March 6: 7:40-8:11 a.m. Workday Arrival in the Cubicle

My work space

One of the most beautiful things about a writing group is that you often know the people in your circles better than those who work ten feet from you every day. And when your groups intersect so that you slice together, take on The Stafford Challenge together, and write poems at Ethicalela together too, you look forward to your small group Zoom times where you write and share face-to-face from the east coast to the west coast and two states in between.

That’s what happened last night. I didn’t join a small group for The Stafford Challenge last year, but when Barb Edler suggested that we form our own small group with more flexible scheduling, she took the lead in setting up our Zoom meetings so that Denise Krebs, Glenda Funk and I could all meet to write, share, and keep in touch. So in our Zoom last night, Glenda introduced a prompt that invited us to write definition poems. A special thanks to Glenda for the inspiration – and to Denise, Barb, and Glenda for suggesting a better ending for the second definition! Cheers to writing friends who inspire us and keep us writing in community. Since I’m slicing through increments of time throughout the day, I chose to write about my cubicle today.

cubicle (n.) – 1. an open place where I always feel I’m being watched. There’s no privacy here with two on-screen llamas, a whispering plant, the eyes of the family photos, everyone who walks by, the general webinar population, the parking lot parents who can see in the windows, and probably, probably cameras everywhere. 2. a limiting space to sit and work the day away but never, never my home away from home.

March 4: 6:36-7:07 A Schnoodle Mom’s Morning Gratitude

they know how I am

about my babies, my three

boys I’ve rescued through

the years, and that’s why

I thank the good Lord this morning

not only for my children and grandchildren

and husband and all my

people blessings

but these schnoodles, too

because when I enter the vet’s

office they all greet me

by name and gather around to talk to my

sweet Fitz (not just “patient 7101”)

~they know my Fitzie well~

and pet him in my arms

before scooping him up for his

CUPS Disease treatment

(another cleaning and more extractions)

and it’s why, precisely why, when I picked

him up yesterday the technician came out

cradling a groggy Fitz

and handed me a little bag with

six tiny teeth, bloody, on a bandage,

smiled apologetically and

whispered, I knew you would want these,

then my heart skipped a beat and I almost cried

because yes, yes, yes,

I am that dog mom

…….and it shows

Fitz’s Christmas Picture 2024

March 3: 6:04-6:35 – The Brain Awakens to Face the Day in a Septuple Nonet

(scroll quickly, vertically, to catch the brain wave working)…….

just finding two matching shoes to wear

or not spraying the walls with the

Water Pik, …..and Cranberry

Orange breakfast scones with

piping loose leaf tea

awakenings

are hallmarks

of bright

starts

plus

Wordle

Connections

Spelling Bee for

a brain-charged challenge

keeping synapses sharp

– these are my routine morning things

right here in rural middle Georgia

and writing friends across the nation

who inspire me to do new things:

like humbleswede, whose camper

postcards will now be mailed

and Glenda Funk, who

inspires me to

travel the

world with

new

eyes

(and to

hug my old

rescued Schnoodles),

Margaret Simon

whose baby ducks on jump

day always bring a teared smile,

and Denise Krebs, whose Mojave

desert hikes are calling my name now…

Fran Haley, my birdwatching sister

one state north in a same-named town,

wordancerblog’s March food fest

keeps tempting my tastebuds,

Sally Donnelly’s

city sights and

book talks make

me want

to

read

on a

sunny park

bench, Barb Edler

whose slam poetry

competitions inspire

me to buy tickets to a

poetry event on a stage

in Atlanta this coming April

and so many more fellow writers

whose blog are a source of daily

inspiration this month, all

awaken my brain, inspire

me to get out and live

to try new things I

wouldn’t have done

without a

friendly

nudge

Cheers to. you from my mug of green pomegranate tea

March 2: 5:32-6:03 a.m. Goodbye, Little Guy Max!

Goodbye, Little Guy Max!

