Record of meeting 17 October 2012

Present

 

Leonie, Jo, Jenny, David R, Helene, Wendy W, Terry, Robyn, Cath

 

News

 

Robyn’s husband Joe is home feeling like a yo yo after spending 10 days out of hospital since August, he is a lot better. Terry’s house was not damaged in the recent storms but his Renshades were and the company is replacing the material. Cath went to the RSL last week and slid down the leg of a chair and had a pond in her garage. Wendy W has been away to Yeovil and saw Banjo Patterson poems displayed. Helene has been away to Dubbo and Katoomba. David R’s daughter has recently obtained a job at the Noosa Leisure Centre. Jenny is returning to Queensland later today and has enjoyed her time here. We wish Jenny a safe return to Vincentia. Jo is into nothingness. Leonie is going to see her mother in Queensland on the weekend. Leonie has written letters to each of her children and it was emotional.

 

Words of the day

Panacea = solution or remedy universal cure

Teller = bank cashier, counts votes and one who tells

Parsimonious = frugal or penny pinching

Calumny = slander

Misnomer = misapplication or a word or term

Epitome = a summary of a book or article or a perfect example of a summary or type

Personality = individuality, offensive remark about a person

Animism = inseparable from matter to which all life, apparition

 

Writings from words of the day

An excellent array of stories - Personality of a wheelbarrow, In the house (a funny poem by Terry) The town of Panacea, Do we believe, Return for a body, The scrooge, Ms Nomer, Steve the teller, The right to be mean.

 

Reading of homework

The Scottish kilt, My bush garden, Tendrils in the garden, The party – seduction as an art – very entertaining, A little wind - invited into their world, Tempe tip. A tall thin man - Oscar Wilde. Discrimination – a poem through a haze.

 

Readings

David R – the bat from hell visits Meatloaf.

Jo – read out a letter written in 1925 from a man who was gassed twice in the First World War.

Terry provided explanations of lay (set something down) and lie (to rest in a horizontal position).

 

Exercise a 10 minute write about sleep

Half asleep or half awake: Ned nodded: Marmaduke the magician – a funny poem: The dream of sleep: Light through the curtains: Throttle the creep: Ideas through my mind: Stayed up all night: The orange wall.

Homework

Write about the family dynamics at a family dinner or picnic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting on 10th October 2012

Meeting Notes for 10^th October 2012

(Wendy facilitated)

In attendance: Jo, Mary, Leonie, David R, David C, Cath, Geoff, Wendy, Terry

News This week.

Leonie…Stayed home to write rather than a trip to Pt. Macquarie

David C…Still chopping wood…Saw Di and Steve at their café in Ulladulla… suggestion to hold one of our Wed. meetings there.   Geoff…Wrote a letter to the Australian referring to plagiarism by one of their journalists     Wendy…Going on a trip to Canberra, Cowra, and Parkes      Terry…had another fun time with 3 grandsons…hours of fun just with paper planes and a ceiling fan.   Jo…Nothing to report  Mary…went to see Cirque de Soliel…fantastic     David R…youngest daughter’s b’day today

Cath…just the usual

Words of the day…

Jo…Scarlet…red, scarlet woman…interpreted as representing pagan Rome

Mary…piscatorial…of fishing (Pisces)…a bit fishy

David R…eidetic…an image which revives a previous image in vivid detail

Leonie…bovine…someone a bit slow, not too clever

Cath…salubrious…conducive to health, wholesome

David C…penogammy (penology?)…the science of punishment

Geoff…supine…lying down on your back, listless

Wendy…nutate…nodding

Terry…facile…agreeable, yielding

Stories from words of the day…a range of fascinating ways to incorporate the words...from fishing…to neighbours…politicians…napping…scarlet women …reflections

Homework…

David R…a poem about a trip to Gina’s attic with Garry… finding a suitcase filled with expensive goodies.

Leonie…continuing Madeline’s story…about Josephine…a filing cabinet in an attic…and a hidden letter…showing past skullduggery

David C…about rose cottage…an old port…gnomes…an angel…and a dove

Wendy…Fame…a poem…poor Mrs Average Australian

Terry…Poem…three boys investigate an old house and find a shrunken head.

Jo…Kids in a neighbourhood…always looking for the mystery trunk…

Mary…Aunt Cecelia’s legacy…refound in a porn shop…oops Pawn shop.

Garry…The continuing adventures of Prince Lucky-Mole…finding Pandora’s box.

