Are You a Word Warrior?
The arrival of May signals a change in the tempo of growing things. The garden beds warm, seeds germinate, the pond and prairie hum with exuberant life. A new set of goslings in the neighborhood delight with their fuzzy bodies as they follow their tribe across the lawns and into the water. While the young ones practice swimming, their parents, ever vigilant, remain on guard to protest the incursion of dogs off leash, eager to prove their hunting skills, or fend off hawks that swoop overhead to snatch a tender mouthful. Watching from the sidelines, I hold my breath, fearful that mama and papa will be unable to prevent the predators from claiming an offspring. But the elder geese make […]
If It’s Spring, It’s Time to Clean…
Spring cleaning…a chore or a pleasure? A time to restore or a time to clear out the old nest and weave a new one? The birds frequenting my backyard have no trouble doing the work, but we humans often need a nudge.
Over the past two months, I’ve evaluated the incredible accumulation of ‘stuff’ in our drawers and closets, weighing what I have to have and what I can live without. Only makes sense to do the same with the clutter of my writing life.
My first step was to revisit all my thumb drives, tidy up my poetry folder, add and clarify ideas, and, on occasion, jettison what no longer works. Make no mistake, it’s not easy killing those darling phrases […]
Marching Orders
You ever have one of those days when you swear the universe is sending smoke signals but you just can’t read them? Yeah. I had one yesterday, its residue strong enough to push me to write about it today.
I was preparing to leave for an evening of non-fiction readings by two local authors at the newest event sponsored by the Springboro Historical Society — Reading Between the Wines — where I serve as facilitator. I have the honor of introducing the readers for the evening, and this was the second month of the series.
When I finished showering and dressing, I reached into my jewelry box to scrabble for earrings. I did not plan to wear any additional ‘bling.’ Then my […]
Love Notes
Fab February is here, the shortest and, perhaps the dullest, of the calendar months. Except for the cultural touchstones that keep it interesting — Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, National Heart Month, and the birthdays of those we hold dear. For writers like me, the month is an uninterrupted span of days to draft, revise, revisit, and polish existing work and to read and research for future endeavors. There is also, for football fans, the Super Bowl.
Now, if my team isn’t in it, I have reduced interest in watching the event, but […]
Resetting the Calendar
No one is happier than me to see 2022 disappear in the rearview mirror. I’m hoping that the new year brings more opportunities to share my writing, to create new stories, to see new places, and to welcome new friends into my life. To accomplish these goals, I first need to cleanse my workspace — exterior and interior – of the accumulated baggage from the past twelve months. Therefore, I’m making a list…
1. Redo all sites and passwords*
2. Clean out all file folders in the cabinet
3. Update the calendar in a timely fashion when new activities are scheduled
4. Respond to as many online and mail notes as possible
5. Assist with the new Historical Society venture Reading Between the Wines…you’re gonna […]
December Girls
December girls stand arrow-straight, wear
winter white, carmine and black, cool
colors for red-hot thinkers, the doers
in the darkest part of the year’s final
gasp. December girls love with fierce
ambition and deep commitment, spend
themselves on soul causes. They draw
Sagittarian bows, release the fletched
and sacred darts toward future fate
not yet revealed, set their sights
on a higher plane and soar, unsullied
into the coming year.
~~~
May you join this December girl in welcoming a new year, new ventures, and new reasons to sally forth like female Quijotes, to leave our mark, however small, upon the larger canvas.
Happy Holidays!