May Mashup

My Life is a Mashup!

Welcome to May friends!
My sweaters are finally packed, replaced by short sleeved shirts yet to be worn, but hope springs eternal in these glorious weeks of longest light here in Western Washington. Even when it's cloudy, there a chance for clearing at some point before nightfall!

Back when my kids were in high school we watched Glee religiously and I became a big fan of the mashups -- we called them medleys when I was a choir kid -- that blending of similar but different tunes, lyrics, or themes to create a new song and experience. So much was possible in those few minutes. And so much is possible in today's 14 hours & 47 minutes of daylight, that my life feels like a mashup of "all the things"!

Creatively I've been steeped in photography both day-- as the herons and eagles up their appearances -- and night -- when skies are clear and the Milky Way or Northern Lights are on the horizon-- as well as poetry, prose (sermons), planning meaningful worship with my church's lay worship team, and visioning our continued home renovation.

The photo above was taken during a class 3 (out of 4) geomagnetic storm the night of April 23rd. I drove a few miles down the highway to photograph the Northern Lights dancing over the Skokomish River from the bridge, when I turned around to find the Milky Way rising above the ridge to the southeast. I crossed the highway, crouched along the embankment at the fog line above this small pond and was able to capture the pink of the aurora as it met the Milky Way core in the eastern sky. Below are the Northern Lights over the Skokomish that same night.

Here's to the braiding of our many interests and responsibilities in life, and finding an approach wide enough to encompass all that we love. I'd love to hear about what captures your attention and sparks your curiosity these days: just hit reply!

IN PERSON EVENTS COMING SOON

Join Carey Taylor, Gary Bullock, Dan Coffman, and me for a poetry reading and discussion of the power of community poetry this Thursday at 5 p.m.

Local folks, you'll find my prolific poetic brother-in-law Sterling Warner and I with our books of poetry, the anthologies of poetry I've edited and published, along with several other local poets and writers at the Community Market. We'll be reading from our books at 12 p.m. Join us for the fun!

A big thank you to those who joined me for the virtual launch of Difficult Gifts.
It was wonderful to see your smiling faces onscreen, to read my poems, and to discuss writing and publishing poetry with you. 

Cathy Warner’s Difficult Gifts is a beautifully written rare gem. Each poem begs a second read and more. She transports the reader through the wildness of nature with wordplay, turning the mundane into complexity, triggering ah-ha's at her twist of ideas. Every poem offers the possibility of surprise. Twirling her perfect metaphors, she is the pied piper in the art of possibility. She shares her love of creativity, her power of inspiration, and her freedom to find unexpected joy. Her exposé on Covid brings one back to those devastating times. She raises up the curtain of this 'new normal,' bringing compassion to the reader through recognition of the plight of others. She ignites powerful emotions that touch the soul. In the final chapter, her life lessons are shared, bringing us full circle back to the ah ha’s through her finely honed skills. I highly recommend Difficult Gifts for a permanent place on your shelf.
            –Gayle Lindsay Slaten, author of Self Portraits of a Runaway Wife:
a healing journey told through poetry and prose