Summary of Sept. 25th meeting
In attendance:  Mike R., Mike W., Colin, Heather and Sue

It was great to reconvene after the summer and touch base again with everyone.  We are hoping we will see some new members this year to join the core membership already established.  Our assignment was to share about our summer experiences.  Colin had many adventurous and touching moments connecting with his collection of grandkids and getting to know them better while enjoying the beauty of the West Cost.  Mike R. shared his thoughts of the Platzl being a vibrant place that folks come to and stay if there was enough artistic and creative happenings to pique interest and keep it long enough.  He was able to observe the comings and goings of Platzl life while painting murals on some boring windows which drew curious onlookers cuz' something creative and unusual was actually taking place!  Sue kept us chuckling with her anecdotes of relatives and her trip to Ontario.  Particularly, the peculiarities of rellies who have certain ideas of how to properly use an outhouse!   In the midst of all the family dynamics, she made us feel the 'forlorness' of a town that has lost it's way out and the beauty of the rock and water in that part of Canada.  Mike W. and spouse survived the transition of organizing and moving stuff from their 40 years of life from one house to another as they packed up their belongings, pawned off possessions, dismantled a workshop and came to settle for good here in the Kimber.  Mike will once again grace the ski hill as soon as the snow flies!  I, (Heather) shared my summer experiences which highlighted a trip to the coast for a wedding, 75th b-day celebration, time with grown-up daughters and the annual family golf weekend...a carousel of laundry and guests!  Loved being in nature as always with new trails discovered and shoes broken in.  We finished off by exploring the cool form of the poetic "lune' which Mike R. introduced to us. It felt similar to Haiku but has a 5/3/5 word line format. It wet our appetites to do more! Until next time...

My apologies once again for the tardy blog update! We had some interesting meetings the last few times, wrote/shared some wild and wacky words of which I am forgetting the specifics unless I check my journal notes.  We managed to select and put together our 3rd journal with Mike Redfern at the helm of the whole process guiding us on and putting in numerous hours.  Colin and Heather graciously hosted us in their intriguing abode for our windup potluck in June with stimulating discussion in one of the coolest homes in Kimberley!  Homemade bread was brought by 'Mikey', plus a lovely assortment of ethnic yum yums and of course, drinks for all.  There were house tours and hopeful glimpses for the ghost but she never graced us with her presence. Instead, we graced each other's presence with humorous stories and anecdotes and a few attempts at card tricks by Don(keep your day job buddy).  Grab a copy of the journal around town, put your feet up somewhere and keep word-smything over the summer dear-hearts!

Summary of the May 1st meeting

An interesting assignment with responses as varied as the group...surprise, surprise! Don's ten sentence story reflected on his experiences as a teacher with a female student who was challenging on many levels but who found her place in the school culture, herself and the world by the unusual vehicle of her safe sex presentation. A lot of this made possible with some nurturing and belief by Don. Years later, she invited him to her wedding and Univeresity grad. A touching story of connection and overcoming stigma and exclusion. Sue Shaw led us on an interesting journey with a letter from a certain Evelynn Rothschilds to the lesser 'vassals and serfs' to whom she shares her thoughts on many global issues and social commentary in a highly amusing fashion. Colin invited us in with his story about his ten fave authors gracing his bookshelves and how they had to earn their priveleged place there in his imagination with their wonderfully engaging characters and stories. Mike R. Read a close to real life story about a senior cadet in the Navy who had a dicey encounter at a Texan bar when he was on a break with his mates. A hot babe was involved, a threatening knife and rescue from his buddies. Truly a close encounter of the red neck kind. I shared a story about the life of a rock who was found by a young girl, brought home to her garden and her life and treasured by generations to come. We finished off with a writing exercise starting with the prompt,'If I had more energy I would...' The group responses included, 'gardening, singing, walking, learning, connecting with old friends,becoming an essayist, engaging in sports and fitness, pursuing dreams, cycle trips,and more!

April 17th Meeting Summary

'...and then there were six.'  Two gals, Heather and Sue Shaw, joined by Mike R. and 'Mikey', Don and Colin. We shared bits about our favourite authors, some of which were Mike Redfern's pick of Arthur Ransome of the famous 'Swallows and Amazon' Series, Sue who felt carried away by James Clavell even though he was a 'puke' she says. John Grisholm ranked as one of Colin's top five along with Wilbur Smith and Pierre Burton.  Don Davies recommended reading Khaled Hosseire(sorry for any misspellings gang) of the 'Kite Runner' fame. Mikey said he was too young yet to have a favourite author but was open to 'Poppa Charlie's input as a seasoned reader and our suggestions of which we gave him many!  I shared a different version of the Mother Goose author and the inner lives of the nursery rhyme characters.  Mikey then asked us to take something we had heard that day and write from it.    Don wrote about  his granddaughter who, at only 10 years of age, is already 'rolling in the deep' of her own musical talents which she shares with the world.  Colin was struck by the phrase' economy and environment' and waxed poetic for a bit.  Sue amused us as always with a quick and funny reflection sprung from, 'they don't make life jackets just to save lives'.  I wrote a couple of poems taken from a morning mediation book called 'The Cup of our Lives' and Mike responded to the CBC news that day of a tragic murder. Mikey took 'it's not too late to seek a newer world' from Alistair Maclean and the perspective change that wrought. See you soon word weavers!

Tuesday, April 3rd meeting summary

Tuesday night's meeting was fantastic! Both Mike and Colin produced very thoughtful and thought-provoking pieces on the topic "what if...?" I hope they go onward with these pieces, for they are certainly worthy of being published. "New" Mike played a few songs for us on his guitar:) Next meeting's assignment offered forth by "new" Mike is: A look into a favourite author's past:) Have fun with this one, writers! [Hm! Can I write anything at all without a :) or an exclamation mark? Or excessive commas? I doubt it! Is there a 12-Step Program for Over-Punctuating Anonymous?]

Take care!

Sue the Punctuator

Write On Meeting March 20 Report

Hey there, fellow writers,

Major excitement at last night's Write On meeting was the arrival in our midst of Mike Park, recently returned to Kimberley and keen to join our group which he learned about from Christine after reading issue #2 of our Write On Journal. Welcome, Mike! Good of you to bridge the generation gap and join us old scribblers. ( Exception noted re: "old" in the case of our female members!)

Present last night were Colin, Sue, Mike W., Mike R., and Mike Park. So, with three Mikes at the table, we decided to rename the group Mike On! Just joking.

Colin facilitated the meeting and we first read our assignments about "All the World's A Stage....".

Sue wrote humorously and passionately about the conflicts between the Tudor monarchs of Shakespeare's day. She knows an awful lot about the Tudors whom she describes as being rather like the Borgias.

Mike W. read the whole soliloquay, the Seven Ages of Man, as it is popularly called, and concluded Man is both actor and audience.

Mike R. wrote a short essay positing the same conclusion as Mike W. but pointing out that some people are also innovators and creators of new scenes in life's drama.

Colin reviewed all the possible audiences for Man's performances, including God, aliens, pets, and his own omniscient self, suggesting that people perform to please their particular audience.

Colin then had us write about "My Getaway" for 15 to 20 minutes.

Mike P. write about his music as the place he turned to in times of stress. Later he sang us a song in Spanish that he had just composed. Mike P. is writing in more than one genre!

Mike W.'s getaway was skiing, first in the Yukon and later on Mt. St. Anne in Quebec. He obviously is a ski nut (!) and hopes to move permanently to Kimberley to carry on his passion once he's sold his home in Missisauga.

Mike R. Wrote about returning to Belize in his imagination to escape the troublesome thoughts that keep him awake in the small hours of the morning.

Colin described his family's happy camping holidays on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron.

Sorry, but I can't remember what Sue wrote about except that it led to an impassioned discussion of American conspiracies, a topic we will probably return to at another time. What was your Getaway, Sue?

Our next meeting is on April 3rd for which the writing assignment is up to 1200 words on the topic, "What If", set by Sue who will facilitate the meeting. Mike W. will probably not be there as he and his wife return to Ontario as soon as the ski hill closes. Mike R. will also not be there as he will be on holiday in the States. But there will still be one Mike at the table!!

Cheers!

Mike R.

missed meeting

Hi Fellow Writers:) Sorry I missed last meeting. Recovered now, so will make next meeting;) See you all then!