(🐿️A Book, Some Boundaries, and the Squirrel Committee)
There’s a moment when you realize you may have said something
a little too confidently.
For me, that moment sounded like:
“Challenge accepted.”
My husband casually suggested, “Why don’t you do another book
before your trip?”
And instead of giving him a confused look as if to ask, “Are you crazy?”
and laughing like a normal person… I took it as a personal mission.
(🐿️ She gives him that look often; she probably realized it wouldn’t help.)
Fast forward to me, after what felt like months of staring at my iPad,
adjusting tiny details, zooming in, zooming out, questioning every leaf,
every line, every choice ~ pretty sure I was one blink away from going
cross‑eyed. Since it hadn’t been months, just days/weeks.
And to really round out the experience…
I decided it would also be a great time to try fake lashes and then tint
my eyelashes and eyebrows when those didn’t feel right.
Because clearly, what I needed in that moment was
more things near my eyes.
At one point, my eyes were watering, the fumes were strong, and I
texted my friend something along the lines of:
“I’m really glad I got to see you recently…” 😄
You know… just in case.
I won’t even mention her response. I just love her for who she is! 😄
(🐿️ “Lesson learned… until next time. We’ve seen her repeat things.”)
(🐿️ “And we thought she was a mess, Lori is a different kind of mess!)
With all of that my first children’s book is already on Amazon, and this one is so close to joining it.
If everything goes smoothly with the upload and approval, I’m hoping it
will be live in the next week or two.
(🐿️ “We make no promises about our behavior, or hers, during the approval process.”)
But here’s the thing…
I’m still learning.
And I want to say that out loud.
Not in a “put myself down” kind of way,
but in an honest, growing, figuring‑it‑out‑as‑I‑go kind of way.
Because these stories?
They didn’t just magically appear last week.
They’ve been sitting in notebooks, in drafts, and even on YouTube for a
couple of years now ~just waiting for their turn to come to life.
Now I’m finally bringing them into the world in a new way.
Polished (mostly 😄), illustrated (with lots of learning curves), and
filled with the same heart they started with ~ the love I have for my
family and my amazing grandsons.
And yes… there will be little changes along the way.
But something else has been on my mind this week…
And it’s a little different.
I don’t use this space to preach.
(🐿️ “She really hates when people try to do that to her.”)
I don’t tell people what to believe.
And honestly ~ everyone gets to live their life their own way.
But I do care about how people are treated.
And I think it’s important to talk about something that doesn’t always
get talked about enough…
or that people avoid because they don’t
want to get involved.
But I’m tired of that mentality.
Sometimes we need to bring awareness ~ to protect those who might
be unaware, unprepared, or unable.
Let’s not be part of the problem by staying silent.
Let’s be helpful where we can.
(🐿️ “Some people already know this message… but she’ll keep sharing it softly so newcomers don’t walk in unaware.”)
Paying attention to behavior.
Not labels.
Not those we could diagnose, but can’t.
(🐿️ “We could name a diagnosis… but we’ve been told that’s not polite.”)
Just… behavior.
Sometimes, you’ll come across people who:
~Try to control decisions that aren’t theirs to make
~Speak with authority they haven’t earned, or are not theirs to begin with.
~Make you question your own choices
~Or quietly push their way into situations where they don’t belong
(🐿️“We witnessed this once. It was… not their finest moment.”)
(🐿️ “We did get to witness “Chris” and “Floyd” work together to destroy the evil plan though!)
And it can be subtle at first.
It might sound like “advice.”
It might even sound helpful.
But underneath it… it doesn’t feel right.
And if it doesn’t feel right?
It probably isn’t.
I’ve seen situations where someone tries to step in and influence
decisions that have nothing to do with them ~ telling others what they
should or shouldn’t do with their own things, their own plans, their
classic car(s), their own lives.
(🐿️ “I like what she did there, she’s hinting at someone to take notice of this toxic behavior.”)
(🐿️ “Some people collect hobbies. This person collects vulnerable people.”)
And that’s where I just want to say:
~You are allowed to pause.
~You are allowed to question.
~And you are absolutely allowed to say no.
(🐿️ “Honestly, we hope people say no. The reactions are… educational.”)
Especially to those who may be more vulnerable ~ whether that’s
someone going through loss, navigating life changes, or just trying to
figure things out…
Some people will show up with kindness.
And there are people who show up with an agenda.
Learning the difference matters.
Not in a fearful way…
But in a protective way.
Because not everyone who sounds confident… has your best interest
at heart.
So if I ever “push” anything in this space, it’s this:
~Trust your gut
~Pay attention to patterns, not just words
~And don’t let anyone take control of something that belongs to you, your choices, your voice, your classic car(s), or your life
(🐿️“She’s not naming names… but if you’ve seen the pattern, you already know.”)
(🐿️ “She’s trying not to shout this from the rooftops, but she will whisper it loudly if she has to.… but make no mistake, she means every word.”)
I’ve also been reminded this week that sometimes life doesn’t follow a
neat, creative schedule.
Just as some relationships finally started to mend due to the loss of a
family member, life added another unexpected challenge for one of the
other family members.
And even though I’m not directly in the middle of it, I’ve watched from
a distance as someone is stepping up with quiet support.
It reminded me that healing doesn’t always look dramatic.
Sometimes it’s simply offering help when it’s needed, even after years of silence.
Because in the middle of everything- goals, books, work, and plans…
What really matters shows itself pretty clearly.
Showing up.
Being there.
Offering support when it’s needed.
No big speeches.
No perfect words.
Just… being someone others can count on.
(🐿️ “Healing looks good on people.)
As for me?
I’ll be over here… finishing a book, double‑checking pages, figuring out
the measurements for the spine, waiting for the ISBN number to take
hold for the next book, deciding what to pack for my trip and
apparently learning not to multitask eye fumes with
coloring illustrations.
I’m still learning.
I’m still growing.
(🐿️ “Still faster than that illustrator who claimed they went ‘over and beyond.”)
(🐿️ “Embarrassing for them, honestly.”)
Still in the messy middle.
And honestly?
That’s where real life happens.
If this post made you smile, think, or feel a little less alone, please
consider sharing it.
(🐿️ We appreciate it. She feeds us better when the blog does well.)
And if you’re curious about what’s coming next…
The Stormy Day is an adventure where Modo, Jiblet, and their new
friend Splat discover that even the wildest storms feel a little less scary when you face them together.
(🐿️ “We approve of Splat. Excellent energy. Very cute.”)