Despite those odd warm days we've had in January, February, and
March, it is only now that it feels like Spring truly has sprung. The
weather's consistently nice, and more of our older writers have been
coming back to the workshop. Spring is a time for renewal and
revitalization, and I'm starting to renew interest in our First
Thursdays.
The First Thursday of each month,
the writers and volunteers move from our usual room to the computer room
to check on our blogs. Ever since we started posting these stories
online, we knew how important it was to show the authors that their
works were being read. But I had realized that I had been doing
everything for our writers instead of letting them search on their own.
That's a disservice, no matter how good or bad they are with computers.
So by the end of the year, I want to make sure every single member of
our group can find this website on any computer and search for specific
stories and authors.
We've also had a few new
writers join us over the past few weeks. I've posted them this week and
am excited to see what they think of seeing their work online.
Michael M. Tsuei
03.30.17
The Experience of Scuba Diving
Almost twenty yeas ago, I had change to visit the Florida Keys, long famous for their only-here invention and laissez-faire idiosyncracies; the type of place where you grow accustomed to the unexpected. Unexpected indeed. At the time I had worked at Princeton University. The R/D programs for develop the new medication. Conforms with FDA, the research involved some travel to different place, Key Largo. There, what I have my scuba diving experience.
Joint marine scientist in educational workshop and seeking to learn about coral health may bring to us better understanding the new way to cure the killer disease.
Most people know that the large-liver, trophy-fish-cacthing author Ernest Hemmingway once lived at Key West. His wooden Spanish house on Whitehead Street is now a museum famous for his sea collections. And inquisitive six to a cat. The war president Henry Truman once spent six months at Key Largo, famous for it and called "Little White House."
I can only saw this is life experience for me.The trip to Key Largo is a one. Scuba diving taught me several lessons.
1. Never alone in the ocean water. Always close to your partners.
2. Do not touch anything in the water ever. You are so interested in things to find out. Just don't touch. Urchin can react and extend their spike and hurt you while you touch them. Don't step on things, because the ecosystem in the ocean water is very ephemeral. Environmental impact by human over the boundary invade their territories.
3. Always know your location in the ocean water. Never swim away or too far from the boat. Timing is essential for scuba diving.
4. Ocean floors are so quiet, so tranquil. Almost felt that the time had been stopped, as like the whole worlds frozen up in time. Any excess movement can cause excitement and chain of action. I still remember I had made eye to eye stare to a marlin hidden in the hole of coral reef. Turn out the marlin so large, the head alone's about 2 feets in diameter.
Ruth Lewis
03.30.17
My Cat Xena
My cat Xena is no longer with me. I had to leave her when I moved away ten moths ago. Before that time we were together for two years. I met Xena after my 1st cat, Mr. Bobo, died after living with me for seventeen years.
I was not looking for another pet but there she was in my life and feeling as if she belonged there.
I was not used to having a female pet and found out it was much different than a male, more independent, more self assured.
Xena and I became the best of friends. She would follow me, talk with me, show me how she did things and how she wanted things done for her. She was very demanding in her routines, like whenever i went into the bathroom she thought it was my responsibility to turn on the water in the tub so she could drink from the facuet before she ate. She had to go outside in the yard, at least for a couple minutes.
I miss her a lot. I miss her constant meows and conversation. I miss her smell. I miss her comfort.
Ruth Lewis
Curated by Caitlin Cieri