Rose Fairy Dress-Up

I've been working on these outfits for almost three months. They weren't difficult, just time consuming. The skirts are pretty cool, with all those petals, and the girls don't know it yet, but I'm going to make matching outfits for their American Girl dolls.

What's Up?

Well, it's Spring Break, that's what. We went to the coast for three days and had a blast, despite cold weather, wind, and rain. We stayed right on the beach in Newport, wandered around the Bayfront, and visited the Oregon Coast Aquarium where we got up close and personal with jellyfish, sharks, and a rather large octopus. The girls wanted to move to Newport and live there forever. I'll put up some pictures from the trip as soon as I get them organized.

In other news, the top secret Easter knitting project was finished just minutes before midnight on Saturday. I never imagined it would take so long (try two and a half months), but the girls seem pleased, so I'm happy. Keep an eye out for pictures of that, as well.

The past 24 hours have seen rain, snow, sunshine, moderate to heavy wind, hail, and bitter cold. The word schizophrenia springs to mind. I think March may have some issues. Counseling might be in order.

I'm almost halfway through my 16th round of 30 poems in 30 days and plan to keep going all the way through April, which is after all, National Poetry Month.

We're soaking up the last day of Spring Break and doing absolutely nothing today. Bliss.

What are you up to?

Shy

Well, at least it's handknit

Aren't these slippers beautiful? They were hand knit by a farmer's wife in Albania. Every year the community club (think PTA) at my daughter's school holds an auction to raise money for the school. I won these little beauties for just $8! Apparently I'm the only person there who appreciates knitting as a fine art. I'm thinking of having these framed and hanging them on the wall, they're so nice.



My own secret knitting project continues apace. Progress is being made, but this week has been kind of slow. Last night was a special reward dinner for my husband and several of his coworkers, plus their wives, at Ruth's Chris Steak House. It's hard to knit while you're stuffing your face. The food was good, but boy was it ever BIG. I had triple chocolate molten cake for dessert and I think I died and went to chocolate heaven. Yummmmmmm.

Another Thirty Flies By

Yep, I finished my 15th round of 30 poems in 30 days:

1. Picking through the Rubble after Midnight
2. Life's Little Instruction Manual
3. 1976
4. At Ease with Failure
5. haiku
6. Wearing Your Mother's Ring
7. Telegraphing the Body's Warm Urge
8. Mr. Darcy Gets an Unexpected Note
9. Cheap Words and Whiskey
10. Everything Changes
11. Chasing the Moon
12. When Your Lover Reads Your Diary
13. Your Wicked Wicked Ways
14. February is a Hunger
15. When Bonnie and Clyde were Gunned Down
16. The Voracious Go Hungry
17. At the Letting Go
18. Facing the Tiger
19. All the Way to Phantom Ranch
20. They Slit the Sheep's Throat
21. Navajo Child in Cradleboard
22. Tree, Woman
23. the poet taking
24. Through the Open Window of Serenity Hospice
25. The Heart Going Away
26. Miss McGee Hits the Heights
27. Samson Tells Delilah How It Is
28. We Run Hot and Cold
29. Little Clues Can Tell the Truth
30. Why the Possum Crossed the Road

Folio has accepted my poem "Among the Cannibals" for their spring issue. I'm really excited about this one!

I keep getting rejections that tell me my work made it to the final round of cuts or that I was in the top group but just didn't quite squeak in. I feel like Maxwell Smart: missed it by that much.

Word Cloud Poem

From the words in the previous post. You knew I couldn't resist...

the poet taking

william winter is a romantic secret, a
sickness the size of a thumb.

the tooth, the valentine, the
previous rainforest catching

comments on beauty, chocolate, ant.
days enough, flashquake girl.

five keats knitting poems, a week
of love and haiku done.

chaco stories posted in british,
the issue pulled. sure. the poet taking.

Word Cloud

ant beauty british candy catching chaco chocolate comments days dennis done editor emma enough five flashquake girl haiku hurlbut issue kate keats knitting love man parents poems poet posted pretty previous print publications published pulled rainforest romantic secret sharon sickness size stories sure taking thumb tooth valentine week william winter

created at TagCrowd.com

I saw this link on Kelli Russell Agodon's blog and had to try it for myself. These are the most frequently used words on my blog. It makes an interesting found poem, don't you think?

Flashquake

The new issue of Flashquake is now live! Yours truly served as guest editor this time around, and I can tell you it's packed with terrific stories, poems, and nonfiction.

Don't forget to check out my editor's essay to hear what I have to say about staying drunk, too. Enjoy!