Influences~

This is why I am this way~ these six books were major, major, major influences me as a kid. Funny thing, I read a zillion books, but only a few are keystone books, books that made some sort of impression on me that carried through to now.

We found these at the estate auction yesterday, and I paid more for them than I would of thought- afterwards a lady tried to buy the Witch book from me, but NO WAY! I had not thought about these books for years, but when I saw them it brought back such strong memories- and compulsions- that I dragged Charles over and said "These! I have to have these!" He remembered them and did not let their moment pass- we happily bid on them until they were ours. Treasures.

So, me and these books.

1. Open your eyes: all about colors and associations with colors- objects that are red, yellow, blue. I still teach this to my kids, the grown up word for it is 'semiotics', but really it's a game.

2. Jerome: the hippie frog that became a prince and saved the day through common sense. I always associated this book with "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"- the song- and therefore name all frogs names that start with the letter J. Additionally, the art in here- especially the way the frogs are drawn- shows up in my drawings.

3. Alexander: the very bad horse, who I always thought was the fruit-stripe zebra. Horses were always my imaginary pals.

4. The Sheep of Lal Baugh: which is why Daddy never let me mow the grass, and Charles does all the mowing today. And why I *love* to mow grass. See, the sheep was the arty type that mowed in circles and stars- I have always wanted to do it, but never had a plush enough lawn for it to show up. Someday I am going to sneak into a golf course and draw with a mower-

5. Miss Suzy: associated with Sister Sue, because she is a domestic queen (out-marthad martha stewart long before martha ever laid a flagstone) and likes squirrels. And the song 'grey squirrel'. This book made me want a doll house, and to make little cups out of acorns and brooms of twigs, rescue all the squirrels and chippies from Wilber's traps, and make acorn bread. Then I found out acorn bread is poisonous (to people). Still love Miss Suzy though-

6. Old Black Witch: one of my favorite books *ever*! (Secret: the drawings of the witch reminded me of Granny Wrye- the witch is granny wrye shaped) The whole idea of the book- the mum/boy team turning an old abandoned house into a tea room, the cranky witch in the attic, blueberry pancakes and biscuits with honey. I credit this with my fondness for kitchen witches, abandoned houses and eating honey on everything. (I don't buy honey because I am so addicted).

Of course there are other books for later years, and the baby books I loved (Madeline, Mother Goose with the good illustrations) but these, these were like old friends coming to visit. And when the fellows were packing up the auction, I plopped right down in the sun and read every single one of them cover to cover, not caring who would see a grown woman sitting in the sun, smiling out loud.