Post break…Mary read a story about a Ushabti…obsidian figures buried with a body to aid in the afterlife…and a small boy’s strange experience. Really interesting.

Leonie…read a young children’s story about jumping onto clouds. Really very good…she should try and get it published.

David R read one of his poems. He’s becoming quite prolific.

Terry…read a couple of poems by Spike Milligan. What a talent he had.

Exercise…The letters of the alphabet were used as the beginning letter of a word or sentence. What a range of odd stories and poems.

Homework…Do a description of a person, place or thing so that the person reading it gets a real understanding of the person or place…or thing.

Record of Meeting 3rd October 2012

Present
Terry, Geoff, David R, Wendy W, Kath, Leonie, Mary, Wendy G, Jo, David C.

News Terry was (too late) just in time to enter the Ulladulla 1st Paragraph Competition
          Geoff had a great night of poetry
          David R Started swimming again [ Chilly ]
          Wendy W Booked our Christmas Lunch at Mels Wed 5th Dec
          Mary Going to see Rhonda Birchmore tonight
          Wendy G Has got her vegetable garden organised
          Kath Had visitors from the Gold Coast 16 hr trip
          Leonie Had a problem with her car insurance (cost her a $600 fine...drats)
          Jo  had a look at the fire that destroyed the school near her
          David C walk about 10 km in training for ------
Words  Of the day
DICHOTOMY Difference between opposites
MELEE             Good old fashioned Punch Up
IN FLAGRANTE DELECTO  A criminal offence
DISARRAY  Confusion untidy lack of discipline
PUSILLANIMOUS Cowardly Timid
SUCCOUR  To assist aid or rescue
SUBJORN To suduce into crime
PREDICAMENT A trying condition
MORIBUND End of a cycle or Life
IMBUE inspire to beleive
Quickwrite from the words of the day
A Dichotomy of stories all well received
Homework
David R  Kismet, Wendy W Broken down body, Kath Convolution, Leonie Not everyone has someone,
Wendy Did this realy happen, Jo rebeccas poem to Danny, David C My mate George, Terry Destiny,
Garry Lucky Kickamole
Excercise Was an Acrostic Poem Quickwrite, Summertime and Predicament
Homework a choice of
It Was The Wrong House or The Suitcase From the Attic or a compiliation of the two
This is my first attempt at the blog so if there are any mistakes join the queue

Record of meeting 26 September 2012

Present

 

Leonie, Jenny, David C, David R, Helene, Wendy W, Terry, Trish, Cath, Geoff.

News
 

Helene’s granddaughter was the star of her primary school play. Terry is taking his grandsons to Sanctuary Point for free play. Trish dropped raw eggs on the partly finished kitchen floor. Leonie went to Floriade in Canberra last Wednesday, to the Sydney Eye hospital on Saturday and went on a river cruise on Sunday. Jenny went to her daughters wedding in Queensland a few weeks ago. Geoff had a quiet week and went to a music concert in Berry with a small crowd. Cath had a visit from family from Queensland. David C had a visit from his grandson and took him to Putt Putt golf and lunch. David R has been away to various locations and caught up with his children and grandchildren – a liberating trip.

 

Words of the day

A troll = someone who posts inflammatory messages in an online community, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or disrupting normal on-topic discussion. Also to sing loudly and a type of fishing.

Impinge = to restrict or affect something

Numinous = mysterious, awe inspiring

Shenanigans = prankish, trickery

Puerile = boyish, childish

Rivulet = small stream (water and words)

Inordinate = extreme or unusual

Meander = wander aimlessly with no fixed direction.

Eleutheromania = a mania for freedom

Surreptitious = kept secret because it would not be approved of

Writing from words of the day

A range of fascinately stories covering the topics of Trolling; Sitting by a rivulet with Elvis; Don’t impinge on my freedom; Meandering back chat; The crowd; Below the bridge rivulets of revenge; New council; On the computer.

Reading of homework

Garry – Such a glorious day. David R - Bored of living – a funny poem. David C – I’m David and Neville.  Geoff – my conscience. Jenny – I want to go to my funeral. Leonie – the power plug was pulled. Trish – having a photo with a giraffe. Terry – Ted a new best friend – a great story.

Discussions

1. Christmas lunch at Mel’s Place on 5 December - Wendy W to make a booking and confirm the details. Lunch will be funded from our contributions.

2.  Discussion on afternoon activities.

*Quick write was agreed as popular and to continue.

