Leigh Anne's party has begun and she asked us to assemble an analog bag or basket (new-to-me trend). I listed my collected items in handwriting and took a photo too. I can't wait to see what's in your bag!
I get on my soapbox about this time every year. If we sliced in February, we'd be halfway there! But I digress, I started this post to share why I've been slammed ever since I returned from Roots Tech. Here's my bio (written by me) for the 15th Anniversary Family History Discovery Day:
This is a familiar format, someone (I can't remember who) used it yesterday and credited their inspiration to Elisabeth. I'm combining it with Elisabeth's "write in six minutes" format. Can I do it?
WATCHING - nothing, too many other commitments on the horizon to spend time with TV
READING - Isola, an intriguing HF, for next week's book club meeting
LISTENING - trying to finish Project Hail Mary before the movie comes out
FEELING - scattered with too many pots on the fire
PLANNING - a run through today of my Binding Hearts Together with Family Stories presentation
LOVING - that my niece Kara and sister-in-law Kathy will arrive Saturday from TX & OK for a spring break visit
WISHING - that my issues with comments disappearing would disappear. They didn't start until the 6th! Everything was fine until then. What happened? It's making me crazy. My apologies to so many slicers whose comments disappear when I try to post them and I can't figure out why.
That took nine minutes. Am I just a slow writer?
This post is doing double duty for Poetry Friday and for Slice of Life. Linda Baie, a teaching friend I met through blogging for Slice of Life, is hosting our gathering this week.
This poem, Holding the Light, appeared in a pile on my desk, copied at some past point in time because it spoke to me. I think one reason I love it is because it begins with the word gather (my OLW in 2023 and 2024). And the poem ends with a reference to gather. Because many of our hearts are broken, and the heart of the world as well, this seemed a good time to share this poem.
Holding the Light
Gather up whatever is
glittering in the gutter,
whatever has tumbled
in the waves or fallen
in flames out of the sky,
for it's not only our
hearts that are broken,
but the heart
of the world as well.
Stitch it back together.
You can read the rest of the poem here at poets.org. May this poem bring solace to our broken hearts and give us courage to "repair and stitch together what beauty there is" in our broken world.
Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life.
Sunset beckons me
Nature's marvelous paintbrush
Springtime spectacle
For this tenth day of slicing, I'm sharing ten words or phrases that never fail to make me click on someone's slice:
1. Cats (looking at you, Elisabeth)
2. Books (I love picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, historical fiction, book clubs, bookstores, libraries, author visits . . . )
3. Cookies ( Baking delectable cookies is my superpower.)
4. Grandchildren (just home from visiting the three UT grands for almost two weeks) I'm leaving a link for yesterday's post because I was unable to do so yesterday. Oh, the challenges of technology!
5. Spiritual Life (always interested in how to strengthen this part of life)
6. Middle Schoolers (When I retired, I left my heart in sixth grade!)
7. Family history (Not a genealogist, but I love encouraging folks to write their own stories.)
8. Poetry (always new poets and poems to meet . . . Kim, I'd like to meet Clint Smith too!)
Now I'm stumped, off to look at posts for inspiration.
9. Lost items (Always searching for something)
10. Buds, blossoms, sunsets, springtime ( I know that's four things, but they're all nature related and I do love alliteration.)
Happy Day 10 of this month of slicing!
I'm in a memoir writing group and this was our latest prompt:
"Scroll back to your photos from 2016 and choose one image that catches your attention. No need to overthink it.
I'll spare you the lengthy paragraph I wrote summing up all the important (according to me) events of the 2016 calendar year. I totally ignored the advice, "Don't overthink it." Can you tell that I'm an easily distracted writer? Back to my response to the image I ultimately chose.
Beginning in July 2016 I begin to travel more frequently. I make three, yes THREE trips to Virginia to visit Blake and Stefi in July, August, and October of that year because there is now a 3rd person in their family. I proudly accept the crown as grandmother to my first grandchild, Theodore Faust Behnke, born June 22, 2016. It’s been a delightful almost ten years as grandmother to Teddy and five more grandchildren! I’ve always loved babies and was sad that my two grew up so fast. I looked forward to becoming a grandma from the time that my children married. I watched dear friends become grandparents and hoped to join their exclusive club someday. And in June 2016 it happened.
