JoAnn Early Macken - JoAnn's Blog

National Poetry Month Day 17

April 17, 2023

On a good day, I wake up with a poem (or at least the start of one) in my head. Today, I found one as soon as I looked out the window. It started with "Snow is on the ground. Snow is falling still." But "is" is such a boring verb, and daffodils are so much more interesting, specific, and springlike than the ground. I tried out a dozen or more verbs before I settled on "doomed" after I went outside to inspect them. They are now delightful in a vase inside.

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more. Note that they are not necessarily final drafts. Even after I post one, I keep thinking about rhythm, alliteration, and all those other good poetry tools.

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National Poetry Month Day 16

April 16, 2023

For today's poem, I played around with repetition and rhyme schemes. I'm always learning!

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more. Note that they are not necessarily final drafts. In this one, for example, I think maybe "circle" would be better than "wheel through" in line 4 because it would add some alliteration. But then I'm not sure about "clear." Still thinking!

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National Poetry Month Day 15

April 15, 2023

I may have mentioned that spring is my favorite time of year. Hepatica is one of my favorite spring flowers. We looked for it yesterday in the Kettle Moraine State Forest and found loads of it blooming where we had seen the leaves last fall. Along the way, we listened to frogs and sandhill cranes, and we spotted a turtle on a side path. Today's destination: bloodroot in a nearby park.

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

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National Poetry Month Day 14 & Poetry Friday!

April 14, 2023

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

Jone Rush MacCulloch is hosting today's Poetry Friday Roundup. Enjoy!

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National Poetry Month Day 13

April 13, 2023

One of my favorite spots in a nearby park. Across the water, you can see the bench where I sit to watch for wildlife.

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

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National Poetry Month Day 12

April 12, 2023

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. This one is definitely autobiographical. Read on to see more.

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National Poetry Month Day 11

April 11, 2023

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

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National Poetry Month Day 10

April 10, 2023

We took a walk to the pond in the park and found plenty to see and hear, including golden-crowned kinglets, red-winged blackbirds, kingfishers, wood ducks, and dragonflies. Spring has arrived in our corner of southeast Wisconsin--at last!

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

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National Poetry Month Day 9

April 9, 2023

Year after year, I'm enthralled by the glory and abundance of spring flowers. They--and the migrating birds passing through--make spring my favorite time of the year.

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

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National Poetry Month Day 8

April 8, 2023

Oh, the news! Too much to fathom some days. Best we can do is stick together.

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

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National Poetry Month Day 7

April 7, 2023

My mother was famous for her Spoonerisms, at least in our family. "Claper pips" was perhaps her best known and certainly a favorite.

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on to see more.

And be sure to check out all the other National Poetry Month goodness at Reflections on the Teche. Enjoy!

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National Poetry Month Day 6

April 6, 2023

I'm posting a new poem each day for National Poetry Month. Read on for more.

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National Poetry Month Day 5

April 5, 2023

The skies are definitely brighter today in Wisconsin! I am overjoyed by the news and grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.

I'm posting a new poem each day for #National Poetry Month. Read on for more.

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National Poetry Month Day 4

April 4, 2023

Busy day today, and some of us are anxious. It's Election Day in Wisconsin (GO VOTE!), and another whopper of a storm is on its way. All will be well. I am hopeful.

I'm posting a new poem each day for #National Poetry Month. Read on for more.

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National Poetry Month Day 3

April 3, 2023

I plan to post a new poem each day for #National Poetry Month. Read on for more.

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National Poetry Month Day 2

April 2, 2023

I plan to post a new poem each day for #National Poetry Month. Read on for more!

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National Poetry Month Day 1

April 1, 2023

Welcome to National Poetry Month! For more poetry goodness, check out the 2023 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup at Jama's Alphabet Soup! Enjoy!

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Learning: a Power Outage Haiku

March 30, 2023

Last weekend, we lost power three times during a blustery snowstorm. The official total at the Milwaukee airport was about 9 inches of wet, heavy, sloppy snow. We were lucky that our house warmed up between outages and that the only place we had to go was outside to shovel. Most of the snow has since melted. Read on to find four more haiku I wrote during the storm.

Tomorrow is the first day of National Poetry month! I plan to post a poem a day. Come back and visit!

