Tuesday Word Tinkering

With Christmas over, your mind on New Yr's Resolutions (or rebelling against) and the winter weather getting to some, I thought I'd upload an escapist picture for today's writing prompt.

Look closely at the white sand beaches and the blue water of the Caribbean. The palm trees swaying in the warm breeze. Notice the details in the photo: leisure and pleasure. Let your mind recall a great vacation, dream of a vacation you would like to take, and with whom, or imagine pirates searching for treasure on this island.

Is there really such a thing as "paradise"? Do things ever go wrong on vacations or in paradise?

Engage your senses. What does the breeze feel like? What does the air smell like? What does the water taste like? What is the drink you are holding in your hand? What does your body feel like? Limit yourself not. Let your mind imagine and your pen wander.

a smile... in the form of words

Just had to share with you the thoughts of Chris Baty from NaNoWriMo...

"If there's one thing I've learned from running NaNoWriMo, it's this: Whatever you think you are, you are more than that. You possess a fearsome array of skills and abilities, and the most satisfying of these may be completely unknown to you now. Your curiosity is a dependable guide; follow it. Put yourself in unfamiliar places. Kindle passions. Savor the raw joy of making things, and then remake the best of those things until they take someone's breath away."

Jack Frost has arrived...

This is a photo after the first snowfall. We're now fully covered and it's a winter wonderland out here. We even have our Christmas lights up! I have internet at home now (yaHOO!) and so tonight will get it set up with wireless so can download pics off my laptop for uploading to you right here.... It's so great out here in the country!

Right now I'm looking out the window and seeing that my pristine field of untouched snow is actually quite touched. There are footprints from the satellite guys who installed the internet yesterday as well as animal tracks.... I jumped out of the truck the other night to inspect one set of tracks and discovered that they were deer tracks. So we have deer that travel through our acreage from the field across the road to the field behind our treeline... I have yet to see them but will be on the lookout!

There are also tiny little footprints.... the ones that are well travelled are the silence of the 6 cats past the west treeline. They explore quite near our house; hopefully they don't taunt Minou who is now a captive and an inside cat. But if they're keeping down the mouse population near my house, I don't mind their wanderings one bit! A note on the mouse problem: there are no more in the cupboard. I guess the three we trapped sent word down the pipe to the others, or the fact that the penne food supply disappeared was enough to stop them. There is still one trap in the cupboard set to spring, but no takers. Aw man...!

The trees were covered with that frosty layer of snow that paintings of winter scenes always show, however the temperatures over the last few days have hovered just above the freezing line so that pretty sight has all but melted away... to return next week when we really hit the freezing point and -25C I hear!!!

We are getting our Christmas tree tonight which we will put up in the living room next to the faux feu and our stockings and will move the little white one into the bedroom. Last year my mom sent it to me (yeah Mom!) and money was so tight that I only put a string of white lights on it (that I had from university days!). This year I bought a set of little burgundy and gold balls with the coolest gold curly-Q hooks and it is just magical. I'll have to take a photo tonight to post tomorrow. It sits on top of my burgundy table... it's absolutely amazing how well my decor goes together... when it's from all over the world and bought in separate places and at different times with only my eclectic decorating knowledge that somehow I'd make it all work! It so does and it is just fabulous!!! I'm so happy to have a little home!

Love & peace and Christmas season enjoyment to you all!!!

Writing prompt:

Look out a window in your house and write everything you see: even if you think you've seen it all before. Write as if you are seeing it for the first time or describing it to a blind friend or a friend who has never seen your place.

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Soul Messages

What is your soul whispering to you? When I listen, my soul whispers: Rest... enJOY BEing... write... use colour... So what am I doing about these soul whispers? How will I actively listen while the demands of daily work and the rush of Christmas stresses me? I will schedule time daily for myself. I will get up a bit earlier to have meditative time. I will schedule and keep 2 weekly dates with myself to write and to do art. They will become non-negotiable.

Writing Prompt:
Name today. Write for 5 continuous minutes on your name for today.

Painting by my friend Deltra Powney:
http://deltrapowney.blogspot.com
:-)

Beloved

It is now December 1st. Hopefully those of you wishing to join and read the first book in the Banned Books Book Club have finished the book Beloved by Toni Morrison.

What did you think?

To get the discussion going, here are my thoughts...

How to sum up the book? Awful. Awful, and an essential read. Awful because it is our collective history. There are human rights abuses in every country, including Canada and the US. In Canada, think Native Indians and Japanese internment camps in WW2. In every country I have visited (I think 51 at last count), there are human rights abuses. We need to know what they are/were and remember them so that they do not happen again, or if we know of them happening, we can take action to stop it, ex: Darfur! I do not understand why this book was banned. Yes, it is difficult content, but it is not bad. There are bad people in the book, just like in life. However, the book is well written, even when it is in colloquial language. The subject matter is believable.

Please share your thoughts. I look forward to your comments.