tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-251961812096047192024-03-13T16:13:08.166-04:00IzzyElfBlogAn Up-to-the-Minute Report from the Izzy Elf Section at the North Pole.
Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-53417830076415583312023-06-27T08:47:00.005-04:002023-06-27T08:47:53.129-04:00Elf Pix Creation!<p><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: Palatino;">One reason I self-publish my elf books is that I so enjoy working directly with an illustrator.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today I will talk about the steps taken by my illustrator, Shayne Hood, and myself to create the perfect picture to illustrate a page of my story, <i>Bizzy, the Bossy Boots Elf.</i> This scene takes place in the gift shop at an amusement park called “Santa Claus Lane,” which is shamelessly modeled on Santa’s Village in Jefferson, NH.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I started by actually visiting Santa’s Village with my husband, and Miles and Henry, our twin grandsons. They had been pressuring me to write a story about them ever since they realized that their two brothers and two cousins all were in other books I had written.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are the twins in the Gift Shop there, which looks a bit like “Santa’s Workshop.”</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJeU7OAkT-PG5ip9L7upeEejH9nyxikkx41Edrw-JoflFEYtLba-d43RcEFZw1VY2EopROL4TugkcENXHoN9yNBuTl6IPMCPnCGUCab2hiQqaKWxTKAX4xQockrmPseMs4fZDQISbQoBEajugZbwycm6XjqLd3hIMeFKB0HDxwqUcqTVId7OUPyASzA/s4032/Photo%20of%20boys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="839" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJeU7OAkT-PG5ip9L7upeEejH9nyxikkx41Edrw-JoflFEYtLba-d43RcEFZw1VY2EopROL4TugkcENXHoN9yNBuTl6IPMCPnCGUCab2hiQqaKWxTKAX4xQockrmPseMs4fZDQISbQoBEajugZbwycm6XjqLd3hIMeFKB0HDxwqUcqTVId7OUPyASzA/w629-h839/Photo%20of%20boys.JPG" width="629" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Henry (l) and Miles (r) at Santa's Village Gift Shop, 2019</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: x-large; text-align: start;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">During the pandemic shutdown, I finally wrote the rhyming story about the Izzy Elves going on vacation, in disguise, to an amusement park called "Santa Claus Lane." (This was actually a small park near Santa Barbara, CA, where the boys live. It operated from about 1950 until 2000.)</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the story, Henry and Miles go to Santa Claus Lane with their Gramma and Grampa. (My husband and I.) The boys have read all the other Izzy Elf books, and know 1) what all of the elves look like, 2) what each of them is named 3) what toys each makes, or job each does. (Blizzy makes snow globes; Fizzy makes Jills-in-the-box; Dizzy makes elfascopes; Quizzy makes puzzles; Whizzy wraps presents and designs wrapping paper; Frizzy has changed from styling dolls’ hair to making toy monster trucks; Tizzy reads and recommends books for Santa to deliver; Bizzy manages all the other elves.)</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the day, the boys and the elves keep ending up more or less on the same rides and in the same places, but Miles and Henry have not yet realized the identity of the eight disguised elves.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">One of their close calls comes at the amusement park’s giftshop. I wanted the picture to show how the elves and boys almost (but not quite) meet there. This meant there had to be some kind of structure which blocked the view of each from the other. Then I had the idea that some of the toys mentioned in the other stories could be for sale at the giftshop. Below is Shayne’s first sketch for this scene There were many aspects of this picture that appealed to me, but there was nothing that would keep the boys from seeing the elves.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbkavztwY9tzt7j0ZeDLQmwt__6V8fV-ko4NcJaM3rFke9vxlOVpt8LppIQBPuwK9-FnEZQM6iSxukYQDVTVvxpCCEuTVmLKgtoTX3UpRKnHh1dFer5btmKrpSMUOgVIA3uQh94b5xozJjpoR1v3DywovFW5xM5M8AGL5KPCv_nsUClWr7gKIRnyU7w/s3012/first%20Draft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="2322" height="790" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbkavztwY9tzt7j0ZeDLQmwt__6V8fV-ko4NcJaM3rFke9vxlOVpt8LppIQBPuwK9-FnEZQM6iSxukYQDVTVvxpCCEuTVmLKgtoTX3UpRKnHh1dFer5btmKrpSMUOgVIA3uQh94b5xozJjpoR1v3DywovFW5xM5M8AGL5KPCv_nsUClWr7gKIRnyU7w/w610-h790/first%20Draft.JPG" width="610" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I cut up her picture, moved the pieces around, sketched in a cabinet with a high back, and scotch taped the pieces together, scanned it and e-mailed it to Shayne. It looked like this:</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldTQy-6gTGzefmDSKF75FhKEjNb1gkPz1YfjIJ9EyDABQhSdChG0yM7Eos-O5cVkC3garmLbaSIsPGz-MQ7uK1r0DmI8MjKtcCM4qOtENZqZzLbp0NuA2fIMSdLct_P7QSUXD6GyeuJDtChydoKfb4E-YKqxt8Wwajf1q6KmgMdcL_4liJcFNid_SRw/s3257/Rough%20Gift%20shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3257" data-original-width="2662" height="787" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldTQy-6gTGzefmDSKF75FhKEjNb1gkPz1YfjIJ9EyDABQhSdChG0yM7Eos-O5cVkC3garmLbaSIsPGz-MQ7uK1r0DmI8MjKtcCM4qOtENZqZzLbp0NuA2fIMSdLct_P7QSUXD6GyeuJDtChydoKfb4E-YKqxt8Wwajf1q6KmgMdcL_4liJcFNid_SRw/w645-h787/Rough%20Gift%20shop.jpg" width="645" /></a></div><br /><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">I figured that a cabinet with a high back could separate the boys and elves, and also provide a place where various toys etc. made by the elves could be on display. Shayne took this idea and ran with it! (Please notice that standing in line to pay are my husband, me, and Santa Claus!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAbH9KjQ--p0MUbmvxsHcbGcMG-PWmusFdWI5-sk-EiywOCIu3CKp1-IApxQg2tAMCe75V2ElwMg49ocqA0gVMkuIajtoehUCA6W5dy_XiVnHM2bfXuJg0oGoLR-Hc5Bydbr1QWU2QohXxaA5WCnlJ52NSLLrm9mMsvWG16bPs1MTT-XD-1LS8RPyww/s3375/Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2625" height="829" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAbH9KjQ--p0MUbmvxsHcbGcMG-PWmusFdWI5-sk-EiywOCIu3CKp1-IApxQg2tAMCe75V2ElwMg49ocqA0gVMkuIajtoehUCA6W5dy_XiVnHM2bfXuJg0oGoLR-Hc5Bydbr1QWU2QohXxaA5WCnlJ52NSLLrm9mMsvWG16bPs1MTT-XD-1LS8RPyww/w645-h829/Final.jpg" width="645" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="p1" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the verse telling what happened in the gift shop:</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">“The Izzies went on to their very next stop</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Which the sign told them clearly was “Santa’s Workshop.” </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">“This doesn’t look much like the place where we work,”</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dizzy quickly remarked with a definite smirk.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">“But have all of you noticed those hats with the ears?”</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Asked Tizzy, “They’re <i>our </i>hats, or so it appears!” </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">What the elves did <i>not</i> notice across the wide aisles</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Was that something was thrilling young Henry and Miles.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">For the two had discovered some toys made by elves,</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">And recognized all of them, all by themselves!</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Miles said,“There are monster trucks made by “Sad” Frizzy,</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">And Jills-in-the-boxes constructed by Fizzy!” </span></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">“There are elfascopes,” Henry said, “crafted by Dizzy,</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">And fun wrapping paper created by Whizzy</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">And Christmassy puzzles as painted by Quizzy!</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">And beautiful snow globes invented by Blizzy,”</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Said Miles, “See the books recommended by Tizzy?</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">And the sign that the elves are all ‘managed by Bizzy!’ ” </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">The boys kept admiring the elves’ handiwork,</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">But called by their grand-folk, they turned with a jerk.</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then they heard someone say, “Come on, guys, time to go. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">We won’t see the rest if we all are too slow!”