Dec 14, 2014 |
Saturday was the monthly meeting of the California Writers Club, High Desert Branch. I’ve been a member for just under two years and have been, well, no other word suffices ~ I have been blessed.
To be surrounded with a group of like-minded people who “get” the why of writing, who quote and embellish and say “Wait!” as we write a note on anything including our own skin if there’s no paper around ~ these are the people I live with and for.
The critique groups, salons, meetings, and friendships are more than I ever anticipated being a part of. And those are on the regular days.
The Wordsmiths Critique Group
Then there’s the special moments, like Saturday’s meeting. Our branch president, Dwight Norris, arranged for this month’s guest speaker to be none other than Charles Dickens . . . okay, so, obviously, not really, since the man’s been dead for nearly a hundred and fifty years.
Dwight Norris and Charles Dickens (Paul Jacques)
Our speaker, Paul Jacques, portrays Charles Dickens in the Riverside (CA) Dickens Festival each year. He regaled us with his performance filled with history, biographical information, Dickens quotes and readings, and all-around literary magic.
I was lucky enough (or just early enough) to get the front row center seat which enabled me to capture some memorable photos and video.
Molly Meets Dickens
As you’ll recall from the very few (okay, two) videos I’ve ever posted, I’m not exceptionally gifted in the video editing department. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this little blurb I put together.
And may God bless you, every one.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Some Christmas Trivia
Destination: Mission Inn Festival of Lights
How Bedford Manor Got Its Name
Jul 13, 2012 |
Those thunderstorms we’ve been waiting on? You know, once the ridiculously hot triple-digit weather wafted into something a tad bit cooler and stirred up the atmosphere with the confronting high/low pressure fronts…
Yeah. THOSE thunderstorms…
We had our first little taste overnight. At 3:06 a.m. Friday the 13th no less, I was awakened by one subtle roll. Soon after, a louder one, and a few minutes later, a third. But then it was quiet. The rains began gently, turning into a steady downpour but nothing horrific.
But today we’re on the map for several days of STORMS. And they’re coming. In case you doubt me, check out these fine photos!
From Weather.com 2:55 pm July 13, 2012
2:42 pm July 13, 2012.
2:44 pm July 13, 2012
2:45 pm July 13, 2012
I’ll be adding more as the storm front approaches… but for now, I’m reminiscent of a place called Kansas and a girl named Dorothy….
[UPDATE JULY 13, 2012 5:05 PM]
The Severe Weather Alert on my cell phone has been sounding off every half hour (or less). The Flash Flood warnings were originally extended to 4:45 pm. Then 5:00 pm. Now it’s up to 6:30 pm.
The clouds have broken a bit, there’s a touch of blue sky trying to peek through. But over the horizon, it looks more ominous. The birds are flocking to the feeder and bird bath like they’re attending Woodstock. And the breeze keeps kicking up now and then.
Looking forward to tonight. Once, that is, when Dot comes home. I don’t like her being on the road in inclement weather… but what mother does?
[UPDATE JULY 13, 2012 8:02 PM]
The Severe Weather Alert for Flash Flood Warnings has now been extended to 10:00 pm. The dark clouds are back, but I’ve yet to see any real rain fall.
I prefer the rain to fall during the day so I can watch it. When it’s dark, and there’s a flood warning, I worry about what it is I can’t see.
[UPDATE JULY 14, 2012, 9:07 AM]
The alerts kept going off. When I last checked my phone, the alerts had been extended until 11:00 pm last night, or possibly even later.
[Un]fortunately, nothing happened in my part of town. Not a drop. Not a flash of lightning nor roll of thunder. I woke up intermittently throughout the night, wondering what I might see and hear. It was like being in a sensory-deprivation tank… all that anticipation for naught.
And looking outside this morning, it’s a bright and sunny day. And it’s gonna stay that way.
Drats.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 13, 2011
I’m writing this a day early. I usually schedule my posts a day or two ahead of time, so this is not so noteworthy. Except the reasons I’m doing this, is we’re expecting a snowfall tonight and tomorrow and I want to be able to enjoy it. I’m sure if we get that much snow, I’ll photograph it and blog about it and squeal with girlish delight…
I”m sitting on my loveseat in front of my big picture window, watching the Scrub Jays fight the Cactus Wren for the trove of peanuts I put out for them; while the sparrows, finches and even a phoebe are fluttering all around the seed feeder and kicking up the ground to search for more.
A storm is most definitely coming in.
And I intend to enjoy it.
These are my favorite moments. Sitting in the warmth of the house with my cats, watching the birds try their best to beat the clouds. Checking the weather report every ten minutes to find its changed yet again (for the better, or worse, depending on your desire for snow). Drinking my Keurig peppermint tea and eating some Doo-Dads while listening to the Waltons on the dvd player and enjoying the lights of the Christmas Star and the Tree.
These are definitely some of my favorite moments.
When it snows tonight or tomorrow, we’ll stand out in it, listening to the quiet. Enjoying the darkened sky as it falls on our tongues and down our necks. Then we’ll come inside and drink hot cocoa, eat snacks and watch a Christmas movie.
I’m glad for moments like this.
Living in the high desert of SoCal, we don’t get snow, or even rain, like most of the country. While it’s not always sunny and warm, it’s not always winter. And there’s something about being less than two weeks away from Christmas with a forecast of “65 and sunny” that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s the gray skies, the chill wind, and the foraging birds that make winter seem more real, make Christmas seem more enjoyable.
We’ve been getting more snow each year, but it’s still only a few inches now and then. I’m fairly certain that within a few years we will be reclassified as “the place formerly known as High Desert” but until then, until this becomes the norm, it’s a cozy experience.
And I intend to enjoy every minute of it. So forgive me if this post is fluff and flakes. But I like my winters that way. I’ll take it as a Christmas gift from Mother Nature.
This storm is for the Birds. And each and every one of them.
