Poetry

After several years of sending batches of poems to the Carus Group (publishers of Babybug, Ladybug, Spider, Cricket, etc.) they finally accepted one of my poems for publication - "The Termite". I almost didn't include this one in my last batch because some members of my critique group had been so critical of it. But while some didn't like it, others did - including me. I read it, and two others termite poems, to my class of second graders and they only laughed out loud at mine. So I followed my gut and sent it off to Carus. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Good thing, too. I am thrilled! I know it's a little thing, but Spider Magazine is a high quality, literary publication and getting a poem accepted by them is a small affirmation of my writing skills.

Alas, I wish it had been a story or a fiction piece. In a few months, I'll have more time to craft fiction. For now, writing poetry satisfies my creative yearnings and keeps me writing.

todd rundgren - bang on the drum all day

Forty five days left before I can retire. After spending two hours stuck in traffic going to and from work today, this is how I feel. I want time to write and paint.

Friday Five

1. I recently realized something I didn't want to admit. The weather affects the way I feel about writing or painting - even teaching. Here it's only April and lately it's been feeling more like the middle of May with temperatures in the 70s and 80s and the tree and flowers bursting into blossom. After several days of this weird weather we're almost back to normal. Thank you very much, weather gods, because when it's warmer or colder than normal, I am too distracted to concentrate.

2. I have 54 more days of teaching left. I'm getting anxious about the big changes in store, yet looking forward to my new life, too.

3. My sisters are both going through a very tough time now and my hearts go out to them.

4. After some problems with exhaustion due to a change in my medications, I'm finally back to running - though still slowly. Sometimes a good workout is one of the few positive things I can salvage from a bad day.

5. My husband will be running The Boston Marathon next weekend, for his second consecutive year, and my son, Derek, will be running his first marathon in Salt Lake City where he's studying violin making at the Violin Making School of America.