</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Someone else muttered “Bossy Boots,” but then murmured “fine”</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">And the gaggle went out in a straggly line. ”</span></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 94.5px; min-height: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Finally, here is the wonderful cover which Shayne created for the book, <i>Bizzy, the Bossy Boots Elf.</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Palatino; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUl0ofc8XlD3qjh3b2De7nx9PIlBF2OrnEpKC5PmZ7uroVB3IYETWYG1bFm7kBGW0s7RDyLQ-WbPCx9LdY0cVuu4KaaqUgELzNOjfPRMlPKC8t7DIhgUh2p3xWuAvCXQu6bUepTTc8zo1XDkRXqTIxrn1L8kPDhis8ImYJ2pSk-ze7-0dH3nBs6IZBxw/s5199/Bizzy_Wraparound_CMYK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="5199" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUl0ofc8XlD3qjh3b2De7nx9PIlBF2OrnEpKC5PmZ7uroVB3IYETWYG1bFm7kBGW0s7RDyLQ-WbPCx9LdY0cVuu4KaaqUgELzNOjfPRMlPKC8t7DIhgUh2p3xWuAvCXQu6bUepTTc8zo1XDkRXqTIxrn1L8kPDhis8ImYJ2pSk-ze7-0dH3nBs6IZBxw/w727-h473/Bizzy_Wraparound_CMYK.jpg" width="727" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-81180517802069241112022-02-04T12:42:00.000-05:002022-02-04T12:42:01.439-05:00<p>She sent us another one.</p><p>Bizzy likes this one, especially. He feels he helps to "highlight sentence structures," (whatever that means).</p><p><br /></p><p>All we know is that kids seem to have a great time reading our stories in verse. So there.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwdpneE8pSNtGYqtk6EUz50yVh3-BU2frw4qgK1x_Dwpx2Gh6286xJegKOYqnfH0F-dXCjFWMw5YLDeBIiKmx63Kho51fQGRm7S6ou8LGVQQF-NIKZA1CY7wAHrgCaCxIfNDjmcNSUyneNDmYZiVIFA9vEiROwwlG5xOQxQT-cQ_1qe7Y8BNdWEzs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwdpneE8pSNtGYqtk6EUz50yVh3-BU2frw4qgK1x_Dwpx2Gh6286xJegKOYqnfH0F-dXCjFWMw5YLDeBIiKmx63Kho51fQGRm7S6ou8LGVQQF-NIKZA1CY7wAHrgCaCxIfNDjmcNSUyneNDmYZiVIFA9vEiROwwlG5xOQxQT-cQ_1qe7Y8BNdWEzs=w365-h365" width="365" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Much love,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Izzy Elves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">AKA</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bizzy, Blizzy, Dizzy, Fizzy, Frizzy, Tizzy, Quizzy, and Whizzy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-79480682755978047362022-01-29T07:32:00.003-05:002022-01-30T18:03:42.745-05:00Engaging and fun? That's US!!!!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you) keeps sending us these quoted bits. We're not sure why.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOvoitkxSmyZNQPPEAchvnzJeFAqoYQD_XHk5_kXyKrq9kpxCuxBfBuNCCorF_loVx54KXLMqq-lwxHlfgllJZy6k-cU3IZ2veLJs8ZZa0p9YIhz-5iVOt7JBxciF3_SVRi5DL5Y0DWyW3xt6f6bWCWslpoohIbkwAjA65r7X_LLyTcjKVdL7PPT4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOvoitkxSmyZNQPPEAchvnzJeFAqoYQD_XHk5_kXyKrq9kpxCuxBfBuNCCorF_loVx54KXLMqq-lwxHlfgllJZy6k-cU3IZ2veLJs8ZZa0p9YIhz-5iVOt7JBxciF3_SVRi5DL5Y0DWyW3xt6f6bWCWslpoohIbkwAjA65r7X_LLyTcjKVdL7PPT4=w391-h391" width="391" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">We know this is about <i>all </i>poetry, but we like to think it means we <i>Izzies</i> are "engaging and fun."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Until next time. . .</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Love,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bizzy, Blizzy, Dizzy, Fizzy, Frizzy, Quizzy,Tizzy, and Whizzy</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrxn4kxxK-noa9J_i7Ny6ZQbsxDUubGidgL-wLxA_-Y5BaaEjhBMI94O9MV9aO6QpbCP9WnoYJZDCCIuFDL6bxRn5b1-VMIRfkeFMqWnB1-vqIfT5bSOUz1WfXZ6KwdCW8nSCDilMsaJQUdtHcCBt9zhB7Vv4gTtGgO4utPe_bHQ6MTXFwD0-1cFE=s400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrxn4kxxK-noa9J_i7Ny6ZQbsxDUubGidgL-wLxA_-Y5BaaEjhBMI94O9MV9aO6QpbCP9WnoYJZDCCIuFDL6bxRn5b1-VMIRfkeFMqWnB1-vqIfT5bSOUz1WfXZ6KwdCW8nSCDilMsaJQUdtHcCBt9zhB7Vv4gTtGgO4utPe_bHQ6MTXFwD0-1cFE=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-11647932566277964902022-01-28T06:27:00.002-05:002022-01-28T06:29:11.977-05:00Wow! Now we're "wise" and "memorable!" (So. Exciting.)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2NQOC4gTawjm7Tk1psNZeeBY5FD9bgcAuPR0JpQdQtSFDDbu5lBJtmyAmZQ02o4WAqmsF2QKFjL3Z5489xj2VnxULz4BySqnPTwY7fH0-Rj3l_mwDAZJuITtGaWgOv11zkL1ZgnU0Qiwzfb2zDohvjx-IfLml_l0fh0HWkomSuNkVSb7IM5sRjA0=s1080" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2NQOC4gTawjm7Tk1psNZeeBY5FD9bgcAuPR0JpQdQtSFDDbu5lBJtmyAmZQ02o4WAqmsF2QKFjL3Z5489xj2VnxULz4BySqnPTwY7fH0-Rj3l_mwDAZJuITtGaWgOv11zkL1ZgnU0Qiwzfb2zDohvjx-IfLml_l0fh0HWkomSuNkVSb7IM5sRjA0=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Can you believe it? We're creating memories and wisdom! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Who knew?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Love,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bizzy, Blizzy, Dizzy, Fizzy, Frizzy, Quizzy, Tizzy, & Whizzy</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-57668565491811698442022-01-23T07:44:00.006-05:002022-01-24T10:26:45.779-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyn40LE3QxziQkgw7H5BMJFz6U87vrLsSdHkxcVMBRnsFJph9zdL8f3lLO_05Xv8ZNkqYyw2eEK4fXGC9Ht' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p><p>Drake reads from Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf, a story in which he appears (at a much younger age).</p><p>(A closed caption version of this video can be seen on <a href="https://vimeo.com/669431704"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">VIMEO</span></a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/JJCjveBjoT0"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">YOUTUBE</span></a>.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-52476712854263567112022-01-23T07:26:00.005-05:002022-01-23T07:36:46.372-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you) has been having fun making short videos about us. (We wish she would let us appear "onscreen" to speak for ourselves, but oh, no, she must hog the spotlight.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's the first one: <span style="text-align: center;">Meet Santa's Izzy Elves!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwI4xQ-TwcM772WZCNAO8AzBvHQZEjU_LMXG42FL8moj6U_F1DwkEBCXLidFNQo6wfvvymQLOY9_Doy13D4' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> (Note: this video is available with closed captions on <a href="https://vimeo.com/662650789" target="_blank">Vimeo</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/HS-SpRNiBr4" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.)<p></p>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-23910516709071587922021-06-25T17:31:00.004-04:002021-06-25T17:31:48.756-04:00<p><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes we can't help being annoyed with Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you). Without conferring with us Izzies, last fall (during Covid) when she wrote a new Izzy story (Bizzy, the Bossy Boots Elf) she redid all of our existing books, and gave them brand new ISBNs. This was all well and good, but she forgot all about this, and didn't change any of the Buy Links on Bublish. Yes, we understand she is "of a certain age," but she let all the Buy Links turn into Dead Ends. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She means well, but a little FOCUS would be much appreciated. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Come to think about it, we need to check out if she changed the Buy Links on this blog. If there are any. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We'll get back to you.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, thanks for reading.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArZ5xBBBWaRDIJ-wvZWDjnFU0N100ZnAc6fgUCC7M19eTKMdy2NaMXMIwqpyVmI3eAe9SRN8Jxr5MDU5Wv6HlB2Sa5uIq1p-9W0KL9PzlUXbFiJt9sSVpuep_uDAenl_RTzqhpCmiuQ/s280/Izzy_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArZ5xBBBWaRDIJ-wvZWDjnFU0N100ZnAc6fgUCC7M19eTKMdy2NaMXMIwqpyVmI3eAe9SRN8Jxr5MDU5Wv6HlB2Sa5uIq1p-9W0KL9PzlUXbFiJt9sSVpuep_uDAenl_RTzqhpCmiuQ/s0/Izzy_Logo.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Regards,</span></p>Bizzy, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Blizzy,</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dizzy, Fizzy, Frizzy, Quizzy, Tizzy, and Whizzy</span><p></p><p><br /></p>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-40594117392653574582021-02-17T09:08:00.012-05:002021-02-18T07:07:35.027-05:00The Izzy Elves are B-A-A-A-A-A-A-C-K<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArZ5xBBBWaRDIJ-wvZWDjnFU0N100ZnAc6fgUCC7M19eTKMdy2NaMXMIwqpyVmI3eAe9SRN8Jxr5MDU5Wv6HlB2Sa5uIq1p-9W0KL9PzlUXbFiJt9sSVpuep_uDAenl_RTzqhpCmiuQ/s280/Izzy_Logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArZ5xBBBWaRDIJ-wvZWDjnFU0N100ZnAc6fgUCC7M19eTKMdy2NaMXMIwqpyVmI3eAe9SRN8Jxr5MDU5Wv6HlB2Sa5uIq1p-9W0KL9PzlUXbFiJt9sSVpuep_uDAenl_RTzqhpCmiuQ/w459-h640/Izzy_Logo.jpg" width="459" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Over two years ago, we Izzy Elves let ourselves be convinced by Deedy (that's Dorothea Jensen to you) to stop writing this blog and settle for an occasional mention on the blog about Her Other Kind of Writing (here's a reluctant link : <a href="http://dorotheajensen.blogspot.com/">http://dorotheajensen.blogspot.com/</a>).