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book review, books

WRITING DOWN YOUR SOUL by Janet Conner

writ soulThis book came to me highly recommended. It is so much more than what I expected. Author Janet Conner says: Show up. Open up. Listen up. & Follow up. Miracles will happen. I can attest to that.

Too often, I have read books without doing the writing exercises. Not so with this one. This time I did all the writing exercises requested. I even bought the companion workbook. That’s something else I don’t usually do, thinking that a ruled notebook is sufficient. It may be, if your budget is pinching you. But the workbook offers so much more and it will continue to offer more as I return to it for the quotes, thoughts, and suggestions that will continue to inspire me even now that I have finished the book awhile ago.

This time, I wanted to see if it really makes a difference; if completing the writing exercises in the book is that wee bit extra that makes a giant difference. IT DOES.

Janet Conner put me in touch with my spirit guides. I’ve known for a long time that we all have spirit guides and angels that hang around us, keeping an eye on us and getting us out of trouble from time to time. I didn’t know that they were waiting around for us to actually ask them for help! What a difference that makes!

Thanks to Janet, I found my guide, Timothy who said to me, “It’s about time. I get bored with nothing to do. I cannot do things for you unless you do your job of ASKING for guidance, help, and/or answers.”

Whoa! I never knew that I could actually talk to my guides and get actual answers from them!

There is so much more that I want to tell you about this book. So I am going to end this post and write more in the next post.

A word to the wise, first; when you buy the book be prepared to write on the pages! Yes, this is something else I never allowed myself to do. I’ll be returning to this book over and over again. My writing in the margins, underlining, drawing little attention-getting icons and doodles, are an important part of the education of me, Arlene. WOW!

book review, Uncategorized, women, women's stories

UNEARTHING VENUS: My Search for the Woman Within BY Cate Montana

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I would have chosen a different path if I had this book to read when I was a teen. Montana’s journey through life reads so amazing that I sat up all night to finish it. Her sincerity, brutal honesty, and deeply touching moments jumped off the page and into my heart. It took tremendous courage for her to just pick up and do, trusting in the universe to support her when she wasn’t sure of it herself. Montana’s life reads like a feminine Indiana Jones, yet it is true. Reading of her stamina that got her through the tough parts, followed by the tenderness of cat Grace sitting on her lap at the computer brought home the complexity of a woman; this woman and so many of the women out there, including me. This is the best memoir I’ve read in twenty years!

Uncategorized

WOMEN’S OPEN FORUM Saturday, July 18, 2015

WOMEN’S OPEN FORUM
You are invited to an intriguing afternoon ~
spent with interesting women
Mission statement: To inspire women of all ages to discover their full potential.
3rd Saturday of each month 1:00 to 3:30PM
The Gathering Place” on Lake Gaston
115 Magnolia Ct. Wildwood Point, Littleton NC 27850
July 18 special meeting this month: Open discussion on:
“Even though your past has a big influence on your decisions, it doesn’t own you, nor are you bound by it.”DSCF3880
Coming. . . .Aug 15, 2015 TBA
~ Inquiries: Ellie Newbauer: ellienewbauer@gmail.com
*$10.00 Fee                       Come, Join Us!

Uncategorized

WOMAN’S OPEN FORUM

JULY DISCUSSION
WOMEN’S OPEN FORUM
You are invited to an intriguing afternoon ~
spent with interesting women
Mission statement: To inspire women of all ages to discover their full potential.
3rd Saturday of each month 1:00 to 3:30PM
The Gathering Place” on Lake Gaston
115 Magnolia Ct. Wildwood Point, Littleton NC 27850
July 18 special meeting this month: Open discussion on:
“Even though your past has a big influence on your decisions, it doesn’t own you, nor are you bound by it.”
Coming. . . .Aug 15, 2015 TBA
~ Inquiries: Ellie Newbauer: ellienewbauer@gmail.com
*$10.00 Donation Come, Join Us!

