Greetings everyone. Even though February is the shortest month, the winter drags for us in some parts of the earth.  It holds opportunities for celebration as well. So here we go:

Kevin is officially off to Japan taking full advantage of the February school break and just before he left, he made sure to offer up his sentence.

Off on an adventure, (No pictures this week)

Amy feels February’s  spirit of patriotism as she writes:

Patriotic feelings swell in the midst of Lincoln’s 200th Birthday Celebration.

And here’s her photo that I must have missed

Lincoln in Post-It Notes created by Chris Killham and displayed in the windows on the bridge that spans Jefferson Street.

Delaine is taking advantage of this month of celebration to bake:

To end my busy, overly scheduled week, I baked a simple berry cobbler.

I want a piece:

Ken, from the Middle Earth, may not be celebrating or feeling our winter, but as usual he offers up wonderful words and an image:

Kia ora Bonnie!

Here are my words:

Wanting grace-note roll or trill
From simmering kettle or steam boiler,
Lacking resonance with clear clarion shrill
From aileron blade or spoiler;
Diapason with its languid chiff,
Euphonious calliope,
Aeolian harp with plaintive riff,
Diaphanous vibrant canopy;
The fine aesthetic dulcet choice,
Tawhirimatea’s breath of life,
It yields the most mellifluous voice
On flageolet or flute or fife;
If you puzzle at this trite epistle
Ponder a while on the humble whistle.

Catchya later
from Middle-earth

And a link to Ken’s photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27480515@N06/3275545895/

Nancy was ready for this photo/text challenge and found herself way right back in the center of her heart::

Once again, despite my best efforts, my favorites subjects are the star of my DiS contribution.

And my HVWP bud, Eric joins us with a week focused on his teaching challenge,  Kindergarten.

As my first goal is to foster well balanced, independent and cooperative children, what do I say when a five year old child responds, ” She is my sworn enemy!”  while trying to resolve a conflict?

My guest host partner Anne, reminds us that even though many of us are enjoying a well deserved vacation, there’s tragedy in another part of the world and she shares:

This week was a really sombre one for me, as the full impact of the Victorian bushfires surfaced, with its death toll, housing loss, animal injuries and grazing land damage. (So, I hope that you will forgive me for not adding a photo)

As I come to the end and add something from my Photo-a Day Challenge, I thank you for taking time to share something here.

On the West Side Highway in the Passenger’s Seat: 45/365

How lucky for Kevin and his family to be jetting off to Japan and how lucky for me to host this week’s DayinS and Anne is rising to the challenge next week.(More details to come)

This week, maybe selfishly, I’m going to suggest that you send me a photo to upload along with your distilled text for the week.

It was about a year ago that D’Arcy Norman suggested that, we might challenge ourselves to shoot a photo a day for the year 2008 and share as many of them as possible.

“What’s today’s picture?”

He calls it “mindful seeing,” and explains in a post he wrote last January:

Mindful seeing is the process of turning off the filters, of seeing your surroundings unfettered and unobstructed.

When viewing the world without filtering, even the most boring and banal subjects can become wondrous and interesting. We are constantly surrounded by interesting things that we normally don’t see – textures, lighting, patterns, shapes, objects, groupings, even messages.

Photographers are often described as distancing themselves from their surroundings by “hiding behind a camera” or “viewing the world only through a viewfinder.” I see photography from the exact opposite side of the coin. By mindfully seeing the world around me, I feel as though I am seeing much more than I would otherwise. I see patterns, convergence, divergence, shadows, lighting, juxtaposition, and composition that are likely missed by others. That’s not to say that I am “better” than any other – just that by being mindful of what I am seeing, I am aware of what is around me. And when I am aware, I am better able to take an interesting photograph.

If you’re interested, the group’s still there, and  now there’s  the 2009 challenge.

Of course there’s Photo Fridays at Flickr where we’ve been sharing together since June and going strong.

I joined this challenge as of January 1, 2009 on my  photo blog, every day and  so far so good. What will I discover about myself?

I want to keep returning to D’racy’s quote to rethink my passion for capturing images.

So if this challenge whets your appetite,  get out our camera and capture something in your world with some of your wondrous words along side or just words is always welcome of course.

Cant’ wait to see what Kevin has to share with us, You can send me your photo in an email:

blkdrama@me.com and leave your sentence as a comment below.

Bonnie

Becca left this writing questionnaire prompt for her Write on Wednesday writing group, on her way off to a vacation and somehow I never took up the challenge and it’s never too late,  so here I go:

What’s your favourite genre of writing?

I love writing  movie reviews and posts about my thoughts on my work, my life. Is that a genre? I’d say non-fiction.

How often do you get writer’s block?

I would say never.  I’m not blocked  but I drive myself crazy procrastinating.

Do you type or write by hand?

As I moved to Mac and began blogging, I retired my notebooks and never looked back and that’s made a big difference.  Left-handed writers had their own set of writing challenges, one being writing stamina.  On a keyboard the playing field in leveled.

Do you save everything you write?

I don’t save what I write on my blogs and some of them have disappeared, but I have been assured by the edublog creators that that issue has been solved. Everything on my hard drive is backed up.  Important pieces are saved.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?

Good question.  Yes, I get a chance for that during our Summer Institute when the writing really flows.

Do you have a  constructive critic?

