AUGUST 11, 2022

 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Sharon Buckman, Kathy Flotz, Shirley Hinman, Pete Beda (guest of Al Koch), Al Koch, Diane Stratton, Judy Neuman, Bob Neuman, Cindy Horgash, Amy Brailey, Sharon Palmeri

 

 

 

OLD BUSINESS:

The minutes from  the July 28^th meeting were approved by Kathy Flotz and Cindy Horgash.

NEW BUSINESS:

An article by reporter Jerry Davich entitled “Studies Find 6-10 Adults Live Within 10 Miles” was featured in the Monday, August 8, 2022, edition of Times newspaper.  This article contains quotes from WOH member, Al Koch, and refers to Al’s book, Help Mom with the Dishes.

READINGS:

A one-page memoir by Sharon Buckman entitled, “Recession?” was written about 14 years prior during the Bush Administration, and describes how similar conditions seem to apply to today as well.

Katherine Flotz read her short fiction story, “The Adventures of Mikki and Mini”, a humorous take on the roaming adventures of two mice and where their curiosity and wandering unexpectedly take them when seeking shelter in the winter.

“A Journey Made from Stuffing” is the first chapter of a children’s or family short story book shared by Cindy Horgash.  The story details the imaginative activities of a scarecrow who finds himself on an inspiring journey of his own.                                                                                 The storybook will be called  My Wonderful Wacky Family.

Amy Brailey shared her short story, “Down to the Wire”.  The story details the actions of a couple who work to diffuse a bomb and have to solve a riddle to know what wire to cut to safely disarm it.  The end of the story invites the reader to choose which wire they would choose to cut and to tell what they think will happen when they cut it.

Shirley Hinman read three of her poems.  “You Built an Edifice” is a Pantoon type poem based on Matthew 7:26.  “Ocean Painter” is a Septet poem.  “Ocean singer” is a Quintain style poem of 5 lines. 

Sharon Palmeri shared a chapter from her memoirs entitled, “Hypnosis 1980-81.”  This chapter describes Sharon’s introduction to hypnosis by one of doctors she worked with at the hospital.  While the doctor used hypnosis during a procedure that Sharon assisted with, Sharon also fell into a trance. This peaked her interest in Hypnotherapy. She went through further sessions with the doctor. Later she learned the art through seminars, and then practiced hypnotherapy for several years.

“Where no man has gone before:  Reflections on my first colonoscopy” is Bob Neuman’s humorous, tongue-in-cheek account of  his first colonoscopy. He described this experience that occurred in 2011 when he was 70 years old, and related the story with his own hilarious perspective.

Judy Neuman sang a song she wrote, “Jesus Cares!”.  She wrote this to express her feelings about how our Lord has love and compassion for us.  She told us that it was written in 1983, and that she set it to music as a song with a chorus, which is the 2^nd section within the poem.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Diane Stratton

 

JULY 28, 2022

 

 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Beverly Stanislawski, Bob Neuman, Katherine Flotz, Cindy Horgash, Al Koch, Sharon Palmeri, Judy Neuman, Sharon Buckmsan, Diane Stratton

 

 

 

 

OLD BUSINESS:

SHARON PALMERI and SHARON BUCKMAN approved the minutes for the July 14, 2022 meeting.

NEW BUSINESS:

KATHY FLOTZ stated that Jerry Davich would be speaking at the Merrillville Library on Saturday, August 6^th, anyone wishing to attend needed to call ahead.

LITERARY NEWS:

CINDY HORGASH stated that her short story, “Underfoot,” would be published in the November issue of Chicken Soup for the Soul, good going Cindy.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI announced that she had received two awards in an Oklahoma Poetry Contest.  Second place for “Out fa Lunch,” and second place in the Honorable Mention category for “Sooner or Later, Okla’s Better.”

READINGS:

BOB NEUMAN read three of his poems.  The first, “Egrets,” is a poem about a parrot whose wife warned him of flying the coop…and it’s happy ending.  The second, “Acne,” is a short poem about a teen-aged boy’s bane with pimples.  The third, “A Bride’s Lament,”is a woeful refrain for marrying the wrong fellow.

