Sleep, Spring, and Super Bugs

After two days of fighting a respiratory bug that seemed invincible, I lie in bed tonight with Tiger on the pillow beside me, the rain pelting the new leaves on trees outside my window. My hope is that rain washes all the pollen away and I can open my windows again.

April, considered to be the beautiful month spring really begins, is usually a tough month for most of us who have allergies. Instead of digging in the dirt, planting flowers, and enjoying the vibrant color of the forests, the dogwood, and oodles of other trees I can't name, I watch from inside - inside my car and inside my house.

To fight the symptoms of allergy turned ugly, I take over the counter antihistimine which gives me a strange "I don't care about anything but sleep" feeling. I realized today, in that state between total sleep and aware-of-someone- in-the-room, I could hear that a tornado was about to hit my house and I'd just pull the covers over my head and ignore it. I hate being drugged. I don't like feeling I'm not in control of myself.

DRUGS AND CREATIVITY
All those writers who drink and use drugs because they think it makes them more creative, well, I could not be one of them. I don't refuse pain pills when I hurt, but I'd rather deal with it than be unstable or unsure of myself. Guess I could never be a junkie.

I had to cancel my class tonight. I am sorry that three students did not get the message and showed up anyway. I missed seeing them and hearing what they had writen this week.

I can't keep my eyes open another minute. Sleep is healing, they say, so I expect to be well tomorrow.

Young Harris College Students and Heifer International

Young Harris College, right across the line from my home in North Carolina is a college I'd recommend for anyone who seeks higher education. They are now a four year school.

I receive newsletters and invitations to events there. I know people on staff and know the integrity of those people.
In a recent newsletter I read an article about ten students who went on an alternative spring break, not the kind that makes news on TV. These young people went to a farm in Arkansas and learned about something they had only heard about - real poverty. This program was part of Heifer International, a global nonprofit organization that strives to end poverty and hunger in a sustainable fashion.

Click on the link below and see what these students did and what they had to say about the experience. I am impressed with them and their school.

http://www.yhc.edu/pages/yhc.php?id=1943&utm_source=Mountain+Lines+April+2012&utm_campaign=Mountain+Lines+April+2012&utm_medium=email

Books, Writers and Poems on My Mind Today

Blue Ridge, GA covered in fog on Saturday morning

Having had such a stimulating weekend at the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference in Blue Ridge, GA, I can't settle on one subject to write on today. I'll just mention a few ideas, books, people, and moments that grab me.

1. Rick Bragg's essay in Southern Living. In the very back of the magazine (the present issue is not online yet) he writes a column called Southern Journal. Some of you know that I have strong feelings about saying thank you. Rick, spurred on by his wife to express his gratitude with thank you notes, sent letters to Mr. Airline Executive, Mr. Fancy Restaurant Owner, and my favorite, Mr. Satellite Television Service Operator. Rick is one of my favorite authors. If you like southern literature by a Pulitzer prize-winning writer, find his books and begin reading. And if you have ever had a gripe with the airlines, a restaurant, television service or computer and Internet service, you might want to read Rick's letters in the April 2012 Southern Living magazine.

2. A book called Writing in Style by Bobbie Christmas, writer and editor for more than 30 years. She not only answers questions about grammar, but her advice is current, 21st Century. She incorporates contemporary technology. 

3. A Memoir: Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handler whom I met Saturday at the Writers Conference. I attended both her sessions and found Jessica who lives in Atlanta, to be extremely knowledgeable about writing. She teaches Creative Writing and hopefully we can host her at Writers Circle soon. Her story is about losing both her little sisters from illness, and growing up the only surviving child in a family torn apart by devastating loss. I have only had time to skim the book, but I feel it will help me make decisions of what I need to include in my own memoir which I continue to write. A writing exercise in class became an Aha Moment for me.

4. My Grandfather's Hands, poem from Scott Owens' book, For One Who Knows How to Own Land. I was immediately in love with Paternity, the first of Scott's books that I ordered, and I feel that way about this new book, but in a different way. One poem is so graphic, Slaughter, that it was hard to read, but the poem about his farmer grandfather's hands takes me back to my roots, to my father's hands. I studied Daddy's hands when he didn't know. Burned by sun, so brown they didn't seem to belong to his white arms beneath his shirt sleeves, his nails that never could be completely clean, and the south Georgia dirt that embedded the cracks in his fingers -- I could see them in Scott's poem.

Cat stories - Tiger is a special Cat

I am passionate about animals, especially dogs and cats and horses. Today I met a lady at an assisted living facility. Beside her on the pristine sofa sat a black weiner dog, so well behaved I was amazed.

