CARVING A BEGINNING--from the memoir, LEGACY: A LIFE CARVED IN STONE by Bernice Schachter

Since my early childhood, the pride and love I have had for the first three sculptures I ever created now remain carved only in my memory. The first one was a small bird whittled out of a large bar of ivory soap. I was not given the "fifteen minutes for my claim to fame" because my mother was too busy with two younger siblings and my father paid little attention to any of his children. He was just eking out a living following the Great Depression which occurred after I was born in 1925.

The second work of art was a papier-mâché sculpture, a very tall giraffe, painted yellow with black spots. It was exhibited on my bedroom dresser for many years.

I did the third piece in my preteen period, winning a Certificate of Honor for a farm complex sculpted in a large sandbox in Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, NJ. This great park was our playground. In the spring and fall we fished and boated on the lake, ice skated and sledded in the winter. The summer was spent at the Jersey Shore where I was content to build sand castles on the beach in Bradley.

It was only after I married, at the too early age of twenty, that I began to work as a serious artist for the next fifty years. This book is about the four hundred sculptures I have carved in stone that will tell the story of my life as I lived it.

Reflection by Elisabeth Levy

            It is an October evening and I am sitting on my balcony at Varenna. The sun is just about ready to say good night and disappear behind the mountains. Her last rays leave a golden rim, and even from behind the scene, she has the ability to change the colors.

            I look down on Lake Nagasawa. In front of me I see the little island. The trees are already unrecognizably dark. However, the whole line of trees mirrors in the lake. One tree catches my eye. It has tiny leaves, well visible in the water. They quiver in the gentle wind, I can’t hear their rustling, but they seem to have fun seeing their own mirror  image.

            In the back to the right the shore is getting darker too. The lake takes on a soft pink color.  The last little boat is leaving and the ducks seem to have a meeting. They are chatty, the sound muted by the distance. Maybe they have to tell each other the happenings of the day and then discuss where they want to rest for the night.

            The sky changes color. The strips of clouds reflect the sun, first yellowish white, then  pink. Even the birds I see glow while flying through the clouds. The sky’s color turns from red to orange to yellow to green to blue, becoming a true rainbow. The darker the sky gets, the lighter the lake is. The pink changes into a light orange,  Every part of the lake is different.

            The sky seems to have a last spur of colors until slowly, very slowly the night takes over. More and more lights are visible. It is quiet and peaceful. A good time to go inside and be thankful for living in such a beautiful place.

Don't Forget the Six-Word Memoir Challenge!

Writers,

A friend just emailed me this:

A college class was told they had to write a short story in as few words as possible. The instructions were that the short story had to contain the following three things:

(a)     Religion (b) Sexuality (c) Mystery

Below is the only A+ short story in the entire class.

"Good God, I'm pregnant! I wonder who did it?"

This reminds me to remind YOU to check out Smith College's online magazine, Smith Magazine: www.smithmag.net. They are looking for six-word memoirs in many categories--the best of those collected get put into books!  Check it out!!

More Words from the Wise (New Year's Resolutions)

"The best resolutions are those that are easier done than said."
                     Susan Bono

"Be careful what you ask yourself to resolve."
                    Ellie Rutigliano

"Making resolutions has the power and the permanence of a snowflake."
                   Shirley Johnson

"Set your mind to your goal and you can do it!"
                   Elisabeth Levy

A Drabble by Sally Tilbury

All families should show their appreciation for the mothers who are the directors of the Christmas frenzy. They are the ones who make the costumes, buy and wrap all the presents, and do the cooking. Who drives the children to music practices? Who introduces the young ones to Santa?

Who addresses all the cards and keeps the addresses up-to-date? Who decorates the tree? Who dismantles the tree and drags it to the curb? Who aorts the ornaments? Who lugs the turkey into the house from the car? Who dresses the bird, sets the table and serves?

Here's to moms!

A Strange Coincidence: A Drabble by Ellie Rutigliano

A strange coincidence occurred when some young men who were planning a party decided they needed five bucks more to buy a keg of beer. John, overhearing the conversation, offered the cash if they would find him a date.

Another gentleman, also named John, whom I had introduced to my friend Dusty, was among the party planners. Dusty asked me to come along as a blind date to the party. That night a car with the two Johns picked us up to take us to the party. I wondered what my blind date would be like.

(Ellie's blind date later became her husband!)

TRUCKLUCK: A METAPHOR (A Drabble in 100 Words) by Bernice Schachter

A strange coincidence happened in San Francisco.  My daughter and I ran into a New Jersey friend before searching for a leather lounge chair for my new home in Varenna.  Coincidentally, our friend happened to know of one in a Tiberon estate sale.  It was a bargain and perfect. The seller offered his truck for transport to be returned on Shari’s way back to San Francisco.  Having the use of that truck I was able to purchase an armoire for my new apartment and haul all my excess stuff to storage. “Truckluck” became our family’s household word symbolizing lucky happenings.

  Find out more about Bernice's art and writing: http://www.berniceschachter.us/

Calling all Varenna Writers!

It was no accident that the first entry was simply some "Words from the Wise" that I gleaned here and there during our meetings. You are all wise and wonderful writers with plenty to share and I wanted you to see how good you look in print!

PLEASE help make this blog a lively, inspiring place to visit by sending more words of advice and anything else you'd like to submit. How about your quilt poem, Ellie? Your Eloise essay, Sally? Your 4th of July memory, Karin? The wolf-in-the-hall story, Elisabeth? Your adventures in teaching, Shirley, or your Nebraska church memory, Mary? Joyce and Bernice, we'd all love excerpts from your book. Val and Helen, what do I have to say to convince you?

This is a place for pictures and artwork, too. There is no limit to what we can include (or change or delete!!). For now, I am happy to proofread material you send me at sbono@comcast.net. If we need to do something of a more formal nature, we can figure that out later. This is my first experience with a blog, too, so I'm hoping to learns lots. Join me! Susan

Some Words from the Wise

"The more foolish we become, the wiser we become.
                --Dolores Fruiht

"When you carry out a plan that is your very own idea and it is successful, you are incredibly proud.  Pride comes from controlling your own destiny.  Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but it is all yours. You took the risk."
               --Sally Tilbury

"Assume assumptions are to be avoided."
               --Bernice Schachter

"Hard times get harder the more you dwell on them."
               --Susan Bono

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