REFLECTING ON MY WRITING LIFE IN 2008

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

REFLECTING ON MY WRITING LIFE IN 2008

 

     A time for reflection, both backwards and forwards.
     December is the time to take a look backward. This was done in my Christmas letter written to family and far-distant friends, which I dared post on Christmas Eve (CHRISTMAS LETTER 2008). A response to that risk brought a celebration of my writing life to a glorious end for 2008 when I received an immediate, surprising response. More on that later. I  think tonight I will focus on the writing aspect of the past year, since it that is where I have concentrated much of my effort.
     Publication was NOT in the cards for me in 2008, although I did manage

SHOULD THIS HOUSE HAVE SOLD AT A TAX SALE?

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

SHOULD THIS HOUSE HAVE SOLD AT A TAX SALE?

And an 86-year old woman displaced after 60 years in her home

     Sixty years. Almost all of my life, and all but sixteen years of Dolly Silbaugh’s life.
     That’s how long Silbaugh has lived in her home on the Farmington Ohiopyle Road, Wharton Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. During that time she raised four children. Today, she is homebound there.
     All it will take now, to remove her from her home, is a signature on a deed. A signature that will make the transaction legal, since, in October, the house was

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2008

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2008

2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

The best Christmas gift

is “YOU,” yourself.

Give generously.

 

Below is a copy of the annual Christmas letter that our family writes each year.

     FROM MONTE: It’s been a busy year, even though I’m retired. I’ve spent a lot of time at home, watching a lot of football and hockey on TV, but I’ve also visited a number of people.
     My 2007 Christmas present to my children fell through as the outdoor Pittsburgh Penguin-Buffalo Sabres hockey game in Buffalo on New Year’s Day sold out before I could get tickets. We went to Buffalo anyway, to attend the funeral of our nephew, Todd Jay. I participated in the service, and Nolan read scripture. The funeral home and church were

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: 2008 STYLE

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: 2008 STYLE

     
     2008 is the twenty-fourth year that PNC has calculated the cost of gifts given on the twelve days of Christmas. The background of this story is in two previous posts.
     An explanation of the song: Most people assume that the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” is secular music. They are surprised to learn it was written for

TYPES OF ABUSE

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

TYPES OF ABUSE

     “Can anyone here define the word abuse?” I asked.
     The table was filled with a core group of persons hoping to improve their community and their skills in lifting up others by participating as a member of the board of directors in the newly formed Family Support Program. The focus of this organization was to prevent child abuse by healing parents of the effects of their own childhood abuse.
     However, at this, our first meeting, the only response I had from the people who wanted to stop abuse in their community was blank stares. I hadn’t realized how desperately these persons were to do a task that they couldn’t define. How could they help prevent something that they knew was wrong, but could not define? I discovered that I had my work cut out for me.
     Since the Children’s Trust Fund grant was directed towards prevention of child abuse, I delineated six definitions that focused on that topic.
     PHYSICAL NEGLECT occurs when a child is not sheltered, clothed or fed adequately.
     PHYSICAL ABUSE often, but not

Dear SANTA from COCHRAN

COCHRAN’S SHENANIGANS

Dear SANTA from COCHRAN

Written by Cochran Cornell the cantankerous cockroach. If you haven’t met him yet click on HI! I’M COCHRAN! NICE TO MEET Y’ALL! (in the  folder Cochran’s Shenanigans (in the category list on this blog) for an introduction and to read more of his articles.

NOTE: Cochran used some pretty unusual words in his letter to Santa. Perhaps the cockroach is attempting to challenge human beings. Strange words (starred) are defined at the end of the letter. This was Cochran’s letter to Santa in 2007. Watch for his 2008 letter.

Dear Santa,
     I cannot believe I’m stooping so low as to write to you, a round belly fat guy claiming to deliver gifts to all the children in the world in a reindeer-driven sIeigh. To add insult to injury, we are expected to

SANTA IS DEAD!

COCHRAN’S SHENANIGANS

SANTA IS DEAD!

     SANTA IS DEAD! (or he will be if he doesn’t give up his idiotic planned travel on Christmas eve).
     OK, all you gullible people out there, it’s time to write your annual letter to Santa Claus.
     But do you really believe Santa Claus really exists? It’s a cadgy idea, but how do you think Santa accomplishes his

THE WRITING LIFE CONTINUES

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE WRITING LIFE CONTINUES    

 

     When I wrote THE WRITING LIFE: There’s a World Out There? I had just completed a historical journal article, and found I needed to renumber the footnotes. A simple task. However, I discovered I had numourous errors, including having two items footnoted in my article but not locatable in my list. Thus, I was unable to complete editing the footnotes before Thanksgiving. Sad, since one of my landmarks was to