Month: September 2020

Lisa Tomey’s Poet’s Connection on October 24, 10 am-12 noon, poets from across the counry reading their published poems in What it is to be a Woman online!

This special meeting of the Poet’s Connection will be a poetry reading with contributors to What it is to be a Woman anthology. “An anthology of women on fire! A collection of women coming from all directions of life, aflame to reveal who they are and how they came to be today’s woman! Women’s stories aired for the first time, in print, defiantly, daring you to challenge their choices in life whether they continue a contented life at home tending a happy family or strike out into the wilderness. The modern women of today lived more widely divergent lives than history has shown before. We are living longer with more freedom and taken advantage of a freedom to change oppressive lives to ones that blossomed us into beauties.”

1. Sage leaves to cleanse negative spirits from my home.
2. A beautiful conch shell to hold the sage while burning. It was a gift from a friend many years ago. I think of her every time I use it.
3. A painting I did in the last century of a stream in Big Indian, New York while visiting dear friends. It will always remind me of them and the heavy overnight snowfall creating a white winter wonderland.
4. To Nesco for making an electric fry pan 8” X 8” perfect for singles’ cookin.g
5. Old photos that are bringing back memories of friends & family who have passed over.
6. Cards I’ve saved and kept with those photos. Many have notes,  words from those I’ve loved.
7. Michael Roy Layne for a great Autumn Equinox ceremony when he explained the meaning of his mural Reading by the Full Moon across from the library in Warrenton, NC.
8. To Dr. Sharon Fekrat at Duke Eye Center who has healed my Wet Macular Degeneration after more than 10 years of injections into my eyes. I’m deeply thankful for my eyesight.
9. Other writers. Writers inspire writers.
10. Rejoining JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) at Karin’s urging. It’s good to exchange ideas with other Janeites.

1. The birthday cake I ate for breakfast last week.
2. A satisfying, healthy, annual cardiologist report.
3. For birthday cards and wishes, some outrageously funny.
4. Autumn weather is here, soon autumn colors will appear
5. The beautiful orchid plant received.
6. Music, I have a variety of music in my life every day.
7. Energy of a Virgo new moon
8. Prayers of healing, both mine sent and others’
9. Rainy days
10. TTOT that reminds me to be aware

Take down the porcelain

The one with the pink petal

If it doesn’t suit you to use the metal. . .teapot

Don’t get your drawers in a nettle

It’s simple for us to settle

For tea from the hot kettle.

1. Oh, no. I will not moan about another birthday coming up next week. I’m happy to be here to see and enjoy it, in good health and agility.
2. Birthday cake. I’m looking forward to mine. I make sure I have one every year.
3. My study group that has begun the book Archetypes by Caroline Myss. It’s gonna be good.
4. 3. My dear friend Tammy who sent her fabulous chapbook The Postnuptial Agreement, the result of ten years of creating & composing. It’s gorgeous inside and out.
5. Heartland the series on Netflix has captured my heart. It’s my alternative life I could have lived if I knew about that lifestyle when I was younger.
6. The Reading Woman calendar by Pomegranate that displays beautiful artwork of women reading even before it was a common event to do for women, with blocks large enough to scribble reminders.
7. A place to donate the books I am purging from my storage unit. They need to be in circulation, not in a storage unit. Sadly I don’t have enough room for them all anymore.
8. The books that are like friends that I cannot part with. I’ve lugged them from one place to another.
9. My cell that shows who is calling so I can block the company connected to my car’s warrenty. Bull!

The writing ideas that come to me when I think they aren’t going to.

Painting is something I loved to do from my earliest years and I asked for a set of paints when I was 8; my step-father-to-be said, “I’m sorry i don’t know anything about paint sets.”

I got a baseball mitt instead.

When I asked for painting lessons which my oldest brother got, I was given tap shoes for my clumsy feet that never fit in a chorus line.

When I had babies, one after another painting portraits didn’t come into the picture.

Once they grew to a certain age, I got to take lessons with the esteemed, internationally known Juanita Crosby, Gail Bracegirdle and years later with Dot Overby.

Alas, talent is needed to get into a successful gallery.

1. Have I mentioned that I love Costco? I fought against the principal of paying to shop in a store and fought against the store, believing it was for families, not for people like me who buy in small quantities. Friends argued for years before I gave in. Now I love it and save money too.
2. The cardinal who looks me straight in the eye each morning, nods his head then feeds heartily.
3. My Tachyon pad that keeps arthritis out of my hands and may have helped heal my Wet macular Degeneration eyes.
4. Grace, who brings bottles of fresh well water to this city girl who drinks awful city, water.
5. Ceiling fans that keep my AC bill lower.
6. The many times I’ve been to Oakley Hall Plantation but have yet to see one of their ghosts.
7. All this new interest in poetry.
8. Coconut water to cook rice in. Yummy.
9. My countertop appliances so I don’t need to turn on a hot stove in this weather.

Autumn is around the corner. My favorite time of year.

The joint was jumpin’ with live jazz and even livelier bodies bouncing around the floor.

She entered slowly one long leg emerging from the front slit in her long, black dress after the other leading her across the dance floor, passing the bar with a wave to the bartender.

As she crossed to the double doors along the rear of the room where the big guy doorman, otherwise called a bouncer, smiled at her indicating she was a regular and welcome indeed.

A smile lit up her own face as she slipped through the opening, glancing around inconspicuously before turning to the left and walking along the thickly padded walls.

Her destination was a few steps away, easily found in the dimly lit room.

She slid onto the high stool as smooth, sexy, jazz oozed from the trio on the small stage, looked straight ahead and said, “It’s still warm outside Sam, so leave the olives and make it a twist.”