The Fearrington Writers’ Group is open to any resident interested in writing. Our aim is to:
-discuss the art and business of writing;
-aid one another in composition and publishing;
-share useful information; and,
-give participants a platform for our work.

Many members of the group have shown interest in family history, personal memoir, essays, creative non-fiction, fiction and poetry. The group meets regularly from September through May. The format of our meetings is influenced by input from members.

In general, we attempt to:
-provide useful information for writers and anyone who is thinking about writing’
-encourage members to share experiences from writers’ conferences and workshops;
-provide a forum for sharing your writing; and,
-encourage writing – in any form – for any purpose.

We encourage everyone to write something! There are two subgroups: one for folks interested in poetry (see below) and another one for those interested in prose writing (see below). We are eager to fine-tune our mission and change our meeting format to meet the needs of the group. We encourage any and all comments and suggestions.

Contact Laura T. Jensen at: prosebylaura@gmail.com
Facilitators:
Dick Merwarth (Prose Group) crmerwar@intrex.net
Bill Sommers (Poetry Group) bsommers@earthlink.net

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Oxymoron: Having a Short Long-Term Relationship


    Words are my life!  I adore words such as serendipity, plethora, and dearth. I  use them in conversations and I go giddy when I see them in print.  As a retired literacy specialist, I recall the days when I made a respectable living by teaching children and adults to use our language correctly and creatively.  I especially encouraged the use of colorful words.  Why say that something or someone  is “nice” when magnificent, gorgeous, heavenly, etc., could elevate your piece of writing to a more literate level, not to mention  produce a higher grade from your teacher.  A good vocabulary is a sign of  achieving more than just a minimal education.  In my present status as a peppy senior seeking a prince for a LTR (long term relationship) implying exclusive dating, my past training has paid off in many ways.
    After a lot of time spent in the dating world as a result of visiting my two favorite internet dating sites, I encountered more potential datees in addition to some authentic duds.  The word “frugal” comes to mind very often because I find that many of my potential squires are very economical.  They never met a coupon they didn’t like.  One of my dates took me to Sweet Tomatoes on the very first date and was not shy about using his coupons.  For those unfamiliar with the establishment, it is  a salad buffet beyond compare and there are free refills on the soups and desserts.  Basically, this establishment is glutton heaven.  My date proceeded to have five cups of soup,  all of them  of different after consuming two plates overflowing with salad.  Obviously, his pot belly needed stoking.  Adding to his appeal, while he drove a late model luxury gas guzzler and intimated that he was financially secure, he made no apologies and even suggested a walk on the beach in lieu of lunch, even though the rain was pouring down.  Lunch was to be a substitute for a game of tennis and then we planned on going to a movie afterwards.  Of course, after he spent so much time eating, we missed the start of the movie.  We then drove back to our respective homes. End of a “perfect” gluttonous and frugal date. Foolishly, I consented to other dates with Mr. Tomatoes and they were also dictated by his budgetary restrictions.  I am not a gold digger, but puh-leeze, be a sport!   A free movie at your clubhouse? Mr. Tomatoes talked a great deal about his lack of success with the dating scene. Small wonder! And talk about not following your own advice.
    Then there are the guys who recently broke up with their significant others.  Red flag! They date you, but their hearts are longing for a reconciliation with their exes.  They even go so far as to participate in “couples counseling.”  This is not marriage counseling but a new phenomenon.  Usually, I am told, three or four breakups occur, but they continuously go back to a failing, unfulfilling relationship for security and some claptrap about “the devil you know, etc.”   So, they date you  several times, and lead you to believe that you could be the one, and suddenly with no warning.... no more calls. You are left wondering what you did wrong and  in addition, you are consumed by a feeling of low self-esteem. Suddenly, Mr. Wonderful is no longer on the internet dating sites and doesn’t show up at singles groups. Somehow, the word gets out that Mr. Wonderful is indeed back with his ex and extremely happy once again, until the next big blowup, which is destined to occur.   My first question these days therefore is something like, “When did you break up with your girlfriend?”  No point in wasting time. Put faith in your natural instincts and intuition.                                                                                                        
    Be sure, moreover, you place full faith and credit in your innate ability to assess character.  Stick to your guns and take no prisoners. If a guy sends up signals in the form of red flags, don’t plow through hoping they will go away because they just don’t.  I know what I’m talking about because I made my mistakes due to my extreme neediness and a desire for a meaningful relationship.  Hal is a case in point.  I first met him on JDate and after e-mailing back and forth, we finally spoke on the phone.  We discovered we had a lot in common:  backgrounds, age, and a passion for football.  Hal still worked but despite his business deadlines, we arranged a coffee date.  He was far from my ideal but I agreed to a dinner date with him for the following week.
TO BE CONTINUED.......
Madelon Sheff (Maddy)
Please visit my website at: http://www.beechmast.info

Monday, May 21, 2012