JL Dodge Writes

The Winter has come...

2011-12-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

And our plants that once were like this...

Now look like this....

There are many examples of this in our garden, as I'm sure any gardener will tell you, it is part of the process.
We have lived here for three years now and have the knowledge of what our plants are going to do, but it still is a bit sad to see.

It also gives us the chance to try new things in the garden, like placing a few more plantings in our walls. This year as the strawberries needed their clean up, we took a few of the runners and put them in a few holes we discovered in our wall. It is highly likely that they will not all make it , however it is better than just throwing away all those babies.

Luckily there are some plants that the hard frosts don't seem to bother at all... but most of the succulents and annuals are taking their leave for the Winter.

Cutting most of these plants to the ground will allow them to return in the Spring, even the plants that most of the time people pull out. This is when Wayne and I get our seeds for the next season.

It is also a great time to check for the bad critters that can harm the return of all the plants... cut and disguard any of the parts that are infested, this will help keep them at bay.

Oh yes , there are some really really cool mushrooms that grow this time of year here too...

Hope you are enjoying the season and all the wonders it holds....
ENJOY
JL

The unoffical last day of summer...

2011-09-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

It rained today ... five minute sperts at a time throughout the day... sometimes the rain was hard with drops large , others were softer spoken with the light scent ...Beautiful..

I stayed inside and watched three movies in a row, took a nap and it was dinner time...man that was rough...

I ventured outside a little while before dark and saw this...

One year it took for these babies to bloom, look at them now...

the little boy was a gift from my mom.

The dog of our yard, an ivy topiairy, the grass, mint and strawberry beds in the background, the succulent all a blush, love walking up to see what else has bloomed..

Salvia and Zenia surround Momma Dragon ...I hope they re-seed for next year...

Tried to get the thrasher, but when I moved so did she... still got this though... our back yard patio veiw...

Walking down to Iris Alley and the sweet surprise of the Myrtle in bloom...

Caught a bumble on a dalhia

and ...

Then I remebered the pineapple ....

ENJOY
JL

Chime Time....

2011-09-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things my husband and I do together in our spare time is make wind chimes out of the ordinary things that we find at yard sales.

After a day at the swap meet and yard sales in the city, we place our finds on our two picnic tables and try to decide which of our finds will go well together and start the process of assembling them together.Wayne is the master mind of drilling and making the fixtures, while I put them together...

We have made them now for about a year and they are flying off the shelves as they say...
This year we added a new feature to our chimes... PLANTS !

It really started out as a need for a paddle and after that it blossomed into a really fun idea...

Some times a theme is easier to do, as in the case of this pretty little one...

Some times they go together in twenty minutes... like this one ...

and some times they sell before we can even put them together ...like this one... ( the elephant has an added feature, a battery operated flickering candle...SO CUTE !!

Most of the plants we are using are flowering succulents like this one that bloomed after we made the chime...

The Christmas cookie cutters chime is one that is close to my heart, bringing back memories of making sugar cookie with my family ... and it chimes so nicely !!

This garden themed chime is another one that sold before we finished it...

and another baking themed chime... Momma loves this one...

So if you too would like to have one of our chimes, let me know... anywhere in the USA they can be shipped to you for a nominal fee and we would love to sell you one !!

ENJOY
JL

Strawberries anyone?

2011-07-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

As most of you know by now, we have a lot of plants in our yard. Most of our plants are bulbs, being they are so reliable for color in all of the growing seasons. There are, however, some we take extra steps to ensure they thrive and our strawberries are one of them.

When we moved up here we brought all of our plants with us.. some of which were five of the most pathetic strawberries you have ever seen. Where we moved from stopped us from watering our gardens after four years,( a major reason we decided to move), which made most of the plants weaker than normal.

The strawberries were in three boxes Wayne and I made from scraps of wood we had. We left them in those boxes for a month before I found a place for them in the yard. This is what they looked like when we planted them....

Then a few months later we had our first snow... We thought for sure they were goners...

But they not only survived, they flourished, giving us the most fruit we had ever had from them...

Those five little plants turned into twenty and over filled the garden made for them. Then came the snails,slugs and pill bugs, eating our berries before they were ready.

So I once again turned to the lessons learned for my Grandma, remembering that strawberries usually need to be on a mound so the berries don't touch the ground. We instead put straw under them, deterring the critters for a few weeks. Finding though that it only gave them a place to hide... we tried another method... coffee grounds. What a difference that made ! Not only are the berries bug free, but they now are the largest berries we have had from these plants.

This is our bed of strawberries today...

and here are two of the melt in your mouth berries they gave us for our breakfast...

YUMMY !!!

We are so honored to have this beautiful award given to us from Deidra @ http://astorybookworld.blogspot.com/ If you haven't been by her blog yet, we highly recommend that you give her a visit. She is AMAZING !!! Thank you so much Deidra, we love awards !!

Hope you enjoyed the tale of our strawberries...

JL&B

Happy Fourth Everyone

2011-07-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

The blooms have been off the hook here. Spring has lost herself to Summer and the hotter temps have brought out the best in the Summer flowers. So for those of you thirsty for the colors of the summer garden, we hope you enjoy the following...

ENJOY
JL&B

Things to share

2011-06-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Wow has it really been that long since I posted here? Time is flying by like it has wings ! Well we of course have been uber busy with gardens, (a norm for us this time of year !) but that is just the tip of the iceburg... Not only are we doing our regular customers (and new ones ,WOOHOO!!) but we have also been helping out here in the park where we live as much as possible, ( which since the sun sets after 8pm allows us a few extra hours a day). Now, like that is not enough for us, we also have our yard to keep up with and all the daily life things too. On top of that I am re-learning to play the guitar (after Wayne and Val go to bed, LOL) which is hard to put away, I love it so much !

So needless to say after days like today I am a bit bushed, but like so many of you, I keep plugging along trying hard just to keep up the pace, knowing that winter is just a few short months away, and the rest my body wants today will give me cabin fever... never ends, does it ?

Anyhow, the flowers are still blooming like mad and now we come to the sharing part...

Yep, those are purple California Poppies,

Nope, they are not in our yard...

Maybe next year... (hint hint)

And this is part of our passion vine, hugging a candle fixture that we have hung on the wal in the back patio.
love this shot!

These little beauties have 6 flowers blooming on each head and some back up buds... Lovely !

So far this is the only gladiola to flower, but they have only just begun...

We have some red amerillis too, and pink, that have yet to send a bud , aren't they pretty !!

Val in her tree, another picture I really love.

