Exciting News

I'm very excited to see CUT SHORT on the US Publishers Weekly BEST BOOKS OF 2009 list, the only title to be starred in the Mass Market category. You can read the review here

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6707975.html?q=leigh+russell+cut+short

I know there are a lot of Americans here on Blogland Lane and although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia, I think our Christmas is a similar occasion. Everyone comes home, celebrates, eats too much and gives thanks. So to all of you in the US, take care of yourselves, enjoy the company of family and friends, be thankful that you have an online community and those you love around you. Take a break from the hectic world outside and share good times together. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Who knows, in a year or two, you might have a guest from down under at your table.

Art Box Exchange

Remember (it's on the side bar too) December 5th I'll create a post to post up our creations from the Art Box Exchange.  I can't wait to see what you all did with your stash items.  My head is spinning with ideas and dreams-and that's in a good way.

ENDANGERED SPECIES

BORDERS UK ARE UNDER THREAT FROM SUPERMARKETS & ONLINE SUPPLIERS. THERE IS ROOM FOR REAL BOOKSHOPS TOO.
IF YOU ARE IN THE UK & YOU VALUE BOOKS GO TO BORDERS AND BUY A BOOK TODAY. HELP SAVE REAL BOOKSHOPS!

Give It Up!!!! by Emily Rabbit

To my neighbors: You may not know Emily Rabbit. She writes on my blog once a week and is too feisty for her own good. But this week she is handling our very own Wishes and Dreams Foundation. This post appears on my own blog too. Love kj

Hello Everyone, it's me, Emily, finally. I had to wait for kj to show off her pictures of Santa Fe but here I am now. For one more time only I am going to be very polite and sweet and keep my promise to do something nice for this Wishes & Dreams Foundation that kj likes. After this I will be my whiny and complaining self again, ready to remind you how to cry deep from your stomach and kick your feet in the air when you want your own way.

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When I mentioned that I am doing a good deed a few weeks ago, I got some nice responses so now I am here to collect the money and see who else wants to be nice with me this one time.
.There are three ways you can contribute, remember?
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1. kj knows a very smart 13 year old girl who is in foster care and has had a hard time and wants acting lessons. If you like this idea, the best thing to do is to send kj a check. If you email her, she will send you her address.
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Or if you have this thing called Paypal, you can send money to kj's email from there.
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Or you can order a copy of kj's book right here on her blog at the sidebar and she will donate $10 to where ever you want. If you don't want the book you can order it anyway and instead of sending it to you kj will donate all the money except the tax.
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Or it gets even better. But you have to wait a minute until I finish with this list and you will see.
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2. The other thing you can do instead is to help this doctor named Maithri who works in Swaziland Africa and helps children who don't have mothers or fathers and need everything, even clean water. If you want to donate here, you should go to http://possibledreamsinternational.org/ and you can give whatever you want right there.

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.3. And third, you don't need money for this one. Just do something nice for someone and don't get caught. But you have to tell me or kj what you did because it will give someone else an idea of how to do something nice, maybe even me..

And don't forget: for everyone who makes even a dollar contribution I will have a drawing to see who wins and the prize will be that I, Emily V. V. Rabbit, will be a guest writer on your blog AND I will write about whatever subject you want me to write about ..

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Now wait until you hear this!!!!!

Do you know my best friend Marianne? Well she and kj's friend Caroline have both offered one of their original paintings to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.We are talking about very good art here--see for yourself:

This is Marianne's mandala. It is a big one 10,6 x 13,8” (27 x 35 cm) Watercolor, ink micron pen glitter and pearls. kj already has a bid of $ 50 for this so you have to pay more than that. But I can tell you with my own eyes that this mandala that my best friend Marianne painted is worth a year's supply of jellybeans at least, plus they bring you good luck. So if you want it you can have it plus you will be doing something nice. kj says to tell you that the highest bidder decides where the money should go, to kj's client or to Dr. Maithri.

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TA DA! And now for Caroline's painting!!!!

It will be a surprise painting but here are some examples of how fantastic she is..If you get Caroline's painting you can talk to her about what you might like and what she will paint something for you. I bid my $15 on this already and can you believe it that kj bid $ 25, which I thought was very selfish of her so I really don't want her to win so I hope someone else will bid more than $ 25.

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I will leave the bidding open for 48 hours, which around here means until Sunday night. I know there are alot of good causes to give money too but I am the only RABBIT doing this and I think that is a good reason all by itself for you to help out, besides it isn't every day that I stop whining and complaining and do this instead, so maybe if this works out you will end up being a good influence on me, which maybe will be good but then again, maybe I'm better off kicking my feet and crying from my stomach.....
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Some of you asked if you could send presents along with contributing money. kj says that is fine. In addition to her 13 year old, there is 4 year old Angelina, 5 year old Xavier, and 10 year old Daria. And there is 48 year old Alice who only has one pair of clothes. kj says she looks like she is a size 16.
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And don't forget, it doesn't have to be money, it can just be a good deed. I hope some new people and maybe even a few rabbits will join in. My Uncle Bunny might be able to--he has money from selling rabbit pellets, remember?

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So that's all I have to say today. Oh, one more thing. kj said if I get 25 comments on her blog she will pay me my $ 10 this week. And if I do and she pays, I am going to buy jellybeans. I am. I don't care if you think I should contribute that $ 10 too. I've done enough. I am only a little bunny and here I am raising money and hoping for the best. I think that's enough, don't you agree?
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Next week I might teach Margaret how to play.
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Sincerely yours,
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Emily Rabbit

invisible woman

Does anyone know why my picture doesn't appear when I comment on someone else's post?

Contrition

Poetry from 53A

Motes of dust on specks of sand
joined as shoreline of land
waiting at the water’s edge of God's mercy,
our gathering place.

Alone, I am, in this gathering place.
My sin my own, an offense not to be compared to any other's.
All insult of sin so great, a rejection of God's friendship,
infinite goodness and grace.

Feeling love for Him, how could I not love myself?
Neither is possible alone.
Loving patience, forgiving and infinite -
His only demand? Embrace good, reject evil.

White room, adorned in nothingness, becomes my slate,
my learning place, of recognition.
Sins un-recounted, forgiveness a plea. Accepting God's mercy,
we unwrap His gift of our uniqueness.

Mote on dust -
Dust on sand grain -
Grain in a sea of sand grains -
Alone but known
and, heard.