Z is for Zachary

Letter of the Day:  Z

Z is for Zachary, the last letter of the alphabet, and the second child in this family.

I'm going to repost the poem I wrote for him on his birthday, Dec. 7.  Inspired by Naming My Daughter by Patricia Fargnoli.

The One who was born on a infamous day

The One who came early in a quiet hospital
The One who needed sunlight for jaundice
The One who looked like Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve
The One who slept best
The One who likes pancakes and lasagna
The One who told stories and memorized books
The One who brought home Matilda
The One who makes friends easy
The One who sings
The One who plays trumpet
The One who broke his cheek bone
The One who doesn't have an appendix
The One who got the swine flu
The One who cared for me when I got it, too
The One who is a math master
The One who rocks at the breast stroke
The One who reads and reads and reads
The One who hugs
The One who doesn't think he's too old to say, "I love you."
The One who got sick on his birthday
The One I call my Christmas Baby


Blogging A-Z has been a blast!  I've made new friends, found new blogs to follow, and added many new followers here.  Thank you so much!  You are all an inspiration to me.  Now, back to Scriptfrenzy!  Ya, I was signed up to write a script in a month...looks like April won't be that month, but there's always May!

Journaling Prompt:  What projects have you neglected this spring?  When are you going to pick them back up? Or, are you going to start something new?

Y is for Yoga

Letter of the Day:  Y

Y is for Yoga!

This is Roseanne my yoga instructor.

She is a beautiful little sprite of a person with a generous and creative spirit.

I believe that Roseanne truly cares about all her students, here at the Y yoga studio and her dance studio, and probably everywhere she goes including her work.  (BTW, she drove a UPS truck for several years, but has since retired from that job.)

I have a new attitude of gratitude and I'm attributing much of that to yoga.  It is an amazing practice.  Not only is it a good workout for the body, but also it increases concentration and body image.  Yes, it helps you love your body no matter what shape it's in.  Roseanne gives us possitive messages as she's teaching.  She says, "Listen to your body.  Never force anything.  Respect your body and its limitations." 

As we're warming up, she has us in a foreward fold and tells us, "Let all your worries and cares fall out of your head and into the earth.  Leave them there for this hour.  For one hour, you just need to be.  We are in a culture that praises us for what we do, but here we just need to be."  Isn't that beautiful?  Today, I felt those worries and cares falling out and going into the earth.  I thought of them as being planted and left to grow or become what they need to be, maybe even the fertilizer.  I didn't need to carry them around anymore.

I asked Roseanne why so many people seemed to be afraid to try yoga.  She believes it comes from two sources.  One is that some people who have a strong Christian connection think that yoga is about teaching Buddism or Eastern religion.  That is incorrect.  Of course, every teacher and experience is unique, but Roseanne says, "You are here to water your own spiritual garden."  Again, isn't that lovely?  So reassuring.  Honoring who you are and your own beliefs.  I find comfort in that image.  The second reason people are afraid to come is ego.  Yes, folks, ego is one of our biggest barriers.  That's why we adults are afraid of trying anything new.  We don't want to be the beginner in a class.  We want to come in already knowing what to do and having the skill.  But, unless we can humble ourselves to be the kindergartner in the room, we will never gain new skills.  Ego was my biggest barrier.  Roseanne says, "You don't need to be afraid to fall off your pony."  She gives us examples of beginner level to advanced.  Once I let go of my ego and accepted the chance of "falling off my pony," I swung my arms back in a spider-type pose and flipped on my arms in a back bend.  I was exhilirated.  Later, we started a pose by lying on our backs. I finally got my legs up over my head and experienced that release.  I pulled out of it with a huge smile on my face.  Yes, I needed to strengthen my core, but more than that I needed to build my confidence and not be afraid of falling.  It worked.

 

As we're lying on our backs in a cool down, Roseanne tells us to shut our eyes.  She says, "Be aware of your breathing.  Feel whatever you're feeling without judgement.  If you have a tense place, go there with your breathing."  She plays soothing, beautiful music, and I lie there listening, breathing, visualizing my garden, the top of a mountain, wherever I need to go in that moment.  The song she played this week is called Jetaime, sung in both French and English.  It sounded like a lullaby to me.

Yoga is one of those exercises that truly strengthens your body, mind, and spirit.  Thank you, Roseanne!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever tried yoga?  What have you accomplished that boosted your confidence and helped you on your physical and spiritual journey?

X is for Xerophyte

Letter of the Day:  X

X is for Xerophyte that my friend RoXane will describe in a guest post.  I write about Roxane often on this blog because she is my best writer-mama-pal.  We have helped each other along the writing path.  Here we are at a Boyds Mills Workshop in PA, a workshop sponsored by the founders of Highlights for Children magazine.

X: A Letter Most Expressive

“Xerophyte, X, is a plant

That includes the prickly pear cactus.

It’s not exactly exciting, though,

When its thorny arms reach out to greet us.”

– X page from P is for Peace Garden: A North Dakota Alphabet

Oh how I enjoyed writing the X page for my nonfiction children’s book, P is for Peace Garden: A North Dakota Alphabet. And I still love reading it, every chance I get, to children especially. Not just the rhyme (though it’s awfully fun to personify cacti), but the sidebar information about the xerophyte; how its juices can be strained and boiled to make prickly-pear syrup, and that it is used for cattle food and, in long-ago years was consumed by humans during food shortages.


First, as you can well imagine, X was not the easiest letter of the alphabet to write about. And I had some constraints. I needed to find something significant within the state of North Dakota that had to do with X. Other authors in this series writing about other states came up with creative things like “X marks the spot.” But I wanted something educational and not so elusive, which is why I was so elated to stumble upon the word xerophyte. I didn’t have to stretch my imagination too far to remember stepping on prickly-pear cacti as a girl growing up in Northeastern Montana, and stepping over them frequently as well in Western North Dakota, where these sneaky babies thrive and often hide.

