Where is the best place to watch the sunset near you?
Yesterday, I listened to music and watched the day end from my study window. Usually, I write about the morning light. I thought about the evergreens and their presence through the days and seasons.
Two haiku from my archives:
treetops
in golden light
sunset
wind uplifting
the branches of trees
sunrise
Post reprinted from December 17, 2021.
Describe your perfect birthday cake.
Bloganuary Prompt for January 28, 2023
This prompt brings back memories of working in a bakery when I was in high school. Sometimes the manager shared a beautiful cake with all of us. My father shopped at the store too. He bought rolls, and my mother baked cookies and cakes.
I am seeing some winter poems. Yesterday, snow at rest on branches, and a few are broken. Old trees and strong winds. Robins will return.
What are the pros and cons of procrastination?
Bloganuary Prompt for January 27, 2023
sometimes
many years
needed to write
a poem
in a few minutes
December 2014 and November 2021
What’s a lie you tell yourself?
Bloganuary Prompt for January 23, 2023
I have read many books about creative work. As with bloganuary, there is encouragement to be creative and then confidence grows. I often say that my blogs are informal, because that means this is a place to practice and grow. Reading is important, and rest as well. Health first. I can see different creative chapters here over the years. Grateful every day. Thank you.
What was your dream job as a child?
Bloganuary Prompt for January 22, 2023
My parents were teachers, and I enjoyed school and libraries. And art projects.
Since I began with blogs, I served as a volunteer in education at The Haiku Foundation and helped begin their Education Resources about ten years ago. Many teachers, poets, and scholars contribute their work. I am honored that one of my haiku was published in their first volunteer anthology. Here is my poem and the credits.
small study
and books to read
days with longer light
by Ellen Grace Olinger
“small study” credits:
Akitsu Quarterly, Spring 2022
Robin White, Editor
Charlotte Digregorio’s Writer’s Blog
May 10, 2022
Our Garden: The Haiku Foundation Volunteer Anthology 2022
edited by Jim Kacian & Julie Bloss Kelsey
The Haiku Foundation, Winchester VA
What irritates you about the home you live in?
Bloganuary Prompt for January 20, 2023
I have been watching the Craft In America series on PBS. Many artists, art forms, cultures, and places. I enjoy the conversations, how crafts are preserved and passed along to new generations, and seeing the creative work spaces.
There have been a few times when we lost power over the years, and Karl bought generators and battery-operated lights. This year, there was one evening when our energy company asked customers to conserve – for example, turn the heat lower and no gas fireplaces – and all was stable and back to normal soon.
Shelter, heat, water and even internet – so here I sit with a new post! In our old home that began as a cottage in the 1940s, and reflects the work of many people.
What color describes your personality and why?
Bloganuary Prompt for January 19, 2023
The colors of the seasons are beautiful. And with blogs, I learn more about colors and design. One day a bright color, another day grey.
spring colors
poetry journals and books
on a brown tablecloth
May 2022
bluebirds
truly so blue
trustworthy friends
June 2012
morning light
trees in sun
and blue sky
February 2022
forsythia
by the garage
and cedar fence
green and yellow
in the day’s light
by Ellen Grace Olinger
I am reading Luci Shaw’s new book, Angels Everywhere: Poems (2022, Paraclete Press). I have been reading her poetry and prose for decades. Luci Shaw The Official Website (Post from May 19, 2022.)
Poems From Oostburg, Wisconsin 