MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 17, 2010

MEMBERS PRESENT:
Michael Musak, Judith Lachance-Whitcomb, Beverly Stanislawski, Katherine Flotz, Tom Spencer, Pamela Gonzales, Sharon Palmeri, Sharon Buckman

GUESTS PRESENT:
Chuck Brown
John Hunt

NEWS:
l. Mike Musak stated that he returned home from a nice evening of candlelight bowling to discover a broken water pipe. The remainder of his evening was spent under the house trying to get it repaired.

2. John Hunt, a former member of WOH two years prior, just recently started writing again. John is a resident of Hobart.

3. Tom Spencer announced that on May l5th there will be an open mike session at the Lowell Library. The Northwest Indiana Poetry Society will also be at the Comfort Inn, conference room, on Saturday, Feb. 20th.

4. Chuck Brown stated that due to a computer problem he has been unable to do any writing.
5. Pamela Gonzales has been kept busy entertaining her grandson. She also stated her husband has been stationed in Iraq and though she misses him every day, Valentines Day was the worst. She also wrote a piece called "Lonliness."

6. Judy Whitcomb hosted the first meeting of a new writing club for children's books called The Magic Hour. She said it went very well and had eight people attending.

7. Beverly Stanislawlski has been finishing some of her poems which she intends to submit online to various poetry contests. Three of her poems, Chicago, Lake Michigan and Homecoming we have all heard and feel she has a very good chance of winning.

8. Kathy Flotz stated that she and George will be going to St. Louis Community College regarding her book "Pebble In My Shoe." It will be involving a DVD documentary that will feature her and George.

9. Sharon Palmeri has been busy with her two Merrillville Adult classes.

l0. Sharon Buckman just returned from a trip to Tennessee with her family. She stated that they were caught in a terrible snow storm coming home.

READINGS:
JOHN HUNT has recently started a novel, no name at this time, involving a young woman named Sally. While trying to get to work her frustrations began to mount when her car started giving her enough problems that it was necessary to pull off the road. Her day turned much worse when a "Barney Fife" policeman approached her.

KATHY FLOTZ wrote a Fibonacci Diamond poem called "The Proposal." The love poem was a perfect poem for Valentines' Day.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI wrote an article about someone she met as a child called Old Bob. The article, entitled "Freecom Man," told of an old half Indian and half Black man who lived to be l04 yrs. old. He told of being lifted up by his mother to shake the hand of President Lincoln. He had once been a slave and all that he desired from life now was to go fishing and be a "freedom man."

JUDY WHITCOMB wrote a poem entitled "The Road." The poem gave a very good description of the difference of a trip from city life to back roads in the country.

SHARON BUCKMAN continued with the struggle of a young girl trying to plan her escape from a backwoodsman in Kentucky.

TOM SPENCER wrote a poem entitled "Prophecy Twenty-Twelve." It told of the prophecy of Nostradamus's writings that predicted the world's end in Twenty Twelve.

MIKE MUSAK continued with his play "The Break In." Part of the members were included in the cast as the comedy continued, beginning with the police coming into the bar that Joe and a friend had broken into. They found Joe with his hand stuck to his bowling bowl, inside the juke box and his foot stuck in a bucket of plaster. Needless to say we all had a good laugh as it all played out.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:
Sharon Buckman

Minutes for February 3, 2010 Meeting of Write-On Hoosiers, Inc.

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Audrey Warzyniak, Tom Spencer, Chuck Brown, Jackie Huppenthal, Mike Musak, Beverly Stanislawski, Cathy Dziubla, Kathy Flotz, Paul Mulligan, Judy Whitcomb, Sharon Palmeri, Pamela Gonzalez, Sharon Buckman

GUESTS PRESENT:
Chuck Brown

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sharon Palmeri announced that she was contacted by the South Shore Arts Chamber of Commerce. They will be having a luncheon on Wed., Feb. l0th from ll:30 A.M. - l:30 P.M. Reservations are required, if you are interested please call Kelly at 2l9-836-l839

NEWS:
l. Paul Mulligan stated that besides having furnace problems he has been working with the Ladies Aux. at his church. He is presently selling tickets for the Valentine Dinner, etc. for $40, which they are sponsoring. He is also looking for an agent for his recently completed book.