* A number of suggestions for activities were discussed including writing for children and working towards an anthology of children’s stories.

* It was agreed each person should bring to the next meeting two exercises to use at next weeks and future meetings.

Quick write on children

Wendy - The joys of school holidays. Terry – Crimes against the state. Trish – Charity a family search. Leonie – a joy never to be surpassed. Jenny – the grand daughter. Geoff – my own place. Cath – the blue tongued lizard. David C – Hamburgers and the lost rainbow. David R – grandchildren. Helene - Maya's daughters.

Homework

1. Kismet, Everybody has somebody, Windows or your choice of topic.

2. Prepare two exercises and bring to the next meeting.

 

 

 

 

Meeting on 19th September

Record of Meeting Wednesday 19^th September

Present:  David C, Geoff. Cath, Wendy, Terry, Mary Wendy, Jo and Robyn

News

David has been chopping wood, lots of wood; Geoff has had an uneventful week, catching up on some TV shows. Kath brought in some Thunder eggs from her collection. Wendy has some warts frozen on her big toe, very painful. Terry spoke of his daughter’s recent operation to remove a brain tumour. All seems to have gone well. Mary spending time in the garden and enjoying the grandchildren, Wendy enjoying spring, clearing the bush preparing for a long hot summer. Jo, just an ordinary week, enjoyed watching some old movies from the days of “dialogue”. Robyn’s glad to have Joe home from hospital, and being at home.

 Word of the day

Jo                     Secretion            Separating substances

Wendy             Envision             To conceive of possibility in future

Mary                Nebulous            Cloud like, vague

Terry                Contemporaneously                  At the Same Time

Wendy             Mendacity          Untruth or lie  

Cath                 Turgid                Swollen or bombastic

Geoff                Attenuate            Thin out or reduce

David               Vernacular          Mother tongue, basic speech

Robyn              Implicit   Having no doubts, implied or understood though directly expressed.

                        Explicit   Absolute, accurate, easy to understand

Quickwrite for members using the words of the day. As usual many different stories,

Shire Effluent – Double Dipping – Toxemia – Cow Dung – Verbal Diarrhea-

A Natural Piece – Crossing the River – Drips Under the Bed – The Politician

Home set from the previous week was “Unconscious”. Members found this difficult to get a handle on, but Terry did not let us down with a very witty poem.

Geoff read some more of his novel, set in Japan.

A short discussion was held on the interaction between strangers, and how much we can learn about people in a very short time, this was following by members using “dialogue with a stranger” as the theme

As always some excellent and varied subjects, Lost in the Atherton Tablelands- a Trip on the Bankstown Line –The hardship of the Quiet old man on the Train – The friendly Ozzie, Coffee in the Park - 
A Ride on the Ferry.

Homework for the week         “Should I go to the Funeral?”

           

 The Reader's Digest has a writing competition with a prize of $1000, with the winning story being published.  The story is to be exactly 100 words long, any subject.  Closing date is 30th November, entries to be sent to:- 100wordstory@readersidigest.com.au

Record of meeting 12 September 2012

Present

Geoff, David C, Leonie, Cath, Helene, Jo, Robyn

 

News

 

David C has a new crown on one of his teeth. Jo has a possum bite on her arm. Geoff attended the rehearsal and the concert of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Cath has been watching the birds courting in her garden. Leonie had a disaster with her computer. Helene went out on the whale watch boat on Sunday but saw no whales. Robyn’s husband is in St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney.

 

Words of the day

Desultory = unsettled

Hector = nag or aggravate

Scenario = situation, circumstances,

Tenacity = persistent

Moraine = the debris at the end of the glacier

Disparagement = to belittle, to denigrate

Volatile = changeable, explosive,

We created stories including Saved from a belligerent woman; The Greens and the art of the possible; A scientific discovery; Hector and the mountain; The broken computer; The meeting.

 

Reading of homework

The homework readings included a poem using lots of comparisons; Lost mind; The nanny state; Shark versus cannibals; Another theory on heaven.

 

Reading

David C – read out part of a Western story he is writing,

 

Exercise and activity

* We wrote the opening para for a novel using the words branching out and harbour.

The opening paragraphs covered A visit to Ulladulla; The potential; The rhythm of the water; No risks; A boy under a tree; No surf today and The shop branching out.

* Together we also answered 20 questions from a literary quiz.

 

Homework

Write something using the word unconscious.