Day # 304: Happy Halloween

#304

I have had little to communicate this week.  It was a very busy fast paced week and it actually feels like Pumpkinfest was a year ago.  But here we are at the end of another month.  2015 has gone quickly and I am about to go into a ten day poem cycle, and I have just come out of a very good photo week, and I would kinda like to say something smart tonight.  But that something is not jumping into my brain.  

A lot of the leaves were blown off the trees last night so this morning I got to see where the squirrels had rebuilt their nests following the removal of my big maple tree in August.  And the leaves that remained on the trees were this strong dark red.  The sun was bright and there were few clouds and it felt like that world had been swept clean.  I wish there was a way to do that inside my home.

We've had several mornings of frost this week and these daisies are still persisting in Edite's garden.  I went to photograph the Connecticut River today but stopped at Edite's first and ended out watching the Turners Falls Halloween parade and having dinner with Edite and William. 

                                   

                                                                                              10/31/2010

Tonight we change the clocks.  It will be sunset at 4:30 tomorrow.  For the next four months we have to sustain, persist, grow in darkness.  Maybe that's why all of my November poems are about light, they represent the beginning of the grieving process for me.  How sad?  November is good.  I will do grateful fors throughout November, too.   

Day # 303: All About Photography

     5 years
                                                                apart
                                                             
10/30/2010                                                                                               10/30/2015

#303

This day was completely about taking pictures.

First during a flash mob dance.  And then to be the peanut gallery during the town's Halloween celebration.  Some of the costumes this year were spectacular.  Emma had 3 incarnations of costumes.  I am posting a lot of photos tonight, but not as many as I would like because I don't have that many permission slips.  But the few I am posting are nice.  So enjoy the picture show.

A flamingo

 she does her own make up

 Snoopy came and waved to all the children and hugged and shook hands.  It was just a member of the Coop who did it for fun.  The kids were so thrilled by Snoop.  He danced and did those Snoopy type things.

Hard to determine from where this unicorn appeared.  I think it is the same one I saw in a meadow outside Hartford once.

Zombie children, I remember when this one was a cute princess.  Dig those teeth.

Day #302:Great fun picture taking

# 302

Today was a wonderful day for photographs.  I took a lot of photographs today. 

Bastard Nation

I spent sometime doing research today on the history of adoption issues.  Re-investigating Bastard Nation I got pulled into reading the whole website and then stuff about Marley and that took me to site about Abbie Hoffman.  Isn't research grand?  So I've re-posted the site because for those of you interested in Adoptee rights, this is a pretty important site.  

I sent out another story today.  It is definitely time to start asking around for publishing contacts.  

 I don't think my blog has been introduced to the farm, yet.  This farm is owned by a woman who raises animals. She sells goat cheese, pork, chickens, and turkeys.  She also has lots of pets.  Emma used to go up and help feed the animals.  Today we realized we hadn't been up in a really long time.  It was gorgeous up there.  When you park below the barns and start to take pictures the animals come around to see whose there.  These two goats stood there the whole time we were around.

Time to take out those sweaters again, my friends.  Tell me a story about your favorite sweater.  LOL!!

Day # 301: Preoccupied Authors

#301

The life of a new writer.  Here she is with the beginning of a manuscript.  

It is wet and cold out there and I guess we are waiting for strong winds, too.   Alright, so I guess November is right around the corner and even if we call it fall, it starts to feel like winter.  I'm convinced this November won't be difficult.  I'm convinced because my October was difficult, which is not normally the case, than November will be easy, or at least it will be productive. 

The Center For New Americans in Northampton does a poem a day fundraiser in November.  I have participated a couple of times.  I didn't feel like I could this year because I had just done my own fundraiser, but if you are interested in helping new immigrants or you like challenging yourself writing poetry, go to their website and sign up to do it.  It really is fun and at the end of the month they will have a big reading.  Try it out. 

I will write a poem a day in the first week of November and then I will go back to writing my blog again, but periodically post poems I wrote in past Novembers.   Meanwhile, I need to make a list of all the poems I have posted on this year's blog and see which ones I want included in the new manuscript.

I wrote a little bit of the book yesterday.  It has been really slow in the past two weeks.  But I have had four new original mothers contact me interested in the book.  Part of me feels like soon I will have to stop interviewing and just finish writing, but at the moment I am still so interested in stories.  

This is one of the books I mentioned yesterday.  It looks really interesting.

3https://www.facebook.com/Splitattheroot/photos/a.426094067455764.101860.422188677846303/1014584648606700/?type=3

10/28/2010

Today was a terrible photo day, but 5 years ago it was a wonderful photo day.   And thus, it goes. 

Day # 300: A Milestone

#300

I have intentionally documented the past 300 days. I feel slightly in awe of myself; committing to anything recently has been extremely difficult. But for 300 days I have taken at least 3 photos in the day and I have written at least a couple of sentences. Not all of it is good, but some of it is really good. LMW 10/27/2010

10/27/2010

It is Day 300 and I pulled up Day 300 2010 and I am amazed at how redundant I can be. 300 days of intentional action and maintaining a commitment to something, this blog. 

The other something is Women Who Said Good-bye.  I have maintained my commitment to both projects.  If I sound like I am bragging, I'm sorry, but I am pretty proud of these facts.  I have also posted photographs for 300 days.  

 Amber, mustard and cinnamon are the three dominating colors today.  Tonight is full moon and I really wanted to photograph it coming up into Green River Cemetery, but as my Mom woulda said, "Best laid plans of mice and men."

Day # 299: All Hail Smilin' Morn

#299

Talking about songs that get stuck in your head; crescendos and everything.  

I thought I might write something today about the history of adoption, but I didn't get to it and it is Monday so we had rehearsal.  Therefore, it is too late to be creative or even intelligent.  

But I did get some picture taking done today.  This is really close to the end because there is a big rainstorm coming on Wednesday that will take these leaves all away.  These fiery hills will become covered with leafless branches ready to hibernate for the winter.






And tomorrow is the last super moon of the year.  It was fairly phenomenal tonight.  Emma and I drove onto Main Street and it was a giant globe right above the buildings.  We both thought it was a plastic ball.

Alright, for you local people, the holiday concert is set for December 20th.  Mark your calendars.  

Day #298: Headache in Pleasant Valley Sunday

#298

A Polaroid kinda day

Gentle warmth ensures

empathetic actions

care for those you love

for Halloween in 2010

I just slept through the entire afternoon, and instead of getting household chores done I dreamed, woke up disoriented, and didn't remember anything

The road was wet but the sky was a bright blue with clouds, orange and grey, moving quickly in a northward fashion.

The yellows so prevalent three days ago are now a golden brown, tamer.

It did not take long for the sun to lower herself behind the horizon.

Day #297: Pumpkinfest

#297

Long Day

Fun Day

Crowds walking past

Music

chatter and the generator's whirl

Long Day

Cold Day

Dogs and children

Laughter

the smell of kettle popcorn

That was a break from real life.  It was not a break for anyone who worked it.  It is hard work.  It was cold work, but it is a break from all that is routine.  

Long Day

Cold and fun day

streets filled with pumpkins

hot dogs  

the enticement of fried dough