2. Chuck Brown is presently doing research in the field of military history. He stated he lives in Lowell and loves writing poetry. He invited everyone to join the poetry club at the Lowell library on the third Saturday of each month.

3. Tom Spencer also lives in Lowell and is the head of the poetry division at the Lowell library. He is also a teacher on the internet and has had l86 different poems published in his book Word Castles. Tom also announced that on May l5th the Indiana Federation of Poetry Club will be at the Lowell Library.

4. Jackie Huppenthal, a new member of Write-On Hoosiers, stated she attended Sharon Palmeri's class for Writing Children's Books. She has done some poetry and is presently working on a book for children.

5. Judy Whitcomb is also a new member. She has been a teacher for 36 yrs. and also attended Sharon's class.

6. Mike Musak has been working on a book. He stated he really enjoys working on comedy, especially radio plays.

7. Beverly Stanislawski stated she has been with Write-On Hoosiers for approximately 2 l/2 yrs. She enjoys writing short stories but her main interest is poetry. She has had a number of poems and short stories published.

8. Cathy Dziubla, a member of Write-On Hoosiers for approximately 7yrs., is now working on a book, "Sean O'hara and the Leprechauns."

9. Kathy Flotz and her husband, George, have been invited to another speaking engagement regarding her book Pebble in My Shoe. This invitation is at the Hanover Middle School in Cedar Lake.

l0. Audrey Warzyniak stated she hasn't been able to do much writing lately but has been doing some painting.

ll. Sharon Palmeri has received a job offer working part time for the Winfield American Newspaper. She stated she will write various different articles She has also been trying to find time to continue writing her memoir.

l2. Pamela Gonzalez, also a new member and former pupil of Sharon's writing class for children’s books, stated she is presently employed at Chapel Lawn Cemetery and is starting a writers club for children’s book writers.

l3. Sharon Buckman stated she has been busy taking care of her grandson and working on her book "Canopy of Leaves."

READINGS:

JUDY WHITCOMB talked about her book, "A Special Day for Dr. Science." She revealed that the main character, a teacher, went to school being told that it was to be a special day. She was unable to determine what that special day was until the end of the book revealed that it was her birthday. The book had very cute illustrations as well as a delightful story for children.

PAUL MULLIGAN read his poem he had written for his wife entitled, "The Price." It was a beautiful romantic poem, involving illustrations to signify which copies were to be given to the males and females in our group.

KATHY FLOTZ wrote an article entitled, "A Belated Eulogy." It was written in honor of her father, who died near the end of World War II. The family had never been given any details of his death; consequently he never received a proper funeral or eulogy of his own. He would have been very proud of this one.

CATHY DZUIBLA wrote of the recent headline articles involving Nancy Kerrigan. Her article "Parenting Gone Wrong", explored the possibility of Nancy's brother, Mark Kerrigan, never receiving the love and attention that had been given to Nancy by her parents. She felt that this was possibly the answer for his constant rebellion, finally concluding in the death of his father.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read a sonnet she had written entitled "Freedom's Legacy." The sonnet told of the supreme sacrifice of the soldier's on the cemetery hill and the legacy they left behind. It had been written for the National Federation of State Poetry Societies.

MIKE MUSAK wrote another, very humorous, radio play, entitled "The Break In." It involved two, rather dubious characters, trying to break into a local bar with the purpose of robbing the safe. Everything that could go wrong eventually did. The play was enjoyed by everyone.

JACKIE HUPPENTHAL provided, what she called, a "Dummy Book or Mock-Up." It was a series of pictures she had put together through "Snapfish," a software program for digital pictures. The pictures were of a canoe and rafting trip with friends and family. It was very well done and gave us all ideas for future "picture books."

TOM SPENCER wrote a poem entitled "The Party." The poem told of the political drama and conception of a political party, which involved the usual self esteem. We all loved the last sentence, I'm always right - it seemed so true.

AUDREY WARZYNIAK brought a calendar in which she had painted a picture for each day of the month. What she used to paint the pictures will remain a mystery, one you will enjoy but will not be disclosed until you attend the next meeting on the l7th.

SHARON BUCKMAN continued with her book "Canopy of Leaves." The young girl, which has been kidnapped by a backwoodsman, has formulated a plan to escape. She tries hard to convince her kidnapper that she is perfectly satisfied with the life she has had to endure for the past several months.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:
Sharon Buckman