Week 1. - Page 2

[LaLa]

I have a question about rights. I hope this doesn't sound too ... bad, but I like to write articles or poetry for publication and I am wondering if what is posted here is still the full ownership of the person who wrote it or if it somehow transfers ownership to the group and or MDC? That may sound silly, but I am thinking this would be good inspiration for me for future articles and I'd like to be free to take what I write for this to adapt into other works.

What are your thoughts on that?
Warmly~
LaLa

[loving-my-babies]

good question, Lala. It's funny, my dd's nickname is Lala. she decided we had to call her Lala about 18 months ago (she's 3 1/2) :LOL

[indie]

I'm going to give this a try. I don't know if I can get it all done since I'm joining at the end of the week but oh well.

Can we get the info. about this posted as a sticky in the forum? I think a lot of old timers came here from the forums and were totally confused.

[chloesmom]

I am in, though I am a little hesitant about it. lol. That's what happens when you are deathly shy.

[Angierae]

Wonderful idea. Count me in.

[broodymama]

I'm game!

[zeldah]

I'm in, I think. So where do we post, right here? or start a new thread? It's Friday and I haven't seen any posts yet, is anybody ready? Am I asking too many questions? :

[Greensleeves]

This is a great opportunity. I needed some motivation to get writing again.....thanks!

[MountainMamaOf2]

Time to jump in the Water!

For the last five minutes, since I read the invitation, I've been feeling my heart beating faster...and a sharper awareness-you know, excitement!!!

THANK YOU for opening your heart, sharing your journey and offering us to, courageously, do the same.

[Autumnschild]

I'd love to do this. If I don't have time, I'll make time! I think this will be really good for me.

[kavamamakava]

Originally Posted by LaLa

I have a question about rights. I hope this doesn't sound too ... bad, but I like to write articles or poetry for publication and I am wondering if what is posted here is still the full ownership of the person who wrote it or if it somehow transfers ownership to the group and or MDC? That may sound silly, but I am thinking this would be good inspiration for me for future articles and I'd like to be free to take what I write for this to adapt into other works.

What are your thoughts on that?
Warmly~
LaLa

Great question! The way I understand it is that it's considered published by MDC but you are the author and therefore still have the rights to your own works. I guess MDC could possibly use your posted writings in another place at mothering.com since by posting, you gave consent for them to publish it here. But in absence of any contract, I don't think they have exclusive rights to publishing your work which prohibits you from publishing it elsewhere.
I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong

[Calm]

*gazing at the pen beside the keyboard, burning inside at how much she has to say....picking up the pen, twirling it a few times.....putting the pen back on the desk....stroking keys with fingertips, lovingly....a knowing smile smearing her face....she types her post, now, here, and it says...

Hell yeah I wanna write! Count me in.

*Closes the MDC window, stands and brushes the keyboard with her palm...exits the study with the sudden and warming realization that the writer within still breathes.*

[coleslaw]

I'm in!! I've been wanting to get into writing but needed this push. Thanks!

[loving-my-babies]

Originally Posted by Calm

*gazing at the pen beside the keyboard, burning inside at how much she has to say....picking up the pen, twirling it a few times.....putting the pen back on the desk....stroking keys with fingertips, lovingly....a knowing smile smearing her face....she types her post, now, here, and it says...

Hell yeah I wanna write! Count me in.

*Closes the MDC window, stands and brushes the keyboard with her palm...exits the study with the sudden and warming realization that the writer within still breathes.*

you're good! if this is the kind of thing we're supposed to write, I am so lost! but I will give it a try...

[Red]

Ok, so here goes, this is my post for the week. Please feel free to critize(oh how DO you spell that?) it! I'm looking to improve and want to know how. I can take it, I swear.

Oh, and I wasn't sure if we were allowed to polish things up, or if we were supposed to just type what we'd written, so this is just as I'd written it.

Two o'clock in the morning

Two o'clock in the morning. The babies are crying. It's colic, a food allergy, I think. But I can't figure out to what. We haven't been to bed yet.

This is an every night event. They begin to fuss about 11. By 11:30 they're miserable. My husband offers to stay up with them. To rock them and walk them and sing to them and try to ease their discomfort. But what would I do then? Put a pillow over my head to block out my babies cries and go to sleep? I would know they were crying, even if I was successful at blocking out the noise.

Better to be here, on the couch, rocking them, singing to them, letting them know that I could never sleep while they hurt.

I have done this before. Eleven years before. When their oldest sister had the same discomfort. She could only be soothed by being walked, and so I'd walk and count each round trip of the apartment. Maybe after 100 times she'll sleep, I'd say. Maybe after 500, I'd pray.

With two babies, I can't walk. My arms would fall off! So we rock and sing, sing and rock, from 11 to 3 each night. Well, from 11 to 2. From 2 to 3 we rock and we cry. From sheer exhaustion. After a few weeks I know when it's 2am, becaue I begin to cry, like the chimes on my mothers' grandfather clock, right on time.

And then they nurse again. And as quickly as it came on, it stops. They sleep.

I climb, drag, myself upstairs, a sleeping babe heavy in each arm. I ease each of them down, to the mattress beside me and sink wearily into bed. To SLEEP.


Ok, so I had to edit a little bit. It's darn near impossible to put in parts that you NEED to change.

I'll be away til Tuesday, and I'm already jonesin'. I can't wait to read what everyone else has written! Start postin'.

[L.J.]

I'm in!

I'll be back to post my first piece of writing later!

[BostonMama17]

hey Tanya--these threads will be pretty cumbersome to read after a few pages. Should we post writing assignments in a separate thread from comments/discussion? Just a thought.

Here's my first 5-minute free write. Interesting what comes up when you don't fight it.

Thanks,
Ronee
--------------------------------------------------

I remember…….

Nursing my son in the waiting room while my mother’s fate was decided by strangers. I held his small body against mine as we sank into the cool leather couch. I remember thinking how much nicer the waiting rooms are in the hospice ward. Real living rooms with throw pillows in coordinated fabrics, area rugs, and mood lighting. Like they expected us to be here for a while. Like they wanted it to feel like home. But outside, beyond the heavy double doors, gurneys creaked, meal carts jangled, and families paced while nurses chatted gaily about their weekend plans. I remember there were books on the shelves with broken spines. Who had had the head and heart space to read? And fanned out neatly on the table were pamphlets about death and dying. I read volumes on birth. How could death be edited down to five or six bullet points?

[LaLa]

This ends abruptly, but it was a first attempt...-----------------------------------------------------------

I remember…

A landslide of moments
Laughs
Tears

Two mothers
Two fathers
Convoluted fears

My sisters
My brothers
Our bond and our breach

I remember so many glimpses of laughs
Out of reach

My grandma
Her passing
My guilt overbearing

A house
Like a ghost
Frozen moments- Dream sharing

I remember the child
So shy
So alone

Screaming inside me
Reaching for an unknown

Pain
Sorrow
Overpowering good
Always remembering
Wondering if I should.

[Autumn Breeze]

SOunds neat, I'll give it a try, not sure if I will post (like really join in) but I'll try to do the writing on my 'free time'

[mystic~mama]

I would Love to be a part of this!!