Had a little head start for Vivian Kirkfield's #50 Precious Words 2026 with our first snowstorm. One little bird poured her heart out when the storm ended. Funny how I heard that same bird today. #picturebooks #picturebooksforkids

Posted my submission for #50 Precious Words 2026 & purchased Bonnie Grubman's HOW DO YOU GET A MOUSE TO SMILE for Vivian Kirkfield's Literacy Initiative. Congrats Vivian for amazing roundup of prizes & winning 2026 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for ONE GIRL’S VOICE: How Lucy Stone Helped Change Law Land!

Just registered 4 MOWMT 2026. Here's my choice for a favorite mentor text: NOT SO FAST, MAX - A ROSH HASHANAH VISIT WITH GRANDMA by Annette Schottenfeld. Very relatable topic like apple picking chosen to show a lovely experience of 2 grandkids getting to know their grandmother. Love backmatter!

While we're getting back to normalcy with warm sunshine melting snow from the recent blizzard and awaiting another snowstorm or two, thank you to the kind elf/elves who mysteriously cleared off snow from our car in the driveway yesterday afternoon. A huge undertaking, whoever you are! So grateful!

Waiting. For cold winds to end. For people walking - cars passing. For children's laughs and shoveling. For cars dug out -sidewalks plowed. For mail. Just waiting —Keep the bills. #winter #winterwonderland #winterweather

Thrilled do final research on historical/ women's fiction novel. Temp warmer—in 20s not 8º. Power failure made Uptown Kingston, NY difficult to maneuver but got answers. Charming soul opened Deisings' rear door & fresh doughnuts. "Take some." OMG! Regular custard doughnuts—unbelievably delicious!

Two sets of animal tracks crossed the backyard. Yesterday's snowfall completely covered every inch on the ground and then some. When I took out the garbage, the snow measured higher than my boots. Brrr!

FINDING CHRISTMAS by author @roseannefrank.bsky.social & illustrations by Em Frank is a treasure. Follow Fox, Chipmunk, and Bear in this short easy reader chapter book as they search for a family & place where they will belong. Adorable illustrations enhance the charming text. Full Sail Press 2025.

Lovely evening at author @reynagentin.bsky.social’s book launch for her latest novel JESSICA HARMAN HAS STEPPED AWAY with Jess Rao as moderator and books available through Bronx River Books in Scarsdale, NY. Well done, Reyna!

With heartfelt thanks, I closed the garden for season 2025 with its fall colors. Blessed with rich bounties, I couldn't risk losing these beauties to strong winds or a possible frost. Kale will fend for itself. #garden #gardening #gardeninglife #harvest #HarvestSeason #writingaboutgardening

Thanks @ginabwriting.bsky.social. Great program!

Super First Pages event @scbwiwestchester.bsky.social w/ Miloni Vora, Assist Ed Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books & Literary Agent Sean McCarthy Literary Agency. Thrilled to receive professional comments and suggestions on latest gardening ms! Thnx Regional Team for organizing. @scbwi.bsky.social

Packed house at Scarsdale Library listened to author @barbjoss.bsky.social launch her latest historical novel THE SECRET ORPHANAGE @bookouture.bsky.social in a fascinating discussion with Jacqueline Friedland, author of COUNTING BACKWARDS Harper Collins 2025. #historicalfictionbooks #story

Kudos to Roseanne Frank, Maria Wen Adcock and Debbie Vilardi for their SCBWI Long Island presentation "Feedback to Flourish on How Critique Groups Can Elevate Your Manuscript!" #writer #Critiquing #writersofinstagram #critiquegroups #picturebooks #children'sbo @scbwi.bsky.social

What a difference 4 months make! Surprised to see a single lilac bouquet in mid September on an aging tree that has never double bloomed in the 30 or so years it's been growing and methodically blooms the week of May 14. #lilac #climatechange #IndianSummerVibes #writerslife #writerscommunity

Fascinating presentation by Dr. Tobias Brinkmann Penn State on Migration thru Center for Jewish History. Author of BETWEEN BORDERS: THE GREAT JEWISH MIGRATION FROM EASTERN EUROPE, Dr. Brinkmann greatly aided my research for my adult historical fiction novel.