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But yesterday, we did a little research. We looked at our glorious STATS. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bizzy, who is the best of us on the internet reported the following:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1. We have had <span style="color: red;">64, 907 </span>hits on this blog to date. (That's sixty-four THOUSAND, nine hundred and seven.) Wow.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2. Last month we had <span style="color: red;">512 </span>hits.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">3. This month we've had <span style="color: red;">100 </span>hits.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">4. Yesterday we've had <span style="color: red;">41</span>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">AND THAT'S WITHOUT WRITING ANY POSTS AT ALL SINCE JANUARY 1, 2019.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It seemed to us that we should not ignore such loyal visitors.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So we had a meeting in S.C.'s conference room (see below) and voted unanimously to start this baby up again! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_qK5mTTmWsiVLfTvsN3E8EFV-4vx_MiEEeYxGEm9z9oj616DUPEMU4UD4__-2LzCB0cUxuZsrR88WUOQwrHnAcKk4medsoB_iqAONQUcNTK1ep86xzn_BYqSouRBnfZ7UNihW4x6aw/s3375/Bizzy_01_RGB_Final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2625" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_qK5mTTmWsiVLfTvsN3E8EFV-4vx_MiEEeYxGEm9z9oj616DUPEMU4UD4__-2LzCB0cUxuZsrR88WUOQwrHnAcKk4medsoB_iqAONQUcNTK1ep86xzn_BYqSouRBnfZ7UNihW4x6aw/w498-h640/Bizzy_01_RGB_Final.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">So first of all, here's our latest big news.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We have a new book out!! It's called <i>Bizzy, the Bossy Boots Elf, </i>and features, you guessed it, Bizzy. The other two stars of the story are Miles and Henry, the last of Deedy's grandboys to make it into verse.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">She's been promising them to write this for quite a few years: they are both now seven years old. (Yup, they're twins.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Bizzy, the Bossy Boots Elf</i> isn't actually a Christmas poem <i>per se</i>. It takes place well afterwards, when the Izzy Elves finally get a chance to bust out of the cold, icy, North Pole and go on vacation. (We Covid Shutdown folks who live in the North can really relate to this.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The picture above is actually of Bizzy presenting a petition to Santa requesting this.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bizzy succeeds in his quest, as you can see from the cover:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-Ts1zU3Jkfgds_RtE4WwlEmbcYe0GH-cxZ15FaaA11he6YqLlxhsh6xJ9EiWBuuDmqaEQmp4V0d-pejNi6qnwQ4_YWDv2DdZXGWca7OhiqJhiaCmZ35kQHIRgrGePdpRtPALnwyycg/s1182/Bizzy+with+border.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="924" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-Ts1zU3Jkfgds_RtE4WwlEmbcYe0GH-cxZ15FaaA11he6YqLlxhsh6xJ9EiWBuuDmqaEQmp4V0d-pejNi6qnwQ4_YWDv2DdZXGWca7OhiqJhiaCmZ35kQHIRgrGePdpRtPALnwyycg/w500-h640/Bizzy+with+border.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Here's a quickie video trailer </span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://vimeo.com/497697154" style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;" target="_blank"> Bizzy Trailer</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzt3_faAoVPKlTRLd0iNFIO9EiGxSJRoPnSixfum8WYwmcOLPr1jRlxKi9Hx8DDMCnB35Ua0sOYWBXRcIHk' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We'll be back soon to tell you more!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">(Thank you SO MUCH, whoever you are.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Love from the long-silent Izzy Elves,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b>Bizzy, Blizzy, Dizzy, Fizzy, Frizzy, Tizzy, Whizzy, & Quizzy</b></span></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">P.S. We forgot to put the buy links for Bizzy!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Here are some of them:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780990940852" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">IndieBound</span></a></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bizzy-Bossy-Boots-Elf-Santas/dp/0990940853" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bizzy-the-bossy-boots-elf-shayne-hood/1137953110?ean=9780990940852" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/bizzy-bossy-boots-elf-santas-izzy-elves-book-5-unabridged/id1551683820" target="_blank">iTunes</a></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Bizzy-the-Bossy-Boots-Elf-Audiobook/B08VF9W9C7?qid=1613571904&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=MD9YY1HR5TGWDB2SP5F5" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Audible</span></a></h4><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p></div>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-84175464230232387212019-12-16T08:10:00.001-05:002019-12-16T08:10:16.814-05:00The Izzy Elves's Moving Day!Dear faithful readers,<br />
<br />
We Izzies are sad to tell you that we are decamping today and moving all our posting to that of Honorary Izzy Dorothea Jensen. She tells us she's run out of oomph and can't keep up with two blogs anymore. We told her this is silly, because we do all of the posting on the IzzyElfBlog but she is stubborn and insists on making us move.<br />
<br />
We suspect this means our posts will be buried underneath posts about her Other Kind of Writing.<br />
<br />
We Are Not Happy.<br />
<br />
Oh, well.<br />
<br />
<h2>
See you on the other side! </h2>
<div>
<a href="http://dorotheajensen.blogspot.com/" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">dorotheajensen.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's a farewell video from us, as sung by (you guessed it) Dorothea Jensen. . .<br />
<br />
(If you can't see the video, following this link: <a href="https://vimeo.com/378538818" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/378538818</a><br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/378538818" width="640"></iframe>
Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-54781918418877900752018-12-12T09:44:00.001-05:002018-12-12T09:46:48.246-05:00Woo hoo! Deedy's FINALLY starting to post our Christmas Countdown Verses!<div class="js-tweet-text-container" style="background-color: #f5f8fa; color: #14171a; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">2018 Christmas Countdown #1: Whizzy</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just to remind you, Whizzy is the elf who wraps all the presents that the other Izzies make. Unfortunately, this means he can't even start his work until all of his colleagues have finished theirs!</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(Notice that his symbol is a whirlwind.)</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SabswbaanozTstUhtRSWpu7Dk3qAteUMOyK8ID7n0w_q0r3SAMkOo76qRgwRN60W0zGKSHOawskCsDmr2_mf_HPWjWfcVdoY1fvsNDTqEMn5293k4J-JAdzW_rHl0DRxaafjEYyT1g/s1600/Whizzy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="376" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SabswbaanozTstUhtRSWpu7Dk3qAteUMOyK8ID7n0w_q0r3SAMkOo76qRgwRN60W0zGKSHOawskCsDmr2_mf_HPWjWfcVdoY1fvsNDTqEMn5293k4J-JAdzW_rHl0DRxaafjEYyT1g/s400/Whizzy.png" width="271" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Poor Whizzy cannot get ahead
of the game<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">His problem each Christmas is
always the same:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">He can't finish his wrapping
until Christmas Eve<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(Just minutes before Santa's
ready to leave.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And why, you may ask, is
there such a delay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For Whiz to wrap presents to
pack in the sleigh?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's because he must wait
until each Izzy Elf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is done before he can start working
himself!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</style>Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-11251303645764317752018-11-14T09:55:00.000-05:002018-11-14T09:56:18.623-05:00Another Teensy Movie, starring Blizzy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dznthgKXhM7Ggel-sY64TafoNWWTiLVZmrHSfL79-Ql0tFpsU0pKe2lbuIKXSPjW2Ojg-XzviOuaqM3U9BP' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-21789682593172335332018-11-14T09:31:00.001-05:002018-11-14T09:49:14.218-05:00We LOVE being in movies! <br />
