By Amy RobinsonBaby, it's cold outside! Now is the perfect time to cozy up in front of the fire place at a Writing Pad class. Warm up your writing practice this December with these great classes. Call 323-333-2954 or email marilyn@writingpad.com. There are only a few spots left in these delicious classes!
--So You Wanna Be a Writer (Wed. p.m., Fri. a.m., Sat a.m. sections)
--Finishing School (Wed. p.m., Fri. a.m., Sat a.m. sections available)--Your Life As A Movie (Tues., Dec. 7)
--Mini Writing Staycation with Judy Reeves (Jan. 8 & 9)
Make a list of 5 things that come to mind when I say the word, "cold." You could write about your favorite ice cream or a rude ex-girlfriend, or passing out cold, or giving up smoking cold turkey, etc. Pick one of the items off of your list, add a sensory detail to it (smell, taste, sound, touch, sight), and write for 10 minutes. Then post the results in the comments of this blog for the chance to win a free class (and for free likes and remembers)!
I used to live in Chicago, so I know what cold is all about. It came in many forms during a Midwestern winter, radiating from a tile basement floor, sucking all the feeling out of my toes, or freezing my eyelashes to my scarf on a short walk from the El to the office. That's what I'll write about. Write about the last time you felt the chill!
Comment on this blog! What comes to mind when I say the word, "cold?" Post your 10 minute write in the comments, and you could win a free class!
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7 comments:
Uh oh, it’s getting cold outside. Trade filp flops for Ugg Boots. Keep those toes nice and toasty. Better throw a hoodie over that cami. Did you just see your breath? ‘Cause I think I saw mine. Run back inside to get a scarf and a hat to match. So cute. Oh! And those fingerless gloves that fold into mittens. Now, would you look at that? The car windows are all fogged up. Flip on the heater the defroster, crank up the tunes. Slide on sunglasses, coffee in the cupholder, steamy and warm. Glance down at the temperature gage, it’s 60 degrees in the shade. Yep, it’s gonna be a cold one.
Lemonade and ice cubes
I know I am having a great day when I order lemonade with ice cubes. It may be blistering outside but I am yearning for the cool inside feeling of tart, sweet, crisp and refreshing lemonade. I am in love when someone adds another flavor, like lavender, yeah lavender right from the garden. Now, it is as if I too am part of nature cooling off and changing my whole attitude. I am perfumey and wild ready for anything asking the buzzing of bees and the swirling of flies to blend with me as I sit outside sipping my lemo-lav-ade. The world at large has become beautiful again in a cool way.
I’m a native socal girl. I don’t boast about this because I secretly wish I grew up with white winters, ice on the streets, but I didn’t. I grew up with sunny Thanksgivings, and at times, the rare hot, Santa Ana windy Christmas. Palm Trees line our streets, and the temperate climate warms hands, and feet. But, one year Dad and I went to Eagle Lake for Thanksgiving. Eagle Lake is at the tip of northern California, just twenty minutes from Oregon in the Lassen National Forest. Grandpa built a log cabin, emulating his childhood Michigan, hoping that his family would take advantage of the snowy, cold winters, and spend the holidays nested together in a two bedroom cabin. We drove thirteen hours, our heater went out in the truck, and when we reached the base of the mountain to get to Grandpa’s, we were deep in twelve degrees of freezing. We huddled together in the two-seater, driving slowly, climbing up the treacherous slope, clinging to each other. Our breath lingered in the air like campfire smoke. Too cold to talk, our lips tightened so we hummed a tune, dad’s big frame close next to me, and his large arm wrapped around covering me. See, Dad and I haven’t spent a Thanksgiving together in twenty years, spending my first frigid holiday with him warmed my soul.
Julie - This is a wonderful story of our "cold" California winters. I love the detail of the hoodie over the cami and the matching scarf and hat. Love that your narrator turns the heater on with the temperature "60 degrees in the shade" Thanks for writing.
XO - Marilyn
Anna P - What a beautiful story, I'm now really craving Lemo-lav-ade! I love the 'buzzing of the bees and swirling of the flies' bit, you really put me in that lemonade world!
Thanks!
Marilyn
Natalie - This is an amazing story! I love that you capture both the climate of warm SoCal winters and frigid mountain winter. I love the relationship the narrator has with her Dad in the cab of the truck and the humming through frozen lips. The ending is wonderful as well.
Thank you for sharing!
Marilyn
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