Inktober 2020 - Days 1 - 3

Yes, I am attempting 31 drawings in 31 days again this year. I've decided to follow the official inktober prompt list and I'm adding a little more color now and then. I didn't follow a prompt list last year and, given that there are so many good prompt lists to pick from, I decided to go with the original.

For more information about the inktober challenge, I recommend going straight to the source at inktober.com.

Day 1 - FISH

Day 2 - WISP

Day 3 - BULKY

Hello... it's been a while.

We are almost at the end of September and I realize I haven't posted here since June. This pandemic continues to confound. It's been a little over six months...

Greg and I are still basically self-quarantined in our home. I am working remote full time (and very grateful for my current employment). We take turns walking Atticus at least three times a day and I have gone into the office a handful of times to handle physical logistics. Besides that... a trip to the post office to drop off cards and letters... a trip to the pharmacy to pick up Greg's prescriptions... a couple of groomer appointments to keep Atty from becoming Cousin It and a drive to the park now and then to remember that there is still a world more than a couple of blocks from our front door. We are fortunate to be able to have our groceries delivered (and to be able to afford that) and it's good that we cohabitate well.

Six months.

The next few posts will feature some poetry and artwork I've worked on since June. I'll try to present more content more often... I sincerely hope you and all you hold dear are well and finding the light and love and happiness in life.

With kindness,
Lettie

National Poetry Month - April 5, 2020

Today's color: White
(Commentary below poem...)

For those who do not know me, I was born with a cleft lip and palate in 1969. I was in and out of facial reconstructive surgery every other year of my childhood having at total of 14 operations between the ages of 3 months and 16 years. I was reminded sharply of that when walking Atticus this morning in one of the masks we had left over from Greg's liver transplant recovery days. The anxiety I have been feeling regarding the pandemic was made even worse by a sudden memory of going home from Children's Hospital -- clutching my mother's hand while waiting for the train at Reading Terminal Station; trying to bury my face against her side and away from the eyes of others.

The demons never die...I've just learned to acknowledge their lessons, be grateful for the wisdom and strength those lessons have given me and to stab at the devils with my pen now and then.

Be safe, be well and don't be afraid to take care of yourself however you need to...

Benefits of Staying at Home...

Since last Tuesday (3/17/20), I have been fortunate enough to be working, playing and staying sequestered at home. With Greg being among the high risk demographic (immuno-suppressant medication, kidney damage and... well... he is turning 60 in June), both he an I are relieved and feeling very much blessed to be in what we realize is a much better position than a lot of our fellow Americans. Our hearts go out to all the world and we pray for guidance on how we might help from our sheltered position.

That being said: when the going gets tough, the tough BAKE!

No eggs? No problem. The following Early American Brown Brown recipe is from Where's Mom Now That I Need Her by Betty Rae Frandsen, Kathryn J. Frandsen and Kent P. Frandsen. It's easy and I've made it successfully with nothing but all-purpose flour in the past. It's a dense bread with a touch of sweetness. Enjoy!

Early American Brown Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed (I used light brown sugar)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar (I used white vinegar)

Mix whole wheat flour, white flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar; let stand for 10 minutes. Stir milk gradually into flour mixture until well blended. Spoon batter into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

Caught in Christmas Music

The distant thumps of a tight bodhrán punctuate

the gaiety of a playful tin whistle as I,

lost in reverie, stand amid the frigid wind 

sweeping snow across a stony causeway

as rabbits watch dried leaves glide and swoop

from their shelter under a clump of yews.

Breathing comfortably,

content to linger in this pristine white world,

     I jump, 

suddenly startled by the shriek of a desk phone

and I realize where I am--

staring at a spreadsheet of never-ending data...

             sitting in a different kind of cold.

The definition of inauthentic as per Merriam-Webster: being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud.

Being inauthentic...it is why I lose so much energy while I'm at work. It's not that I intend to commit fraud. It is that being (figuratively) tied to a desk to enrich the profitability a corporation is not being true to who I am and what it is I believe I am here in this life to accomplish. For years I've made the excuse that I need to pay bills -- that it is "safer" to hold down a 9 to 5 job. I am expanding my definition of "safe" in 2020. I will stand in the wind and watch rabbits...

A Challenge Met!

Well, it has taken me until the middle of November to get this posted but I did complete the Inktober 2019 challenge on time - one inking per day from Oct.1 to Oct. 31. I didn't follow the official (or any other) prompt list but I may next year. We'll see. For those who supported me through it all on Instagram and Twitter, thank you so much. And, of course, thank you to all who visit me here.

