Leanne M. Benson

Why is the little girl in this picture having so many bad days? I wondered that many times while painting this illustration for the children’s book The Unbelievable Topsy Turvy Day! that I’d just written. Maybe one of those days was ruined, after signal miscommunications on whether to stay on second base or run to third base had lost the game? Looking for reasons as to why people have bad days, I tumbled into a rabbit hole and soon discovered a word that I hadn’t heard before. The word is mondegreen. It means a word or phrase that has been misheard.

You’ve used mondegreens if you ever sang the children’s song that goes like this, “Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey a kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?” Or if you ever played the game Telephone, where you gathered with others in a circle and tried to successfully send the same message through everyone, one at a time. If someone didn’t hear what was whispered, they had to continue with what they think they heard. All too often, when that last person announced to the entire group what they just heard, it was only a shadow of the original message.

Miscommunication also happens when we use speech recognition and spellcheck. And typos have been around since the invention of the printing press. Not too many years ago. I was planning a family vacation with three sisters and my mom. Emails were flying back and forth while we worked out schedules. I had listed vacation spots and sent them off to everyone. Moments later, came a reply. My sister said, “Buce job!” Well, after investigating to find the meaning of buce, I suddenly had to laugh! For I’d realized on that first word, my sister’s right hand had simply shifted one key to the left!

Life is full of miscommunications and mondegreens. Unfortunately, not all are as easy to fix as a simple typo or speech recognition error on your phone. Nor are they as funny as singing the wrong words to a popular song. Sometimes they wreak havoc for days, months, or longer. The way I look at it, these debacles teach me something or at least they give me a good laugh! And if I’m lucky, I get both! Don’t you just wish all life’s debacles could be innocent, harmless, and funny?

If you’ve ever had a humorous mondegreen or misunderstanding, please send a short description in the comments. I’d enjoy hearing from you. The Unbelievable Topsy Turvy Day! is for sale online at www.leannembenson.com

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High quality is impressive! Handmade is intriguing! Do it yourself is rewarding!

I’ve always enjoyed creating things like this poetic blog. As a child I built forts. I often give homemade cards and gifts. I remember when my children were growing up, the fun we had making costumes for Halloween. I had married a man that rather than replace a broken item, he seems to enjoy the challenge of troubleshooting the problem and fixing it. He and I have tackled many projects over the years. We’ve built our own home, rebuilt an old boat. And well, now we can also add to that list of wacky challenging adventures, that we revised my website.

One of the problems we faced working on this website was how time consuming it became, sitting and waiting for changes to upload. You see, we live in a very rural area where our computers struggle to run on an almost “Amish” internet. I call it Amish because they both seem to use little to no technology. Yup, I’m convinced when our internet comes to a crawl, it’s because the hamster on the treadmill at the end of our driveway hasn’t been fed. Now, I don’t need to have the latest, greatest, fastest, or best item on the market. But there have been times when large files have taken seventeen days and nights to upload. If we wanted to use the internet for anything else during that time, we’ve had to pause the upload. Well, I’m thrilled that after several months of crews working to install high-speed fiber to our area, come fall, these internet problems will be a thing of the past! I guess, we can let the “hamster” go! And this link to my website is no longer secured with a shoelace around a door-nail. It now proudly wears SSL.  Check it out! This website is like no other!  https://leannembenson.com/

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It’s June 21^st! the longest day of the year for the Northern hemisphere. Four summer solstices have come and gone since I first began spilling paint, writing, erasing, and rewriting words for a children’s story. A lot had happened in those few short years. How we learned and how we worked had changed drastically. The pressure that we were under had burst. The world had turned upside down. And this seemingly silly children’s story emerged with its own subtle little message.

Today, I’m holding a hardcover copy of The Unbelievable Topsy Turvy Day! and I can see, it was truly worth the wait!

You just may want more than one book. They make wonderful gifts. To learn more about this book go to                                              www.leannembenson.com and click on The Unbelievable Topsy Turvy Day!

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It’s rewarding to see something you made bring joy to others. It may be a dinner you cooked, a wood bowl you carved, a beaded necklace you strung, or a book you wrote. Oddly enough, for me it was a book. It’s odd because I’ve never thought of myself as a writer.

Many of you know I published my first children’s book a few years ago and have been working on a second book.  But did you know, the crooked path that led me to publishing?

Becoming a children’s author/illustrator didn’t start out as a dream. It was more like a journey whose time had come. The stories I had created remained private. The drawers in my art studio were overflowing with my paintings that would never be seen. I began looking for ways to share my creative stream. After years of holding back, my quest has begun. And like a hero in a fairy tale; my eye is on the outcome. I’m seeing my published books bringing joy as I spend time reading aloud to small groups of people at libraries, schools, assisted living homes and more. But everything it takes to get published is not part of this fairy tale chapter.

The magic of each story happens in my heart when I’m all alone. After years of the characters from the stories, The Lion of Tupungato and The Unbelievable Topsy Turvy Day! living in my head and taking them on walks, I got to know them. My first test was to climb a mountain named Enthusiasm and create a pathway of entertainment for both the adult and child. After all, the adult’s enthusiasm enlightens the child’s experience and love of reading. I also think the best children’s stories are the ones that capture the imagination, allowing readers to go beyond the ends of the earth, do absolutely everything, and make the seemingly impossible – possible! A fast-moving plot balanced with depth and meaning is another challenge. But I’ll have reached the mountain’s peak when I create an experience that raises awareness and empowers my reader in the real world.

