Monthly Archives: May 2014

Reflecting on “EASTER” and “A Fleeting Moment”

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For my Blogging 101 class, I was told to study my blog stats and to write a new post which reflects and expands on the posts which generated the most views. In studying my blog stats, I have found that the two posts which received the highest number of views were my EASTER poem and another poem I called, “A Fleeting Moment”.  These poems are very different and I am interested to hear from readers about why they like a certain poem or other posts on my blog. From reading some of the comments related to my “A Fleeting Moment” poem, I gathered that readers were very contemplative in reflecting on how fast and easily precious moments just slip away leaving us wishing we could recapture a certain speck of time. I certainly feel that way when I reminisce about favorite childhood memories or when remembering being with a favorite relative who has passed on.  Also I am recalling moments when I didn’t take time to stop and enjoy a beautiful pinkish-orange sunset or a vibrantly high-arching rainbow reaching into the deep, brilliant blue sky. Then I sense regret because I don’t know when such a moment will pass my way again. For the new readers who missed this poem, here it is again and please feel free to let me know what you think:

A Fleeting Moment

A precious speck of time gone

At a solitary glance!

Did you grasp that fleeting moment?

Did you behold by any chance?

 

As for the “EASTER” poem which generated the most views in one day, I am sure it was well received because I posted it just one day before Easter but most readers viewed it on that Easter Sunday. So, it was very timely and it focused on faith through Jesus, God’s Son. And through him, I think many respond and hold on to the new and everlasting hope we can share in him which is the point of celebrating the Easter holiday. Through having and holding onto that faith, we have hope and the endurance to continue through trials and difficult days believing that thru Jesus those hardships will come to an end. I do face my share of struggles and hard times but with hope and anticipation I can look to the future. Easter, I guess, is a very special time to reflect on one’s faith and what God has done for me. As a recap, here is that EASTER poem and I hope it continues to encourage and inspire readers today:

 

EASTER

Everlasting love and hope

And to Jesus never ending adoration

Son of God has risen to wash away all

Tears and heartaches, sin and suffering

Eternal life and lasting peace awaits after our own

Rebirth in Jesus and joyous resurrection

Finding More Inspiration in Creative Writing, Poetry, and in Gazing at the Stars

 

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I did some more “diving and driving” through the blogosphere world and found more inspirational, hopeful, and helpful blogs in the areas of creative writing, poetry, and in gazing at the stars. I hope you enjoy exploring these links and find some inspiration from them as well:

Here’s a helpful blog for us bloggers who are also fiction writers. Every day, it publishes a one sentence prompt and you, the writer, respond by starting with at sentence and write a story. The point of these exercises is that as soon as you receive the one sentence prompt, you start writing! This is a very interesting and challenging way to practice and hone skills in fictional and other creative writing.

http://todaysauthor.wordpress.com/

I found another blog site which addressed the process of writing, “Making Sandwiches” by Robert Jackson Bennet who is a fiction author and writer. He compares the writing process to that of making a sandwich. The main idea is that he is encouraging you to write what you want and to do it your way. We writers need to develop and follow our own creative writing style. Here is the link to his article:

http://robertjacksonbennett.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/making-sandwiches/

I also came across a fun and very creative poem entitled, “Adventures in Poetry” which explores the challenges of poetry writing. It is very cleverly written and enjoyable to read. Furthermore, I also view poetry writing as an adventure. Each time I start a poem I usually have no idea how it will end. I am always very determined that my writing makes sense and makes a point but I am not always clear on what that point will be until I reach the ending. In that manner writing can be an unknown adventure. Here is the link to this very cleverly written poem by Eclectic Alli:

http://eclecticali.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/poetry/#comment-284

I enjoy gazing at the night sky and watching the stars. I also desire to learn more about them and to be able to identify celestial objects in the night sky. While thinking about that I came across this very interesting blog about the night sky. This blogger/photographer has mastered the skill to photograph and identify constellations, planets, and other interesting sights in the night time sky. His posts also are very timely; he often give insight on how you can discover what he sees in the dark sky. Take a look and enjoy:

http://sky-watching.co.uk/2014/04/30/astronomy-events-may-2014/

 

My Mother’s Beautiful Hands

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With Mother’s Day approaching, I wanted to publish this poem in memory of my own mom who passed away in 2010 just a short time after her 65th birthday. Her passing happened very unexpectedly leaving many of us in deep sorrow and with a painfully empty void in our lives. In her own quiet and special way she had touched many lives.  She loved being hospitable and she enjoyed being creative with her hands; sewing, crocheting, and needlepoint are just a hint of her creativeness.  For me she was a mother and a close friend and she remains in a special place in my heart. i very much miss visiting home and sitting by my mother’s side. In the old farmhouse where I grew up and on a quiet evening that was my favorite place to be. I know that many others will be deeply missing their mothers this weekend too.