But there’s so much more that draws me to the letter X than that. For one, how many people can claim they have an X in their name? I’ve always felt particularly proud to have a name that was a little different, though not in an odd way. And I largely attribute the X in Roxane for making it so. When you say the name, everything sort of rises and falls on the X. Without the X, my name would be Roane, and that, I’m afraid, would have been a downer. The X brings so much vibrancy to that one word alone!

I also love symmetry. Oh, don’t get me wrong. There’s a place for asymmetry as well. But I love it when things can come together and find a happy union. The two lines of the X are a joyful pairing. They’re each doing their own thing, going their own way, but they meet in the middle. I like balance, I like peace. X gives that to me.


Perhaps more than anything else, though, I think I’m lured to X through the fact that it often does not get the attention it deserves, or when it does, it’s the wrong kind of attention. Take X-rated movies, for example. Couldn’t they have used a different letter to signify something being off-limits? (And who is they anyway?) Sometimes, X just don't get no respect (I'm calling to mind Rodney Dangerfield of old)!


Even within my name, X is sort of hidden. It’s shy and a little different, kind of how I felt as a child. And yet, it has something to offer the world. It has something to share. It has all sorts of potential, which is exciting in a most exclamatory sort of way. Note, though, that it’s oftentimes led by another letter. I consider myself a leader, but I prefer allowing someone else to guide me, just as I did as the younger of two siblings in childhood.


Indeed, the possibilities for X are extraordinary, if only we would take the time to examine X and appreciate its strengths. I see this as part of my life’s mission – to seek out all the X’s in the crowd, call them out gently, and help them notice just what it is about them that makes them so very excellent, even if they can’t see it themselves.


It’s something I have been offered by other unique, X-type people (even those without the letter X in their names), and something I hope to continue to do for others, especially in my life as a writer and mother.


Mary has been one of those people coaxing the X in me to come out and shine. And I so appreciate the chance to write this fun post for her today, to give X the time in the limelight it truly deserves.


This is how I end my sidebar on the X page of my book:
“Would you ever eat a cactus? How about some prickly pear syrup to go with your pancakes?”
Well, would you? Have you?


I find the possibilities of X exhilarating. How about you?



Roxane B. Salonen
Communications Specialist/Author
Beauclair Communications: http://beauclaircommunications.com//
Peace Garden Mama: http://roxanesalonen.blogspot.com//
Peace Garden Writer: http://peacegardenwriter.blogspot.com//

Thanx, Roxane! That's exactly what I was hoping for.

Journaling Prompt:  What makes you, or your name, unique?



W is for Writing Word by Word

Letter of the Day:  W

W is for Writing Word by Word by Beth Hautala. 

Here's what you get when you hang out at coffee shops:
1. Good coffee
2. Inspirational setting
3. Juicy conversation
4. Juicier converations that you "just happen to overhear"
5. Meet-ups with friends
6. Chance meeting with friends who have friends
7. Introductions from one creative spirit to another
8. New friends to share coffee conversations and write guest posts.

Introducing my newest creative friend, Beth! And, yes, I met her at a coffee shop thanks to our mutual friend Joey Halvorson, a fabulous photographer and the person who brought my character Lolly to life.

W is for WritingWordByWord

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working,” Pablo Picasso has been quoted as saying, and I stumbled across his words at a time when I was languishing away, waiting for my muse. Writers do this—most creative folk do, actually, but the reality is that all work, writing included, is only accomplished one simple act at a time. The muse is an elusive thing and hardly dependable.


I’ve always been a tad reticent to call myself a “writer,” though I have no particular reason for my hesitancy. Somehow, it always has seemed necessary to legitimize the title, and I’ve never felt qualified. But the realization that my work would need some consistency, should I ever wish to claim that elusive title, has served as motivation. Slowly but consistently, I began blogging about the writing life nearly a year ago now, and I have found the process surprisingly cathartic and instructive.


The very work of a creative profession (writing, painting, acting, or otherwise) demands that we bare certain elements of ourselves for the world to alternately love or hate. Whether performed on a stage, posted on a blog, or printed in a book—the work finds its purpose in the hearts and lives of the audience for which it was intended. That’s part of the thrill—causing a new train of thought or spurring a new perspective. But change never comes without struggle, and creatives—I among them—tend to be some of the most struggling and “rejected” people on earth. We continually run up against the wall of commercialism, and often our best ideas are sacrificed on that alter so that we can continue living with luxuries—like heat, plumbing, and electricity.


My heart is wrapped up in the creation and development of fiction, and the protagonists in my stories tend to wrestle with discouragement on various levels as much as I do. But if I’m honest, I’ve never written a story where the bravery of said protagonists is not tested, tried, and then revealed. Heroes, heroines, writers, and all of humanity in general need encouragement, the imparting of courage—the illumination of a bravery we already possess.


After working away at a middle grade novel for quite a while (inconsistently of course) the discipline of keeping a blog taught me to write consistently and I finished my book, refined it, and began the process of searching for a literary agent.


Which, in fact, I did this past January. You can read that post here.

And the little website that began as a place for me to cathartically vent my thoughts on writing, and teach myself to write with perseverance, has slowly transformed into a living breathing community of writers. We are teaching another to work at the craft, and encouraging and building one another up. The Writers Guild portion of the site gets an average of six-hundred hits a day and more than two-dozen writers stop in regularly to share work, offer critiques, and participate in forum discussions. We are drawn together by a mutual desire to write word by word, because as Picasso said, inspiration visits the working.


And I, well, I’m testing out that elusive “Writer” title a little more each day.


Beth Hautala runs writingwordbyword.com where she blogs about getting wrapped and tangled up in words, encouraging others to do likewise. Her first novel, WAITING FOR UNICORNS, and other subsequent projects are repped by Danielle Chiotti of Upstart Crow Literary.