Mary Lee has the Poetry Friday Roundup at A(nother) Year of Reading. Enjoy!

7 Comments

Comments

Mar 31, 2023 9:34 AM EDT

Yes, squirrels don't stop for anything! I love your observations, only out for shoveling, happy for that! And I really smiled at "only show in town", Jo Ann. Hope that's the last of it. We have another front coming on Tuesday, hoping just moisture!

- Linda Baie

Reply by JoAnn on Mar 31, 2023 10:07 AM EDT

Our next storm is due this evening, and it could be another doozy. But maybe not--who knows? We left the shovels close to the door just in case. Hope your forecast turns sunny!

Mar 31, 2023 4:09 PM EDT

You made lemonade with these repeated power outages! I especially love the birds at the feeder!

- Mary Lee

Comment by JoAnn on Mar 31, 2023 5:15 PM EDT

Thank you, Mary Lee! Hoping sunnier inspiration is on its way!

Apr 01, 2023 6:33 AM EDT

I believe you have a new blog, Joann--it looks fantastic. Your storms gave you lots to notice! My favorite is the songbirds, "the only show in town." Happy NPM!

- Heidi

Reply by JoAnn on Apr 01, 2023 8:27 AM EDT

Thanks, Heidi! Happy NPM to you, too!

Apr 01, 2023 6:54 AM EDT

Haha--I love that! When we were stuck in Florida on a visit a few years ago during a hurricane, we played many family games with the power out. It was so cozy, since nobody got hurt or had major major damage just then.

- Laura Purdie Salas

Reply by JoAnn on Apr 01, 2023 8:31 AM EDT

Thanks, Laura! We were glad to find the deck of cards we saved for just such an emergency. And I got to learn a new game!

Apr 01, 2023 5:26 PM EDT

JOANN, I am sorry that your storm took out the power but you stayed warm with poetic goodness.

- Carol Varsalona

Reply by JoAnn on Apr 01, 2023 7:02 PM EDT

Thank you, Carol! I also had good company!

Apr 02, 2023 2:04 PM EDT

awwww gin rummy reminds me of my grandmother... love this

- Liz Garton Scanlon

Reply by JoAnn on Apr 03, 2023 8:33 AM EDT

Thanks, Liz! I had never played before, but I had a good teacher. And no distractions!

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Squirrels: a Power Outage Haiku

March 30, 2023

snow-laden branches
squirrels chase on undersides
storms don't stop squirrels

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Snowblown Ducks: a Power Outage Haiku

March 30, 2023

snowblown ducks shelter
beneath snow-laden branches
safe and warm for now

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Songbirds: a Power Outage Haiku

March 30, 2023

power out again
songbirds gather at feeders
only show in town

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Winter Storm Warning: a Power Outage Haiku

March 30, 2023

actual forecast
repetition makes the point
power out again

We lost power during a snowstorm last weekend. Surprise! It turned into an opportunity to write Power Outage haiku.

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Shopping Bags, Weather, and Poetry Friday!

February 24, 2023

In between writing projects, I often get the urge to sew. And in between clothes-making projects, I make shopping bags to donate or give away. Since 2016, I've belonged to a group of volunteers who sew reusable shopping bags from donated fabric, part of the worldwide Boomerang Bags movement. Our goals are to reduce the use of "disposable" plastic bags and to keep usable fabric out of landfills. The pandemic put a stop to our monthly Sewing Bees, but we all still have stashes of fabric, and we keep plugging away when we can.

Plastic pollution is an enormous problem, and using a reusable shopping bag is a tiny solution. But I firmly believe that tiny solutions can add up to big change if enough of us implement them. In the meantime, remember to bring your reusable shopping bags when you shop!

Tabatha Yeatts is hosting today's Poetry Friday Roundup at The Opposite of Indifference. Enjoy!

11 Comments

Comments

Feb 24, 2023 12:53 PM EST

Love your bags! I have a lot of them, but once I've brought them inside full of groceries, I struggle to remember to take them back to the car. Those birdseed and rice bags look cool.

- Tabatha

Reply by JoAnn on Feb 24, 2023 4:12 PM EST

Thanks, Tabatha! I think everyone has the same problem with remembering to bring the bags back out to the car. We try to leave ours in a visible spot. It also helps to have extras!

