10:00 a.m. — Atlanta
listening to traffic shushing on wet roads
Well, hello everyone. I know I am back earlier than I said I would be but I thought it would be nice to start the new year with the first prompts of the year. Some places won’t be back yet, but I’ll leave a note to indicate such. I hope you all had a good sign-off to 2014 and are looking forward to 2015, as I am. Let’s see who’s home.
Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie The prompt that caught my eye this week is one about summer camp. One way or another most of us have participated in some form of organised summer activity. I was also drawn to the two image prompts. To find out what the prompts are about visit them.
At The Sunday Whirl, Brenda gives us a final set of words for the past year. They are interesting. Go Wordle. If you join The Sunday Whirl‘s Facebook page, you can get the week’s list a couple of days early.
Pink.Girl.Ink. Returning tomorrow. Check them out then.
The Music In It: Adele Kenny’s Poetry Blog, also returns tomorrow. Check for Adele’s first post of the year.
Feeling a little -ish still? Then head to Mad Kane’s Humor Blog. I defy you to not enjoy writing a good limerick. One advantage to writing a limerick, or two, is they are short. You can post them in comments on the blog, or on Mad Kane’s Facebook page. Go over and check it out, to read and laugh, and maybe write.
Magpie Tales has a photograph of a storefront. If you aren’t feeling the pink, remember that you do not have to write about the whole, or write about the image directly. Head over.
At Poetry Jam, Returning January 6.
At the Found Poetry Review we have an echo of last year’s April Oulipost challenge. If you didn’t participate and have wondered about it, here’s your chance: As you head into 2015, take a look back at the year’s big news and write a found poem… Go on over for more of the prompt.
Poets & Writers gives us three prompts every week. One for non-fiction, one for fiction, and one for poetry. My contention is that all the prompts work for poetry. They also all work for prose. This week’s topics are lighten up, digging deep, and looking ahead. Visit to find out what the prompts are about.
Susie, at imaginary garden with real toads, has given us five quotes to do with a new year. Go play with the toads.
Sad news at Red Wolf Poems where they are closing the doors on the prompt site. For all of us who have followed them since the days of We Write Poems, they will be missed as much for the friendships within the group as for their prompts. Barbara has given us one final prompt. As always with her prompts for Red Wolf, the prompt is twisty and fun to play with. Go on over to read, to write a farewell poem, to say goodbye.
Poets United Midweek Motif returns in the new year.
Over at dVerse they’re out ’til early in the new year.
I shall see you Tuesday for a prompt; Thursday for links and some words to the new followers I haven’t spoken to yet; and Friday for more prompt site roundups.
Happy writing, everyone. It always feels good to come back.
Margo Roby: Wordgathering 
b_young
02/01/2015 at 11:15 am
Poetic Bloomings has shut down, too.
margo roby
02/01/2015 at 11:19 am
Ack! I don’t like losing people! It feels like family disappearing.
b_young
02/01/2015 at 11:23 am
Seems to run in clusters, if my memory is to be trusted. Was glad to see you pop up in the email and not on the obit page.
margo roby
02/01/2015 at 5:56 pm
:-D!
julespaige
02/01/2015 at 11:18 am
Howdy… guess we’ve both been away.
I’m back too. I had limited access to the net during a wonderful too few days in the Florida Keys.
Anyway I started the New Year off creating a new short form:
https://julesgemstonepages.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/woven-haiku/
Out of all the prompts I missed for MLM I didn’t even look at the summer camp prompt.
I had one horrid week I’d rather keep tucked in with the skeletons… but you never know.
Monday I go back to the routine of watching kidlets and scrambling for time. If I have a New Years resolution it is to worry less about that which I cannot control. Like getting a notice for Federal Jury Duty for the third time in almost as many years. I want them to use me or take me off the list! I have that to ‘look forward to’ at the end of this month.
Hugs, Jules
b_young
02/01/2015 at 11:21 am
Never did Federal Jury duty. Testified once, though, so you have my sympathy.
julespaige
02/01/2015 at 11:31 am
I have to schlep by train into Philly.
They do reimburse you for meals and the hotel.
I wouldn’t stay at the ones on their list where you would have to take a cab or bus to the courthouse.
Won’t drive in Philly either. So the Hotel I stayed at before is where I’ll be again – within walking distance.
It is just so distributive to ones routine. I know many retired folk who would love to serve. But they gotta mess with me. I did local once in another state before the computer era. You had to stay for a week or two in the ‘pool’ and wait to be called. At least now you can call and if they don’t need you, you can go home.
But I have to get to Philly first because you can’t call until after 5pm. And I’d rather travel during the daylight. If you aren’t needed you still have to go to the court house to fill out the reimbursement paperwork. They would pay for parking and gas. But they don’t pay for the train ticket. Argg. Your sympathy helps. 🙂
margo roby
02/01/2015 at 12:06 pm
You may be able to make a case for being the primary caretaker of grandchildren.
I like your New Year’s resolution. It’s a good one. Takes the stress levels way down when you talk your brain into it.
I shall be checking your new form. Skip’s still home, so that might wait a day or two.
hugs back, m
julespaige
02/01/2015 at 2:42 pm
Only way to get out of Federal is to be a care giver of a differently abled person… I tried that the first time. No go.
If you do write a ‘woven’ verse do let me know!!!
Best to you too. Once Jury Duty is done… then I can chill…. That’s the only thing getting on my nerves. And there isn’t a thing I can do about it. At least I won’t be going to Philly alone. I snagged some company.
margo roby
02/01/2015 at 6:01 pm
Jules, check Barb Crary’s note to you, below.
julespaige
02/01/2015 at 6:25 pm
Thanks…
georgeplace2013
02/01/2015 at 1:38 pm
I’m with Barb, glad to see you back and bouncy. It has been a busy season of travel. Went to Alabama via Atlanta – never saw so many accidents in my life. Vowed to go back a different route but didn’t and it was OK. Happy New Year, Margo!
margo roby
02/01/2015 at 5:57 pm
I don’t know about bouncy, Debi! But, I am glad to be back. We may have crossed each other on the road. Alabama figures in a stretch of our drive southwest. Happy New Year to you, Debi!
barbcrary
02/01/2015 at 4:00 pm
Hello, Miss Margo. I’m checking in – and checking all this info out. Planning on attempting a mindful, small stones sort of thing for the month of January and then maybe hanging on for haiku in the shortest month. We’ll see how all that goes. So “julespaige,” where exactly are you located besides close to Philly? If you are over 65, Septa costs $1.00 one way (your lottery dollars at work). I’ve had way too many Federal jury notices and only went to voir dire once. Go to the Reading Terminal Market for lunch. Termini’s cannolis make it all worth while ( well, sort of anyway.)
margo roby
02/01/2015 at 6:00 pm
Hello Miss Barbara! Always glad when you stop by. Fortunately, I can watch you on Facebook, so I know you are alive and well!
julespaige
02/01/2015 at 6:25 pm
Still under the 65 mark. I have to take the train from Lancaster to the Market St. station. I just want off the darn list. Why can’t they take the folks who want to go?
I actually make my own cannoli’s maybe once every five years 🙂 – Thanks.
And a Happy and healthy New Year to you and yours!
Hannah Gosselin
03/01/2015 at 9:29 pm
Hello there, Margo!! Happy Smiles to you into this New Year! Thank you for collecting poetic places to play! 🙂