She said dogs were allowed in this lovely place and I was happy to hear that. I hope if I am ever living in such a place that I will be able to have a little dog with me.


I lost my beloved Rocky to a terrible illness that seemed like a brain tumor. Tiger my cat now rules the roost at this house. She follows me around the house and sleeps in the room I settle in. At night she likes to be on my bed. Although she has a pet door, she has trained me to get up and let her in and out. I think cats have extra powers that humans and dogs don't have.
I read a wonderful story by Gary Carden about his cat, Booger.
You can read it here. http://hollernotes.blogspot.com/2012/03/saga-of-booger-my-cat.html?showComment=1332909690609#c4432190223459307634http://hollernotes.blogspot.com/2012/03/saga-of-booger-my-cat.html?showComment=1332909690609#c4432190223459307634




Below are some photos of Tiger, resident cat at Writers Circle.

Coat looks lovely since she began eating chicken tartar

Tiger slept on top of a cassette player with a makeup bag on top of it. She found this a refuge from the visiting dogs

Florida holds some of my history.

Tampa Bay

I spent time in St. Petersburg, Florida this winter and visited cousins and friends throughout the area. I wrote this post while there.


Friday, January 20, Everything is Familiar because I’ve heard the Stories.

My father, long before I knew him, lived in Palmetto, FL with his brother Charlie and worked on Charlie’s farm. In fact, that was when my daddy fell in love with farming. Those days produced in him a dream of someday owning a farm.

Sitting around our large dining table, my brothers and sisters and I heard the tales of life in Palmetto with Charlie and his family. In his letters to my mother, my father described the work he did and also the fun he had on weekends. He mentioned going to the beach with other young people. I remember him speaking of the Tamiami Trail. In my childish mind I pictured it as a path through woodland. Today I saw a sign for the Tamiami Trail, a wide highway not far from my cousin’s house.

In my father’s time, the beaches were open to the public. On weekends the young people gathered on the sand for fish frys. They danced and flirted with each other. Daddy pretended to Mother, in his letters, that he never had fun and just went along because all the others were there. Today one would be hard-pressed to find a public beach. The high rise hotels own the waterfront.

I try to imagine what it was like in the early twenties here in this now metropolis with tall buildings and  traffic. I understand that St. Pete has quite a few millionaires and some billionaires living in mansions.

For years I heard Mother and Daddy talk about Pinellas County where my aunt Oleo and her family lived and also Manatee County. When I see those names on signs I can hear my aunts talking about this land, and my father knew the names and landmarks mentioned. Although he lived in the area off and on only a few years, I could tell he had fond memories.

Today we drove to Clearwater where I  had kin on both sides of my family. I don't know any of them well enough now to find them. We went to see Winter, the dolphin who had to have her tail amputated and a prosthesis made for her. That is some story. A movie has been made about Winter. I had the chance to see her up close and fell in love with her as everyone does.
 
When Daddy was a young man and lived here seems like light years ago. But those were some of his happiest times. He never tired of talking about his older brother, his sister, Annie and her beau, and the other people he knew back then. One of his buddies was John Council who would eventually own one of the big newspapers in this area. Daddy said John was one of the handsomest fellows he had ever seen and was a “dandy” with the women. Could my father have been a little jealous of John? He never sad he was, and he enjoyed hanging out with John.

So many things seem familiar to me, but in truth, I’ve only heard about them in stories passed down from generations. That is what we do. We tell stories in one way or another and have been doing this since the beginning of time.

Three Princes of Poetry - all in one place

Carole Thompson, Robert S. King, Mary Ricketson, Scott Owens, Glenda Beall

 It is late and I'm almost asleep, but I wanted to report that we had a great time in Sylva, NC tonight. We read and heard some terrific poetry.
Scott Owens has the most marvelous new poetry book, published by FutureCycle Press. One Who Knows How to Own Land. Isn't that the best title?
Many of us know what a terrific poet Scott is, tonight we had a surprise when Ron Rash dropped in to tell us how much he admires Scott Owens' poetry. Ron Rash was at Western University this week talking about his newest book. 

This is what he says on the back of One Who Knows How to Own Land,
“Landscape and memory are seamlessly merged in this excellent volume. Like all the best writers of place, Scott Owens finds the heart’s universal concerns in his vivid rendering of piedmont Carolina.” —Ron Rash, Parris Distinguished Professor in Appalachian Cultural Studies at Western Carolina University

I felt like I was in the room with royalty - at least the princes of poetry - Ron, Scott and Robert King. I was almost embarrassed to read my poems, but I had the satisfaction of knowing that Robert had chosen two of my poems for his FutureCycle 2011 Anthology and Scott has published a couple of my poems in Wild Goose Poetry Review.

