Happy 12th Birthday, Baby Spruce!

Once upon a time, I wrote about Baby Spruce constantly. He was the star of the yard, the holiday centerpiece, the tree who could rock holiday lights better than any pine on Pinterest. Then life barged in, and somehow his story got buried under “real-world” chaos. But here we are — 12 years later — and Baby Spruce is still standing tall (well, short-but-mighty), still green, still thriving.

He started out as a rescue — a tiny two-twig dwarf Alberta spruce scooped up from a home improvement store. Not much more than a hopeful sprig with a lot to prove. And prove it he did.

This year he pulled off the biggest glow-up yet: Baby Spruce became a main character in my book Gnome Tree: Gnome Roots. 🌟 From ornamental shrub to literary legend, he’s proof that when life hands you needles, you make plotlines.

But Baby Spruce has always had a knack for going beyond the yard:

• ✉️ He once had his very own postcard exchange website (currently covered in a decorative layer of spiderwebs — his idea of digital tinsel).

• 🏎️ He even blogged on a long-ago NASCAR champion’s website, proving that speed and evergreens do mix.

• 🎃 He’s worn tiny ornaments like earrings.

• 🎄 He’s carried holiday baubles without complaint.

• 🐣 He’s been dressed for spring like he was headed to a woodland prom.

• ☀️ And this summer, while we melted in the humidity, he stood firm and serene, soaking it up like a spa day.

Sure, the decorating slowed down once life threw curveballs, but Baby Spruce didn’t need the costumes. He was always quietly becoming something more — the yard’s anchor, a book’s inspiration, and now a 12-year-old tree with a résumé that could rival a minor celebrity’s.

So here’s to you, Baby Spruce:
🌿 Guardian of the yard.
📖 Hero of gnome tales.
🌐 Former webmaster and blogger.
🎉 Survivor of every season (and humidity too!).
💚 The little rescue who grew from two twigs into something bigger than I ever imagined.

Happy Birthday, old friend. You’ve got deep roots and a starring role now — not bad for a dwarf spruce with holiday cosplay experience. 😉

✨ A word from the gnomes:
“Steady as ever, green as ever — Baby Spruce is more than a tree. He’s our council post, our shade, our reminder that even the smallest among us can hold the biggest stories. May his branches always whisper to those who listen.”

Equinox, Roots, and Rebranding

 

(Because Even Gnomes Like Fresh Starts)

Today (September 22, 2025) is the fall equinox — that fancy word for when day and night finally play fair for a change. Tomorrow, of course, the dark starts hogging the spotlight, but for one shining moment we get balance. Seems like the perfect day to announce a little balance shift of my own.

For at least nine years, a Facebook page of mine has been dragging around the name Love, Life, and Time. Yes, the book that went with it never sold, but like a gnome statue in your yard, the page just sort of… stayed. Dusty, weather-worn, and occasionally startling visitors who wondered what it was still doing there.

Well, gnomes have staged a coup. They’ve marched in with pointy hats, planted themselves firmly in the moss, and informed me this page is now theirs. So welcome to the newly christened Gnomeward Bound Series Page. 🌱🧙‍♂️

What began as a single test book, then expanded into a trilogy, has gone even more rogue and wants to turn into a series. Apparently, gnomes don’t like being boxed in by “three-book contracts.” They prefer sprawling roots, endless puns, and more side quests than anyone asked for.

And just like the equinox, this isn’t an ending — it’s a turning point. Love, Life, and Time had its season. Now it’s time for something with a little more mischief, a little more magic, and a lot more gnome humor (the groan-worthy kind that makes you roll your eyes but secretly smile).

If you’ve been there since the early days, thank you for hanging around while the page hibernated. If you’re new, welcome to the grove — we promise the gnomes only bite if you take the last mushroom.

So, here’s to change, balance, and rebranding at exactly the moment the year tips over. The gnomes and I will keep the lanterns lit. You just bring the snacks. 🍁

🌿 A Word From the Gnomes 🌿

“Well, it’s about time. We’ve been holding this ‘Hello Fall’ sign for ages waiting for the equinox to roll around! Balance, schmalance — we prefer tipping toward pumpkin pie. But if the humans want to call it rebranding, we’ll allow it. Just don’t forget: roots go deeper, hats get taller, and once gnomes take over a page, there’s no turning back.” 🧙‍♂️🍂

Accidental Authoring

 

I started out with a simple goal:
Write tiny eBooks.
Figure out Kindle Direct Publishing.
Learn margins, tame rogue table of contents, and design covers that didn’t look like I’d taken a graphic design class taught by raccoons.

Just practice — nothing serious. A warm-up lap before diving into a big, important project.

But apparently the universe (and a certain cat) had other ideas.

Enter: Princess Gracie, with her resting glare face and firm opinions about gnomes, humans, and anything that interrupts naps.
Enter: gnomes, with mossy agendas, pocket-sized secrets, and the audacity to take over my writing life.

What started as “just one test eBook” turned into…
📘 The Gnome with the Golden Hat
📗 Gnome Too: The Gnome Grove Gem
📙 And now — yes, I’ve officially lost control — Gnome Tree: Gnome Roots.

That’s three books in what I’m now calling a totally intentional, very well-planned fantasy series (lies). E-books and paperback versions. Because apparently, once gnomes start whispering, they do not shut up. They recruit goats. They mess with porch plants. They form moss councils and send dreams to cats.

Book two brought us goats with agendas, a grove that might be alive, suspiciously aware alpacas, and a gem that pulses like it knows your secrets.
Book three? That one goes deeper. Literally. Roots, smoke, mystery… and yes, more Gracie. Because she insists on narrating and frankly, I’m not brave enough to say no to her.

Was this part of my author blueprint?
Not even close.

Is it infinitely more fun than what I planned?
Absolutely.

Turns out, accidental authoring is kind of my thing. (And apparently now I own a fictional moss grove. There should be a support group for this.)

So, if you're in the mood for:
🪴 Sly magic
🐐 Gnome gossip
🐾 Dry feline disdain
🌳 And a storyline that started as formatting practice and somehow grew roots…

Come join the adventure. Just watch your flowerbeds. The gnomes are getting bold.

👉 Gnomeward Bound

From New Zealand With Mischief: The Gnome Who Changed Everything

 

Six years ago, my son returned from a trip to New Zealand with a suspiciously quiet carry-on item. Nestled in his bag was a white ceramic gnome with a glint in his eye — or maybe that was just my imagination (gnomes are good at that).

He arrived starkly bare (well, in gnome terms — unpainted), wearing nothing but a fantastic golden hat, bold possibilities, and a rather smug beard. The only thing he demanded was a display place, so he moved into my entertainment center, where he sat silently for six years under my cat’s watchful, judgy eyes.

Little did I know this pint-sized ambassador from a gloriously foreign realm would become the muse for my latest book, The Gnome with the Golden Hat. Oh, not at first — it happened in stages, the way great things often do. It all started when I finally decided to paint him last month.

It’s proof that inspiration doesn’t always arrive as a sweeping revelation. Sometimes it shows up wrapped in bubble wrap, carrying the faint scent of adventure — then takes its sweet time, sitting around for years before finally revealing the story it had tucked away all along.

So if you’re curious how a silent garden ornament ended up at the heart of a whimsical tale (and maybe stirred up a bit of gnome politics along the way), you can now find The Gnome with the Golden Hat in print and ebook on Amazon. Because every golden hat deserves its legend.