Thanks, Beth, for sharing your inspiring story.

Journaling Prompt:  Who or what has inspired you lately?

V is for Voice

Letter of the Day:  V

V is for Voice.  You've heard about it.  I think just about every art form talks about finding your voice - that which makes you distinct within your craft.  If I'm reading random comments on another blog, I might think hmmm, that sounds like Roxane, then I'll look and sure enough, it's her.  I recognize her writing voice just as well as I'd recognize her speaking voice if she called me on the phone.  I'd know JeMA's abstract, textured art anywhere.  I know her style. I know which elements she likes to include and which colors fit her composition.  Classical musicians can distinguish a Bach piece from a Beethoven, and classic rockers know their guitar heroes.

I found my voice through Her Voice magazine.  I started writing for our local women's magazine about six years ago, and I've been a regular contributor ever since.  Meg Douglas, the editor, was the first person to call me an author, and I will always love her for those life-changing words.  After I sent in my first article, she wrote, "I'd love to publish more of your articles."  I got busy writing.  I'd been working on a novel, written some short pieces, done skits and dramas that existed as long as the event.  Then, I started a blog.  Now, I have a full-length play, and I have a voice.  I write realistic fiction and non-fiction centered on relationships and real-life characters. I have a gentle touch, thoughtful, and pondering.  I could describe my piano playing that way, too.  Sprinkle in a flourish of blues and humor, and that's me.

My latest article came out in Her Voice this week. It's about my friend Georgia who has claimed her voice as an artist and a writer, and claimed space and time to work on it.  She inspires me. Click on over if you'd like to read it.  My story, or should I say Georgia's story, starts on page 20. 

The timing of the letters and themes during this A-Z challenge has been amazing. 

Journaling Prompt:  What would an ideal artist's retreat look like for you? Can you describe your voice as an artist?

U is for Unwind

Letter of the Day:  U

U is for Unwinding!  Have you ever heard someone say, "She's wound up so tight"?  Have you ever felt tension between your shoulder blades that really did feel like a knot was tied in your muscles?  Many of us are, indeed, wound up tight inside and need to untwist. 

At one of the breakout sessions at the Mothers of Multiples Convention, I heard Debra McLaughlin speak about Craniosacral Therapy. Craniosacral Therapy is a very gentle form of hands-on structural therapy that can profoundly help at any age to correct imbalances in the body. She showed us how she has worked with newborn babies who looked like they had a crick in the neck, arched their backs, cried when laid on their backs, and had terrible colic.  She taught the parents how to pick the baby up by her feet and let her untwist.  She likely had been in a twisted up position in-utero and had some trauma at birth.  Holding her upside down and letting her body naturally correct itself, allowed her to coil back into that position, then open up again, and finally relax.

I was fascinated.  The instructor also talked to us about her own experience when she was pregnant with her twins, 20 years ago.  She was stopped a stoplight, but the driver behind her hadn't been paying attention, and although slowing, slammed into her.  It was a minor fender-bender.  But, now, she had pain.  She was worried about her babies.  She explained that the seatbelt holds you in place at your waist and left shoulder, but the right shoulder was free to be jarred foreward, causing twisting in her abdomen.  By using her knowledge of Craniosacral Therapy, she was able to correct the problem, and her babies were fine.  Boy-girl twins who are freshmen in college, now.

This got me thinking about my feeling of being wound up too tight.  I've had two major collisions with deer. 

I didn't feel injured, but I've had a knot in my back since the first one.  I also carry my tension in my shoulders, and spend many hours a day hunched over a keyboard, playing piano, or teaching.  When do I ever really open up my arms and unravel my torso?

Debra encouraged us to lay on a ball and open up like this.

We need to stretch our chests and abdomens.  Another way to do this is to stand in a doorway, a narrower one like a bathroom, and place one hand on each side and lean in.  Move your hands up slowly and feel more muscles opening up.  Another place to try this is in a corner of a room.

Stretch, relax, let your body untwist.  Spend some time hanging upside down or letting your muscles go where they need to.  Start slowly.  Be gentle.  Be good to yourself and your body and you'll allow all your creative juices to flow freely.

Journaling Prompt:  Do you have any tips on how to unwind?  How do you help your body relax and heal?

T is for Time

Letter of the Day:  T

T is for Time and the Texas Playwright Chick.  I stumbled upon her blog.  I think I liked one of her comments, or was drawn to the playwright part.  I don't know.  What I do know is that once I discovered the Texas Playwright Chick, I wanted to be the Minnesota Playwright Chick.  I signed up for Scriptfrenzy last year and I've completed my first full-length play.  Cher, the Texas Playwright Chick, has been most encouraging.  She read my play, said it made her laugh out loud, and told me she "loved it."  Well, that makes it official.  Let this Minnesota Playwright Chick introduce you to Cher, The Texas Playwright Chick....

Settle in with your favorite cup of brew, or tea.

T is for Texas Playwright Chick and all my Thoughts! And, what I’ve been thinking about lately, the personal motto I’ve been using to spur (get it? Texas…spurs?) myself on with is this:

Time to Tap your Talent!

The first time I saw Lord of the Rings, I was inspired by something Gandalf said to Frodo. He said, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” That really struck a chord with me and I began to ask myself, “What am I doing with my time?” Am I really using my time wisely? Am I using my talent wisely? Am I tapping into my best life potential? Or am I puttering my time and talent away, wasting it doing things that aren’t important?


So, my personal battle cry has become, “it’s TIME to TAP your TALENT!” I say this to myself each day to remind myself to get to my computer and use those writing talents! But, to tap those writing talents of mine, it comes down to time. Finding time, making time, taking time, to sit down and explore my story ideas and characters on the page, is the only thing that can help me achieve my dreams. Without taking the time to tap into your own talents – whatever they may be – you will never fully reach your own potential.


