Last week I said yes to three jobs that would overfill my proverbial plate. Today I said yes to yet another. Why? Because poetry. In the last two days, I've read over 100 poems. Today, I listened to 17 brilliant high school students recite two poems each. That's another...um...math...34 more poems in my life. I'm… Continue reading Why I Say Yes
Author: Vanessa Shields
Writer. Mother. Lover.
Accumulation
I've been gathering photos for you. Photos of things I've done...gathered...achieved...done to my skin. I've been accumulating things to tell you. Why has it taken so long to share these things with you? I don't know. Hesitation turned to later turned to tomorrow turned to now-it's-too-late. Why do I do that to myself? Why do… Continue reading Accumulation
Talking and Listening
The dishes are calling but I'm not listening. Cuss them. Today. Today I did a lot of talking. Like, a lot. Never underestimate the power of talking. Of having a conversation. Never underestimate the power of listening. Of being an integral part of a human-to-human exchange. Writers write and writers read, this is true. Absolutely. But… Continue reading Talking and Listening
Then this happened…
Gertrude's Writing Room is a recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Starter Company Plus small business start-up program offered through the Windsor Essex Small Business Centre! OH NO IT IS ISN'T! HECK YEAH IT IS!! Oh friends, I'm just bursting with joy and thanks for being a part of this program. I've been a… Continue reading Then this happened…
At the Library with Julia Roberts
This morning after I woke up but realized I didn't have to actually get up yet, I fell back asleep and dreamt that Julia Roberts and I were best friends. We met at a library and started talking about books. Through our love of words and storytelling, we became fast friends. The dream consisted of… Continue reading At the Library with Julia Roberts
Sleep
I have slept so much over this break. So very much. This morning I woke up around 8:30am - naturally, without an alarm except the alarm that is my bladder telling me I had to pee. Then I went back to sleep and didn't get out of bed until 9:45am. It feels like my body… Continue reading Sleep
A Letter To Mitch Albom
Dear Mitch, Did Chika love dogs? I just finished reading ‘Finding Chika’. I’m sitting on my sofa in our living room. The Christmas tree is still up, the lights twinkling. Tears stream down my face. At Lesson Six, one of our dogs, a red golden retriever named Pages, who was laying on the sofa across… Continue reading A Letter To Mitch Albom
Underground…
I'm still underground, friends. Still in jammy-mode. Still on sleep-in time. The kids go back to school on Monday, January sixth so I'm still on a break with them. I've worked hard to stay 'breaking' this holiday season. It's been difficult. Mostly, I've paid attention to how being on a break makes me feel. A… Continue reading Underground…
