Last Friday my daughter came home from workshop at NOCCA (www.nocca.com) on cloud nine. Their creative writing class had a guest writer leading workshop, Carolyn Hembree who is a noted poet from New Orleans, and Ms.Hembree complimented daughter's poetry. The report I got was that, "Oh. My. God. Carolyn Hembree said she LOVED my poem and that my writing reminds her of the way she wrote at my age"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile my sister (www.dianarowland.com/weblog/) who won a Writers of the Future contest and just returned from her award ceremony in San Diego, is being interviewed on the local public broadcasting station today. This was arranged by "her publicist". (Yes, she just loves using that phrase).

So,

I am not even going to try and compete with those two ladies and am going to cheat with another one of Reverend Mother's Memes:
____________________________________________________________
Got blog?

www.journalscape.com/sherry


What gives you joy?

Simple joy: Browsing the pattern books at the fabric store.
Profound joy: Floating in the pool while the birds are singing and the bats are catching mosquitos above my head at dusk with the stars beginning to show their twinkle.
Vocational joy: Seeing a new mother become at ease with her baby.
Avocational joy: Knitting
Vicarious joy: Underdogs winning at the Olympics
Quotidian joy: Folding, feeling, smelling warm laundry from the dryer


What is your favorite sound?

Wind. All types: soft wind in the tops of the pines, wind through open car windows, wind in my face when rollerblading or biking, salty winds of the beach, cool strong wind of an afternoon thunderstorm and even strong, awe inspiring locomotive winds of hurricanes,


Describe a perfect day in your world.

Wake up rested. Husband takes 30 minutes for his ablutions leaving my time for a 15 minute soaking bath. Children awake spontaneously, get dressed appropriately without complaint including socks and shoes, husband and kids feed themselves a healthy breakfast, delicious lunches spontaneously appear in their correct lunch boxes, children get into the car to leave without being asked and without any arguments, no tractors mowing the ditches on the way to school, no line at Starbucks after dropping kids at their respective schools, office fully but no over booked with appreciative parents and funny kids, husband grills dinner and children clean up the dishes without being asked, children practice piano and do their homework without complaint, peaceful bedtimes occur and I have time to read a novel before bed. Yeah. Right.


What do you hope to hear once you reach the pearly gates?

Your friends are waiting for you.


You have up to 15 words: what would you put on your tombstone?

Uninterrupted sleep, at last


What color do you prefer your pen?

Purple.


What magazines do you subscribe to?

Smithsonian, National Geographic, TIME, Vogue Knitting, Southern Living, Discover, Ranger Rick, Cricket, Marvel Comics, Indian


Why are you cool?

If true it is because I don't dress like a grownup, I have a job that lets me play, I don't tolerate bullshit in my life, I love to travel and actually often do, I love my children and my husband passionately and I love to be alone.


What is one of your favorite memories?

Taking a midday nap under the Aspens in Ten Sleep, Wyoming after getting up at dawn to begin a 3 day backpacking trip at age 14. There were no adults on the trip.


Got a funny story?

Many. I married a man who had laugh lines at age 30. I knew when I saw those wrinkles that serious me needed this man to stay in my life.



What is something you want to achieve this year? This decade? This lifetime?

This year: all 4 months that are left: Complete my continuing education for last year and start/finish this year's.
This decade: Retire from private practice, get a Masters in Public Health, start a new phase of my career that will not involve scheduling around my children's activities/lives.
This lifetime: Travel the world with my husband and have fun doing it.