I have a sweet memory related to the song, "America the Beautiful"... It is 1968, and I am standing with other fifth- and sixth-graders near the top of the risers at the front of our school’s auditorium. As I scan the audience, I know my mom, dad and brother are among the many family members … Continue reading America the Beautiful
Category: Writing
Spring: in Kipling Lyrics and Local Images
In Springtime By Rudyard Kipling My garden blazes brightly with the rose-bush and the peach,And the koil sings above it, in the siris by the well, From the creeper-covered trellis comes the squirrel's chattering speech,And the blue jay screams and flutters where the cheery sat-bhai dwell. But the rose has lost its fragrance, and the … Continue reading Spring: in Kipling Lyrics and Local Images
Pi-ku Haiku and More for Pi-Day
March 14 … 3/14 … 3.14 In celebration of Pi-Day, here’s a bit of fun with words (even a crossword puzzle!), and a few interesting facts. Pi-ku poems Remember Haiku? Those are the 3-line poems with 5 syllables in the first line, 3 in the second line, 5 in the third line. Well, for Pi … Continue reading Pi-ku Haiku and More for Pi-Day
24-hour short story contest, great prizes, $5 entry fee
Starting tomorrow January 24 2026 at noon (CST), a fun activity for writers begins! For me, the mystery of what the topic will be is half the fun. I participated in this QUARTERLY contest last September, and it was a delightful experience! If you want to check out Writers Weekly's first contest of the 2026, … Continue reading 24-hour short story contest, great prizes, $5 entry fee
Can a Writing Gene be Passed Down?
As I thought about my immediate family members, and which one to write about for today's WP writing prompt, I decided to write about three. My Mom, my Dad, and my paternal Grandmother. All writers! Writing in a diary was Mom's idea. She got me a diary for Christmas when I was about eight years … Continue reading Can a Writing Gene be Passed Down?
Self-publishing 1995 and 2025
I created this website because I am a writer, and (according to the writerly community of 2011 anyway), if you are a writer, you need a blog. Over time, I realized that the all-writers-need-a-blog idea probably should have been… … “All writers who have a book to promote, or want to make money online with … Continue reading Self-publishing 1995 and 2025
Link Love
“Link Love” is a term I found on “25 More Ways to Blog Every Day”, a post I’d saved in 2011 from Michelle V. Rafter’s blog, Word Count. That was the year I convinced my boss to let me work part-time, and it freed up time for me to start this blog! The post was … Continue reading Link Love
The Writer and the Lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner”
The national anthem of the United States is heard so often, most Americans have memorized it. To get the true meaning of the lyrics, written by Francis Scott Key, I need to concentrate on the poetic words of the song, and use a little imagination. The "Star Spangled Banner" Flag O say can you see, … Continue reading The Writer and the Lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Bill Moyers at Point Loma Writer’s Symposium
I feel fortunate to be born at a time to hear the words of this man. To honor this great journalist, at his recent passing a week ago, I want to share this program from 2005 with you, "An Evening with Bill Moyers". An excellent biography of the significant points and honors in his life … Continue reading Bill Moyers at Point Loma Writer’s Symposium
Just a Jaunt
It’s just a jaunt in the neighborhood, Really nothing more, It does my body some good, And I get a chance to explore. Though I walk the same paths Something fresh will catch my eye: Vines ascend a tree trunk, Ominous clouds provoke the sky. Daffodil gold-flash in low sunlight With grassy microdrops of dew … Continue reading Just a Jaunt
Happily Writing 