Reflection
by
Cathy Alden
This summer during the Upstate Writing Project Summer Institute (2007) I learned something about myself I didn’t realize before now. I like to write, but it’s the revising part I love to do best. I wrote three pieces that I thought worthy of placing on my blog for others to read. All of the revisions I did for my pieces are highlighted in yellow and linked to the NWP or Docs and Spreadsheets.
The first two pieces were poems. I don’t particularly enjoy writing poetry, but this time it wasn’t so hard. The main idea of my first poem “The Colors of My Canvas” was to paint a picture with words and make it look like an actual painting I would paint. The rough draft of my second poem was written at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site. We sat outside along a rushing creek and were told to write about what we saw and heard, so that’s the main idea – I wrote about what I saw and heard in the park. My next piece was written long ago. I wrote it in 1994 during a creative writing class in college, and the main idea was killing my husband. (Gruesome, isn’t it!) After being graded, I put it away never to be seen again. It was this class and the realization that I enjoyed revising that I finally took it out and, carefully, hopefully, worked wonders. It is titled “The Scream,” and I wrote it shortly after my divorce. Writing it did wonders for my self-esteem, and although, I would never do something like I did in the story, it felt good to get it down on paper.
While writing these first drafts, the writing work, I did what Ron Rash told us writers needed to do – just get your ideas down on paper. Getting down the ideas is the hard part. Once they are there, the fun comes in. This is the thinking work. During revision, a piece of writing can go where you never expected it to go and that is exciting. It was during all the revisions that I had to think about what I was doing. Did I use the right word? Should a simile or a metaphor go here? What about onomatopoeia or personification? Should I use any of them in this particular piece of writing? It is hard work! It is fun work!
Some of the crafting techniques I used to help me write were using
colors in writing. This is where I got my idea for my first poem. Thinking about colors helped me to spruce up my poetry. Since I love color, this was an easy technique and I used it in my poem “The Colors of My Canvas.”
One of the best techniques for me to get ideas was showing the different pictures on the screen. I used the picture about the wagon and little boys to start a story, and realized it would be a great opening for a sequel to another story I wrote (not on the blog). I will use this opening. Many of the demonstrations were on using adjectives and using them well. It was these strategies that helped me most to revise my writing.
The first poem I wrote was from a demonstration by Kris Turner, one of our illustrious and wonderful leaders. She talked about color and how we can use it in our writing. I decided to try my hand at poetry one more time. I wrote a poem called “The Color of My Canvas.” I love painting pictures on canvas, and I tried to recreate a painting in words as if I were actually going to paint it. A writer from the NWP commented that his grandmother used to paint and my poem reminded him of his grandmother because of the colors on the canvas. In my rough draft one line of my poem talked about being in a meadow waiting for kids’ feet. I thought about this line and realized that there probably would not be children in a meadow at dawn, so I changed it to deer. This would be the time of morning that deer would venture into the meadow to nibble on grass. I changed that line. My rough draft did not have very many descriptive words so I added more adjectives. The final draft now looks more like the colors I would put on my canvas.
The Carl Sandburg NHS was a wonderful place to experience nature and to write. Sitting outside “right smack dab” in the middle of it really got the writing juices flowing. After getting the rough draft down on paper, I made several revisions. I had titled it (a temporary title) “Enjoying the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site,” and Brian Slusher remarked that my title was too cumbersome. I needed to change it. I did because it was. Laurie McCall told me I needed to use all of the five senses in the poem. I switched lines, thought about what I smelled, what I touched, what I tasted. I took her suggestion and used all five senses. Another student from the NWP wondered what I was going to write when he started reading about taste and was pleasantly surprised when I wrote about my lunch. I like this poem, and it struck me that it would make a good picture book. Eventually I will illustrate it and sent it in to be published.
After being filed away for years, I retrieved my short story entitled “The Scream.” I read it aloud to my writing group, and they thought it hilarious. Erika, however, was a little confused at the end. She asked, “Did he die?” I thought it was clear enough, but because of her comment, I decided to revise the ending just a bit. Hopefully, the ending is a little clearer. While reading this piece aloud, I realized that it was really dull and some of the passages did not reflect how I really felt at the time. Looking it over, I highlighted passages that needed changed and asked myself about my feelings when I wrote it. How could I show how I felt? What words would help the reader empathize with the character in the story? What were the right words? Ahhh . . . the thinking work! The fun work! It was a lot of fun revising this story, and carefully, hopefully I worked wonders with it.
