A palindrome is a word that reads the same backwards as forwards.
Use these palindromes in your writing.
civic
deed
deified
kayak
level
madam
mom
noon
peep
pop
racecar
radar
refer
repaper
rotator
rotor
wow
And, thanks to the amazing writers I work with:
Taco cat
Yreka Bakery
#justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.
Advice From a Dog
By DSBriggs
Find yourself a good owner. In addition to catering to your every whim a good owner should incorporate these other qualities, I explain below.
Get someone with good knees because they will need to get up and down when you want to go in and out.
Also someone with an opposable thumb so they can operate a can opener to serve you wet food. Which, of course, you should refuse to eat at first.
Gradually your owner will succumb to your training. This is good when selecting snack treats. Note your owner’s preference (usually the cheapest) as the one treat you refuse.
Get someone who knows that there is a difference between walks: fast, get down to business or mosey which should be called nosey. Serious nose work cannot be rushed.
Train your owner to keep their balance when you:
a) see a squirrel
b) see another dog
c) spot a cat
d) jerk from a sudden stop for a particularly interesting pee-mail. Some pee-mails take longer to decipher if multiple users have posted.
Make sure your owner has good fingernails for applying skritches around ears. A good skritch is deep and hits the right spot. Belly rubs are an acceptable skritch replacement if you are lying down.
An option for you to score big time is to show preference for a yard with afternoon shade and morning sun spots. You want to have bushes for back rubs if grass is not included.
Good water supply and quick access to the house are basic rights.
Regarding fences, a fence will allow you more free roaming space since no fence is too worrisome for owner. They will insist you stay in the yard and away from traffic. However, if you are really lucky, and there is only a perimeter fence, you can easily access the front yard. UPS drivers have been known for carrying treats and as long as you do not harass the mailman, your front yard can provide many hours of entertainment.
Another trait a good owner will have is letting you have many beds. You show your greatness of heart by allowing them to call the biggest bed “their” bed. This discussion of ownership is moot, of course, if they are foolish enough to own an air or waterbed. A good bed is soft, contains a cuddle blanket and a variety of toys. Some of you may prefer crates, but having no experience with them, I cannot advise.
Many of you may substitute couches and chairs for your own bed, that is fine. Just be aware that having your own bed saves you from being displaced and embarrassed when rude humans take up all the room on your couch.
Well, I have enjoyed advising you and wish you good luck in your choice of ownership.
There are probably other pieces of advice I could impart but my nap and need for 14 hours of snooze time is just a fact of this dog’s life.
Dictated by Moose to his owner who is able to type and translate. Must be their opposable thumbs.
DSBriggs and Moose live in Northern California. After retiring from teaching, DSB began writing. Marlene Cullen’s Jumpstart format of writing to a prompt in a short time period has been a perfect match. DSB’s writing appears in The Write Spot Anthologies, available from Amazon.
Moose is DSB’s 12-year-old sugar-faced, brindle mix of lab and hound rescue. He enjoys walks and running her exercise program.
Writing Prompt:
Ebbs and Flows
Just Write!
#justwrite #iamawriter #iamwriting
Write about something that happened to you that you wonder if you should tell people.
Would it help them to know?
Would it help you to write about it?
Just Write!
#justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter
Song lyrics can offer inspiration to write, like “Defying Gravity” in the production of “Wicked.”
Specific lines to use in your writing from “Defying Gravity.”
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m through with playing by
The rules of someone else’s game
It’s time to trust my instincts
I think I’ll try defying gravity
And you can’t pull me down
A Prayer For The World
Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and
fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that
we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness
of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and
feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
—Rabbi Harold Kushner
Guest Blogger Hospice Nurse Sharon Ziff writes:
We acknowledge that aging, slowing down, and death are normal stages of life. We exercise, eat healthy, think positively, and bring love and playfulness into our lives. Still, eventually, death will walk in.
What if we make friends with death? Can understanding the last chapters of your life move you toward acceptance and peace? Acceptance and peace can be a gift you can give yourself and your loved ones.
Sharon’s Story:
I remember Mama. I wore a hat with a bee pin that was my Mother’s. I gave it to her for her birthday thirty years ago. Maybe for her 75th? I don’t remember the year. But I remember the joy of purchasing it and her face when I gave it to her. I can see it on her blouse. I think of Mother often. Every time I wear my hat with her bee pin.