To find a lizard in our yard with it's tail in tact is rare, you can betValentine is after it...

the shrooms grow like this under the scrub oaks, I think they look cool !

This is Two... we will write of her and her kind one day soon ... cute story !

Rush hour...

We are forbidden to have even a small fire in this...

so we planted it...

Hope you are finding as much joy in your garden as we are in ours.
ENJOY
JL&B

Amish Friendship bread

2011-06-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Amish Friendship Bread

This is more than a recipe - it's a way of thinking. In our hi-tech world almost everything comes prepackaged and designed for instant gratification. So where does a recipe that takes ten days to make fit in? Maybe it's a touch stone to our past - to those days not so very long ago when everything we did took time and where a bread that took 10 days to make was not as extraordinary as it seems today.

The recipe comes to us from Mrs. Norma Condon of Los Angeles. Amish Friendship Bread is a great bread for the holidays. When you've made your bread, you can give your friends a sample and the starter that made it! Then your friends can make their own and pass it along to their friends. This is why the bread is called "friendship bread". It makes a great homemade birthday and Christmas present. Church groups and hospitals have spread a lot of love and cheer by making Amish Friendship Bread for their members. Many people make it regularly just because it tastes so good!

Amish Friendship Bread is a genuine starter bread. If you know someone with a starter, you are in luck. For those of you without access to a starter, we've done our research and found a great option. It's a special starter in powder form that can be activated with flour and water; it's safe, very inexpensive and we can send it to you.

Starter for Amish Friendship Bread
Important Note: Don't use metal spoons or equipment. Do not refrigerate. Use only glazed ceramic or plastic bowls or containers.
This is the Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe that you’ll need to make the Amish Friendship Bread. It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.

3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread.

Required Main Ingredient

1 cup live yeast starter (see above)

day 1: Do nothing with the starter.

days 2-5: Stir with a wooden spoon.

day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a wooden spoon.

days 7-9: Stir with a wooden spoon.

Day 10:

Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three friends. To the balance (a little over one cup) of the batter, add the following ingredients and mix well.

1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe Variations

When you have Amish Friendship Bread starter coming out your ears and your friends stop answering the door when they see you coming with that familiar bag of bread-to-be; you need different and tasty ways to use up your starter.

Even if you aren't sick of the basic recipe, a little variety is a good (and very delicious) thing! Try any one of these fantastic variations of the classic Amish Friendship Bread. They are all just as wonderful as the orginal.

Banana Nut Amish Friendship Bread

When making the basic recipe, reduce oil to 1/3 cup. Omit cinnamon.
Increase vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Add 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed (banana skins should be almost black) and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Chocolate Amish Friendship Bread

Omit cinnamon from the basic recipe and add 1 (5.1 oz) box of instant chocolate pudding, an additional 1/2 cup milk, 3 tsp. cocoa and 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
Bake for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours.

Apple Cinnamon Friendship Bread

To the basic recipe add one cup of raisins and one ripe, medium diced apple.
Carrot Cake Amish Friendship Bread

To the basic recipe add 1 (5.1 oz) box of butterscotch pudding, an additional 1/2 cup milk, and 1 cup of butterscotch chips.
Omit the cinnamon.

Mounds Bar Amish Frienship Bread

To the basic recipe add 1 (5.1 oz) box of chocolate instant pudding, an additional 1/2 cup milk, chocolate chips and coconut.

Chocolate Mint Amish Friendship Bread

To the basic recipe add one box of fudge pudding mix and an additional 1/2 cup milk. Omit the cinnamon.

Lemon Amish Friendship Bread

Substitute Lemon Extract for the vanilla flavoring.
To the basic recipe add 1 box of lemon pudding and an additional 1/2 cup milk.
Omit the cinnamon and nuts, and add 1/4 cup of poppy seeds.
For extra flavor, add 2 cups shredded coconut.

Cranberry-Orange Amish Friendship Bread

When making the basic recipe, substitute orange juice for milk.
Before baking, stir in 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (colored portion of peel) and 1 cup dried cranberries.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Amish Friendship Bread

When making the basic recipe, reduce oil to 1/3 cup.
Reduce cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.
Add 1 (5.1 oz) box of instant banana pudding mix and an additional 1/2 cup milk.
Before baking, stir in 1 cup very ripe mashed bananas and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate minichips.

Cherry Amish Friendship Bread

When making the basic recipe, substitute almond extract for vanilla.
Omit the cinnamon.
Before baking, stir in 1 cup dried cherries.

Caramel Apple Friendship Bread

Omit cinnamon from the basic recipe.
Add 1 (5.1 oz) box of instant caramel pudding, an additional 1/2 cup milk and 2 cups dried apples.

Pumpkin Spice Amish Friendship Bread

When making the basic recipe, reduce oil to 1/3 cup.
Reduce cinnamon to 1 teaspoon. Use brown sugar instead of white sugar.
Add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
Before baking, stir in 1 cup canned pumpkin.

Strawberry Amish Friendship Bread

To the basic recipe add 1 small box of strawberry jello and an additional 1/2 cup milk.
Add 1 cup thawed strawberries.

Chocolate Cherry Amish Friendship Bread

Omit cinnamon from the basic recipe.
Replace the vanilla flavoring with almond flavoring.
Add 1 (5.1 oz) box of instant chocolate pudding, an additional 1/2 cup milk, 3 tsp. cocoa and 1 can tart red cherries in water, drained.

Carrot Cake Amish Friendship Bread

Increase the cinnamon in the basic recipe to 1 Tablespoon.
Add to the basic recipe the following ingredients:
3 medium carrots shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chunky homestyle applesauce
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Use a a bundt pan instead of a loaf pan. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Can be frosted with cream cheese frosting.

FREEZING

I saw the notes about the Amish Friendship Starter and thought I would let you know how I freeze it for future use. (Saves wearing out my friends presenting them with a new starter every 10 days! )
After the tenth day, when you've divided the starter up to give away or use for yourself, simply put one portion in a quart-size ziplock bag, squeeze all the air out, seal and freeze. Go ahead and give away the others, use them for baking or freeze them in individual portions, too. When you're ready to use the starter again, take it out of the freezer, let thaw in the bag and then place in a larger bag or immediately place in a larger bag and let thaw (see? this stuff is versatile ), then begin the process with the DAY ONE instructions. Start counting the time as soon as it's thawed. Usually this will take only a few hours at room temperature so the day you take it from the freezer becomes DAY ONE.

Also, since DAY ONE is the same day that the original preparer baked with
the Starter (it's a loop, you know), you can also thaw the Starter and bake with it immediately. This way you could freeze two individual portions for later use; prepare a recipe with one as soon as it's thawed and use the other to start a new round as described above.

ENJOY
JL&B

Some fun pict's for today ...

2011-06-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

ENJOY
JL&B

Sharon and Cyndi project four

2011-06-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

So we had all these supplies left over from the other projects at Cyndi and Sharon's place, and Cyndi was happy to have another 'bad spot' in their yard fixed...

And the digging began, seven hours later we had it cut out so we could level it and start.

Waynes job was to do the railroad ties and my job was the stairs and rocks...we got this much done in the next day...

This is what we got done the next day there...

And this is the finished product...

Their smiles.... Priceless !

ENJOY

JL&B

Family Fun

2011-05-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Waynes family all got together for a Birthday party for him. It was a great day ! He was surprised that his daughter Trisha was invited and we all kept it a secret from him ... we are so sneaky !!

Wayne and Austin

Austin and me

Marc and Austin

Trisha and Austin

All of the Family

Bud and Wayne in the yard

Wayne was so surprised ! He didnt expect that Trisha, Marc and Austin would be there and it was so great to see... He is such a sucker for his grandbaby !
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAYNE !!!
We love you !
ENJOY
JL&B

Wild thing... You make my heart sing

2011-05-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Spring pops up everywhere here in the mountains. The wild flowers are a colorful array of yellows, purples, reds and whites. Just a few weeks into May and the scene outside of our yard has changed from drab to color filled. ENJOY !!

And of course there are still tons of new flowers in our yard that are just exploding with joy that spring has come...

And to my enjoyment a few fun photos...

And a new critter too...Tee hee hee

ENJOY
JL&B

In the garden, 'color me blue... or am I purple ?'

2011-05-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Another rainy day here in Campo, which means two things... soon we wont have service AGAIN, because our towers all are sun powered ... and the photo's for today are not coming out the color that they actually are. Bare with us on this one, you see when there is cloud cover our purple flowers on film (camera) take on their blue hues, and don't look anything like they look in real life... so am I blue or purple today?? well a little of both actually... Enjoy today's beauties !

First some of the Iris collection, for they are blooming pretty !!

And now for the others that are blooming pretty...

Primrose

Stock

Dutch Iris

Looked for an hour, cant find this ones name

Larkspur

Society Garlic

Pansy

Anemone

Verbascum

Chive

Gladiola

Wood Violet

African Daisy

Nora Barlow Columbine

Wind Flowers

Columbine

And a couple of critters...

ENJOY
JL&B

In the garden, 'color me orange'

2011-05-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

It's garden time once again,

so come with us friends

today is 'color me orange'

Red hot pokers and pansy

are as flashy as can be,

but nothing rhymes with orange !

Coriopus and Aloe

all wave hello

as we walk in their garden so fair

Tulip and Tangerine

cause quite a scene

and their fragrance fills up the air

Birds of paradise too
watsonia in view
forgot some names, (beg your pardon)

snapdragons and poppies

and even honey bees

all are welcome in our garden

So now we thank you

for walking here too

with 'color me orange' In the garden

ENJOY
JL&B

In the garden, 'color me red'

2011-05-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome our friends to flowers without end

here we feature 'color me red'

from columbine to rose our story flows

with hues of scarlet in our head

Pretty in pink, the snapdragons drink

while the strawberries grow sweet by the hour

Queens tears too, in their red hue

are starting to open their flowers

Ranunculus long stems, lilies color without end

they all seem to brag and boast

Orchid cactus shines in pots and in minds

tender flowers on prickly hosts

so now we are through, with taunting you

with some of our 'color me red'

we have many more, yet, blogger's a chore

so we'll leave it to imagination instead

ENJOY
JL&B

In the garden, 'color me yellow'

2011-05-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Another stroll through

our garden for you

today is 'color me yellow'

From the first signs of spring

he shows off his bling

giving a song to the sparrow

A flourish of shades
it is like a parade
he is such a happy fellow
come smell his fragrance
or just watch him dance
it'll leave you feeling quite mellow

Roam where you will
or just get the feel
of the colors of this bright fellow
He is a magic man
and he 's proud to stand
Happily waving at you a hello

Now we are done
having our fun
with today's 'color me yellow'
we hope you enjoyed
our poem and our ploy
to give you a look at this fellow

ENJOY

JL&B

In the garden, 'color me green'

2011-05-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here we are once again
our wonderful friends

with pictures to be seen

and though they are few

we love to show you
the flowers of 'color me green'

Seeding green pods

the hellebore nods

with flowers of a lime green

strawberries are forming

as the weather is warming

when ready are sweet as a dream

We have a green wizard

and even a lizard

whose belly is a blue green

Caught by our Val

he now has no tail

rest assured he is still seen

ENJOY
JL&B

In the garden, 'color me white'

2011-05-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

In my bones deep inside

where not a fear can hide

is a princess fairy of nature

She has lots of fun

be there moon or sun

in the forest of her garden

She loves all colors here

each plant, a friend dear

she loves so much to show them

She visits with her friends

as the dew she expends

upon each day's colored flowers

She likes to play games

to remember their names

So today is 'color me white'

We hope you enjoy

this sweet little ploy

to have you come walk in the garden

To share in our delight

some beauties in white

and now we bid you adieu

ENJOY
JL&B

Tiny wall and todays flowers

2011-05-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

So what happened here is I was so into doing the wall that I forgot to take the before pictures prior to starting...but that is okay you get the just of it .

Four and a half hours later...

And I came home to these beauties....

Oh and I made you all a bouquet....

ENJOY
JL&B

More pretties...

2011-05-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

So I know I have shown a love for Iris', but there are lots of other beauties in the garden that are blooming away... like these Ranunculus...

And of course we have to show off the Jupiter's Beard...

Then there are the Columbine... we have three variaties, the blue and white, a red and white and the Nora Barlow...

Honeysuckle is just starting to smell up the yard, oh so sweet!!!

Speaking of sweet smelling the Freesia's are fading, but still as sweet as ever !!

We also have the Lilac bush in bloom, talk about a fragrant bush, you know when the bee's are all over a plant it must be good !!

Then there are the not so fragrant flowers, though their beauty is a very good asset, that they bloom from the first warmth of Spring, well into the Fall... like the Aneome x hybrida there are so many colors and varities of these little troopers and they just bloom and bloom...

The Oxalis looks like clover with the cutest little flowers...the too come in a few different colors, we have pink and blue...

