Will You Be One of the Ten on Aug. 28?

Eight members of WriteOn Joliet present “Page to Stage,” original radio theater-style performance at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 at ROXY Lockport as a fundraiser for Trinity Services.

Admission is free.

The first 10 attendees at the performance will receive a free copy of WriteOn Joliet’s anthology "Write Where We Are: Tales Our Soles Tell,” courtesy of Edward and Nancy Calkins.

And the first ten attendees at the BryonySeries table will receive a FREE booklet called "Angel or Demon" (source material for one of the show's pieces), courtesy of The Raven's House.

What is "Page to Stage?"

"Page to Stage" features curated stories and poems from four years of WriteOn Joliet live programs. All creations came from the minds of WriteOn members, who also became the actors, bringing their stories and poems to life in exciting, inspiring, and dramatic ways.

Who are the authors and performers?

Authors and performers are Denise M. Baran-Unland, Mauverneen Blevins, Edward Calkins, Holly Coop, Steve Cordin, Cean Magosky, Jenny Russ and Duanne Walton.

How does this benefit Trinity Services?

A full bar and snacks are available for purchase and benefit Trinity Services, owner of ROXY Lockport.

Donations to Trinity Services welcome.

What else should I know?

WriteOn Joliet anthologies – along with books and other merchandise by individual author/performers – will be available for purchase before the show, during intermission and immediately after the show’s conclusion.

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com, roxylockport.com, and trinityservices.org.

A Triple Gift of Life

My nickname in the plant world is "Angel of Death."

That's because, except for my good plant deskmate Chloe "Lucky" Hawk (a gift in the fall of 2016 from a job shadower), any plant unfortunate enough to come under my care dies.

Always and without exceptions.

Period.

So you can imagine my "delight" when a Facebook friend offered to gift me with some of her plants for my balcony.

After explaining my lack of green thumbs to her (sounds less gross than saying I have black thumbs), she selected plants she felt could stand up against my lack of vegetation competency.

She also oversaw all their initial growings, ensuring they'd passed their most vulerable staged and could survive in the wild.

It was fun, too, because she sent updates and photos on my fledgling little herbages, which I likened to peeks at offspring via ultrasound images.

Encouraged, Rebekah even adopted a few tomato plants to round out our garden family. 

So this post should really read, "An Quadruple Gift of Life." Except Rebekah brought home three tomato plants. Which is making the title of this blog post complicated.

So - no. No title adjusting.

As ill-fate ordained, Daniel and I brought my little plant babies home in their pots just as a heat wave struck our area. 

The poor things wilted, turned brown, and curled up their little leaves. Whether that was due to the heat, homesickness, or the fact I kept forgetting to water them enough is uncertain.

I couldn't fix the heat and their homesickness. But I could step up the water.

Boy, did those babies slurp up the water! (Good there is no DCFS for plants - Department of Caring Flower Stewards - or I'd be in trouble).

In the meantime, my Facebook friend is messaging me, "Do you have any flowers yet?"

Flowers, ha! 

I'm just trying to keep the little plants alive. First things first.

Such as coaxing them back from the brink of compost with encouraging words and regular waterings.

Yeah. No flowers yet.

But they are alive.

And like any proud parent, I'm whipping out the virtual wallet and showing off a few photos.

They may not bloom.

They may not last the summer.

But they are alive.

For now.

I may even name them.

If I can remember which species is which.

Angel or Demon?

"Angel or Demon?" is the name of the sixth chapter in the second installment of Before the Blood.

And in the third installment, one character pronounces another character an angel, while his brother takes the opposite assessment.

Circling back to that second installment, "Angel or Demon?" takes place before and after the third installment. All confusing, I know.

But the question speaks to the main character's own assessment in "Angel or Demon?" - and the fallout of that assessment.

Related to all of this, Timothy saw Kellen's "angel" in this coaster when he was away on a business trip. 

Naturally, he bought it and brought it home to me. It's lovely, isn't it? And it has a beautiful "craft" story of its own - and a message for all who read it.

So - scroll through the coaster's message. Maybe it's just what you need today.

For more selections, visit etsy.com/market/raku_coasters.