All Together Now: A Rainbow?

Not a very politically ambitious lot, are you? Looks like Catherine is elected, or at least she wins the Just Write Nomination! Congratulations! If any of you still want to try your hand at a speech, go back to that post and go for it.


For this assignment, get out your trusty box of Crayolas (at least mentally). I'd love to see you give us a word picture.


Here is your assignment: Complete this sentence, and if you wish, make it into a paragraph:

The ___________est thing I know is _________________.

In the first blank, you must insert a COLOR. In the second blank, insert whatever it takes to complete the thought.

It can be any number of words, sentences or paragraphs, but draw us a word picture. Be creative, be vivid, make us see it. I'd give an example, but I don't want to steal your color. However, you may certainly use a color someone else has used, and you may put as many responses as you like.

I'm looking forward to reading your brilliant observations.... wait, I need to go get my sunglasses first.

Just a Little Invitation ... To A Pretty Big House

Well, I guess it had to happen.
Someone has complained.
Too cutesy, these last few challenges.
That's what he said (he knows who he is : )
in defense of his lack of participation.

So this one won't be, uh, cutesy.
No babies, no puppies.
Sigh.

So, let's say you are running for President (yep, back to the election).



Just this time, let's say they are letting the age requirement (or maybe born in the U.S.A. requirement) slide. Also the near-requirement of being rich enough to buy support. So you are running.

Let's hear your first speech.
If elected, I will do all I can to.....

Complete that thought, with 5 to 10 resolutions of your own.
It can be serious-as-a-heart-attack, tongue-in-cheek, utterly ridiculous, or a combination. You may list your commitments and stop, or you may compose a speech that would make the history books as proud as they are of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

You might choose to address real, major national issues -- or more fun ones that affect regular people in their daily lives.

And you don't have to think about it forever, unless you are really going for the work of art. Just put something down. Don't even give writer's block a chance!

Okay, why should we vote for you?

It's A Baby's Life

Thanks to all the pets who visited us and gave us the low-down on their owners! C'mon, people, can you give your furry (or feathered) friends a break ? : )

I felt a little like I was discriminating on that challenge - against the petless. So I figure, everyone knows (or has known) a baby!

Tell us this. What appears to you to be the BEST thing about being a baby? Or if you could change places with one for just part of a day, what part would it be? How does a little one seem to have it made in the shade?

Waiting to hear.....

And hey, if you've never tried your hand at one of our challenges - or if it's been a while - we'd love to have you start this week! Just click on "Pencil Scratches, " then click on "Name / URL" and put your name in the name box. (You can leave the URL box blank if you want.) Or else you can select anonymous if that seems easier, and just type your name in the same box as your comment. There's a big box for you to put your comment in, then click on publish (or preview first if you want).

Oh, and thanks to Anne Geddes for the baby picture. I'm afraid I didn't ask her permission, but I at least want to give her credit.

Payback Time (OR Pet Peeves, Part 2)

Well, my mom sounded like maybe she'd respond to the Pet Peeve challenge, but I haven't heard yet, so I guess I'll just keep checking it as we move on. I wonder what pet she was going to come up with? The only animals I remember at their place in recent years are squirrels and birds in the yard.... But they've probably got some peeves to share about them!

Thanks for all the great responses... most real, one imaginary. You all did a great job!

Let's see how you do at this.... Pretend for a moment that you ARE your pet. And that the assignment has just been reversed. Pick a pet (it can be the one you wrote about but doesn't absolutely have to be) and tell what about your owner (this would be YOU, of course, or a member of the owning family) -- you (the pet) find very annoying. What do you wish they'd do, or not do , or consider, to make your life easier? What are your, uh, Human Peeves?



If you don't have a pet, you can always use your imaginary one again. (This assignment will require some imagination anyway!) Or you can reach into the past and give voice to a former pet.

Your response might look something like this:
I am Stormie, a poodle, and I belong to Dee Dee and her family. I just wish they'd let me sleep on the bed. Everyone else around here gets to!


Okay, pets ..... it's your turn. Tell your masters what to write ......

PET Peeves, Real and Imagined

Okay, we'll switch gears a little. All those of you who have been ducking your heads under water until the poetry is over, you can come up now!

But before you read this week's challenge, can you please do us a favor? if you will look around the upper right corner of the page, you will see a place where you can let us know what kind of writing challenges you kind of prefer. Can you go vote on that and then come back? Blogmarm, and the young Blogglings who help her out, will wait right here.

