Playing with fall images

Words are like images; they can be beautiful, playful, stark, shocking. Have you written lately? 

    The ghost watched the squirrel scamper up the old tree

 and chew off a leafy twig.

                                                    She tucked it into the crook of a limb
                                                             padding her nest so big.

                                              When the last leaves turn, drop to the ground,
                                                      cold wind and snowflakes abound,
                                                  ghosts disappear; were they even here?
                                                    Their footprints can never be found.

The scarecrows, though small, have the most fun of all when critters come around at night.

Stray cats go creeping, raccoons sneaking, rabbits trigger our motion light.

They sniff the ghosts, pumpkins, too. Scarecrows chase them away with a great big, "BOO!"

                                     Is it a monster? A person on stilts? A peanut-head circus fright?
                              A long-legged clown walking around, waiting for the darkness of night?

                                            I'll give you a clue. The afternoon sun plays tricks on you.
                                                                 And as you can plainly see...
                                                             it isn't a  monster or wacky clown.
                                                                 It's simply a shadow of ME. 

"Somebody done somebody wrong" ...it's a song!

Announcing # 30 on my Chicken Soup for the Soul publication list.  

I am not physically hiding in this book, but my story, A Precious Jewel, is included. On sale date is November 5, 2019.  

I have read more than 3/4 of this book, and each story is one that you or someone you know could relate to. I found myself nodding as I read the stories which are not preachy. They describe the many infractions we have all felt or perceived in our lives. And the solutions are life changers. 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChickenSoupfortheSoul/

Twitter – @ChickenSoupSoul

                @AmyNewmark

Book Link - http://bit.ly/2VzdBkt

Hashtag - #CSSTheForgivenessFix

Into the unknowns

It's human nature to want to know the outcome even when circumstances are out of our control.

One never knows what lies within or beyond the fog. Driving with opaque vision into the uncertainties of life's what-ifs, increases our fear.

This was a lesson made real last weekend as we left Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where I presented two workshops.

Pavement patches, like Band Aids on my worried soul, made me aware that bruises and surface scrapes are minor parts of the whole.

I had no other choice but to trust the girders and pilings that suspend the bridge to support our car as we traversed the span from shore to shore above the unseen flowing waters.

Fog, eerily thick as Halloween spiderweb batting enveloped the bridge, shrouded the river in both directions, and sent a shiver down my spine.

As we encountered traffic in both directions, visibility became more acute the closer we came to other vehicles. My fear lessened when I was able to see beyond the unknown. I breathed a sigh of relief and a silent prayer of thanks when we made it safely across the bridge.

Life has been rough for our family the past few weeks. Bill's daughter received life-threatening brain trauma injuries and is in a rehab hospital out of state. Updates indicate she is making progress. But I want to be able to visit her daily, and that is not possible.

My daughter just tore her rotator cuff and probably will require shoulder surgery. 

Bill has residual leg pain from a previous knee surgery and may require total knee replacement.

Such is life. Into the fog...the unknown. One day at a time. I have to trust God that things will work out. They always do, whether we can see what's ahead, or not. Whether its the way we wish for things to be, or not.

All the what-ifs don't matter, because what will be, will be. Que Sera, Sera.



    

Opportunities for writers

Don't be a turkey. Share with others. Pass on information to fellow writers. Praise others when they are successful. Come back soon, and I will share my good news with you. Meanwhile, start writing.

http://compsandcalls.com/wp/ Check out this link for a list of call outs from Cathy's Comps and Calls.


I get so busy I often forget where I saw a particular call out. This is an extensive list for my writer friends.

If YOU were the person who signed in on my blog yesterday as UNKNOWN, thank you for the comment, but who ARE you?

Bad news AND good news

Some of you know our family experienced a tragedy three weeks ago. I was unable to update my readers because of the investigation.

My stepdaughter Michele has a dynamic personality and is forever joking and laughing. She is  a friend to many, the best mom and grandma ever. She received critical and life threatening traumatic brain injuries when a shoplifter struck her with a car.

We have been at the hospital daily and simply lost track of time. Our lives were on hold as we sat at Michele's bedside praying and weeping. God answers prayers. Thank you to those who prayed. Please continue.

Michele was air lifted to Craig Rehabilitation Center in Colorado yesterday, where she will receive intensive treatment. They specialize in brain and spinal injuries and have served four police officers in our town who suffered critical injuries in the past.

P.M. me if you have further questions.

This is a clip from our local TV station. https://bit.ly/2OS2IIZ




Now, for some good news. I presented two workshops at The Ozark Creative Writer's Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas last weekend. One on inspirational writing, and the other on humor writing. My classes were well received and well attended. I met so many nice people. Pictured here is Bonnie K. Tesh from Joplin, MO Writer's Guild. Claudia Mundell, my late friend, and possibly yours, was the president of the Joplin guild. Linda Lowe Apple is president of Ozark Creative Writers.

Imagine my delight when my friend Becky and I took the trolley into town. We were waiting at the trolley stop. A young couple arrived to wait with us. I asked where they were from, as Eureka Springs is a resort town.The young man said, "Joplin." I asked if he knew Claudia Mundell. He replied, "Oh my gosh, she was my English teacher."

Deep in my heart, I felt a connection to Claudia, as if she were among her friends again.