* HAPPY MAY 1ST *

Hello All -

Once again, I'm here to announce I'm alive and well and hope all of you are the same!

I added three tidbits to: My Publications -Chronological Order on the left side about half way down. 

I discovered an opportunity to write poetry (even though I'm not a poet!) Unfortunately I wasn't aware of it until April 21st, and it began the first of April...being Poetry Month. 

If you click on the three links, it takes quite a bit of scrolling to find mine, and since they are very short, I decided to post them here. (for you reading pleasure! LOL)

April 27 - Word prompts for this: City, Open, Public, Design, Displaced

Although I love this city
I feel so displaced
especially now when the world
appears so upside down. There is no
“public” anymore. We are separated not
by choice but by design.
I throw open a window yearning
for the day I can resume my life.

— Becky Lewellen Povich

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April 24 - Word prompts for this: Remote, Shelter, Digital, Breathe, Distance

It was a remote shelter.
The distance was incredibly
safe, one I chose carefully, with
plenty of air to breathe.
The only problem was
nothing digital, only my abacus.

— Becky Lewellen Povich

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April 21, 2020 - Word prompts for this: Petal, Opal, Hallway, Swish, Gleam

With a gleam in her eye, Opal skipped and twirled
through the hallway, hoping to show off her beautiful new
polka dot skirt. She almost got dizzy, but managed to stay on
her feet and hang onto the yellow rose petal she’d found earlier that day.
Maybe someone would happen to open their door
and see her. She loved the swish and summery look of her skirt,
and also wanted to bring smiles to her elderly neighbors.
It was great being six years old!

— Becky Lewellen Povich

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* I don't know why I can't get rid of the white highlighting, or even why it's there! Sorry! *

* I'm So Proud of My Son, Mark! *

OMG! Fabulous news!!

Our son Mark just got hired to teach at Tulane University in New Orleans!! 

He has a one year contract to teach two philosophy classes and one cognitive science class. His title will be Visiting Assistant Professor. It's possible his contract could be extended, too. He'll be earning more money than he was getting presently at Washington University, and also free medical insurance!

He is very happy and excited, as are we. Classes start Aug 26, so he'll be moving soon! I'll share more info when I know more. (Obviously we will miss him, and even though we don't see him that much, just knowing he's only a few miles away has been wonderful.) 

I know I'll cry when I say goodbye to him. 🤧 I told him we'll have to Skype a lot.

* WELL, MY TIMING SEEMS A BIT OFF...*

I can't believe it's been eleven days since I posted a little note, saying I'd be back later that evening to share some news. What can I say? I just realized what and who I am. I'm a forgetful procrastinator. Put those two things together....and you got trouble!  J

The big news is not about me at all. It's about our son, Mark. Some of you might remember he's been a student at Washington University in St. Louis for a number of years. And now, after his dedication and hard work all those years, on March 10th of this year, he officially became a Doctor - a Ph.D in the PNP Program...Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology. (Uh, just where did he inherit his intelligence? I'd have to say it's from MY side of the family!)  Here is the notice on the WU website: http://pnp.artsci.wustl.edu/news/articles/430 
(Those of you who are also on Facebook, I apologize for the duplicate news posting!)

What comes to mind could be those wacky PhD characters on The Big Bang Theory:
Dr. Sheldon Cooper
Dr. Leonard Hofstadter
Dr. Raj Koothrappali
But, I can assure you that although Mark ....aka Dr. Povich...is an extremely intelligent guy, he is not a nerd!

Mark has always been the child/teenager/man that every parent dreams of. I guess you can imagine how proud and happy Ron and I are.

 

 

          

* Can You Hear Me Screaming? *

Can you hear me screaming all across the continent and all the way around the world?????

We've been on pins & needles for months, waiting to see if our youngest son, Mark, would be offered admission at Washington University, in St. Louis, as a Ph.D student in their PNP (Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology) Program. He just received the offer.....and he has accepted!!!!!!!!!!!  Alleluia!!!!

It's a 6-Year Program. He wants to become a teacher....a college professor.

This is the university he just graduated from with his bachelor's degree in philosophy. We're glad he'll still be close to home! ☺

Can you hear this proud mom??!!  Can you hear my huge sigh of relief??  Can you hear my happiness??

I can't even think of anything else to say at the moment!!

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." -- Henry David Thoreau

* More about the MWG Missouri Writers Guild Conference *

After posting last night about the conference, I realized I still had more to say about it!

I attended a workshop given by Catherine Rankovic. (Learn all about her on her website: Book Eval. I could never do her justice by posting just a few sentences.)

I have to admit that I was truly terrifed to sit in on her session and it just proves how wrong we can be about someone. I made the assumption that since Catherine taught creative writing at Washington University in St. Louis, she would be extremely critical of anything I might say or write, or question I might ask. Boy, was I ever wrong! For one thing....none of us were required to write anything....AND she was the exact opposite of what I expected. What a lovely, soft spoken, funny, and of course, very intelligent woman! I had the pleasure of meeting Catherine after her presentation, and I also sat next to her at lunch. Fabulous woman! I would LOVE to take her evening writing course at Wash U, but I think I'll have to wait two more years when my tuition would be Half Price...due to reaching a certain age. (Getting older does have its benefits!)

I also briefly met Regina Williams, Editor of The Storyteller magazine.
I also met Wendy Drew, owner of Rose's Bookhouse, in O'fallon, Missouri.
And, I had the pleasure of meeting Cindy Lovell, Executive Director/Education Coordinator of the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, Missouri. Please check all these fabulous women's websites. They are all have remarkable stories to tell.

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." -- Mark Twain


"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." -- E.L. Doctorow