We all have dreams for ourselves, and we all have hope that we will be able to make those dreams come true, yes? But, hope is not enough. You must take the time to tap our talents (which is really taking an action), or you will continue to live your life in a fog of status quo. Nothing new will happen to you. Nothing exciting will happen to you. Nothing extraordinary will happen to you. Is that what you want? Or do you want an extraordinary life full of amazing experiences?


Are YOU taking the TIME you need to TAP your own TALENTS? Are you taking the TIME you need to create the life you want? Have YOU decided what to do with the TIME that has been given to YOU?


Ciao for Niao – Texas Playwright Chick


http://www.playwrightchick.com/

This post needs a theme song:  Time by Hootie and the Blowfish. It's a Youtube link if you're in the mood for a listen.

One more note:  Just this week I read a blog post by a young woman actor named Andi Zeisler about the need for women playwrights and the need for plays with strong women roles.  She was bemoaning the lack of respectable roles for women in musicals.  It gave me courage to persevere with Coffee Shop Confessions.  I'm in need of a composer, original songs, and a creative team to get it out to the public.  You can find the post here.

 Journaling Prompt: How have you taken time for yourself and your art lately? 

S is for Self-Care

Letter of the Day:  S

S is for Self-Care and Slumdog Millionaire.

If you don't take care of yourself and tend to your needs, how are you going to be healthy enough to create?  You need to claim time for yourself (see tomorrow's guest post by Cher), and you need to nurture your creative soul. 

Have you ever taken yourself on an Artist's Date?  This idea comes from Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way.  This book is filled with great ways to unblock your creative spirit and get you to take steps towards building your art.  If you haven't worked your way through it, I recommend you find a creative partner and do it together.  It's great to talk through the ideas and exercises together and you'll always have a cheerleader for your creative endeavors.

This week, I took a much needed Artist's Date.  I drove to a nearby town and visited the locally owned bookstore.  I loved it.  I chatted with the owner, and he said he was interested in bringing books to a Dementia Awareness workshop that's being organized by a group I've recently joined, LAMAA (Lakes Area Memory Awareness Advocates).

Then, I stopped at a cute store called:

It's a coffee/tea shop that also sells loose leaf tea and coffee beans.  I was so excited to see that they carry a few of my favorites.  My best tea lady closed shop in town a few years ago, and I hadn't discovered this place, yet. 

I made myself a cup of Evening in Missoula tonight.  Mmmm. hits the spot.  It has mint and herbs and other soothing plants, which is good, especially during allergy season.

I also picked up some flowers for my mom.  I wrote "Happy Spring" on the card.  It includes her birthday, Easter, and Mother's Day.  She lives a ways away where it is now quite swampy and flooded, but she said the roads should be open by Friday.

One more thing that fed this "starving" artist was listening to Dawn's CD during the drive.  (She wrote the guest post on R Day.)  Her music and voice are gorgeous.

And, a quick review of Slumdog Millionaire.  It's intense.  I was so nervous the first time I watched it.  I was afraid it would be too violent or heart-wrenching for me.  And, yes, there are a few tough scenes, especially with the children.  It depicts a place filled with strife and violence.  But, it's a story of survival.  I am drawn in by those stories.  I had to see it to the end.  I figured it wouldn't have gotten such rave reviews, Oscar nominations and awards, if it wasn't a strong and satisfying story.  It is.  I didn't know it was a love story.  Despite all the struggles, all the ugliness of that place and time, the corruption of some of the people, Good triumphs over evil - with great sacrifice.  I was left feeling hope in the end.

Journaling Prompt:  Where would you like to go on an Artist's Date?

R is for Ruby Boots

Letter of the Day:  R

R is for Ruby Boots and a guest post by my friend Dawn Timbs, a writer and sing/songwriter.  I saw her first when she sang at a concert at a local church.  I thought she was amazing.  She visited that same church on the last Sunday that I played piano there.  I'd had a terrible experience that could have crushed my music making spirit, but as I walked out of the church, I found myself walking with Dawn and her husband (the guy I call the man with the fabulous fingers - he's amazing at the keyboard), and I told her that I'd loved her singing when she was there.  She thanked me for playing that day and said, "You play with such feeling."  Those words lifted me up and helped me get back on the piano bench and play to my heart's delight.  Thank you, Dawn.

Here's her story and a lovely photo of Dawn and her sisters in Ruby Boots.

R is for Ruby Boots, a folk/country/gospel band with Minnesota roots.



Consisting of three sisters - Dawn, Andrea and Heather - Ruby Boots performs select concerts each year, singing songs about life and love, heartache and inspiration.


They've been singing together since they were kids and part of the family gospel band The Schimpps. Vocally, the sisters have a blend that can only be found in family ensembles.


Their music has been featured on public radio stations across the country; and they were guest performers at a live broadcast of Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Show.


Dawn is the songwriter of the group. By day, she is a reporter with the Staples World, an enjoyable job which has put her in contact with a wide variety of people and events.


Currently, she is working on a new project...songs inspired by stories found in the local newspaper. She hopes to have the band record them sometime this year.


The name Ruby Boots comes from a line in Dawn's song, The Man from Alabama. It tells the story of when she first met her husband, a musician from the south who played a "smokin' hot" piano and wore red boots.


Mr. Ruby Boots (aka Gary Timbs) plays a major role in the band's recordings as well as live performances. A Grammy and Dove-nominated performer (with various gospel and country groups), Gary has wowed audiences across the country with his rich baritone voice and "Southern-fried" keyboard skills.


This summer, Ruby Boots will take the stage at Nordic Fest in Decorah, Iowa, where Andrea lives with her husband and three kids.


For more information about the group, check out their website at http://www.rubyboots.com/; or http://www.cdbaby.com/.

Dawn and I had lunch together this week.  I'm hoping we'll have a chance, someday, to collaborate on a project.  Thanks for writing a guest post today, Dawn.  I can't wait to hear your new creations!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you know someone that you'd like to work with on a project?  What would your creative team look like?

