IWSG, Destination USVI, Dorian

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: 
 Gwen Gardner, Doreen McGettigan, Tyrean Martinson, Chemist Ken, and Cathrina Constantiner!

This month's question is: If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

Some place indoors with comfortable AC and/or heating, with plenty of food on hand, and a view either of the the ocean or the mountains.

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The possible article I talked about last month has been written and... accepted!! It's quite the deal. It will be published in Destination USVI, a magazine that is published annually and distributed to visitors as they board their plane on certain airlines at certain stateside airports!!!! You can take a gander at what the magazine(s) look like here.

I'll let you know when it actually gets into print.

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Hurricane Dorian became a cat 1 right over St. Thomas and St. John. Lucky for my family and friends it did very little damage and everyone is fine. It was the surprise of it turning north and intensifying so quickly - in a matter of hours - that had people scrambling. Not that they weren't prepared, they were. But when you're expecting 50 to 60 mph winds and get 80 to 90 (one gust was officially recorded at 111 mph) it was... well a surprise.

As for the Bahamas and the East Coast. My heart aches. What a horrible storm. The Bahamas will never be the same. And I bet some of their sandy cays have disappeared completely. Give help where/when/how you can to all those suffering. I know a lot of IWSG and blogging friends live along the coast... Difficult times.

Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for the mundane. 

Here's a picture of an Orb spider that's taken up residence in our yard. 

Haven't seen on in several years.

What are you thankful for? Got a dream location to write in? Are you safe from Dorian?

A Caribbean Fish Dinner

Below is an article about my grandmother, Erva Boulon. It was written by Clementine Paddleford, a food writer who wrote for The New York Herald Tribune, The New York Sun, The New York Telegram and a magazine called This Week. This Week, was a Sunday magazine supplement that was read by as many as 14.6 million people.

The article appeared in This Week on January 26, 1958. It was recently discovered in the archives of the St. John National Park while they were cataloging and organizing. My cousin Rafe, who is Chief of Resource for the park, emailed me a copy.

I love the drawings that accompany it.

Do you think you'll try the fish and coconut torte? I can assure you, from personal experience, it's all quite tasty.

Good News!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program with this nice bit of news.

My article, "Finding the Source," can now be read here at the Institute of Children's Literature . If you what to find out how to mine for memories, check it out!

I'm also happy to say, this is my third article published by the Institute.

Bee: A Busy Word

It's here! It arrived yesterday! It's got some neat-o drawings by Catherine Straus. If you get a copy, my article is one pages 42-43.

Pass the word.

Good News!

Although I have not yet received my contributor's copy, I have gotten a check. So it is official.
My article, "Bee: A Busy Word," will be in the May/June issue of Fun For Kidz. It has been three years from acceptance to finally being published.

The issue's theme will be about bees. I used to be a bee-keeper so I did work up a couple of articles about bees. But then I thought, "Everyone is going to be sending in articles about bees. Why not do something a bit different?" So I did research on how we use the word bee in everyday conversation, like: being busy as a bee, having a bee in your bonnet, sewing and spelling bees etc. And I told a little history about how we came to use each of those terms. It was fun.

I am honored to be a contributor to this trio of children's magazines which includes Hopscotch and Boy's Quest.

Good News!

My article, Buttons in History, is now up at Stories for Children.

Enjoy!