grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Another Halloween

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Another Halloween - creative writing prompt



I am a scarecrow
Wielding two thousand pieces of candy,
One by one, to make it last.
Really? Yes, really. Two thousand…
Kids queue from curb to porch, an
Exceptional sunflower costume—
Xtra piece for you. Por Favor
Chocolate? Yes,
Everyone’s favorite. The
Line squirms and snakes
Longer, as the sugared-up and
Eager clamor for more, more.
Now wait—haven’t you already been here
Tonight? The hour grows
Late.
You refill my wine glass
Up to the rim. Even scarecrows
Need Pinot. Leftover lentil soup for
Dinner? What dinner? No time to 
Eat. I’ll feast on Milk Duds.
Really it’s allowed tonight,
Practically expected.
Required even. 
Enhanced excitement. Big 
Sister reminding little brother—
Say ‘Trick or Treat’, don’t forget…
Underneath an almost full moon
Reawakened memories mold my thoughts,
Envelop me.
Really? You aren’t wearing a costume…
Even adults scam for sugar
Parading infants, holding them high, a
Lion King offering
Into the air as justification.
Eastward, clouds 
Dance around the black treeline. 
Quietly I creep from my post
Undetected during a lull in the sweet-
Eating throngs. This scarecrow is
Entirely out of goodies, down to one
Nasty, sticky piece lodged
In the bottom of her plastic cauldron. 
Empty.Sorry, no mas.

Another Halloween - creative writing prompt - Munger Place
Munger Place Halloween


talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

This was written especially for FEARLESS FRIDAY PRACTICE –An acrostic off the following phrase… “I work excellently under pressure,” replied Queenie.

Plus, include the following words: restless, lentil, sunflower, glass, overcast, air and mold.
 

P.S. If you are reading this post from your phone, the acrostic phrase may not line up correctly…Oh well.


Z is for Zentangle

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As a child I loved to color and draw and doodle. Was there anything better than a new box of Crayons, the one with the sharpener in the back? Filled with a rainbow of possibilities, I could spend hours studying the various shades and memorizing the color names—Brick Red, Cornflower, Green Yellow (not to be confused with Yellow Green)…
I recently began drawing zentangles as part of my regular writing practice. (Thank you Crescent Dragonwagon and Fearless Writing!) Zentangling is like a Spirograph without the plastic frame. A small piece of artwork, the results are often surprising, sometimes reflecting my mood or surroundings, often an image of my writing. 
Doodling for adults.

With each stroke of the pen, I zone out and juice up the right side of the brain, the expressive and intuitive side.  Anything that awakens the right-brain helps with creative writing.

Skeptical? I’m not surprised. That’s your critical, analytical left-brain preaching…

A – Z Blogging Zentangle

talya

“Drawing makes you look at the world more closely. It helps you see what you’re looking at more clearly.” 
― David Almond, Skellig

Musical Pairing:

Drawing, Barenaked Ladies

I did it! I blogged through the alphabet. Thank you to everyone who played along. If you are a new follower, I hope you will continue reading Grace Grits & Gardening long after Z…

Z is for Zentangle.
Til next year…
A to Z April Blog Challenge.
Happy May!

My Cosmo Man

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Yesterday the postman delivered three new books to me. Our postman has impeccable timing. Having just finished Wild by Cheryl Strayed, I wandered around the house in a dull depressed daze, stricken with the end-of-a-great-book-doldrums. And yes, I have tons more books I could be reading, but I couldn’t wait to receive these particular books. 

Two were books about writing recommended by Crescent Dragonwagon during the Fearless Writing seminar I recently attended. Magical writing secrets were hidden inside these books, I was certain.
The other book Flights of Fancy was fresh off the press, written by Fearless attendee and my new friend Crow Johnson Evans. I wanted to read and own and smell the book published by someone I spent three days with writing and laughing and talking. And crying, there was a bit of crying. Crow  was someone who gave me hope it could really happen, this book-writing-thing.

In addition to my three amazing books, we received a tardy Christmas card (but I’m not knocking it, I never mailed mine…), a(nother!) William-Sonoma catalog and a Cosmopolitan Magazine.
Cosmopolitan Magazine?
I don’t have a subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine. I’ve never had a subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine.
According to the label, John now has a six-month subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine. His name was even spelled correctly. 
What an interesting little twist.
I accused him of ordering it for me. He accused me of ordering it for him. 

Was this a prank played by the guys at his office? 
A strange mistake?

I don’t know, but he took that magazine to bed with him and read it front to back:) And it seemed to hold his attention better than those Game of Throne books he’s been wading through for weeks…

talya

musical pairings:

Baby, What a Big Surprise, Chicago

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!