Meeting 10th Feb. 2010

In attendance: David C, Jo, Melissa, Cath, Mary, Wendy, Mandy, Terry and a first time visitor Cathy…a science fiction writer…welcome Cathy
Brags.
David…not quite ready to toss the caber but doing well. Jo… informed us of a competition being run by the Cancer Council…stories, poems, films, about your cancer experience. Some good prizes.
Melissa..about to start teaching a course on Cultural Communications at Tafe Nowra…needs speakers from other cultures to talk. Cath……has renewed her passport…perhaps readying herself for that elusive first book award? Wendy…a question…why is Susan Boyle referred to as a spinster yet Kylie Minogue, just four years younger is not? Mandy…happy to be still alive…
Terry…...Reverse brag…car broken into, window smashed…expensive…bugger

Words
David…Plenipotentiary…an envoy or agent with full power to act on your behalf
Pleonasm….using more words than necessary…redundant words
Jo… uproariously…laughing really loud, tumultuous
Melissa...inchoate…not fully developed, incomplete, …policy on the run?
Cath……odiferous…strong scented, pungent
Mary….galvanised…stimulate with an electric current ( galvanise into action)
Wendy...perigrinate…wandering, traveling from place to place (on foot?)
Cathy….mute…one who is silent, an oriental slave who is unable to speak
Terry…degustation…the act of tasting (a 7 course degustation dinner)

Homework
About the old sugar and spice phrase referred to when talking about girls… Mary…about schoolgirl bucking the system…right or wrong? Cath…about a tomboy/ rebel young girl Melissa…poem about a couple unable to have children…tried a witch…ended up with puppies Jo…poem about Rainbows…to find rainbow’s end…just clutching at straws David…Poem/music lyrics…Melissa’s song for Pink…very good Terry…an essay on the reverse discrimination towards the male of our society today Mandy…’tongue in cheek’ or maybe not…the inverse of Terry’s essay Wendy…a poem…about the pain of waxing…funny as always

Exercises by Melissa…who always gives a lot of thought to this aspect
1) an exercise on ‘kindred relationships’ …associative powers with word groups…
e.g. what is the link between the following words…bug, rest, fellow, cover…answer is ‘bed’
2) the second part of the exercise was to use all of these linked words in a sentence.
A lot of fun and some sentences which actually made sense.

QuickWrite
Using Melissa’s ‘writer’s block’ we had to write about…fertility
Typically a wide range of poetry and prose with varying approaches to the subject.

Homework for next week…
Describe the worst date you ever experienced…make it as humourous as you can…it doesn’t have to be true…just funny

Next week…Facilitator is Helene Exercise is Mary…Homework is Cath
See you there ….Terry

Meeting on 3.2.10.

Present: Jo Ball, Helene Gaul, David Rudder, Melissa Ehlers, Vala Hanns, Mary Sinnamon, Wendy Williams, Robyn Kellner, Terry McLafferty, Cath Davidson

Brags: Terry's grandson & son won first place in Hobie 16 summer competition at
Vincentia Sailing Club
Jo informed us of the proposed ammalgamation of the Aboriginal Health &
Regional Health Departments, also her son Murray has a vicious Quoll
roaming nearby
Mary will be going to Jenolan Caves with her husband to hear an opera
performed in the Caves
Vala Reported David Cargill looked well, he may be at the meeting next
week. She has also commenced French lessons
Helene Has had a poem published in the About magazine Congratulations
Helene
David expressed his thanks to Terry for the interesting tutorial presented
last week, seconded by the group
Robyn's research for her family tree continues. She has found references of
her family in NZ from a newspaper report of 1880

Word of the day: David - Pericope, a short passage or paragraph. Peri (surround) Cope (cut off)
Helene - Liberty. freedom
Melissa - Halcyon. peaceful, gentle, calm
Mary - Pundit. Learned person.
Wendy - Clandestine. secret
Robyn - Notwithstanding. nevertheless, despite
Terry - Has bought a copy of 1811 Dictionary of the
Vulgar Tongue. We will be sure to hear some of his
discoveries in future writings ie:- kirtles, doxy,
fartleberries, particios. He also described the Gypsy
Oath with gusto
Jo- Sumptuary. laws to limit expenditure.
Cath - Anathema. dislike intensely

Homework: Last week each person was given a fortune cookie, then asked to write a piece relating to the "fortune" contained.
There were many & varied thoughts regarding this.

Exercise: Wendy had everyone thinking deeply as they tried to write a meaningful sentence containing words which contained one letter more than the previous word. Terry outdid us all, his longest word had 16 letters.


Next Week: Facilitator - Terry Homework - Mandy Exercise - Melissa

Minutes from meeting on 27 th JAN 2010

Present: Cathy, Mary, Wendy, David, Terry, Helene, Mandy, Jo, Melissa, Vala, Robyn.

Brags:
Thin on the ground. Cathy's grandson offered a place at Wgong Uni. Good on 'im. Helene says there was an email from David C. He had his knees operated on. No one envies him.

Word of the Day:
Melissa offered 'succulent', cacti or similar.
Helene - 'abacus', counting frame. Also 'rusticate', to go to the country, or to live in such.
David R: Read out a poem called 'The Ether' re David G's knees. Hoping David will do amazing things with his new knees. Mmm? The mind boggles. Mine does, anyway. David R's word - 'dichotomy', a sharply defined division into two parts.
Mandy: 'heirophant'- one who shows or reveals sacred things - usually a minister.
Wendy: 'frangible' - capable of being broken or brittle.
Robyn: 'debauchery' - seduction from duty etc, habitual intemperence.
Terry: 'deleterious' - harmful to the mind or body.
Mary: 'beatific' - possessing or imparting a blissful state.
Jo: offered information on clubs, or contests, no word today.

Homework read out Work to do with numbers:

Melissa: 'How Three Becomes One' - a treatise on the desirability of having more than one sexual experience. Most enlightening. Looking for the perfect sexual partner. Mmm. Left this writer wondering what I've missed, or did I? I was intrigued about the glowing blond man we others have never met. (Melissa did so say that!)
Helene: 'No. 7' poem. Obsession with the number. Life ends with obsession. i.e. it never goes away.
Cathy: 'Numbers': a poem. A lot of 'things' having to do with numbers. How we can't do without them. Cathy has been very busy in her life all because of numbers. For some reason at this juncture, Robyn said that 'zero' has a place in rhyming poetry. ROBYN!
According to my notes on to:
David: Had a bit of decision-making in his entry, of course a poem. He's 'as clean as a virgin' he writes. Good poem, how could it be anything else. Wishful thinking about the virgin bit, David. Or, 'in your dreams'.
Vala: Poem 'Numbers of our Soul'. From childhood to ? Education, work, marriage, etc. connected with numbers, how you don't necessarily remember your own important numbers, i.e.mobile, home phone etc. good.
Mandy: 'Numbers that Rule Us' - poem. Counting small things, sees the activity as confronting but does suggest she is a bit peculiar (she does, not me). Mmm
Robyn: Again. Told about the cost of an upcoming book printing - ROBYN! - then read 'Numbers'. Robyn looked at numbers as if they were really alive and were members of an army. Read genealogy - importance of that pesky number 9. When Robyn's right, she's right, and believe me, it reads like she was all wrong today but her poem was unusual and clever. How she fit that in with 'zero' I don't know.
Terry: 'Numbers' - Do numbers rule your life? Poem. Mmm. He makes up his mind - they might, but he isn't going to worry about it anyway. Thanks Terry, what about the rest of us staring at you waiting for reality to kick in?
Mary: 'Blowing My Own Trumpet' - A sea full of boats. Watchers - she had a cruise of views of million-dollar houses. How rude people spoil a lovely day. Just ignore them Mary, they're everwhere.
Jo: Read '2B or not 2B'Surprised that the rest got it. Performance poem only. Reads otherwise like fooey.

Exercise: Terry took it, Poetry study - deep and meaningfuls. Metre and all those tactics that are employed in figuring poetic works. Accent was a key word. We discussed at much length if we could discern differences within the same poem, one we had never thought of seeing differences in. We were given a list of words where we had to rhyme as many as we could, paying attention to accent. An ably-presented and well-studied work by Terry, not a surprise at that. Thank you.

Melissa set next week's homework by passing around a box of fortune cookies and now we have to write about the message on our cookie and it's got something to do with 'between the sheets'. More sex from Melissa. Since she came back from America. What's there Melissa? Let us into the secret.
Until next Wednesday, see you all between the sheets (of paper, rudies)
Jo

Next week's roster. Facilitator is Cath, Exercise by Wendy Homework by Vala

Summary of meeting on 20th January 2010

Hello everyone

What a great turn up yesterday. Everyone was there except David and Dale, plus we picked up a new member. Welcome Jean. It was good to hear of your ‘doings’ during the break. Ill go round the table;

Mandy had a wonderful Christmas with 2 people joining her from England. They ventured to Sydney for 4 days to see the fireworks, quite tiring and a little disappointing, they then on to Cairns for a few days where they had a ball.



Melissa went back to the US but unfortunately was confronted with much family drama.



Terry spent Christmas at Vella Beach. Daughters inlaws?

Did not have to have op as doc thought it maybe unnecessary. Could have been a cyst. He also read out a poem inspired by Melissa. ‘I hope they didn’t take the poetry out’ Well done Terry.



Helene had a quiet Christmas, spent New Year with Vala at the Husky Bowlo, she has her grandchildren with her at the moment.



Robyn spent Christmas in NZ. One of her presents was to see Avatar at an IMAX theatre, she also found some info’ about her great grandparents.



Dave spent Christmas in the Blue Mountains, had great fun with kids and waterslide.

Jean was in Dalghety. Poetry with HG Nelson in Snowy Mountains.

Wendy spent her time with family. Saw Mao’s Last Dancer which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Jo had usual comings and goings at her place seemed to be continually making beds. She should be getting new glasses in Feb.

Vala had a family Christmas and then joined Helene at the Husky Bowlo for New Years.

Cath spent her with grandson’s prospective inlaws and was in bed by 10.30 on New Years.

Words of the day were once again diverse and as usual Dave came up with some funny ones

Re-incarnation-- -- born again tin of carnation milk

Cuticle—queue at PO etc

Morass—putting on weight

Transcendental—cross dressing dentist

There are two more but I can’t read my writing. Sorry Dave.

Wendy discombobulate to confuse, upset, disconcert.


I’m sorry to the rest of you, I’m once again unable to read my writing. My excuse is that I wasn’t well yesterday and scrawled rather than wrote. Please accept my apologies.


Melissa brought up the query as to when a capital is needed for words like communism. There is a general quote when referring to people with radical views ‘communism with a capital C’. We decided that it just meant a commitment to their cause.



I’m not sure who mentioned the word, crepuscular but with the books and movies it will surely become part of out vocabulary. It means, of twilight or appearing or active in twilight. Its general use is zoological.



Wendy read us one of her wonderful poems. This one was, Resolutions. She is excellent and should put a book together.



Melissa is sporting tat on her wrist with the inscription, ‘this to shall pass’. She was unsuccessful with her entry to ‘On the road to Tamworth comp but well done for having a go.



Jo brought to our attention a photo with a strange radio and also a book titled Death of a Poison Tongue

Mandy read another story from her collection of Dogs Who Have Owned Me.

Vala read her poem titled Glass Illusion or Delusion, very deep.

Melissa read her poem entitled Wrinkles, I’m now glad I have some.

Helene read her poem I Am Her Slave

Dave read one of his delightful poems

Jean our new member read out her, this is your life she has done for her daughter who turns forty soon. It was in poetry form and gave us a profile of Kelly. We feel we know her now.

Mandy reminded us that if we want to be published please put works on memory stick and get it to her by 10th Feb. It is to be VERDANA 12 with very first paragraph NOT indented, subsequent ones YES. NO double spacing between paragraphs. You can also email as attachment only. I think this was agreed to. Talk to Vala if I’ve confused you.

Mandy did the exercise where a topic was pulled from a jar which you then had to write about. Terry tells me his was a favourite toy.

Next weeks reminder. Terry is doing the exercise, Jo is facilitator and Melissa is doing the homework.

I won’t be there next week. My sisters 77th birthday so must attend that. See you the week after.

I hope your inspirations come to fruition.

Maryx

Bay and Basin writers meeting 16 December 2009

Present: Mary, Mandy, David C, Terry, Jo, Cath, Helene and Facilitator David R.
Brags: Terry read out a poignant poem he’d entered in an American competition titled “Inside the Black” about depression in his usual inimitable style.
Mandy: “A reverse brag” – entered a competition, didn’t win, but was recognised.
She told us she has now finished her novel of two years in the making on young adults named “Missouri” – Well done, looking forward to a read!!!
Mary: visited Kim after a long break went really well.
Cath: “Survived a Lebanese wedding” she reported lots of good food, exotic customs and a 1am finish – shows great stamina!!!
David C.: Encouraged us to submit between 50-100 words to local rag, naming yourself as a “Bay & Basin Writer, could be a saying, poem or short story – Let’s do it!
Jo: An auspicious event she attended, her granddaughter’s marriage at Kangaroo valley – Looks as if we may have a great grand mum in our midst shortly!

