Monday, December 22, 2025 I’ve Got A Bad Case of Poetry

I’ve been hearing from friends over the last week that their poetry book has arrived in the mail – many sent me photos to let me know what it looked like.






This is such a complete thrill for me! It started in 2024 when my daughter sent me the information for submitting poems for this book project. I picked out 15 poems and sent them off, hoping, but not really expecting to get any of them accepted. When I found out that they took 10 of them for the book, I literally shouted and danced around the room for joy.

Some of you reading this were participants in the Kickstarter Campaign – I am so very thankful for your contributions. This whole experience has been amazing and encouraging for me as a writer.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever
.
Psalm 136:1

Shout out to Bandersnatch Press for putting this book together and bringing it to completion, and to Emily Person, who did such a fabulous job with the illustrations. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the book, and to reading the poems contributed by the other authors.

I’ve got a bad case of needing to delete this in the morning…

Friday, December 12, 2025 Five Things

I read about a writing prompt recently. The idea is to observe or notice one thing and then write a sentence or two (or more) about it. You can go back later and add more if inspired. Then you do that four more times. The examples in the essay I read were positively lyrical and amazingly deep. I decided to try it for a while and see what percolates. Nothing lyrical or deep emerged, but it’s early days. Here’s today’s batch:

1. I’m sorting through a bin of old clothes and it’s a bit like sorting through memories. I’ve kept some of these clothes under the delusion that I’ll be able to wear some of them again in that mystical future in which I’ve lost enough weight. Others have sentimental value. I see reminders of a mission trip with our two youngest, a family camp trip (those wonderful days!), a thinner version of myself, Christmases of yore…even an ancient shirt from my youth with my initials affixed to the back, a gift from a friend.

2. Binoculars sit on a stool by the window. We use these to see if our mail has been delivered. No sense getting all our winter gear on to get the mail if it hasn’t arrived yet.

3. I wear two rings: my wedding band on the left hand and my replacement engagement ring on the right (lost the diamond out of the first one some years ago). Promises made, promises kept. The Lord has been kind to us.

4. The large bluebird cross stitch piece on the wall was a labor of love from my sister, a project she gave herself a couple months to complete and which took over a year. How does one quantify that kind of love?

5. The clock on the wall says 12:00 noon. Time to put my contacts in and go to the pool to swim 18 laps. It’s cold out. Must I go? (Yes.)

1 The post needs to be written.
2 The post is written.
3 The post needs a photo, just because.
4 Post is published!
5 It must be deleted in the morning.