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Deedy just made us some really short videos about our stories. Here's Tizzy's!<br />
(Watch it full screen for the Full Effect.)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwYbhZxilDELp9SGfNSphBwPiYUtTWRAZQcmCOSGNljoUZ8tyVrXlCCD__13uimZoeGX8r_PAngYJfQmp-T' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-83077115842068176662018-11-14T09:03:00.003-05:002022-01-19T09:05:33.773-05:00FINALLY! A NEW IZZY ELF BOOK IS ON THE WAY! (It's all about the pressure.)<br />
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Our author, Dorothea Jensen, whom we all call Deedy, reports that she recently returned from a visit with four of her grandboys. The two youngest, twins named Miles and Henry, have finally realized that (unlike their brothers and cousins) they didn't show up in any <i> </i>Izzy Elf story. They immediately started asking why not.<br />
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Deedy has had a story in mind for them ever since they were born (5 YEARS AGO), but has been totally concentrating on Her Other Kind of Writing (which we will not mention here). She has not focused on getting this story down on the page, despite all our whining and whatnot.<br />
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The time is NOW, Deedy!<br />
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Obviously, this will not be done in time for this Christmas, but here's a little note to Shayne, our illustrator, to be ready to started drawing pictures for Henry and Miles's story soon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikz2RjqNT1UnRL4JcEuRRKL9unyfltssF-eEypZGhS9vJbtBQz3x1vyQDmCuMiK3JqJomqaicYjqJSC75shB_JHSG6sCTPHNxWj-M697-AuigRkXAaAWiaZPmMR0smJOfapNxEGetf_g/s1600/IMG_5122.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikz2RjqNT1UnRL4JcEuRRKL9unyfltssF-eEypZGhS9vJbtBQz3x1vyQDmCuMiK3JqJomqaicYjqJSC75shB_JHSG6sCTPHNxWj-M697-AuigRkXAaAWiaZPmMR0smJOfapNxEGetf_g/s320/IMG_5122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles and Henry, dressed as munchkins for a recent music video, <br />
and soon to "star" in <i>Bizzy, the Bossy Boots Elf</i></td></tr>
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<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-25687801544346174692018-10-12T13:53:00.001-04:002018-10-12T13:55:34.211-04:00The Professor, the "Heroine", the Villain, and the Bookshop!<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
Here is a post from Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you). We're happy to let her put this on our blog because she actually talks about us Izzies! (Finally.)</h3>
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The Professor, the "Heroine", the Villain, and the Bookshop!</h3>
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<span style="text-align: left;">When I was a student at Carleton College in 1964, I took a Jane Austen seminar. In the summer before school started, everyone in the class received a letter from the professor, Owen Jenkins. He instructed us to order a complete set of Jane Austen's novels from Blackwell's Bookshop in Oxford, England. </span></div>
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I remember being thrilled at the opportunity to buy books from this venerable, respected, academic British bookstore. It seemed very exotic to do so. My Jane Austen books arrived, and I have them still.<br />
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I'd like to be able to report that I aced the seminar, but I didn't quite. One reason? Mr. Jenkins specialized in sarcasm, which terrified me and rendered me speechless. This had NEVER happened to me before.</div>
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The only positive comment I ever received from him was when I showed up early to class wearing my hair up and a wool dress. He told me I looked like a Jane Austen heroine. Hmmm. Here's a picture of me at that time in that exact same getup, 54 years ago! Yikes. <span style="text-align: left;">(Despite his odd compliment to me, I eventually named my "villain" in T</span><i style="text-align: left;">he Riddle of Penncroft Farm, </i><span style="text-align: left;">Mr. Owens,</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">after him. )</span></div>
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Anyway, when my husband and I went to Oxford many years later, we made a point of visiting Blackwell's, and it was as venerable as I had envisioned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnDcVav3POluXjuCwBOHJltPtq6gi0hUh9QMi40UGogHpC2XQyu7y3mdtCgH6J1_r4QfcwFlfgH_ZZh49W4mtUs25-SDPLuhRCH4Qqvrsex2qCfCMMFX-f5OgmSlDRrIHdSEi_WWy_w/s1600/blackwells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnDcVav3POluXjuCwBOHJltPtq6gi0hUh9QMi40UGogHpC2XQyu7y3mdtCgH6J1_r4QfcwFlfgH_ZZh49W4mtUs25-SDPLuhRCH4Qqvrsex2qCfCMMFX-f5OgmSlDRrIHdSEi_WWy_w/s320/blackwells.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyway, imagine how thrilling it was for me to find the following on the Blackwell's website recently:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgLa6MkMN_hvb992r4Y_cRGMFVFvrF4Cfux1XRmkpscEDya1QamuLso3ws3-Wc7JGu1_8qAaF7f3LLKWR3QDSdeSbOlOUijRKRaq-N-u97IwL7Ps3o3j49wmGYeYLVkneY3b-Z-v_jQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-10-12+at+10.44.28+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="490" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgLa6MkMN_hvb992r4Y_cRGMFVFvrF4Cfux1XRmkpscEDya1QamuLso3ws3-Wc7JGu1_8qAaF7f3LLKWR3QDSdeSbOlOUijRKRaq-N-u97IwL7Ps3o3j49wmGYeYLVkneY3b-Z-v_jQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-10-12+at+10.44.28+AM.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCbaufCP_i8OM_gNn7XlWSPakUwj9CErGbWU5Smd3JidQFk9RWR9LJT0i1EmAkRQEi9tymPSRXOYj-EzIiJij-nXtekeeXjXZVtDMSpwHvxQ9uKAt21odUspxQXF6ZXDSWoXbhPqx-g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-10-12+at+10.43.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCbaufCP_i8OM_gNn7XlWSPakUwj9CErGbWU5Smd3JidQFk9RWR9LJT0i1EmAkRQEi9tymPSRXOYj-EzIiJij-nXtekeeXjXZVtDMSpwHvxQ9uKAt21odUspxQXF6ZXDSWoXbhPqx-g/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-10-12+at+10.43.53+AM.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="579" /></a></div>
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They also carried my Izzy Elf books, but for some reason did not display the cover art for those. No matter, my Izzies have made the big time, as far as I am concerned! I'm sure they are all delighted to find themselves available through such a venerable, respected, <i>academic</i> British bookshop! </div>
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How I wish I could tell Mr. Jenkins!</div>
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Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-18585059355729137542018-06-04T07:17:00.003-04:002018-06-04T07:17:54.200-04:00Giveaway: Buss Audiobook!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr_ocFxDfuRYDVYe7ueBtO_TWJ-8MfTKzslwlVdeikf6kJVbiqRivo53jjKrdzdNxXEwqZT7-M5p32rGmmx61ulPSkV3c66sIS5N4na6PD_7TeHl7-150sBg0jF0kpanAzYuVp8PtQQ/s1600/Buss+From+Lafayette+Cover+ACX+RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr_ocFxDfuRYDVYe7ueBtO_TWJ-8MfTKzslwlVdeikf6kJVbiqRivo53jjKrdzdNxXEwqZT7-M5p32rGmmx61ulPSkV3c66sIS5N4na6PD_7TeHl7-150sBg0jF0kpanAzYuVp8PtQQ/s200/Buss+From+Lafayette+Cover+ACX+RGB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you) is giving away one Audible.com download of her audiobook of <i>A Buss from Lafayette </i>on June 16. (This is a nearly $20 value.) Rafflecopter is running this for her, and will be doing the random "drawing".<br />
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Click on the following link to sign up for a chance to win! (You sign in with your e-mail address, then click something like "join A Buss from Lafayette mailing list", then click enter.)<br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="f391115c2" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f391115c2/" id="rcwidget_wm151794" rel="nofollow">A Rafflecopter Audiobook Giveaway</a><br />
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We are lobbying for Deedy to start giving away audiobooks of our stories, too! </div>
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<a href="https://www.audible.com/author/Dorothea-Jensen/B006IFKK7Y?ref=a_pd_Kids_A_c1_author_1&pf_rd_p=a2b4fbf4-be6b-4626-a4a8-a4ef876f050c&pf_rd_r=GBHKG6R7NNEPPDXR8H66&" target="_blank">Here's the link for these!</a></div>
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Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-69513863992965127192017-05-02T08:44:00.002-04:002017-05-02T08:44:44.349-04:00 George Washington Makes A Joke (Sort of): Part 2<div class="post-header">
