Standing Into Danger

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

IWSG: Wednesday, December 5, 2018 ~ A Writer's Survival Kit

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG founder Alex Cavanaugh are:
J. H. Moncrieff, Tonja Drecker, Patsy Collins, and Chrys Fey.

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG that members can answer with advice, insight,
a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:

What are five objects we'd find in your writing space?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy IWSG Day, Everyone!
I hope each of you is enjoying the holiday season wherever it finds you!

Terry and I have arrived in Surprise, Arizona,
and my brother Roy and sister-in-law Sue flew in last night.
We are anticipating a fun-filled and active week
of hiking, swimming, and pickleball,
with lots of cards and games and conversation.

Needless to say, I am already wrecked from Late Night #1.

My Current Writing Space

Surprise, Arizona, USA

December 5, 2018

Photo Likely by Sara MacBeath

December's IWSG question, What are five objects we'd find in your writing space?,
depends on where I am.
I wish I could list all these wonderful objects and talismans
that inspire me to great heights and productivity in writing,
but mostly I operate at survival level.
Certain pedestrian objects are always with me,
so I can work in any place and at any time.

This has been a year of traveling for me, and I write on any surface I can;
but, guaranteed, there will be a cup of coffee not far from my right hand.

When traveling, even on a one-night trip with a small bag,
I always take a power strip and an extension cord.
That way I can be sure of enough plug-ins to power
my computer, iPhone, and other technology.
Access to the internet ~ that's sometimes impossible to bring about,
but I am prepared.

Next, I always travel with a folder of reference materials,
because I am working on a memoir; and, because I am an optimist,
I always have more notes and materials than I can get to.

My Folder of Reference Materials

Surprise, Arizona, USA

December 5, 2018

Photo Likely by Sara MacBeath

Fourth, I have a wireless mouse right now,
because my mouse pad on my computer no longer works.
I don't think Santa is going to bring me a new computer
to replace my poor, banged up, memory-challenged Mac,
but maybe in the spring ... .

And last, I have a pair of red magnifying glasses,
because, unfortunately, my eyes are getting older every day.

The Unvarnished Truth
Coffee, Wireless Mouse, Magnifying Glasses,
and a Teacher's Bad Habit ~
Eating While Working

Surprise, Arizona, USA

December 5, 2018

Photo Likely by Sara MacBeath

So there you have it: my writing survival kit,
my traveling office.
I have no excuses for not writing.

Oh yes, it's always nice to have a carrot dangling in front of me.
My writing reward today is a glass of wine, a piece of dark chocolate,
and a swim in a lovely, warm pool.

Happy Holidays and happy writing this December!

I'll be making my IWSG rounds in the late evening today.
Have fun, Everyone!

Pure Bliss
A Swimming Pool at Sun City Grand

Surprise, Arizona, USA

December 5, 2018

Photo Likely by Sara MacBeath

Friday, November 30, 2018

On the Move

A bad weather forecast for four days of snow in Flagstaff, Arizona
had us on the move from Colorado three days early.
Talk about a mad scramble to pack!

Somewhere on I-40 and Route 66 South

Arizona, USA

November 28, 2018

Terry and I are both past the days when we plow our way

through snow in the wide open spaces of desert lands

and zip through icy mountain passes.

No Place to Be Caught in a Snowstorm

Arizona, USA

November 28, 2018

Dropping 6,000 feet, step one, as we head for warmth and sunshine.

I'll be back as soon as I get some sleep!

Don't Want to Navigate This on Icy or Snow-Packed Roads!

Arizona, USA

November 28, 2018

Friday, November 23, 2018

Thanksgiving Along Piney Creek

If you celebrated American Thanksgiving yesterday,
I hope you had a happy time.

It's one of my favorite holidays,
because it's a time to spend with family and friends,
a time to be grateful for all that is good in life,
and a time to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Mule Deer Buck

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

We've shared many Thanksgivings over the past thirty years
with our close friends Cheri and Gary, their son Jeff,
and one, two, or three of our nieces and nephews.

The kids have grown and scattered,
so it was just we four celebrating yesterday;
and we went for a family style dinner at Maggianos,
an Italian restaurant that we all enjoy.

So, of course, in addition to turkey and all the trimmings,
Maggianos offered a tempting array of pastas:
a groaning board for sure, and boxes of leftovers to take home.

Hawk High Overhead

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

We each had a strategy to shed some of the calories we consumed at this feast.
Gary and Cheri planned a long walk with their Shih Tzu, Sam.
Terry played a fast round of pickleball with friends in the chilly mid-morning air,
and I meandered with my camera along Piney Creek once we returned from Maggianos.

Our Thanksgiving day was cool and cloudy,
not the best circumstance in which to go hunting with my camera.
A cloudy late November day colors the high prairie spaces
with dull browns, grays, and faded yellows.

Icy Pond and Reflections

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Nevertheless, I layered up with warm clothes and headed down to the creek,

grateful for the gifts of unstructured time and peaceful solitude.

At first the riparian area seemed drab and lifeless

with its sere vegetation, splotchy patches of snow,

stripped stands of cottonwoods, and slow waters.

Dead Cottonwood Leaves, Horsetails, and Grasses

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Gone to Seed

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Remnants of Snow

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Stripped Cottonwoods

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

A Small Pool Along Piney Creek

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

But as I jumped the creek and wandered from the path,

I heard the soft twitters of birds in the cottonwoods
and spotted big ears in bleached gold thickets.

Birds Among Cottonwood Branches

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

A Mule Deer Buck and Doe

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

It is a joy to lean against a corrugated cottonwood, close my eyes,
and hear whispered conversations among the birds gathered in its branches;
then to open them and see muleys motionless in the underbrush,
their outsized ears swiveled toward me, their dark eyes fixed on me.

