Class Essays

I turned in an essay recently that I thought had a tongue in cheek component to one of my legal class instructors. When I received it back she wanted to make sure I knew that I wasn't a very good writer and she thought I could benefit from a business English class, the "C" she had given me on it wasn't really deserved. Well I already knew that to shift gears from classes over the last 2 decades in creative writing and the humanities to legal and 21st century workforce issues would be hard I didn't think it would be brutal. Crying all the way home (but before that first giving thought to pushing her down the stairs) I was ready to give up. Then I realized having invested  over $1,000.00 and countless hours at the JC working towards making myself marketable in a world of massive unemployed and few available jobs that want to pay over $10.00 an hour, I would put on my big girl panties and just work harder. No I'm not giving up on my dream of having the story collection published, in fact have made myself promise that before this year is out I will have Fridge Magnet Chronicles typed, edited and polished for all the world to see. In the meantime here's my latest essay assignment, a different instructor so we shall see what her take on my grammar and writing style is...

Time Allocation
My goal for the year is to have my story collection The Fridge Magnet Chronicles published. Everyone said when I got laid off “Oh but just think how much more time you will have to write.”
I am getting better at doing the old writer’s adage of BIC and no I don’t mean make sure you have a pen in your hand at all times should the muse arise, I mean BUTT IN CHAIR! I have found time for more creative writing workshops than I would have been able to attend but then as time went on without a job on the horizon and the fact that unemployment doesn’t last forever, had to forgo classes of that nature and focus on marketable skill learning.
During January and February with extra free time I cleaned out drawers and closets finding a treasure trove of notebooks filled with my ruminations on family, friends and my life past present and future. The goal then became to set the timer and type from these scribbling to make lucid and tidy for the upcoming editing necessary to put my stories into the book.
So there you have what my main focus has been over the last several weeks, wouldn’t say it’s anything to write home about but I am starting to feel a sense of accomplishment. I know that to become better at anything it requires practice, I am putting that knowledge to work and do feel that the challenge of my goal for this year will be accomplished!

What February means to me...

I sit here ruminating about the shortest month of the year looking out through the kitty pawed dirty sliding glass door to the bright winter sunlight reflecting on what February means to me. Ten years ago I was angry at February as my dad hung in comatose from the last fight against his cancer. Valentines Day brought me the news that he was gone and until recently I didn't want flowers or candy, I wanted my dad back. This year on the 10th anniversary of his passing my mom wants my sister and me to write something about a memory with dad so she can scrapbook it. Mine will be a fish tale of 21 year old daughter getting the first bite while the seasoned old fisherman watches as his hook just bobs about in the water. Five years ago I was also angry at February while I watched the decades old relationship with hubby waiver between the end or a new beginning. I now post the miscelaneous ramblings of a suburban kind of guy on his facebook page for him, guess that means we got through the rough patch huh. So the February that used to make me angry has now mellowed over the years, kind of like I have. This February actually is making me very happy with the publication of Healdsburg Alive, poetry and prose of some talented local authors including yours truly (ok and the husband). So I wish you a splendid February. What could only have made it a better February is if today while enjoying the company of friends we could be cheering to the 49ers on Super Bowl Sunday!