10 Reasons I NEED to Write

{Post: 337/365}
Brainstorm 10 reasons you need to write.

1. I love WORDS.
2. I love the feeling I feel when I have written a poem or a piece and I read it back and KNOW that it is good.
3. I need to VOICE my own voice without fear of judgement or reprisal. My OPINION is equally as valid as anyone else's!
4. I need to SHARE. My pain, my joy, my excitement, my lessons, my heart, my emotion, my knowledge, my understanding. Maybe it will HELP someone else.
5. I am a fountain of emotion and creativity. I need to unleash the floodgates.
6. I need to show my children that no matter how many stumbling blocks you hit or how long it can take that it is NEVER useless or too late to follow a DREAM.
7. I need to show my children that it is POSSIBLE for dreams to come true. Whether they pay off monetarily or not is  irrelevant...people READ what I write, therefore what I write is HELPFUL, USEFUL and GOOD and THAT fills my soul with purpose and JOY.
8. Writing helps me solve my own emotional issues and release them.
9. To IMPROVE.
10. To express words, thoughts, ideas, emotions, reasons, dreams, heart and soul that INSPIRE.

Book Review

{Post 248/365: Original Post: Reading, Writing & Rocking MY World}
I'm just sharing my book review because I think everyone should read this book. It's a wonderful story and I know you will all appreciate it!

Bad Girl Creek by Jo-Ann Mapson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wonderful story about women and friendship and life and love. I LOVED all of the women and appreciated each of their life stories as well. Great read!



View all my reviews

Book Club

{Post 244/365}
I am actually enjoying book club and my time with the ladies.
I end up coming home with way more books than I can actually read in a month! This time I have brought home with me:
The Kite Runner~Khaled Hosseini
(since my friend Ademola suggested this one a long ime ago I'm going to read it! )
Last Known Victim~Erica Spindler
Map of Bones~James Rollins
The Last Oracle~James Rollins
Knights of the Black and White~Jack Whyte
61 Hours~Lee Child
The Closers~Michael Connelly
and
Dust to Dust~Tami Hoag

PLUS...I have a stack almost that big in my room already that I have to read!!!
REMINDER: find The Haunted Mesa, The Walking Drum, the king arthur story and some of my SK books to share next book club...and maybe some others on my shelves too!
I DID say I was gonna read more in 2011! LOL

30 Day Challenges

{Post 97/365: Original Post: ReadWriteRock}
Starting January 1, 2011 I began a 365 day Creativity Challenge and I began writing a blog post a day.  I am somewhere around post 95 or 96 right now and sometimes I have a bit of trouble thinking of things to write about.
Last year I did a 30 day challenge on Facebook where I posted a picture a day and whatever information was meant to go with it to explain.  I thoroughly enjoyed doing that.  It kept my brain busy and gave me a list of things to think about.  It's not that I haven't written lists and lists of blog topics but, sometimes I just draw a total blank with any of those topics and can't even begin to write about them.  For some reason a 30 day challenge seems to be good incentive for me. It's ONLY 30 days after all and not quite as daunting as 365!! So I have decided some of the rest of my 365 blog posts are going to be part of a few different 30 day challenges.  I have a few to choose from. If I don't get them finished in this 365 challenge then maybe I will start a new one...or maybe I will just do 30 day challenges now and then because I find them amusing! 
At any rate, keep your eyes open for some of my blogs to sport some of my 30 day challenges in the future.  I hope to write:

• 30 day Music Challenge (ReadWriteRock)
• 30 Day Movie Challenge (Couch Potato Paradise)
• 30 Day Book Challenge (ReadWriteRock)
• 30 Day Personal Challenge (FEEL ME)
• 30 Day Blog Challenge (FatCatMomma's Voice)
• 30 Day Shoe Diva Challenge (Shoe Diva)
• 30 Day Zendala Challenge (Musing Whimsical)
• 30 Day Poetry Challenge-poets I admire (Vibe & Flow)
• 30 Day Tattoo Challenge-designs I want (WickedSweet)
• 30 Days of Angels Challenge (MysticLOVEAngel)
• 30 Days of LOVE Challenge (I AM LOVE)
• 30 Day GODDESS Challenge (I AM a QUEEN)
• 30 Day Poetry Challenge-forms by ME (Vibe & Flow)
• 30 Days of Salad Challenge-healthy (Crunchings and Munchings)