I decided not to push for anything in particular for November but am very much looking forward to the Zentangle Project Pack No.7 beginning December 2019. Maybe I should tangle a bit more in preparation...

The remaining drawings from the Inkober 2019 Challenge:

Catching up...

I've been incommunicado here, letting my non-verbal side do the talking for a little while. I took up the 31-day Inktober challenge this year and have been posting on Instagram (letitiaminnick) and Twitter (@MinnickLetitia). Below are the sketches from day 1 through 11. I'll be working on today's ink a little later and I'll try to remember to post it here too. ;)

2019... and it begins again.

I never really leave The Rogue Nun. Or rather... she never really leaves me. She sits in her current incarnation until I come around to myself again or... until she finds a new guise to adorn for yet another trip out of the ashes. For now, I've changed her look (the photo was taken in Shakespeare's Garden, Central Park NY years ago) and I have some ideas brewing as well as a few irons already in the fire.

It's Spring and a fitting time to begin again... stay tuned. ;)

All my love and appreciation. ~Lettie

Waiting for Tea [Tanka]

It is my routine to walk my little white dog every morning possible. With the hurricanes threatening the coast, we decided to brave the fog and threat of rain in this morning's early hour, thinking it might be our only window of opportunity for walkies today. An umbrella is too cumbersome with the flashlight, leash, etc. and it was too warm for a slicker so we set out fully embracing the possibility that we might get soaked.

But we didn't... funny thing too. We took the short route around the elementary school -- very close to home and more than halfway lined with trees. It was a stroll through damp misty fog until we got to the first set of trees. Then a cloud burst. We kept walking but the trees shielded us from the rain until we got to end of the tree line... and it stopped raining. We walked in the damp misty fog again and came to the next set of trees... and another cloud burst. It stopped raining again as we came to the end of that tree line. In the end, we could have really gotten wet but we came home relatively dry and I had to laugh.

Was is luck? Coincidence? God? My own acceptance that I could get wet but didn't really want to so my will created the optimal conditions? It doesn't matter... I think we as humans tend to get too caught up in the causes of things. It just IS and I am grateful for the experience regardless of the reason. I don't think luck or coincidence has the ability to care and I believe God understands my line of thinking.  So... thank you to what and whomever. ;)


Waiting for Tea

Early morning rain
and a rabbit's silhouette.
Watching each other,
neither move in the dampness--
fully immersed and steeping.


Choose to be happy. Experience peace. Know that you are loved. ~Lettie

Mourning Meds

Back at the end of June I made the decision to get up every morning at 4 - 4:30 and commit to a (flexible) morning routine. I needed a good kick in the pants to get out of the funk I was in and realized that my greatest flaw was my lack of commitment to self. I was going good guns until August hit and the flying monkeys in my head began screeching again. The morning routine became fraught with interruptions, doubts, and depression. I didn't stop altogether but the flow was... impeded.

This past Thursday morning, I settled myself down for a 5 minute guided meditation and had a small breakthrough... I have been pushing, dealing with ordeal after ordeal, fear after fear for so long that I've built up a substantial energy blockage - a powder-keg of emotion that won't blow (I won't allow for that, control freak that I am) but one that really needs a little relief. Five minutes of actual internal silence works better than you might think for emotional release... and poetic inspiration. ;)

Mourning Meds
Sitting still,
I allowed myself to be guided
into silence.

When she told me to "breathe mindfully,"
I heard "grieve" instead of "breathe"
and so I did.


Choose to be happy. Experience peace. Know that you are loved. ~Lettie

A Letter...

Hello,

Yes, it HAS been a long time since my fingers have spoken here at TRN. The last... oh, decade has been challenging, enlightening, fulfilling... humbling. Now, at 49, I believe I am finally waking up to all that has happened with all the (sometimes overwhelming) feelings that go with this kind of awareness. Maybe it's mid-life crisis... maybe it is the nervous breakdown everyone seems to be waiting for me to have... it doesn't matter. Some VERY old demons have came back to bite me in the last two years and I've stared them down and continue to move forward in spite of them. I can't say they've gone away. I'm not sure they ever really will. What matters is that I'm here now, my feet are on the ground, and I bring what I've learned with me.

So... as I turn yet another page in the tome that is my life I return to The Rogue Nun. I can't imagine the fundamentals will change all that much but who knows? If you still follow after all this "quiet" time, thank you. If I have not returned an email or a comment and I've offended, upset, and/or disappointed you, I apologize. I make no promises. In truth, TRN is about me and my need for a space to express myself however selfish that may sound. And still, I do care about everyone. I mean that. I envision hugging the planet daily and one of my greatest joys is encouraging others and helping them find the beauty in themselves and in what they create. My name, Letitia, means "beloved" or "one who brings joy." In Old Spanish, it was the word for "happiness." I do my best to live up to the name I've been given even on my darkest days. What turns up in TRN isn't always happy or encouraging but the "me" behind it is always shining and wants nothing more than for you to shine too.