Q is for Quotes

Letter of the Day: Q

Q is for quotes and quests and questions.  Never stop questioning on your quest for greatness!  That quote is from me!  I love a good quest story - the journey, the hero (the best are the unsuspecting heroes), the villian, nature's barriers, the hero's self-doubt and need for self-examination, the nay-sayers - including the reluctant hero, and often something or someone that needs to be rescued.  Of course, The Wizzard of Oz is the most classic of all quest tales. I also liked watching the animated feature Quest for Camelot with my boys. What are your favorites?

The path is calling you.

And, finally QUOTES!  Enjoy and be inspired!
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. ~ Goethe

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead. – Louisa May Alcott



Use what talent YOU possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except for those that sang best. – Henry Van Dyke

Don't say you don’t have enough time. YOU have EXACTLY the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.


I am only one – but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do something I can do. – Helen Keller

Just when the caterpillar thought his life was over, he became a butterfly. – Anonymous


When we are allowed to dream far-fetched and ridiculous, we become super creative. That's where the Harry Potters are born. – Hope Clark from fundsforwriters.com


But the oldest practice is still the best. Take your soul for a stroll. Long walks, short walks, morning walks, evening walks – whatever form or length it takes. Walking is the best way to get out of your head. Recall the invocation of the philosopher Soren Kirkegaard, who said, "Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness: I have walked myself into some of my best thoughts." – Phil Cousineau


There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature. – Henry David Thoreau


Therefore, encourage one another, and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11


There's a candle in your heart ready to be kindled. There's a void in your soul ready to be filled. You feel it - don't you! - Rumi

That last one is my very favorite.  It's the one that woke me up.
 
Go. Create. Inspire!
 
Journaling Prompt:  What are your favorite quest stories, shows or movies?  Do you have a quote that really speaks to you?  How are you doing with your craft right now?

P is for Piano Recital

Letter of the Day:  P

P is for Piano Recital and a plethora of pleasing words that provide promise.  I love the letter P.  I did a whole presentation at a writer's conference using words that begin with P.  I'll provide a list after I tell you about our piano recital.  Here are all my adorable piano students!

I'm the one on the far left holding out the program.  Next to me is my one adult student, Holly.  I had players from age 6 to 36 performing.  The girl in front with the blue skirt started just over a month ago.  We had the recital at a local assisted living center.  I'd say about 10 residents came in to hear us.  The room was full of family and friends, residents, a few staff, and one proud piano teacher.  It takes courage to play in front of people, and I hope they all felt the success of their hard work and perseverence.  The message this year was that we can all begin something new at any age.  So many people were inspired by Holly learning the piano and performing.  She's only played a few months.  One of her friends wrote: "congratulations, I admire you!!!!!!"

I had a couple of piano and flute duets.  Here are two sisters.

Pick your favorite word, and Play on, my friends....
patience
practice
peace
pleasure
personalize
paint
pray
play
plan
party
plot
pun
pretend
pen
process
prioritize
persistence
passion
pressure
print-out
pretty

And, don't forget pal.  We all need a good writing buddy.  One of mine is Peacegardenmama.  She's my best writer-mama-pal.

I dedicated this recital to Matilda the Piano Cat.  She died just over a week before the recital.  She loved sitting on the bench and listening to the students play.  Sometimes they still reach down to pet her, but she's only there in spirit.

Journaling Prompt:  Did you ever play in a recital?  How did it go?  Have you attended any? Give me some more inspirational P words!

O is for Oscars

I need to start with a correction from N is for Name.  The photo of Nancy in the green sweatshirt was actually taken by our younger sister Joy.  We were passing my camera around that day, which is where I got confused.  Sorry, Joy, for the mistake.  I regret the error.

Letter of the Day:  O

O, I've been waiting for this day.  I love the Oscars.  I love the glitz, the glamour, the show, the highlights, the red carpet, and the speeches. O, and don't forget the movies themselves.  Not all our favorite movies get Oscar awards, or even nominations.  Usually, they're arty or bizarre.  They often have complicated plots and characters, and they aren't the kind you watch over and over.  My son wondered why so many are rated R. 

I think that comedy is horribly ignored on awards night.  It takes great skill and timing to do comedy well.  If you want to unwind and escape from your stress, don't you reach for the comedy?  I do.

During our Spring Break, we had a stay-cation, which means we stayed home, slept in, had friends over, and watched movies.  I caught up on some of the Oscars from 2010 and before.  Here are some supplies you need for movie night, double or triple the recipe for a whole week of movies.

I was planning on doing some movie reviews following our stay-cation, but got caught up in the A-Z challenge of April, so sorry to make you wait.  Today, I'll write about The Social Network, and Juno.  I'll save Slumdog Millionaire for S Day.

As a movie, The Social Network is well done.  It has great pacing, good storytelling, interesting characters, and a fascinating setting. It won the Oscar for Writing.  I don't think I'll ever watch it again.  I found myself not liking Mr. Zuckerberg at all.  His date at the beginning of the movie says it best, "You're going to think that you don't have a girlfriend because you're a computer geek, but that's not true. You won't have a girlfriend because you're a jerk."  And, he is.  He steals ideas.  He uses his friend, then tries to cut him off. He retaliates for the rejection he feels from his date by forming a rating system for women on his campus.  It turns out that a person who lacks real life social skills created an online network where you interact through screens.  (This could get me on a whole new topic on our social needs, but I'll save that for another day.)  What this movie lacks, for me, is a hero.  I didn't have anyone to root for.