If I think of any more, which I'm sure I will I will add them in later. In the meantime I have quite a few to choose from and eventually I hope to do them ALL! Wish me luck!! :)

Write What You KNOW

{Post 80/365: Original Post: ReadWriteRock}
I can't write what I don't know because I have no life experience or references to express  things I haven't done yet or things I haven't learned yet. 
So obviously I have to write about things I have done or experienced in my life that became important moments or lessons for my growth and understanding of them.
So I write about family and friends and relationship experiences that I have gone through and learned from.  I have been learning for 40 years now so I think I have a lot of valid things to share.  Hopefully the memory trap that is my mind will shake a few experiences loose now and then that I will be able to contemplate and gain new insights from myself! 
There are many experiences that make up a life and many mistakes to learn from.  I have had my share.  I may not begin at the beginning because I tend to be very circular in my thinking.  I often jump from one thought to another in my own mind because for me they connect though this probably will never make sense to someone else!
So when I write I will try to keep each story  straight enough and sensible enough that anyone can understand my meaning. I hope!
However, I intend to share my truth.  My truth is not your truth. Though many people may see their truth in it.  If so I hope seeing and recognizing it may lead to understanding and growth from from it. Sometimes finding the truth can set you free.
So I will write what I know from my life experiences and my truth.
If anyone gleans an iota of their own truth from it and it precipitates growth also then I will be pleased that I have shared and done some good.
Follow me if you like what I have to say! ;)

MUSIC I LOVE: Sweater Song~Hedley

{Post 65/365: Original Post: Reading, Writing & Rocking MY World}

She said, "Baby, don't leave.
Be home, stay close, be close to me.
Boy, don't be gone. Boy, don't be gone."
He said, "Baby, you know,
I gotta run. I gotta go.
I won't be long. Girl, I won't be long."

She said, "Boy don't you flirt
and, baby, please just don't get hurt
and if you feel alone, then here, take my shirt."
He said, "Forever, girl. I know you hate the weather, girl.
So, maybe you should hold onto my sweater, girl."

Na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na 

She ran, picked up the phone,
said, "Babe, I miss you. Come back home.
It can't be long. Boy, it can't be long."
He said, "I hate this place.
I miss your smile. I miss your face.
I wrote a song. Girl, I wrote a song."

She said, "You make me better, boy.
I just mailed you a letter, boy
and, oh, so you know, I'm still in your sweater, boy."
He said, "Girl, don't be hurt.
I've sweat a lot and smell of dirt,
But I think I'd feel naked without your shirt."

Na na na na na na na na na na 
Na na na na na na na na na 

He said, "You're looking great.
I'm home. I'm back. I couldn't wait.
Girl, way too long. That was way too long."
She said, "Get over here.
I crave you close. I need you near.
Now play that song. Boy, play me our song."

He said, "Back to forever, girl.
Hope you endured the weather, girl.
Now all I wanna do is get you outta that sweater, girl."
She said, "I love the way you flirt.
I'm so glad you didn't get hurt.
Now let me see you naked, without that shirt."[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/h/hedley-lyrics/the-sweater-song-lyrics.html ]

                                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I LOVE this song! The first time I heard it I thought of the first boy I was ever crazy about. My first best friend. My first kiss. My first champion.
The first boy to ever pick me flowers, hold my hand when I was scared, sit for hours and let me put my head on his shoulder, the first boy to ever give me his sweater when I was cold, and the boy I have measured all other boys by since.
He was an awesome boy with awesome qualities and I have to say THANK YOU Hedley for writing a song that makes me remember him. :)

Reflections In MY Muse

{Post 46/365: Original Post: Reading, Writing, & Rocking MY World}

I stand before you

real and raw

and see

the reflection

of

all the better parts

of myself

you are the mirror

through which

I see

a new perception

good

for growth

and change

and acceptance

of the parts of me

that are

loveable

intelligent

capable

beautiful

strong

the mind and spirit and heart

of your reflection

compliment me

and open my eyes

to see myself

with

forgiveness

The Book That Changed MY LIFE

{Post 29/365: Original Post: Reading, Writing & Rocking MY World}
I have struggled with this topic.