Mary Ricketson is always a pleasure to listen to when she reads her thoughtful verses and Carole Thompson read both humorous and serious poetry. One of her poems won second place in a National DAR contest. We all had a good time tonight.
 

Changing Life Moments - Good Subject for Personal Essays

I spent most of my time today driving alone and thinking. I thought of numerous subjects I wanted to blog about. Perhaps I will -- tomorrow.
Today, I am happy that Writers Digest editor, Robert Brewer, posted one of my personal essays on the subject of a moment that changed my life. Visit his blog, My Name is not Bob, www.robertleebrewer.blogspot.com

 I could write on other moments that changed my life, but the subject of this essay was one of the most important to me personally. I hope you will visit Robert's site and read it. Leave a comment, please.

I have said before, Robert Brewer and Hope Clark are two bloggers who give so much to writers. Take advantage of their tips. I met both of them last year at the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference. This conference, although a local event for us, is one of the best writers' events you can attend. This year it will be held on March 30 and 31. Friday night and Saturday. Friday night is a reception for the speakers, but Saturday is the day to take part in the workshops. Carol Crawford has directed this conference from the beginning and she has brought some excellent speakers to Blue Ridge, Georgia.
When you go, talk to the speakers, introduce yourself and if you enjoyed their sessions, write them a note when you get home and tell them what you enjoyed about their class. Take notes in class and when you get home go over your notes, you might want to type them up and file them where you can get to them easily and often.

Hope to see you there this year.

 

Festival on the Square in Hayesville NC

We are very happy that the Clay County Historical and Arts Council has accepted Netwest as a vendor this year. That means Netwest will have a booth at the Festival on the Square in Hayesville, NC on Saturday, July 14 and Sunday, July 15.

President of CCHAC, Janice Padgett, contacted me recently and informed me that NCWN West could make application for a booth. The festival is on the historical square of our town, and each year every inch of space under the old trees around the Courthouse is filled with tents of craft makers. Painters, photographers, jewelry makers, colorful fabric work and iron sculpture catch the eye. Live music is played all day in the gazebo, and the cloggers perform on Saturday.This festival now includes all of the arts.


Writing is a literary art, of course, and for the first time in several  years, we will be there with our popular book, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge.


Our members who have published books are invited to bring a few copies for the table. We might hold periodic readings throughout the day. If so, we will post times.

We will also need volunteers, hopefully a few strong ones, to help erect the tent and set up tables Friday afternoon, and take down the booth on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to introduce the public to our anthology and to let them meet the writers in this area.
We hope to have a good turnout of Netwest people that weekend.
 I am already getting excited about the festival. If you have never been to the Festival on the Square in Hayesville, NC, you should come and enjoy it this July.
If you have come here in past years, please leave a comment on your experience.
If you don't want to post your email or URL, just post your comment and click on anonymous.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

I am a bit too late to take part in the Interntional Women's Day celebrations, but I am proud this is a day to celebrate.

International Women’s Day: 10 ways to celebrate

By Maura Judkis

Happy International Women’s Day! In case you missed the Google Doodle, today’s the day to celebrate women’s accomplishments and advocate for gender equality. In some countries, International Women’s Day is an official holiday. Let these celebrations from around the world — whether they involve cupcakes or lipstick or protest — inspire how you commemorate the day.

I grew up in a time when women were meant to find a man and have someone to take care of them for the rest of their lives, but I also was active in the women's revolution in the seventies. I believe it was taken a little too far, but it seems in our culture, the pendulum must first move way past its mark before it can settle back to the middle.
I saw first hand how women were kept in their place in the fifties. I saw smart women quit the university to marry men who never thought about going to college. I also saw these women regret their actions in later life.
Women have come a long way since then, but some of our young women don't know that women had to work very hard in this country to get the right to vote, to be paid equal wages for the same work men do, and to be respected for their minds as well as their beauty. I was delighted to hear the woman who invented Spanx has become a billionaire on her own with no husband's money and no inheritance. She risked all her savings on an idea and it has paid off for her. Women sell themselves short sometimes, I think, because they have not been expected to do anything special with their abilities. That has not changed so much, I'm afraid.

I'm sorry I could not get the link to this article, but I'm sure it could be googled easily.
I hope my women readers did something for themselves on Women's Day.