Tag Archive for: #inspiration

Firefly

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The policeman had already come. Calls were made. A steady stream of visitors gifted us with their love. And casseroles. So many casseroles.

Brad, Kyle, Ian, and I clung together through that day, the news of our loss unbearable.

We did the same at bedtime, a tangle of arms and legs in our king-sized bed.

I lay awake, listening to the soft sounds of my children sleeping. A pill had been offered to help me sleep. I refused. So I struggled, my mind unable to shut down.

She was gone. Our Claire, our oldest, our little reader, dancer, big sister, fancy dresser, and feisty spirit. Gone.

I didn’t want to disturb my family in their sleep, so I got up. I went to the bathroom. Came back to bed. Got up again.

I grabbed a pillow and went downstairs to the sofa in the front room. The same room where the “time-out” chair sat in the corner, facing outside the big picture window. Claire spent some time there. So did I.

I pulled the throw that lived on the sofa, the same one we’d snuggle in as we read together, over me.

I closed my eyes, but the glow of the streetlight, which for years illuminated neighborhood games of flashlight tag, spilled into the room.

So too did the deep scent of the stargazer lilies from the arrangement my siblings sent that day.

A stark reminder of our heartbreak.

I gave up, thinking I’d rather lie sleepless with my family than without.

With pillow in tow, I made my way up the steps.

Then I stopped.

Something was glowing on the steps.

My eyes were blurry and dry from lack of sleep and continuous tears, so I wasn’t sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.

I bent over, waited a second, and then, sure enough, it flashed again.

A little firefly had made its way into the house and onto my steps.

Photo credit: “Firefly on clover” by ikewinski is licensed under CC by 2.0.

It brought a smile as it lit up intermittently.

Typically, I would scoop it up and let it outside to join its fellow nighttime revelers.

But I was too tired and comforted by its presence, so I let it be.

As I walked up the stairs, images of our three little ones running around on summer nights catching them in mason jars came to mind.

I’d done the same when I was a child.

And, just as then, I would have the kids release them before turning in for the night.

They only live for such a short while; it’s not fair to hold onto them. Their lights are signals for love, I’d say. We wouldn’t want to keep them from finding love, right?

So they would open up the lids and let them fly free.

Image credit: “Fireflies leaving the glass” by Elena Schweitzer

I slipped back into bed, finally falling asleep. I woke up a few times and sensed a glow in our room. As my eyes flickered in and out of sleep, so too did the hint of light.

I was the first to get up that next morning. As I walked across the bedroom carpet, I discovered my little firefly, still blinking ever so slowly.

He had followed me up the stairs, down the hall, and into the room with my family.

I picked him up gently, walked downstairs, opened the front door, and let him go.

After all, it wasn’t fair to keep him to myself, I thought.

And just like that little firefly, I felt it wasn’t fair to keep the memories of Claire, her gifts, closed up tight.

I needed to let her spirit go, to share her passion for reading, her joy, and yes, her feisty character with all of you.

And that’s exactly what I’ve tried to do through Claire’s Day.

We lost Claire 26 years ago on this date, right in the heart of firefly season here in Ohio.

When I see all the beautiful bioluminescent creatures light up the night, I think of Claire, reaching out to signal her love.

 

 

25 Years of Celebrating Our Little Reader Gone Too Soon

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It’s hard to fathom that our Claire left us almost 26 years ago.

And that this May we will be celebrating the 25th annual Claire’s Day festivities.

Check out the most recent Claire’s Day newsletter.

We hope if you are in the NW Ohio area in early May, that you will gather the children in your life and come join us in the celebrations!

For all the latest, click on the link below.

https://conta.cc/47MUR7b

Ohioana Celebration of Virginia Hamilton and M.C. Higgins, the Great

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Come join in on the celebration of Virginia Hamilton, the most honored author of children’s literature, ever!

Her son, Jaime Adoff and I will be discussing Virginia’s Newbery-Award-Winning novel, M.C. Higgins, the Great, as well as Jaime’s upcoming children’s book release. Here’s a link to sign up for this free lecture!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/100-years-of-ohio-authors-1975-virginia-hamilton-and-jaime-adoff-tickets-1983634898379?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Power of Numbers

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Happy New Year!