Then, I watched Juno.  O, I loved Juno, the movie and the character.  Of course, the setting is near and dear to my heart, Minnesota.  It is so wonderfully midwestern, not the "midwestern" where it's depicted as simple, calm, white-picket fence, peaceful and mundane.  A girl gets pregnant and she handles it with grace and courage.  It's not shameful or horrible.  It's a big deal, yes, but not the end of the world.  It won the Oscar for Best Writing!  I love cheering for the best original screenplay.  That is my dream.  I watch the Oscars and write my acceptance speech in my head.  Juno is original and thoughtful with authentic characters and dialogue and has the most satisfying ending.  I found myself rooting for many of the characters in this story who are trying to make a less than ideal situation something honorable and beautiful.  Juno wants the best possible family for her child.  She says, "I don't want them to be shitty and broken like everyone else's family."  As she's trying to figure out the complexities of life and relationships, her dad asks what's going on. She responds, "Just out dealing with things way beyond my maturity level."

I would give Juno the Oscar for best original music.  It fits the story and setting beautifully.

Journaling Prompt:  Do you have opinions about either of these movies or any Oscar nominees?  Do you watch the Oscars?  Who had the best dress this year?  Best acceptance speech?  I liked the gal who was so shocked that she swore. (Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”)

N is for Name

Letter of the Day:  N

N is for name and Nancy, my older sister.  I also like calling her my big sister.  She is the closest in age of my siblings.  I'm number four out of six.  She's number three, but tried to call herself number one at Mom and Dad's 50th Anniversary celebration. Our oldest brother Nathan quickly claimed the title.  Here's a picture from our teen years.  We've been arguing since its development who it is.  I say it's me.  Clearly, you can see my eye, the wisp of dark hair that I always had curled.  Plus, that's MY shirt.

This next one is of Nancy.  I know, because I took it just this past September, and she's wearing her own darn shirt!

As you can see, we have a complicated, yet loving relationship.  When I went to Germany in college, Nancy said to her friends, "Your friends come and go, but you always wait for your sister to come home from Germany."  And, when I talked to her about this guest post she said she liked this challenge because she could read my blog every morning while drinking her coffee.  I told that to Joy, the little sister, and she said she felt the same way.  When I wasn't posting very often, she'd keep checking.  Well, enough about me. Here's Nancy...

After reading Mary’s first blog post in her A-Z challenge, I was the one who suggested she write about names. A few days ago she asked if I would be a guest writer on the Day of N (I decided to capitalize it to make it more significant). So in keeping with the spirit of the challenge, I decided to write about my name, Nancy.



My name is Nancy Caroline Aalgaard Hanson, but I think if I had been named by description, my name would likely be Nancy Dead Horse or Nancy Working Horse, neither of which I would appreciate very much. There’s a story in our family about how dismayed my grandmother was to find out I was named Nancy. As the story goes, when my dad was just a boy, his mother had an old work horse named Nancy. I imagine her to be a sad old mare, hump-backed, broken with the weight of work. Back in those days, they didn't keep horses as pets, or even just as a means of transportation. The Nancy horse was surely a working animal, and I imagine her life wasn't a terribly happy existence. So when Grandma found out I was to be called Nancy, I guess she wasn't very pleased about my unfortunate name. She reminded my dad of the used-to-be horse she had, but it didn't make any difference. My parents liked Nancy, and so Nancy it was, even over my paternal grandmother’s objections.


I didn’t hear the story about the dead horse until I was ten or eleven years old, and at that time, I was toying with calling myself Jean anyway, and dreaming my real father was Howard Hughes, and one day he would reclaim me as his own and make me fabulously rich. I never did extend this fantasy to its logical conclusion, never did wonder how it happened that a small grain farmer and his wife could end up with the lost child of one of the richest men in the world. Billionaire. Two times over. The word didn’t mean a thing to me, other than it would mean I could do pretty much whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to do it. There’s no coincidence, really, that my Howard-Hughes-is-my-real-father-and-is-someday-going-to-make-me-fabulously-rich-scenario coincided exactly with feeling like I had landed in the wrong family. I mean really, who on earth would name a beloved daughter after someone’s dead horse?

(I'd like to interject here, again, to point out that Nancy used to tell me that I was the one adopted.  I used to fantasize that my real dad was Captain Kirk from the Starship Enterprise.)


I spent a lot of time thinking about that horse and asking questions, but no one could remember anything specific about it. Figures. I doubt very much the Nancy horse was a beautiful thing, and apparently not a favorite. Life on the prairie was pretty tough, and my namesake, like my own family, probably had to scrounge for food, and probably made do with very little. There might be a picture of my namesake, however, no one could confirm that the horse depicted in it was the actual Nancy horse—it could have been anyone, really. This picture shows my grandma, back in 1936, standing next to a single chisel plow that was hooked up to what can only be described as a reluctant beast of burden. I suppose that sad horse was my namesake: Nancy of the endless work, Nancy of the dirt and mud, Nancy of the sad existence.

(Grandma, Dad, and Nancy's backside)

It didn’t take me long to figure out that my name singled me out from my siblings. There were six of us in all, three boys and three girls—like the Brady Bunch. My brothers’ names are Nathan, Philip, and James. Nathan, after the Old Testament prophet who rebuked the mighty King David for his bad behavior with Bathsheba; Philip and James, after two apostles to Christ. My sisters are Mary and Joy. If you haven’t picked up on the theme yet, you probably haven’t been paying attention. By the time you get to Mary, you should be associating something about these names with other words, like “holy” and “Bible” and “religious.” Even Joy, who isn’t a character in the good book will probably make you think of something Christian-related—the result of Grace, for instance, or Faith. Those are my siblings. And then there’s me—Nancy. I wonder now why my parents didn’t consider naming me Naomi, or Rachel, or even Miriam, I would have liked that name. Instead they settled on honoring my great-grandma with my middle name, Caroline, and my grandma’s dead horse with my first.

Journaling Prompt:  Write the story of your name.

M is for Musicals

Letter of the Day:  M

M is for musicals, memory and Mary!