Reading through my classmate’s writings, I learned a few things that I will remember always. Angie Neal wrote a piece about Disney World called "Disney Magic." She wrote it in such a way that I felt I was actually there. She effectively used descriptive words and strong verbs. Her writing literally jumped off the page at me. I learned that using sensory words and strong active words makes writing come alive.
Kristen Gault, writing her professional piece, was very stressed and worried that she would not get it “right.” She asked me to read it and give her some suggestions. I felt flattered that she asked me to do this, as my confidence at times is lacking. While reading her piece, her voice came through so strongly that I could almost hear her actually reading it to me. Kristen’s professional piece, I think, was very well written; she just needed a little confidence builder to get her on her way. I’m still not sure why she asked me for suggestions. I learned from Kristen’s writing that I need to have confidence in my writing just the way she does.
Jamie Lovello taught me that our lives are not as boring as we think they are; those little life episodes can make for some very interesting, exciting, funny, and touching stories. Jamie wrote a poignant story about how she met her husband. Throughout her writing, she asked herself a lot of questions. Questions about herself, questions about what she should do, and questions about what she needed. This questioning helped Jamie understand what she needed to do to get her through a rough period in her life. Through Jamie’s writing I learned we needed to ask questions if we are going to find out about ourselves. Jamie learned much about herself when she wrote this piece, and in doing so taught me to question myself when I write. I learned through reading my classmate’s writings that I need to use more of my voice in my writing, to have confidence when I write, and to use my writing to question myself. What better way can our writing reflect ourselves than by questioning. I also learned that I really, really love to revise my writing once I get it down on paper and that the first draft is the writing work and the thinking work is the fun part. I never would have learned any of this if I hadn’t have been a part of the Upstate Writing Project.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Reflections on My Teaching Practice
Reflections on My Teaching Practices
My teaching experience covers only nine years, so I still have lots of questions about what I do. Currently I teach 8th grade reading and I realized shortly into the year that my students were having a hard time making inferences about characters, setting, themes, etc. I tried and tried to teach this process of making inferences using what they knew of the text, but nothing seemed to work. What can I do to help my students understand the idea of making an inference? How can I help them see and use the author’s words to understand characters and setting?
I began research to discover how I could do this. I knew that graphic organizers help students visualize what they read, but how could I go about teaching it. In my research I discovered Mem Fox. She wrote Radical Reflections, and her beliefs about reading and writing were much like mine. She said:
“We need to water the desert so that the writing will bloom. By watering the desert I mean providing children with the most wonderful literature available: the classics, the new, the beautiful, the revolting, the hysterical, the puzzling, the amazing, the riveting.”
Mem Fox
I found another quote by Ruth Culham in her 6 + 1 Traits of Writing supporting the idea of using picture books:
“It means that, every day, we should be exposing students to
The best written prose and poetry, filling their heads with
images so real that they can reach out and touch them” (pg 142).
There it was! Use picture books as models to help my students write. Then when they learn to use descriptive words in their own writing, they just might be able to use those skills to make inferences about characters and settings in the short stories and novels they read.
Many of my students love to draw. In fact I have to ask them to put away their artwork and focus on the reading at hand. They grudgingly do so, but as I enjoy and love drawing myself, it hurt even me to ask them to put it away. Graphic organizers were going to be perfect because they lend themselves to art and drawing. I hoped to help my students visualize the writing in picture books, which in turn would help them make inferences about the characters and settings in their novels. Graphic organizers are also another way to differentiate student modalities of learning. So, I went to work.
I created a five-fold sheet of paper and at the top I had each student write over each column touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Now this concept might not seem new to seasoned teachers, but to my students it was something they hadn’t seen before. They wondered what they were going to do. I thought it was the not knowing, the excitement that grabbed them and helped them to buy into what I was trying to do.