Again, thank you. Thank you for being here, for reading, for the connection. I am more grateful than I can say.

With much love,
Lettie

Spring Cleaning (albeit a might early)

It amazes me still... how easy it is for me to set myself aside. I marvel at my ability to sit tucked in a corner with my arms around my knees waiting for the "responsible me" to look away from the demands of everyday living long enough to realize I need some attention.

Is it patience... or depression?

Is it being an accountable grownup... or simply avoiding how I really feel? All I can say definitively is that my poetry has suffered and that needs to end.

I've changed the blog's theme to a clean green and removed a small bit of clutter. Taking a breath, I unwrap my arms from around my legs and stand up. I freely admit I'm a bit shaky but I have managed to take a step out from the corner... only time will tell if I'm able to walk to the center of the room.

Some (rather big) News...

On May 7, 2017 my significant other of over 18 years received a life saving liver transplant by the grace of all that is divine and the unmeasureable generosity and kindness of a brilliant soul who has now passed from this life. Greg and I are both beyond grateful and cannot adequately express our thanks to Greg's donor, to his donor's family and friends, to the entire staff at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania, to all of his doctors and staff here in the Lehigh Valley (especially interventional radiology), and to all the family, friends, and complete strangers who have sent positivity and prayers for Greg and for me over these very difficult seven years. Please keep the light shining... I can attest that miracles happen regardless of what you believe or don't believe spiritually. Quite simply, during the eleven days I spent with Greg at HUP as he received and subsequently recovered from transplant surgery things happened that were too serendipitous, too strange in some ways, to simply dismiss as anything but inspired. Thank you.

Greg is recovering well and, although recovery isn't easy and there is still a long road ahead, he remains positive and grateful and steadfast in his assertion to make the most of this second chance at life.

As for me... as Greg's main caregiver, this life changing experience has been exhausing physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Without my own personal take on faith, I would not have managed to endure this far. In truth, I still struggle to keep my feet under me. My nerves are more than a little frayed and I am in serious need to smell the ocean air and feel the seaside sun on my skin (something I intend to make happen very soon). I have continued to write poetry throughout this "ordeal" and will be posting most of the poems as I make the time to do so. Some posts may seem a little dark but I hope by posting the truth of what I feel in any given situation will shed some light on what this existance looks like from behind my eyes and may resonate with others who are in the midst of their own afflictions. It is my path to help others. It is my mission to heal through poetry... myself... and my world.

Again, thank you.

With gratitude, love, and a hope for peace,
Lettie

South Carolina June 17, 2015

         --Mourning the loss of those at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church

What kind of hate
born from what possible womb of fear
could sit seething for an hour
in the company of such loving souls
and not be swayed from its murderous mission?


May we find the strength to turn this bloody tide... may we face our fears, embrace our differences, and see our way to love one another.

[Untitled Haiku]

After the thunder 
in the dark, a flower blooms 
on the broken twig. 


After a long absence and without fanfare or explanation, I've decided to "officially" discontinue the Monday Musings prompts. It is enough for me to begin writing again... Thank you always for your care and encouragement. ~Lettie 

Graham Joyce (October 22, 1954 - September 9, 2014)

It is with great sadness that I post the loss of another beautiful voice. I believe Greg said it much better than I could in is G+ post earlier this morning:

"Graham Joyce, the talented speculative fiction author I first posted about in April of this year has died of lymphatic cancer.  Graham was a winner of the British fantasy award six times in his career.  He was a Twitter friend and an inspiration to me both as someone living through a terminal disease and a writer.  His insights into the human psyche can be found on his blog at: http://www.grahamjoyce.co.uk 

His latest book and much of his work can be found on Amazon.  If you are a fan of hauntings, horrors, and the nature of man, you owe it to yourself to read Graham Joyce." 

~G. W. Huber, G+ ,Shared publicly  -  9/13/14 2:51 AM  #Books

Please also see The Guardian's article on Graham: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/10/graham-joyce-fantasy-author-dies-aged-59

May there be many hugs in heaven...

Monday Musings: May 26, 2014 - Image Prompt

Prompt:

What to do: Write, film, compose, draw, paint, or otherwise express yourself based on the image above. If you are open to sharing, just put a link to your inspired creation in the comments section of this post.

