Archive by Author | Sandy Jett Ball

Hoppy Easter

Welcome to Wellington’s Easter prep party 2022!

Wellington is checking the eggs for any possible problems. Edward Bear and Sebastian are helping by taste testing.

Bethleann and Georg are packing up wish flowers. Count Donald is of course counting eggs.

Mr Marty and the three lovelies , Terri, Sarah and Jenn, are working on their version of Easter Parade with a bit of Peter Cottontail woven in. Marie Kelly and Clara Leigh are dancing to the snappy medley.

Lewis the Legendary and Hilarey the Mighty are bringing pizza pies for everyone.

Zach, Ben and PJ are displaying a banner they made using left over Signal Corp flag material. It’s hard to see in the picture but Ben is wearing purple, his favorite color.

Martin and Lydia are bringing more eggs from the hen house to be dyed.

Emily Elf is tugging along a huge batch of wedding cookies she baked for the party. Sir Andrew Ant is showing off his newly developed juggling skills. Stephen Stork is quite impressed but he definitely has his eye on those wedding cookies.

Felix and Rhys are in complete awe of how many new amazing friends they have.

Jonquils & Daffodils

Wellington has decided to rest in his flower fields between new adventures and has asked me his official historian to take over this blog. I promise to do my best to keep you up to date on all the happenings in Willis Warren.

Let’s start with book fifteen. Yes, fifteen! The team worked hard through thirteen volumes to finally put that misguided rabbit Black Veil onto a better path. And while the team thought they were ready to do no more than frolic among the jonquils and daffodils they find themselves stumbling onto and into adventures that have nothing to do with Easter or wishflowers.

This year’s book circles Winnie-the-Pooh and the Hundred Aker Wood. You can read it and all of previous volumes by clicking on Wellington Rabbit the Books at the top of the blog. Or better yet get printed and autographed copy(s) for keeps. It’s a send a message and e-money exchange thing. I know. Convoluted. Working on making that process easier but for now it’s awkward.

PS The continuing story by guest writer Sand Ra Leigh about Bo Peep and her pals is not forgotten. Wellington wanted me to assure you about that.

New Adventure, Rhys’s Pieces!

Hello loyal fans! It’s been awhile and your patience is so appreciated. A lot has been going on in Willis Warren and our favorite historian has some exciting news. Book 15 is finished and ready for your eager eyes.

You can purchase a copy for $12.95 at sandraballart on Venmo or via PayPal. Please add the postal address for delivery. It’s a future plan to have them here for direct purchase but we’re not quite there yet.

The books always come out at Easter time as delivering Easter treasures to boys and girls worldwide is my mission. But after my team and I finally got misguided Black Veil on a better path, new adventures just naturally found me!

This year we are deep in the Hundred Aker Wood helping out Winnie-the-Pooh.

Bo Peep & The MISSING Sheep

I have a treat for you faithful readers. A guest appearance by one of my favorite authors, Sand Ra Leigh. She is a good friend of my historian, Sandra Leigh Jett Ball. Her speciality is back stories to those so familiar fairy tales. I think you’re going to like this.

Hay (no I didn’t spell that wrong, play on words, read on) easy readers, Sand Ra Leigh here. Ready for a story? You’ve come to the right place. Get cozy and let’s begin.

Once upon a time. Nope. That phrase is seriously over rated. Okay. It was a dark and stormy night. Geez, that’s not any better. Fine. Fine. Hold your horses, I’ve got it.

This is a story and not just any ordinary story. You’re about to see another side of nursery rhymes. I am going to take you into the everyday lives of some of your favorite characters. They let me tell their stories because they are very happy with the way I faithfully recorded Wellington’s saga without changing a thing. Let’s start at the very beginning. I know that one’s not new either but it fits.

Bo Peep was spitting mad. “Blue has done it this time,” she fumed. “Lost my best sheep and just because he partied all night and then fell asleep on the job.”

“It’s not like I didn’t warn you Peep,” Muffet looked up from her bowl of porridge. She took another bite. “Sure you don’t want some?” she offered.

“No!” snapped Bo Peep. “I want my herd back. Now.” She grabbed her crook and started down the lane. “Are you coming or are you just going to sit there and feed your face?”

Little Miss Muffet sighed and pushed her bowl aside. Peep was her best friend and BFFs stick together no matter what. Muffet warned Peep that Blue was not to be trusted but Peep wanted to give him a chance after Farmer Dell fired him for practicing his new bugle on the job. Never mind that it caused the cow milk to curdle. It made for an awesome new cheese.

“Peep, wait up,” Muffet was not nearly as fast as her fleet footed friend. “Maybe Blue has a good reason,” she grasped at straws. The ones that were conveniently sticking out of the haystacks they were scurrying passed. Straws always helped her think better. “He’s always looked after the sheep and the cows for Farmer Dell. And why would Dell be so upset with Blue anyway. Isn’t he supposed to use his horn to bring everyone in from pasture.”

