HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOUISA MAY ALCOTT

Meg, Jo, Beth & Amy March are dear old friends. 
With me nearly all my life. 
They have remained in my heart and mind since our first encounter, a century after Louisa May Alcott published LITTLE WOMEN and now that more than 50 years more have passed. 

My dear English friend Rosalind once confided that she always identified with Meg. Perfect casting! 
On the other hand, I've always found solace in Jo's trials and comfort in her all to familiar tribulations.

Revisit them frequently in the well worn pages of my ancient copy of this favorite book.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Louisa May Alcott!! November 29, 1832, Germantown, PA (outside Philadelphia)

Happy Birthday Brother

My digi profile sketch "Uncle Jace's" wonderful biscotti recipe for They Draw & Cook http://www.theydrawandcook.com

Dentist, drummer, banjo player, jewelry maker, cook,
animal lover, husband.
Our "baby" brother and BIRTHDAY BOY!!

Wishing brother, Jonathan..... aka Jock, Jace, Jake, JC, Jon and Steve
(its a L O N G story) a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

That's brother Jock in the highchair (middle of the
last century at one of our birthday celebrations.
Just who's is a mystery).

❊ PEACE ON EARTH ❊

(illustration from my book THE LITTLE SNOWGIRL)

Difficult year ending.
Hoping for a better year 2013

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

      

Detail from my Hanukkah illustration from a while ago 
for LadyBug magazine

   

  H A P P Y   H A N U K K A H !!

BIRTHDAY GIRL AT 90

     Our Mom turns 90 today or as she likes to say (nodding to George Carlin) 32 celsius.
     
     Unconditional love, devotion, determination and great humor. 

     Lost her vision to the inherited disorder Retinitis Pigmentosa (ruined retinas due to the inability to metabolize vitamin A).  Completely blind for the last 30 years. 
    With equanimity and grace, accepting that which she could not change. Relinquishing the pleasures of the visual arts, live theater and shopping. Mom has never seen most of my books.
    Yet still taking great pleasure in music and conversation and family adventures. 
Interested in politics, the Franklin Institute Red Tail Hawks and the internet among other things.
     
     In fragile health these last few months.  
     Celebrating your milestone birthday with all our love, hugs, kisses, gourmet lunch and sweet potato pecan cupcakes with cream cheese icing!!


               ❤❤ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR MOM!! ❤❤

                                                   
   

BOO!!

When Edie Weinberg sent me Tony Johnston's 
delightful "scary" story, BOO, A Story 
That Could Be True to illustrate I couldn't
wait to start.

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

A ghost story for early readers, begins in the 
grand tradition. Oooooo!

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

Naturally, there is a ghost. But what's 
with the pickle?

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

The Farmer and his Cat start hearing scary sounds.

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

More funny than scary.

Not going to give the ending away, 
except to say this book practically 
designed itself.

ⓒ Carolyn Croll 2011

Many thanks to Tony Johnston for 

this wonderful story!

And also to marvelous Edie Weinberg 

for asking me to do the pictures!

 

My Comfort Zone

(click on images to enlarge)

Probably the result of all the years I spent as a student. 

Elementary school, junior high, then high school. 

Plus 4 years of art school. 

Followed by nearly 20 years teaching 2-D Design, 

Fashion Illustration and Children's Book Illustration, 

part time at the old alma mater, the Philadelphia College of Art.

(now the University of the Arts).

September first has always been my new years day.

Heat and humidity won't last much longer.

School starts.

Put on socks.

And a sweater.

Can't wait!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

I share my Mom with my sister 
and two brothers. She's been my 
Mom longer because I got
here first. Not that it really matters. 
She always tells us she loves all 
her children equally.

Mom lost her sight completely a 
number of years ago. 
Listening to my war stories, she takes 
my side but can't see my art work or 
how gray her 4 children have become. 


Memorizing all her numbers, credit cards, 
phone numbers, anniversaries, birthdays, 
medical appointments. Mom carries on 
with few complaints and lots of laughter. 

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Uncle Jace's Pineapple Walnut Biscotti - They Draw & Cook

FINALLY!! Very excited to have my recipe (well its actually my brother Jonathan's recipe) that I illustrated, up on one of my favorite websites
http://www.theydrawandcook.com

A pretty good caricature of brother Jon (done from memory). 
Here he is a few years ago, before his forehead got a little higher 
and his hair a little grayer. (He's gonna kill me..........) :~)

Year Of The Krolik

In honor of Chinese New Year, the year of 

the RABBIT, a redux of a relevent

personal post from April 2009.

Two kroliks......

When preparing for my trip to Russia,

a favorite Russian speaking NY editor

warned me that not knowing the language

I could go missing in Moscow.

With little time before departure, I

thought I'd try to at least learn the Cyrillic

alphabet. (after all, little Russian kids do it

all the time).

Soon I was sounding out Russian words for

ordinary objects in a traveler's pocket Russian

vocabulary book.