This morning we roll out at 6 a.m.

to meet your new family halfway ~

they’ll take you across this

great country to see new sights

experience new adventures

you’ll embrace a whole new crew

shelter them from storms

blanket them in warmth

love them as much as

we have loved you!

Happy trails, Max!

March 1: 5:00-5:31 a.m. – Awakening All Sense

Handmade soap from Green Willow

Welcome to the first day of the 2025 Slice of Life Writing Challenge, where bloggers post each day of the month. You can find the home page with links to blogs across the world here. I’m writing about things that happen in time increments this year, described in yesterday’s post.

Awakening All Sense


I smack snooze a time or two

reluctantly rise

feel the sweat of the night

still lingering from the

warmth of our

blue velour blankets

piled three layers high

smell the morning citrus soap before

I ever see it, the

exhilarating orange

cream bar that

heightens all senses

awakens all sense

our nation needs this orange

not the other

Luck of the Irish Paint Chip Haiku in Savannah, Georgia

I’ve been in Savannah, Georgia this week for a conference, and everything’s coming up green. The grass is growing, flowers are blooming, and River Street is gearing up for its world-famous St. Patrick’s Day parade in a few weeks. The city becomes a shoulder-to-shoulder party on that day. It all brings back memories of our Senior Skip Days in high school, when we’d pile into cars and make our way from just across the state line in Bluffton, SC to Savannah, Georgia. The whole high school skipped class to honor the seniors, so we basically had four senior skip days during our high school years.

I don’t miss those days – – but I’m glad to have the memories, and I’m glad I was sparkle-sprinkled with the luck of the Irish all those years ago! I think the Irish blessing stays with me most days! Look around ~ my wish for you is that you find some Irish luck today, too.

luck of the Irish

four leaf clover, shamrock green

winter shamrock clover patch

Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference – Day 2 – The Art of Revision

Saturday’s sessions

Revising with Scissors Nonet

so much to learn in these writing sessions

we brainstorm, jot ideas, arrange words

we consider other structures

we cut out inked passages

using sharp-tongued scissors

that speak only truth

we reread, smile

revisions

forgive

shears

Jessica Handler led a session on using sensory details in writing to make characters come alive
We shared our favorite techniques using what we’re currently writing as our material for organizing in different ways. Mickey is a master at teaching how to outline!

I didn’t want to leave. I wanted the writer’s conference to last a full week, and I wanted to stay in a lodge with other writers, where we could sit in the common room by the fire in the evenings in sweatpants and scarves and sip wine and share writing. But I keep that vision in my mind, that image of total peace and bliss, and carry it with me back into reality on the heels of this fabulous winter break.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference.

Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference Day 1 : Things I Love

The original courthouse is now the home of the Blue Ridge Arts Council

there’s nothing I don’t love

about the Blue Ridge Arts Center

from its towering columns

of stately presence

to its history and artful womb

this birthing center for

pottery, dance, painting,

sketching, mosaic, sculpture,

stained glass, yoga, tea blends, origami,

jewelry making, drama, weaving,

poetry, plant pressing,

paper mache, woodcarving, and

exhibits of inspiration but what

I love best is that there is something

for everyone ~

including writers

In the first session, I wrote an I’m From poem, which I’ve written several times through the years – but it changes every time.
We also learned about a Color Study. I’ll be featuring this one on Ethicalela.com sometime this year as a prompt.
A Poetry Reading during the Opening Reception in the old courtroom
I love the old sink and the windowsill deep enough to grow friendly flowers.
The Opening Reception was held in the main part of the old courthouse.

Oh, how I wish our county held a writer’s conference. Maybe that’s my next venture, starting in fall of 2026: to conjure up a place for art to happen here in one of the most beautiful places in rural Georgia. If that ever happens, The Art Center at Blue Ridge will be my model. I need an old farmhouse or barn with an exhibit space and smaller spaces for workshops and rooms upstairs for visiting artists and an old sink with a deep window ledge for plants and a fresh pot of coffee……..and I’ll keep dreaming.

Check out this amazing place and all it has to offer here.

Read more about this year’s writing conference here.