Summer feels like it's just begun. Although it takes longer to relax & enjoy the surroundings, all I need is fresh air, sunbeams on the water, music on Sirius, tomato sandwiches with a touch of mozzarella on whole wheat, black raspberry chip frozen yoghurt, & good company. #summer #summervibes

Picking ripe raspberries for fifteen minutes yields two weeks of unbelievable breakfasts ––only once a year. #pickyourown #relaxation #mindfulness #writer #writing #writersofinstagram #writerslife #writerscommunity #raspberry #raspberries #onlyonceayear

Pollinators are part of this garden too. Bees flit here and there between blossoms. Upside down, sideways, right side up. Zooming in the September sun. Absorbed in what they're doing. Not interested in humans! Helping plants pump out tomatoes for the season @vegplotter.bsky.social

Roseanne Frank’s picture book O’WIN AND THE MOON, illustrated by Friederike Ablang, tugs at emotions. Kids will share O’win’s wonder about the moon & constellations. A delightful story filled with enchantment and whimsy. Love backmatter for teachers, librarians, & caregivers to enhance read alouds.

O’WIN & the MOON is about a boy who saves Moon from a lunar eclipse! This would be a perfect companion read for the event on September 7th! #STEM #science #lunareclipse shm.to/owinsmoon

A perfect summer's day away! #summer #summervibes #summer2025 #writerscommunity

Collected sufficient tomatoes for a small sauce. Added basil and garlic to the pot & behold! With that in mind, began new contemporary novel, came up with a new PB title, and submitted a revised story. Clearly thrilled! #writer #tomatoseason #tomatosauce #writingaboutgardens #writerscommunity

Mosquitos are biting, but garden is rebounding. A small pickle/cucumber, pepper & pea flowers, & lots of tomatoes & basil. Sauce is next. Aimee DeCelle Lepe, Preeti Kishore, & Deborah Skolnik, your harvest pictures are inspiring! #gardening #foodart #tomatoes #tomato #writer #writerscommunity

THE FORGOTTEN ITALIAN RESTAURANT by @barbjoss.bsky.social captured my heart. Story told of an Italian village, who secretly saved Jews by feeding and hiding them from Nazis. Loved dual timeline & characters. Read 3 books in series & found novel compelling. #HistoricalFiction @bookouture.bsky.social

Contest - Day 3 - Tomato plants are pulling further away from middle. Can you see a few hopeful surprises hidden among protective stems? Imagine how much spray farmers use so veggies get to market. Suggestions for using an organic spray? #garden #gardenstress #writingaboutgardens #writingcommunity

CONTEST DAY#2-Tomato plants, abundant basil, beans, parsley, pea pods, & recovering kale call, "Harvest me!" RULES:Turn what U harvest into something else. POST: pics of what U make & scene of yr garden. PRIZE: Intrinsic feeling of being creative. XTRA CREDIT: Name this face or any #FoodArt U make.

See a big hole in the center of garden? Gone are whole sections of chives, bean & tomato stems/leaves, baby cucumbers. One culprit left behind a clue. Recognize it? We hear cicadas & locusts singing 24/7. Their gorging and moving legs & jaws are ringing in your ears. At least they eat other bugs!

CONTEST! Take your entire garden harvest for a day. Turn it into something else. PRIZE?! The satisfaction in being creative is a prize unto itself. Have fun! P.S. I'm lucky that my harvest today is quite small. #garden #harvest #foodart #contests #writingaboutgardens #writingcommunity #writers

Marcia Bradley showcased writers in whole novel writing class at Sarah Lawrence College's Writing Institute. Good to see now published authors Daria Sommers-SAWADIKA AMERICAN GIRL 2026 and Rebecca Wolf, Alive & Beating 2025, who I met while taking courses and workshopping my novel there.

