Let's celebrate!  How to Grow a Hippo! has been printed and is on its way to author Becky Schantz.  She will be signing and mailing out the books that had been pre-ordered.  If you did not pre-order but would like a book, it is available for on-line purchase on the Mascot Books website.  Click here for a direct link.

The hippo celebrating in the illustration above started out as a hippo
study in preparation for the book back in 2012.  He soon morphed into a birthday hippo for my hippo-loving niece and later was reincarnated as a scientist for the book.  He gets around. 

All good things must come to an end.  We have had the good fortune to spend the holidays in the American Southwest, but December has passed and the decorations are coming down.  Upon arrival, I purchased a two foot table tree and a strand of garland at the local Humane Society thrift shop for the grand total of five dollars.  Additional decorations consisted of pine cones, dried chili peppers and raffia.  You can have a lot of fun with a little imagination and Elmer's glue.  Add a little nog, and you create masterpieces.  Or, so you think.

Now that 2014 is upon us, all the lights are coming down.   Yet, just yesterday, I stumbled across a tumbleweed "snowman" still on duty as sentry.  He has seen better days, but heck, we are all a bit worn out from the fun of our annual winter party. 

A big thank you to Nate & Salli at They Draw & Cook for rerunning my Holiday recipe.  This past Christmas week they highlighted recipes that featured a Santa.  On Friday, Dec 27, they posted my holiday submission from 2010. Someone commented on the site that it would make a good Christmas card.  Why, yes, it was my card that year.  Check out my 12/26/2010 post to see it in full. 

Wishing all a very Happy New Year.

It's that time of year again.  Since 1997 I have sent out a motorcycle-themed Christmas card.  This year the card does not feature a Harley but you need to shake it up now and again.  A Christmas Guzzi is on the menu instead, with the sentiment:

May the gifts of the season 

accompany you throughout the new year.

Despite all the hoopla, I would like to add what I believe is a perfectly lovely, all inclusive greeting,

 Happy Holidays!

Nothing says the Holidays like the desert. A special holiday card design above and the perfect mailbox to put it in.

The Christmas cards have been designed, drawn, scanned, colored, printed, glittered, folded, stacked, signed, enveloped, addressed and finally, mailed.  Almost sixty hand-made cards will make their way to Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia.  Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus card on the way!  This early completion is almost a record for me in the decade and more I have produced them.  They are labor intensive (a labor of love) and more often than not have arrived in their recipients mailbox on the eve of the holiday.  Not by plan, of course.  But this year they are on their way in mid-December.  It's a Christmas miracle!

It is scary how quickly this year has flown by.  It is December already and the new year is almost upon us.  The pumpkin was carved and our turkey-less Thanksgiving meal consumed, all without a single post.  Now with the winter chill in the air, the Christmas card production line is under way.

My zombie inspired Jack-O-Lantern for 2013 is pictured above.