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More from Deedy about this guy named George.<br />
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In a recent blog post, I talked about the letter written by George
Washington that we were privileged to read on a visit to the New
Hampshire Historical Society a few weeks ago. I was able to photograph
this missive, and subsequently spent hours trying to puzzle out what
Washington said. What with having some bits missing (note torn corner in
the picture), and 18th century spelling idiosyncasies (such as a large
F-like letter to represent double Ss) there were still a few words I
couldn't make out. Then I looked around the internet and found the whole
thing posted at the National Archives. Here is the <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/?q=Major%20General%20John%20Sullivan&s=1111311111&r=329">link. </a><br />
<br />
In any case, I found this letter to be quite revealing, not only of
Washington's diplomatic skills, but also of a surprising sense of humor
he put to use to mute the "dressing down" he is giving to Sullivan. <br />
<br />
Remember that Sullivan had already sent out some pretty snorty letters
about 1) D'Estaing and 2) the French in general complaining about
being left in the lurch at Rhode Island by our new allies. It was
obvious that this letter was what Washington wrote to Sullivan at that
point. I told Julien (the young Frenchman who is researching Lafayette's
Farewell Tour route in New England) that in this letter Washington
was telling Sullivan to "pipe down." (A bit tricky to explain that
expression, but I think Julien got it.)<br />
<br />
I don't usually think of Washington as being gifted in diplomacy, but
please notice what he did in this letter. It is particularly impressive
because Washington himself was probably very upset by the rift in the
new alliance, which Sullivan had made even worse. As he says himself,
"The disagreement between the army under your command and the fleet has
given me very
singular uneasiness." Nevertheless, Washington manages to
give Sullivan a couple of "outs" before lowering the boom on his angry
general. <br />
<br />
1) First of all, he states that he has not heard from Sullivan since
August 23, but says that Sullivan's messages must have gone astray. <br />
<br />
2) Secondly, Washington says this of the French: "In our conduct
towards them we should remember that they are a people old in war, very
strict in
military etiquette, and <b>apt to take fire when others scarcely seem warmed.<i>" </i></b>As
you can see by the emboldened text, Washington makes a small joke
implying that the French are overly touchy. In other words, he is
suggesting that the French are so easily enraged that perhaps it is not <i>completely </i>Sullivan's fault that they are angry or offended.<br />
<br />
Then, however, Washington goes on to make it clear that Sullivan must
keep his mouth shut and do everything he can to keep the news of the
"misunderstanding" between the French and Americans quiet.<br />
<br />
"It is of the greatest importance, also, that the minds of the soldiers and
the people should know nothing of the misunderstanding, or if it has reached them that
ways may be used to stop its progress and prevent its effects."<br />
<br />
How thrilling it was to read the actual words written by Washington, and
to see his diplomacy (and possibly his sense of humor) at work!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header id="doc_title"><h1 class="title">
From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 1 September 1778</h1>
</header>
<br />
<h1>
To Major General John Sullivan</h1>
<div class="innerdiv docbody">
<div class="opener">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<section class="salutation"><div class="right" style="height: 20px; position: relative;">
<span style="bottom: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 309px;">Head Quarters White plains 1st Septr 1778.</span></div>
<div class="left" style="height: 20px; position: relative;">
<span style="bottom: 0px; left: 0px; position: absolute; width: 225px;">Dear sir.</span></div>
</section></div>
I have not received any letter from you since the 23d [August] which I attribute to some mishap of the messengers with whom
they were sent. I was anxious to learn the determination and designs of the council of
officers, that so I might be prepared for eventual measures—The success or misfortune of
your army will have great influence in directing the movements and fortune of this.<br />
<br />
The disagreement between the army under your command and the fleet has
given me very
singular uneasiness. The Continent at large is concerned in
our cordiality, and it
should be kept up by all possible means that are consistent
with our honor and policy.
First impressions, you know, are generally longest
remembered, and will serve to fix in
a great degree our national character among the French. In
our conduct towards them we should remember that they are a people old
in war, very strict in
military etiquette, and apt to take fire when others
scarcely seem warmed. Permit me to
reco⟨mmend⟩ in the most particular manner, ⟨ the ⟩
cultivation of harmony and go⟨od⟩
agreement, and your endeavours to ⟨des⟩troy that ill humour
which may ⟨have⟩ got into
the officers. It is of the greatest importance, also that
the minds of the soldiers and
the people should know nothing of the misunderstanding, or
if it has reached them that
ways may be used to stop its progress and prevent its
effects.<br />
<br />
I have received from Congress the inclosed by which you will perceive their opinion
with regard to keeping secret the protest of the General Officers I need add nothing on
this subject.<br />
I have one thing however more to say—I make no doubt but you will do all in your power
to forward the repairs of the french fleet, and in rendering it fit for service, by your
recommendations for that purpose to those who can be immediately instrumental. I am Dr
Sir your most Obt hble servt<br />
<div class="closer">
<div class="signed">
Go: Washington</div>
</div>
</div>
Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-33043008038952516132017-05-02T08:42:00.002-04:002017-05-02T08:42:54.562-04:00George Washington Makes a Joke (Sort of): Part 1<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Another message from Deedy: not an elf in sight!</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAB4EV4L9rSgaqOamfKg7Tc0Cqqf1ljWwS8TvcggnCBYT0FwTCSKW-plrz_4JjpaaT-z5cyDpqKn_JTi6n_PIk2ZOJoLizqcomvDr5RYQDJkG5wRUiab15edYsXGbXfcAgGEZxQiy-A/s1600/FullSizeRender+2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAB4EV4L9rSgaqOamfKg7Tc0Cqqf1ljWwS8TvcggnCBYT0FwTCSKW-plrz_4JjpaaT-z5cyDpqKn_JTi6n_PIk2ZOJoLizqcomvDr5RYQDJkG5wRUiab15edYsXGbXfcAgGEZxQiy-A/s400/FullSizeRender+2.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julien holding the letter from George Washington</td></tr>
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In my peregrinations with Julien Incher, the young Frenchman who is
tracing the 1824-5 New England trail of General Lafayette, we made a
stop at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord, NH. Librarian
Sara Galligan was kind enough to allow us to look at the documents in
the society's collection that pertain to New Hampshire's own
Revolutionary General, John Sullivan.<br />
<br />
One of these documents was an actual letter written by GW to Sullivan on
September 1, 1778. Because I knew a little of what this epistle related
to, I found it to be absolutely fascinating. I will explain this in my
next few posts.<br />
<br />
First of all, here is what I wrote about the situation in <i>A Buss from Lafayette. </i>Please
keep in mind that the principal American commander referred to in this
excerpt who was greatly offended was General Sullivan. As a result, he
wrote a number of VERY angry letters complaining about the French.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i> * * *</i><br />
<br />
<i>“Did Grandfather see the celebration at Valley Forge when the French
alliance was announced?” queried Joss eagerly. “It sounds as if it was
very exciting!”</i><br />
<br />
<i>“He did indeed,” Prissy said. “But when everyone
was cheering at Valley Forge, they little suspected how difficult it
would be for the French and American military leaders to work together.
They were a little like you two: supposedly on the same side, but as
prickly as porcupines!”</i><br />
<br />
<i>Joss and I exchanged a glance.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Prissy said that although the French government had
been sending us secret loans and supplies since 1776, the first overt
aid they sent over was a fleet of warships in July, 1778. This French
fleet was ordered to blockade Rhode Island to help the
American commander, General Sullivan, dislodge the British there.