Here's the 2016 pic of Teddy (just a little over two weeks old) when we had our first meeting:
What can I say about Teddy? He’s a mini-Blake! He’s a wonderful brother to his two younger sisters. He’s a natural born athlete (definitely not the Behnke genes). I remember watching him scooter around our driveway on Mercer Island with the ease of someone totally at home on wheels, even though he was barely two. I visited Utah the summer he mastered the bicycle and loved watching him fly around the park near his library. I love watching him play soccer, baseball, and basketball when I visit. He likes talking to me about books and spends a lot of time asking me about authors and titles. He has a wonderful sense of humor just like his dad. He knows how to work hard to reach a goal. He is a gentleman who loves opening the doors at church for anyone who needs help. He’s a friendly guy who loves people. His excitement when I come to visit always makes me feel right at home. His arrival prompted three visits to Virginia in 2016, he turned a family of two into a threesome and last night when I watched him play basketball, he made three baskets for his team. And most important of all, his arrival made me a grandma!
When I'm visiting in Utah, I can walk to Savers. I've never ventured beyond the book section of the store. I love finding used books in good condition. And when you buy 4 books, the 5th one is free. Unfortunately, my exploring led to a ten book purchase. Next time I'm here, I need to remember that Tuesdays are 20% off for seniors. I purchased a bag to carry the books to Smith's grocery store about a block away and then decided the books were too heavy to carry home on my walk. Luckily, Superson came to my rescue!
Three of the books were for me, the rest were wonderful finds for the grands. I listened to A Place to Hang the Moon some time ago. I loved it, but wished I had a copy of my own because there were so many parts I wanted to highlight. When Stars Are Scattered, a long-time favorite graphic novel and National Book Award Finalist, was a hardback in pristine condition. I listened to this one too. Wait, audio for a graphic novel? Yes, it's outstanding! And the third find for me was Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Life, filled with famous inspirational quotes and Pete's own pithy brand of wisdom.
Where do you find used book treasures? I miss our Mercer Island Friends of the Library book sales. Our library in North Carolina doesn't have them.
I borrowed this structure from Elisabeth who borrowed it from Erika:
5 Smiles:
4 Words:
3 Weekend Plans:
2 Things I Learned:
1 Goal for Next Week:
A recent prompt from my writing group asked us to look at our camera roll from ten years ago and select a photo as a writing prompt. I decided to use this idea beginning with my first year of participating in the slice of life writing challenge in 2012 and limiting the photo choice to March of that year. Today's post does double duty with a haiku for Poetry Friday. Thanks to Karen for hosting and for her poem, "One Way to Live".
Rain kissed daffodils
Ebullient dancers of spring
Harbingers of hope
As I pondered on our theme of strength for this month, I collected scriptures that emphasized strength. I'll share some of those with you. I also looked to the words of hymns which always strengthen my soul. I found a YouTube collection of Hymns for Peace, Strength, and Hope by Rosemary Siemens. Many of the words from Rosemary's collection of hymns found their way into my collection. I've put the song segments in blue. I am grateful for the strength provided through scripture and song from my Savior, as well as the strength provided by the members of our Spiritual Journey Thursday community.
"The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace." (Psalm 29:11)
"When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul." (It Is Well with My Soul)
"Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."(Joshua 1:9)
"The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?
By day and by night his presence is near." (The Lord is My Light)
"Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually." (1 Chronicles 16:11)
"I need thee every hour, In joy or pain.
Come quickly and abide, Or life is vain." (I Need Thee Every Hour)
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped. (Psalm 28:7)
"I'm so glad I learned to trust Him,Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;And I know that He is with me,Will be with me to the end." ('Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus)
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart." (Psalm 27:14)
"This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long." (Blessed Assurance)
"The Lord is my strength and my song." (Exodus 15:12)
RootsTech in Salt Lake City Utah has become a yearly tradition. No, I'm not a genealogist, but I am intensely interested in family stories. I attend a few sessions on genealogical research, but mostly I'm there for the stories. There's sure to be another slice or two in the next few days about RootsTech, but I digress.
I came here to share what I'm missing while I'm in Utah:
Ross Gay spoke at Bookmarks in Winston Salem this week. My daughter and a group of friends attended this remarkable evening.
I love live author events. My daughter, the three grandsons, and I were spellbound at a recent event with Mac Barnett, National Ambassador for Children's Literature. Jack (8) and Robby (6) both got in line to ask him a question.
RootsTech starts tomorrow. I hope it merits missing these two stellar author events. Stay tuned for future posts from the Salt Palace.
I'm in Utah visiting three grands who had a Valentine surprise when a new member joined their family.
For this third day of March, I've chosen to introduce her with a tricube: three stanzas, three lines per stanza, three syllables per line.
Filled with glee
Spirited
Ball of fur
Outside romp
Wild frolics
Canine tease
Doted on
Beloved
Dottie girl
And because I know you'll ask, three pics!
They pick me up at 7:50 on the dot. I hop in the car, notepad and pencil in hand. I am a reporter interviewing them for for why they love this particular restaurant:
Grandson (9 3/4): "Because their pancakes are really good and there's a very good view!"
Granddaughter (turning six next month): "I like the eggs on the motorcycle."
Granddaughter (4 1/2): "I really like the eggs on the motorcycle and the pancakes and that's it!"
Son (41): "I like being together on Saturday morning."
We leave their mom home to enjoy some extra rest, but their new puppy prevented that.
We drive to our destination, somewhere the grands wanted to take me the last time I visited, but it was a forty-five minute wait. We sit in the parking lot with other early risers waiting for the doors to open.
I peruse the extensive menu and finally settle on the Goldie Locks (egg, bacon, and pancake), Blake orders the Fried Chicken-n-Waffle, and all three grands choose the Chocolate Chip Pancakes. The Mickey Mouse pancakes arrive with blueberry eyes, strawberry eyebrows, a blackberry smile, and a dollop of whipped cream. The breakfast banter slows as everyone digs in.
As our table is cleared, an employee arrives with a huge basket of candy. As they waffle about which treat to choose, the employee tells them they can select two. I wonder why no one mentioned this basket of treats when I interviewed them!
We wander outside Eggs in the City for a photo opp with the eggs on the motorcycle.
Meet Gerald and Bob (named by the grands)!
A Cheer for Day One
Every year I wonder
if I can possibly do it again
and then I show up!
No particular plan in mind.
No posts written ahead of time.
I'm here to reassure the pantsers
(those who fly by the seat of their pants)
that this elephant of a month of writing
can be tackled one day at time,
one slice of life at a time.
Life provides the stories.
Slicers provide the inspiration.
Your stories are waiting.
Show up every day and write.
You can do this!
Yesterday was a day for finding the lost.
It all started with a lost file filled with ideas for when I do my writing stories workshop. I had checked all the logical places - my one drawer file, the boxes of files stacked beside the bookshelves and behind my recliner. I was in my closet yesterday morning when I reached for a file box stored under my jeans. I pulled it out so I could use some of the empty file folders stashed in it. To my complete surprise there was my family history file! I think it's time to make space for a filing cabinet in my bedroom so I can eliminate all the sundry places a file can hide.
Last night after returning home from the evening workshop, I started looking for the list of names from the workshop I gave on February 12. I always offer the chance to get on an email list for monthly nudges and ideas to keep writing. So I thought I could enter names from both workshops and bring my group email up-to-date. Trouble was, I had no idea where that piece of paper was. I rifled through the pages from my presentation, not there! And then I picked up a blank book I've been using. My new strategy is to use those books instead of putting them in a box for sometime special. I casually flipped it open and there were the three people who wanted to be added to my monthly inspiration email.
The third item appeared when I wasn't even looking for it (although I have spent plenty of time the past few days searching for it). I picked up the laundry basket and there between the tub and the laundry basket was my missing sock. And I had been positive that both socks were in the laundry, so I had been looking inside pants, blouses, shirts, thinking it had found a hiding place.
All in all, it was a very satisfying day!
It was definitely past my bedtime, but we all know how easy it is to keep scrolling. And then I struck gold with a delightful play advertised on Instagram, to be performed by the North Carolina Theater for Young People at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I love theater for young people and have fond memories of taking my own children to summer children's theater at the University of Houston. And this production is the world premiere of this particular play. And this particular play features the Lincoln sisters who live on Deckawoo Drive and a certain "porcine wonder" who loves hot buttered toast!
If my clues led you to guess the Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo, you are well versed in early chapter books. Our grandsons also love the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series by the same author. These short chapter books with their joyful laugh out loud humor have been favorites of our boys for some time.
The play did not disappoint. We giggled, we encouraged characters with our applause, and we met the performers after the show. A perfect introduction to children's theater for our three North Carolina grands, ages 4, 6, and 9! We look forward to a long association with the North Carolina Theater for Young People at UNCG, all thanks to my late night scrolling.
I'm fortunate that my next-door neighbor has a large backyard adjacent to our dining room table where I'm often seated eating, reading, or working on the computer. After two weeks of being inside due to ice and snow (and the flu), these wildlife visitors gladdened my heart!
1. The blush (a poetic collective noun for a group of robins, particularly used for flocks of them gathering during winter, often foraging together) of robins gathering in the neighbor's yard as the snow receded bit by bit.
2. The mama deer advancing slowly through the same neighbor's yard, waiting for her tardy twins to catch up. When I coughed, she heard me and we had a lovely moment of connection.
3. The return of the hawk to our neighbor's backyard. He /she gracefully circled the yard several times before flying away. I'm still trying to figure out if he/she is a Red-shouldered or a Red-tailed Hawk.
This post celebrates 15 years of blogging and marks my 1,500th blog post. A huge thank you for the groups that have encouraged my writing life through the years (Slice of Life, Spiritual Journey Thursday, Poetry Friday, Celebrate This Week), but especially for my blogging friends. I treasure the connections I share with each and every one of you!
With thanks to Bob Hamera for hosting this month on the theme of "attitude." Check out Bob's post here and the links to posts from other members of our Spiritual Journey Thursday community.
When I shared our topic for this month (attitude) with my daughter, she recalled an oft quoted saying of my dad (that I shared often with her and her brother): "You can get glad in the same pants you got mad in."
He also used to tell us that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. He was an optimist who looked on the bright side of life. He was taken from us far too soon, but I've tried to keep him alive in the stories and sayings I share with my family. It amused me that my daughter thought of the same saying I did in relation to attitude.
It's been a tough beginning to 2026. Conditions in our world leave me wondering what to do and how to cope. I find myself surrounded by friends and family with severe trials and the deaths of loved ones. My sister is having a slow recovery from her surgery. We've had two weeks without school (well, nine days, we'll see if they have school tomorrow). And to top it off, my husband got the flu and a week after him so did I. The good thing is that we didn't miss much since everything was pretty much cancelled after our ice one week, followed by 8+ inches of snow the next week.
I turn to a small book that I won during the 2014 SOL Writing Challenge. Handmade by fellow blogger Stacie Evans (Girl Griot), I fill it with thoughts and quotes, many of which come from our community of writers.
I copied these words from Anita (Learning to Be Writers and Readers In the 21st Century) which she shared in her 10/11/2014 post:
"I am grateful for the energy to do what I can
The faith to let go when I can do nothing
The wisdom to know whether to intervene
To wait or to pray."
And these words from JoAnn Early Macken, posted on Friday, September 19, 2014 to Six Teaching Authors Who Also Teach Writing:
Moving Forward
When I find myself at loose ends, it
is time to look for my purpose, for it is
by being intentional that I can often
shake off the doldrums and begin the
journey toward hope. The smallest
movements to action can be the moments
of catalyst to move us forward. Drink a glass of
water, go for a walk, read a book, make connections
with others, think happy thoughts, create something that
you can share. These are the actions that will carry
us during times of isolation, that help us
"hear a humming," the call to muster through
the challenges of the day, to find the
way to thrive, to "get on with it" in spite of tough
times, to make today one of the good times.
- Ramona Behnke, March 2020
"hear a humming" - from the poem "Freedom" by Irene Latham on p. 38 of Dictionary for a Better World
"get on with it" - Charles Waters quoting the landmark Monty Python group, p. 17 of Dictionary for a Better World.
May you feel moments of connection and hope to carry you through the tough times. May the words I've shared bring solace and inspiration and the impetus to move forward, "to make today one of the good times."
Who knew that a good mood was so readily available? It's been a long ten days at my house. The last time I ventured out was to attend the grandsons' Pinewood Derby on Saturday, January 24th. I've cracked open the door a few times to snap pics and even opened the garage to watch son-in-law, Will, and grandson, Jack, clear the ice-covered driveway and then return a few days later to shovel the 8+ inches of snow. No school last week, a snow day on Monday, and then remote learning today. It's been a long haul for the mamas and even for this grandma.
My husband got the flu at the beginning of our bad weather and I thought I had escaped until the end of last week when I came down with symptoms. That kept me from venturing out with hubby to the grocery store between storms. We're glad he was able to restock our provisions before the snow arrived, but to my dismay, there were no Pepperidge Farm Gingermen available. I'm not usually a fan of store bought cookies, but these crisp molasses ginger men hit the spot. I can even stop at one, especially when I'm on the last package. That crisp crunch of molasses, ginger and cinnamon with a sprinkling of sugar on top hits the spot every time.
Here's my poem celebrating ordinary things (inspired by Kim and Georgia) as I ventured outside for the first time in ten days !
Roll trash can to curb
Inhale crisp, life-giving air
Spy cookies in bin
I had no idea that a stroll with our trash can to the end of the driveway could feel so refreshing. I'm planning an outdoor stroll this afternoon on our neighborhood's cleared streets, (as soon as I get out of my pajamas). And then on my return to the house, I spy in our garage, not one, but TWO packages of Pepperidge Farm Gingerman cookies in a plastic bin. Ten days in and I'm an easy girl to please!