For several days, rabbits weren't running away. New hole under pushed-up fence. They crept in to gorge. No more cabbage, lettuce, swiss chard, arugula, radicchio, & escarole. Eggplant, beans, basil, & tomato plants remained. Soil added beneath repaired fence. Waiting for their next move. #gardening

Between heat & rain, #beans, #peas & #eggplant win over weeds. Willing posers for photos of veggie swirls, turns, & twists. Battle to obtain tender kale results in defeat. Replant? I admit defeat & buy gigantic bunch of kale so plants recover fr extensive picking. #garden #gardening #gardens #kale

My appreciation for WELCOME TO MURDER WEEK grew as I read novel. Well-read author @Karen Dukess connected rdr 2 literary world while characters solved dual mysteries. Enjoyed Cath's search to find family & sense of belonging w/ humor, wit, & heart. Spent a week traveling to new hopeful places.

Carrots, parsnip, & celery from fridge meet garden escarole, cabbage, parsley, basil in pot. Add split chicken breasts. Mix, simmer, fill air w/ soothing aromas. Colds better w/ chicken soup, even in hot spell. #writing #writer #summercolds #garden #amRevising #writingcommunity #chickensouprecipe

Surprises in life. When left Dr. saw 2 restored typewriters. MC in adult historical fiction sequel I'm revising is delighted to use Remington. Knew about Underwood but not L.C. Smith. When return next wk, will ask for #remingtontypewriter. #typewriter #typewritercommunity #disability #writerslife

This is the best team crossover video I've ever seen.

2 of 7 deer walking from entrance toward flatter land. How quick would my bouquets attract them? Focused on ticks and gestational period: 230-250 days with 1-2 offspring. Pick-up truck tried to lead them out. Why wasn't anyone else bothered by their presence? #writing #deer #cemetery #writerslife

@scbwiwestchester.bsky.social hears Scholastic's Executive Art Director @brianlarossa.com speak on "Design Can Make or Break Your Picture-Book-Dummy" in Sleepy Hollow. Learning about typography & lettering in children & adult books! Pictured w/Brian: @kmarcuswrites.bsky.social #scbwi #kidlitart

I love trees so much.

Sunshine replaces round-the-clock misting. Bright bits of color against green curved shapes. Arugula, bean, tomato, eggplant blossoms extend beyond their swirling curls. #gardening #garden #gardeninspiration #writingaboutgardens #writingcommunity #gardenlove #gardens #gardenlife #writer #writing

I am thrilled to announce that I have been awarded the Amy Sue Nathan Write and Publish Your Book Scholarship for my adult historical novel THE PEDDLER'S DAUGHTER from the May, 2025 submission round of @wf-writers.bsky.social‬ to help me get closer to my publishing goals! Amy's novels are below.

I write across genre. I'm taking a break with social media after revising my MG novel w/ list of recent releases & writing a reverse chapter summary. I'll return to planning an end for new adult historical fiction. Then I'll revise a fiction PB for my critique group. #writingcommunity #writers

Busy garden! Thinned beet seedlings boom, arugula likes pinched buds, kale spreads like weed, leaf lettuce curls, and basil leaves smell divine. Stuff greens into pita, stir fry, or eat as side salad. How long will treasure chest last before local creatures devour it? #gardening #gardenBusy #writer

Wondered if shocking blood red circle was #sun or moon this morning. Googled later showed full moon doesn't appear until 6/10, so it had to be sun. Evening news talked about #colorfulsun against #hazyskies in east. What will be tomorrow? #morningsunshine #amwriting #writingcommunity #skyscape

Never knew radicchio plants would look so different when growing. Each has its own shape and design. Some leaves are enormous. A pleasant surprise from the white veined red leaves that I expected to see. it's must be another variety. #gardeninglife #gardenlove #writingaboutgardens #radicchio

No ducks to be seen on the water in this blustery weather, while plenty of benches are available in the harbor park. #takeawalk #wildlife #waterviews #takingabreak #writer #AmRevising #amsubmitting #writerscommunity #writerslife #writingcommunity

Enjoying a quiet celebration at a nearby hideaway! #getaway #getoutside #writer #writers #writing #writerslife #takeawalk #memorialdayweekend

Thrilled to chat with retired colleagues of the Scarsdale School District at the annual spring luncheon. How wonderful to have the opportunity today to play catch up! Looking forward to the next one. #teachers #retiredteacher #writingcommunity #writer #AmWriting #authorsofbluesky #writerslife

Thank you @sarahcharron.bsky.social for listing them.

Impressive list of books you have written ‪@catherinehapka.bsky.social‬!