American History, books, booksigning, Warren FoodWorks

JENNY GORDON GRAY BOOK READING/SIGNING FOR SIR ARCHY

Sir ArchyThe Warren Artists’ Market is hosting a Book Reading/Signing on Thursday, May 28, at the Warren FoodWorks, with Jenny Gordon Gray featuring her first book Sir Archy. Her book is about horses, in particular about the greatest sire the USA has ever known. Sir Archy was born as Robert Burns in 1805. One partner is his ownership, Col. John Tayloe III, changed his name to Sir Archy. These were the days when horse racing was for the gentry only and races would commonly last for four miles. It wasn’t long before no one would race their thoroughbred against him.
It was William Ransom Johnson who brought Sir Archy to Warren County, North Carolina in 1808. That’s when Sir Archy’s fame would become even more so; that’s when, in 1810, he became a stud horse. He was farmed out from one place to another siring more than 400 winners. His bloodline includes such champions in the Racing Hall of Fame as Man O’ War, Seabiscuit, Native Dancer, Secretariat, and Seattle Slew. While Ms. Gray is not into thoroughbred racing, she does own a descendant of Sir Archy and does dressage riding
The public is invited..

First Friday Poetry Night, Poetry, Warren FoodWorks

FOR THOSE WHO MISSED FIRST FRIDAY POETRY NIGHT AT WARREN FOODWORKS

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A friend, who missed coming to FFPN at the Warren FoodWorks last week, asked me what I read. Attempting to step into the absent Thomas’ shoes, not an easy task-he is a natural emcee, I read a bit more than usual. As he is always asking everyone “Why do you write?” Reading one of my pieces from Jyoti Wind’s, The Creative Arc, An Anthology on Writing, seemed appropriate. My well-read copy is pictured here. Reading again and since WH Auden is one of many favorite poets, I read:
W H AUDEN QUOTE
“A poet is, before anything else, a person
who is passionately in love with language.”
W.H. Auden (1907-1973)
This quote from one of my favorite poets
sits with truth on my lips, slides down to
my heart and nestles there, as it finds a home.

In love with language, words that tickle me,
making me laugh; sometimes outright giggle
words can impress me with their sincerity
depress me without any reason just because
they are a word that forms an unhappy picture.

Poets take these words and move them around
write one higher on the line to make it jump
or rest quietly to let you sigh, take a deep breath
be happy to see it, special words can be italic
to touch you, you will remember those words
so precious that they imprint on your mind
and stay there

Bards play with accents as in persona poems
where you use the voice of another, allowing
your words to come from their mouth or is it
their words from your pen, after stepping into
their shoes, testing their waters, feeling how
someone else thinks. Is that possible?

Or is it guesswork and misunderstanding.
Playing with words on paper is part of that
love of language; moving them around
forming an outline of a heart or a tree
simply for pure delight. The power of a
printed word is image, to impress another
or catch their eye while playing like a child
hoping to leave a mark on the reader.
Arlene Sandra Bice © 3/2015

Poetry

DAFFODIL CACTUS?

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Alas! Alack!
In springtime; there’s snow
Such confusion goin’ on
Who’s to know?

The winter cactus
Is in bloom
While daffodils
Are making room

What celebration
Shall there be
Easter basket
Or Christmas tree?
Arlene Sandra Bice © 3/2015

Poetry

YESTERDAY

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Yesterday
is gone
never to be relived
remembered, yes,
never relived

today
is better for it
tomorrow
may never get here
or be irrelevant

today
is joyous
wonderful
delightful
because of
yesterday
and the promise
of tomorrow
Arlene Sandra Bice ©2015

Poetry

OFTEN ONE POEM LEADS TO ANOTHER

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WHERE SLEEP HAS GONE
Where has my sleep gone
once so peaceful; readily at hand

Now I finally drift off at 2 am
words comes to me at 5
demanding to be written down

Sleep, “Why do you delay
denying the solitude I seek?”

Who sends messages
disrupting my dreams
interfering with my waking?

Where has my sleep gone?

BENT GLASSES
I bent my glasses
this morning
falling asleep in them
after waking at 5 am
to write down
thoughts that woke me

Screaming in my head
to be heard
to be recognized
to be announced
to be shared with the universe

Before falling asleep again
pad in one hand
pen in the other
glasses falling off
bent under the pillow  Arlene Sandra Bice (C) 2015