2026 is the Year of the Horse, according to the Chinese Zodiac.

Not just any horse, mind you. But the Fire Horse.

Even just typing those words makes me feel energetic and bold, which this special sign represents. The Fire Horse also signifies freedom, innovation, and fast action.

Strap your boots on, we’re rearing to go this year.

Numerologists advise us that one can reduce a year to a single number simply by adding the numbers…

2+0+2+6=10, then simplify this by adding the last two digits, 1+0=1

Welcome to the Universal Year 1.

And, even more significant, January 1, 2026 breaks down to 1/1/1, representing a cosmic numerological portal.

Are you with me so far?

Apparently, this portal is instrumental in intention setting.

I love that. A mathematical hole to step through to pursue our purpose.

Note that I did not say “resolution.”

I’ve always felt New Year resolutions came from a place of negativity…feeling as though we need to change something about ourselves. Lose weight, cut back on bad stuff we put into our bodies, get out of debt, etc.

To me, intentions come from a positive place…things we ought to do more of. Spend time with family and friends, get out and take a walk every day, practice being caught up in the moment.

So, we’ve got the Year of the Fire Horse, a Universal Year 1, and then, as I tend to do, I fell into the numerological rabbit hole, and discovered that my birth date, 21 represents the frequency of 3. (Remember 2+1=3).

I was born three weeks late. The fourth child and three weeks late. Go Figure.

But, I think the universe was just waiting for me to drop on that date, as the core values of the number 3 include growth, creativity, communication, optimism, and harmony. And, my number is associated with understanding and self-expression, i.e. writing.

Reading this through my deep dive brought me back to my intentions for this Year of the Horse.

I’m going to draw on those mathematically established traits and continue to embrace my creativity and try to bring harmony within myself and in all of my relationships.

But most of all, I’m going to dive back into the first draft of the middle-grade novel I wrote last year.

I’ll be intentionally rewriting and revising this personal and heartwarming story. Then moving forward through critique group and ultimately querying literary agents.

As traditional publishing time frames go, my hope is that my novel sells, is contracted, and well on its way out into the universe by 2028.

2+0+2+8=12.

1+2=3

As they say, it’s all in the numbers.

 

 

Page(s) Count

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My heart skipped a beat with an email I received from the Ohio Center for the Book back in May.

“Congratulations! Your book, Virginia Hamilton: America’s Storyteller, has been chosen by the Ohio Center for
the Book to be included in the “Great Reads from Great Places” list for the 2025 National Book Festival of the
Library of Congress!”

Wow.

What an amazing and validating honor, I thought.

And, truly full-circle. The National Book Festival was established by former First Lady Laura Bush. Mrs. Bush also founded the Texas Book Festival, which served as inspiration for the creation of our Claire’s Day in honor of our little reader gone too soon.

Even crazier, this was the 25th annual National Book Festival.

Claire’s Day will celebrate 25 years this coming May.

I continued to read the invitation.

And then my heart sank.

The National Book Festival was scheduled for September 6 in Washington, D.C.

Ugh.

That was smack-dab in the middle of when I was to be teeing it up with my besties up in Northern Michigan for our sacred annual ladies’ golf trip.

I couldn’t imagine missing the National Book Festival, but just as equally, I would have been heartbroken to miss time with my dear friends.

I reached out to my friends and explained the dilemma.

Without hesitation, these seven other ladies rearranged their schedules so that I wouldn’t miss this presumed once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

And of course, my husband Brad, also jumped on board to join me for this exciting trip to D.C..

In the meantime, the Ohio Center for the Book reached out and shared that they would love to feature me in their podcast, Page Count.

Laura Maylene Walter, Fellow with the Center, served as the on-air hostess. Laura, also an author, did an excellent job conducting the interview. If you missed it, check it out here.