The snapdragons are just starting to open... these are the favorite of Wayne, they are his babies ...

This year is our first year for the Gerber Daisy, this one was one of the gifts momma gave me for my birthday...

Scarlet Flax is all over our yard, we love to watch is wave in the wind...

And then there are todays critters...

We hope you enjoyed today's pretties and will join us @ Dodge Writes for today's Prompts...

ENJOY
JL&B

Garden challenge....

2011-05-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

May is the month for flowers in our garden, there are so many blooming or just about to bloom, it is hard to keep up with them all...so over the next few weeks I am doing a garden post of what is new and what is going on in our pretty little garden... Hope you all will enjoy the journey with us.

There are so many birds in the yard and though I try with all my might to get pictures of them, I am only as good as my camera...So we get fuzzy, far away pictures for now...like these of the Scrub jays, hummingbird and the Quail.

Then we have the oh so pretty Iris Alley... in the last few days we have had quite the showing, multiple blooms on stalks that are 18 to 36 inches high, multi-colored hues of blues, yellows, whites, reds and many more to come...

Then we have the tons of other flowers like the poppies, foxglove, stock, columbine, hellebore's, aneominies, verbascum, pansies, lilies, cyclamen, bears breeches, snap dragons, sweet william, corriopus, rudbeckia, scarlett flax and many more... so when I can I will be posting all of them for you all to see..until then...

ENJOY
JL&B

2011-05-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

I did not ....but it was fun anyway !!

C R Ward @ http://carolsrandomness.blogspot.com/2011/05/awards.html Passed on these wonderful awards to us !! Thank you so much !

We hope to do much better in the next challenges !!
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

27. Write a poem made of ten metaphors.

OURS IS ....

He dances in the darkness
with music playing in silence
tunes from the future beckoned
he lies in the past of his dreams
buying a moments lingering breath
she grasps for his fading shadow
diving in a pool of tomorrow
to set aside the grief of happiness
all the while knowing nothing still
she lights up the floor with darkness

UMMMM... not too sure if I did this justice...
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is W

2011-04-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well to day is my 48th birthday !!!

so not knowing what I'm going to write

Here we go ....

WRINKLED

When I was born

I was pink and wrinkled

wiggling into my parents hearts

When I grew into my teens

I wrinkled my nose, thinking

it would attract a certain boy

when I was in my twenties

I spent hours in a hot bath

until I came out wrinkled

When I was in my thirties

I couldn't stand it at all

if my clothes were wrinkled

Now here I am in my forties

and every time I look

I'm getting more wrinkled

Wonder what the next forty years will bring !!

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

26. Write a poem to your future self, but do not say it is to your future self, address the poem to a president or rock star.... OURS IS ....

A complete unknown

Your fame came late

yet you're in your prime

we knew you had 'it'

from way back in time

now everyone knows

what we knew all along

your beauty and strength

they're singing your songs

just look at you now

how much you have grown

now known by millions

not a complete unknown

Well we can always dream...tee hee hee...

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is V

2011-04-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Vers Beaucoup is an enjoyable form that was created By Curt Mongold on the FanStory site.

The easiest way to explain Vers Beaucoup is that it is a 4,3,3,2 rhyme format with no more than three words PER RHYME. A lot of people get thrown off by that one It can have less, but no more than three. OURS IS...

My Prince Let us start at the part, when cupid's dart,
hit his heart with a thud, no blood,
just a flood of feelings true,for two
love was new, now it's found
he's duty bound

From tower tall, he looked small, heard her call,
gave his all, was no good, it's understood,
no one could reach her there, maiden fair,
moonlit hair, cant be denied
that he tried

He showed power, climbing the tower,clutching a flower
in that hour of the night, such a sight,
showed no fright, untill he saw a dragons paw,
great big claw, then he fell,
straight to hell.
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is U

2011-04-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

OURS IS....

UPWARD

When I'm tired of life

and feeling so low...

I look upward

When happiness surrounds

my heart and soul...

I look upward

I raise my hands

and sing in praise

for I know I am

in His loving grace

When my weakness shows

from all of life's woes...

I look upward

When my end is here

I'll have no fear...

I'll look upward

I raise my hands

and sing in praise

for I know I am

in His loving grace

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is T

2011-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Tyburn

A tyburn is a six line poem that follows a clear syllable count. The first four lines rhyme. The first four lines are also descriptive words.
The last two lines rhyme, The last two lines are nine syllables. The sixth through eighth syllables use the words you used from lines 1 through 4. In any order, but it has to be those words. The last two lines have to rhyme with each other, but do not have to have the same rhyme scheme with the first four lines.
Syllable Count

line 1 -	2 syllables
line 2 -	2 syllables
line 3 -	2 syllables
line 4 -	2 syllables
line 5 -	9 syllables
line 6 -	9 syllables

OURS IS...

Whistle

Thistle

Missile

Wistful

A missile will fissile into parts

like a whistle is wistful in hearts

LOL we tried !!
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

25. Write a poem where a literary figure shows up and tells you something and gives you something.
OURS IS....

Shakespeare came to me in a dream

holding the secrets I've longed to know

he told me it is easier than it seems

then with painted words he did show

He spoke in riddles yet I could see

the gifts he was trying to bestow

and before too long it came to me

that it is all how the words flow

He felt he'd done what he came to do

and he began to fade in a mist

and though the dream was all through

there still was a bit of a twist

seems as I dreamt I wrote it down

yet I'd never done that before

my writing sure made my husband frown

for it was written on my kitchen floor !!

Tee hee hee... I wish !!

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

24. Write a poem that has the word “love” hidden in it somewhere. But you cannot use the word “love” by itself, it must be hidden (such as in the word “glove” or in two words like “halo venom”).

OURS IS...

STRANGELOVE

Seeing the paloverde

we had to pullover

it was in the clover

with foxglove near a pond

slovenliness with beauty

and as the killdeer plover sang

we knew we found strangelove

our happiness did spillover

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

23. Write a poem where the last word of the first line begins with the first letter of your name, and the last word of the second line begins with the second letter of your name until you have spelled out your first and/or your last name.
Love a challenge so we are doing our whole name, First, middle and last... Just know that I prefer not to be called by my first name... so please do not use it when addressing me... Hope you all understand and thank you !
OURS IS....

JUDY LYNNE DODGE

Most people love their first name, Justifiably,

I however, do not and though it is Unusual

I'd rather be tied to a truck and Drug

than be called Judy, call me Yoo-hoo

Or you can just call me Lynne

that will help stop my Yattering

on about how I hate my Name

you needn't know all the Nakedness

that comes with my long Explanation

JL is my name, to me, it fits me Dandy

and though my Momma would Object

she loves the name she gave her Daughter

changing my name, she couldn't Grasp

but she has come around, Eventually

Think this sounds kind of more like a rant than a poem...LOL

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is S

2011-04-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Sand sculptures on seashores

Soothing waves slapping shores

sending children screeching

sandaled feet sinking slowly

sucked down in salt waters

starving artists seeking attention

sand castles on shinning shores

sculptures slowly taking shape

sharks and surfers sharing spotlights

sunshine sparkling on sand

stylishly stunning displays

simple sweet summer days

of shimmery silvery seascapes

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

22. Write a poem that only has five syllables in each line. Give the poem a long title.
We'd sit on the seawall and feel the cool air off the ocean

memories of us
linger in my mind...

Our toes in the sand

the wind in our hair

seagulls in the sky

sun shining brightly...

we ran to the waves

salt on your tan skin

I kiss you so hard

we fall in the waves

laughing at ourselves
you held my hand tight
you fell to one knee
promise forever

I miss you more now
while the sun light fades
alone on the shores
where you still linger

in the seagulls cry
and the soft sea breeze
the sun melts away
in all I see you

In my mind lingers
memories of us....

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

Today is R

2011-04-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Rictameter

A rictameter is a nine-line poem. Each line has a specific number of syllables. The first line has two syllables. The next line has four. The next line has six. The next line has eight. The next line has ten. And we work our way down again (8,6,4,2) The last line is the same as the first line... OURS IS...

RAMBUNCTIOUSLY

See me

Rambunctiously

engulfed in written words

fulfilling a poetic dream

to be loved for the words I've chosen

creeping into the heart of you

lingering in your mind

where only you

see me

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

21. Write a poem with the opposite hand that you write with or if you type your poems on the computer, use only one hand to type... LOL now now now , do it... one handed !!
OURS IS ....

Typing one handed
     is hard for me now
        but I sure remember
            not long ago
how
    hunt and peck
         was the only way
              I was able to type....

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Thank you is never enough !!

2011-04-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

But we still thank you all so much !!!

Promising Poets' Poetry Cafe has honnored us with our third award !!!
It is so nice, we are at a loss for words... GO FIGURE !!!

ENJOY
JL&B

Today is Q

2011-04-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today we are trying a Quinzaine... an unrhymed verse of fifteen syllables. The word comes from the French word quinze, meaning fifteen. The syllables are distributed over three lines so that there are seven syllables in the first line, five in the second line, and three in the third line (7/5/3). The first line makes a statement. The next two lines ask a question relating to that statement.

OURS IS...

Quaint is the mountain life.

Who needs the city...

Or the smog??

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

20. Remove your shoes. Write a poem that celebrates your feet.

FEET

Born with two, so happily

I've learned to walk tall

dancing in the falling rain

kicking up my heals in the fall

I've stubbed a toe a time or two

and wiggled them in mud so cool

I'm glad they carry me so strong

I love my feet... THEY RULE !!

LOL...
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

19. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. If the sounds are peaceful, write a poem with a violent word as the title. If the sounds are loud, write a poem with a kind word as the title.

SILENCE

Televisions blaring the same old news

killing in the streets hearts being used

for once in world can we please find

a way to bring peace, is anyone kind?

No more to hear that same old boring *hit

For once I would like to hear silence a bit

so off I went to the garden one more time

and silence filled my heart and my mind !

This one was another struggle ... hope you all like it !

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is P

2011-04-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

Today we are doing a Pleiades...this form has a title with a single word. The poem itself has seven lines. The first word in each line begins with the same letter as the title.

Pleasure

Pajamas with paisley patterns

Pancakes with peanut butter spread

Pillows of down soft and comfy

Peaceful as the day begins

Porch swing in the shade

Puppies playing with frogs

Perfect place for pleasurable moments

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

18. Write a poem about something small that is only 5 lines long... OURS IS...

Delicate winged furry

with colors vivid and bright

all the tiny hummingbirds
sipping nectar in the light
so fast their wings are blurry

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is O

2011-04-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

WOW O already !! going by fast isn't it ... OURS IS...

OVERNIGHT

Overnight the weather turned

from Winter into Spring

just like that flowers bloomed

and birds began to sing

It would have been a perfect day

for the conditions were just right

but my whole world changed

unexpectedly overnight

It was an awful feeling when

your hand slapped my face

when loving emotions overnight

with hurtfulness were replaced

The darkness then surrounded

all of our happiest days

and overnight I wanted you

to die in very unusual ways

I thought of deadly ways

to make me feel much better

and overnight I hoped that

you were gone from life forever

I never thought of the consequence

of what my hopes would do

or that my hateful hurtful thoughts

would ever really come true

Then overnight my world of love

was forever changed by fate

for you were taken overnight

into heavens golden gate

Now Spring has lost its meaning

though it is still a beautiful sight

It will never take away the hurt

of what happened overnight

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is Sunday...NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

So we have to take a day off from the A-Z challenge....Bummer !

BUT... For the NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011 Today is ...

17. Write a poem that includes these words: bamboozled, bloodlust, bibliography. Have the title include one of these words: contradiction, constellation, cranberry.

THE CRANBERRY CONSTELLATION CONTRADICTION

The bibliography of the constellation

was only half of the tale

for many were in contradiction

of how the story did unveil

They were at peace for most of their known time

or so this story goes

until a bloodlust dominated, leaving

Cranberrian's with woes

But the fact is they were bamboozled

into a bloody war

by the Blazer constellation

the rival's next door

The Blazers wanted everything that

the Cranberrians had

so they hatched a plan that got

them fighting mad

And when the war was over

and the Blazer's got their prize

what they thought they won

was nothing but lies

So in lies the contradiction

did they get what they deserved

or was the Cranberrians way of life

ultimately preserved

HUUUMMMM... not sure about this one, but it is what it is today...

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

16. Make a list of ten images of things you have seen in the last 24 hours. Use all of them in a poem.

OURS ARE... YARD SALES, CITY STREETS, FLOWERS, TRAFFIC, MAP, BREAKFAST, NEWS PAPER, MOUNTAINS, ALPINE, EL CAJON...