At the time we were studying the novel Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. The students were enjoying the novel, but when I asked questions about the characters and what they were like, they just gave me that deer in the headlights look. They couldn’t tell me. This is where the concept came in. They took their five-fold sheet of paper and searched specific chapters in the novel we were reading. They were to look for words that fell under the heading “sensory language.” They knew it as the five senses. After searching in the novel, they had a plethora of descriptive words, so we wrote them on a huge sticky note which I had placed on the white board. We discussed the words and how they could lead the reader to visualize in their minds what a character would be like or how to see a setting in a novel. After our discussion, I had them turn over their lists and write a descriptive paragraph about their favorite thing, using the words they found. Most of my students did well, but I had forgotten to tell them not to use I hear, I see, I smell, I touch, or I taste. There were many paragraphs that said just that. I challenged them to look at their paragraph and write what they had written only don’t use those words. They didn’t hesitate, but bent over their desks and began to revise. This was another plus. They were revising their own writing and didn’t even realize that was what they were doing! They wrote some very descriptive paragraphs. Here is an example of one written by Bradley:
Bradley wrote:
As the ball came flying down the field, the salty sweat rushed through my mouth. The muddy wet grass filled the air. As I gripped the leathery ball in my left hand I ran down the field going past, hiffing, jukeing, spinning off players until I got pulled to the ground. When I tried to get up vomet and gadorade filled my mouth. As every thing went silent, my heart beat got faster and faster. (1st draft)
From the kick off the ball bulleted through the thick rainy sky. The salty sweat rolled down my chin and rushed through my mouth. The muddy wet grass filled the air. The stands grew louder and louder as the ball came flying down. As I gripped the leathery wet ball in my left hand I ran down the field, pushing, jukeing, spinning through the other players, until I got nocked on my back. I rolled over onto my knees and vomet and lime gaddrade filled my mouth. When I got up every thing went silent, and my heart beat got faster and faster as the game began. (2nd draft)
I was very pleased with his writing. Being a football player, he wasn’t too interested in writing, but as we can see, he wrote about football. He even revised his paragraph and made it better using more descriptive words. There were other students who did just as well as Bradley. When they finished their paragraph I told them to draw a picture that represented what they wrote. For my students who loved to draw, this was great and they worked hard to complete this task. Those who wanted to share were offered the opportunity. Even those students who were reluctant to be in the spotlight, shared their writing with their classmates.
I believe that this writing exercised helped my students become more confident in making inferences about characters and settings in the novels they read. They were more inclined to look for those words or sensory images that reflected character traits. Using this strategy helped my students understand what the author of the novel was trying to show, in words, what he wanted them to see about the characters and setting.
In questioning and reflecting on my teaching practice and performing research, I realized I needed to change several ideas I had about teaching. Connecting reading (picture books and novels) with student writing and drawing helped them to make inferences and visualize what the author wanted them to know and understand about characters and setting. I will use this activity again whenever needed in my classroom. Because of my questioning, I will continue to perform research to strengthen my teaching practices and find strategies to help my students in any area they need.
My teaching experience covers only nine years, so I still have lots of questions about what I do. Currently I teach 8th grade reading and I realized shortly into the year that my students were having a hard time making inferences about characters, setting, themes, etc. I tried and tried to teach this process of making inferences using what they knew of the text, but nothing seemed to work. What can I do to help my students understand the idea of making an inference? How can I help them see and use the author’s words to understand characters and setting?
I began research to discover how I could do this. I knew that graphic organizers help students visualize what they read, but how could I go about teaching it. In my research I discovered Mem Fox. She wrote Radical Reflections, and her beliefs about reading and writing were much like mine. She said:
“We need to water the desert so that the writing will bloom. By watering the desert I mean providing children with the most wonderful literature available: the classics, the new, the beautiful, the revolting, the hysterical, the puzzling, the amazing, the riveting.”
Mem Fox
I found another quote by Ruth Culham in her 6 + 1 Traits of Writing supporting the idea of using picture books:
“It means that, every day, we should be exposing students to
The best written prose and poetry, filling their heads with
images so real that they can reach out and touch them” (pg 142).
There it was! Use picture books as models to help my students write. Then when they learn to use descriptive words in their own writing, they just might be able to use those skills to make inferences about characters and settings in the short stories and novels they read.
