My Muse - Fergus

According to the ancient Greeks there were nine Muses - nine daughters of Zeus who inspired artists to create new music or plays or stories.  And of course, in modern times, we writers will often attribute our work to our own personal muse - maybe a spouse or a daughter or.....in my case......Fergus - my Golden Retriever. Here is Fergus after a hard day of swimming in the pond near our house - doing what he was born to do - retrieving a ball, over and over and over again!  And reminding me that we are all at our happiest when we do what we were born to do....CREATE!

Naptime for Fergus

 When I go to visit schools, we talk a lot about this word, INSPIRE.  That's what the Greek muses did - they INSPIRED the writers and artists and musicians.  And the word itself comes from the Latin - in - meaning into,  and Spirare - meaning to breathe life.....so what breathes life into you?

For Fergus, it is swimming in the water to retrieve his ball......for me.....finding words to paint a picture of this wonderful world - this gift of life.

In my story, Inventor McGregor. Hector McGregor discovers inspiration in all that he loves....


I always like to tell children that we are ALL creative in some way or another, because that is the way we were made.  Whether it be a garden, a painting, a story, a dance, a poem, a symphony, a cake, a carving, a song, or a business, the act of creating breathes life into us and makes us feel more alive.

Fergus - full of life and ready to...SWIM and RETRIEVE