I do. Thanks to my  National Writing Project and Hudson Valley Writing Project communities, I have a great network of writers to ask for deeper feedback when I need it.  I have my online writing communities as well.  Wow, am I a blessed writer.

Did you ever write a novel?

No, I am better with short stories, digital pieces.  I did take up the NANOWRMO challenge in November, but I enjoyed it, but I had too much going on and after two weeks I had to pull out. It was fun though.

What genre would you love to write but haven’t?

Hmmm, I’m thinking about this one…

What’s one genre you have never written, and probably never will?

Horror stories!

How many writing projects are you working on right now?

Many!

Do you write for a living? Do you want to?

I do write for a living.  I have published pieces on the NWP website, but all my work is done with writing.  I couldn’t hold my position with the HVWP without the writing I do.

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?

Yes, and now online projects.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?

hmmm…

What are your five favourite words?

Obama…I have to keep thinking about this one…

Do you ever write based on your dreams?

Indirectly, dreams often motivate me to wake up and write.

Do you favour happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?

Depends on what feels logical.

Have you ever written based on an artwork you’ve seen?

Yes, and my most creative writing coming from its connection with images and music: digital storytelling, now there’s a genre I didn’t list above.  Wow, that’s dumb. I’ve returned full circle to the start of this exploration.  Nice!

Thanks Becca, I wonder if there’s a new prompt for this week.

Bonnie

Just found Cafe Writing thanks to Becca!

Happy 2009!
Café Writing has been declared a resolution-free zone. Well, sort of. There have been enough memes asking about your resolutions for 2009 over the past week, and frankly, I’ve always felt that the resolutions we keep best are the ones we don’t announce – rather like birthday wishes not coming true if you reveal them.

Instead the theme for this Project is “Fresh,” whether that means “audacious” or “new” – and perhaps a bit of both!

Remember to tag your posts with Café Writing, or link to us in some fashion.

This Project will be live through the end of January. When a new Project opens, the previous one is closed.

Here’s the prompt I selected from the smorgasbord of choices.

Option Six: Seven Things

In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write..
~Pearl S. Buck

In improvisation, one of our exercises is a game called “Seven Things,” in which we go around in a circle giving each other the challenge, “Give me seven things that [whatever].” We are not going to go around in a circle here, but if you’re drawn to lists, this prompt is for you.

Give me seven things that inhabit or occupy your writing space. Interpret “writing space” any way you please. You’re not required to explain the items in your list, but it’s more fun for readers if you do.

* ~ * ~ *Greetings Cafe Writing Community. How exciting, it’s January 8, 2009 and here’s a brand new adventure to take on.  Here I go!

7 Things that inhabit my writing space.

1. My laptop. No more pens or funky journals, just a white, 13″ Macbook.  For a left-handed writer, this keyboard is Nirvana.  I put my pens in their container, my journals in the book case and I connect to the wall outlet and start clicking away with a fury and  I never really mind revising.

2. My Camera: As obsessed as I am with my computer, my camera is also always near by.  The image and the word work hand-in-hand for me. I have made a commitment to a photo-a-day on my photo blog.

3. A cup of coffee: I used to drink coffee piping hot. Now it can just cool down right near by and I sip it casually.  Do I need it? Probably not, but it’s a wonderful trapping for a writer and of course, I no longer smoke, so there’s no butt-filled ashtrays around me.  I do rotate the funky cups I use.

4. PJ’s: I usually write first thing in the morning and almost always in my pj’s.  What a great way to start the day, writing into the morning even before a shower.

5. The Today Show: My background music: Matt, Meredith, Al and Ann. I couldn’t wait to begin my day with them when I was getting ready to retire from my full-time high school teaching career. Of course, there are times when I have to silence them, but mostly they get me going.

6. A log in the fireplace: Perfect way to brighten up a dreary winter morning or a cold one.

7. My comfy leather chair by the window. Just outside I can see the Hudson River.  I bought this chair a few years ago just for reading and writing and it’s been perfect.  Sure I have a great desk in my study, but I’m not sitting at it often.  The living room is really the heart of my home.

That’s 7.  FUN!

Bonnie

Welcome back, Write on Wednesday and Greetings to Cafe Writing, a monthly writing group I just found on Becca’s blog.  One keyboard click often leads to another treasure.

So here’s our WOW Fresh Start

In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write..
~Pearl S. Buck

It’s invigorating to think about fresh new things to do with my writing.  After all, the new year is the perfect time for a fresh start.

How about you?  What fresh new ideas do you have for your writing?

Welcome back Becca and Write on Wednesday.  I’ve missed your great Wednesday writing prompts but I totally understand the need to take a break, so welcome to 2009! Let’s hope we can all enjoy it.

At first, when I read your prompt considering new writing resolutions, I couldn’t think of any and I was ready to just jump into the Cafe Writing prompt, but wait, I always need a bit of time to remember and yes, I do have a new writing challenge.  Inspired by Bud Hunt and D’Arcy Norman and his 2009/365 Photos Flickr group.

I am using my photo blog to house my commitment to sharing a new photo each day with some writing that comes from the photo.  I’m very interested in the image and its words.  I am part of a wonderful image/text community, Photo Fridays, but I feel I need to kick up the anty for myself.

So far, so good.   I even purchased a new, pocket-sized  digital camera perfect for grabbing a shot from my bag.

A photo a day!

Here’s one: