tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23177572987077033982024-03-13T15:50:11.702-04:00My Muse and MeThis blog is a place for me to contain all my writing projects: Mercer's Magazine articles, book manuscripts, short stories, journal entries and other Muse inspired works. EVERYTHING on this blog is © Bobbi Rightmyer, unless otherwise stated.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.comBlogger794125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-52598962246845118522019-11-30T22:26:00.000-05:002019-11-30T22:26:01.292-05:00Christmas Photos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRHcPrXveA4GarMnVo4U_Z7ORXXrLBNZycQQ0ZFpn2GZh7oDNBkhDVXGQmJev4P4V_4PV10KTn5hmAA9ECI2MaIDFQhyBq3uyXi7P2OMdEwDKBJMHH_phf2z-5slAwzi5w0zQha4YMyM/s1600-h/CHRISTMAS1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 391px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRHcPrXveA4GarMnVo4U_Z7ORXXrLBNZycQQ0ZFpn2GZh7oDNBkhDVXGQmJev4P4V_4PV10KTn5hmAA9ECI2MaIDFQhyBq3uyXi7P2OMdEwDKBJMHH_phf2z-5slAwzi5w0zQha4YMyM/s400/CHRISTMAS1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341809855128297234" /></a>Christmas 1971 - me age 9, Brent age 7 1/2, Amy age 5<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx17rcA6YCAm-TxFGehm-aL2URt9Y95eMsk3iLlTXBVmHXu-CrQNaRNGya8qyt-h5kjPibGwy077ABddN2UeY3Iq4Qtq9FPQLojVcx9L2MDeBWFqHxG-eW42AQtM-ABDnTTkfqyXEdC4/s1600-h/CHRISTMAS.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 319px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx17rcA6YCAm-TxFGehm-aL2URt9Y95eMsk3iLlTXBVmHXu-CrQNaRNGya8qyt-h5kjPibGwy077ABddN2UeY3Iq4Qtq9FPQLojVcx9L2MDeBWFqHxG-eW42AQtM-ABDnTTkfqyXEdC4/s400/CHRISTMAS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341809234654552514" /></a>Christmas 1970 - me age 8, Brent age 6 1/4, Amy age 4Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-19883558411737483832019-09-11T10:00:00.000-04:002019-09-11T10:00:03.626-04:00WHY ARE WE HERE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNICpmTnscUdr9kiIISAUxxUsPiDpi4K4_2HjhAFnIt0nMRdD75eTiqLf2iAoDj8deTOYbR9UIGDYcyIF2nqfNU9lHFzS763IEUY_xByg2FqihBaRSGiKdYKhcy0Wc1cIM7slbYRUol4/s1600/earth-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNICpmTnscUdr9kiIISAUxxUsPiDpi4K4_2HjhAFnIt0nMRdD75eTiqLf2iAoDj8deTOYbR9UIGDYcyIF2nqfNU9lHFzS763IEUY_xByg2FqihBaRSGiKdYKhcy0Wc1cIM7slbYRUol4/s320/earth-day.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Why is it that the older I get, the more I question the meaning of life? I was raised a Christian and I believe in and have accepted Jesus as my savior. I have raised three daughters in a Baptist environment and my husband also comes from the same background. My faith in God continues to grow daily, but along with this growth have come a few questions. Why are we here? For what purpose are we humans in this world? What is heaven really like?<br />
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For the past 30 years, my life has consisted of work and raising a family. I sacrificed through three years of nursing school to become a Registered Nurse, knowing this career would allow me to provide for my children. I worked almost thirteen years as a labor and delivery nurse; twelve hour night shifts, three to four days a week. The first few years were exciting and I enjoyed providing for my family, but when my youngest - Christine- was a baby, I felt like I was missing out on the best part of life; I had already missed so much of my older two daughters' lives. As Christine grew up, my discontentment with working grew. Was my job worth missing the formative years of my last child?<br />
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No matter how much I missed being at home with Christine, our family had become trapped within a vicious money cycle and I felt compelled to continue working. When Christine was nine, I finally left night shift and the high risk area OBGYN. The problem now was that I was working with the extended care patients; I would become attached to my patients and then they would die. No matter how much I enjoyed talking with and working with my patients, the overwhelming depression surrounding this type of work continued to grow. After the death of my sister in 2005, I realized I couldn’t pretend to be happy any more.<br />
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I had to make my family a priority again. These were the people I was working so hard for, but it didn’t matter how much I worked if it continued to keep me away from my family. I took several months off work to get my life back in order and to reconnect with my family. We have downsized our style of living and reprioritized the goals for our future. I have never been so happy.<br />
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Of course, you solve one problem and another one will present itself.This year I again started questioning the reason for our existence. What does God really want from us? I feel like He is looking down on Earth as a whole and He is very sad because of the segregation and lack of humanity all around us. Why is America the wealthiest country in the world, but the people of Africa are dying and starving in droves? Why didn’t the US use the money it spent on the Iraq war to make food drops and provide medication for all those who suffer?<br />
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Why doesn’t the United States provide for the homeless in our own country? Why do so many American children live below the poverty level if we are the supposed richest country? Why are we trying to keep Mexican immigrants out of our country when we are a country founded on immigrants? With the exception of the Native Americans, none of us would be here if it were not for immigration.<br />
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We come from the wealthiest nation in the world, but there are so many people suffering in the United States. Our government representatives need to be more concerned with the people instead of being dictated by big business. It is a shame that lobbiest are the people who are really controlling our nation instead of the middle class, blue collar workers. It is a shame pro-sports players make million of dollars per year, but police, firemen, and other first responders are barely scraping by. It is a shame Hollywood and media entertainers make millions of dollars per year, but school teachers have to count every penny.<br />
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I know we are not supposed to question God's plan, but hink about it: why are we here?<br />
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© Bobbi RightmyerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-27150909778551673262019-05-21T09:55:00.000-04:002019-05-21T09:55:00.169-04:00Old House<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKY_1OdjXJ5p7i5neymGlJRDaMRBHba5rHkzmvflBsmtLwF05LYK1mhjPNbhbTxH9SSAF_8rUDqasKprrycN4t0EWTfXZ5kO0i9h18TNKUOH-vuf4ZGXDGnLkCf7xd5C-lqyfHN05OkQU/s1600-h/house+round+window1000.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKY_1OdjXJ5p7i5neymGlJRDaMRBHba5rHkzmvflBsmtLwF05LYK1mhjPNbhbTxH9SSAF_8rUDqasKprrycN4t0EWTfXZ5kO0i9h18TNKUOH-vuf4ZGXDGnLkCf7xd5C-lqyfHN05OkQU/s400/house+round+window1000.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338275838825512722" /></a><br />Dan at <a href="http://woodandpixels.blogspot.com/"><em><strong>Wood and Pixels </strong></em></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-42250119683328410922019-05-19T11:02:00.000-04:002019-05-19T11:02:00.133-04:00Cafe Writing #6<a href="http://www.cafewriting.com/"><em><strong>Cafe Writing</strong></em></a> - Option Six - Poetry<br /><br /><br />“Let’s frighten the dragons.” I said to Pooh.<br />“That’s right,” said Pooh to Me.<br />“I’m not afraid,” I said to Pooh,<br />And I held his paw and I shouted , “Shoo!<br />Silly old dragons!” - and off they flew.<br />“I wasn’t afraid,” said Pooh, said he,<br />“I’m never afraid with you.” <br />~A. A. Milne, “Us Two” <br /><br />Using the quotation above as your inspiration, write a poem (any form is fine) about a real or imaginary best friend<br /><br /><br />* ~ * ~ *<br /><br />Don’t forget to comment here with your name, the title of your piece, the selected option number, and the direct link to it. Please note that comments from new participants or with more than one link are held for manual approval, and may not show up immediately.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-5955571421919143902019-05-19T10:59:00.000-04:002019-05-19T10:59:00.260-04:00Cafe Writing #5<a href="http://www.cafewriting.com/"><em><strong>Cafe Writing</strong></em></a> - Option Five - Can You Picture That?<br />Use the the following photo to inspire a piece of writing in any form (poetry, prose, whatever).<br />(Please remember to copy the image to your own server, and include photo credit when it is known.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTsWZVzYghZv-C2m24nrfaKFGBUPlFntTsWdVHvsrRpOwSvjDq0q3N15J916vN1orE_2SN8bmT0UBaKnKprWk1-eaWDzQF6fQjXB9wtOUx6iBTQ1KL8rM1Q2yLWniFUyeRpt3BTnXGLQ/s1600-h/2009may-june.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTsWZVzYghZv-C2m24nrfaKFGBUPlFntTsWdVHvsrRpOwSvjDq0q3N15J916vN1orE_2SN8bmT0UBaKnKprWk1-eaWDzQF6fQjXB9wtOUx6iBTQ1KL8rM1Q2yLWniFUyeRpt3BTnXGLQ/s400/2009may-june.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337550173820286802" /></a>(Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&userID=456586"><em><strong>Tony Campbell</strong></em></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-68767655939499629232019-05-19T10:58:00.000-04:002019-05-19T10:58:00.160-04:00Cafe Writing #4Cafe Writing - Option Four - Pick Three<br /><br />Then he began to think of all the things Christopher Robin would want to tell him when he came back from wherever he was going to, and how muddling it would be for a Bear of Very Little Brain to try and get them right in his mind. “So perhaps,” he said sadly to himself, “Christopher Robin won’t tell me any more,” and he wondered if being a Faithful Knight meant that you just went on being faithful without being told things..<br />~A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh <br /><br />Pick at least three of the following words, and build a piece of writing around them. The form is up to you: poem, scene, flash-fic, essay, or general blog entry. If you want to be really daring, write in the style of Milne. (As always, you can pluralize, change tense, or alter the part of speech, if necessary.)<br />bear, brain, faithful, going, muddling, perhaps, sadly, wherever, wonderedAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-17369058507284856842019-05-06T09:57:00.000-04:002019-05-06T09:57:00.255-04:00Walking Shadows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUIH799_HQfvyQH8ZQTwp_KSMnRbqm4V5BamRav3qtT9KlIzhcvLQ1NcLibn587LqTU6x6eWzd7btNRgGFChfZMd2FSfYpab9wrkV89Mot-cy8B4198ktk1jqIDosAfIdbOWaaS9LvaA/s1600-h/walking_on_shadows_2_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUIH799_HQfvyQH8ZQTwp_KSMnRbqm4V5BamRav3qtT9KlIzhcvLQ1NcLibn587LqTU6x6eWzd7btNRgGFChfZMd2FSfYpab9wrkV89Mot-cy8B4198ktk1jqIDosAfIdbOWaaS9LvaA/s400/walking_on_shadows_2_b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332709930604184050" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-59644564780914011312019-05-06T09:54:00.000-04:002019-05-06T09:54:00.193-04:00Moon Shadows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKQVl7RaWH2dEgAGJPJrpE-k4iB08e9tOVk3XjFoquwYkjfsnOxDfVrt41WdY996lzA9bzzMZLkocglIAzT0InWsvgovwetSHga2TvO-mbxBLi_iIiuucb5yxHM6mePIG6TJT1yZ9ysI/s1600-h/s.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKQVl7RaWH2dEgAGJPJrpE-k4iB08e9tOVk3XjFoquwYkjfsnOxDfVrt41WdY996lzA9bzzMZLkocglIAzT0InWsvgovwetSHga2TvO-mbxBLi_iIiuucb5yxHM6mePIG6TJT1yZ9ysI/s400/s.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332709182643489314" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-43635722677813180162019-05-06T09:48:00.000-04:002019-05-06T09:48:00.290-04:00Dancing Shadows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TdQF-Dk6rGvKquAfDsotRqptUGn6R9YyadguwWVZbKTThZLMmicRGjrnSipQ8QQyZN83X8KSZshaDx2t1c4jdX9MyppNCb36TsMhNETDc0MqjuNg17DrmHNgMY8tTvXuBvmF6htDD_8/s1600-h/lubomir_bukov_shadows-of-past-bw-frame.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TdQF-Dk6rGvKquAfDsotRqptUGn6R9YyadguwWVZbKTThZLMmicRGjrnSipQ8QQyZN83X8KSZshaDx2t1c4jdX9MyppNCb36TsMhNETDc0MqjuNg17DrmHNgMY8tTvXuBvmF6htDD_8/s400/lubomir_bukov_shadows-of-past-bw-frame.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332707522009143586" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-81572061671098145092019-05-06T09:47:00.000-04:002019-05-06T09:47:00.134-04:00Stair Step Shadows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_kVb01el_-U-7410-pCrByQOxOh25GAqHv1fKRechiMZ-Gj86doRhk4r0r91fTrvB6CVg3pCKOhw9T66Z6dOq08vT_DaRbF0Hog14yGjRJKDkZacDXgNOzB6fgouRAsbwSkwYRFMadg/s1600-h/0403202313461shadows3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_kVb01el_-U-7410-pCrByQOxOh25GAqHv1fKRechiMZ-Gj86doRhk4r0r91fTrvB6CVg3pCKOhw9T66Z6dOq08vT_DaRbF0Hog14yGjRJKDkZacDXgNOzB6fgouRAsbwSkwYRFMadg/s400/0403202313461shadows3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332707330999149618" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-39342884534680344922019-05-06T09:42:00.001-04:002019-05-06T09:42:00.291-04:00Desert Shadows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzC1SuATkMYLfuJAFFfIdj0F2j2zhKBxPS4D7_lsPNeLZXRJcEJ0EmW0lW2dFwKwund2j9CDxXcwcyvMje1-sGKH1G7ouu-y2VGDUTRSbnge33wJOqzCHrHZUINWkR6fXVWcVZ86kkgI/s1600-h/desert+shadows.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzC1SuATkMYLfuJAFFfIdj0F2j2zhKBxPS4D7_lsPNeLZXRJcEJ0EmW0lW2dFwKwund2j9CDxXcwcyvMje1-sGKH1G7ouu-y2VGDUTRSbnge33wJOqzCHrHZUINWkR6fXVWcVZ86kkgI/s400/desert+shadows.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332706096361266290" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-5131523465306662192019-05-06T09:42:00.000-04:002019-05-06T09:42:00.627-04:00Sky Shadows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzG9IhY6OGwZwcRrSwkC0jt6rlK6ewopBajtAv8ac0_VkqlEGM5tQQVE-EE04GXQkUh08udaaO4CgCjPh4kc0Idsc7kIfZEtgiGmK09warZGtVKZxxhB9apdnI3AKWZ4I0jEKmh2DZq5g/s1600-h/370499431LyukPi_ph.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzG9IhY6OGwZwcRrSwkC0jt6rlK6ewopBajtAv8ac0_VkqlEGM5tQQVE-EE04GXQkUh08udaaO4CgCjPh4kc0Idsc7kIfZEtgiGmK09warZGtVKZxxhB9apdnI3AKWZ4I0jEKmh2DZq5g/s400/370499431LyukPi_ph.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332705917652836434" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-31903494306422079362015-11-11T11:59:00.000-05:002015-11-11T11:59:02.118-05:00This blog has moved<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1J3VRs03enq1tEixZW8ImaQb4TxhESa3twpPvqeHnIY5ka2DxWSoC6nybO7miPowSl6tKeYJEq09fr9UTPddjyOHCgKgNEt4OhER59TJOK18VgRspm6noWePgAkQ6NTZvOI8-zNlTnaA/s1600/field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1J3VRs03enq1tEixZW8ImaQb4TxhESa3twpPvqeHnIY5ka2DxWSoC6nybO7miPowSl6tKeYJEq09fr9UTPddjyOHCgKgNEt4OhER59TJOK18VgRspm6noWePgAkQ6NTZvOI8-zNlTnaA/s1600/field.jpg" /></a></div>
I have decided to merge this blog into my author's blog. Keeping up several blogs has been hard. You can still follow me at: <a href="http://bobbidawnrightmyer.blogspot.com/">Bobbi Dawn Rightmyer, Kentucky Author</a>. I look forward to your continued readership. I would also appreciate if my followers would continue to follow me on the new site; it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-9290777586557771142013-10-10T14:01:00.000-04:002013-10-10T14:01:55.688-04:00Lark or OwlToday's One-Minute Writing Prompt: Lark or Owl?
Around here, the early mornings are sure getting cold and dark. Which reminds me, I hate mornings. Are you more an AM or a PM person?
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8g9k2DAtxDCD1g-jXWD5q5Uc_w4gM-szCHkFSoKZrfwJ0YbuoVVrMI7x-tPKytCzumcoAzg59XE-vIbQh9toftqONPh5ObyrVXRpV7RdgT-DfEqoi7r74fYnVfp60WIcKTy8SnQyrTo/s1600/owl.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8g9k2DAtxDCD1g-jXWD5q5Uc_w4gM-szCHkFSoKZrfwJ0YbuoVVrMI7x-tPKytCzumcoAzg59XE-vIbQh9toftqONPh5ObyrVXRpV7RdgT-DfEqoi7r74fYnVfp60WIcKTy8SnQyrTo/s320/owl.jpeg" /></a></div>
I am definitely an owl - nighttime is when I am most alive and creative. I think this is because I worked night shift for 15 years and my sleep cycle became turned around. I get more writing done at night and I also get more crafting done.
There is something about the outside darkness and the calm, serene inside that gets my muse pumping. For some reason, she prefers the night, which means she keeps me up at night working.
What are you? Lark or Owl ....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-90212495389061356872012-09-26T07:57:00.000-04:002012-09-26T08:09:03.347-04:00Perryville Battle Nurses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwLSP9n-4ua2lBXfdGk0F-ZFweLZ5fqEQOqVxqkF1MifFTAKXNfdsNmTp0lIIX1F8t3ZahftCKxDcZMAdgMtiWG63QzXnJWG-QMkJD1yNXCYqwFBjJb0Wi2QvX3PLsUnF_Q6C2b9fDbM/s1600/perryville-battlefield.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="201" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwLSP9n-4ua2lBXfdGk0F-ZFweLZ5fqEQOqVxqkF1MifFTAKXNfdsNmTp0lIIX1F8t3ZahftCKxDcZMAdgMtiWG63QzXnJWG-QMkJD1yNXCYqwFBjJb0Wi2QvX3PLsUnF_Q6C2b9fDbM/s320/perryville-battlefield.jpeg" /></a></div>
I had been the custodian at the Harrodsburg Presbyterian Church for the past 20 years. Occasionally, during the rounds of my duties I would hear unusual noises coming from different parts of the church, especially in the basement fellowship hall. After numerous trips to find out the source of these noises, I had long ago given up on trying to track them down. The noises had become a normal part of my work day.
One day, I was later than usual getting to work and it was nearing sundown. After vacuuming the sanctuary, I sat down on one of the pews to rest. There was a booklet on the back of the pew, next to the hymnal. I knew this was the booklet given to newcomers of the church explaining the history of past church activities. I began leafing through the booklet reading about this wonderful old church I had worked in for such a long time. My eyes were getting heavy.
I had just gotten to the section on the Battle of Perryville when I heard horses coming from the back parking lot of the church. I went to the window and saw horses pulling wagons coming down the road. The wheels of the carts screeched and the horses seemed disbelieving. Kicking up dust behind them, their eyes were huge and sad. I had never seen such a parade of killing before. The wagons, filled with dead or wounded men, stretched down the road, into the trees and the trees themselves stretched off into the war. This was my 39th day of watching men die.
In 1862, during and after the Battle of Perryville, the United Presbyterian Church was just one of the buildings in Harrodsburg, Kentucky used as a hospital, with the women folk of the community serving as “nurses” day and night. The United States Sanitary Commission was a civilian relief organization that improved the hygienic standards of Union camps and helped wounded soldiers. After the Battle of Perryville, Dr. A. N. Read of the Commission took supplies to Perryville in order to alleviate the suffering of the sick and injured. The Sanitary Commission was of great help to the wounded and sick in Perryville, Danville, and Harrodsburg. The Commission eventually sent more than ten tons of supplies to Perryville, which had been stripped of food and forage by the contending armies.
I came down the stairs, through the open doors, into the heat. The wagons were already backed up on the road. A conscious quiet filled the air. The men had exhausted their shouts and were left with small whimperings, tiny gasps of pain. The ones sitting appeared to be asleep. The ones lying were packed so close together, breathing in unison that they appeared as one mass; contortion of blood and limbs. Rotting leather breeches, stinking flannel shirts; their flesh ripped open: cheeks, arms, eye sockets, testicles, chests. The beds of their wagons were black with blood. The blood had fallen on the wheels too, so that their lives seemed to circle and turn beneath them.
One soldier had a sergeant’s stripes and a gold harp on a green background. An Irishman. I had tended to so many of them. He was wounded in the neck and it was covered with filthy gauze. His face was various shades of dark from the blown-back powder. His teeth were broken from biting cartridges. He moaned and his head lolled sideways. I wiped the wound as clean as I could get it. His windpipe made a clattering noise. He would be dead within minutes, I knew. Small black strips of shadows moved over him. I looked up. Vultures flew overhead. They did not strike a wing beat, only soaring on the thermals. Waiting. I had a brief thought that I should smother the injured man.
I reached across and touched his eyes. I could feel his life fall shut beneath my fingers. No need to stop his breath, then; it was so much like drawing a small red curtain across. So many of them waited until they were in a woman’s hands.
I was tapped on the elbow by an army doctor.
“We need to lift the men from the wagon and get them onto the grass.” The doctor was small and round. He wore a bow tie splattered with blood. A rubber apron over his tunic. There were twelve other women working the wagons, along with several men.
We lifted the soldiers as gently as we could and placed them in the grass in the imprints of others who had been there just hours ago. All around, the grass was exhausted by the shape of the war.
The doctors paced along the length of the dying. They chose which ones they might possibly save. The soldiers groaned and stretched out their arms. I wanted immediately to wash them clean. The other nurses had lined up buckets of water and sponges at their heads. I thrust a towel down into a bucket. I had crossed more water than I cared to remember. I had often thought that I could use all the wide Atlantic to wash them and still never get them clean.
We carried the living inside on stretchers. The other injured sat, still and vacant, in their beds, staring straight ahead. This makeshift hospital was a church, the Presbyterian Church. Occasionally a loud shattering sound went through the hospital when a soldier stumbled out of bed, or lost his mind, or thrashed his way out from the sheets, knocked over his bedside table.
I reached for a hanging lamp, struck a match, lit the wick. It guttered blue and yellow. I placed the pier glass around it, went out of the ward, lighting all before me. I waited on the stairs outside. Open to the night, a small breeze was a relief in the enormous heat. The trees were darker than the darkness. Owls screeched their way through the canopy and bats moved from under the eaves of the church. Distantly I could hear the yips of dogs; or was it coyotes. Only an odd sound came from the hospital behind me: a scream or a rattle of pans and instruments.
As the Union army was woefully unprepared for the aftermath of the battle, the Sanitary Commission played a major role in feeding the troops and nursing many soldiers back to health. Dr. Read tried his best to keep an accurate Perryville report using me as his secretary.
“Immediately on the reception of the news of the late battle, I took such measures as were in my power for the performance of our duty in the relief of the wounded. Did you get that nurse? I obtained at once three Government wagons, and the promise of 21 ambulances, to be ready the day following. The wagons were loaded with stores from the Louisville Sanitary Commission, and started the same evening for Perryville.”
“Yes, doctor … started the same evening for Perryville.”
“Good, good. We found the first hospital for the wounded at Mackville. This was a tavern, with sixteen rooms, containing 150 wounded and 30 sick, mostly from a Wisconsin regiment. Twenty-five were on cots; some on straw; the others on the floor, with blankets.”
“Now this is important; the surgeon in charge, P. P. White of the 101st Indiana militia had authority to purchase all things necessary. Flour was very scarce; cornmeal, beef, mutton, and chickens, plenty. There was no coffee, tea, or sugar, to be had. The cooking was all done at a fireplace, with two camp kettles and a few stew pans. The ladies of the town, however, were taking articles home and cooking them there, thus giving great assistance.”
“Doctor, we don’t have any of these items either. Most of the women are doing the best they can to help alleviate the suffering,” I said.
“I know, I know; and we appreciate your sacrifice. Continuing on, from this place to Perryville, some ten miles, nearly every house was a hospital. At one log cabin we found 20 of the 10th Ohio militia, including the Major and two Captains. At another house where several of the 92nd Ohio militia; and the occupants were very poor, but doing all in their power for those in their charge. The mother of the family promised to continue to do so, but said, with tears in her eyes, she feared that she and her children must starve when the winter came. As at the other houses on this road, the sick had no regular medical attendance.” The doctor paused in his dictation, removing his glasses and wiping his brow.
“We reached Perryville after dark. On our arrival we learned that we were the first to bring relief where help was needed more than tongue can tell. Instead of 700, as first reported, at least 2,500 Union and rebel soldiers were at that time lying in great suffering and destitution about Perryville and Harrodsburg. In addition to these, many had already been removed, and we had met numbers of those whose wounds were less severe walking and begging their way to Louisville, 85 miles distant. To these we frequently gave help and comfort by sharing with them the slender stock of food and spirits we had taken with us.”
“I sure this was painful for you, doctor,” I said with empathy.
“There had been almost no preparation for the care of the wounded at Perryville, and as a consequence the suffering from want of help of all kinds, as well as proper accommodations, food, medicines, and hospital stores, was excessive . . . . There were some 1,800 wounded in and about Perryville. They were all very dirty, few had straw or other bedding, some were without blankets, others had no shirts, and even now, five days after the battle, some were being brought in from temporary places of shelter whose wounds had not yet been dressed. Every house was a hospital, all crowded, with very little to eat. “
“It is the same here, we are using every building, barn and home to house and treat the wounded,” I reminded him.
He went on dictating as though he had not hear me. “At the Seminary building there was some fresh mutton, and a large kettle in which soup was being made. I left at this house a box of bandages, comfortable, shirts and drawers, and a keg of good butter. Three days after, at this hospital, I found that the surgeons had improvised bedsteads, and had provided comfortable beds for all their patients from the stores of the Sanitary Commission leaving Dr. Jon Goddard to superintend the further distribution of supplies, on the 12th I went with Mr. Thomasson to Danville. We here found the wants of the sick as urgent as those of the wounded at Perryville. The Court-House was literally packed; many had eaten nothing during the day, most of them nothing since morning.”
I could tell the doctor was getting tired and I gently suggested, “Maybe we should quit for the night, doctor, and get some rest?”
“There are so many who can’t rest; surely we can go on a little longer.” He paused, then continued. “As there were many of the sick without shelter, I looked around to find some building where they might be carried, and, at last, have a roof over their heads. After some search, a carriage shop was found which would answer the purpose. This belonged to a Mr. J. W. Welch. At my solicitation he opened it, had the carriages removed, and placed it at my disposal. I then procured two loads of straw, which was spread upon the floor, and two hundred men were brought in and laid upon it.”
I was quiet while the doctor collected his thoughts. My mind wandered to the many sick and wounded inside the church building. After a moment, the doctor began again.
“Returning to Perryville, I had the satisfaction of seeing the condition of the wounded considerably improved, thanks to the untiring executions of the surgeons in charge, and the stores we had placed at their disposal . . . They are still, however, far too crowded, and their condition, in many respects, is susceptible of improvement. At the Seminary Hospital, the best of the series, there were seventy-nine wounded . . . These were all badly wounded. . . “
I was awakened by the shaking of my shoulders and I let out a hoarse scream. It was only my husband, James Lewis; he had become worried when I had not arrived home at a reasonable hour. He had come to the church looking for me and found her asleep on one of the pews in the sanctuary holding on to the information on the church history.
“Betty, you must have fallen asleep. I was getting worried about you,” he said to me.
“J. L., I just had the weirdest dream. It happened during the Battle of Perryville. What do you make of that?”
“Well, the church history says the wounded and the dead were cared for here in the church, sort of like a makeshift hospital. The resources of Perryville, already dealing with a summer long drought and the drain of supplies that both armies required, was reaching its breaking point. Nearly every home, church, school, barn, shed, and other types of structures were used as makeshift hospitals.”
“But the dream was so real. There were the piles of amputated limbs found outside of doors and windows and the scenes of wretched horror were full of distraught. The dream was so vivid and gut-wrenching and the battle injuries went on for days, weeks, and months. Without water, without enough medical supplies, without clean conditions, the men stood little chance of survival if they had been wounded severely. Diseases were rampant, and the soldiers were not the only ones to suffer and die as many of the local citizens who helped nurse the wounded also took ill and passed away.” I was crying now, as I related the story to my husband.
J. L. led me to the door of the church as they left to go home. I was still shaken up and too afraid to stay and finish my work. It could wait until tomorrow during the daylight. As we left the church hand in hand, a figure followed them to the door. Dressed with a blood covered rubber apron over his tonic and bowtie, he understood the disgraceful way that the dead were the fodder for local hogs and crows and how that some men were buried in graves so shallow that when it would rain that an arm or a leg might pop out of the ground. Not a glorious end for a horrible battle.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-85683669595470674012011-12-08T06:11:00.000-05:002011-12-08T06:11:16.093-05:00Appalachian StudiesI thought this photo was funny. My youngest daughter, Christine, is a student at Berea College, majoring in History and minoring in Appalachian Studies. I am always pronouncing Appalachian wrong, so this sums it up just perfect!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzThlpaLgxrIjfRFC9EPb-v_oaIXMDbldwkN1gb2DCffwcklwuxJkjfSDbdhxqLwKW18aeKIn2TcwCyNLR_oxJgwhJvCDdfRC6MPDO8HZzPJ-dh4ZgRIbLI-P1NGLr3xSdNKwausFXtWU/s1600/GsNJNwuI-UM.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="11" width="16" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzThlpaLgxrIjfRFC9EPb-v_oaIXMDbldwkN1gb2DCffwcklwuxJkjfSDbdhxqLwKW18aeKIn2TcwCyNLR_oxJgwhJvCDdfRC6MPDO8HZzPJ-dh4ZgRIbLI-P1NGLr3xSdNKwausFXtWU/s320/GsNJNwuI-UM.gif" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-74252346617358066632011-12-07T12:11:00.000-05:002011-12-07T12:11:26.970-05:00Call to Arms Against Horse Slaughter Houses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cWtxN66MrdAS7JHh5Oykv0XmWmr7EAzS64FGfBL1Tl313c49qSrH4kL2lVVEUWdR5jO_mLIl10x4jLr6M_WBt6oWrZBZQdBxq0Wmyh3lEImBp-uP8Dc6qKvB1XPa1s9oZ_JDdbS1Ygy1/s1600/wild-horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="185" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cWtxN66MrdAS7JHh5Oykv0XmWmr7EAzS64FGfBL1Tl313c49qSrH4kL2lVVEUWdR5jO_mLIl10x4jLr6M_WBt6oWrZBZQdBxq0Wmyh3lEImBp-uP8Dc6qKvB1XPa1s9oZ_JDdbS1Ygy1/s320/wild-horses.jpg" /></a></div>I am reprinting this for my friend, the Catfish Queen. It is a call to arms about the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Here is her article:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>This Is Urgent - Horse Slaughterhouses Could Be Up And Running In Less Than A Month!<br />
<br />
To anyone who reads my Hubs with any regularity, let me offer a preemptive apology. This one will most likely contain typos and grammar errors and not meet my usual standards, but this heinous information needs to be publicized as quickly as possible.<br />
<br />
Without fanfare and under the guise of balancing the budget, Congress has made it profitable to butcher our horses. Within the month, horse slaughterhouses could be up and running across the United States. Tucked into the bill that kept the government running through December was a repeal of a 5 year funding ban for horsemeat inspections.<br />
<br />
The USDA is the agency that would oversee the inspections, just as they do for meat, dairy, vegetables, etc. While the bill does not give the USDA additional funds, it is now within the agency's discretion to cut funding from other programs to cover the estimated $3 to $5 million dollars that would be required to run the inspection program. In other words, they'll rob Peter to pay Paul, funneling money that should be used to keep our food safe into this atrocity.<br />
<br />