Feb 24, 2023 1:05 PM EST

JoAnn, from poetry and sewing bees you bounced into a cheerful poetry sing-along. Your craft is not only environmentally sound but useful and by the way stylish.

- Carol Varsalona

Reply by JoAnn on Feb 24, 2023 4:16 PM EST

Thank you, Carol! I have a hard time making things that are not functional, so the shopping bags are a good project for me--quick and easy!

Feb 24, 2023 5:18 PM EST

Oh your bags are so cute. I have a burlap rice bag I've not known what to do with, but kept because it kept flashing POSSIBILITY at me... now I know what to do!

- tanita

Comment by JoAnn on Feb 24, 2023 7:14 PM EST

Hooray for possibility! Have fun!

Feb 25, 2023 6:27 AM EST

I love this idea! I've been sewing on recycled and reclaimed paper...there's something so satisfying to giving something a new life and purpose. Sew on, Joanne, sew on!

- Linda Mitchell

Reply by JoAnn on Feb 26, 2023 9:05 AM EST

Thank you, Linda! I read about someone who embroidered messages on postcards and sent them to politicians--another creative and worthwhile effort, I think.

Feb 25, 2023 7:47 AM EST

Such a good idea! Now I’m thinking about my extra fabric.

- Janice scully

Reply by JoAnn on Feb 26, 2023 9:11 AM EST

Thank you, Janice! Anyone who sews is likely to have leftover or unused fabric. Those donations make the Boomerang Bags project sustainable.

Feb 25, 2023 11:30 AM EST

I've seen you share about these on FB, JoAnn, a worthwhile project! Denver has begun charging for plastic bags, though it's only 10 cents & I still see people's carts full of them. Our Wal-Mart has stopped having any bags at all, wish every store did! I love your 'zingy' poem, a good commercial for using a bag. They are everywhere - why not?

- Linda Baie

Reply by JoAnn on Feb 26, 2023 9:16 AM EST

Thank you, Linda! Studies show that charging people for bags is a better incentive than giving rebates to people who bring their own. I also wish stores would stop offering them at all. I cringe every time I see someone leave the store with a cart full of plastic bags. Some national chains (Kroger, for one) have pledged to stop handing out plastic--the sooner, the better!

Feb 26, 2023 3:29 PM EST

I love the sewing shopping bags! I’m learning to sew and made my first bag. I have also adopted a practice a encountered in England. When someone buys something from the store where I work, I ask if they would like a bag instead of just filling the plastic. Many turn it down.

- Kay McGriff

Feb 26, 2023 5:08 PM EST

Love your bags and your poem was a lot of fun!

- Linda

Feb 27, 2023 1:55 AM EST

JoAnn, what fun! After reading your post, I spend quit awhile on the Boomerang Bags site. I haven't heard of these, but you have inspired me! I love your poem. (I sang along with it!)

- Denise Krebs

Feb 27, 2023 3:29 PM EST

Our son inspired our efforts to live without plastic ziploc bags - and fabric shopping bags have become a staple both in my home and in my car, always ready to be put to use!

- PATRICIA J FRANZ

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Sunshine and Poetry Friday!

January 13, 2023

Tags: haiku, sunshine, Coyote

I'm so much more productive when the sun is shining, and this winter in southeast Wisconsin has been even grayer than usual. It's also notable for its lack of snow. Lucky for me, the temperature has been fine for walking. I can stroll to either Lake Michigan or the Milwaukee River, where nature's delights abound in any weather. On one sunny day, I drafted a stack of haiku, and I've been revising and posting one a day. If you'd like to see more, read the posts below.

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at Chicken Spaghetti. Enjoy!

16 Comments

Comments

Jan 13, 2023 8:41 AM EST

Cheers for enduring Ol Sol's rousing skills. And coyotes! What an adventurous path your walk, bringing you these wonderful Haiku.

Happy 2023, Joanne.

- Jan/ Bookseedstudio

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 13, 2023 9:31 AM EST

Thank you, Jan! Happy New Year to you, too!

Jan 13, 2023 11:07 AM EST

"A stack of haiku." I love that idea and enjoyed the ones here. Thank goodness for sunshine, right?

- Susan T.

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 13, 2023 4:38 PM EST

Thank you, Susan! Yes, I appreciate sunshine more these days because we don't see so much of it.

Jan 13, 2023 11:32 AM EST

You capture a quiet threat in this haiku that one feels seeing animals in the wild. It reminds us that they are wild and they require or respect.

- Janice Scully

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 13, 2023 4:40 PM EST

True, Janice, although the kinds of threats we see around here are only to wildlife and small pets. I'm glad I don't have to deal with bears or big cats!

Jan 13, 2023 4:14 PM EST

I love when you post pics, & words, about your walks, especially Lake Michigan, am in awe that you are so close. We have a resident coyote in the neighborhood, never a pic, but he is there, as you wrote, probably watching us! Thanks, JoAnn!

- Linda Baie

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 13, 2023 4:42 PM EST

Thank you, Linda! I grew up a block away from Lake Michigan and have lived most of my life close enough to walk to it. It would be weird for me not to have it nearby as a constant landmark.

Jan 13, 2023 5:30 PM EST

Hello fellow Wisconsinite! I lived in Holmen (outside La Crosse) for the last 23 years. This year we moved to our cabin in the Northwoods - near Medford. I love that you are writing haiku! We had coyotes in the coulee behind us in Holmen - They would howl at 3 am when the kits were fed. I miss it! :)

- Carol Labuzzetta

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 9:15 AM EST

I've only heard middle-of-the-night howling on camping trips, and it is eerie! Life in the north woods sounds so appealing, with plenty of other wildlife to watch. Lucky you!

Jan 13, 2023 7:56 PM EST

How beautiful! I'm up to my elbows in gray and cold here. I'd love some sun to take my notebook out into. Your haiku are lovely.

- Linda Mitchell

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 9:16 AM EST

Thank you, Linda! Yes, we plan our daily walks around the weather forecast these days and try to get outside whenever the sun is shining. Hope you see some sunshine soon!

Jan 14, 2023 8:22 AM EST

Ooooh, what a fabulous moment captured. The double watching. <3 I've only seen glimpses of coyotes here and there, but at a park last summer, we watched one skirt the edge for several hundred yards before disappearing into the woods. Amazing to be in the presence of biggish wildlife.

- Laura Purdie Salas

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 9:29 AM EST

Laura, you just reminded me of another sighting. Every summer, we take at least one canoe trip down the Wisconsin River, camping on sandbars along the way. One day as we were watching a flock of sandhill cranes across the water on another sandbar, a coyote darted out of the trees, grabbed a crane by the neck, and carried it back into the woods. Hardly a feather was ruffled, but we were awestruck.

Jan 14, 2023 9:11 AM EST

Lovely haiku. I often hear coyotes at night but haven't spotted one on my walks yet.

- Kay Jernigan McGriff

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 9:32 AM EST

Thank you, Kay! We don't see them often, but we know they live in the parks where we regularly walk. Once in a while, someone spots one in our neighborhood, too. They keep the local rabbit population in check.

Jan 14, 2023 9:19 AM EST

Yes, watching us watching! I love sunshine too (and actually warm weather). This cloud, cold day is tough.

- Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 9:36 AM EST

I don't know if I will ever get used to the cold (although this winter has been mostly tolerable), but I try to appreciate the periods of dormancy that allow new growth--even in us!

Jan 14, 2023 10:55 AM EST

I love that your haiku celebrate the brown and grey of winter!

- Mary Lee

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 11:34 AM EST

Thanks, Mary Lee! We have to either celebrate or despair, right? I'd rather focus on the positive!

Jan 14, 2023 11:12 AM EST

JoAnn, I thought all of Michigan was snowy but you enlightened me with your thoughts, photo, and poem. A few years ago (while living in Long Island) we heard that coyotes were going to swim across the Long Island Sound from Connecticut and infest our land. I can't imagine waiting for them to come. Thanks for bringing sunshine. We have had gray days in Virginia.

- Carol Varsalona

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 11:39 AM EST

Thank you, Carol! I think Michigan is snowy--the wind blew all our Wisconsin snow across the lake! I've never seen a coyote swim, but the one we saw was on an island. It might have walked across the ice, but the river won't stay frozen all winter, and no doubt it travels there in summer, too. I'd like to see it!

Jan 14, 2023 11:13 AM EST

I love the implied threat in this haiku, a reminder that we are witnessing an animal in the wild.

- janice scully

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 11:40 AM EST

Thank you, Janice! That coyote was certainly a threat to any rabbits on the island!

Jan 14, 2023 11:18 AM EST

Beautiful haikus. Felt like I was out walking with you. Would've loved to see that dried hydrangea cartwheeling!

- PATRICIA J FRANZ

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 14, 2023 11:42 AM EST

Thank you, Patricia! It was a sight to remember! I could have scrambled for the camera, but I decided to enjoy watching it instead. It rolled for a good long distance!

Jan 14, 2023 4:47 PM EST

I read through many of your haiku, Jo Ann. They are lovely and inspiring! I'm trying to write a haiku a day. Love that you wrote a whole stack from one walk.

- Rose Cappelli

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 15, 2023 8:20 AM EST

Thank you, Rose! I think a haiku a day is a great habit to keep. I've done it for a month at a time for National Poetry Month, which can be both exhilarating and exhausting. I look forward to trying again!

Jan 15, 2023 8:23 AM EST

I'm the same when it comes to sun. Good on ya for continuing to walk in the gray, and to haiku your way along. I love that final line, "watching us watching."

- Heidi

Jan 19, 2023 6:18 PM EST

JoAnn, this series reminds me of a book I love -- Haiku Hike, which was put out by Scholastic. That coyote watching/watcher is lovely

- Laura Shovan

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 20, 2023 1:06 PM EST

Thank you, Laura! I'll have to look for the book!

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Walking in Sunshine Again

January 12, 2023

Tags: haiku, sunshine

This one's from a walk to Lake Michigan, my favorite destination.

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Spinning Away

January 11, 2023

Tags: haiku, hydrangea

I actually saw this happen, but I was too awestruck to try to take a picture.

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Close-Up Clarifies

January 10, 2023

Tags: haiku

I had to walk closer to see.

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Invitation

January 9, 2023

Tags: haiku, sunshine

On sunny days, I am compelled to write poems. I've got at least a few more to share. Join me? Feel free to add yours in the comments. Have fun!

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Jump-Starting Spring

December 29, 2022

Tags: Poetry Friday, box, PoetryPals

Happy Poetry Friday! I'm joining the #PoetryPals this month with a poem that includes a box. Mine holds seeds I collected over late summer and fall. Today was that one bright winter day mentioned in the poem, so I planted some little greenhouses, hoping to give the seeds a head start. The containers you see in the photo include everything listed in the poem and more. Now I'm crossing my fingers that we'll see lots of healthy sprouts in spring.

In case the poem above is hard to read, here it is again:

Jump-Starting Spring

I squirrel away autumn's treasures

in junk mail return envelopes

in a plastic spinach box in the cold garage:

turtleheads, touch-me-nots, penstemon,

columbine, cup plants, coneflowers (purple and prairie),

milkweed (common, swamp, and whorled).

One bright winter day,

at our picnic table-turned-lab bench,

I slice empty milk jugs to hinge open like hope chests,

pour in soil, plant seeds, sprinkle water,

add labels on stakes,

close and fasten,
and mark the outsides for good measure.

With groundless optimism,

I line up the jugs in the snow,

counting on nature and miracles.

Patricia Franz is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup on her Reverie blog. Enjoy!

11 Comments

Comments

Dec 30, 2022 2:00 AM EST

Oh, JoAnn! I love your milk jug greenhouse/boxes! You've taken a poetry prompt and turned it into a spring gift! And the idea of these, lined up in snow, protected - ready for spring - is so hope-filled! Thank you! Happy New Year!

- PATRICIA J FRANZ

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 8:16 AM EST

Thank you, Patricia! Yes, that prompt from Georgia and Rebecca's Fall Poetry Workshop gave me a good start on this poem. When I saw the weather forecast with that one warm day in the middle, I knew the timing would work out. Happy New Year to you, too!

Dec 30, 2022 7:45 AM EST

..."groundless optimism" is really all there is!! Oh, Joann -- this is divine! May you weather the rest of winter with green in your heart and in those jugs...

