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Hometown Living At Its Best 19
said, “Each story would focus on
someone with disabilities who has a
beautiful positive attitude in spite of
the limitations they face.” She hoped
to base the first book on Dolly, the
daughter of her college roommate.
“I called Dolly’s mother and said,
‘I’ve got this new idea, and I’d like to
write about your daughter Dolly.’”
She agreed, but only if the illustrator
was their mutual friend Ingrid Dohm,
not only because of her talents as an
internationally known artist, but also
because Ingrid knew Dolly personally.
“Ingrid is a native of Austria,” said
Lynn, “and she married an American.
I met her many years ago when we
were living in Wisconsin. She and her
husband have three children who are
roughly the same ages as our three
children, so they grew up playing at
one another’s houses. When Lynn
called, it was the perfect time. “Ingrid
just so happened to have a break in
her schedule.” Happy Birthday, Dolly:
Sharing Happiness was published in
2016.
In 2017, while Lynn was visiting
some friends in Westchester County,
New York, an idea for another book
came while enjoying their garden.
“As I was enjoying my coffee in the
garden, the birds were chirping, the
flowers were blooming, and I noticed
my friend’s cat Bandit just meandering
through this beautiful garden. I
thought, ‘What a lovely idea.’” That
lovely idea became Bandit’s Garden:
Observing But Not Disturbing, and
illustrated by Ingrid Dohm. The
following year, Lynn added Anytime Is
Party Time for Eugene the Mouse: The
Wisdom of a Creative Mouse to her
Eugene the Creative Mouse series with
illustrations once again provided by
Ingrid Dohm.
Lynn makes no attempt to mask
the message in each story she writes.
“I want to teach something,” she said.
Whether her story is about “sharing,
helping, apologizing, or accepting
someone who is different than you,”
Lynn’s hope is to encourage children
to engage with people and nature.
“I have a problem with kids
being so busy with electronics and
computers. I think they’re missing
something very important.” She’s
not the only one. In one book about
this very issue entitled, Reset Your
Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to
End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and
Boost Social Skills by Reversing the
Effects of Electronic Screen-Time by
Victoria L. Dunckley, MD, she writes,
“Like many other aspects of our fastpaced
but often sedentary lifestyle,
screen-time is introducing new
variables into the health equation.
Screen-time affects our brains and
bodies at multiple levels, manifesting
in various mental health symptoms
related to mood, anxiety, cognition,
and behavior.” Educators and parents
alike are concerned. But history has
proven again and again, tell a story,
paint a picture, sing a song and art will
change the world.
To date, Lynn has published ten
children’s books for ages 4 through 8.
Following the publication of Bandit’s
Garden, a couple of people with
the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc.,
which covers the Garden Clubs in
six Southern states, suggested Lynn
write another with the Garden Clubs
of America in mind. Once again, the
artist Ingrid Dohm was the illustrator.
How Does Your Garden Grow: God’s
Master Plan is dedicated to Garden
Club members everywhere and
specifically to Lynn’s fellow members
in the Ailey Garden Club.
It’s been over seventy-years
since Lynn first began visiting her
grandmother in Ailey as a child. It’s
ironic that the woman who was a
founder of the Garden Club in Ailey
was named “Flora,” which means
“Flower.” A legacy can come in
many ways. As her grandmother’s
eyes, Lynn saw beauty in creation
and enjoyed slowed moments that
only age can teach us to take. Now a
grandmother herself, Lynn said, “I was
never in this for fame and fortune. I
write these stories because it’s fun,”
her eyes reflecting the life in the
azaleas and magnolia trees that were
just beginning to awaken with spring
outside her window in Ailey. TCM
Lynn's books can be purchased on
Barnes & Noble, Amazon and at
Phillip's Pharmacy in Vidalia
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