Once Upon A Time...

there was a little girl who fell in love with words. She wanted to learn as many of these words as she could, she wanted to learn what they meant, she enjoyed manipulating them into different forms - creating poetry, stories, lyrics and even Art. If she could find a pen, she would write them down on almost any surface. Mostly, she filled up notebooks & kept filling them up.

If she didn't find time to write them down they spilled into her thoughts. Daydreaming words into all kinds of glorious ideas of what she could say, how she could write it in a way that others would love to read. Although, she was known as a young girl, as being painfully shy she knew the truth inside of her because words had always been her truest friends. Words turned into stories and her most favorite would be the poems that came too. These stories always brought characters patterned after her obervations and discussions with others. During her play time, she rehearsed many of these stories as she staged plays with her Barbie dolls cast as the perfect actresses.

She also payed attention to the elderly through service and kinds visits to those living around her. On her favorite afternoon, she would talk to her Grandma as much as possible, since after all, Grandma was the oldest writer she knew, about writing and the characters that her Grandma was working on in her books. Even now, she can't remember all of the conversations now but she realized how Grandma inspired her. Besides writing, yet it fit perfectly in her plans to keep writing, she also looked up to her Grandma, who was such a happy, positive person. She exemplified how to treat others kindly, how to be social and how to work hard. She reflected on this many times now since these simple conversations, board games & even writing sessions together.

Her goals have never ceased and seeing them on the path in front of her but she felt that she had not been reaching in the right places or high enough. In her delicate heart, she would like to change that route now. For through her feelings, at least writing some of these thoughts down helped her start with that. After all, she needed a place to start so that she could feel like building a castle. With poetry month coming up, this will be as good as any. Once a day each day. Write a poem. She would like to share with you a bit about life, sorrow, history and wittingly hopes that you gain a sense of the person that she is and what she tries to live to be each day. So, hopefully you will find more good than bad and perhaps that will help you understand how much this dear girl loves people and what she sees in her everyday observations. These are her dreams and desires, she may fall short but perhaps someday you will know what she was all about anyway. You see, long ago, in an elementary school far, far, away, she started writing in her free time as even as soon as in the third grade. Experimenting with words, as she liked to think of it. As time became years she started to feel more confident in her writing. So, in sixth grade, she wrote a poem about the Cherokee Indians. She had learned about them in school and wanted to express from her heart what they went through.

Can you guess who this little girl represents yet?

Yes, even myself and the purpose of this fairytale is to let you know a little bit of my background as a writer and as a poet. I have long since misplaced and lost the original poem but that single experience still means a great deal to me. I remember how it felt to win an honorable mention for it. How incredible it was! How much that made me feel that somehow I may have brought an awareness to people's eyes about the Cherokee "Trail of Tears." I want to keep that up and I have a little here and a little there. I will continue in that regard. I will write. I am a poet. I am an Artist too. This is me. This is truly who I am. I hope you believe.

In the Meantime...

I've been working on several articles, writing projects and a scrapbook project too. Also, I have a lot going on, as everyone does, in my real life that has had my time so my poor blog has taken a hit from my attention. I have several posts in mind but haven't put them up yet. I'll get to it, eventually. So, just to let you know I'm still around I thought I'd put up a few quotes from the movies my children have been watching lately.

Monsters vs. Aliens:

News reporter: Once again, a UFO has landed in America, the only country UFOs ever seem to land in.


Whatever mad scientist made you, he went all out.- Dr. Cockroach

This place is an X-file, wrapped in a cover up and deep fried as a conspiracy. There will be no contact with the outside and there never will. -General W.R. Monger

I don't want a poster, I want a real kitten, in a real tree. -Susan

Don't think of it as a prison, think of it as a hotel you never leave because it's been locked from the inside. -General W.R. Monger

The President of the United States: Somebody think of something, and think of it fast!

The Incredibles

A simple Thank You would suffice...

Helen: E, it's great to see you, but I gotta tell you, I've got no idea what you're talking about.
Edna: Yes, words are useless! Gobble-gobble-gobble-gobble-gobble! Too much of it, darling, too much! That is why I show you my work! That is why you are here!

Mr. Incredible: No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!

Dash: That was the best vacation ever! I love our family.

Rick Dicker: We've frozen all of Syndrome's assets. If he even sneezes, we'll be there with a hanky and a pair of handcuffs.

Elastigirl: Settle down, are you kidding? I'm at the top of my game! I'm right up there with the big dogs! Girls, come on. Leave the saving of the world to the men? I don't think so.

Surf's Up

A winner is someone who doesn't knock me off my surfboard; Tank's definitely not a winner.
Little Penguin

I hope the cameras are rolling because you're gonna want to watch it over and over.
Cody Maverick

My brother was the big egg, I was the little egg.
Cody Maverick

Lani, we're in the shower! Ask me whatever you want.
Cody Maverick

Dude, she's totally into you! She called you crap!
Chicken Joe

Tank needs fuel.
Tank Evans

You know, we've known each other way back since, like... yesterday, I think it was.
Chicken Joe

My reason behind this is because I love to hear the words written in the dialogue. It helps me giggle and dream about being on a writing team for one of these movies. Wouldn't it be fun to write a movie script? I imagine how fun that it would be to sit there with a group of fellow writers and banter out a script! Well, maybe it's not really like that, I don't really know, but I can dream. Plus, I'm starting to gain a small sense of that through Twitter. It's a rich source for the writing, music, Arts and poetic communities. I've met some wonderful minds through the thoughts that these people are sharing there. I enjoy following many people and there is just something about those 140 characters that I love! No more...it just fits with my creative mind, I think. Anyway, it's helped my writing a tremendous amount and I'm crazily writing every chance I get now. For that, "I'm eternally grateful."
Also, if you have a few moments, check out my articles here on Matchbox Twenty Plus to read what I've been doing in the meantime...apart from not keeping up with my blogging.