The entire weekend in D.C. was everything I could have hoped for.  From a fantastic dinner on Thursday at the Iron Gate restaurant (our waiter, Joey, proclaimed the night “all about Julie” and took such good care of us, even ending the evening with a complimentary glass of champagne!), to touring the Washington Monument, the Natural History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History on Friday.

Friday evening, we were hosted at a reception for all of the Library of Congress affiliates and honorees at the James Madison Building. Don Boozer, the coordinator of the program for the Ohio Center, was kind enough to meet us in the lobby, usher us to the reception, and then introduce us to key Library of Congress staff members. Such a thrill.

The sun filtered through our curtains at the historic Morrison Clark hotel on Saturday morning. I was already awake, so excited for the day. It did not disappoint.

The National Book Festival was like any other book festival I’ve either participated in as an author or simply gone to as a reader. But on steroids!

As pictures speak volumes, here is the highlight reel from my experience…

From left to right: Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, meeting a young fan, hanging with Don Boozer at the Ohio booth, fan-girling over Newbery Medal (twice over!) Erin Entrada Kelly.

And finally, my book was featured among all the honorees.

Pinch me.

Brad and I flew home, did laundry, repacked, and prepared for leaving the next day.

Me for that ladies’ golf trip, Brad to a family gathering in North Carolina.

We golfed.

We boated.

And we celebrated over 30 years of friendship.

In the world of children’s book writing, there are industry standards for typical page counts for stories.

In my opinion, as in life, every page counts.

I’m so grateful my pages are filled to the brim!

 

A Creative Life

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“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou

My friend and fellow children’s book author, Michelle Houts, recently shared pictures of a group of peers in a pottery class on social media.  Michelle wrote something about how when writers aren’t writing, we are still creating.

When golfing with my friend Joan the other day, after sharing my current obsession with making gluten-free sourdough bread, she commented, “You’re always creating something.”

For those who know me well, it’s no surprise that I’m often without my phone. I’m more about being in the moment than feeling the need to record and share it. So, when I scrolled through the photos I’ve taken this summer, I realized Maya, Michelle, and Joan are all on the same page.

Just because I’m not always writing doesn’t mean I’m not sprinkling my little imaginative soul juices around.

Here’s a peek behind my creative curtain…

Let’s start with my garden. People say that pets resemble their owners.

Perhaps my garden is a reflection of me… natural, a little crazy, and a bit wild.

What began as tiny starts of a variety of native plants has evolved into this.

There’s whorled tickseed correopsis, mountain mint, bluestem grass, brown eyed susans,

and my favorite, purple coneflowers.

Note the bee box, which is supposed to shelter pollinators. Robins like to perch on it and poop…

 

 

I love creating flower arrangements from the bounty.

Now and then, spiders hitch a ride on the blooms…

I try my best to let them back outside.

 

Speaking of little critters hanging out in my garden, check this out.

Do you see the caterpillars enjoying my parsley?

They are future Black Swallowtail butterflies!

I have three chrysallis attached to the outdoor baker’s rack.

I don’t even mind that they ate all my parsley.

It’s growing back.

 

Other babies got their starts in my garden, too.

Here is one of five fledglings who entertained us as they

mastered flight.

The wires on our deck served as a perfect resting spot.

 

 

Here’s my sourdough starter….

 

…and the result.

I’m loving playing with the process.

It’s so awesome to have fresh, homemade bread again. My mom would be proud.

 

 

Rest assured, I am still working on penning stories for younger readers.

I am currently rewriting my first novel for

middle-grade readers. As any creative will attest, whatever one produces takes

time, effort, and patience.

I’m hoping that just like those little native plant starts, the caterpillars, the tiny blue robin’s eggs,

and the sourdough starter, that with the proper amount of nurturing,

this story grows into a beautiful new creation.

Stay tuned.

 

P.S. This happened later today after writing this blog post. Note the chrysalis attached to the plant stem!

I’ll take it as a sign of good things to come.

Soul Stirring

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“When your soul stirs, take attentive note.”

So begins a beautiful book that my friend, Gayle, gifted me several years ago.

Simply Soul Stirring: Writing as a Meditative Practice has been a wonderful reminder to “be in the moment” both in writing and life.

I hope you’ve experienced those occasions where you feel pure joy…where you feel happiness down into your soul.

That feeling where your soul simply lights up.

There are always so many of these moments at our Claire’s Day celebrations.

But there’s always one that stands out.

Sanaa Orra, one of our amazing Read for Literacy/Claire’s Day team members approached me last week with this sweet child and her Mom.

“Julie, this C.A.R.E. Award winner came to the offices looking for you.  She said she wanted to get a picture with Claire’s Mom.”

Be still, my heart.

I congratulated this young girl on receiving the award in Claire’s honor for improving her reading skills. We chatted a little bit about what she likes to read. About the fun day she had. About how proud I am of her for working so hard to become a better reader.

Before they left, I gave her mom my cell phone and asked if she would be so kind as to send me the picture.

 

 

When I got the text later, the string of photos captured the essence of all our team does to continue to share Claire’s legacy.

With tears in my eyes, I texted the little girl’s mom back.

I told her that it looked like her daughter had an excellent Claire’s Day.

And I thanked her for supporting her reading journey.

Her mom’s response?

“Ms. Julie, she had a great time. Thank you for a wonderful day yesterday.

 

The following images are a perfect reflection of that excellent day.

 

 

After receiving her award, Toledo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant was on hand to congratulate her. Dr. Durant has joined us every year since he began serving in this role.

Those little ones are so fortunate to have such a dynamic leader guiding their futures.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This picture of the little one and her teacher caught my breath. How the light shines on Claire…and continues to shine on the day!

We are so grateful for the hundreds of teachers who nominate their students for the award annually.

As one educator told me last year, “This is my favorite day of the year!”

Of course, part of the magic that happens at Claire’s Day is for children to have their books personally signed by the author or illustrator. Here is award-winning author/illustrator Bea Jackson with this little one. Look at just how proud they both are of their work.

Thank you to all of our Claire’s Day partners, from the incredible Read for Literacy/Claire’s Day staff to our partner schools, sponsors, volunteers, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Gathering Volumes bookstore, authors, illustrators, and attendees.

You all stir our souls.

 

 

Goosebumps. All. Day. Long.

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On the way to the Main Library of Toledo Lucas County Public Library system this past Saturday morning, I enjoyed taking in the scene along the Maumee River. It was a bit cloudy, but the sun was trying to poke out. Then, with a burst of radiance, beams from the sun cleared through the grey skies, shining down onto the river.

I turned to Brad and said, “Check it out…heaven’s rays.”

I knew then that our 22nd annual Claire’s Day, the celebration of our little reader gone too soon would be an excellent day.

The Main Library in downtown Toledo was jammin’ that morning, an electrified excitement bouncing off the walls and shelves.

A year of planning by our Read for Literacy/Claire’s Day team led to this day. Months of working through the myriad of details, and thousands of emails to all of our partners…sponsors, schools,  and collaborators brought us to this point.

A week’s worth of visits to twenty area school partners by our guest authors and illustrators contributed to the excitement.

It was time.

I had the pleasure of serving as the hostess of several C.A.R.E. Award (Claire’s Award for Reading Excellence) ceremonies that morning. Before bestowing special recognition to the most improved readers from various schools in the greater Toledo area, I spoke a bit about our journey.

I talked about Claire and her love of reading. I talked about our family and our desire to honor her in a way that was true to her. And I talked about those heaven’s rays on the way to the library.

Then we announced the students’ names, and each of the award winners received a personalized certificate and a coupon to choose their very own book from the selection written or illustrated by our guest authors and artists. Each child came up to the stage, some shy, not necessarily used to the experience of being recognized for academic achievement, and got their packet. With huge smiles, they gave high-fives to the many teachers from their schools lending support.

Afterward, a father came up to me and shared that he took a picture with his son proudly showing his certificate, in front of the photo of Claire we had up on stage.

As he handed his phone to me, this big, strong guy had tears in the corners of his eyes. As I looked at the picture, I understood why. There, in the background, with a streak of sun across her picture, Claire glowed in the background.

Wow.

It was the first of many goosebumps moments I experienced throughout Claire’s Day Toledo.

Parents hugging me in gratitude.

Random kids coming up and hugging me from behind, just like Claire used to do.

Teachers we’ve seen year after year, offering their gratitude for what we do for their students. One teacher told me, “This is my favorite day of the year!”

Throughout the day, Brad and I connected, holding hands, sneaking a kiss, and sharing stories together.

Claire wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“Cause All I Wanna Do is Have Some Fun…”

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The last few weeks have been a whirlwind.

Christmas in Marina and Monterey

It was hard to be away from family and friends once again over Christmas, but Brad and I kept ourselves busy taking advantage of all that the area had to offer.

We stayed at the Marina Dunes RV Resort. It was a lovely campground just 500 yards from the ocean. I loved the hues of the native plants along the path on the dunes leading to the ocean. Luna basked in the sunsets!

We golfed at Pacific Grove Golf Links, known as the Poor Man’s Pebble Beach. We were paired with a father and son and just had a blast. We saw surfers along the coast running beside the course. This is me pretending to be one.

Monarchs winter along the California coast too. We took in one of their migratory spots at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary. I could almost hear the thousands of pairs of wings fluttering in the breeze.

We biked along the coast. It was hard to keep an eye on all the car traffic right along the bike path. The ocean was a bit distracting!

We kayaked at Elkhorn Slough, an awesome estuary featuring these little critters.

I teared up at the sight of the mama otter cradling the cub on her chest. It made me miss my kids all the more so.

I couldn’t wait for our reunion in LA.

Pacific Palisades

We rented a home in the beautiful enclave of Pacific Palisades for the start of our time together. The home was built in 1949 and featured an awesome outdoor firepit and views of the ocean right across the street. A nightly ritual involved walking down to the park just up the way, coffee cups filled with favorite beverages, and toasting the sunset.

Hiking and Beaching

We used to call all of our adventures “Brad’s Boot Camp.” I think the apples haven’t fallen too far from the tree, as we made the most of the area. Our first full day, we hiked at Solstice Canyon. We took both the Solstice Hike and then continued on to the Rising Sun Trail for an awesome two-hour experience.

The hike features the ruins of the Roberts Ranch House, designed by Paul Williams, who was a famous African American architect. Here is a fascinating article about this trailblazer whose hand is prominent in over 2500 buildings and homes, most in LA.

After lunch at Malibu Seafood (“the reason we don’t serve breakfast is because we’re out catching lunch”) and then, after numerous attempts, finally found coastal access to walk along the Malibu Beach.

 

Venice and Santa Monica

We sang Sheryl Crow’s iconic song All I Wanna Do is Have Some Fun while visiting the Santa Monica area. We took in the famed canals of Venice Beach. We walked the Santa Monica Pier. And we made a quick stop at Zibby’s Bookshop. I am inspired by the dedication and passion owner Zibby Owens has for books and sharing authentic stories. I’ve been in touch with Zibby about our story…perhaps her publishing house may be interesting in sharing our journey some day.

Pasadena and New Year’s Eve

We shifted to Pasadena for what will become obvious later in the post. We took full advantage of the area and the beautiful home we stayed in as we brought in the New Year together.

On New Year’s Eve we took a nice 5 mile hike on the Eaton Falls and Henninger Flats trail. Great start to the day!

Later in the day we headed to Griffith Park and the Observatory. We packed a charcuterie board and some bubbly and watched the last sunset of 2023 on a little path down below the iconic Observatory.

I discovered a bit about the park on our drive. At over 3,000 acres, Griffith Park is the largest municipal park with wilderness in the United States. The land was donated in 1896 by Griffith J. Griffith and his wife, Tina. Sounds great, right? Well, as we all know, there’s always a story behind the story.

Let’s just say that Griffith J. Griffith’s life is rather checkered, including accusations of tax evasion and imprisonment for attempting to murder his wife. For the rest of the story, see here…

We returned to our beautiful rental home in Altadena and worked together to create a scrumptious NYE dinner featuring grilled steaks (from the grass-fed beef we bought at Rafter W. Ranch in Simla, CO), brussel sprouts and smashed roasted potatoes. Yummy!

