Blackout Poetry

I love Instagram. 

It keeps me connected to friends and family, takes me to places all over the globe, inspires me to cook new dishes and foods, and opens my eyes to new ideas.

Ideas like blackout poetry.

So what is blackout poetry? It’s a process where readers create poems by redacting words from texts like newspapers, magazine pages, pages from books, letters, any type of text. When creating a blackout poem, don’t read the article first and don’t read the article as you normally would. The words are raw material and the topic of the article is irrelevant. Look for words and the images they suggest. The poems are read like any other piece of work, left to right, top to bottom.

Austin Kleon is an artist and writer who recently popularied blackout poetry. “I like to think of blackout poems like those old ‘Word Find’ and ‘Word Search’ puzzles we used to do in elementary school - a field of letters with hidden messages to find.”

My first attempt at blackout poetry is  "Mind Body Spirit." 

been there

frustration at work

stressful encounter with your teenager

hungry

closing in on dinnertime

no idea what to make.

willpower falls woefully short.

snarf down those chips

chomp on those cookies

stop a moment,

think

Wait.

mindfulness

manage stress and emotions

paying closer attention.

We often go through life on auto pilot

mindfulness is an emotional time-out.

slow down and focus on what's happening in the present moment,

tune out the chatter that goes on in your head

avoid those knee jerk responses

get better at staying with your emotions

Mind Body

Relaxation

Take Time to Notice (December 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31}

December 27..."May all your joys be true joys and all your pain champagne." ~ Anonymous

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December 28...Just one of those days when it's tough to focus!

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December 29...Yesterday I was a bit out of focus and didn't get much accomplished. Today, feeling rejuvenated and armed with a huge grocery list, I headed out at 7:30 this morning to Dot's Market, Dorothy Lane Market, and Kroger to get food for company and New Year's Day. Let Round 2 of family and fun begin!

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December 30...Time to break in the new cookbook my daughter gave to me for Christmas. It was hard to choose what to make...so many delicious recipes! This ratatouille loaded with yummy veggies got the nod.

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December 31...My best nine Instagram photos of 2015. So many good memories. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hugs, hugs, hugs ~ 

Take Time to Notice {December 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26}

December 22...Christmas humor at Boston Stoker underneath some tasty coffee offerings...teeheehee! But this is painful for a former English teacher! Anyone notice the grammatical error? Still wrapping up some loose ends...3 more days 'til Christmas!

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December 23...Feeling the need for some super powers today. Which one to call on...Super Speed Gift Wrapping? Perfect Last Minute Gift Finder? Giving Sense to Idiot Parking Lot Drivers? Extraordinary List Making? Realizing That Everything Will Be Fine Because My Family Will Be Together Tomorrow? Yep, let's do that last one.

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December 24..."Twas the night before Christmas..." One last photo from our visit to NYC and so perfect for today! This park is named for the Chelsea neighborhood's founding father, Clement Clarke Moore, who is the author of the Christmas classic, "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Ho Ho Ho...

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December 25...This picture makes me so, so happy! Andrew had to work on Christmas Day so he wasn't able to come home. rather than not having all the kids home for Christmas, we took Christmas up to Cleveland so we could all be together. The stockings were hung from the foosball table with care...Merry Christmas!

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December 26...Not all Christmas gifts are found under the tree. Mother Nature gave us a spectacular sky show last night with this brilliant sunset and then the Christmas full moon.

Take Time to Notice {December 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21}

December 17...Ornaments that mark the passage of time. 1999...Last Christmas of the Century, and 2000...First Christmas of the Millennium.

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December 18...Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown! Macy's Herald Square windows in NYC celebrate the 50th anniversary of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." 

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December 19...The Christmas at One World Trade Center. It's a simple but elegant tree, but if you stop and think, this tree points to the top of this building, 1776 feet high. Merry Christmas and God Bless the USA.

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December 20...This tree stands outside of St. Paul's Chapel in New York City, just blocks away from Ground Zero. St. Paul's was built in 1764 and is the oldest surviving church in Manhattan. After the Towers fell, this tiny church became a relief center for emergency personnel. In the shadow of One World Trade Center, this tree sends the Christmas message of hope and peace.

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December 21...With today being the shortest day of the year, here's a photo to bring you lots of light and sparkle! May your days be merry and bright ~ 

Take Time to Notice {December 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16}

Well, am I ever running behind...time to catch up before 2015 ends!

December 12...All is calm, all is bright as we stroll around UD's campus on this 61 degree night!

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December 13...Christmas take on the personalities of their locations. Makes perfect sense for Warped Wing Brewery to use their beer cans to decorate their tree...Flying Rye, Ermal, and Self Starter are delightful ornaments!

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December 14...Time for the Christmas Card marathon! 

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December 15...Every year my friend Denise, a few of her sisters, and her daughter bake dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies. They package them up and deliver them to their friends. I've lost count of the number of years we've been fortunate enough to receive this beautiful gift. The cookies are great but the friendship is priceless! Merry Christmas!

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December 16...Christmas cards! My usual routine is to walk out to the mailbox, sort through it as I walk to the garage, and then toss it all into the recycling bin. Not this time of year! And to receive an original work of art is extra special. I look forward to the cards from my college friend Patricia Saxton with her message of peace. Her artistic handwriting even makes the envelope a work of art! Merry Christmas and PEACE to all ~ 

Take Time to Notice {December 9, 10, and 11}

December 9...These lovely photos come to you courtesy of my New York City girl! Sara called me on on her way home from work as she was walking through Washington Square Park. The tree had just been lit. Christmas lights are always beautiful regardless of where you live.

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December 10...It was a beautiful night to walk around Lincoln Park, enjoy the Christmas music that was playing, and look at the light display that sparkles from one end of the Commons to the other. (PS...15 days until Christmas!)

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December 11...Took a drive down to the Oregon District to admire this marvelous painting created by my friend, very talented artist, and owner of Gallery 510, Loretta Puncer. Compared to many cities, the Dayton skyline isn't very big, but it sure is pretty...a real gem!

Take Time to Notice {December 7 and 8}

December 7...I can hear snickers from some of you when you notice that I still have a landline phone! The reason we have a landline is that our cell phone service is spotty in the neighborhood. Anyway, it's always a treat when the phone rings around 8:15 a.m. and it's my sister who lives in Philly calling as she's walking to work. The calls are a joy, lasting anywhere from 15-30 minutes. These morning chats make life a little more bearable...

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December 8...This evening's light show is brought to you by colorful Christmas lights and a magnificent sunset!