I guess I previewed M with yesterday's post on My Fair Lady, and the mention of Mary Poppins.  Two musicals where I can sing all the words to most of the songs.  Another favorite is Music Man, a great one for M day.  My sister Joy played the best Marion the Librarian I've ever seen, and that includes the performance I saw at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.  She became Marion, heart and soul.  This musical is about community and redemption and the joy of music and building self-confidence.  Remember the boy who sang, Gary Indiana?  It helped him get over his stutter.

M is also for memory.  I've been playing piano at a local assisted living center, and I can feel the connection the residents make to the music.  Sometimes, I play a song or hymn that is well-known and I can hear people singing or humming along.  Sometimes, the song isn't as familiar, but I see smiles, tapping of hands or feet, and one woman was "playing along" with her hands while I played.  In the memory care unit, I marvel at the people who have lost names and faces, but still remember all the words to Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.

And, finally, M is for Me!  Mary at the piano.

I'm having the spring recital for my students this weekend, at the same assisted living center.  I'm calming nerves and building confidence (I hope).  Send confident vibes to my students on Saturday!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What's your favorite musical?  Did you ever play in a recital?

L is for Love Songs

Letter of the Day:  L

L is for Love Songs and lyrics.  It's also good for "Line!" and lessons.

And, sticking with the name theme along with the A-Z challenge and theatre terms, I'll mention Lerner and Loewe (curtesy of wikipedia) the duo of lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe, known primarily for the music and lyrics of some of Broadway's most successful musical shows, including My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Brigadoon.

Which lead to the lyrics of one of my favorite songs: "Wouldn't it be Loverly."
All I want is a room somewhere,
Far away from the cold night air,
With one enormous chair;
Oh, wouldn't it be Loverly?
Lots of choc'late for me to eat; (favorite line)
Lots of coal makin' lots of heat;
Warm face, warm hands, warm feet,
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly
Oh, so loverly sittin' abso-bloomin'-lutely still!
I would never budge 'til spring creapt over the window sill.
Someone's head restin' on my knee;
Warm and tender as he can be;
Who takes good care of me.
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?

*Sigh* Are you singing it, too? (I would have loved playing Eliza Doolittle.)

Did you know that Julie Andrews was cast in the original Broadway production, but was not cast in the movie because she hadn't done movies before and the producers didn't think a movie with her in it would be successful?  So, she took a part in a little flick called Mary Poppins and won the Oscar that same year, and not Audrey Hepburn who got the role of Eliza.

Which leads to another great line from another musical starring Ms. Andrews:  When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.

May you find just the right open window, so you can...
Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Do you have a favorite love song?

K is for Kathy King

Letter of the Day:  K

Today is K Day.  I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine who has kick-started me into the wonderful world of play-writing.

Kathy and I at the She Speaks event in Grand Forks, ND.

K-Day!

I didn't know there was a K-day, but I am delighted to celebrate -- especially since my name is Kathy Coudle-King -- I've got 2 Ks. It's fortunate I don't have 3.


I've always liked having my name begin with a "K"; they're fun to write. Sometimes I'm in the mood to make a little loop and other times I just do sticks. P is another fun letter. But thanks to email, now I always think someone is sticking their tongue out when I see it typed. p .


Never-the-less, I will continue to write p's since I am a playwright. I wrote my first play as a sophomore in h.s. It went well, and the next year I wrote another and this was selected for a performance at the high school. People actually laughed at the words I wrote! What a great feeling! Sometimes I make a joke and people laugh, but you never know if they're really laughing at the joke or to be nice. But when you write something and the words are coming out of someone else's mouth, a character, say, then you know it's really funny. Or the actor is. Hmm.


I've written about 50 plays, lots of 10-minute ones and about 7 full-length, a couple of one-acts. I had a novel published in 2000, Wannabe, and I've written essays, but I love the script format. You simply think of a plot and invite your characters in to do the work. It's a little like being a spiritualists and channeling voices. Spooky, stuff, huh? Except none of my voices tell me to do anything violent. Some of them have shared what it's like to be dying of cancer, though (that was my play Trees), others told me about what it was like to release their babies for adoption (St. Bette's), and right now a woman is telling me about how she ended up bleeding to death on a bus. If there's a theme, it's that I enjoy telling the stories of those who don't always get a forum to share, and often these characters tend to be women.


I also enjoy bringing history to life and letting historical characters speak. I'm going to be working on a commissioned piece about the Triangle Factory Fire that happened a 100 years ago in New York City. I look forward to bringing together the voices of 3 women (a triangle, get it?) from disparate backgrounds; Frances Perkins, Clara Lemleke, and Anna Belmont Vanderbilt. Look for it Sept. 29th at the Empire Arts Theatre in downtown Grand Forks, ND. It's cleverly titled: Triangle.


So, eat some kippers, cook up some 'kraust, and pet a kitten -- it's K Day!


Kathy
stop by at www.dakotalit.com

Thanks, Kathy!  I look forward to seeing more of your plays.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What historic people or events would like to see come to life on stage?  Do you hear voices in your head?

J is for Joy

Letter of the Day:  J

J is for Joy, my beautiful and talented little sister.  She is a singer and actor and gives private voice and piano lessons.  I asked if she would offer some words of inspiration for you today.

J is for Joy and Jazz.



Hi everyone. I’m Joy, Mary’s little sister that you’ve seen and heard about several times. Nice to meet you!


I am a singer and voice/piano teacher in Portland, Oregon. The name of my studio is “It’s a Joy! Music Studio.” I chose that name partly because of the play on words (I love that kind of thing), but also because I truly believe that music is a joy – even the learning part. Currently, I’m learning how to sing jazz and teach the concepts to my students.


I have a wide range of students that come to my studio on a weekly basis. They range in age from 8 to 58. Some of the older students remember the days of piano teachers that would slap their hands with rulers and music teachers that told them to mouth the words. One of my greatest pleasures is giving these people a new model of music. It is one of joy and pleasure, not grief and pain. I let them know it’s OK to experiment. It’s OK to start lessons in your 30’s, 40’s, 60’s, 80’s! I let them know I won’t cringe, laugh, or run away if they don’t hit the right note. As Miles Davis said, “There are no wrong notes.”