Don't worry though..."I'll be back!" :D

Be In Touch

Before Facebook or Twitter and before digital T.V. happened, I was a bit of an avid T.V. watcher with the local channels. I must admit that of all the channels I still really miss PBS the most and still make an effort to see some of my favorites from their shows online as they share them. I also was a fan of ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. I felt a uncomplicated sadness when he departed from this world in 2005 and from his anchorage on the news. His final sign-off still poignant in my brain because of its honesty and YouTube where I can view it and re-live that simple minute from time to time - "The journalist who doesn't value deeply the audiences loyalty should be in another line of work." I've not kept up with whomever is reporting now either. Since I was in high school, I was also a bit of a news junkie and interested in journalism in general. My Grandpa Hatch wrote human interest stories for a local station and I remember having conversations with him about different stories he thought about writing. I loved that he wanted to celebrate the goodness of humanity by writing the stories that should be told more often. So, as you realize, I basically used to enjoy watching the show 20/20 when Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs were hosting it. I enjoyed the stories they covered and always in anticipation I expected the closing line of the show: "We'll be in touch so you'll be in touch." I'm not sure why but that line was somewhat comforting perhaps because I knew that it was coming. For some reason, it caused me to reflect on what I would report from my own life and I felt even then that I needed to write down those reports. Sadly, I didn't always take myself up on that task. I'm still working on a remedy for when I fail to write because the truth is I do enjoy writing. I need to make it a significant part of my daily life and see where that leads me. I'm tired of missing out because I forget what's been happening around me because I didn't write a little something down. So, now's the time for me to change that and here's my way of making a come back to stay in touch with you.

We'll start in November where I had an excited and roaring start with NaNoWriMo only to fizzle out in the end toward an epic FAIL to make it to the 50K deadline. Even though I didn't make it, I'm still amazed with the writing I did do and what came out of attempting this goal. I was able to enter three poems I wrote into a poetry contest and I'm looking forward to seeing if anything comes from that. This definately helps me not feel like a complete failure and the writing I did does not feel like a waste of time at all. I'm alright with it and even like some of it. In fact, I look forward to my third attempt at NaNoWriMo next year. "Third times a charm," right?

Another significant thing that happened in Novemeber was the passing of my father-in-law, Melvin, on Nov. 9th. I still remember readng the text from my husband about it and feeling unbelief. Even though he was eighty-two, it felt so unexpected. I still remember reading his daughter Martha's facebook status when I heard the news: "Exactly one month to the day of my mother's passing, my father passed away. I like to think that it was because he was missing my mom too much." This affected me deeply and I can't explain it. Perhaps because I was looking forward to working with him on a family history project for his dear Clara. Since her death, he had seemed very urgent about it and I could feel his urgency but I didn't reciprocate it back to him like he deserved. I was worried about other non-essential things I realize in hindsight. His efforts to encourage and help me were huge and he fulfilled them right away. He wasn't waiting around, he mailed me what I needed to make sure that this project would happen. Now, I need to fulfill my end of the deal. I'm working on that including the grieving process. Most of all, even though I miss my parents-in-law, I am quite happy that they are together in heaven for their upcoming anniversary of 60 years of marriage this month. I'm learning the depth and scope of their lives and the difference they silently made in their efforts to help others as much as they could serve them. There are many things I hope to continue learning about their lives. I only lived close to them in the first four years of my marriage and I wasn't always as great in the gratitude department when I had that privelege. Looking back, I feel very thankful that they have been a part of my life and my children's lives. I know that we will continue to remember them.

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But He beholds the light, and whence it flows,
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

~William Wordsworth

Journal Entry: Reflection of 9-11

It’s hard to believe that it has been 9 yrs. since that fateful day. I don’t always realize it but I am still affected by the experience, by the emotion that seized me as I watched a plane dive into the World Trade Center on TV. At first, I was driving down the Interstate listening to the radio after taking my husband to work. I heard what I thought at the time was a commercial for a movie and I remember thinking “That sounds like a bad movie, I don’t want to see it.” At the end of the segment, it was repeated so it dawned on me that it was news not fiction. It worried me. I rushed home to watch TV news. Up to this point, I was curious how an accident like this with a plane could even happen. I had to find out so I trusted what was being said on TV. Safe in my home, I tuned in and in just a very few minutes another plane hit a second huge tower in New York. I was stunned. How could this be real? I already wished that it wasn’t. People - real people were dying even jumping to their deaths. It scared me. I was gripped with a feeling that I couldn’t shake that my husband would eventually be deployed to war. This was real. It wouldn’t be something that an American President would be able to ignore. Life around me was changing. Tears still well up in my eyes, even now, as I truly think of the magnitude of this day and what has happened in my life since which in comparison to those lost is insignificant. I will never forget.

*This picture above was taken when we welcomed our husband/dad home from his deployment in Iraq. (Nov. 2005)

Impromptu Flowers

I thought it would be fun to share a few photos of flowers I've seen all around with you. I hope it brings you a smile today!

It seems like I'm like everyone else with the basic fact that you have to take those impromptu trips to the grocery store. If I can avoid it or send my husband, I will. I don't like to go shopping. Lately, I discovered something that has been brightening my day when I do go to that dreaded grocery store and it is the flowers! Many stores have a small flower department and I'm finding that I enjoy taking the time to look at them. It would be fun to buy all the flowers I've been looking at but that's not economically possible. So, one day I started taking pictures on my phone of the flowers and I found that I liked looking at these pictures later. I still don't enjoy going shopping all the time but I do enjoy looking and snapping a picture of those pretty flowers!

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. ~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat