* STORYTELLERS *

Are you one of the fortunate TV viewers who has VH1 included in your cable or satellite package? Have you ever watched the program "Storytellers"? 

A few days ago, I noticed Jason Mraz would be the featured artist on a particular day and time, so I set my DVR to record the show. This morning I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down to watch, and more importantly to listen to it.  (*I included the link to Jason's show. Just mute the stupid commercial that comes on first!)

I've loved Jason Mraz's music ever since he began, but even more so after watching this show. Since it is called "Storytellers," he also shared the hows and whys he wrote certain songs and he talked about keeping a journal ever since he was a teenager. 

He explained that his hit song,"Remedy (I Won't Worry)," was written for a friend who had cancer and it became an anthem for those who fight cancer and also of course the cancer survivors. 

He passionately shared the significance of writing "I Won't Give Up" and "Love For a Child," expressing how the song writes itself many times. The words just come to him and the strumming of his guitar reverberates and it all just happens. 

That's how my writing happens....sometimes. The words just flow and when that happens, it's magical. But most of the time it's very hard work. 

I am always amazed by the beautiful words and music that singer/songwriters write! They not only tell a tale with memorable words, but also compose the music that fits so perfectly. And because of that, they have so much more talent in their pinky-fingers than I do in my entire body.

And that's okay! Thank goodness for them, and for all the people who have discovered their passion, because they continue to fill our lives with beauty, whether it's with words, music, art, photography, etc.  





"...And it takes no time to fall in love
But it takes you years to know what love is." -- Jason Mraz - "Life is Wonderful"

FIFTH VGB: FROM AUDRY FRYER

I'm so happy to present my fifth VGB (Volunteer Guest Blogger), Audry Fryer. Somehow in fairly recent blog-hopping, I discovered Audry's blog, All Things Audry, and immediately became a follower. She's funny, she's a writer, she's a wife and mom of three kids - two of which are twins, so she is one busy woman! After reading her guest post here, please do stop by her blog and get to know her even better. Oh, and there's a huge picture of a beautiful cup of coffee right there on her blog....so how can you NOT love her? (and for you tea drinkers, it just may be a cup of tea. I'm not sure!) So, take it away, Audry!

Audry and Audrey (and My Missing “e”)

If there could be Julie and Julia (remember that movie based on a real life woman who cooked up all of Julia Child’s recipes and blogged about it), then there could be Audry and Audrey (a real life woman who watches Audrey Hepburn movies and blogs about it).  Right?!?  Please do not tell me if this has been done by someone else.  I mean it.  Don’t tell me – it will destroy my brief and unsubstantiated illusions of feeling brilliant. 

This the Audrey that inspired my name:

“Wait”, you say.   “You were named after Audrey Hepburn? 

But, you’re missing an ‘e’.”

I know.

Officially, the missing “e” resulted from my mom thinking my name looked better spelled without it.  In a way, I agree.  I like being unique.  In my school days, I never had to use my last name to distinguish which Audry I was.  And, since taking on my husband’s last name, my first, middle (Marie) and last name all equally contain 5 letters – Plus, that totals 15 letters in my full name which matches my birth date of the 15^th (of October).  One little extra “e” could have upset this entire balance.

On the other hand, here’s a scene that has played out one too many times in my life:

“Yes, it’s spelled A-U-D-R-Y no E.” 

“No, my last name isn’t Noey.  I meant there’s no ‘e’ in my first name.”

“A-U-D-R-Y.  Just the ‘e’.  Leave it out.” 

“No, no, my name is not Jesse.  I meant ‘just the e’ in Audry, as in there’s ‘no e’.” 

It’s been a tricky thing that missing “e”.  And, lately I’ve discovered a new problem.  I’ve been hearing, “You said you published a novel on Kindle and Nook?  I typed your name in, but I couldn’t find you.”  To which I have been saying, “Did you spell my name A-U-D-R-E-Y?  Because then, you won’t find me. There’s no ‘e’.”

E or no E, I love being named after a timeless icon as fabulous as Audrey Hepburn.  Recently, Audrey (see, you which one I’m talking about thanks to our “e” discussion) was featured in a commercial for Galaxy Chocolate.  Apparently, thanks to technological advances, the chocolate company was able to place their product in Audrey’s hands during a scene from Roman Holiday.  Upon seeing this clip on the news I realized a very important fact – crazy as it sounds, I’ve only seen one Audrey Hepburn film, My Fair Lady.  And, I saw it in high school during English Class.  Suddenly, I became inspired to fix a very apparent wrong.  This situation was far worse than a missing “e”.

Why not Audry and Audrey? Since I love that film, Julie and Julia, and I love ripping off great ideas (saves time dreaming up new ones), I thought I’ll do basically the same thing.  Except, I won’t have to spend hours in the kitchen cooking elaborate recipes. All I’ll need to do is sit on the couch and watch movies.  Oh look, something else I love – a reason to sit still.  (I have three children under the age of ten, a husband and let’s not forget the dog – so you get the picture!)

And

 

Be on the look out for Audry and Audrey, Part 2 www.allthingsaudry.blogspot.com in which I will post about my experiences of watching such classics as Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s - I know.  That song is playing in my head, too: “And, I said, what about Breakfast at Tiffany’s?”

I leave you with this fab Audrey quote:

 “I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”  ~Audrey Hepburn

Thank you, Audry.  Readers, please feel free to leave a message because Audry (without an "e") will be checking in from time to time, to answer questions and/or comments.

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER

I received an e-mail early this morning from "Listen to Your Mother St. Louis", that I will not be reading my story at the taping on May 11th. Congrats to all the ones who will be reading and I intend to be there, listening and applauding! 

(I'd already psyched myself up that I wasn't going to make it, so it wasn't a disappointing surprise. Honest!)




"I failed to make the chess team because of my height." -- Woody Allen

* FOURTH VGB: FROM DEBORA RORVIG

I'm so happy to present my fourth VGB (Volunteer Guest Blogger), Debora Rorvig. Debora is multi-talented. She writes beautiful prose and poetry, and is a fantastic photographer. She lives in the gorgeous state of Washington, near the Canadian border. Not a bad place to be for inspiration and "vision." 