Now that you've given us your vote (or at least tried to.... if cyberspace or your computer doesn't want to cooperate with you for some reason, you are excused), .....

I'd like to hear about your pet peeves.

Wait, it isn't that easy. Your PET peeves. In other words, what does your dog do that drives you NUTS? How does your goldfish act that makes no sense at all? Be sure you tell us your pet's name, what kind of animal, and what the baffling habit is.



Oh, and don't worry if you have no pets. Or if your pet is perfect and simply never peeves you. You're not off the hook. (Thought you were, huh?)
You get to tell us about an imaginary pet. It might be your pet - oh, I don't know - walrus. Picture the big fella, name him, and decide what strange or irritating behavior you might have to contend with, if he were really yours. Consider it a very-mini-novel for us to read.



And if you just feel like picking an imaginary pet instead of your own trusty-true Fido (maybe you don't want to publicly embarrass him : ), that's okay, too. Hopefully we'll be able to tell the difference between the non-fiction reports and the works of literary art. (So if you go fictional, you might as well make your pet far-fetched, to help us out!)

Okay, peeves, anyone?

Garden Musings, in February

It can be .....

a declaration of love or some other feeling or state of mind...

a marriage proposal...

a math or logic problem...

an observation...

a poem or song, or neither...

something that rhymes, or doesn't....

a question or riddle...

long or short....

profound wisdom....

sheer fun....


But it HAS to contain 4, 8, 12, 16 (multiples of 4) lines....

It HAS to be original (except where it obviously isn't, if that makes any sense)...,

and It HAS to start with these two words:

"Roses are...."

Have fun.

Oh, and Happy Heart Day.

Super What?

Okay, thanks to both of the history buffs.... : ) In case that rather academic assignment scared anyone off, here's another easy one. Answer some of these questions:

1. Did you watch the Super Bowl?

2. If so, with whom?

2b. If so, did your team win?

3. If not, what did you do instead? (You can also tell who you did that with, if you want.) Easy enough to get you to write? (And in case you are even LESS into football than I am, the Super Bowl was Sunday afternoon, the 3rd of February : )

Eleven Score and Twelve Years Ago, Our Forefathers.....

Okay, a challenge for the history buffs (well, that leaves me out).

It's getting close to election time (in case you hadn't noticed), and you can't really get through a day without hearing about it. Maybe you have already chosen your perfect candidate (or your he-or-she-will-be-better-than-the-other-choices candidate). Or maybe not. So here is your chance to make your choice easier.

If you could bring back one great leader or thinker (political or otherwise) from the past to run for President (or maybe it's someone present-day who just isn't running), who would it be? Don't feel like you have to dissect or research it to death. I am completely happy with your gut feeling or quick thought on this. And you really don't have to be a history expert at all. Who? And, if you want to add why, go right ahead.

As always, this challenge is open to kids, parents, grandparents and anyone else who wants to join in!

Live and Learn

(Thanks for the poem, Catherine : )

Okay, here's an easier one, guys.

Rack your brains (just a little, you don't have to write any poetry today) and tell us about a purchase you made that you'd love to go back and undo. In other words, WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU BUY IT???

I could probably tell you about at least one per week, but if you can, take one from the past year. Or if you need to, you can use any year at all. Just tell us about it..... It can be a car, a pair of boots, or maybe a candy bar. You name it.

And if you want, you can tell us what you'd do with that money if you - sigh - had it back.

Rhyme Time

I love the cartoon characters! I have a plan for another challenge later on. But for now..... It's poetry time again.

This time, I want you to come up with a few lines of poetry with an AABB rhyme scheme. This means that every pair of lines rhyme. The twist is that the first letters will spell either your subject or something connected to your poem. I'll compose a couple of quick examples (remember I am not spending much time on these and don't expect you to either : )

Fins fanning with grace and poise
In a wet world that has no noise.
Swimming your way, and going where?
Happy in your tank, with scarcely a care.

Happily sipping from my cup
Only till my drink's used up.
The smooth concoction slips right down
Canceling many a worry and frown.
O happy remedy for winter's chill
Comforting cold bones with a toasty thrill!
Outside I can dream of the warmth that I'll find
As I take off my mittens and leave winter behind!

You can do this! Have fun!