weeds to be pulled!

Here are our homemade hoop houses. (Gotta love duct tape.)


















Below, from left to right, are kohlrabi, beets, pac choi (?) cabbage, and carrots.


















And here's spinach, broccoli rabe, swiss chard and some sort of green whose name I forget. It's supposed to grow when it's 30 below. Or something like that.


















And finally, the take from what's still hanging in under row covers: more chard, kale, and baby carrots. Sure am enjoying this year's grand garden experiment.














To me, gardening is a sort of moving meditation. It also gets the ideas flowing. I don't know why this is– I'm happy just to keep digging.

(How Do You Say "Turkey" in Cat?)

My hairy little assistants keeping an eye on the birds outside. No turkeys, so far. Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Who-Owl Promo Card

Here's another promo card, from this sketch, way back when.

It always feels like a leap of faith to send these out into the world. (How do I know the post office guy isn't just snickering and shredding them in the back room? Mwahahahaha!) But I really have had people say they've kept a card for years until the right assignment came along. You just never know where things will lead.

Three Days of Sweat and a Bunch O' Gray Hairs Later, I've Finally Updated My Website...

www.jenniferthermes.com

The New York Times
Best Illustrated Children's
Books of 2010


(My blog doubles as a file cabinet. If I don't post this link
I'll lose track of it.)

Whispering Pines 2011

I've been invited to be the guest illustrator at the 2011 Whispering Pines Writer's Retreat from March 25-27, 2011! People have been telling me wonderful things about this weekend, and I am really excited to take part. Here are some past presenters, and here's registration information.

Something good to look forward to at the tail end of winter!

Take-Out Wisdom

"A truly creative person rids him or herself
of all self-imposed limitations."

(From Friday night Chinese food fortune cookie. Good point.)