CINDY HORGASH read her two-page short story entitled, “Green Bean Face Cream.”  A story about an enlightening bunco game where Charley shares his grandma’s homegrown remedy for warts and other family stories.

KATHY FLOTZ read a short story she had written after attending a funeral service for an eighty-year-old relative.  The story so reminded her of her father that she wrote a belated eulogy for him sixty-five years later.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read four of her poems, the first entitled, “Marriage Never Dies,” a poem about how love is forever.  The second poem, “Curtain Time,” tells of the jitters of the performers before the play begins.  The third, “The Makeover,” is about making his girl perfect for another man.  The fourth, “Boomerang,” is about hate returning to it’s sender.

AL KOCH read his two-page story entitled, “Mind-Master,”  The summary states a good teacher does not promote themselves but leads their charges to the threshold of their own mind.  Mom’s do it best!  They really know their ABC’S.

SHARON PALMERI read her five-page memoir about her favorite English professor.  Despite the fact that he retired before she graduated, the two kept in touch for 36 years, until his death on June 28, 2022.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN

JULY 14, 2022

 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Al Koch, Sharon Buckman, Amy Brailey, Bob Neuman, Judy Neuman, Shirley Hinman, Kathy Flotz, Beverly Stanislawski, Cincy Horgash

 

 

 

 

OLD BUSINESS:

The previous minutes were read and approved by KATHY FLOTZ and CINDY HORGASH.

NEW BUSINESS:

BOB NEUMAN suggested members might enjoy reading “Everything You Need to Know You Learned in Kindergarten,” in the July issue of Readers Digest.

KATHY FLOTZ stated that Jerry Davich was having a workshop at the Lake County Library on Saturday, August 6^th.  If you are interested in attending you can contact him at Jerry.Davich@nwi.com.

AMY BRAILEY stated she was in the process of finishing Finding Francis, the sequel to Behind the Veil.

AL KOCH stated that the Pierogi Fest, in Whiting, IN, would be held on July 29^th to the 3lst.

READINGS:

CINDY HORGASH read a two-page short story entitled, “Woe-Is-Me-disease,” a very sweet story about the kindness of a stranger who lifted her spirit during a very difficult time.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read three of her poems, the first entitled, “Homecoming,” a rhyming quatrain about a person returning home after many years away and finding the neighborhood really changed.  The second poem, “It’s Greek to Me,” contained rhyming couplets about how important Greek heritage is to many people.  The final poem, “The Captain and His Lady,” was a spoon river, free verse poem written from a deceased person’s viewpoint.  A ship’s captain was truly in love with his ship.  Both lived and died together.

KATHY FLOTZ read two poems, both written at her cottage in Wisconsin.  The first poem, entitled “The Awakening,” told of how all the birds proclaim their praises to their Creator in a loud voice.  The second poem, “A Rainy Day,” was a poem written in the shape of a butterfly, telling about birds and butterflies shaking off the rain drops and folding in their shapely wings.

SHIRLEY HINMAN read her one page poem entitled, “Two Sides of the Coin.”  Her summary of the poem stated every coin has two sides; thus sometimes opposite sides promoting in our lives patience, maturity and personal growth.

AL KOCH read, “THE 28^th AMENDMENT: A PROPOSAL,” a proposal to consider limiting the terms of elected officials of the three branches of government: Legislative, Executive, Judicial.

BOB NEUMAN read his one page poem entitled, “Why, Wrigley?” Bob’s fictional interrogation of his cat Wrigley, also his sleeping habits.

JUDY NEUMAN read her two page article entitled, “What Did You Just Say, Sally?” An article about distortions in language, life and more importantly distorted views of God’s truth which can be eternally deadly.

SHARON BUCKMAN continued reading two pages from her novel, “Running on a Treadmill.”  In this part of the story Eric finally succeeds in finding Sandy’s newest address and intends on traveling to Seattle to find her.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN