Saturday, June 2, 2012

This & That



THE SEEDLING
By Janet Lavergne

I planted a little seedling
And watered it so it would grow
I talked softly into the pot
And waited for the plant to show.

I played everything on my stereo
From Bach to Brauhm’s lullaby
I urged the little seedling
“Come out and don’t be shy.”

One day I heard a rumble
The house began to shake
I wondered what was causing
That somewhat small earthquake

Out came that seedling
And he said with a grin
“Turn on the Rolling Stones!”
And promptly went back in.

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"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."  Mark Twain

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."  E.L. Doctorow

"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon."  E.L. Doctorow

"Read a lot, finding out what kind of writing turns you on, in order to develop a criterion for your own writing. And then trust it—and yourself."  Rosemary Daniell 

"Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the most. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out the window."  William Faulkner 

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12 comments:

  1. I laughed out loud reading the Rolling Stones line. Oh, that was wonderful. Classic...It's in the eye of the Beholder, huh? Love these quotes, Beth. I think my favorite may be ...not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." E.L. Doctorow Yep, I need a workshop on exactly that. Thank you Donna.

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    1. Hi Pam! I think that's my favorite quote out of this group as well.

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. Loved Janets Poem Donna. Great quotes.

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    1. Hi Diane! She hasn't read this post yet, so she has no idea that I've created this dedication to her. And now that my blog is being read in 18 different countries according to my latest stats, Janet's cute poem will also travel around the world...;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. Wonderful! The poem AND the quotes (and I, too, laughed at the Rolling Stones line, and loved the "feeling of being rained upon" the best).

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    1. Hi Beth! I know my sister will be please to hear you like her poem...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  4. I like your sister. We all need someone like her in our lives. Lord knows we have plenty of the other kind of people!

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    1. Hi Genevieve! I agree with you 100%...I've had more than my fair share of those OTHER kind of people in my life. I like my sister, too...I think I will keep her! ;-)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  5. DONNA! SHAME ON YOU! Making me tear up on a sunny day. You sneaky sneak. And it's a good thing that I never try to hide my age, because I don't know how many youngsters like the Stones today. A younger person would have used a more contemporary band. I remember writing this a while ago. Thank you and your blog readers for your kind words. I do not praise Donna's writing because she is my sister. Anyone who knows me, knows I would never be that "generous". Donna has always been a writer in spirit.And now that she is back to sharing her stories, you will see why she is praised. She may not think she deserves it, but she really does.THANKS!

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    1. No, dear sister, it is YOU who deserve a chance to bask in the warmth of being truly appreciated for the writer you are. I remember those days when we wrote jointly as well as apart and it was never your fault that I chose to quiet my writing voice for twenty years. It's hard sometimes to keep the light alive when those around you seek to crush your spirit. Thankfully, I might have been beaten down but didn't remain there. You gave me your poems and told me to use them as my own...I could not live with myself doing that and what better way to showcase the family "talent" than on my blog? ;0)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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