While leaving the mountains

is not my cup of tea

I wanted to go to play

just my Momma and me

So we bought a news paper

and looked in the map

to see all the places

the yard sales were at

We first went to Alpine

its close to our home

then in to El Cajon

we decided to roam

Breakfast at Denny's

is our special treat

then fighting the traffic

on the hot city streets

We had a great time

and spent a few hours

But I was glad to get back

to my cool garden of flowers

LOL
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is N

2011-04-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

NEIGHBORLY NONET

What does it take to be neighborly

a warm hello across a fence

a helping hand when needed

or a smile the brightens

Barbecue invites

or just being

as quiet

as you

can

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-15T05:04:00.001-07:00

15. Write a poem that describes the wallpaper on your computer or the image on the last postcard you received.

OURS IS...

VALENTINE RASCLE

A childless mother is what I am

for my body has long since been barren

but mother to her, pet lovers understand,

so I snap shots of her with my Cannon

One of my favorite things to do

is to get her in a pose

though most times I have no luck

she usually turns up her nose...

But this time I was luckier

than most times I had tried

I used a flower to pull her out

of the place she likes to hide

So as her attention was drawn in

her image I did capture

now it is my wallpaper

I really love her stature

Love my baby girl !!

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is M

2011-04-15T05:04:00.000-07:00

We are trying our hand at a Monotetra

The monotetra contains four lines in monorhyme. Each line is in tetrameter (four metrical feet) for a total of eight syllables.The last line contains two metrical feet, repeated. It can have one stanza or many stanzas. Poem format:

Line 1:	8 syllables
Line 2:	8 syllables
Line 3:	8 syllables
Line 4:	8 syllables with repetition

OURS IS...

Dont need to be a superstar

'cause I love you for who you are

so what if you have an old car

you play guitar, you play guitar

Short and sweet !!!

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

Today is L

2011-04-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

LUXURY

Living in luxury

in my trailer park home

it may not seem luxurious

but for me its next to none

My rent is within my means

which these days that's hard to find

and I have a garden that many say

is really one of a kind

so in my mind its a luxury

to have the life I've got

and for this hard core country girl

it really means a lot !!

LOL... the nutty one, that's me !!

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

14. Think of the nicest thing someone ever said to you. Write a poem about a rainy day and something flooding. End the poem with the good thing someone said.

LOL ... OURS IS ...

Rain was coming in torrids
and there was no end in sight
we had hoped it would subside
but it worsened overnight

Yet all is well within my world
for in my house I'm safe and dry
and my husband just said to me
I'm the apple of his eye !!

Tee hee hee
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is K

2011-04-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

KICK ASS !!

Today I'm going off the grid a bit

for a moment of bragging rights

so try to enjoy these photos we sent

because we worked this with all of our might !!

LOL... ENJOY

Today we are doing the clean up but the majority of the job is done...

PRETTY-NOT-BAD Right?

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

13. Run around your house and grab 5 items that all begin with the same letter. Write a poem as an ode to one of these items or that includes these items.
We will do ours in a English ode with the rhyme scheme of ABABCDECDE.
Our items are... GUM, GREETING CARDS, GUITAR, GLUE, GLITTER

OURS IS...

ODE TO MY GUITAR

There you are waiting once again

for a strum or a pluck to hum

like a greeting card from a faraway friend

or a discarded piece of chewing gum

Your cords rain glitter in my mind

and glue all thoughts together

bringing sweet peace to my soul

more time with you I'd like to find

our harmony ringing true forever

to play you guitar, is my goal

Ok so I'm not quite awake just yet LOL

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is J

2011-04-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Just us

In the morning

as I rise

the coffee made

the kisses

the peanutbutter toast

I am so grateful

for the love

between

just us

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

12. Turn on the radio to any channel. Write a poem inspired by the first thing you hear (lyrics to a song, a commercial, etc.)
MUD ON THE TIRES/ Brad Paisley

OURS IS ...

MUD

Mom had a hard time keeping me in a dress,
I loved dirt so much I was always a mess,
digging dirt was fun I would have to admit,
but when water was added she'd have to forget it,
cause this tomboy was in it clear up to her nose,
there's nothing like feeling mud squished thru toes,
mud puddles and mud pies, mud art dried in the sun,
oh the memories of times with mud were such fun !!!

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

11. Write a poem that begins with the last thing you can remember someone saying to you today or yesterday. See if you can use that line two or three times... OURS IS...

Goodnight honey, I love you...

Each night I am blessed, once again,

by a hug and a kiss from my loving man,

'Goodnight honey, I love you', I know he means,

as he slips of to bed and starts his dreams.

He has never lacked to bless me with this,

for if he did, things would be amiss...

such a lovely simple and sweet thing to do,

'Goodnight honey, I love you'

'Good night, my husband, sleep well tonight'

then I kiss him again, and hold him tight,

a ritual, made just for us two,

'Goodnight honey, I love you'

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

Today is I

2011-04-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

INFECTIOUS

It was a moment of youthful bliss,

a snapshot of wonder, felt in a kiss,

flooded with feelings too hard to resist,

it was infectious

Lifted in lovely temptations of life,

asking her, 'wont you please, be my wife',

a smile that took away all of the strife,

it was infectious

Turning the pages, their love had no end,

their family branches started to extend,

of happiness they could not pretend,

it was infectious

They lived their life full, all hand in hand,

and to the end, together, they did stand,

their love of one another was so grand,

it was infectious

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

10. Write a poem about one of the deadly seven sins that only contains seven words a line.

Greed

a rapacious desire will take you in

personal gain is where it will begin

with all you have, you want more

Greed got under your skin for sure

betrayal and disloyalty are not far away

soon manipulation will slip into each day

hoarding and scavenging to get your needs

in the name of your selfish Greed

Greed will only lessen your heads clarity

though you try disguising it with charity

unless you give up, you wont win

Greed is one of the deadly sins

OOO we found this to be a challenge...

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today's Prompt is Sunday...

2011-04-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

And we are supposed to take Sunday off from the A-Z challenge but that doesn't mean we are slacking off, we still have the NaPoWriMo 30 day challenge, One Stop Poetry, Acrostics Only and our other blog Dodge Writes, so keep up and have fun... Our 'I' will be up tomorrow...

ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

9. Write a poem to your favorite letter of the alphabet.

OURS IS...

Zephyr lilies are so fair

zebras run in herds

your a letter filled with zestfulness

(zither is an odd word)

Zucchini's make an awesome bread

Zinc is good for my body

I really love my niece Zeara

although she kind of thinks I'm Zany

Taurus is my Zodiac

Zenith my television

I guess I better zip this up

And go listen to Led Zeppelin

LOL what ?? you all know we are a bit nutty !

