I hope you've all had extra free time this summer to draw and write. Maybe you've been on a trip or made a new friend that has changed your perspective on the world! That's always a good time to be creative for me. When my mind works extra hard figuring out the world around me, I remember my thought and impressions--It's adding to one's memory bank!

 Last month, I went to Okinawa, Japan to visit my daughter. I went snorkeling and I saw the undersea world of a coral reef. Now that I'm home I wish I had gone out further to where there are more fish, but at the time I was too scared. I saw Morrish Idol fish which are yellow with accents of white and black, and they have long trailing fins.

One thing I liked about Okinawa, is spotting the Shi-shi lions on the Okinawan houses and gates. The animals can be made of ceramic or carved in stone or cast from cement. They look fanciful and fierce, and there are always two. Usually, one has its mouth open, and one has its mouth closed. If you look carefully under their front paws, some have a ball or a baby Shi-shi lion. They guard the house from "evil spirts". I even saw a gas station guarded by the Shi-shi lions. Other names for the animals are Temple Lions and they are also called Foo dogs.

Next week, I'm going to create a coloring page of a Shi-shi dog on my Internet site. They are a made up creature so don't be scared, they protect you! You can use any color you wish to color them in. Now that I'm home, I'm back at work on the Gingerbread Baby -- it takes time -- but I love to see the characters form under my paintbrush! 

Love,