Many of my students love to draw. In fact I have to ask them to put away their artwork and focus on the reading at hand. They grudgingly do so, but as I enjoy and love drawing myself, it hurt even me to ask them to put it away. Graphic organizers were going to be perfect because they lend themselves to art and drawing. I hoped to help my students visualize the writing in picture books, which in turn would help them make inferences about the characters and settings in their novels. Graphic organizers are also another way to differentiate student modalities of learning. So, I went to work.
I created a five-fold sheet of paper and at the top I had each student write over each column touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Now this concept might not seem new to seasoned teachers, but to my students it was something they hadn’t seen before. They wondered what they were going to do. I thought it was the not knowing, the excitement that grabbed them and helped them to buy into what I was trying to do.
At the time we were studying the novel Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. The students were enjoying the novel, but when I asked questions about the characters and what they were like, they just gave me that deer in the headlights look. They couldn’t tell me. This is where the concept came in. They took their five-fold sheet of paper and searched specific chapters in the novel we were reading. They were to look for words that fell under the heading “sensory language.” They knew it as the five senses. After searching in the novel, they had a plethora of descriptive words, so we wrote them on a huge sticky note which I had placed on the white board. We discussed the words and how they could lead the reader to visualize in their minds what a character would be like or how to see a setting in a novel. After our discussion, I had them turn over their lists and write a descriptive paragraph about their favorite thing, using the words they found. Most of my students did well, but I had forgotten to tell them not to use I hear, I see, I smell, I touch, or I taste. There were many paragraphs that said just that. I challenged them to look at their paragraph and write what they had written only don’t use those words. They didn’t hesitate, but bent over their desks and began to revise. This was another plus. They were revising their own writing and didn’t even realize that was what they were doing! They wrote some very descriptive paragraphs. Here is an example of one written by Bradley:
Bradley wrote:
As the ball came flying down the field, the salty sweat rushed through my mouth. The muddy wet grass filled the air. As I gripped the leathery ball in my left hand I ran down the field going past, hiffing, jukeing, spinning off players until I got pulled to the ground. When I tried to get up vomet and gadorade filled my mouth. As every thing went silent, my heart beat got faster and faster. (1st draft)
From the kick off the ball bulleted through the thick rainy sky. The salty sweat rolled down my chin and rushed through my mouth. The muddy wet grass filled the air. The stands grew louder and louder as the ball came flying down. As I gripped the leathery wet ball in my left hand I ran down the field, pushing, jukeing, spinning through the other players, until I got nocked on my back. I rolled over onto my knees and vomet and lime gaddrade filled my mouth. When I got up every thing went silent, and my heart beat got faster and faster as the game began. (2nd draft)
I was very pleased with his writing. Being a football player, he wasn’t too interested in writing, but as we can see, he wrote about football. He even revised his paragraph and made it better using more descriptive words. There were other students who did just as well as Bradley. When they finished their paragraph I told them to draw a picture that represented what they wrote. For my students who loved to draw, this was great and they worked hard to complete this task. Those who wanted to share were offered the opportunity. Even those students who were reluctant to be in the spotlight, shared their writing with their classmates.
I believe that this writing exercised helped my students become more confident in making inferences about characters and settings in the novels they read. They were more inclined to look for those words or sensory images that reflected character traits. Using this strategy helped my students understand what the author of the novel was trying to show, in words, what he wanted them to see about the characters and setting.
In questioning and reflecting on my teaching practice and performing research, I realized I needed to change several ideas I had about teaching. Connecting reading (picture books and novels) with student writing and drawing helped them to make inferences and visualize what the author wanted them to know and understand about characters and setting. I will use this activity again whenever needed in my classroom. Because of my questioning, I will continue to perform research to strengthen my teaching practices and find strategies to help my students in any area they need.
Monday, June 25, 2007
The Scream
The Scream
by
Cathy Alden
Jim leaned precariously over the railing trying to get just the right focus. The wind from the mountain blew his blonde hair back away from his face. Watching from behind I could see the outline of his tensed muscles through his Levis. One brown-booted foot was placed on the bottom rail. Quickly I walked toward him. Gathering all my strength, I shoved him and watched without remorse as his body bounced from jagged ledge to jagged ledge toward the lush green valley below. Caught on the railing, his camera swung gently to and fro, and his hoarse, masculine scream was the last thing I remember.
I sat up with a start and reached for the alarm. It was only seven o’clock. Damn! My single best fantasy was still only a dream. Sighing my disappointment, I turned over, listened to his snoring, and kneed him in the butt.
“You better get up,” I said through a yawn.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said and rolled over. Reaching for his Marlboros he asked, “How about some nookie?” His breath nearly gagged me.
“You’ve got to be kidding! We have to meet Tony and Candy at nine, and you know how long it takes you to get ready!”
I sat up and quickly jumped from bed.
“I’ll take a shower while you smoke your fag.”
Twenty minutes later I walked out of the bathroom. Carrying a Time Life WWII History book, and with deliberate slowness, Jim went in. I gave him a disparaging look. With a smirk on his face, he merely shrugged his shoulders.
Already one hour late, we walked down the steps from our apartment at ten o’clock. I slipped into the car. Knowing he was aggravating me further, he began his usual ritual. He flipped the hood and checked the oil. That done he walked around the car, kicked each tire, and made sure the blinkers were working. I felt sure he only went through this because of his arrogance. He loved making an “entrance.”
Finally, after getting gas and picking up our friends, we were on our way to do a little sight seeing. Jim always drove toward Garmish in the German Alps. According to him, the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany, was the best place for taking pictures. When I looked over at him to tell him that all of Germany was perfect for taking pictures, he had his finger stuck up his nose. I offered him a Kleenex, but he said he didn’t need it.
Tony and Candy argued in the back seat. This was not unusual. They were always arguing or wrestling or something. Jim and Tony worked in the same office at the airfield, and Candy was Tony’s girlfriend. She was a pretty, blond German girl and a bit on the temperamental side. Tony, with his short dark hair, was unattractive, I thought, and wondered more times than not what Candy saw in him. Oh well! There’s no accounting for taste. Love is blind. I liked her anyway, and besides, she helped me with my German.
“Everybody out!” Jim said with enthusiasm after the car was parked. With a fag hanging from his lips, he sauntered around to the trunk and opened it. Carefully he took out his Pentax and checked to make sure he had the right lenses in the case. He slammed the trunk shut, making sure it was locked.
As we walked up the path toward the cable car, I thought about the dream I’d had earlier that morning. It wasn’t the first time I had dreamed things like that. Discovering he was having an affair, the dreams became more intense and more frequent. The devastation kept on digging and digging creating a larger void in my heart. I wondered if the hurt would ever leave. If it did, I knew forgetting would not come easily,
We approached the ticket booth for the cable car.
“Nice lungs,” Jim said to Tony, as they noticed a young woman walking down the path.
“Just pay for the tickets,” I said as I looked at Candy and rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said as he shoved fifty Deutsch Marks at the attendant.
Jim had his camera ready as we stepped out of the cable car onto the platform. There was a hotel and a large restaurant at the top with outdoor cafes and walkways, and as skiing was possible even during the summer, it was crowded. While Jim and Tony scoped out the scenery for a few minutes, Candy and I found an empty table at the café. We sat down to order sodas.
We chatted amiably, and as Tony came back to the table, Jim leaned precariously over the railing to take a picture.
“Hey girls, say cheese,” Tony said as he slowly backed up to take our picture. We leaned together, smiling, and I watched in what seemed like slow motion as Tony backed right into Jim, knocking him over the rail. With horror, Tony turned quickly, watching Jim’s body bounce from jagged ledge to jagged ledge, and I realized with grim satisfaction that Jim’s best friend had turned my single best fantasy into reality. Hanging from the railing, Jim’s camera swung gently to and fro, and the last thing I remember was his hoarse, masculine scream.
by
Cathy Alden
Jim leaned precariously over the railing trying to get just the right focus. The wind from the mountain blew his blonde hair back away from his face. Watching from behind I could see the outline of his tensed muscles through his Levis. One brown-booted foot was placed on the bottom rail. Quickly I walked toward him. Gathering all my strength, I shoved him and watched without remorse as his body bounced from jagged ledge to jagged ledge toward the lush green valley below. Caught on the railing, his camera swung gently to and fro, and his hoarse, masculine scream was the last thing I remember.