“Yes,” Peep called over her shoulder slowing down enough for Muffet to catch up. “Blue only said that Farmer Dell told him not to bother showing up for work ever again.”

“But he’s worked for Farmer Dell since forever,” Muffet chewing on her straw. “Something’s not right.”

Bo Peep stopped dead in her tracks. “Muffet, do you think Blue is in trouble?” She forgot all about her missing sheep.

“Like what exactly?” Muffet gave Peep her tell me more about what you’re thinking look. It was her speciality.

“I dunno,” Peep stalled. She had no clue about why such a random thought would just pop into her head. She took off her bonnet and fanned herself. “That’s better,” she needed to think with a clear head. Her bonnet was such a bother, but her mom made it and she was sure it had magical abilities so she faithfully wore it everywhere. “Wait. What if Farmer Dell is the one in trouble? And he didn’t want Blue to get caught up in it!”

“Did your bonnet tell you that?” Muffet got right to the point.

“Maybe,” acknowledged Peep. She really did believe that it was magical. She confessed that to Muffet one time when they were divulging their deepest secrets to each other. Ever since Muffet always gave the bonnet credit for every clever idea Peep came up with. “The bonnet doesn’t know everything,” Peep wanted to believe that she had good ideas too.

“You’re the one that told me it was magical. Can we move on? The sheep are still missing and more importantly so is Blue.”

Peep put her bonnet back on, “You’re right, but I’m sure that Farmer Dell is at the bottom of all this. Let’s talk to him.”

Suddenly an awful indescribable sound blasted through the air. Both girls clasped their hands over their ears and added to the cacophony by screaming. And just as suddenly Blue appeared racing toward them at breakneck speed. And dashed right past them not even slowing down.

“Blue! Wait, Blue!” Peep took off in a flash after him. Muffet just stared after the two friends her feet glued to the ground. And so it was she that got to see a very strange sight indeed.

“Toot! Toot!! Toot!!!” with a great deal of rumbling and roaring a huge train was barreling down on poor Muffet. She barely had time to react.

“Stop!” she threw herself in front of the train. Not the best offensive plan but she had no time to think.

“Screeeeeeeeeeech,” with a positively magical maneuver the train somehow came to a complete stop right before it would have bowled Muffet over and made her flatter than Flat Stanley.

“WHO are you?” the train bellowed, black smoke rising out of its smokestack.

“Who are YOU?” Muffet snapped back, she was not one to be scared so easily.

The train sniffled. “Didn’t I scare you?”

“No, you are too ugly to be scary.”

The train started to really cry then, “I only wanted to help,” he said between sobs. “The Little Engine That Could cannot get over the mountain and Christmas will be ruined for all the girls and boys. He used to be able to get over the mountain but something happened and he’s stuck midway up. I was coming for help. My name is Tootle.”

“Tootle, why aren’t you on the tracks? Do you always make your own way?”

“I don’t like the tracks. They’re so ordinary.”

“Roger that,” Muffet liked space talk. She had read all about it in one of her favorite books. “How can we help?” She was sure that Peep would be on board. “And why was Blue running away from you?”

“The boy with the horn?” Tootle looked at her with an intense stare. “That boy tried to tell me his horn was better than mine. But then when he found out why I was tooting my horn with such urgency, he took off running. Is he weird?”

“Blue is as solid as the earth. If he took off running it means he has a plan. You’ll see.”

to be continued

NEW Beginning

Meet our most recent newcomer to Willis Warren. A Gulf fritillary butterfly still drying out. His antenna were wound together as one. This lovely likes Passion fruit leaves. Our Willis Warren garden has the yellow variety and Wellington is very happy to share as long as he has enough for his salad. As these volunteer plants are on the wind whipping sound side of the warren pickings are slim but free and organic.

Sunshine Brings Smiles

Wellington wants everyone to be healthy and happy. He urges you to get a good dose of sunshine every day that you possibly can.

Twenty-five minutes of sunshine daily is the recommendation. Vitamin D does it for high blood pressure, diabetes, a variety of other health issues that go on and on. This new lifestyle has clipped secondary Vitamin D intake by a lot. Find ye a sunspot & chill.

Originally tweeted by Sandy Jett Ball (@sandybeachgirl) on July 15, 2020.

Summer Dreams

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you’re fast asleep
In dreams you will find your sweet hopes
Whatever you wish for you keep

Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
Keep on believing as you wake in morning sunbeams
And the dream that you wish will come true

Every creature in Willis Warren adores Ilene Wood’s poignant song in Cinderella, and with apologies to Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, we decided to change the words a bit to make it more hopeful. Stay safe good people and happy dreams.

Wishflowers

Lovely people,

Did you find your wishflower? Georg worked hard to scatter lots and lots of extra seeds this year. They grow and mature super fast and he hopes everyone finds theirs and sends a wish to the fairies. Those little folks are working as much magic as they can to make every wish a reality. If it doesn’t happen despair not. Make a new wish. One will come true.

Love wins,

Wellington