Lifting this ban opens the door to soulless opportunists who would line their pockets with money made by butchering horses. They will tell you that it's more humane than shipping the horses to Canada. They will tell you that it's a humane alternative, that the horses would be abused or starved otherwise. They will tell you that it's only the old, sick or un-trainable horses that will be slaughtered. They lie. Buyers of horse meat want only "prime cuts". They will not buy diseased carcasses for human consumption. This ban will allow young, healthy horses to be butchered by the thousands.<br />
<br />
Here's what Dave Duquette, president of a pro-slaughter group called United Horsemen (irony, anyone?) bragged to CBS News - "I have personally probably five to 10 investors that I could call right now if I had a plant ready to go," said Duquette, who lives in Hermiston, Ore. He added, "If one plant came open in two weeks, I'd have enough money to fund it. I've got people who will put up $100,000." He's practically salivating about his share of the profits.<br />
<br />
If any of y'all are from Wyoming, I urge you to contact Sue Wallis, a state lawmaker and, coincidentally I'm sure, the vice president of United Horsemen. Here's what Cruella, I mean Sue..had to say about the matter - "The federal ban devastated "an entire sector of animal agriculture for purely sentimental and romantic notions," she said. She's about to find out just how sentimental and romantic we are when our horses are threatened by people who only see dollar signs.<br />
<br />
I'm a Kentucky girl, and we're proud of our horses and our whiskey. We were sickened to find out in 2002 that Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner, had been butchered after being sold to a Japanese racing stable and shipped to Japan. This magnificent stallion, who had made his owners tons of money and had given excitement and enjoyment to legions of racing fans was butchered for DOG FOOD. Was he old, sick, or un-trainable? No. He simply was not profitable any more.<br />
<br />
I'm begging all of you who read this to contact your state lawmakers and raise absolute teetotal hell. Tell everyone you know, and tell them to tell everyone they know. This ban was lifted deviously, and Congress thought they could get by with it. Please help me prove them wrong. I guess I could have included some video of horses being slaughtered to make this more incendiary, but I have faith, based on what I've seen on these pages, that a sincere plea will be enough. Please, please help. This has got to be stopped, and we don't have much time.<br />
<br />
I've listed some relevant links below, and I'm betting that being the intelligent, creative and compassionate people I know y'all to be, you'll find more.<br />
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57333515/horses-could-soon-be-slaughtered-for-meat-in-us/?tag=mncol;lst;1">Horses could soon be slaughtered for meat in US - CBS News<br />
Horses could soon be slaughtered for meat in US<br />
</a></b> <br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/17051/death-of-a-derby-winner-slaughterhouse-likely-fate-for-ferdinand">Death of a Derby Winner: Slaughterhouse Likely Fate for Ferdinand | BloodHorse.com<br />
</a></b>Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner who went on to capture the following year's Horse of the Year title with a dramatic victory over 1987 Derby hero Alysheba in the Breeders' Cup Classic, is dead. The Blood-Horse has learned the big chestnut...<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.indyarocks.com/videos/Rescued-from-Slaughter--Mare-and-Foal-903747#">Indyarocks Videos - Rescued from Slaughter Mare and Foal<br />
</a></b>Rescued from Slaughter Mare and Foal. This mare was rescued from slaughter. It is NOT the sick and elderly that are sent to slaughter! Find this video and other related videos at Indyarocks.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1132675/Why-healthy-foals--just-day-old--killed-Britain-crisis-hit-racing-industry-slaughtering-adult-thoroughbreds-thousands--end-dog-food-French-dinner-plates.html">Why healthy foals - some just a day old - are being killed across Britain...<br />
</a></b>Graceful and sleek, the beautiful bay racehorse was used to the thunder of applause as she swept past the grandstand - not the sound of a rifle.<br />
<br />
These Links Will Show You How Your Lawmakers Voted And How To Contact Them. Please Make Some Noise, Folks!<br />
•<b><a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2011-208">GovTrack: Senate Vote on Conference Report: H.R. 2112: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropria<br />
</a></b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2011-857">GovTrack: House Vote on Conference Report: H.R. 2112: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriat<br />
</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.contactingthecongress.org/">Contacting the Congress: A Citizen's Congressional Directory<br />
</a></blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-19402138261464824922011-12-06T23:50:00.000-05:002011-12-06T23:50:25.376-05:00Louisville Poet Nominated for National Pushcart Prize in Poetry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f2sP3iUDYRp1Q_48uz169VbqUwIfrZ6fA-jL3u5NEgJJon-kQK5-iqlULaLAVLbbT0aBrFN8MqgXm3hTTDjolHgoo7dqoyxaMuHt2n_TvJwa8gKl1Y47t6Pvlc77S4tf0WdHOA6xUb2F/s1600/sheri_wright.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f2sP3iUDYRp1Q_48uz169VbqUwIfrZ6fA-jL3u5NEgJJon-kQK5-iqlULaLAVLbbT0aBrFN8MqgXm3hTTDjolHgoo7dqoyxaMuHt2n_TvJwa8gKl1Y47t6Pvlc77S4tf0WdHOA6xUb2F/s320/sheri_wright.jpeg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">My friend and Kentucky author - Sheri Wright - has been nominated for a national Pushcart Prize in Poetry:<strong> </strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Local poet, Sheri Wright in the running for prestigious prize</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">LOUISVILLE, Ky., ( December 6, 2011) – Sheri L. Wright was nominated for the Pushcart Prize by Journey MacAndrew’s, the editor of <i>The Single Hound</i> for her poem <i>The Tenants of Central Park</i>, published August 2011 as part of the "Poet of the Month" selections. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Not since 2002, has a Louisville poet won the national Pushcart Prize for Poetry. Sheri L. Wright, author of five books of poetry, is the host of a literary radio show <i>From the Inkwell</i>. Wright hopes to break the lull with her nomination. When asked about this prestigious nomination Ms. Wright said, “I credit my success to a variety of writer's critique groups, like the Green River Writers, and to individual poets. I also worked with acting and voice coaches to improve my reading.” She believes that this formula helped her to learn her craft. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ms. Wright also attributes her achievements to learning to get out of her own way, and to stop over-thinking the creative process. Wright is committed to her art and engages in the creative process daily, by writing, editing her work, or reading other poets and writers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Wright's newest book of poetry, <i>The Slow Talk of Stones</i>, was released this year and has received many favorable reviews in regional blogs and newspapers, including <i>The Courier-Journal</i> and <i>Lexington's Herald-Examiner.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Currently, Wright seeks ways to help other writers in the region find voice on her literary radio show, <i>From the Inkwell</i>, which is a live-streaming broadcast aired on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., on <a href="http://www.cescenthillradio.com/" target="_blank">http://www.cescenthillradio.com/</a>, a non-profit station in Louisville, KY. Sheri also founded and hosts the Stone Soup Poetry Series, held the last Sunday of every month at The Bard's Town, restaurant, theatre and lounge located at 1801 Bardstown Road. Ms. Wright features poets and musicians. She feels that collaboration between artists of all mediums is not only fun, but key to supporting one another.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To purchase Wright's books, schedule a reading, workshop or editing services, please visit <a href="http://www.scribblingsandsuch.com/" target="_blank">http://www.scribblingsandsuch.com/</a>. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-71431094293381203902011-10-09T23:57:00.000-04:002011-10-09T23:57:49.919-04:00Arts Council of Mercer County Fall Arts Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgIVI8nJJSRlg5t0oKbs0k2KhrmK0LvyCnAFYNS3RkhbRqqBonyZm4Ba3aOloCYI-iXsRRGag1SY0sgpe2XC454IgdqM_kgs3N9cgQfBCZi7_TYxAQX0bjRHPyMF7jNhHyz3eClNdMao/s1600/Fall+Arts+Festival.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgIVI8nJJSRlg5t0oKbs0k2KhrmK0LvyCnAFYNS3RkhbRqqBonyZm4Ba3aOloCYI-iXsRRGag1SY0sgpe2XC454IgdqM_kgs3N9cgQfBCZi7_TYxAQX0bjRHPyMF7jNhHyz3eClNdMao/s400/Fall+Arts+Festival.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Our booth at the Harrodsburg Fall Arts Festival</span></div><br />
The Arts Council of Mercer County held their 3rd annual Fall Arts Festival this weekend at Old Fort Harrod State Park. This is the first year the show has ran for 2 days, Saturday and Sunday. In addition to wonderful entertainment by storytellers, bands and singers, there were numerous art vendors, as well as plenty of activities for the children.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNA2M1xVzTYpxFL0eofUhBzX5KB6HBDmt4sYhHloP-RMBoYUZRSd1r9iFUScuwVwnjty8KSjlYXL-rNmUa1Ye2e5fiQQwvrqh4pVW6vyJopWNUjqJKaDVBEIM2KeuR3yCO5Xsafw_T97I/s1600/Fall+Arts+Festival+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNA2M1xVzTYpxFL0eofUhBzX5KB6HBDmt4sYhHloP-RMBoYUZRSd1r9iFUScuwVwnjty8KSjlYXL-rNmUa1Ye2e5fiQQwvrqh4pVW6vyJopWNUjqJKaDVBEIM2KeuR3yCO5Xsafw_T97I/s400/Fall+Arts+Festival+1.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Enjoying the beautiful day</span></div><br />
We had a good weekend selling the book. Thank you to everyone who came out and bought a copy of Harrodsburg (Images of America) and the chapbooks Bobbi's Mercer Memories Vol. I and II. We also would like to thank the people who came out for Debra Watts' new childrens' book CARter CAR and His Wild and CARazy Birthday; she had a great weekend as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0l3NV8gn2kcFEdD3nsJ08C6cin6S_DyT3z32SQsKYtqPQ09Jj63FjzuZpwIKXvSL9XgaCK7KM9IyoX7Q7H2HZXUCJ7nx1cNvax4ebn-dIddDedp7R4Fk6m-GNXclHU-E0P3LuyTVQAA/s1600/blueberry+cobbler3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0l3NV8gn2kcFEdD3nsJ08C6cin6S_DyT3z32SQsKYtqPQ09Jj63FjzuZpwIKXvSL9XgaCK7KM9IyoX7Q7H2HZXUCJ7nx1cNvax4ebn-dIddDedp7R4Fk6m-GNXclHU-E0P3LuyTVQAA/s400/blueberry+cobbler3.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Blueberry Cobbler Soy Candle from CHL Scented Creations</span></div><br />
Also, our new friends Lisa and Cricket - the Candle Ladies - from DHL Scented Creations, where there with their delicious smelling soy candles, tarts and air fresheners. It's nice to kick back with good friends and have a great time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0DZ7AXRFlKlnEp3sEFwUmCL-RNxkRvKm-1h4BHB5I76CfZJO5KeUhEtjY4JDk0dvNFxnxv9yeS4XauyW-fkSm6uErOyPwrvkBjA-SQoEt5Wd107gi-qLe6RPH4948GlfeL3u6S9FUWQ/s1600/Cricket+with+my+chapbooks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0DZ7AXRFlKlnEp3sEFwUmCL-RNxkRvKm-1h4BHB5I76CfZJO5KeUhEtjY4JDk0dvNFxnxv9yeS4XauyW-fkSm6uErOyPwrvkBjA-SQoEt5Wd107gi-qLe6RPH4948GlfeL3u6S9FUWQ/s400/Cricket+with+my+chapbooks.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cricket with 2 of my chapbooks and a Monkey Sock hat from the Mad Hatter</span></div><br />
Thank you ACMC for a great fall weekend and a great Fall Arts Festival!<br />
<div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0ummm7ieTvN4WxI1JySkQZEQ3jp5xTF1BXa0Y99hfetIo0HxkTP6syJSUrSEaAA_OWnBn4d7O0XfR4ZvlMpWo1AO2s-Qzjh_YNVKpCKJbbxnT3XMBQ0p1WMBC4is57OMp3tUREKgUrM/s1600/100_0974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0ummm7ieTvN4WxI1JySkQZEQ3jp5xTF1BXa0Y99hfetIo0HxkTP6syJSUrSEaAA_OWnBn4d7O0XfR4ZvlMpWo1AO2s-Qzjh_YNVKpCKJbbxnT3XMBQ0p1WMBC4is57OMp3tUREKgUrM/s400/100_0974.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black Leather air fresheners from CHL Scented Creations</span></div><br />
<br />
.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-5215582523429946052011-09-27T20:55:00.000-04:002011-09-27T20:55:14.890-04:00Should She<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUrGdpPH3EvQAii0G8c_tNMITSLZNjEQkoFCsl1IwXwRs6vMlyHW3MPE7ihYDGEZKSkaAJZp2-sdZuCHInfUJp6QUav9sjwoxvd4LhSHZ-wmbEb2rvvQRhaUrM07Z24jPO3TVd5zTKT8/s1600/deer+in+road1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUrGdpPH3EvQAii0G8c_tNMITSLZNjEQkoFCsl1IwXwRs6vMlyHW3MPE7ihYDGEZKSkaAJZp2-sdZuCHInfUJp6QUav9sjwoxvd4LhSHZ-wmbEb2rvvQRhaUrM07Z24jPO3TVd5zTKT8/s400/deer+in+road1000.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo copyright Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixel Narratives)</span></div><br />