Word of the Day:
Terry – “RIPOSTE” – Retort or sharp reply.
Mandy – “CREPUSCULAR” – Appearing at Twilight.
Cath – “DENOUMENTE” – A final issue or solution of a Play or situation.
Mary – “LITTORAL” – Growing near a seashore.
David C. – “RETICENT” – Refraining from talking, keeping ones counsel.
Jo – “COMARADERIE” – Close friendship with a common purpose.
Helene – “CURLICUE” – A fantastic curl or twist.
David R. – Play on words – “EUTHENASIA” Young people in China.
& “WISTERIA”- A nostalgic form of panic.

Homework – Folklore meanings of a variety of words, set by Jo:
Terry – “FROGGIES” – A very witty & clever poem.
Mandy – “UNDERTAKER” – A well crafted story about an apprentice Undertaker.
Cath – “OYSTERS” A funny short ditty.
David C. – “EARS” – David’s wit at the fore, Adam &Eve, Marc Antony, Van Gogh & Prince Charles were notable inclusions.
Jo – “BALD” Jo’s infectious humour kept us all in stitches, a dream of a fellow watching his hair falling out, before him in the mirror!
Helene – Lovely quotes from her novel about “Maddie”, a dream about her wearing a hood.
David R. – “DUCKS” Use of Google to construct a factual poem.
General Business: We agreed Terry should download a course on “Romantic Writing” by Parnell for $37. A big thankyou Terry!

Exercise: Cath set us “A script or Scene from a play with no more than 5 characters”
Terry: An hilarious story “A bedroom somewhere 3am”
Mandy: “A sitting room in a cottage” Very funny with an excellent twist.
Cath: “A tramp calls at a house seeking work”- kept us in suspense.
Mary: “First airliner flight” excellent drama of a sick child”
David C.: A stage play of a Miners Tax Collector, murder & mayhem prevail!
Jo: “In the kitchen washing up” Yet again Jo had us fooled reading from two pages in her extremely clever style.
Helene: A true story about her sister Nina. Gripping story about her near death from “Prawn Poisoning”
David R: “A house somewhere in Sanctuary Point” – A blue about infidelity comes close to Murder.
We finished around 4PM our last meeting for 2009, David R thanked the group for his acceptance in the fold.
A very successful year & fun had by all full of skill & humour Happy Christmas & New Year to you All.
See you all again when we resume on 20th January 2010.
PS: My first go at this, apologies for any mistakes or omissions. David R.

Happy Christmas and a creative new year

To all people interested in the Bay and Basin Writers Group, happy Christmas and best wishes for a creative new year. We will reconvene our meetings at 1 pm on Wednesday 20 January 2010.

B & B WRITING GROUP
MEETING – 9 DECEMBER 2009


Attendance: David C; Jo; Terry; Kath; Mandy; David R; Helene; Wendy; Mandy; Vala.

Brags:
Mandy – is in the process of acquiring a new puppy.
Jo – had visions of having struck a special with chooks as it turned out not as good as she first thought.
Helene - attended compost workshop and now is the proud owner of a new compost bin.
Cath – A new GPS is in her ownership.
David C – new knees from Knee-bay 20 January.
Vala – commencing Italian course next year.


Word of the day:

David C Expression – vent their spleen – pour out melancholy – escape - liberate.
Jo Slow coaches - derived from following a funeral coach proceeding slowly dragging the chain.Hundreds and thousands – pariels without equal pari – fairy – fairy bread!!
Terry Rambunctious – wild.
David R Play on WordsDe-liberate re in prisonDamnation HollandExtort exit schoolLamination New ZealandTeutonic order with 2 gins
Helene Curmudgeon surly ill mannered churlish killjoy wet blanket


Wendy Logorrhea excessive
Mary Imbroglio confused masscomplicated situationembroilment


Homework – Title “Who Done It”
Mandy - Lover’s Tiff;
David R - Who Done It – Poem;
Helene - People Change;
Wendy - Who Dun It – Poem;
Jo - She Deserves to Die;
Terry - Ending of Eve

Competitions: Several were tabled.

Exercise – Jingles – short stories – commercials all very witty.

Few options were tabled re courses for next year – will further discuss February 2010.

B & B Writing Group will celebrate its 10 year birthday February 2010.

Quick Write:
Various tales and poems incorporating “A Walk in the Wood”!

Homework:
Omens from your dreams

Next week Wendy Facilitator – Cath – Exercise
No homework – Yahoo!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR GROUP MEMBERS AND their FAMILIES