Debora is one of my blog friends who I don't remember how we happened to "meet." I must've been blog-hopping and stumbled across her blog, or vice-versa but however it happened, I'm sure glad it did. We immediately discovered we shared similarities......as in, our mother's were both named Ruby. Not a very common name, huh?! Please meet Debora! 

~~~~~

First of all, thank you Becky for inviting me to be a guest blogger!  I love your blog and though we've never met, I feel I know you. We have such kindred spirits, I'm sure we were somehow separated at birth!

Some time ago I was surfing the web, looking for something or another when I came across a poem by a blogger from the Midwest. The poem was hauntingly beautiful with exquisite descriptions of the author's childhood, home, and family. It turns out that her poem was created by following a meme, a sort of template or outline. It is based on a poem by George Ella Lyon.  Since the meme suggests what you should put on each line, I thought it would fairly easy. So I set out to write about 'Where I Am From'.

I soon found that it was not that easy; but oh, so worth the effort. I started by jotting down bits and pieces of my favorite childhood memories. It became a tearful, emotional exercise as I journeyed back through my past. At times I found myself so overcome that  I could not  even continue to write. Finally, after several weeks of compiling the snippets of my past, I was able to compose myself enough to 'sew together' this literary patchwork quilt entitled "Where I Am From".

This poem is my most treasured piece of writing;  a gift to my children, grandchildren, and those who are yet to come through my lineage. I hope that my family will value it as I value the bone china teacup with yellow chrysanthemums left me by my grandmother Youngedyke.

I encourage, even dare you to write your own version of "I Am From". Be warned though...keep a box of tissue nearby! And if you do, please let me know when it's done. I'd love to read all about where you are from! You can visit me at www.thingsthatarelovely.blogspot.com

I Am From

by Debora A. Rorvig

I am from a lumber-mill worker's company house

with peeling paint and a sidewalk made of two-by fours,

from faded flannel shirts that smell of pine and cedar boughs.

I am from Mason jars of home-canned pears,

from Dairygold milk with cream on top

in bottles on the porch.

I am from a garden plot with rows and rows of golden corn

that always wanted hoeing,

and from atop the highest branches of the Gravenstein apple tree in Attolini's orchard--

with apple juice dripping from my chin.

I am from sauerkraut and wooden shoes,

the Millers and the Youngedykes,

and from the lively Scottish clan

who wear the McKinnon tartan.

From farmers and woodsmen

plain folks all,

whose hands were calloused hard,

but whose hearts were tender-soft.

I am from 'what will the neighbors think'

and 'if you can't say something nice

don't say anything at all.'

From saints and sinners who didn't see eye to eye

but loved each other anyway;

and in their own way.

I am from the Western shores of Washington,

strewn with agates, kelp and driftwood,

from Steelhead salmon, salty smoked,

and chowder made from clams we dug

at Semiahmoo spit.

I am from my mother Ruby

who taught me how to sew

on her old Singer treadle-machine

as she told me all about my heritage.

And from my daddy Raymond Claude,

who took me nightcrawler hunting in the moonlight

and showed me how to bait my hook

and fish along the Nooksack River's edge.

I am from an ancient tattered Holy Bible kept safely on the upper shelf

with pictures of Jesus Christ,

and a letter-edged-in-black

carefully tucked inside,

and a poem written by my great-great grandfather

 Alexander Laughlin McKinnon,

who I never met--

and yet I know him

better than some I've met.

Precious is that Book to me!

And that is where I am from.

 You can find this outline at http://www.swva.net/fred1st/wif.htm. Try it! You'll be surprised at the memories that will stir in your heart from this exercise.

Thank you, Debora. I've loved your poem from the first time I read it and I'm so pleased to find out how and why you wrote it. 


Readers, please feel free to leave a message because Debora will be checking in from time to time, to answer questions and/or comments.

* Welcome to my newest follower Theresa. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! * 

"Happiness is a sunbeam which may pass through a thousand bosoms without losing a particle of its original ray; nay, when it strikes on a kindred heart, like the converged light on a mirror, it reflects itself with redoubled brightness. It is not perfected till it is shared." -- Jane Porter

Listen To Your Mother - Update Only

I just received an e-mail from Listen To Your Mother. It was an "Audition Update Only." The four women organizers are going through the process of choosing the ones who will make it to the final cast. 

I should know by March 15th, if I'll be included or not.

blurry photo taken by Becky!

I'm so glad to know the decision date, because I hadn't been sure before. 

blurry photo taken by Becky!

Now I can concentrate on other things.......

"Listening is not merely hearing. Listening is reacting. Listening is being affected by what you hear. Listening is active." -- Michael Shurtleff

"The more personal, the more universal." -- Gary Ballinger

* LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER *

This afternoon I decided I would share my exciting news about being one of 30 women in the St. Louis area, chosen for a reading audition, for Listen to Your Mother.

Approximately 12 out of the 30 women will be chosen to read their true story in front of a live audience on Saturday, May 11.....the day before Mother's Day. 

My story is titled: Were Those Salad Tongs?  

I didn't want to mention it any sooner because I wanted to wait and see how it went today. Fortunately, it went well!

* I am friends with three of the other women who were also chosen to audition! Patt, Kim, & Linda. 

Patt, Kim, and I are also members of Saturday Writers! 

~~~~~

The Mission Statement

The mission of each LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER production is to take the audience on a well-crafted journey that celebrates and validates mothering through giving voice to motherhood–in all of its complexity, diversity, and humor.

