. . .and so a new year begins

     Chalk Outlines is taking a one year hiatus.  I will be starting a new blog project beginning January 1st, 2013, entitled "Haiku 365".  My new blog will feature a haiku poem everyday for the entire year.  Hence the name: Haiku 365!  This could prove to be quite a challenge but I believe I'm up to it.  I plan to release these blog posts in book form in 2014 and I'm hoping to interest a publisher in my project.  I hope to create the necessary following needed to land a book deal and you can help.  How you ask?  Please tell all your friends, read my daily blog posts, sign up to be a follower, sign up for my daily email, and subscribe to my new blog.  I appreciate any and all help that you can provide. 

     So I hope you join me in my new, year long adventure.  Please feel free to comment on my blog posts and email me.  I enjoy the feedback: positive or negative.

     I'll see you tomorrow for the first post.  I can't wait to get started!  Happy New Year!

Haiku 4 U

     GARDENING
hard freeze continues
summer garden comes inside
fragrant greenery

© Lydia Lowe 11/14/2012  

Thursday's Quote Me

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Eleanor Roosevelt


Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.

Henry Ford

 
Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.

Doris Lessing
 
 

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     JET STREAM
warm winter weather
is forecast for afternoon
winds blow from the south

© Lydia Lowe 11/14/2012  

Thursday's Quote Me

I am a part of all that I have met.

Alfred Tennyson

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     BLACKBIRD
crisp, frosty morning
birdsong rings out from the trees
delights my hearing

© Lydia Lowe 11/14/2012  

Thursday's Quote Me

I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me.

S.E. Hinton

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     BRANCHES
branches scrape against
the metal eaves of the house
nails on a blackboard

© Lydia Lowe 10/27/2012 

Thursday's Quote Me

If a man has to say trust me, Gogu conveyed, it's a sure sign you cannot. Trust him, that is. Trust is a thing you know without words.

Juliet Marillier

A KANSAS RENGA

TO THE STARS THROUGH DIFFICULTIES: A KANSAS RENGA IN 150 VOICES

I just received news this morning that the book has been printed and has been released.  If you'd like to order a copy of it, and see my contribution in print-that would be #82, you can purchase your copy at this address: Mammoth Publications.

RENGA: Japanese linked-verse poetry in which two or more poets supply alternating sections of a poem.  (A Renga is a conversation!!!)

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     WALNUTS
a squirrel in the park
holds a black walnut in his mouth
as he digs a hole

© Lydia Lowe 10/27/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.

Agatha Christie

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     THANKSGIVING
people gather round
turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie
Thanksgiving day meal

© Lydia Lowe 10/27/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Don't gobblefunk around with words.

Roald Dahl

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     OCTOBER
scuffling through the leaves
warm, Indian summer days
cold October nights

© Lydia Lowe 10/27/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Do a loony-goony dance
'Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain't been there before.

Shel Silverstein

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     AUTUMN
beauty hangs heavy
in the atmosphere of an
overcast blue sky

© Lydia Lowe 10/27/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

“You can observe a lot by watching.”
-Yogi Berra

Check It Out!

I've done some updates to the "Links" page.
Check out the new sites for some inspiring ideas.

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     HALLOWEEN
pause, wait, hold your breath
chilling screams and dark of night
a Halloween fright

© Lydia Lowe 10/27/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.

Ray Bradbury

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     JACK-O-LANTERN
big, round, orange fruit
inside full of seeds, strings, goo
a knife carves the face

© Lydia Lowe 09/11/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life.

Terry Pratchett

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     BONFIRES
smell it in the air
orange, yellow, red flames burn
wooden logs sizzle

© Lydia Lowe 09/11/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.

- Robert Bloch

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special

I fell in love with this design the minute I saw it.  It's a free design on: Aimee Ray's blog

Haiku 4 U

     HAY-RACK RIDES
trailer holds hay bales
children sit among the straw
tractor pulls the load

© Lydia Lowe 09/11/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

A line is a fuse
that's lit.
The line smolders,
the rhyme explodes –
and by a stanza
a city
is blown to bits.

Vladimir Mayakovsky

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special

This is a design from Elefantz blog.  It was originally stitched on  individual mini pillows.  I put it  on the corners of a pre-purchased dinner napkin, and I added the free-form flowers and heart underneath each word.  I'm going to use it as a "doily" under a pretty potted plant.  Check out Jenny of Elefantz blog here: Elefantz

Haiku 4 U

     PUMPKINS
waxy orange globes
attached to hairy green vines
scattered on the ground

 © Lydia Lowe 09/11/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.

Cormac McCarthy

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special

Haiku 4 U

     WIND
starts as a rustle
leaves swirl, lift, fall, forming piles
wind is passing by

© Lydia Lowe 09/11/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

Jean de La Fontaine

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something New-All 3!