Prompt inspired by: The Keystone Wounded Warriors
From their website:

"Keystone Wounded Warriors is a Eastern Pennsylvania based 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation that seeks to honor the daily sacrifices made by the brave men and women in all branches of the United States Military, but specifically those wounded on or after September 11, 2001. Keystone Wounded Warriors aids Wounded Warriors by raising public awareness and seeking the public’s support for programs and services that assist Wounded Warriors. Funds donated to Keystone Wounded Warriors are used to support local post-9/11 veterans and their families located in or with ties to Pennsylvania. The remaining funds are donated to national post-9/11 wounded veterans organizations.

Our warriors do an awe inspiring job in the face of their disabilities and difficulties transitioning into civilian life through dedication and commitment. Keystone Wounded Warriors strives to ease the burden on these heroes through focus in three major areas... Financially... Physically... Mentally..." 

Favoring peace above all else does not prevent me from having immense appreciation and respect for those who serve in our armed forces. It is not those who serve but the political agenda of those who order those who serve with whom I take issue. Especially now, in the wake of this horrific VA scandal, our military men, women and families need and deserve our help. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day...

National Poetry Month 2014 - A Commentary

Trying to prepare for a month of poetry was a challenge for me even before the powers that be decided to play with me a bit more than usual. Without a home computer (or a working water heater and a sick man and a very sick dog) for these last few weeks, I've found myself at the mercy of my own frustration -- not meeting my goals for myself and my writing -- and realize I need to let myself "off the hook" as forces WAY beyond my control wreck havoc on my well laid plans... not an easy feat for this little control freak but I am maturing. ;)

So... it's April and National Poetry Month. Rather than beat myself bloody over not getting prompts up, I've decided to refocus my efforts and let some already established sites do the hard work of inspiring others (at least for now). If you are interested in where I've gotten some of my ideas through the years, here are some of my "go to" links when I'm looking for inspiration. Enjoy!

Poetry Super Highway
PSH is currently featuring a Poetry Writing Prompt-A-Day for National Poetry Month.
http://poetrysuperhighway.com/psh/a-poetry-writing-prompt-a-day/

Poets&Writers
"The Time Is Now" offers a weekly prompt all year 'round for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative-NonFiction writers.
http://www.pw.org/writing-prompts-exercises

Writer's Digest
Currently running the 2014 April PAD Challenge.
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetry-prompts

The Found Poetry Review
Offers a weekly prompt.
http://www.foundpoetryreview.com/category/poetry-prompts/

Language is a Virus
Would you believe a random writing prompt generator?
http://www.languageisavirus.com/writing_prompts.html

From Our House to Yours...

May you find peace this night... and may every day forward be filled with good health and happiness.

Yes, that is our living room (photo taken tonight)... Merry Christmas everyone. ~Lettie

Back in Black (Print that is...)

I am very happy to announce that my poem, "A Memory of Madrid" has been selected to be one of the works included in the newly released anthology Ekphrastia Gone Wild: Poems Inspired by Art (Ain't Got No Press, 2013). The collection features 87 poets from around the globe, including the Nobel Prize winning poet Wislawa Szymborska (click here for the complete list of contributors).

To make an already exciting celebration that much more thrilling, there is (dare I say it) a "movement" to bring Ekphrastia Gone Wild to the attention of every 9th and 10th Grade English teacher in the United States. With the new Common Core Educational Standard being adopted by schools all over the country, there is one requiring 9th and 10th graders to examine a poem alongside a work of art that inspired it and I personally feel (no bias here, mind you) Ekphrastia Gone Wild: Poems Inspired by Art would fit the bill quite nicely (see: English Language Arts Standards » Grade 9-10 » 7 ).The idea that these poems could be included as part of regular course study boggles my mind (in a good way).

If you have any connections to 9th and 10th grade English teachers, English department chairs and/or curriculum developers in your community and would like to help make this anthology an essential resource for their classes, please contact Rick Lupert at Ain't Got No Press (or me, if that is more comfortable for you).

I am honored to be a part of Ekphrastia Gone Wild: Poems Inspired by Art and humbly thank Rick in appreciation of his poetic efforts and vision. Please visit Poetry Superhighway as well as Lupert: It's The Website for more on this extremely talented and hilariously unique poet and editor.

To get your copy of Ekphrastia Gone Wild: Poems Inspired by Art, order directly through the Ain't Got No Press website or from Amazon.com.

And... thank you for all of your support. Without those of you who have believed in me (for quite a few years now), I wouldn't have the confidence to "put it all out there" (and here) in the first place. :)