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER aims to support motherhood creatively through artistic expression, and also financially–through contributions to non-profit organizations supporting families in need.

~~~~~

 * Welcome to my newest follower Adhi Das. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! * 

* I loved you enough to ask about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home." -- Erma Bombeck

* I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes." -- Erma Bombeck

Judy Blume

Less than an hour ago I happened to come across the NBC prime time show, "Rock Center with Brian Williams." Actually, The Ronald left the TV on in the family room when he went upstairs.....to watch TV in the bedroom. Go figure!

I was in the dining room writing, and since it wasn't loud enough to bother me, I didn't get up to turn it off. And I'm so glad I didn't because all of a sudden I heard something about the author Judy Blume. I stopped my writing, saved it, (of course!)...grabbed a glass of water and headed over to the couch. 

Chelsea Clinton did a wonderful job interviewing Ms. Blume. Judy celebrated her 75th birthday last month, lives part-time in Key West, Florida, and rides her bike around the island. Ahhhh, sounds delightful, doesn't it?

It's during television shows like this that I'm so glad to have the DVR with our cable system. Some of Judy's words were almost exactly the same as ones I've uttered. (Believe me, I'm NOT comparing myself to her AT ALL, in any way. I just found it so fascinating.) So...back to the DVR. I was able to listen, jot down her words, pause it, go backward and forward, and try to get the words right. Now....if I can just read my scribbles!

From Judy: "Writing changed my life. It gave me everything. It gave me courage. It made me understand more who I was.......finding my place in the world."

"I didn't know what I was doing, but I wasn't afraid to do it. I wasn't brave in real life, but I was brave in my writing....maybe because I didn't know any better."

Oh, how I can relate to all of that! Thank you, Judy Blume, for inspiring so many writers! And thank you for helping so many "tweens" make it through those awful growing up years!

* THIRD VGB: FROM LINDA SCHMIDT

I'm very happy to present my third VGB (Volunteer Guest Blogger), Linda Schmidt. 

I met Linda three years ago at an amazing writer/spiritual retreat in Des Moines, Iowa. If you're interested in knowing more about it, there are two or three short blog posts about it. Just click on the Des Moines and Iowa labels below. 

One is particularly funny because I wrote it in May 2010, I'd just reached my 50th Follower and I was so excited! I guess so. I'd been blogging since the end of 2008!

That particular blog post also mentions Linda Schmidt and her beautiful poetry. I asked Linda to be one of my VGBs and she agreed, sending the following poem and pictures. Linda doesn't have a blog, but she will be stopping by to read comments. 

~~~~~~~

Everything I need to know,

I learned from the dogs in my life.

From Sookie, I learned unconditional love and loyalty.

No matter whether I was away for a few minutes or hours or days,

Sookie always welcomed me with extravagant greeting.

Sookie

The runt of the litter, he developed thyroid problems and lost

large patches of hair, yet his spirit was beyond compare.

When Sookie got skunked, instead of keeping my distance,

I learned that he, too, was miserable and needed to be loved,

not less, but more.

Even though I knew Sookie's death from Cushing's disease would occur,

I was consumed with grief, but learned, somehow,

a day at a time, that life does go on.

Teddy B. Jackson

From Teddy B. Jackson, I learned the importance

of seeing situations from someone else's point of view.

An Australian shepherd with an intense herding instinct,

Teddy B. lived much of his life on probation

after corralling or biting too many persons who entered his territory.

Others would have put him to sleep or locked him away,

but I strove to understand him and develop a better way

of dealing with what humans judged as "criminal" deeds.

From Maizy Gracie, I've learned patience, social skills and adaptability.

She waited over a year in rescue before joining me

a week after Teddy B.'s death.

Gracie

Now, Gracie waits quietly at the gate when she's ready to come in,

and stops without complaint along the trail

while I linger to photograph wildflowers and birds.

She's outgoing, always making new friends,

and able to cut through friction to resolve disagreements amicably.

Though not the official therapy dog I at first thought she might be,

Gracie has developed an online fan club and ministers daily

to special people in ways far beyond my limited imagination.

When we visited Niagara Falls, a group of school girls from India

crowded around Gracie with their cell phones, excitedly snapping photos

with her instead of the rushing waters of the falls!

Indeed, in these and many more ways, the companion canines in my life

have taught me how to be a far better human being.

                                                                                         

 --Linda Schmidt, 2012

** Addendum: 11:45 am.....Linda sent me a new photo of Gracie from this morning and I just love it. I asked if I could add it to this post and she said "Sure!"  Below is Linda's caption:

Notice Gracie's eye roll in this pic I took this am...

she's saying "I've had enough of this stuff!"  

Thank you, Linda! And readers, please feel free to leave a message because she'll be checking in from time to time, to answer questions and/or comments.

* Welcome to my newest follower M.L. Swift. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! * 

"My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am." -- Unknown