Sharon’s reflection on memory: Sometimes, my words come a little slower. I usually joke when the word or thought finally comes to me. Sometimes, it takes only 10 seconds to surface, but ten seconds is a
noticeable pause in a conversation. I enjoy reading and listening to podcasts and often come across ideas I want to share. However, I may need to make notes to recall the clever idea! The ideas surface eventually, and as they do, I give myself positive reinforcement—like a high five to Sharon!
As my mother aged, she would often ask me, “What do you think is worse, Sharon: losing your mind and being healthy, or being sick and having your mind?”
Some memory loss is a normal part of aging.
How do you react when you can’t recall a word, a friend’s name, a book, or a movie? Can you laugh gracefully at yourself and accept the effects of aging?
Memories play a significant role in our lives. It’s common to reminisce and reflect on the past as we age. I’m excited that I remembered how to spell “reminisce” and wrote it without using spell check! Google makes it easy to recall facts or trivia that we may have forgotten, as long as you remember how to use your computer or search on your phone!
I googled “Why do old people reminisce?” and got a list of answers. Reminiscing serves a good purpose. It is a way to remember a well-lived life and come to terms with past regrets or incomplete relationships.
Reasons why reminiscing can benefit seniors
What can you do to improve your memory?
Sharon researched how memories are formed: Understanding that the amygdala links a memory stimulated by an emotional connection, a memory with an emotional charge may remain for years, whether happy or sad.
The amygdala, hippocampus, and neocortex are the parts of the brain responsible for memory. Link to an article on How the brain stores memories.
From Marlene: It’s important to practice self-care when writing about difficult subjects to prevent adding trauma.
Resources about how to take care of yourself while writing about difficult things:
The Write Spot: Writing as a Path to Healing
Posts on The Write Spot Blog about not adding trauma while writing about difficult things.
Sharon Ziff‘s work as a Hospice Nurse taught her about end-of-life issues and the importance of preparations to die with dignity. After retirement, she was certified in the “Authentic Presence: Contemplative End of Life Care Training,” a specialized program committed to providing Let’s Speak About Death, a Community Education Project.
I’m a fan of Brevity Blog. Here’s a favorite:
“Quitting Time: Why You Need to Let Go of That Writing Project” by Allison K. Williams.
“As writers, we’re sold on the value of perseverance. Just do another draft. Just keep working. Send another query, another submission. One day you’ll break through. Sit down and finish. Now. Today. This week. In fifteen-minute increments while waiting for carpool, or in one wild coffee-fueled weekend. I think I can, I think I can.
I can get to the end of this sentence. This paragraph. This page. This essay. This book.
But there’s value in quitting, too.
Click “Quitting Time” to read the rest of Allison’s Blog Post.
Willow Springs publishes two issues per year: Spring and Fall.
SUBMISSIONS through Submittable
Nonfiction is open year-round.
Fiction and poetry between September 1 and May 31.
$3 reading fee.
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.
Winter’s Walk
By Cheryl Moore
On these dark mornings
I feel the fog’s kiss on my cheek
As though waking me to a new day;
So unlike a much drier place
I once lived so many years ago
Where dust storms were more likely.
I walk to the river where
The fragrance of wild fennel
fills the air
Reminding me of the black liquorish
I loved as a child.
On the muddy banks wild fowl
often appear
On their daily hunt, bringing to mind
They too fill their senses.
We are not so unlike in our goals.
When Chery Moore came to California in the early 1960’s, she realized she’d found her home. Then moving to Petaluma in the 70’s, she was as close to paradise as she’d ever be. Travel has taken her to Europe and the Middle East. She has written on these memories as well as on the flora and fauna of the local river and her own garden.
You can read more of Cheryl’s writing on The Write Spot Blog:
And more: Type “Cheryl Moore” in the Search Box on the Sparks page of The Write Spot Blog to access all of Cheryl’s writing on the blog.
Cheryl’s writing is also featured in “The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries” and “The Write Spot: Musings and Ravings From a Pandemic Year.” Available from your local bookseller and at Amazon (both paperback and as an ereader).