I. last light
a slow breath
lingering light
slips into night
II. last jasmine
the last bit
of jasmine blooms
pearly white
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Image: San Giorgio Maggiore, Twilight – Claude Monet, WikiArt.org
Words: senryu, haiku, c.b.w. 2016
Part of the 2016 April Poem A Day Challenge (via Poetic Asides on Writer’s Digest) for the April 13 prompt: last (blank).
I haven’t always been huge on the holiday filled with red, pink (my least favorite color), teddy bears and large monkeys, but I do love love. There is something magical about someone accepting and adoring you for who you are no matter what. My husband is that man for me and I don’t need a holiday to appreciate all he does for me because I thank my lucky stars each and every day that he remains by my side.
Okay, I’m done being all mushy. Being the fangirl I am (see The Authograph Ninja), I can’t help but have a little fun. While real life love is the best thing out there, I am a sucker for TV couples from some of my favorite shows. Here are my favorites:
Jim and Pam from The Office
Best TV Kiss Ever!
Sheldon and Amy from The Big Bang Theory
Most Awkward TV Kiss
Mary Margaret and David (or their alter egos Snow and Prince Charming) from Once Upon A Time
TVs Best Fairy Tale Kiss
And just for fun, a few from the movies:
Edward and Bella
Best. Couple. Ever
Ron and Hermione
Long Overdue, but Worth It!
Ariel and Prince Eric
Kiss the Girl!
Peter Parker and Mary Jane
Best Superhero Kiss
Of course, there are a slew more that I love, but these popped into my head first. Happy Valentine’s Day to my family, friends, and readers! May your day be filled with love and joy.
What are your favorite couples?
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c.b. 2012
I’m usually a very dedicated blogger averaging around three to four posts a week. Sometimes, however, life catches up to me and tears me away from the computer. Over the next few days, I’ll be taking a little breather from blogging in order to catch up on the following:
1) Delivering hundreds and hundreds of canned food to my school’s food bank headquarters. My classes really pulled together and collected a giant pile of food items for this year’s food drive. At the moment, we have 521 cans. There’s still four hours until the deadline, too! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: my students rock!
2) Baking 80 cupcakes. Part of the reason my students contributed so much to the food drive was because they wanted homemade cupcakes and a movie day. I haven’t done the math yet to figure out just how many boxes of cake mix and icing I will need! Yikes! All weekend, I’ll be slaving over the oven, (its worth it!).
3) Visiting family. My aunt flew into to town this week and I haven’t had a chance to see her. She’s one of my favorite people in this world and I can’t wait to give her a hug.
4) Twilighting with all the other geeks. I’ve made no secret that I’m a Twilight fan and today it’s all about Breaking Dawn: Part I. A bunch of friends and my sister will be joining me for a late night showing of the latest Twilight film. To get good seats, we’re going to the theater two hours early to wait in line. It sounds awful, but to a Twilight fan there’s nothing better than hanging out with other fans. I vow to give in to my inner geek and have a great time!
5) Everything else. Aside from the first four, there’s cleaning the house, laundry, my mother-in-law’s birthday, grocery shopping, and getting the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (Breaking Dawn is on the cover!). Ahhhh!
Of course, sometimes I tell myself I’m going to take a break and then I can’t help myself. We’ll see how long I last! Today, I’m going to try and catch up on answering comments – I’m sorry for not answering right away. Thank you readers! You are the best!
c.b. 2011
In A Nice Surprise, I stated that I have a knack for getting autographs and it got me thinking about all the signatures I’ve collected over the years. A friend recently called me a “ninja” and I think she might be right, especially after receiving the latest addition to my collection.
My collection includes a variety of autographs, but not all come from household names. Like everything else I collect (books, rocks, etc), every signature means something to me on one level or another. Gathering autographs is all about connecting to people who have inspired me or have had a positive influence in my life. They are all attached to memories, beautiful moments, and sometimes life-altering experiences.
It wasn’t easy to find all my autographs, but I did manage to locate the vast majority. Many autographs are personalized to me, so in order to safeguard my identity I’ve blotted out my real name. Sorry about the fuzzy areas, but it had to be done! To save space, a number of photos have been made into thumbnails, but one click will enlarge them to full size.
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This week, I hit what I consider to be the mother lode of autographs because I never thought I could get Stephanie Meyer to sign my books. She is rather reclusive and her fame is a bit out of my league. However, through a brilliant stroke of luck I found myself in contact with a link in a chain that lead directly to her. I sent my Twilight series and The Host down the chain and hoped for the best. In just a few days, my books came back to me signed!
Along with the books, I sent a letter to thank her for the pivotal, even if inadvertent, role she played in the completion of my novel. After failing three times to get a first draft off the ground, I was ready to give up. I needed a kick in the butt and my mother gave it to me through an aptly timed phone call. After reading an article on Meyer in the local newspaper, she told me, “If Stephanie Meyer can do it, so can you.” In a strange twist of fate, that phone call came just as I was about to leave to catch the Twilight movie on opening night. The next day I started writing my novel (again) and didn’t stop until I finished it. While I have a village of people to thank for supporting me during the writing process, my mother and Stephanie Meyer both helped to wake up my muse. Needless to say, these autographs mean the world to me.
Keeping with Twilight, I’ve also stumbled upon a couple more signatures related to the series. Peter Facinelli (left) came to me through a set of collector’s cards for the first Twilight movie. The autograph was included in a collector edition binder I got through amazon.com (before the craze went haywire). As for Justin Chon (right), I met him at a Twilight event a week before Eclipse opened in theaters. Both were dumb luck!
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During a trip to China, I had the honor of meeting Yu Hua, an author who writes novels that deal with the Cultural Revolution and Chinese culture, (most notably To Live and Chronicles of a Blood Merchant). His stories are intense journeys in to the human experience and explore complex emotions within families and friendships. In Beijing, I got the rare opportunity to hear him speak in a small group setting. For two hours, he discussed his writing process, the challenges of writing in a country that censors everything with great scrutiny, and the power of words and creativity. When I see his autograph, it reminds me how lucky I am to be a writer who has the freedom to write without penalty or restriction. Despite the obstacles he often faces, he is a true example of how writing can set the soul free.
– – –
Back in 2007, I attended The Office Convention in Scranton, PA. The stars seemed to align during the whole weekend as I found myself almost constantly in the company of cast members, writers, and producers. While a fan’s ultimate dream, the convention and the people I encountered had life-altering effects that still impact me today. Throughout Seasons 3 and 4, I wrote a series of posts on The Office message boards that analyzed each episode and a friend of mine brought them to the attention of one of the producers. He liked what I wrote so much, he personally presented me with a cast-signed Season 3 DVD set. Furthermore, he invited me for a one-on-one encounter with the writers of the show. For close to an hour, I got to rub elbows with some of the most creative and amazing writers in the industry. During this event, the same producer introduced me as a writer. It was the first time anyone had ever given me that distinction and it changed my life. Every time I sit down to write, I try to live up to the title of “Writer.”
The Office is a big reason why I started writing after a very long dry spell, so these autographs serve as a monument not only to fandom, but also as a constant reminder that I must keep writing. One day I hope to send a published copy of my novel to the producer who gave me such a wonderful gift.
1.Steve Carell 2.Leslie David Baker* 3.Mindy Kaling* 4.Rainn Wilson 5.Oscar Nunez* 6.Paul Lieberstein 7.Brian Baumgartner 8.John Krasinski 9.Angela Kinsey* 10.Jenna Fischer 11.Kate Flannery* 12.B.J. Novak* 13.Ed Helms* 14. Phyllis Smith* 15.Creed Bratton*
*I got a second personalized autograph from these cast members when I met them at the convention.
In addition, many of the writers, other producers, supporting actors, and even the creators of the show were kind enough to sign my autograph scrapbook.
Left to right: Gene Stupnitsky, Justin Spitzer and Mindy Kaling / Bobby Ray Shafer / Kent Zbornak / Andy Buckley
Left to Right: Craig Robinson / Michael Schur / Greg Daniels, Lester Lewis
When I got home from the convention, I had another little surprise waiting for me in the mailbox. Jenna Fischer answered my letter and returned an item I asked her to autograph.
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There’s even more after the jump . . .
Over on Thinking of Rob, they are trying to help out a member of the TOR community who recently fell on hard times. Her husband suffered a serious injury and unfortunately it occurred during a lapse in their health insurance. As if the pain wasn’t enough, the medical bills are piling up fast. To help out, TOR is taking donations and holding an auction to raise money. The auction is full of amazing items donated by the TOR community and beyond. Please head over to bid on some great items and help out someone who could really use the support.
I’m not kidding when I say they’ve got some great items! Here’s just a small list of what’s up for auction:
There is so much more, too! Bidding is as simple as leaving a comment. For more information visit Auctions for Shannon. The auction will continue through September 23, 2011 so keep watching for new items and bidding opportunities. Hope to see you there!
c.b. 2011
C.B. Wentworth 