A Winter's Sky
It's unseasonably warm this winter, but there's still a chill in the air!
Hello!
I hope January 2020 is treating you well. For me, it has been a somewhat slow start to this new year and decade.
There has finally been some reprieve in the weather in my homeland of Australia and those I know who have had property damaged or have been threatened by the blazes seem to now have some time to regroup and recover. I am so relieved. I cannot imagine how they have been feeling. The fear and uncertainty tinged with smoke and ash. I have been feeling quite powerless.
Despite the shaky start to the year with an illness (isn’t that always the way when you travel? You get sick on your return?) and the devastating fires, January has been productive for me in terms of writing.
I have had time to sit down and think about some projects I’ve had on the back burner. My work schedule has decreased (I am no longer teaching German in Swedish! A great relief) and I have a more regular schedule at the museum I work in. It gives me time to write, read and think.
I have also been reading. In my ‘former life’ as a teacher of senior students I read so much that I only really read for pleasure in the school holidays. When you’re reading thousands of words by your students, learning new texts to teach (in a three year period I worked out I taught 25 new texts including four new Shakespeare plays!), and have an intense marking load (exam time saw me marking upwards of 180 essays. It was draining!)
I have read some fabulous books so far (and a couple that were just okay, which is okay!) - I will send out some recommendations in a week or so.
It’s been unseasonably warm here. I went for a walk the other day and the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the grass was green (it’s when I took the photo). It can often be snow-covered, icy and quiet in January. It really feels like spring is rapidly approaching.
My Medium writing to date includes:
Poetry:
Several of these poems are haikus, a lovely short form of poetry that I enjoy the challenge of writing. I have also written some poetic prose, something I also enjoy. Please click the title to read the poem.
Satire:
Residents and Seagulls In Frenzy Over Penis Fish! (this is based on a true story!)
Feeling Down? Turn That Frown Upside Down! ( I needed a pep talk!)
Do Your Collars Match Your Cuffs? (a story about how my mum embarrassed my sister and me. Again!)
Conversations With Myself (I was home alone, alright?!)
Need A Job? Apply Here! (because job ads are so irritating!)
Other Pieces:
Where Has Leadership Gone? is my response to the inept reaction to the Australian bushfires by the Australian Government. It’s the first time I’ve written and published something like this.
Clouds Caress The Sky: this is a photostory of clouds that was curated into ‘photography’ by the powers that be at Medium. It’s pretty exciting because it means this piece is distributed to many more people - all of whom are interested in photography in some way.
On Tea and Dreams: this is a piece of fiction - I am trying new things this year!
Hey, Siri!: this is another piece of fiction that literally just poured out of me after I read a great prompt by Xavier Van Holde. He is prolific at sending out amazing prompts for all sorts of writing styles. I’d tried my hand at his poetry prompts before but it was his fiction prompt that gripped me this time.
When Loss Is Gain: this piece is personal. It’s about the death of my grandfather and one way that experience shaped my life. It was in response to a writing challenge by Kathy Jacobs at her publication on Medium called I Challenge You. I love a good challenge!
Looking at this list, I can see that I have managed to be reasonably prolific! I’ve also been in touch with other writers which I find enjoyable. Technology can bring people together!
My time off has been brilliant - and I am now looking forward to 2020! Thanks for reading along.
Lisa xx