- Liz Garton Scanlon

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 8:23 AM EST

Thank you, Liz! So true about optimism--sometimes we have to create the conditions for that to grow, too! Planting seeds gives me something to look forward to, even on dreary gray Wisconsin winter days. Happy New Year to you and yours!

Dec 30, 2022 7:53 AM EST

This is amazing, JoAnn--both the poem and the project. You had me at "squirrel away," which fits this poem perfectly. Happy New Year, and good luck getting seedlings/plants!

- Laura Purdie Salas

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 8:34 AM EST

Thank you, Laura! I'm happy when language like "squirrel away" pops into my head. I hope to focus more on poetry in 2023, at least until gardening time. Happy New Year!

Dec 30, 2022 2:41 PM EST

The day after Christmas I got my first seed catalog and boy I'm with you on setting up the cups of dirt and sprinkling on a bit of encouragement. Here's to the hope contained in bright winter days.

- tanita

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 8:38 AM EST

No seed catalogs here yet, but I'm watching the mailbox! I would have planted more milk jugs (my neighbor has been saving hers for me) but the bag of potting soil I left in the garage was frozen solid. I dragged it into the basement to wait for for the next warm day. Happy New Year to you, and happy garden planning!

Dec 30, 2022 5:22 PM EST

I believe nature will always bring it, JoAnn, but love your optimism and your thorough prep, plus "like hope chests". I'll look forward to your sharing in a few months! Happy New Year!

- Linda Baie

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 8:39 AM EST

Thank you, Linda! I will try to remember to post updates. Happy New Year to you and yours!

Dec 31, 2022 11:47 AM EST

This gives me so much hope for spring! Love thinking about the gardens.

- Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 5:07 PM EST

Thank you, Marcie! Happy New Year!

Dec 31, 2022 11:50 AM EST

What a great endeavor, JoAnn! I'm so impressed. I love all the details in your poem, turtleheads, Columbine, etc. Good luck to those plants in the New Year!

- Janice Scully

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 5:08 PM EST

Thank you, Janice! Happy New Year!

Dec 31, 2022 1:16 PM EST

I love this poem, this project, this everything! Thank you for sharing your hopes and dreams of spring. I also marveled at "squirrel away" - the perfect word.

- Rose Cappelli

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 5:10 PM EST

Thank you, Rose! Happy New Year!

Dec 31, 2022 1:56 PM EST

Nice one, JoAnn! My son has saved A LOT of seeds from the summer's bounty.

- Susan Thomsen

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 5:11 PM EST

Thank you, Susan! Happy planting! Happy New Year!

Dec 31, 2022 2:14 PM EST

JoAnn! What a cool poem (all of those evocative plant names) and project. I've read about the milk jug mini-greenhouses, but have never tried it.

- Laura Shovan

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 31, 2022 5:13 PM EST

Thank you, Laura! I tried it last year for the first time and learned a lot. Some seeds didn't sprout at all, and others overflowed their containers. I gave away a lot of plants. Happy New Year!

Jan 03, 2023 12:50 PM EST

I saw your poem on FB this morning, and love hearing about your greenhouses that you are launching! Do they stay outside or are they inside your house? Hope you have many sprouts come spring, thanks JoAnn and Happy New Year!

- Michelle Kogan

Reply by JoAnn on Jan 03, 2023 1:29 PM EST

Thank you, Michelle! The containers stay outside all winter, and the seeds sprout in spring when the weather warms up. The plants get a head start, and you don't have to bother hauling them in and out because they are used to the conditions. You can leave the containers closed until the weather is reliably warm and then open them up. If you want to know more, a google search of "winter sowing" should bring up several explanations. Happy New Year!

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What Do You See?

December 22, 2022

Tags: Poetry Friday, weather

When I started thinking about this post, Southeastern Wisconsin was expecting an enormous blizzard. I saw predictions of 14-18" of snow, then 4-8," and then 1-3." As of Thursday evening, winds are howling and the temperature is dangerously low, but all we see here is a dusting of snow. We'll keep looking out the window.

No doubt, climate change is making weather forecasting more difficult. I feel sorry for meteorologists!

Be sure to check out all the Poetry Friday goodness at Live Your Poem with Irene Latham. Enjoy!