I sat up with a start and reached for the alarm. It was only seven o’clock. Damn! My single best fantasy was still only a dream. Sighing my disappointment, I turned over, listened to his snoring, and kneed him in the butt.
“You better get up,” I said through a yawn.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said and rolled over. Reaching for his Marlboros he asked, “How about some nookie?” His breath nearly gagged me.
“You’ve got to be kidding! We have to meet Tony and Candy at nine, and you know how long it takes you to get ready!”
I sat up and quickly jumped from bed.
“I’ll take a shower while you smoke your fag.”
Twenty minutes later I walked out of the bathroom. Carrying a Time Life WWII History book, and with deliberate slowness, Jim went in. I gave him a disparaging look. With a smirk on his face, he merely shrugged his shoulders.
Already one hour late, we walked down the steps from our apartment at ten o’clock. I slipped into the car. Knowing he was aggravating me further, he began his usual ritual. He flipped the hood and checked the oil. That done he walked around the car, kicked each tire, and made sure the blinkers were working. I felt sure he only went through this because of his arrogance. He loved making an “entrance.”
Finally, after getting gas and picking up our friends, we were on our way to do a little sight seeing. Jim always drove toward Garmish in the German Alps. According to him, the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany, was the best place for taking pictures. When I looked over at him to tell him that all of Germany was perfect for taking pictures, he had his finger stuck up his nose. I offered him a Kleenex, but he said he didn’t need it.
Tony and Candy argued in the back seat. This was not unusual. They were always arguing or wrestling or something. Jim and Tony worked in the same office at the airfield, and Candy was Tony’s girlfriend. She was a pretty, blond German girl and a bit on the temperamental side. Tony, with his short dark hair, was unattractive, I thought, and wondered more times than not what Candy saw in him. Oh well! There’s no accounting for taste. Love is blind. I liked her anyway, and besides, she helped me with my German.
“Everybody out!” Jim said with enthusiasm after the car was parked. With a fag hanging from his lips, he sauntered around to the trunk and opened it. Carefully he took out his Pentax and checked to make sure he had the right lenses in the case. He slammed the trunk shut, making sure it was locked.
As we walked up the path toward the cable car, I thought about the dream I’d had earlier that morning. It wasn’t the first time I had dreamed things like that. Discovering he was having an affair, the dreams became more intense and more frequent. The devastation kept on digging and digging creating a larger void in my heart. I wondered if the hurt would ever leave. If it did, I knew forgetting would not come easily,
We approached the ticket booth for the cable car.
“Nice lungs,” Jim said to Tony, as they noticed a young woman walking down the path.
“Just pay for the tickets,” I said as I looked at Candy and rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said as he shoved fifty Deutsch Marks at the attendant.
Jim had his camera ready as we stepped out of the cable car onto the platform. There was a hotel and a large restaurant at the top with outdoor cafes and walkways, and as skiing was possible even during the summer, it was crowded. While Jim and Tony scoped out the scenery for a few minutes, Candy and I found an empty table at the café. We sat down to order sodas.
We chatted amiably, and as Tony came back to the table, Jim leaned precariously over the railing to take a picture.
“Hey girls, say cheese,” Tony said as he slowly backed up to take our picture. We leaned together, smiling, and I watched in what seemed like slow motion as Tony backed right into Jim, knocking him over the rail. With horror, Tony turned quickly, watching Jim’s body bounce from jagged ledge to jagged ledge, and I realized with grim satisfaction that Jim’s best friend had turned my single best fantasy into reality. Hanging from the railing, Jim’s camera swung gently to and fro, and the last thing I remember was his hoarse, masculine scream.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Carl Sandburg NHS
Carl Sandburg Home
by
Cathy Alden
Listen . . .
Listen . . .
The rush of the stream over mossy rocks,
Blue jays’ raspy chattering scolding everyone in sight,
Robins singing, “Spring is here! Spring is here!”
The fuzzy bumble buzz-buzzing around my head.
See . . .
See . . .
Mr. Sun peeking through the leaves of the forest
making me laugh.
Fluffy cottony-soft clouds floating lazily by
Little ants march - marching one-by-one; small soldiers on the hunt.
Squirrels jumping from maple to oak to maple again
Chat-chat-chattering in friendly banter.
