WOH MINUTES FOR JUNE 16, 2010

MEMBERS PRESENT:
Beverly Stanislawski, Judy Whitcomb, Sandra Nantais, Tom Spencer, Sharon Palmeri, Sharon Buckman, Kathy Flotz, Jackie Huppenthal

GUESTS PRESENT:
Fred Sweezey

NEWS:

l. Sharon Palmeri stated she had called to make reservations for the Christmas Party. It will be on Wednesday, December lst at the Lake of Four Seasons clubhouse, same as last year. The clubhouse has requested an early deposit, the fee is $l7.95 per person. Sharon said she is expecting about 30 to 40 people to attend this year. The early deposit will also help her to know exactly how many to expect. She also attended a workshop on "Roles." It included warm-up activities with a description of different types of people and placing them in various categories. This workshop was held at the Genisus Center (behind the Post Tribune building). All workshops are free to those accepted into the program.

2. Tom Spencer said he had just recently returned from the National State Poetry Convention. Next year’s convention will be held at the Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. The l0l2 convention will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville. He also stated a few of the rules have changed and prose poetry can now be entered. He was hoping that Beverly Stanislawski would make a few entries.

3. Sandra Nantais's daughter has just graduated. They celebrated by going to Tall Trees, a nature conservatory in Valparaiso. It was enjoyed by everyone.

4. Judy Whitcomb stated she is still doing the weather as the curricular developer at Northwestern University, a program directed for middle school.

5. Jackie Huppenthal stated she had been involved in organizing a grade school reunion. The reunion turned out to be a success and had a great turnout.

6. Beverly Stanislawski has not been doing any writing lately due to some health issues. It seems, among other things, she had a problem involving her lawn mower not wanting to go up a hill. The lawnmower won.

7. Kathy Flotz stated she had just returned from Wisconsin. They have been enjoying watching a video of themselves taken at their speaking engagement in Dakota, Ill.

8. Sharon Buckman has also been laying off from writing lately since her grandson has been home from school.

9. Fred Sweezey stated he has been busy constantly changing previous writings.

READINGS:

KATHY FLOTZ wrote a diamond shaped poem taken from page 56, 5th sentence, of her book "Pebble in my Shoe." The sentence, "After my father left for the army, we prayed each night for him," and the poem, was a beautiful tribute to her father.

SHARON BUCKMAN wrote "Sentence of the Month," which was taken from page 56, 5th sentence, of the book "The Broker." The sentence, He pulled some bills out of his pocket and laid them on the file," went on to tell the story of a doctor becoming irritated with a patient who entered her office when it was closed and wanted to be seen.

FRED SWEEZEY read a number of misc. sayings which involved a number of deep thoughts and memories.

TOM SPENCER had written a poem which received honorable mention entitled "The Travesty of Lobbyist." The five stanza poem told of a man coming to the states expecting to find all the freedoms he had heard so much about and his various disappointments.

SANDRA NANTAIS continued with her poem "30 N Michigan Avenue." Her four stanza poem, telling of a black marbled building in Chicago, told of some of the history of the building. It was decided that instead of being read going downwards with each stanza, as she had written it, could also be read going across the page, and still make a good poem.

JUDY WHITCOMB wrote a story taken from page 56, 5th sentence, in President Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope." The story, entitled "Unbalanced," told of the problems facing a young boy after years of a friendship with one young girl and suddenly finding a girl friend in his teenage years.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read a short story she had previously written entitled, "The Odd Bird." The story told of a very ugly bird, shunned by other birds and later having the last laugh at becoming the most beautiful bird of all.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:
Sharon Buckman

WOH MINUTES FOR JUNE 2, 2010

MEMBERS PRESENT:
George Miga, Judy Whitcomb, Jackie Huppenthal, Cathy Dziubla, Kathy Flotz, Tom Spencer, Sandra Nantais, Pamela Gonzalez, Sharon Palmeri, Sharon Buckman

GUESTS PRESENT:
Fred Sweezey


NEWS:
l. Sharon Palmeri suggested we might want to give some consideration to inviting two other writers’ groups, Writers Expressions and Magic Hour Writers to join us in our holiday party. Everyone agreed this would be a good idea. The invitation was also extended to Tom Spencer’s poetry group. He said that he would bring it up at their next meeting. Sharon also discussed bringing back the WOH literary magazine this year. She mentioned that submissions need to have guidelines as well as a deadline. It was decided that she would e-mail and/or post the guidelines on the blog to all active members. Tom Spencer volunteered to format and print the entrees into book. Sharon mentioned that several of our members are great with cover design. Sharon also mentioned she received guidelines for submissions from the Indiana Historical Society for a book contest and mentioned that she would e-mail any interested person the pdf file she received.

2. Sandra Nantais stated she has been enjoying writing her free style poetry as well as personal essays.

3. Tom Spencer mentioned he has been working with a group to find a place in the Merrillville area for a poetry convention that is coming up next year. It was suggested that the Radisson would work well. He also will be attending the Minnesota National Poetry Convention.

4. Sharon Buckman told of her Memorial Day weekend, with all family members attending, including dogs, at their small fishing cabin in Winamac, IN. Even with all the confusion, a good time was had by all.

5. Kathy Flotz stated she will be attending another speaking engagement in Dakota, IL pertaining to her book, "Pebble in My Shoe."

6. Cathy Dziubla has been continuing with her short story writing as well as working on a book.

7. Jackie Huppenthal has been working on her book, "Sally Mae and The Little Wolves." She also does fine art presentations at her childrens' school on a monthly basis. This past week she took a copy of her book to the classroom with her to get the childrens' reaction - they seemed to love it.

8. George Miga stated he has been working on two books simultaneously. He finds that when he runs out of ideas for one book, "Medal of Dishonor," he continues with the other, " Spin Doctor."

9. Pam Gonzalez has been recovering from knee surgery. She also has been enjoying being reunited with her military husband who recently returned from Iraq. She stated she has decided to take some of her poems, written for young readers, and try to submit them into various contests.

10. Chuck Brown, a recent new member of WOH, has moved to Bellemeade, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville. He will be employed by the Historical Battleground Society for research, a category he sincerely loves.


READINGS:
JACKIE HUPPENTHAL read "Medusa's Rock Garden," it was based on the word of mouth, stone. She enjoys the online club and gave us all some thought as to introducing a word, or sentence of the month, into our club as well.

CATHY DZIUBLA read her short story of a true happening which took place in her backyard. Her account of trying to disperse all the geese in her backyard (as well as a turtle) was very humorous, even though she had to admit her conversation with them never really took place.

KATHY FLOTZ read the beginning of a book she started some time ago. The story, "The Journey," took place at the end of the war in l945 and told of the immediate hardships for some of the refugees, focusing on one family in particular.

TOM SPENCER read a poem he had written entitled, "Poetry of Mind." The beautiful four stanza poem told of the proper way to form a poem.

SANDRA NANTAIS read, "30 N Michigan Avenue," the first part of a free style poem of a black marbled building in Chicago.

PAM GONZALEZ read her eighteen stanza poem entitled, "Frannie the Frightened Faerie," a delightful account of a faerie that was afraid to leave the security of her flower home.

SHARON PALMERI read a part of her memoir entitled, "The Swiss Miss" trades her cocoa for skis. This part of her memoir told of how she met her husband and the embarrassment of her first ski lesson. Though she felt it went badly, he later invited her out to a drive-in movie. The rest, as they say, is history.

SHARON BUCKMAN read a continuation of her book, "Canopy of Leaves." The captured young teenager devises a plan of escape and begins to follow through with it.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M.
Respectfully submitted:
Sharon Buckman