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I always remember many cold and wintry nights

when in a house warm with love, a scene of beauty met my sight;

My mother sitting so content and so quietly working with her hands.

An object was forming, a colorful thing which at first I do not understand.

As her mysterious creation grew and took shape, I knew what it was to be.

Sometimes a blanket, quilt or doll; perhaps slippers or ornaments for the Christmas tree.

When finished she gently wraps the gift with care and at the chosen time,

the treasured gift is given and her deep love brightly shines, warm and genuine.

Where else could I find such a tender love? Where else would I go?

Except to my mother’s side, whose warm love could melt a mountain of snow.

So over the years I kept going home to see my  mom and a gift I did not understand

being created by her with love and with her warm, gentle, and beautiful hands.

Lost in the Woods

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While following the challenges of my Blogging 101 class and diving further into the blogosphere, I found more writer’s prompts and here’s today’s writing prompt from Today’s Author: http://todaysauthor.wordpress.com/2014/05/

I thought this would be a good way to practice writing some flash fiction and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Today’s prompt: They burned all the wood they had in the fire pit, and then started chopping down trees.

And here is my response:

Lost in the Woods

They burned all the wood they had in the fire pit, and then started chopping down trees. When the third sapling fell with a soft crash on the forest floor, Josh paused looking at Timothy, his younger brother, “I think that’s enough for now. Let’s cut these into cords of fire wood, restart the fire in the pit, and get into our sleeping bags.”

Timothy swallowed hard looking tearful, “We’re really lost. How are we going to get home? And I’m still hungry.”

Josh sighed while searching through his backpack, “Here are some crackers I have left over from supper. We need to ration what food we have left so we can make it last. By morning it will be daylight again, and then we can try retracing our journey back to the main road and back to where I parked the jeep. In the meantime, we need to prepare for another cold night in these woods.”

Time passed, the trees were chopped into firewood and a warm fire was blazing in the pit. The brothers settled into their sleeping bags. Exhausted from the long hike and chopping fire wood, Timothy soon fell asleep. Josh rested under his covers; with his hands laced behind his head, and listened to his brother’s rhythmic breathing. While letting out his pent up breath, he gazed at a patch of starry sky between the towering trees above and wondered, “What if we can’t find our way back tomorrow? What if we have to spend yet another cold night in the woods? Some great camping trip this has turned out to be. Our first camp site got flooded out and now this.” Josh turned on his side groaning, “This is my fault since I insisted on hiking so far through a new wilderness area and then losing some of our gear while climbing up that steep trail.” He returned to his back gazing at the starry heavens one more time, “Never mind,” he told himself while tears stung his eyes, “I have to be brave for Timmy. Somehow we’ll find our way out of here: somehow we’ll find our way home.”

In the stillness, Josh turned to face his sleeping brother and whispered, “Timothy, I’m sorry that I got us lost. I know this is the worst camping trip ever.”

He was startled to see his brother twist himself around and sit up in the moonlit darkness, “That’s ok Josh; this is not just a camping trip. It is an adventure.”

My Albums and Cassette Tapes Have Gone Obsolete!!

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Continuing in my Blogging 101 class, I am trying something new today by responding to a daily or a writing prompt. Here is a recent daily prompt question from The Daily Post I found at:

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/going-obsolete/

Going Obsolete: Of all the technologies that have gone obsolete which one do you miss the most?

Advances in technology can be very exciting and inspiring; the technological advances made in computers are incredible and they keep evolving and improving. I work with individuals who have various types of developmental disabilities and I have seen how advancement in technology has helped them to lead fuller and more meaningful lives. Technologies have aided to improve hearing aids, motorized wheelchairs, Hoyer lifts, communication aids, medication dispensers, and other assistive devices.

Some individuals that I work with desire to learn and improve their computer skills. They often are eager to learn and computer accessories can be adapted to their needs. They have learned to email or Skype their families and stay in closer contact with them. Some have learned to use computer finance applications to manage their checkbooks, budget, and compile their own finance reports. Still others have learned digital photography and design their own greeting cards on computer. I am currently working with one individual interested in learning to conduct family history research on her computer.

However, sometimes I do become nostalgic for some of the old technologies.  I have seen a number of things go obsolete and sometimes very unexpectedly. As one example of this, I will never forget the day that I realized that record albums were obsolete. I was in the habit of visiting a certain favorite music store to look at music tapes and records. While visiting there, I did notice a change taking place in that these things called CDs (short for compact discs) were coming out. I had no idea what was so great about these new CDs and so I continued to purchase cassette tapes or record albums.