Writing is anything but easy. And soon I discovered the next step, publishing and promoting was even more difficult. Detours and bumps in the road increased the length and challenge of my climb. But detours and bumps prepared me for what lay ahead. Tossing aside my fuzzy slippers, I laced up my magic running shoes and began jumping over publishing hurdles. I slowed only long enough to consider new ideas along my path. Overcoming fears of the unknown and the uncertainties that come with taking the lead, I became my own hero and made this fairy tale book a reality. Turning the corner of this epic journey, I received my award, this children’s book. I’ve also learned to trust myself, the importance of patience, and to NEVER give up.

I wish you all the best as you navigate your own hero’s journey! Please feel free to share this blog with others. If you would like The Unbelievable Topsy Turvy Day! book, send me a personal message or email me at:  leannebenson@goacentek.net

Kids learn at an early age that swear words are powerful. Funny, but when my kids were growing up, I thought if I didn’t swear, they wouldn’t either. I remember telling them that people only swear when they aren’t intelligent enough to express themselves using good words. When in fact, studies have shown the people that have a large vocabulary can often use more swear words than people that have limited words.

However, research also shows that swearing may help us vent and it’s a very effective way to make someone stop! The coolest thing about swearing is that it can be kind of like taking pain medication. It can make us feel better when we get ‘dumped” on (like this little bat) and it lessens our pain when we stub our toe.

But not so fast! About the time I began to ramp up on those swear words, I learned the more we use… the more we need. So, those that swear a lot, may not get as much relief when they stub their toe.

Wishing you, the kind of year in 2023, where few swearwords are needed.

 

I like movies that make me think. What’s one of your favorite movies?

I can taste color! I really can! Bold colors are like an explosion to my senses. Pastel colors sooth as they melt down my throat.

If you asked me what my favorite color is, I couldn’t tell you. Because I don’t have one. In fact, two or more colors are much more appetizing than just one color. It’s the difference between eating a pizza crust with nothing other than cheese verses a pizza crust with everything on it! Each ingredient enhances the other flavors. The way a tangy yellow topping enhances the rich dark purple is so much more delicious than either one of them is alone.

Umami is the word that best describes the sensation I get from this sunset painting. Every color is a notable accent to the next. The warm and savory clouds, the sweet stars, sour last hint of sun, salty sun rays, and bitter darkness of the earth is bursting with umami. Can’t you just taste it?

Have I made you hungry for The Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Louvre ? Or maybe just a pizza.

What have you’ve seen, that was so beautiful it made you stop and take notice? I’d enjoy hearing from you. Please drop me a line in the comments. Bon Appétit!

Here’s an innocent little poem that ended up with an unexpected twist.

I decided not to add extra commentary to this short blog. But rather, let you ponder it’s meaning. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

“When you think of me as disabled, leave out the dis-!

Instead think of me as determined-n-able!” ~Unknown

I’m not in a wheelchair, but I do have hidden imperfections.

At a time when I had dressed in much younger women’s clothing, I remember wishing, “Oh, if only I could win that ‘perfection trophy’ or just be the third runner up”. I felt the trophy would give me the respect of others.

Now sitting in old, less than fashionable clothing, I think of the people I respect most. It’s not the ones that hold the trophy. And it doesn’t matter if you’re walking in four-inch stiletto heels, with the aid of a cane, or if you’re in a wheelchair. The winners in my book, are the ones that never stop trying. They are the ones that look for the good in others and see their self-improvements. They are comfortable with who they are. The people I admire don’t compete for that trophy. Because they know that the perfection title and pageantry isn’t what wins the game –of life.

 

I like hearing different viewpoints. What qualities you admire in people.

“Here’s to chasing your dreams in the cutest pair of shoes you own.” ~unknown

When my husband and I moved from the cities to the country, there were numerous naysayers’. I remember people asking, “Have you thought about how you are going to manage way out there as you age?” At first this thought scared me. I thought about the fact that family and medical support may eventually become an issue. I began wondering, what if we spent all our energy building this home only to move back to the city in a year or two? Would it all be for naught?

Crossing a dream off the list because it couldn’t last forever seemed a bit extreme. After much deliberation I decided to take a leap of faith. To follow my dream even if it lasted only one year.

My journey to get where I am now hasn’t always been in the cutest pair of shoes I own, but it’s been quiet an adventure! And, I’m glad I took the risk. Because it’s where I got to meet the me I never thought I was; a woman with determination and willpower. Now, I must admit, many of my dreams are meet with imposter syndrome and hesitation. But, one pieces of advice I received from my father when I was growing up has helped me. He said, “You are going to make mistakes throughout life. The only way to avoid making mistakes is—don’t do anything. But the biggest mistake you’ll ever make is to do nothing.”

It’s been over fifteen years since my husband and I moved to this place we consider “paradise!” And, over the years I’ve followed a few more of my dream. The painting at the top of this blog was originally going to be part of a new book but didn’t make it into the storyline. Writing and illustrating the children’s picture book The Unbelievable Topsy Turvy Day! is another dream of mine that is coming true very soon!

I hope you put on the cutest pair of shoes you own and hike off to follow your dreams! Your time is precious. Thank you for finding a moment to visit me. I’d really like to hear from you. Tell me a dream that’s come true for you.