Words to Live By-Side By Side

It all started back in April or May with the "Today . . ." project.  My interest in embroidery and cross stitch was re-kindled.  Coming in 2013, I am having a one woman show of my embroidery at the Salina Public Library.  I'm shooting for the merry month of May.  Watch for further developments, coming soon.

Haiku 4 U

     LEAVES
brightly colored leaves
drifting, floating to the ground
decorate the grass

© Lydia Lowe 09/11/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

 In order to rise
From its own ashes
A phoenix
First
Must
Burn.

Octavia E. Butler

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Kansas State Fair

Sunday's Something Special-Part III-Dream

Haiku 4 U

     AUTUMN
days growing shorter
trees are turning bright colors
a chill in the air

 © Lydia Lowe 09/11/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Life, a beauty chased by tragic laughter.

John Masefield

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     WI-FI
sitting in a booth
McDonald's, using wi-fi
no internet at
                    . . .home

© Lydia Lowe 9/2/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special

I saw this on the internet and had to have to make one for myself.  Unfortunately, I have misplaced where this came from, or I would include a link here.  I think this is a really unique piece.

Haiku 4 U

     WEEDS
we prayed for the rain
an end to the heat and drought
overnight came weeds

© Lydia Lowe 8/27/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Joy is the best makeup.     

-Anne Lamont

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special-Part II-Imagine

This is from a Dimensions mini kit design.  I changed the words from 'Thank You' to 'Imagine'.

Haiku 4 U

     HEAT
rising endlessly
from off the concrete pavement
a mirage shimmers

© Lydia Lowe 8/21/2012

Cactus Flower

I haven't had much luck with my garden this year.  It's been so hot---triple digits for most of the summer---anything I plant has to contend with being surrounded by concrete, brick, and river rock plus full sun from dawn until 2:00 p.m.  This year I had a friend give me 4 cactus and I had one of those die!!!  Most everything has died or is hanging on by a wing and a prayer.  Until . . .

One of my cacti put on this rather ugly grey fuzzy thing.  I watched it.  Over time it grew green, then it began to lengthen out and grew thick.  Then this pod appeared on the end, a pretty shimmery green which changed over time to shimmery green and vibrant lavendar.  It became . . .

Check out these photo's . . .


How exciting!  What's the bloom going to look like?

This was Wednesday night.  I thought it would probably bloom by morning.  It's so close here.

This is what greeted me on Thursday morning when I walked out my front door.

A couple of flying insects showed up this morning to investigate.  One got trapped down inside.  The other flew away.



Notice the little star type thing off to the right side. . .that is actually the central stamen.  Notice the little grey fuzzy on the cacti to the right.  It's the start of a new bloom, I think.

Thursday's Quote Me

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

-Leo Tolstoy

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special

Too funny . . .
This was inspired by a similar piece that I saw on bookwormbethie. 

Haiku 4 U

     SNOWCONE
dash across pavement
racing to the ice cream truck
sticky ice crunchies


© Lydia Lowe 7/23/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Good humor may be said to be one of the very best articles of dress one can wear in society. 


William Makepeace Thackeray

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special-Part I-Believe

This is from a Dimensions mini kit design.

Haiku 4 U

     CRUNCHIES
grass, a yellow crisp
walk across it and it breaks
like dry, brittle bones

© Lydia Lowe 7/23/2012

Tri-Rivers Fair 2012

I entered my Poem Quilt from this years Silver Needles Quilt Challenge, entitled: Keep a Green Tree . . .  in the Tri-Rivers Fair and won 2nd Place in the division: Wallhangings - machine pieced/hand quilted.  You can see a photo of the quilt here.  Keep A Green Tree . . .

Thursday's Quote Me

Always try to keep a patch of sky above your life. 

Marcel Proust

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special

This is from a Dimensions mini kit design.

Haiku 4 U

     SHADE
sunshine and shadow
sun high overhead draws line
deep shade cools the heat
                                         . . . . .of day

© Lydia Lowe 6/25/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Unexpected intrusions of beauty. This is what life is.


Saul Bellow

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     SOUNDS
sound of a mower
sprinklers kick on, wet spray mist
plane flies overhead

© Lydia Lowe 6/25/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.


Allen Ginsberg

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Sunday's Something Special

This was inspired by a similar piece that I saw on Lots of Neat Stuff.  Check out Christy's blog. 

Haiku 4 U

     FLOWERS
fragrant color blooms
as flowers lift blossoms, leaves
to wilt in hot sun

© Lydia Lowe 6/25/2012

Renga . . . Live!

My portion of the Renga went live today.  Check it out here: Renga has gone live!

Thursday's Quote Me

Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.


G.K. Chesterton

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Haiku 4 U

     HUMIDITY
wind blows, dilutes heat
pause, humidity rises
how welcome wind gusts

© Lydia Lowe 6/25/2012

Thursday's Quote Me

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.


Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tuesday's Top-PIX

Word Poem in Thread-Spring

The big reveal.  It's finished and framed!