Stories Behind The Stories, The Boot Under The Bush & Could It Be? Is That The Boot I See?

"One evening, while I was playing online cards with a group of friends, one of the ladies mentioned to me that her grandson, Jacob, had been playing outside in the front yard of their family’s new home, and he had somehow lost one, brand-new, winter boot..."

The Boot Under The Bush & Could It Be? Is That That Boot I See?

(A two-book rhyming mystery, written by request)

One evening, while I was playing online cards with a group of friends, one of the ladies mentioned to me that her grandson, Jacob, had been playing outside in the front yard of their family’s new home, and he had somehow lost one, brand-new, winter boot. In the family’s front yard was a massive Mugo Pine bush. Apparently, these bushes are rather dense in that locale, and Jacob, who was about 8 years old at the time, had been crawling under there and his boot had somehow come off. It seems that no matter how much he and his siblings had searched for that cozy, winter boot, which he very much needed coming into the cold winter season, it was nowhere to be found. My girlfriend said to me, as we played cards that night, “that sounds like a good story to me, could you write one about it?” I remember laughing, and tucking that thought away in my mind, but not really fully considering it at the time.

I adore writing light, rhythmic poetry, and have written dozens of poems over the years, usually for my own children, but, I think my girlfriend’s seed of a suggestion had been gently but firmly planted, and then, over the next few days after her comment, the idea to write a story about it was delightfully beginning to sprout! I kept imagining those kids searching under the bush for the boot, and, in my mind’s eye I could easily visualize that first search with Jacob under the bush with only one boot on.

Now, as you might have deduced, the short rhyming story did indeed get written, and is now for sale as an eBook on Amazon, a happening that delighted young Jacob and his whole family. It warms my heart, to bring a little joy to people with my writing, especially children. My thanks, too, was when I actually met Jacob and his family on a Zoom meeting several months later! You are so welcome, Jacob and family!

I also feel blessed because this past year I taught myself to digitally draw on my iPad, and I illustrated the cover of this story myself, just as I had imagined, with Jacob on his knees, one boot on, and one socked foot without a boot, as he searched for his lost winter foot ware.

Months passed over the winter, and through my friend I heard that Jacob’s mom mentioned Jacob had to wear his old boots, because they just couldn’t find that sneaky one that got lost under the bush. With the heavy snows arriving, the search was, naturally, called off. Months passed, and the snows finally started to melt, so once again, the kids were out playing when Andrew, Jacob’s brother went under that same Mugo Pine bush to search again for the long-lost boot. Low and behold, Andrew found the soggy and dirty black boot, and it was fully intact and everyone was so grateful it was finally found! And so…I wrote the sequel to There’s a Boot Under The Bush, with the 2nd short, rhyming story, Could It Be? Is That The Boot I See! Again, I digitally illustrated the cover of the book on my iPad.

I am absolutely grateful to be able to use my writing to bring smiles to faces and make people happy! And when I read one of my stories out loud to someone, I feel blissfully alive, and really, isn’t that the secret of a happy life, to be able to make others happy with your gifts or actions. Your reward is feeling truly blessed, thankful and appreciated. It’s a win-win really, all around!

Find both these fun, rhyming eBooks on Amazon.

Cheers! Lise