Smell . . .
Smell . . .
The gentle breeze stirring the pine needles sending
their sharp aroma to tickle my nose.
Rich vibrant red-brown soil so full of life.
The pungent earthy aroma of the busy goat barn.
Tiger lilies spreading their perfume like ladies dancing in a ballroom.
Feel . . .
Feel . . .
The rough crinkled bark of the tall pine,
The smooth glossy leaves of the flowered magnolia.
Prickly pinecones, like tiny brown Christmas trees, poke my fingers.
Mr. Sun warming my shoulders as I walk the dirt covered trails.
Taste . . .
Taste . . .
Tangy ham, honey-mustard, and nine-grain cracked hiding in my crinkled
brown paperbag,
Cool water sluicing down my throat,
Chocolate brownie so chewy-soft and nutty,
Granny Smith, tart-sweet and crunchy.
Nature . . .
Springtime . . .
Lovingly embrace Connemara.
So wonderful to get away . . .
find myself . . .
To think
To write
To be!
by
Cathy Alden
Listen . . .
Listen . . .
The rush of the stream over mossy rocks,
Blue jays’ raspy chattering scolding everyone in sight,
Robins singing, “Spring is here! Spring is here!”
The fuzzy bumble buzz-buzzing around my head.
See . . .
See . . .
Mr. Sun peeking through the leaves of the forest
making me laugh.
Fluffy cottony-soft clouds floating lazily by
Little ants march - marching one-by-one; small soldiers on the hunt.
Squirrels jumping from maple to oak to maple again
Chat-chat-chattering in friendly banter.
Smell . . .
Smell . . .
The gentle breeze stirring the pine needles sending
their sharp aroma to tickle my nose.
Rich vibrant red-brown soil so full of life.
The pungent earthy aroma of the busy goat barn.
Tiger lilies spreading their perfume like ladies dancing in a ballroom.
Feel . . .
Feel . . .
The rough crinkled bark of the tall pine,
The smooth glossy leaves of the flowered magnolia.
Prickly pinecones, like tiny brown Christmas trees, poke my fingers.
Mr. Sun warming my shoulders as I walk the dirt covered trails.
Taste . . .
Taste . . .
Tangy ham, honey-mustard, and nine-grain cracked hiding in my crinkled
brown paperbag,
Cool water sluicing down my throat,
Chocolate brownie so chewy-soft and nutty,
Granny Smith, tart-sweet and crunchy.
Nature . . .
Springtime . . .
Lovingly embrace Connemara.
So wonderful to get away . . .
find myself . . .
To think
To write
To be!
Colors of My Canvas
Colors of My Canvas
by
Cathy Alden
Rough burnt umber wakes and lifts morning leaves as
yellow rises over the sleepy mountains.
Slumbering violet shadows quiver quiet-like in
the dawn of the forest.
Peeping through leaves from above, blue begins to add
its color while
yellow blazons strongly, pushing away the darkness
of the night.
Waiting in the gray foggy meadows, deer begin
to nibble delicately on the cool dewy green grass.
Greedy poppies raise floppy orange heads toward the glorious yellow sun
lifting higher in the sky to drink in light.
The raw sienna frame of the muddy clay-like bank cradles
the crystal clear river gurgling and kicking out
rough stones from its bed,
and as white and more white highlight and bleed
onto all that yellow has touched,
Morning breaks.
by
Cathy Alden
Rough burnt umber wakes and lifts morning leaves as
yellow rises over the sleepy mountains.
Slumbering violet shadows quiver quiet-like in
the dawn of the forest.
Peeping through leaves from above, blue begins to add
its color while
yellow blazons strongly, pushing away the darkness
of the night.
Waiting in the gray foggy meadows, deer begin
to nibble delicately on the cool dewy green grass.
Greedy poppies raise floppy orange heads toward the glorious yellow sun
lifting higher in the sky to drink in light.
The raw sienna frame of the muddy clay-like bank cradles
the crystal clear river gurgling and kicking out
rough stones from its bed,
and as white and more white highlight and bleed
onto all that yellow has touched,
Morning breaks.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Blogging
Yes! I am learning about blogging. It's another type of technology I can use with my friends and students.
Cathy :-)
Cathy :-)
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