Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Looking...


For those who don't know...I'm participating in the month long challenge to write about one moment a day for 31 days...make sure to check in daily to see what I discover about my surroundings.


It's amazing what happens when you slow down. As I turned the deadbolt on my front door, my eyes caught spectacular color rising from the horizon. Above to the left was the white disc moon glowing in all of its splendor against a dark periwinkle sky. I noticed to the right there seemed to be a rising flame of pink and orange. Hoping that it was the sunrise, I jumped into my car (okay, I didn't jump) and began driving. After I got out of town and drove by the airport, I noticed it seemed the clouds were playing in the sky. Thick, billowy, and moving. I wanted to watch the clouds longer, but I couldn't...the road demanded my eyes. After getting out of the town and onto the straightaway that goes through some farms, I discovered it wasn't just clouds that were playing...it was fog. And beautiful fog it was. I felt as if I were in the Secret Garden and the Scottish lowlands...it was breathtaking. I wanted to stop and stay there for a day and rest in the eerie and magical and mystical fog. Yet, the wonders of nature didn't stop there. After I pulled into the parking lot at school, a small speckle of glitter caught my eye. It was snowing glitter all around my headlights. It was a beautiful way to start my day. I'm glad that I took the time to look, to search, to gaze at the beauty that fully surrounded me.

6 comments:

Stacey said...

Cathy,

I think your images are incredibly strong. I know you were looking for feedback on them, but they're quite good.

Some things I've learned through the years when trying to write descriptively (just to tuck away in your back pocket for the future):
1) Use as few adjectives and adverbs as possible -- let the verbs power your sentences.
2) Write exactly what you saw and felt during the experience. Don't add details just because you know, as a writer, that they were there. Write only what you noticed at the time.

SAS

Ruth said...

Cathy -- I loved your line: "The clouds were playing in the sky." Your use of personification caught my attention and I wanted to know more. Like Stacey said, when I'm trying to write description really well, I focus on VERBS. I also depend on my five senses. Thanks for sharing your morning, Ruth

Anonymous said...

WOW!! You make the world sound magical.

Anonymous said...

It sounds to me like you must have been up very early this morning. Am I right?

Lennye said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GirlGriot said...

I love that you took the time to notice all those beautiful things, that you didn't let all the things you have to do during the day keep you from seeing and appreciating so much.