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
J&B

Today is H

2011-04-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Add caption

Happy Husband

He is the rock I lean on
He is the fix-it man
He is sweet kisses, always
He is my happy husband

He is a hardy laugher
He is my best friend
He is a good dancer
He is my happy husband

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

8. Turn your paper so that it’s in the landscape position. Write a poem about God or the universe or the horizon of the ocean with longer lines and see what happens... OK how exactly do we do this???? LOL ... OURS IS...

upon the horizon where the sun sets in gold,
near the edge of the universe, where God is we're told,
in oceans of blue and stardust of light, the moon is rising with all of his might,
and as the Earth turns from the shade of the sun, leading the way to our beloved one, we sleep in our awareness, allowing time to fade,
hoping we find one more day we can trade
for the moment of life times to share when we're old,
upon the horizon where the sun sets in gold.

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

We want to thank Deirdra Eden-Coppel for our very first award .... how exciting !!

Today is G

2011-04-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

GRANDMA WAS A GARDENER

(guess you saw this one coming)

Gardens overflowed at my Grandma's place

her love of each flower showed on her face

in each she could see the beauty and grace

she loved to see Sweet pea vines interlace

Many a flower were fair by her growing

her delicate touch she was always bestowing

I learned much while her knowledge was showing

I hear her voice in the soft wind blowing

Advice she passed down when I was a child

into my memories they are filed

with old fashioned words soft and mild

the way that she looked as she cracked a smile

'A green thumb is grown like plants in the yard'

'to nurture and grow you have to work hard'

'of mite and snail you must keep guard

if not your flowers growth will retard'

although I pulled more than just weeds back then

it seemed never to raise her adrenalin

she'd put them in a bucket giving a grin

and her poor flowers were planted once again

Grandma was a gardener without a doubt

she knew each flower as they popped out

that's how my green thumb came about

she planted the seed, I am the sprout

Miss you Grandma !!

YOUR TURN

ENJOY

JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

7. Find a favorite recipe. Now write a poem inspired or in the style of that recipe about a family secret, yours or someone else’s... OURS IS ...

Family Secrets

(breaking the hold)

Molded in fashion

iced to keep

seep in many fears

to eat while you sleep

Take a grain of knowledge

add a pinch of mistrust

drop in some tears

bits of regret are a must

fold in some years

to fester and mourn

add those days you

wish you weren't born

keep old wounds

open and sore

observe how they make

you grieve even more

Now take a moment

to see what you learn

the mess that makes

each cried tear burn

open the closet where

these secret are kept

let them be broken

have no more contact

burn them to ashes

move on with your life

and those festering secrets

will no more bring you strife

YEP... all gone !!
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is F

2011-04-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Today we are going off the usual poetry and sharing a short story... a sentence starts the story prompt using the line THE DOOR WAS CLOSED...ENJOY !

FINALLY FREE

The door was closed. That wasn't stopping him though; he blew through it like it wasn't even there. Anger does that, gives an adrenaline rush that even the best drugs can't compete with. He wasn't a very big man, five-foot-ten one-hundred-ninety pounds, but he had the strength of a gorilla when he was angry. She stood in the closet of the tiny bedroom, hoping the open window would make him think she had escaped through it. She held her breath as he passed by the closet and stuck his head out of the window, cursing aloud and banging his hands on the windowsill. He rushed out of the room, and she slowly let her breath out.

When she heard the door to the house slam shut, it sent shivers up her spine. She had made it through this one with out as much as a scrape, so far at least. Now comes the hard part, actually getting away. She opened the closet and walked over to the window, giving a quick look out to make sure it was safe. Seeing nothing out there she headed for the front door, picking up her purse and keys along the way. As she reached for the door, she stopped dead in her tracks. Someone was out there. She saw the shadow pass as he walked up to the door. So she turned the deadbolt instead and the other three locks on the door, hoping it would give her a little time. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911. The operator came on just as the living room window exploded towards her. Shards of glass flew everywhere as she did a duck-and-run maneuver and headed for the open window in the bedroom.

The 911 operator was on the job and was already calling for back up, asking over and over if the caller was okay.

"Hello caller... Are you still there? I have the police on the line, can you give me your address...caller....caller?"
"There's a man with a gun. He's breaking into my house..." She spewed out an address. Not the one she was just at, but the one she memorized, just in case this had ever happened.

Knowing this route like the back of her hand, she ran at full speed, not looking back even once. She could feel him behind her, and he was catching up. She hoped that she would be able to make it to the safe house before he caught up to her. She turned the corner and started hitting a button on her key ring. A door three houses down popped open. She pushed herself a little harder to open the distance between her and the man chasing her. She made it through the door and quickly put all the locks in place. She went to the jacket closet in the entry way and flung open the door. She pushed the coats aside and found the button on the back of the wall. When she pushed it, the wall opened up to show a stash of weapons. She grabbed the Colt .45 and the clip and snapped them together. She ran to the safety point she had set up, tucked herself in and waited for the worst.

He tried the door first and then another window crashed open. She took a few deep breaths to try to calm herself, like the instructors at the shooting range had taught her. It seemed like an impossible task, because her breath could not be caught, and her heart was beating so fast it exploded in her head.
'Point and shoot, keep your eyes open, look at what you are shooting, point and shoot'.... She kept repeating the mantra over and over. It did little to calm her though, her hands were shaking and she was more scared than she could imagine.

He had broken the window out with a potted plant that was on the porch. Now he was climbing through the broken window, pushing the curtains aside and looking into the dark room. He could see her in the corner tucked in behind the overturned 4" thick oak table. She had him dead in her sights, slowing her breath to take the shot if necessary.

Then it was as if time itself had slowed. Things happened in a snapshot fashion. He raised the gun he held, pointing it in her direction. As she raised hers, he pulled his trigger, but he missed her as the bullets penetrated the oak table she had placed as protection in front of her. Three more shots rang out in the room. None of them hit her, or came from her. Her assailant fell to the floor, gasping for breath and spilling his life all over the carpet beneath him.

The officers were in the house now. They kept repeating for her to drop the gun. She did as they instructed, putting her hands up over her head. One of the cops slowly approached her. She couldn't hear much. The shots were still ringing in her ears. A cop was wiping her assailant's blood off her face. He kept asking her if she was hit, but it felt like a dream she was trying to wake up from, and wasn't sure herself if she was hit or not.

After she was given a good looking over from the EMT, she was placed in the patrol car and taken to the station. They asked her what seemed like a million questions and then released her. As she was leaving the station, the officer that shot her assailant put her coat over her shoulders. He reassured her that he would be there if she ever needed someone to talk to. She thanked him again for coming to her rescue.

As she walked away, she realized that she finally felt safe for the first time since her ex-husband vowed to kill her or die trying. Smiling, she thought, At least that was a vow he kept.

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

6. Write a poem in two sections about two completely different things. Have the title link both items today in a surprising way.( Just when I thought they were easy...LOL) OURS IS...

Salt and Pepper

Sweat trickles down the nape
your touch working its magic
I taste the salt as I gently bite
my tongue blazing with flavor

Tires screeched turning the corner
making the gravel loosen,
deeply sighing to myself
I watch it pepper my car

Hope this is what they have in mind.... Really have to thank my friend Lisa for the way she inspired us today !

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is E

2011-04-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Excellence

Each of us

in our own way

strives for excellence

though I have found

at least for me

it lacks some elegance

How can I write

a poem a day

and will I still achieve

the gracefulness

and harmony

It's hard, I do believe

Yet here again

I strive to get

all my efforts done

and see it trough

for one more day

my excellence begun...

YOUR TURN

ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

5. Write a poem about a weird fact or facts that you know.

OURS IS...

There are some things in school
they just have not preached
like the longest one syllable
english word is screeched

Is dying in a plane crash
something you fear...
why?... more people killed
by donkeys each year

Heres a fun fact for your
modern art deco
a ducks quack does
not make an echo

For month, silver, orange
and purple there's no rhyme
I know I try to find one
all of the time ....

How do I know these
facts that I spurt?
thats easy to tell...
It's on my t-shirt !

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is D

2011-04-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

Double dog dare

"Don't be chicken", they say to me

"I double dog dare you," it had to be...

No matter the risk, once it was said

If you didn't go do it, your a chicken head...

Make a prank call or shoot the moon

a double dog dare, got you sent to your room

"Awe mom, I had to, don't you see...

It's cause my friends double dog dared me !"

YOUR TURN

ENJOY
JL&B

TODAY IS C

2011-04-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

Choices.

There will come a time, you will see, one day,
the character you become by your choices today.

Left will bring rain, who's knows for how long,
does that mean a right is sunny and strong?

Look deep in your choice, leave nothing unturned,
for sunny and strong may mean you get burned!

And how 'bout that rain, in ark are you bound
or is it to find you break in new ground?

Sometimes the dark storms seem a hard choice to make,
you learn life's tough lessons through fire and earthquake.

You make your choices, which with you learn lessons,
some are forgiving, others keep you guessin'.

With each little choice your character builds...
will you live in a gutter or your dreams be fulfilled?

Its how well you stand after any mistake,
the breathtaking moments, not breaths that you take.

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

4. Make a list of seven words that have the same vowel sounds (like bee, treat, pepperoni, eagle) and use them in a repetitive way throughout a poem.

OUR WORDS ARE...
conceal, appeal, reveal, kneel, feel, heal, wheel, real, steal, steel, surreal, genteel

OURS IS...

You must reveal, not conceal, the way you feel,
for it is real ,the squeaky wheel has more appeal,
your knees are steel, learn to kneel, then you heal,
So here's the deal, be genteel, make life surreal !

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

TODAY IS SUNDAY

2011-04-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

So we dont get to post our C yet... that will be tomorrow

in the mean time if you havent joined up on the A-Z challenge

we highly reccomend you do, it really is a blast !

Even if you dont write in it,

read in it !

The blogs we are following prompts from today are...

http://onestoppoetry.com/

and our other blog of course

http://dodgewrites.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there too...

ENJOY

JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

3. Write a poem that is really a love letter to an old flame. To make sure it’s doesn’t slip into sappy make sure one or more of these words is in the poem: dung beetle, politician, nuclear, exoskeleton, oceanography, pompadour, toilet.THIS SHOULD BE FUN.... lets see...OK OURS IS...

I saw you yesterday,

though I doubt you noticed,

you were in a fountain

or was it a toilet...

I remembered us then...

me, oceanography,

you, nuclear politician,

those were the days, weren't they...

my exoskeleton?

it softened just a bit,

looking at your pompadour

being taken back to ...

Then it hit me, square on,

the way we left it, us...

what a dung beetle !!

I ought to thank you...

NAH...stay in your fountain !

LOL.. The things we think of , I mean REALLY !!!
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

TODAY IS B

2011-04-02T05:12:00.000-07:00

Butterfly cinquain

(a nine-line syllabic form with the pattern two, four, six, eight, two, eight, six, four, two.)

Beauty

belongs to you

beckons to feel your touch

bewitched by the glow in your eyes

breathless as the sound of your voice lingers

brilliance

blossoms as your smile lights the day

building gateways to love

bridges of your

beauty

YOUR TURN

ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

2. Write about a poem about a superhero coming to your house and confronting you about something. Somewhere in the poem, you have to state what your superpower is.

UNDERDOG

He swooped into our livingroom
where sweet Polly Purebred cried
for if she was in trouble
he would not be denied

He thought it was his duty
to keep wrong-do-ers at bay
but he was quite mistaken
of what went on that day

Sweet Polly Purebred wasn't in peril
As Underdog had wrongly thought
but my superpower of sewing
got her out of her rough spot

She tangled her knitted sweater
and pulled each stitch out
But Underdog didnt know
that was what she screamed about

LOL
YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

Today is A

2011-04-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

April Fools

April first is the day,
Pranksters come out to play.
Run amuck and have some fun,
Induce some laughter in someone.
Let your tied up hair down too,

Find something to lift the blue.
Offer up a giggle fair,
Or have a day without a care.
Lets be a child in some little way,
Smile a while, its APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!!

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B

NaPoWriMo: 30 NEW Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month 2011

2011-04-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

1. Grab the closest book. Go to page 29. Write down 10 words that catch your eye. Use 7 of words in a poem. For extra credit, have 4 of them appear at the end of a line.

Our closest book is Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen and on page 29 the words that caught our eye are...
LIPSTICK, DAMPENED, APPROCHED, ESTIMATE, SOUR, MOUND, SQUEAKING, FLOPPED, EFFORT, ODOR

We have chose to do ours in the form of a Nonet...
OURS IS ...

There was no effort as he approched,
dampened by the rain, shoes squeaking,
he flopped his mound next ot her,
a sour odor rose...
by her estimate
her pink lipstick
turned grey
just like...
THAT !

LOL , the things that come to our mind !

YOUR TURN
ENJOY
JL&B