May has always been a hard month for me. This year is no different. I think it’s because it is a time of transitions, endings, and beginnings, with old routines and comfortable schedules ending, and new patterns emerging – some of them far from home. Anticipation of the “next step” can be felt as early…
observations
Foodie Monday: Lemon Haddock Packets Receive a 50% Approval Rating.
As I’ve mentioned before, my husband and I are trying to eat fish (not fried) at least once a week. Mostly, this has been salmon, a fish newer to us than some white fish such as haddock, cod, and walleye. I found a recipe calling for halibut but I picked up haddock by mistake when…
Silent Sunday: Riverside Park and International Friendship Gardens, La Crosse Wisconsin
Today is Silent Sunday. Once a week, on this day I post my own photos on a theme of my choosing. All photos and text on this blog are copyrighted by Carol Labuzzetta (me) unless noted otherwise. There is no permission to duplicate in any form. Thank you!
Book Marketing as an Indie Author and Press
I self-published a book this month on May 6th. It is a small chapbook of my poetry entitled: Life’s Inspiration and Reflection in a Few Words. Last night, at a gallery where I am known as a jewelry artist, I read poetry from my own book. It was both a surreal and vulnerable experience. But,…
Poetry Friday: Student Newspapers & Poetry Pages
As part of our writers’ circle, we produced a third-grade newspaper for four years, from 2014-to 2017. The papers were all published from late April to late May, towards the end of the school year. All third-grade classrooms got copies that were two-sided and contained four-page spreads. And the classroom teachers allowed them to read…
The Milkweed is Up in My Wisconsin Yard
It’s time for monarch monitoring as my common milkweed stems have emerged in my yard! I’ll have to look back to be sure, but I think it’s early. Each year, since 2006, I’ve reported the emergence of the perennial milkweed in my yard to Journey North. This means I am a citizen scientist! The submission…
Owned Treasures, Recently Found
Today is Slice of Life Tuesday! Thanks go to TwoWritingTeachers.org for creating this group and hosting it each week. I have participated in this supportive writing community since February of 2017. As we continue to clean out to ready ourselves for our move next month, I am finding enjoyment in reminiscing about things I’ve found…
Poetry Friday: Crazy Weather and Water Wars
In the upper mid-west, we’ve gone from late winter to summer in one jump! I don’t know what happened to the spring season. Since we are moving, I only bought a small number of plants from my “personal greenhouse grower.” The plants looked great as usual and I put them in pots last Saturday. Then,…
Book Review: Moon Over Manifest
It’s been a while since I wrote a book review. Mostly, I think that is because I’ve been less than thrilled with the books I’ve read. Last last week that changed. I’ve been moving a lot of books which has given me the chance to see what I have that I never read or what…
Slice of Life: Disappearing Post on School Board Seats
Last night I wrote a somewhat lengthy post about school board seats. It was a cohesive blog about the issues school boards are having now. I reviewed my own extensive involvement with our school district, as I served in numerous volunteer capacities over the 21 years my boys were in school here. As an active…