Picking through the past...

For some reason, even though I desperately want to, I cannot get rid of my old writing.

Old, BAD, writing! Old, bad writing that I thought was fantastic when I was 12, and 16, and 18. sigh. Oh boy, was I delusional.

The thing is, someone long ago told me never to get rid of anything I write.

So here I am, some 20+ years later, with stacks of writing I'm pretty much embarrassed by. Piles of junk that make me laugh out loud and cringe at the absurdity and childishness of what I wrote. ugh!

The good thing about that bad writing, is that it allows me to see how far I've come and how my writing has progressed. I don't write in circles as I used to. My lines and words are much cleaner - more precise - more thought out and controlled. Without the ridiculous, juvenile writing to look back on, perhaps I would never know how far I've come.

And really, isn't life about growing, rather than being stagnant?

Prompt# 23 - Do you have old writing you've saved, but you're almost ashamed to pull it out and read it again? Do it anyway, find an old piece of junk and shine it up! One thing I've found is this: sometimes, in those piles of rubbish, there is a gem to be found - just a line or a few words that can be refashioned - like piecing a quilt together from old scraps. Why not write a "quilt" today...

5 song shuffle

I'm borrowing the idea for this prompt from a site I ran across last year...(I'm a terrible person - I can't remember the site and I didn't save it in my favourites, so I cannot properly credit it - boo hiss on me!)

It's the 5 song shuffle.  It goes something like this:(everybody clap your hands! just kidding)

pick 5 CD's. pop each one in the CD player and hit "shuffle" write down the first song that plays on each.

or...grab your ipod - hit shuffle - write down the first five songs it plays.

my list looks like this:

1. Long Ride Home (Patti Griffin)
2. The Story So Far (Flogging Molly)
3. A Case of You (Joni Mitchell)
4. Wicked (Switchblade Symphony)
5. Let it Be (The Beatles)

prompt # 22 - Now take those 5 songs (you can use my list if you like - or compile your own list, because it's just kind of fun and cool to see what you'll get!) and write! You can use the actual titles, or the feelings the music stirs in you, what it makes you think about, remember, look forward to. 

Winding down...and giggling

Arrived back in Texas today from my nearly month-long Seattle trip.

My dear friend made the drive back with me. we always laugh a lot together. my abs hurt today.

We first met about seven years ago while working for the same company. We used to laugh together so much that our boss would walk down the hall and carefully shut our door, because our laughter would echo down the hallway and disturb our co-workers. They always wondered what kind of fun they were having while they toiled away. (side note: we always got our work done)

So one night, about two weeks ago, she handed me a few gifts she'd collected for me. The first thing she gave me was a little block of wood, about six inches long, one word painted across it: Giggle.

We giggled for 30 minutes.

Prompt #21 - What or who makes you happy? Who do you giggle with? What makes you laugh?

Quotable...

Your life is an occasion. Rise to it! ~ Mr Magorium

I watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium for the first time last week. Fell in love with it. I think it was one of the sweetest, most magical movies I've seen in a long time...like Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder's W.W.) but toys instead of candies. If you haven't seen it, I would assign it to you now.


Decide what to be and go be it. ~ The Avett Brothers

I heard this song a few weeks ago - loved the above line. jotted it down so I wouldn't forget.


prompt #20 - pick one of the quotes (or both) and WRITE!

Sand and Sea...

well...rocks and Puget Sound. 

photo copyright keg. Edmonds. Marina Park.

I'm in Seattle. This means I go down to the water as often as I can.

Saturday and Sunday we went to several beaches and shot hundreds of photos. Water, rocks, driftwood, seagulls (sorry Kaci,) ferry boats, clouds and sky. We sifted our fingers through rocks and sand looking for perfect stones, shells, sea glass.

photo copyright keg. Downtown Seattle.

We're adventuring again today. North. Oak Harbor.


Prompt #19 - write about the rocks and the water, the seas and the sands, the first time you saw the ocean. or, if you've never been to the ocean, think of your favourite place and write about it. 

~ Announcing the Winners of the Three Thousand Doors drawing~

Tammy over at Message in a Bloggle: The Art of being broken

and

Scott Horn of Scornphoto

Tammy and Scott - 

drop a note (with your mailing address) in a bottle and toss it in the sea. 

I'll collect it from the Puget Sound!

(or - send me a message on Facebook)

travelling again...

because I am happiest when on the road.

so because I'm travelling, I'm posting light this week.

Upon arriving at my hotel Sunday evening (terribly over-priced...sigh...such is the luck when one travels without an itinerary) it appears only one channel is available on the silly TV - one channel which happens to play only REALLY bad 80's movies.  ummmm...REALLY bad. Bad acting, bad script, bad backdrops. at one point I could actually see the seams on the beach scene backdrop. wow.

so your prompt this week...prompt #18...is to write something tacky, terrible, awful.

~ today and tomorrow are technically the last two days to comment 

and have your name entered in the drawing for my poetry collection

Three Thousand Doors

I think I'll go ahead and extend that to include the whole week. 

Drawing is next Monday, Sept. 6  ~

a little patience...like, NOW!

So I'm waiting on my book. waiting waiting waiting...

My book! The one I've spent the last 20 or so years working toward. I've compiled a collection of my poetry, Three Thousand Doors, and my copies are not here yet! The universe is testing my patience.

Oh sweet patience, I do not know you very well. I do not care much for you, you usually interfere with what I want and I can't have that kind of interference. but. you do like to pretend sometimes that you are the boss.

so. I'm trying. to be patient. (psst...it's not working very well) I've yelled at the UPS tracking screen at least three times today because the STUPID website will NOT give me any information. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip.

Bupkis.

sigh.

writing prompt #17 - Patience. what are the things that challenge your patience? 

~ don't forget to leave a comment to win a copy of  

Three Thousand Doors 

(if UPS ever delivers my stock.) 

The drawing will be held and winners announced on September 6, 2010 ~