8 Comments

Comments

Dec 22, 2022 11:16 PM EST

Stay warm! Everyone is waiting for the '"Bomb cyclone" I think, and getting anxious, while we look out the window. Stay warm up there in Wisconsin!

- Janice Scully

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 23, 2022 9:19 AM EST

As of this morning, the snow appears to have missed us, thank goodness. It's just awfully cold. We need to figure out how to improvise some dog booties--poor Rosy goes out the door, turns around, and comes right back!

Dec 23, 2022 6:59 AM EST

I hope you are able to stay safe and warm. This cold is no joke! I think it's ok that there's something that keep weather forecasters on their toes--it's probably what makes things fun for them ;)

- Linda Mitchell

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 23, 2022 9:26 AM EST

Oh, I hope weather forecasters enjoy the challenge! At least we were prepared for the cold on its way. And even some sunshine! It's been awfully gray and dreary here, and the light helps a lot!

Dec 23, 2022 8:25 AM EST

Ha! Yes, the limitations of weather forcasting. I adore how your poem ends, JoAnn. Thank you! xo

- Irene Latham

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 23, 2022 9:28 AM EST

Thank you, Irene! A bit of frustration went into that line, too, but we are relieved (and lucky!) to be safe and warm.

Dec 23, 2022 10:05 AM EST

Lol! Yes, here in the Sierras we say: "Don't like the weather? Wait 10 minutes; it'll change." Very fun poke at the weather forecasters, Joann!

- PATRICIA J FRANZ

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 23, 2022 2:18 PM EST

Thank you, Patricia! Yes, I expect weather will be changing more often and more drastically in the future. I hope we can all be prepared for it!

Dec 23, 2022 10:40 AM EST

I love your thinking. I am at the bookstore every Thursday & watched the weather until I became very anxious about getting there. Actually, though so cold, it wasn't much worse than any other snowy day, a few inches. It was bad in some places like the highways! I feel sorry for the weather people, too! Merry Christmas, JoAnn!

- Linda Baie

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 23, 2022 2:20 PM EST

Thank you, Linda! We just looked out the window and saw some neighbors shoveling our sidewalk--what a nice surprise! Merry Christmas to you and yours, too! xox

Dec 23, 2022 3:25 PM EST

You nailed it! "Look out the window." (Looking out the window is just about all I need to know about a -28 degree wind chill. One quick trip to the garbage can with cat waste taught me that!!)

- Mary Lee

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 24, 2022 4:49 PM EST

Thanks, Mary Lee! I know what you mean. I made a quick trip to drop off cookies for a couple of neighbors and hurried home as fast as I could. Lucky for us, the forecasters predict gradually warming temperatures over the next week. I hope they're right!

Dec 23, 2022 5:16 PM EST

Fun poem Joann, with a lovely rhythm, I like your ending words too,
"look out the window and see what you see."
It's bitter cold here in Chicago too, howling winds, and not much snow.
Keep warm and Happy Holidays!

- Michelle Kogan

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 24, 2022 4:51 PM EST

Thank you, Michelle! Happy holidays to you and yours, too!

Dec 23, 2022 10:49 PM EST

JoAnn, this poem is just what we need for this time of year. Climate change is real. Today was supposed to be torrential storms and that was true in the morning but then, the sun came out and the rains stopped. This was great for us because my family went to the Santa Experience at the local resort. I really enjoyed your poem. Stay warm.

- Carol Varsalona

Reply by JoAnn on Dec 24, 2022 4:53 PM EST

Thank you, Carol! The sun made a brief appearance here today, too. We've missed it a lot lately. I'm glad your family got to go out and have fun!

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Tomatoes Take Over Autumn--and Poetry Friday!

October 13, 2022

Tags: Poetry Friday, tomatoes

I will remember this summer as The Year the Tomatoes Took Over. We have eaten them straight from the garden, passed them around the neighborhood, cooked them in every way possible, and almost filled up the freezer. This poem is the result of an assignment in the delightful Fall Poetry Writing Workshop with Georgia Heard and Rebecca Kai Dotlich through The Poet's Studio.

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. Enjoy!

13 Comments

Comments

Oct 14, 2022 10:31 AM EDT

Oh, how I wish we could gather tomatoes in autumn! Around here, the first frost usually arrives by mid-late Sept. which means the tomatoes are now long gone, memories of a warmer season that feels too distant. Thanks for sharing!