D’Estaing, the French admiral, may have been rather offended at this,
because no one had consulted with him beforehand about the planned
venture.</i><br />
<br />
<i>“Therefore, after initially assisting the
Continentals in their attack,” our stepmother said, sounding more and
more like a schoolmarm, “D’Estaing and his fleet sailed away towards New
York. He did seek to engage a British naval squadron after he left, but
his departure left the American forces in Rhode Island to face the enemy without French support.”</i><br />
<br />
<i>Joss snorted. “I am sure we Americans did not like that!”</i><br />
<br />
<i>Our
stepmother explained that before D’Estaing encountered the British
squadron, he ran into a storm that damaged his fleet. Afterwards—again
without consulting the Americans—the French admiral had sailed off to
Boston to make repairs to his ships, which further offended our
commanders. “I doubt the alliance would have worked in the end if not
for Lafayette,” she concluded. </i><br />
<br />
“He smoothed down everyone’s ‘quills?’” I asked.<br />
<br />
“Yes, Lafayette hurried to Boston to smooth things over.<i> -A Buss from Lafayette, © 2016 by Dorothea Jensen </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-88971368344222826152017-04-13T09:17:00.002-04:002017-05-02T08:47:10.618-04:00Another Non-Elf Post from Deedy Starring Lafayette!<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
</h3>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Following Lafayette's Trail with Another Very Charming Frenchman
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
As some of you know, my latest historical fiction for young readers, <i>A Buss from Lafayette, </i>details
what General Lafayette did for our country during the American
Revolution, when as a very young man, slender and six feet tall, and
brimming with good humor and charm, he came to serve with General
Washington. <br />
<br />
My story is also about Lafayette's Farewell Tour of 1824-5, when he
traveled around the U.S. attracting huge crowds and charming everyone he
met. In <i>A Buss from Lafayette</i>, a key moment is when a young
girl, Clara Hargraves, meets Lafayette, more than five decades her
senior, at Brown's Brook, a small stream in Hopkinton, New Hampshire
(where I live and where the story is set).<br />
<br />
I just had a tiny taste of my fictional heroine Clara's experience.
Without the crowds. And the Frenchman in question was slender, six feet
tall, brimming with good humor and charm, and nearly five decades my<i> junior.</i><br />
<br />
Julien Icher is the Frenchman in question. A fellow member of the
American Friends of Lafayette, Julien, funded by the French consul in
Boston, is researching the route taken by the world-famous general
through New England on his Farewell Tour. For a couple of days, I went
with him. We had so much fun!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofu8tZcf3hKM3Z9ngdQpItQNrfaKhli9lFhWoucuigainoEukHBPiPnvtATD0WxIq1IeEOxfBi_lu2e0VpDUDwsURZc2av5XG-s_09Y2zADgmUKb2D8yYB7mdUbrEVezFyy8bePStQg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-04-13+at+8.25.26+AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofu8tZcf3hKM3Z9ngdQpItQNrfaKhli9lFhWoucuigainoEukHBPiPnvtATD0WxIq1IeEOxfBi_lu2e0VpDUDwsURZc2av5XG-s_09Y2zADgmUKb2D8yYB7mdUbrEVezFyy8bePStQg/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-04-13+at+8.25.26+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Julien and I at Brown's Brook, a place where Lafayette never made a stop </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> except fictionally in </i>A Buss from Lafayette</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The first day, we explored five towns which Lafayette did actually visit on June 27, 1825.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
First of all, we met at the New Hampshire State House in Concord, where
on June 22, 1825, Lafayette was welcomed inside by the State legislators
and outside by over 200 Revolutionary War veterans and sat down to dine
with over 600 people. (This was the event when a song composed for the
occasion called New Hampshire the "Granite State" for the very first
time.) Julien had previously made a visit to the State House with the
French Consul and been welcomed to the state by Governor Sununu, so we
went on to view the house in Concord where Lafayette had spent the
night. Owned at the time by William Kent, it was located at the site of
the South Congregational Church on Pleasant Street. (Not only did
Lafayette stay there in 1825, but Kent's stepdaughter married Ralph
Waldo Emerson in the north parlor of the house.) It has since been moved
to Spring Street.</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdez1CnThTh7KaeQsTuERhCa57h2yx6olKkVjsAPqRnArd-wurJXbENMRMFm2-oCrjRqiXOPay-Ub19-moj-FDE1vChi7N9JtlNvmLuIeY8NPrmktsh0scKvOjWhprBs53qIaHNvbVAw/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdez1CnThTh7KaeQsTuERhCa57h2yx6olKkVjsAPqRnArd-wurJXbENMRMFm2-oCrjRqiXOPay-Ub19-moj-FDE1vChi7N9JtlNvmLuIeY8NPrmktsh0scKvOjWhprBs53qIaHNvbVAw/s640/IMG_1952.JPG" width="476" /></a>Next
we picked up my husband and viewed the Lafayette marker in Hopkinton,
where the general stopped for a brief reception on June 27, 1825. The
date on this marker is incorrect, so Julien and I gave it both a thumbs
up AND a thumbs down.</div>
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</div>
(Tomorrow's post will go on from here.)Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-37969660859256152642017-02-08T12:04:00.004-05:002017-02-08T12:04:38.469-05:00Maybe Deedy bought elf hat kits as a kid, too???<br />
Here's another post from Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you). Just for the record, we Izzy Elves don't even HAVE bookmarks. Oh, Well.<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMnuPT9vxBYLIFWVA6e5BKHoYaYio5Yq-xSlyGMBioO_NWfnVIjjFKCYbS2AcBiPiMPAqxlvv6apqEurbdBF-coXlDMhodVT9cG6VIqPxhXz8zSfTkCkox5GW8pNxr0TNBz1HTAQIyw/s1600/IMG_1921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMnuPT9vxBYLIFWVA6e5BKHoYaYio5Yq-xSlyGMBioO_NWfnVIjjFKCYbS2AcBiPiMPAqxlvv6apqEurbdBF-coXlDMhodVT9cG6VIqPxhXz8zSfTkCkox5GW8pNxr0TNBz1HTAQIyw/s320/IMG_1921.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
OK, I admit it. Being a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louisa May
Alcott (among others) as a child wasn't the ONLY reason I ended up
writing historical fiction for kids.<br />
<br />
Here is another motivator: anybody recognize what this is? When I was a
kid in Chillicothe, Illinois, there was a Ben Franklin's Five and Dime
store downtown on Main Street. I could easily walk there from my house.<br />
<br /><br />
<br />
Once I finally got tall enough to see what was on the counters, I
discovered something like what is pictured: bonnet kits. Each came with a
miniature straw bonnet of one style or another, plus decorations that
could be sewn or glued on any way the buyer liked. They were very small,
about the size to fit a Barbie doll. (Although this was LONG before
Barbies infested the planet. We're talking over sixty years ago,
people.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, I LOVED these kits, and bought as many of them as I could. I was a regular mini-milliner!<br />
<br />
Recently I came across this hat in my vast collection of Stuff. I have no idea where I bought it or when I put it together.<br />
<br />
But I LOVE it.<br />
<br />
I think that making these hats as a little girl helped inspire me to
write stories in which my characters could wear hats like this one. Not
that any of them actually do: in <i>The Riddle of Penncroft Farm</i>,
the main girl character wears something quite different.(I will send the
first person who answers the question "what did she wear instead?" in
an e-mail to me at jensendorothea@gmail.com an autographed book mark.)
