Filling the Vase: A.M. Writing Workshop

In our workshop this morning Raymond Pert had us compose a piece that associated writing with activities we do that bring us pleasure. Here is the first draft of my poem:

Filling the Vase

Writing is wandering through the
garden path harvesting morning flowers.
Gathering leaves, finding fillers,
snipping blossoms as they begin to open.
Pausing to reflect and even observe
while paying attention to the smells.

Gold, chartreuse, and deep purple become the wondrous words,
thorny stems phrases cut too deep.
The combination of textures sort the sentence variety
over powered by the sweet scent of similes.

The violet vase is the vessel of form
Aligning the sentences, arranging the words,
Taming texture with attention to audience.

Place the bouquet on the farmhouse table,
or away for a spell to let the contents settle.

inland empire girl June 24, 2008

Gathering for Writing: A Perfect Setting

The participants in the writing retreat arrived today. We began our retreat with a short session, and were able to enjoy this lovely sunset as we gathered around the campfire.
People had some time to get acquainted and enjoy some relaxation before we begin our writing sessions tomorrow.

Our visiting writer is my brother Raymond Pert. He participates in the weekly sibling assignments and his blog can be found here. His car broke down this morning after he was halfway here. Finally he found a rental truck and was able to arrive in time to meet the group at the campfire. I look forward to a full day of writing and discussion tomorrow.

Postcards from Lake Payette

Today we arrived at the Field Campus of the U. of Idaho in McCall. Those of you that have been reading my blog for awhile know that I facilitate and participate in an annual writing retreat here in McCall, Idaho. The camp sits on the shores of Lake Payette. The lake calmed down as the sun began to set this evening.
BW and I opted to come a day early this year so we could have some time for setting up and relaxing before the other participants arrive tomorrow. We built a campfire and enjoyed a peaceful evening with the whole place to ourselves. I look forward to a good week of writing, reading, and relaxing.

How Do You Say "Great Meal" in German?

Tonight I am staying in Pullman, Washington with my friend BW. We coordinate the writing retreat together and are off to McCall, Idaho tomorrow. I was very fortunate to attend a German dinner tonight put on by the brew club her husband belongs to. The rules were simple. Every dish that was served had to have beer as an ingredient. The meal was based on a German theme. Some of the brew club members brought their own home brewed beer, while others just brought favorite kinds that went with each course. Where I grew up a Lucky Lager could go with chips and dip, a hamburger, and a piece of apple pie! No aluminum cans at this gathering. This beautiful salad had a wheat beer added to the dressing. The soup was made with a pale ale and Cougar Gold cheese, made right at Washington State University. BW's husband brought homemade sausage he had ground and filled before we left. They were grilled and very yummy! There was also German potato salad, pork dishes, cabbage, sauerkraut, soft pretzels, and beer bread. Desserts ranged from gingerbread to prune cake to the two cakes above. Each had a distinct taste and all were delicious (or so I heard.. I just couldn't sample everything). Now who knew about chocolate beer... I mean stout? One guy that brewed his own beer brought it out after dinner. I loved his pink sticky note label. I know IPA means something to the brew club members, but I can't quite remember what. It was a big learning curve for me tonight. I was amazed at how many delicious ways the group found to use beer for this dinner. Now I better go Google IPA.
Okay... I am back.... IPA... India Pale Ale. It is coming back to me now.

The Farewell Tour

I did the farewell tour of the gardens this morning. Later today I will load up to head to the annual writing retreat I attend each year in McCall, Idaho. This is one of my favorite times of the year in the garden, so I tried to capture some images to remind me later of this June blooming time. The lavender is just beginning to bloom.

This late blooming iris was hidden in the shade. We definitely need to move it out where we can see it better next year.

The pink Iceberg,


Unforgettable, Livin' Easy,and Honey Perfume. I will miss the sweet fragrance of this gorgeous rose.

Isabelle walked the tour with me, but now is trying to convince me I need to stay home with her by giving me this look of distress. I am eager to spend a week on Payette Lake with other teachers and writers, but I will miss home and our gardens.

Sibling Assignment #67: Jukeboxes, The Perch, and "Hello, It's Me"

I gave this sibling assignment this week:
What songs take you back to a summer growing up? Share the song and the memories that are attached to it. You will find Raymond Pert's here and Silver Valley Girl's here soon.

Growing up in Kellogg songs tended to be popular for two reasons. They were played over and over again on KWAL in Osburn at night, or were played on the jukeboxes in different restaurants and cafes around town. When I think of the early seventies many songs that hold memories blend together into jukebox songs. These were the songs people could call out the number by heart and everyone would yell "Yeahhhhhh" and play that song. In high school the jukeboxes I loved were at Sunshine Inn or The Boat where we would go hang out and have fries on a summer week-end. As we moved to college, jukeboxes were also a big part of our favorite hangouts in Moscow when we returned early before classes began.

Songs we loved from the jukebox had to be ones you could belt out loudly with your friends. They also had to be songs that if you heard the first few bars everyone would know the song. This was when Dick Clark still had hits every Saturday. This was long before MTV. This was our karaoke back then. These were songs that remained on the same jukeboxes, waiting for you to return at winter break.

You could sing to "Tie a Yellow Ribbon "by Tony Orlando and Dawn. Everyone knew the lyrics and tune to " Billy Don't Be a Hero " by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. In 1972 the top two favorites for all of us were " Alone Again Naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan ( the anthem for the "no-date wonders" on Saturday night) and "Brandy" by Looking Glass. I think so many of these songs stayed with us because they never left the jukeboxes. When we were old enough the next year to go into a bar, Tony's had our favorite hits just lined up at the jukebox. We could sway and croon to "Precious and Few" by Climax, " Betcha By Golly Wow" by the Stylistics, and "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon.

Now there was other music going on during this time period. We loved Chicago, the last songs by the Beatles, Bread, Elton John, and America. Hard rock had a following also. Elvis was still hanging in there and the Carpenters were always good for some perfume bottle microphone harmonizing, but the songs that always remained were those sing-along jukebox songs.

When I left home in August to return to the U. of I. we loved to walk to The Perch. It was a small store, deli, cafe mix. The Perch had jukeboxes that seemed to have the same songs I remembered singing back home. There was a familiar feel to The Perch. When Madge served hot chocolate topped with vanilla soft ice cream we could listen to our old favorites.

The quintessential jukebox song of all time for me was "Hello, It's Me" by Todd Rundgren. It was always on a jukebox somewhere, particularly The Perch. Even when I listen to the lyrics today it takes me back to a time of summer romances that you thought might last, saying good-bye yet hoping to hook up again, and regretting later what you had or didn't have.

The Perch is still there in Moscow, but I doubt the jukeboxes remain. Todd Rundgren performed "Hello, It's Me" on Wolfman Jack's show "Midnight Special" in 1973 and here is the YouTube video. Whether this is your first time listening or you are enjoying a blast from the past.... here is "Hello, It's Me."