- Matt Forrest Esenwine

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 14, 2022 10:40 AM EDT

We're in Wisconsin, close enough to Lake Michigan that it moderates temperatures. Our first frost is due this week, so we'll be grabbing all the green tomatoes soon!

Oct 14, 2022 2:00 PM EDT

Wow, that's a LOT of tomatoes! What a fun, savory, mouthwatering poem!

- jama

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 14, 2022 6:46 PM EDT

Thank you, Jama! I had fun with it!

Oct 14, 2022 3:32 PM EDT

The Year the Tomatoes Took Over! My parents didn't plant any, but they had volunteers from last year. Soooo many! We were eating them with every meal for a while. I like the sound of "commandeer kitchens" and "unruly rows."

- Tabatha

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 14, 2022 6:48 PM EDT

Thank you, Tabatha! My neighbor just brought over a couple of recipes for green tomatoes. We gathered the last of them today because we're expecting frost. The end is in sight!

Oct 14, 2022 4:58 PM EDT

Yes! They can take over. And they are so delicious! Garrison Keillor did a show about this very thing... hilarious. Love you poem... thanks!

- Karen Eastlund

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 14, 2022 6:50 PM EDT

Thank you, Karen! Yes, I'm trying to remember that we will be happy to have all the soups and pasta sauces to enjoy this winter.

Oct 14, 2022 6:22 PM EDT

How great you had the pleasure of writing with Georgia & Rebecca again! This is wonderful, especially that middle stanza. My daughter is the tomato grower & has "rolled" them over to me often! Thanks, JoAnn!

- Linda Baie

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 14, 2022 6:51 PM EDT

Thank you, Linda! This was actually my first class with Georgia & Rebecca, but I've signed up for another one--looking forward to it!

Oct 14, 2022 11:06 PM EDT

Oh I love this ! By chance I have just sent my husband to buy me some tomato seedlings, because it's planting time here in Australia. SO I look forward to seeing them tumble down the street and line the windowsill. Your imagery is perfection!

- Sally Murphy

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 15, 2022 3:49 PM EDT

Oh, good timing! I hope you enjoy a good crop!

Oct 15, 2022 9:30 AM EDT

If you don't know John Denver's song "Homegrown Tomatoes," it's time to sing it now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwRn7A-TWrQ

- Mary Lee

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 15, 2022 3:52 PM EDT

Perfectly fitting--thanks!

Oct 15, 2022 6:05 PM EDT

Joann - the poem is delectable - and you captured the rising mischief so well in your word choices!

- PATRICIA J FRANZ

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 15, 2022 6:16 PM EDT

Thank you, Patricia!

Oct 15, 2022 8:03 PM EDT

Yes, in the middle of tomato season they do take over. I had to smile reading this because in the midst of it, you wonder how to get out from under all those tomatoes. They are, however, my favorite veggie.

- Janice scully

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 16, 2022 3:44 PM EDT

One thing I'm doing this year is trying out new recipes. I just made creamy coconut lentil curry, and it smells so good I can't wait to eat it!

Oct 16, 2022 7:33 AM EDT

Joann, this poem is as rich and bountiful and unruly as your tomato crop! So many lines to love, and all the good old alliteration. Lucky you--we've had a bum tomato year.

- Heidi Mordhorst

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 16, 2022 3:46 PM EDT

Thank you, Heidi! If you lived closer, I'd load you up with tomatoes!

Oct 16, 2022 11:18 AM EDT

I love those opening lines. Swoon. It was such a great class to take.

- Jone MacCulloch

Reply by JoAnn on Oct 16, 2022 3:47 PM EDT

Thank you, Jone! I loved the class, too. I'm looking forward to the picture book one!

Oct 18, 2022 8:45 AM EDT

What a wonderful poem - delicious in every aspect. Joann, if interested, add one of your autumn poems to my Finding Fall 2022 Padlet at https://padlet.com/cvarsalona/awz68cfim4nac1rp.

- Carol Varsalona

Comment by JoAnn on Oct 18, 2022 9:31 AM EDT

Thank you, Carol! I added this one, and I really enjoyed reading the others.

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