Then one day during my college years,  I unsuspectingly rode the city bus to the mall and visited my favorite music store.  I was in for a surprise for as I entered the store I saw that ALL of the record albums were gone; totally and completely gone. And in their place were all these new-fangled CDs. I was astonished, “What? You’re kidding, right?”That was a complete shock. I didn’t even have a cd player. However, they still sold the music cassette tapes so I continued to purchase those for quite some time. As a teenager, that was how I collected music from my favorite artists.  All my teenage friends collected their music in these same analog formats. Collecting records and cassette tapes was a part of the teenage experience. I fondly remember receiving my black phonograph player as a Christmas gift and I played records on it all the time; I played the big 33 records and the small 45’s.  That phonograph was one of my favorite gifts and I still have it. It just doesn’t work anymore. I also purchased a cassette tape player and that still works.

The cassette tapes also eventually went obsolete. I learned to like the CDs out of necessity but I can tell you I was reluctant to adjust to that change. It also became apparent to me that the digital quality of the CDs is superior to the analog quality of the cassette tapes and records. Even so, collecting those tapes and records was a memorable experience during my teenage and early college years. Although I have hesitantly become modern and up to date in adjusting to digital formats, I still kept my cassette tape collection and more recently, I found my old cassette tape player. I have it in the kitchen to play my favorite tapes again  I use it the most around Christmas time. Now, about that video tape collection…

What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite type of nostalgic technology device which you were reluctant to part with?

Saturday’s Journey

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I awoke to a quiet Saturday morning with sunlight glistening across the bluish horizon;

The tranquil sky resembles a sea tinted lake minus the ripples drifting across its’ face.

Such loneliness without human company but I needed with the Lord to just quietly be.

An opportunity with no urgent tasks to complete nor with busy people do I need to meet.

This is a treasured time when I can silently hide and with my Lord quietly confide.

I utter with mild consternation, “Lord, I need your help; to write I need some inspiration.”

I take a quiet stroll through this small town while the sun, perching high, still brightly shone.

A cool, brisk breeze is softly blowing and warning of showers that later will be coming.

Beginning of spring is thankfully seen as the grass is turning emerald green

Yet leafless trees remain wintry bare beneath the sunlight’s softened glare.

Enjoying this quiet and brief retreat, I travel alone as if the world was still asleep.

 Stricken with hard times in this tiny town, merchants have come and gone.

 The hardware store is boarded up and old houses, including mine are in need of fixing up.

But alas, God seems to gently say, “Don’t worry about that; just be glad you’re with me today.”

 So, I ramble along  the empty streets of town and reaching the road’s end I turn around.

  Continuing in my deep and inward contemplation I slowly journey homeward again.

 And behold, dark gray clouds are quickly rolling in so I sigh knowing it would soon rain.

I pass by the old clinic and grocery store; now lifeless, brick relics from many years before.

 A car rumbles along here and there. Though turning gloomy this day had been fine and fair.

Arriving at my destination, I am back home to remain safely inside from the pending rain.

Sitting to record this reminiscing poem, I remember God is with me; I’m never really alone.

Finding Inspiration in Poetry, Photography, and in the Art of Writing

 

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As I dive further and further into the blog world, I have discovered some very hopeful and inspiring blogs to follow. I encourage you to look at these talented bloggers and writers:

Inspiration in Poetry:

To Begin with, I found several neat poems by some amazing poets: I happened to read these poems at a time when I needed a little encouragement and some comfort for my soul. Read, enjoy and may they lift your spirit too:

Source of Inspiration:   http://patcegan.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/fearless-love/

Shawn L. Bird: http://shawnbird.com/2014/04/29/poem-angel-2/

Inspiration in Photography:

This photo/poet writes beautiful poems and captures the most delicate scenes you can imagine in nature. His writing and photos are like precious gems. While I tend to focus on the bigger picture in photography, this photo artist captures the delicate and often unseen beauty of nature:

http://adabrowka.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/round-dance/

Inspiration in the Art of Writing:

This is a great blog article for us bloggers who are into blogging because we want to be writers. Whether we write poems, articles, or stories of any genre, we are looking to improve our writing skills and get ourselves out there and noticed. This article is about reading to be a good writer and lays out some keys ideas on how to do that.

Quoth the Wordsmith;

http://quoththewordsmith.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/reading-to-write/

And for us fledgling novel writers here is an interesting writing article from author Bob Mayer about taking one key idea as a basis for a novel:

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/no-matter-the-genre-many-great-books-start-with-a-one-sentence-idea/

I hope you find these blogs interesting, inspiring, and helpful as I did.