I have wanted to be a writer a long time and it seems the older I get the closer I come to understanding that my best form of writing is poetry. I AM a poet. I have always been.

I have also always been a READER. From this blog and others I write, that will soon become evident as I share as many of the books I have read in my life as I can remember.

But, I'm not sure I have even ONE book that CHANGED my life because I read it never mind a whole list of them. Though I know I have read books that touched me and I have always carried them with me because they opened my eyes to differences and possibilities and a wider understanding of life, of people, of friendship, of loyalty, of love, of spirit, of heart, and of SOUL.

So when I think of books that I have read and which ones HAVE been the ones that changed the flow of my life I can only say the biggest one was the first book I ever read ALL BY MYSELF.  I was about 4 years old and I remember reading it all by myself and that was the beginning of a voracious reading appetite for anything and everything WORDS.

I'm even the girl who will read the dictionary...for fun.

I have been known to enjoy reading encyclopedias...not for research purposes but for my own amusement, education and entertainment. I like to know things.

If I don't know them, then I will go look them up.

I own more than one dictionary, thesaurus, and writing help book. Yes, I do. I own MANY.

I own a beautiful book called a Word Menu and another called a Describer's Dictionary but, I guess since I've always wanted to be a writer these aren't really strange books to own!

My love affair with the written word began all those years ago, the very first time I ever read....Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!! :) I still remember the book.  I read the very same book to my two older children. It is long gone now but never forgotten because it opened up the whole world to me (and the LOVE of Santa Claus and Rudolph!). Not just ideas and understandings of the REAL world but also of the ENORMOUS and RICH fantasy world that can live inside EACH of us!

It is good to be a dreamer and have an open mind.

So are there other books that changed my life? HELL yes! ALL of them.

Every book has the possibility of opening your eyes to something new and different and EVERY one is therefore a new adventure and a potentially life changing experience.

It doesn't have to be a light bulb moment! It doesn't have to come like fireworks.

It can come in the subtle and soft moments when an author's voice plants the seed of an idea in your mind or touches your heart with a lasting feeling or impression and brings an even tiny and imperceptible change to the flow of your being.

I think we are all touched by what we read and can change and grow as a result of it!

And again I VOW to read more in 2011 because I have been missing a lot of good stories!

I Couldn't Live Without This Song

{Post 6/365: Original Post: Reading, Writing and Rocking MY World}

I don't know why but for a long long time this has been one of my fave songs ever.
I couldn't live without it because it always makes me smile. :)
Joy to you and me! :)

Poets I Admire

{Post 3/365: Original Post: Reading, Writing and Rocking MY World}

I am thinking about the poets I have read through the years and enjoyed. 
I am a poet and I have always been inspired by others.
I think I never would have found a way through the sad parts of my life if I hadn't had words to use to express my hurt and  my desire.
I have found that I like love poems.  I have also found that I enjoy an epic poem with a long story.  I enjoy the flow.
I even enjoy a funny poem now and then! 
While I enjoy many and a variety there are only a few whose words have touched me deeply and stayed with me a long time.
I admire them.
I appreciate their voices.
They have inspired me at many different times over the years but I always return to them because they lift my spirits and express my thoughts, hope , heart and more.
Sometimes it is only that they have entertained me but usually it is because something they have said has touched me deep inside my own soul.
Maybe woken me up to something I hadn't known before or understood.
I have decided that I'm going to share my favourite poets and the poems that I carry with me, that have touched me and stayed in my heart. 
Something beautiful is only more beautiful when it is shared.
So I will share my faves with you.
I will share the poems by Robert Frost, Kahlil Gibran, Elizabeth Barret Browning, William Allen Dromgoole, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and others.
If their voices helped make my life easier then maybe they'll do the same for you.

So today I leave you with the ONE poem that I have never forgotten and always believed states perfectly our PURPOSE in life!

The Bridge Builder, William Allen Dromgoole
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide— 
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."