In <i>A Buss from Lafayette</i>, Clara mostly wears old sunbonnets and
has no desire to be in style. (I will send the first person who answers
the question "which character in this story DOES wear fashionable
bonnets?" in an e-mail to me at jensendorothea@gmail.com an
autographed book mark.)<br />
<br />
So that's my confession for today!<br />
<br />
(If anyone knows if such kits can be bought today, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!)<br />
<br />
Dorothea <br />
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<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-8370747574753303062017-02-01T12:06:00.003-05:002017-02-01T12:06:31.665-05:00 A Bit of Riddle Enacted at the Brandywine Battlefield! <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Another post straight from Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you!)</h3>
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* * *</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0xnAElbcf8kq4YYhg4yYBoKhxsSJ-TlcQizeKuYzp_Rd87wFP1blhYmypxE8DO0jjChAQ4e2NMkcK4u_heisZZ89P2zGsoVPbv0wstGaHpBnluth0w7e_Red52Phs9gGtbS3jZTJFg/s1600/Riddle+Cover.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0xnAElbcf8kq4YYhg4yYBoKhxsSJ-TlcQizeKuYzp_Rd87wFP1blhYmypxE8DO0jjChAQ4e2NMkcK4u_heisZZ89P2zGsoVPbv0wstGaHpBnluth0w7e_Red52Phs9gGtbS3jZTJFg/s400/Riddle+Cover.jpeg" width="256" /></a>So I was Googling <i>A Buss from Lafayette </i>yesterday and came upon something that was downright thrilling.<br />
<br />
First, let me explain that a crucial part of <i>The Riddle of Penncroft Farm</i> takes place before and during the Battle of Brandywine, on September 11, 1777.<br />
<br />
In that battle, the British general, Howe, staged a feint attack against
the Americans who were waiting at Brandywine Creek to stop the British
advance on Philadelphia. At the same time, Howe led the bulk of his
troops up the western side of the stream and crossed it at a ford that
Washington didn't know about. He then came down behind the untrained
American forces. The resulting fight took place near a Quaker place of
worship, the Birmingham Meeting House, in an area called Sandy Hollow.<br />
<br />
What I discovered yesterday was that several years ago, in conjunction
with a re-enactment of the Brandywine battle, Birmingham Meeting House
put on a little play based upon <i>The Riddle of Penncroft Farm! </i><br />
<br />
Here is the link: <a href="http://chaddsfordlive.com/2014/05/21/on-hallowed-ground-sandy-hollow/">on-hallowed-ground-sandy-hollow.</a><br /> <br />
It is thrilling for me to know that part of my story was acted out in
exactly the place I imagined it to have occurred! Here is an excerpt of
what I think the little play was probably based on.<br />
<br />
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<em>I was in such despair
that I didn’t hear anyone approaching until I saw him standing next to
me—a man in a scarlet jacket with little wings on the shoulders and a
tall helmet of black fur. Even without it, he was the tallest man I’d
ever seen, that British grenadier</em>.<br />
<br />
<em>Without a word, we stared at each other. Then he drew one arm
over his face to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. I didn’t move, though I
could feel the blood dripping down my own face and the sting of the
sweat running into the cuts on my cheek.</em><br />
<br />
<em>His eyes flicked over me and then down to Will and the telltale cockade on his hat</em>.<br />
<br />
“<em>My brother,” I said, and opened my palms to him in appeal</em>.<br />
<br />
<em>Still silent, the grenadier set down his musket and swung the
pack off his back to the ground with a loud thud that showed how very
heavy it</em> was. <em>Then he gathered Will up in his arms and carefully laid him down upon the wagon bed</em>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> </a> “<em>Be that drink?” he asked, jutting his chin toward the barrel of perry</em>.<br />
<br />
<em>I nodded my head, speechless</em>.<br />
<br />
“<em>I could use a bit o’ drink. Seventeen miles I’ve marched since
dawn. Seventeen miles in all this heat. ’Tis enough to kill a man, even
without the efforts of this lot.” He jerked his thumb at Will</em>.<br />
<br />
<em>I swarmed up the slats, filled a cup, and thrust it at him. The
soldier drained it in one gulp and held the cup out for more. I hastily
obliged. After downing the second cupful, he picked up his pack and
musket</em>.<br />
<br />
“<em>Thankee, lad,” he growled, and plunged back into the woods before I could thank him in return</em>.</div>
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Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-63574084258492882982017-01-10T09:29:00.000-05:002017-01-10T09:29:05.573-05:00We made it! The Lancelot of the Revolutionary Set Arriving in October!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ST5PAbhHjWRy8ginYQegqeiRwDqb1ZN7JuHddKa-0qcJOlnW6YfJ9Bt-m0pgtsZm_oQhuzDskJth7QLGVtb7XsEPWURIkufwHmIAnmtEW4iAR1OqjyA2TnWmG_qvYfNsB9Pxw26Zw/s1600/Statues.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ST5PAbhHjWRy8ginYQegqeiRwDqb1ZN7JuHddKa-0qcJOlnW6YfJ9Bt-m0pgtsZm_oQhuzDskJth7QLGVtb7XsEPWURIkufwHmIAnmtEW4iAR1OqjyA2TnWmG_qvYfNsB9Pxw26Zw/s640/Statues.JPG" width="465" /></a></div>
Another post from Deedy (Dorothea Jensen). Do you suppose there will ever be statues of US anywhere? Love, the Izzies.<br />
<br />
* * *<br />
WE MADE IT! All the money has been raised to create and erect the statue of Lafayette!<br />
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Here I am in Yorktown, Virginia recently, visiting the statues of
Washington and de Grasse, commander of the French fleet that bottled up
the Brits at Yorktown. (I was there for the celebration of the British
surrender on October 19, 1781.)<br />
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I am standing in the exact spot where the new statue of Lafayette will
be placed, exactly one year from now. (His pose will be a little
different, as I doubt he'll be holding Washington's hand, etc.)<br />
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In historic Yorktown, Virginia, site of the final major battle of the
Revolution, there is a duet of statues honoring General George
Washington, commander of the combined American and French forces, and
French Admiral François De Grasse, commander of the French fleet that
"bottled up" the British troops under General Cornwallis at Yorktown.
These life-sized figures were created by Virginia sculptor Cyd Player.<br />
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Installed in 2005 and enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors annually,
the statues commemorate two important meetings that took place on board
De Grasse’s flagship the Ville de Paris to plan the 1781 Yorktown
campaign and to explore plans for further operations. <br />
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The problem? It was supposed to be a quartet of sculptures. There are
two important figures missing! Also present for at least one of these
meetings were General Rochambeau, who led the French troops, and General
Lafayette, who had kept Cornwallis trapped at Yorktown until the
combined American and French troops had arrived. (He also served as an
interpreter at the meeting with Washington, Rochambeau, and De Grasse.)<br />
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The reason that Lafayette and Rochambeau are not represented here? There
was not enough funding to create all four statues at the same time.<br />
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Now the national organization dedicated to honoring the young Frenchman who did so much to help us gain our independence, the <a href="http://www.friendsoflafayette.org/" target="_blank">American Friends of Lafayette</a>, along with the Celebrate Yorktown Committee of the Yorktown
Foundation, and other interested organizations and people, have raised enough money to put Lafayette in his rightful place. <br />
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The new statue will accurately portray
this important historical event and provide an opportunity for visitors
of all ages to discover and recognize the role Lafayette played in
shaping America’s history.<br />
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<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-56973514002337447142017-01-04T13:56:00.002-05:002017-02-08T12:07:02.734-05:00A Happy Surprise for Deedy (Sigh)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OWPHZsxTu_hdBANDpNHuSbbk__fBiafWSXvp_7LvWF49RnFa9rYb3NlNaWrSiqYZyB_Can-2_DIy8IGnvfKv571I8wunLp3wyhgY41HwJU1_N1Rxe-tuqnluDRDDahBpXNYdg04zTA/s1600/Izzy_Logo_CG_RGB_kin72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OWPHZsxTu_hdBANDpNHuSbbk__fBiafWSXvp_7LvWF49RnFa9rYb3NlNaWrSiqYZyB_Can-2_DIy8IGnvfKv571I8wunLp3wyhgY41HwJU1_N1Rxe-tuqnluDRDDahBpXNYdg04zTA/s320/Izzy_Logo_CG_RGB_kin72.jpg" width="200" /></a>Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you) had some good news which we Izzies are willing to share with you all.<br />
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Of course, we wish she was getting happy news about our books, but oh, well.<br />
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Love,<br />
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Bizzy, Blizzy, Dizzy, Fizzy, Frizzy, Quizzy, Tizzy, and Whizzy<br />
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Here's Deedy:<br />
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Once in awhile I Google <i>A Buss from Lafayette</i> just to see if there are any new reviews hiding out in electronic nooks and cranies that I don't know about.<br />
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Look what I found online this morning!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<br />
Dorothea<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMxRyivVKDQoGGAu1Qb0mRq3Frl0O15D6wE_MgZbQvuYZD7ouu2htgwt6EAVg6wTE-d4B5-lFoI9S0yhiqBIGRbOXVrSYMEI1Mx09vwk1JSiOMxQLAGaqMSpp6qEN1E-QjMtNjxP26g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-04+at+1.37.12+PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMxRyivVKDQoGGAu1Qb0mRq3Frl0O15D6wE_MgZbQvuYZD7ouu2htgwt6EAVg6wTE-d4B5-lFoI9S0yhiqBIGRbOXVrSYMEI1Mx09vwk1JSiOMxQLAGaqMSpp6qEN1E-QjMtNjxP26g/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-01-04+at+1.37.12+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-83947080917481968222017-01-01T10:34:00.000-05:002017-01-01T10:57:03.773-05:00Dizzy-fied Grandboys!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yaJGrcTgmKI2KTGa0PMzIF-F2QvX4j5M1Hn5UW6N7cbRUy3fpFDMJ-V0bwJxGVqIcdgi78xRzrsiUKnfmpeiNKIWXtmujsSoZ3WCMMVDblKzoCt3UJCedhLl5hT1_5vg1Xx0fFA2Zg/s1600/DizzycoverSMA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yaJGrcTgmKI2KTGa0PMzIF-F2QvX4j5M1Hn5UW6N7cbRUy3fpFDMJ-V0bwJxGVqIcdgi78xRzrsiUKnfmpeiNKIWXtmujsSoZ3WCMMVDblKzoCt3UJCedhLl5hT1_5vg1Xx0fFA2Zg/s400/DizzycoverSMA.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div>
As some of you may know, a couple of Deedy's (that's Dorothea Jensen to you) books about us Izzy Elves featured her grandsons.<br />
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In <i>Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf</i>, Stuart and Drake play major roles in the story.<br />
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When Deedy stayed overnight at their house on <span style="color: #274e13;">Christmas Eve,</span> she could NOT resist "re-enacting" the first picture in the poem about Dizzy's big adventure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-Vl-EwTdJXPlT5_OUjkTWnuTLgq9DEI7vEoI8B1nphT_OyivRvia7i6i9da4VVeYghssjT-juPlC8hpzc2oAHgXxdlzkbj4VLMKwScy2T8iGcaE-kHILIRMDDLLvoIXjC3Z0W3CjTg/s1600/pg1_dizzy_print+copy.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-Vl-EwTdJXPlT5_OUjkTWnuTLgq9DEI7vEoI8B1nphT_OyivRvia7i6i9da4VVeYghssjT-juPlC8hpzc2oAHgXxdlzkbj4VLMKwScy2T8iGcaE-kHILIRMDDLLvoIXjC3Z0W3CjTg/s400/pg1_dizzy_print+copy.tif" width="310" /></a><br />
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Here is the illustration, created by Andrea Agostini.<br />
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Below is the "re-enactment" staged by Deedy, with the help of Stuart (top bunk) and Drake (bottom bunk).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLwSSgDVW_OyI-dgiE2itQeLEGh7fblmh9gbMyHASMRoEtbHGSCz1CEWauof61Ai_xsiIP5qgfgRArK7mun9AdFuNwVUs-BzcukOdlJmf9N4UAv8-1hJcNuoTNIZeSnd39ds-qXVThQ/s1600/IMG_1866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLwSSgDVW_OyI-dgiE2itQeLEGh7fblmh9gbMyHASMRoEtbHGSCz1CEWauof61Ai_xsiIP5qgfgRArK7mun9AdFuNwVUs-BzcukOdlJmf9N4UAv8-1hJcNuoTNIZeSnd39ds-qXVThQ/s400/IMG_1866.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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And here is a close up of Stuart from another shot:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhZCFXl0_rgBbaZwqcAf5sUzB-Apd_WAWveR7nhGIa2jzN0-AKSG5KJZ6_jc6RfoYKoQFP_nI46R-4J-c_bY7bFKGY1Qz-niBRuI9Sb0XKZ14If4G3UfBC5mEHL42OvvSn1Dp6mII0Q/s1600/IMG_0341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhZCFXl0_rgBbaZwqcAf5sUzB-Apd_WAWveR7nhGIa2jzN0-AKSG5KJZ6_jc6RfoYKoQFP_nI46R-4J-c_bY7bFKGY1Qz-niBRuI9Sb0XKZ14If4G3UfBC5mEHL42OvvSn1Dp6mII0Q/s320/IMG_0341.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here is the verse that goes with both of these pictures:</div>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">‘Twas
the night before Christmas,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about
half-way through.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">(The
clocks in the house showed the time to be two.)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The
parents were nestled in slumber so deep,</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But
Stuart and Drakey could not get to
sleep.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They’d
done all the time-honored things, Christmas Eve</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Before
both their parents were ready to leave</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The
boys in their bunk beds to sleep through the night.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Yes,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>each of the kids had done everything right.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Of
the Christmas routine, not a thing did they lack:</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They’d
hung up their stockings, set out Santa’s snack,</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They’d
sung all the carols, donned Christmas PJ’s</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And
brushed all their teeth in the usual ways.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They’d
been bedtime-storied,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>been tucked in and
kissed:</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Not
one of the Christmas Eve things had been missed!</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They’d
even removed all electronic toys</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Concealed
under blankets, like good little boys.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">So
why in the world did young Stuart and Drake</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Lie
up in their room open-eyed, wide awake?</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">We
need not look far for the probable cause:</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They
were filled with excitement about Santa Claus!</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And
they had Big Plans, did those two little imps</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They
hoped that of Santa they might catch a glimpse.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But
they would have revved up a few notches more</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If
they’d known what had happened a few hours before. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>- Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf © 2013 by Dorothea Jensen</i></span></span></div>
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<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-88510633975450943712016-12-23T08:03:00.001-05:002016-12-23T08:31:52.762-05:00Cool New Picture of Frizzy (But All for Naught)<br />
So Deedy (Dorothea Jensen to you) showed us this new picture by Shayne, Our Illustrator. It was done for a special new project Deedy has been working on ALL YEAR, only to find that it was not acceptable by the distributing company (which starts with A). We LOVE how Shayne put in the Mouse Hole, after Frizzy went to all that trouble to decorate its door for Christmas!<br />
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Of course, we are all SAD now because this project isn't going anywhere soon, but at least we know Deedy was TRYING to do something nice for us Izzies! We do feel her pain. Sigh.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHmYPi7-RewezRnhQ7kdHWaLKGq7vNPZeima6wfNNcxd5hw1k9E7GrcXmkooNyIO2GUnhjVCKelFQCriNgkvlhMnxzK3A21TcXlcWEV0DTtm7xaQtjELnEdkWgLztFNGnCb00ucOTvg/s1600/Frizzy_KeyArt1B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHmYPi7-RewezRnhQ7kdHWaLKGq7vNPZeima6wfNNcxd5hw1k9E7GrcXmkooNyIO2GUnhjVCKelFQCriNgkvlhMnxzK3A21TcXlcWEV0DTtm7xaQtjELnEdkWgLztFNGnCb00ucOTvg/s400/Frizzy_KeyArt1B.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25196181209604719.post-48785383521767107252016-12-21T10:50:00.001-05:002018-11-14T09:25:50.970-05:00'Tis the Season, and are we JOLLY!<div class="navbar section" id="navbar" name="Navbar">
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'Tis the Season
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8jeH2VCyXJ_uuC-1PVJdfjFciyg8BNP00gpbRiijFN29mJ456gLVVuix68sNFtkctCmfvEaYgoZ8PmZBc0LnEhihef9rmIPpqJvp0vzqsqNp4DR8BJFajS4XaIyYxsGWn_Xj2d73zA/s1600/Izzy_Logo_W_CMYK+Mcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8jeH2VCyXJ_uuC-1PVJdfjFciyg8BNP00gpbRiijFN29mJ456gLVVuix68sNFtkctCmfvEaYgoZ8PmZBc0LnEhihef9rmIPpqJvp0vzqsqNp4DR8BJFajS4XaIyYxsGWn_Xj2d73zA/s320/Izzy_Logo_W_CMYK+Mcopy.jpg" width="248" /></a><br />
We decided to re-post a couple<br />
of Elf pix to celebrate the season.<br />
First, here we are ourselves!<br />
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<br />
And here's Deedy!<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas to everyone<br />
from all us Izzies and Deedy, too!<span class="widget-item-control"><span class="item-control blog-admin"></span></span></div>
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Dorothea Jensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395400306413587647noreply@blogger.com0