Although the world around me has faded to muted colors,
it is vibrant with rich textures:
sawtoothed leaves, layered or fluffy bullrushes,
billowing rabbitbrush, and pocked skims of ice on smooth water.

Ridged Cottonwood Trunks

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Cottonwoods in a Puddle

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Weathered Bullrushes

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Billowing Rabbitbrush

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

A Skim of Pocked Ice

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I see more than thick limbs,

withered leaves, slender branches, and winter buds against a steely sky;

I catch a scamper of fur racing along dark, heavy highways:
an energetic squirrel patrolling its territory and adding food to its caches.

A Speedy Fox Squirrel

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

As I ramble throughout the long, narrow open space along Piney Creek,
the sun lowers beneath the cover of cloud,
burnishing small shrubs and washing the landscape with gold and ruddy tones.

Lowering Sun

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Sun-Silvered Shrubs

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Magical Light Brightens the Landscape

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Following a tip from a fellow walker,
I round a corner and find what I have been seeking:
a herd of deer browsing among dry grasses, brushes, and milkweed.

Thanksgiving Feast

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Mule Deer Buck

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

A Muley Doe Browsing

in a Wild Wetland Meadow

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

A Milkweed Pod

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

I turn and backtrack for home, refreshed by a quiet walk on the wild side.

We're Watching You!

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

A Female Red-winged Blackbird

Among the Bullrushes

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

Magic Moments for an Amateur Photographer

Aurora Open Space, Colorado

November 22, 2018

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Aurora, Colorado, USA

Wikimedia

The Open Space Along Piney Creek

Where I Often Walk

Google

Aurora Open Space Along Piney Creek

Google

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving 2018

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging friends
who celebrate American Thanksgiving!

I hope you're enjoying a special day with family and friends.
If you're traveling, travel safely,
and if you're in the northeast, bundle up and stay warm.

Sending all my blogging friends, celebrating or not, hugs and love.
I am thankful for each and every one of you!

Aurora, Colorado

Fall, 2018

Friday, November 16, 2018

Picture of the Day #3: Moody Morning in Venice

Whenever I hear the word Venice, my mind leaps
to gondoliers and their graceful gondolas gliding over its myriad canals.

I have taken hundreds of pictures of gondoliers, gondolas, and canals.
This is my favorite.

Gondoliers rowing on the Grand Canal

looking toward St. Mark's Basin

Venice, Italy

September 13, 2018

God willing, I'll take hundreds more.
Venice is magical, especially on a foggy morning.

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Italy

Wikimedia

Location of Venice

Google Maps 2018

St. Mark's Basin

Venice, Italy

Google Maps 2018

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Remembering

On this cold and snowy Veterans Day in Colorado,
I am remembering that I am safe and free
because of the tremendous sacrifices of others,
strangers, friends, and family members
who chose to serve to preserve our freedom and way of life.

It's the 100th Anniversary of the end World War I,
and I am remembering this simple, poignant tribute
to the One Million British Empire Dead in that horrific war.
The memorial graces a column in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Tribute to the British Empire Dead of WWI

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

May 2014

Seeing Canada and Newfoundland on that plaque
brought tears to my eyes in May 2014.
Among these one million dead are members of my family
whom I know only from old photographs.

One Million Dead

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

May 2014

I am also remembering the simple, poignant, poem

of Canadian John McCrae, a physician from Guelph, Ontario,

who died shortly after penning these words of life, love, and loss:

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Wikipedia

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae

Wikipedia

Most of all I am remembering my parents,
Donald and Sara (MacDonald) MacBeath who served in the Canadian Forces,
my mother during WWII and my father shortly after WWII.
My mother was just old enough to enter WWII,
my father just young enough to be unable to serve in that war.

I like to remember them, not in their uniforms,
but on their honeymoon when they were young, optimistic, and full of hope.

Don and Sara MacBeath

Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

September 4, 1948

We must never forget the sacrifices of those who served,

who were injured or maimed physically and mentally,

or who died for us.

Whether you mark this day as Veterans Day, Remembrance Day,
Armistice Day, or by another name,
I hope you are remembering
these selfless sacrifices with gratitude and love.

Lest We Forget

Flanders Poppies

Pexels

Friday, November 9, 2018

POD #2: Friday, November 9, 2018 ~ The Art Lover

I call myself a photographer,
but real photographers might roll their eyes at that statement.

My camera is a point-and-shoot Canon SX620 HS,
bright red, of course!

I rarely use my iPhone as a camera
because it's much more expensive and visible,
and I don't want to be targeted by a phone snatcher,
especially when traveling.
Furthermore, I don't want to be encumbered
with a heavy camera, equipment bag, and tripod.

I go for the candid shot on the fly,
hoping I won't have to edit too much to get a photo that pleases me.
I have no qualms about editing a photo with my computer.
If I share a photo, I want it to be the best I can create.

The Ever-Patient, after years of me and my camera,
just keeps slowly moving forward,
while I stop and run to catch up, stop and run, stop and run.

When I'm out and about, my Canon is snuggled in my right hand,
its strap looped around my wrist and thumb.
I'm on the hunt for anything that catches my eye.
I believe there are interesting, funny, or emotional shots anywhere.

Terry and I arrived in Florence for the first time on a morning train from Padua.
We dropped our bags on 500-year-old tiles in our room in the Residence Bellevue
and raced to explore the historic center of Florence,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.

After hours of wandering from square to square
and marveling at the art, sculpture, architecture, and monuments
that grace one of the most beautiful cities in the world,
we found ourselves walking down the Piazzale degli Uffizi toward the Arno River.