One day, part way through the list of food

items, I read the word кролик. Pronunciation,

krolik, English translation, hare or rabbit.

Grandfather Кролик (Crollick)

My paternal Grandfather's original name when he

left Russia in the early 20th Century was Krolik.

(changed to Crollick in England, which at some point

changed to Croll when his widow, my Grandmother

immigrated here).

My Krolik collection

Seems many family members already knew this.

Why hadn't anyone told ME?

"You never asked".

Birthday Girl

Louisa May Alcott

Favorite author, Louisa May Alcott's 
birthday. Born 178 years ago in Germantown, 
PA. Not far from center city Philadelphia.

My well worn copy of Little Women

I still read Little Women, sometimes from start
to finish, other times certain chapters.
Always totally identified with Jo March, 
although I am the oldest in my family and Jo 
is the next oldest. Awkward, passionate, dramatic,
creative and brave. Always getting into scrapes as she
forges ahead. Far from perfect, but so sincere in her efforts.
Thought everyone who read the book identified with Jo.
My English friend, Rosalind and I were discussing the 
book over a cuppa and slice of one of her excellent cakes in 
her suburban London home, one day.

Meg and John Brooke, illustration by Louis Jambor, 

Little Women, Grosset and Dunlap 

It surprised me to learn that Ros identified with Meg, 
the eldest. Soon realized that she really WAS very Meg. 
A nurse, a woman who practices her strong faith every 
day in her dealings with everyone she meets. Mother 
of two, now grandmother of three, married to Rob, 
one of the nicest guys ever, very John Brooke!

My friend Rosalind

(Some day I'll tell the story of meeting Rob for the first time.)
Ros is my reward for having stopped smoking over 
30 years ago. Returning from a London trip with a couple of 
friends sitting back in smoking section, me alone up front.
Just before the plane door closed, a tall handsome woman 
strode in and sat next to me (in non-smoking) in the aisle 
bulk head seat. 
Exchanged "hellos" and haven't stopped chatting since. 
That was 32 or so years ago. 
A medical nurse, Ros introduced me, at first highly skeptical, 
to Homeopathy as well. Soothing aches and pains and 
"airplane flu" with remedies from her Homeopathic cabinet 
when hot tea alone didn't work. Lovely expeditions to Liberty's,
Canterbury, Seven Oaks and Bath. Would never have known
about Katharine Swynford and John of Gaunt without Ros.
A big sister I never had. Meg to my Jo for all these years.

A Goost Story

My Mom tells about the Parent/ Teacher Night

student art exhibit long ago. Immediately she
knew which piece was mine.
It wasn't my signature nor obvious artistic talent

providing the clue......

A facsimile as the original is long gone.

Spelling, not one of my better subjects. ;-)

Welcoming September

first day of pre school, from MY GIANT PRESCHOOL  Lift The Flap Book

School starting, leaves changing color.

Socks, sweaters and corduroy. 

OK, not today.... but coming soon.

It may still be 95 and humid, but cooler

days are coming. 

Today feels like New Year's to me.

click to enlarge and see the Hamsters

Life Saver

My senior year in high school began as a disaster.
My family's 5th move in 16 years. From Syracuse, 
NY to New Milford, NJ. New school, new classmates, 

old drill. Add family hassles.

Mrs. Bea Kettlewood, from my yearbook

My one saving grace. the Art Department at New Milford
HS headed by the indefatigable, Bea Card Kettlewood. 
Assisted by Eva Bowker and Mel Davison. 
I don't remember how it happened, but I got to spend 3 
periods in a row every day in the large,well equipped 
Art Department. Assignments? Anything I wanted to do .
Weaving, mosaics, clay. Teaching, learning and lots of laughter. 

 Eva Bowker, top and Mel Davison, below

Mrs. Kettlewood kept a chart. Upon acceptance to 
Art College, she pasted a gold star next to a senior 
student's name. The rows of stars grew. But my 
space stayed empty. Syracuse turned me down. (I had 
PSAT scores, but not SATs. SU Admissons returned 
Mom's call. She gave them whatfore on their nickel)

         Yours truly, looming in Mrs. K's NMHS Art Dept.

Finally late Spring, acceptance came from the Philadelphia 
Museum College of Art, Mrs. K welcomed me with an enormous 
handmade gold star. Massive cheering and hugs. 
A truly legendary much beloved teacher and friend to all
her former students.



Bea Card Kettlewood

#12 Paint Remnants,          #17 Low Tide, Long Ropes, ME

         Port Clyde, ME  

                                  #11 November Storm, Pemaquid Point, ME

   #30 Architectural Classics, Philadelpia, PA  

    (all painting photos by Tony Gallo)

Retired from teaching, Bea continues to paint and show her work.

Landscapes, Seascapes and Cityscapes. Charming, colorful, 
evocative pictures of  places she knows and loves in Maine, 
New Jersey and one here of a doorway in Philadelphia. 


Follow the link to see more of her delightful work.
   http://www.pbase.com/gailb/beakettlewood