Brenda Sutton Rose's Blog, page 5

Writing Sanctuary at Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing

The ferry chugged from the mainland toward Martha’s Vineyard. Seduced by a cool breeze and sunlight refracting off the water, I stood on the deck, facing my destination, blurry and indistinct in the distance. A dozen hues of blue draped the sky. Leaning against the guardrail, memories stirred in me, resurrecting the thrill that used […]

Island of Hydrangeas

  Twelve years ago, I persuaded my husband to plant a hydrangea in the garden. When I married him, a gardener of amazing skills with a deep appreciation for the beauty of a diverse garden, he grew plants flaunting texture, shape, and color. Yet marriage often taps into the creative juices of newlyweds who have […]

Searching for William J. & Susan Royal Story

If you read my posts, you know I’m writing my second novel, and you know I enjoy searching for forgotten graves. It’s what I do. Last week, though my husband seldom accompanies me on my explorations, he decided to tag along since I would be searching in Turner County. He’d grown up in the area, […]

These Dirt Roads of Georgia

In the 60s and 70s, as a young girl, I ran barefoot through the hot soil of plowed fields and along dirt roads that led to blackberries. At the end of the day, darkness settled and fireflies came out of hiding to dance and put on a show. Life was simple and beautiful and carried […]

Grandma Gets Stuck in the Elevator

I wrote this post about a year before my mother died.  My mother has lived under a cloud of bad luck lately.  Presently, she’s recovering from a broken hip and a fractured pelvis. “First I got stuck in the elevator,” Mama said, “then I broke my hip.” She giggled like a school girl. “I think […]

Forbidden Writing at Martha’s Vineyard

  Last week, as a soft rain pattered outside my windows, I opened an email from Alexander Weinstein, Director of Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. “I am happy to let you know that Robert James Russell has chosen your story, Samuel’s Wife, as the second-place winner of the 2017 MVICW Fiction Contest. Congratulations!  The […]

A Harry Potter Wand that Works

Years ago, after my husband’s granddaughter was born, we went shopping for a gift. My husband, knowing little about baby clothes, stayed in Books-A-Million while I went to look at baby clothes. In Baby Gap, I heard a small voice say, “Mama, I want a Harry Potter wand that really works.” Following the sound of the […]

More than Walking

One of the best places to sit and rest and think about life is in the heart of the woods. While I was in Illinois, my sister Lynn took me up one of the many hills in Springdale Cemetery, a magnificent place encompassing 255 rolling acres. From the green slopes, crowded with headstones and weather-beaten […]

Walking in Peoria

There is a connection between the soul and nature. I grew up planting, harvesting, digging my hands in the soil. Now, as a middle-aged woman, I spend a lot of time walking so deep in the woods that I can’t hear the noise of the city. Nature fills me and heals me and inspires me. […]

Ahab in the Cemetery

I placed a jug of water and a bowl in the car and loaded Ahab in the backseat. My dog and I were going gallivanting. On this day, we headed to Arabi to find my 4th great-grandfather’s grave. Samuel Story. The drive, at times beautiful, at times heartbreaking, took us past dogwoods in full bloom, […]