<br />
<b>SHOULD SHE</b><br />
The afternoon sun brightens the forest,<br />
just before it hits the horizon;<br />
a small doe timidly steps onto<br />
the crushed gravel road.<br />
<br />
Should she cross this barren terrain,<br />
or should she retreat to safety?<br />
Prepare to leap if danger encroaches,<br />
she steps into the road.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-47962519527712285522011-09-27T20:42:00.000-04:002011-09-27T20:42:14.567-04:00Cornfield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJgJxpa3UdRLcB1rjYmQ8SduQOECElNokYpuwWPGixif09SCwfBmv5rgnGlRd10OCY7muNFBGG3jDLoIorT1HS7Hh2GYii-7HsRmiuL5gtPZFVUKoaGpRNEa3FBT5fDtWDdh540Dcalg/s1600/CORNFIELDHDR1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJgJxpa3UdRLcB1rjYmQ8SduQOECElNokYpuwWPGixif09SCwfBmv5rgnGlRd10OCY7muNFBGG3jDLoIorT1HS7Hh2GYii-7HsRmiuL5gtPZFVUKoaGpRNEa3FBT5fDtWDdh540Dcalg/s400/CORNFIELDHDR1000.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo copyright Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixel Narratives)</span></div><br />
<br />
<b>CORNFIELD</b><br />
The cornfield, slowing starting to yellow,<br />
neglected in the darkening sky<br />
as grass and storm clouds move in.<br />
<br />
Or maybe the yellowing corn<br />
is near the outer fields<br />
as the storm has passed away.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-85363705924339995772011-09-27T19:04:00.000-04:002011-09-27T19:04:10.158-04:00Birdhouses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKwBtX_JHL691duJBwjZd-biFQymsIqmkqvSxdXwMIgRXf8H6y6xlqEkI8Jdk-YKy3e-jEX5DBARtcAv8Ggqloz_2yPPTLUUdcBhPCY25mXBV82hiL2NwwMoKhNjyxpUnmjSFDP0MFHw/s1600/birdhouses1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKwBtX_JHL691duJBwjZd-biFQymsIqmkqvSxdXwMIgRXf8H6y6xlqEkI8Jdk-YKy3e-jEX5DBARtcAv8Ggqloz_2yPPTLUUdcBhPCY25mXBV82hiL2NwwMoKhNjyxpUnmjSFDP0MFHw/s400/birdhouses1000.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo copyright Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixel Narratives)</span></div><br />
<br />
<b>BIRDHOUSES</b>The birdhouses line the vivid blue fence<br />
all different sizes, all different colors,<br />
awaiting families them all.<br />
<br />
Robins and wrens,<br />
bluebirds and finches,<br />
swallows and a woodpecker or two.<br />
<br />
What lovely homes they appear to be<br />
how I wish I was a little birdie<br />
to make my home cozy and sound.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-57303242097551375832011-09-27T06:57:00.000-04:002011-09-27T06:57:33.199-04:00Grocery Store<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEg2v-2aMwFOtFhjDkKkU0mupIENw0cg0UbjXEn2HjnEYIPJ-jcEV-UpWWy22HOdo2mm62JUsOHJL3QOfRBlnkG28gOmZHxbcSYCCoSjsDPWihbNjYAI6G7fhwfh8qOtfdKBU7MPls3_w/s1600/groceries4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="316" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEg2v-2aMwFOtFhjDkKkU0mupIENw0cg0UbjXEn2HjnEYIPJ-jcEV-UpWWy22HOdo2mm62JUsOHJL3QOfRBlnkG28gOmZHxbcSYCCoSjsDPWihbNjYAI6G7fhwfh8qOtfdKBU7MPls3_w/s320/groceries4.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Grocery Store<br />
</b><br />
Cars pull in the lot<br />
parking willy nilly;<br />
people of all gender and race<br />
size and color, too.<br />
<br />
The breeze picks up<br />
pulling the heat<br />
from the oil-stained asphalt<br />
between the yellow lines.<br />
<br />
Two gallons of milk;<br />
paper, plastic or cloth,<br />
environmentally conscious <br />
or people caring less.<br />
<br />
We are the way,<br />
the how, the where,<br />
the why, the when,<br />
the what the fuck.<br />
<br />
Power makes the world go ‘round<br />
Power is what gets ahold of you<br />
and never lets you go.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-77996515798301560802011-09-26T18:55:00.000-04:002011-09-27T19:02:00.015-04:00The Barn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifktyu0Z1NZVQppltyFK5mOoeJSFayEOxUZ20qm18px1DbbsGBDLhzJmgeUYtts4cFkx-BrieLFY7rtvBm0TUZTKuH_jyAEEOvqj919wQsMaFJUmgfThaqsP5SYGRpE_9snAhyefFVbsQ/s1600/barn+lane1b+and+w1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifktyu0Z1NZVQppltyFK5mOoeJSFayEOxUZ20qm18px1DbbsGBDLhzJmgeUYtts4cFkx-BrieLFY7rtvBm0TUZTKuH_jyAEEOvqj919wQsMaFJUmgfThaqsP5SYGRpE_9snAhyefFVbsQ/s400/barn+lane1b+and+w1000.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo copyright Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixel Narratives)</span></div><br />
<br />
THE BARN<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The big barn down the lane<br />
<br />
sit under the thunderheads,<br />
<br />
waiting for rain and all of the wind<br />
<br />
secure and sturdy he stands.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The big barn down the lane<br />
<br />
has passed a century old;<br />
<br />
well-kept and well-loved<br />
<br />
outliving the creators hands.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The big barn down the lane<br />
<br />
beautiful in a majestic way;<br />
<br />
lumber is worn, hinges are frayed<br />
<br />
but confidence is always portrayed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2317757298707703398.post-76168310132219542132011-09-25T18:34:00.000-04:002011-09-27T19:01:18.885-04:00The Sycamore Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M3j6asX2nPWWm-MLsDdazIJC5Cj4PPYGYV4x_W8UtZHJu9GwPJKmqy6GKqcOBq6NrRqMDPH8QWrrkMl-Lj6CQsIq8T9O0NsmnobL3QTbiE7zCITyKTc8ZLI8rzwqSI7JMZbw8Kq7VNM/s1600/the+sycamore1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2M3j6asX2nPWWm-MLsDdazIJC5Cj4PPYGYV4x_W8UtZHJu9GwPJKmqy6GKqcOBq6NrRqMDPH8QWrrkMl-Lj6CQsIq8T9O0NsmnobL3QTbiE7zCITyKTc8ZLI8rzwqSI7JMZbw8Kq7VNM/s400/the+sycamore1000.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo copyright Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixel Narratives)</span></div><br />
<br />
<strong>THE SYCAMORE TREE</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
The Sycamore protects the house<br />
with long, lean limbs of white;<br />
so old with age, it’s hard to say<br />
how much longer she will be around.<br />
<br />
The Sycamore looms not in the horizon,<br />
but in the side yard of the house;<br />
sheltering the house in summer<br />
but leaving anxiety with the cold wind.<br />
<br />
The Sycamore tree, a friend a foe,<br />
stands tall above the land;<br />
how long will she last, is it her time to go<br />
or will she reign as Queen of them all?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15334812243182354729noreply@blogger.com0