Rose Bowl Experience!

Brad booked our tickets to the Rose Bowl parade and game through the Al Brooks Ticketing Agency almost a year ago. The package included awesome seats to the parade and special seating to the game. We had no guarantee that the kids or their partners would be able to join us.

It was a gamble that paid off in spades.

Sadly, our daughter Kyle’s husband, Will, was not able to join us, as his brother is on the coaching staff of Wisconsin. Wisconsin was in Tampa for their bowl game on the same day as the Rose Bowl. We missed Will during the entire trip. But, Kyle, and our son Ian and his partner Adam were with us for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Everything that could have gone right for the day, did. From easy-peasy access to the designated parking area for the parade (although we got up at 5 in order to be at the parade route by 6!), to the incredible weather, everything was perfect.

I got chills (and, okay, a few tears) at the start of the parade as the B-2 Stealth Bomber flew over the parade.

Television coverage doesn’t do the parade justice, as we witnessed all the incredible flowers that decorate the floats.

Then, the piece de la resistance! Game Time! Although our beloved Buckeyes from The Ohio State University didn’t make it into the Bowl as we hoped, Big Ten was represented incredibly well by the University of Michigan. As you likely know, the game went into a thrilling overtime and Michigan claimed the victory.

We scooted out in a flash, catching the drone show as we walked to the parking lot. We went back to our rental home and watched Washington beat Texas together in the cozy family room.

Our time ended all too soon. It’s always so hard to say goodbye to our kids, with Ian and Adam in Denver, and Kyle and Will in Atlanta. But before the final goodbyes, we were already planning our next adventures.

“Cause All I Wanna Do is Have Some Fun…”

It’s coming on Christmas…a message of hope

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It’s coming on Christmas

They’re cutting down trees

They’re putting up reindeer 

Singing songs of joy and peace

Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on...

So begins “River” written by Joni Mitchell.

It’s a “Christmas song for people who are lonely at Christmas time,” Joni said in an interview in 2021.

I fell in love with Robert Downey Jr’s rendition of this classic on the Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas album, which came out in 1999.

Our daughter Claire LOVED the album’s feature artist, Vonda Shepard. She loved to sing along with many of the artist’s songs, preferring LOUD renditions, and solo. Fun memory of our little reader gone too soon.

“River” takes me back to that first Christmas in 2000 without Claire. So, so hard.

There were many times that all I wanted was to find a river I could skate away on.

Joni Mitchell’s version came on the radio yesterday morning, as I was watching a river of rain flow through our campground outside of Santa Cruz, California.

But it don’t snow here

It stays pretty green

While listening, really listening to the lyrics, the melody had its own meaning in my life. To me, the song didn’t represent loneliness. It reflected my journey through grief.

At some point in those early, hard years, I realized I no longer needed a river to skate away on.

I figured out that no matter how long that river was, I wasn’t going to be able to skate away to escape my pain.

What I really needed was a paddle to navigate the waters of grief, to face all of the emotions I was experiencing.

I wish I had a river so long

I would teach my feet to fly

Through the love and support of Brad, our kids, Kyle and Ian, family, friends, and a whole community, I paddled like hell, to the other side. They all taught my feet to fly, and my broken heart to soar.

As more time passed, I learned to toss the paddle aside and just let go. To let the current and tides take me wherever I was meant to be.

Far from being adrift, I feel as though I’ve let the shore come to me. I feel anchored.

I hope that if you are reading this, and dealing with grief in any form, that my message might offer a bit of hope.

It’s okay if you feel like you need a river to skate away on. I feel you.

It’s okay if you are feeling sad, angry, lonely or really pissed off especially during this time of year. I’ve been there.

I pray that life presents you with the guidance to steer you in the right direction.

And once you get there, that you can just let go.

It’s coming on Christmas

They’re cutting down trees

They’re putting up reindeer 

Singing songs of joy and peace

 

Photo credits: In order; BarbaraALane, Hans, and Starflames, Pixabay