The younger students bring a different kind of energy to the lesson. They love to experiment. They will come in with a song that they composed over the week (often having a catchy title such as, “Joy” -how great is that?!) Also, I find that they will often make the song “fancier” than written. I point out to them how the song actually goes, we master that and then I let them play it however they choose. This is exactly what is expected of a jazz musician. The tune is learned. The first time through is true to the composer then the second time through is where the performer gets to make it his/her own.


Music really is meant to be a joy. Letting go and not being afraid to experiment is the essence of jazz. Bringing the technique together with the emotion is what I encourage in my studio. I’m always excited about new ways to achieve this. Thanks Miles!

And, Thanks, Joy!  It was a Joy to have you here on my blog today.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  If you didn't think about your age or the time and cost involved, what would you like to start learning?

I is for Interlude

Letter of the Day:  I

I is for interlude and intermission, ink and ice-cream.

I'd like to interrupt this A-Z challenge to let you know I had an incredible weekend away with some friends at the Mothers of Multiples convention in Duluth, MN.  In which, I took the time to eat delicious food, engage in delightful conversation, and interact with other mothers of many.  And, solve the Rubik's Cube in my pajamas.

This is not the best of pictures considering it was taken with a cell phone and I'm in my pjs, and it's not a real cube.  The picture of me holding the solved cube didn't turn out at all.  Anyway, that's my incredible, hidden talent - being able to solve the cube.  My cousin Perry taught me the steps, years ago, when I was in high school.  The theme of the convention was Back to the 80's. 

I can also be for intermission, that break in the show where you can get up, move around, use the facilities, and if you're lucky, get some ice-cream, one of my favorite indulgences.  I will have a brief interlude from writing posts this week as I've asked a few individuals to write guest posts.

Tomorrow: J is for Joy!

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  What are some of your favorite indulgences?

H is for Hamlet

Letter of the Day:  H

H is for Hamlet - my favorite play by William Shakespeare.

Way back in my student teaching days, this movie was released, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close.  We taught the play, memorized some of the most famous quotes, and brought 300, or so, high school sophomores to the movie theater.  The production company sent out videos to schools to promote the film and help teach the play.  I can remember watching Gibson work with students.  He held up the script, brushed it with his hands and said something like, the page is cold.  We bring it to life when we act it out.  I think that phrase was the seed that gave me my blog name, Play off the Page.  I want my music, my students, my drama kids, and my words to come alive off the page.

Here are a few quotes from Hamlet.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

To thine own self be true.

The lady dost protest too much.

To be, or not to be, that is the question.

Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him.

Get thee to a nunnery! (this to poor Ophelia, Polonius' fragile daughter who had the misfortune to fall in love with the doomed Hamlet)

Good night, sweet Prince, and hosts of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Journaling Prompt:  Do you have a favorite Shakespeare play or quote?  What are your memories of high school English and English teachers? (keep it clean, the ghost of Hamlet is watching)

G is for George and Globe

Letter of the Day:  G

G is for George Aalgaard, my dad!

My dad has a wonderful tenor voice.  He started singing with his dad at church when he was a young boy.  His dad, Arne, came over to America on a boat from Norway with a guitar in his hand and a song in his heart.  When my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, we put on a program for them with readings, music, and a special memory book.  Here's a bit of what I wrote to them:

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for the gift of music.  I'm glad that I inherited the gift of making music from you and that you nurtured the love of music in me.  Thank you for all the piano lessons you brought me to and paid for, music camp, and listening to all that practicing.  Thank you also for encouraging me to use the gift I had been given.  It has been a personal sanctuary for me as well as a way to connect with other people.  My best memories of being close to Dad are when he would come into the piano room while I was practicing and just sing with me.  Did you know that sometimes I intentionally played a song you liked so you'd come?

My dad is a farmer, and I think that he enjoys the solitude of being outside or in his tractor, watching things grow, and singing along to his favorite country or gospel songs.  I know there's always a song running through his mind.  Once, when it was quiet in the car, he sang softly, then said, "If I can't be listening to a song, I'll sing my own."

G is also for Globe Theatre, where the inimitableShakespeare plays were performed.  This is a lead-in for tomorrow's post on H, and my favorite Shakespeare play.

Journaling Prompt:  What gifts or talents do you inherit from your parents?  Do you have memories of doing things together?

F is for Final Curtain

Letter of the Day:  F

F is for the Final Curtain for our feline friend Matilda.

Here she is with her best boy, Zach.

As I mentioned earlier this week, Matilda hadn't been eating.  At first we thought it was her teeth, so the vet did a dental extraction. She still didn't eat much.  I brought her in.  We tried a few more things, but still she seemed disinterested in food.  On Tuesday, the vet took an x-ray and diagnosed cancer. I sat with her on my lap and let the tears fall.  We all said our last good bye on Wednesday morning.  Charlie wanted to play one last song for her on the piano.  Matilda loved to sit on the bench when my students came for lessons, or when I played.  (See my post on Pet Therapy.) Charlie played, What a Wonderful World.

Zach and I took her to the vet and held her until the last.  He was so sad, he couldn't even go to school.  I went to my noon workout at the Y.  When I came home, he had engraved the clay paw print disk that the vet made for us.

When a show has finished it's run, the last performance has "The Final Curtain Call."  The actors linger a bit longer on stage, shed extra tears, and give each other tender hugs.  As soon as they leave the stage, they will strike the set, and the performances will be but a sweet memory, lingering in the clouds, and yet the experience was worth the brief moment that it existed.  The orchestra has stopped playing the music, but the song lingers on.

Journaling Prompt:  What are some precious momentos that you keep?