http://www.wordsdownpat.com My writings, musings, and available publications Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:00:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en When I was growing up, we didn’t cuss in our house. When my dad slipped up and said the sh-word, or Mom, lady that she was, said “hell” or “damn,” it was a cause for gasps all around. So, in my linguistic naiveté, I used to use words I’d heard ... http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2008/04/22/cussing-creativity/ Hi there.  I know, I know, it's been a while since I posted anything.  But I attended the Jubilee Writers' Conference at the Terrebonne Parish Library on Saturday, and one of the sessions was on blogging.  Sooo, I decided that I should do this more regularly. Here I am, then, staring ... http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2008/04/08/blogging-the-blog/ I fear nothing walking alone on a deserted street heels click on the pavement behind me not my own spiders in the woodpile disturbed by activity scurry in fright or stand in defiance their defenses apparent shadows on the wall coat draped on a chair sinister intruder within tree branches in the wind lurking voyeur without broken railing on a bridge nothing beneath me that supports the idea of crossing car spread-eagled ... http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2006/05/29/fear/ Cliche # 1: Putting someone in their place. This one really gets to me for several reasons. The basic thing is that it’s bad grammar. It should read “putting someone in his or her place.” But that would ruin the flow of it, wouldn’t it? Getting back to ... http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2006/03/02/cliche-chatter-1/ PORTRAIT OF A LADY iceberg met Titanic the day she was born brightly-colored wings of steel adorn no fragile butterfly * raised in the deep South the essence of a lady unfaded by years of summer sun * eyes brown and warm as flowing bayou water caressing the banks moving inexorably on * delicate hands blue-veined on white gentle fingers flit to adjust silver widow's peak * waltzing with Dad in perfect ... http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2005/05/08/portrait-of-a-lady/ he lays down tracks kicking up dust like hot rods dragging on a country road his guitar twanging gravelly voice caresses the melody, bending the rhyme to fit the time spinnin' dreams tappin' rhythms on the back porch of the world the rhymin' man sits rockin' (c) 10/12/99 Pat Hornsby Crochet http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2004/10/30/the-rhyming-man/ 1. If you stare at someone long enough, he will eventually notice you. 2. If you don't want to wait for someone to notice you, brush up against his leg. 3. If brushing up against his leg doesn't work, bite his ankle. 4. Howling about your problems gets you noticed, but sometimes it's with a shoe. 5. Sleep all ... http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2004/10/30/ten-things-i-learned-from-my-cat/ Not as earth shaking as Genesis, but new beginnings are exciting, and this, my initial post, is definitely that. It's the starting point of my _serious_ writing career, with all the pitfalls and promontories that come with it. Of course, I'm hoping there will be more hills than valleys, but ... http://www.wordsdownpat.com/2004/07/11/in-the-beginning/