Comments on: 5 writing tips revealed by nature

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:06:00 +0000

In reply to CC. I remember my mother made dandelion wine one year. It was delicious as I recall and a very delicate amber colour.

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:05:00 +0000

In reply to Clarke Echols. An 8 foot tall tree growing out of an old railroad tie? That beats a flower growing out of stone!

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:04:00 +0000

In reply to Rusty. A change is as good as a rest. Didn't someone famous say that, Rusty? I always enjoy going to the desert (and not just for the break from the rain!) But when I come home, I'm always thrilled to see the green again.

By: CC

CC — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 03:51:00 +0000

PW #330 – 5 writing secrets revealed by nature inspires like the tip of an iceberg, itself another of nature’s treasures with hidden lessons. Your five writing secrets remind us there are hundreds more inspirations in nature, lurking as the iceberg’s bulk, beneath the surface. Your dandelions are number 6:

6. If nature gives you dandelions, make dandelion wine! My own lawn has no dandelions; that may be because (as implied by your first tip) I want them:

Fresh dandelion greens are tastier and milder than lettuce
Nutritionally, they are better for you than lettuce
The roots can be cleaned, dried, roasted, and ground into an acceptable coffee substitute or adjunct like chicory
The blossoms you pluck to keep them from going to seed make a great homemade wine

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade; when life gives you dandelions, find a dozen delicious ways to eat them, drink them, and even use them for medicine as the Native Americans did. For recipes, simply Google “uses for dandelions.”

The writing lesson here? Maybe it’s “Don’t fret about life’s negatives; turn your weeds into writing projects.

Thanks for another inspiring tip!

By: Rusty

Rusty — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:46:00 +0000

I live in that desert place where browns and tans take over. I travel up to the mountains for “a fill of green” and get the scents of pine and fern. Trees are like fences and it’s hard to look very far. Yet, it’s a recharge. Then when I return to the desert, the vistas are what I truly love.

I also love collecting quotes that touch deeply. I know those flowers and trees that grow through stone, so I have now collected yours: “Grow flowers through stone.” I can instantly relate to it. Thanx.

By: Clarke Echols

Clarke Echols — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:38:00 +0000

Flowers growing in strange places? Try a tree!

I have a piece of an old railroad tie sitting on a driveway that got little use other than to store junk while I engage in various building and construction projects, landscaping, etc. It sits on open, well-drained
concrete with no access to lawn sprinklers, etc., and only normal rain which isn’t much around here.

The tie is not connected to the concrete in any way, yet somehow a Chinese elm seed got down in a crack, found enough moisture to germinate, and I have a tree growing that’s now over 8 feet tall!

It’s a lesson in tenacity and persistence.

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:10:00 +0000

In reply to Billy Burnett. Thanks so much for your lovely thoughts!

By: Billy Burnett

Billy Burnett — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Daphne,
Your comments today are not only insightful and inspiring to writers to help them weave through the moments of their creativity, but to also inspire us about life. Yes, your notes help us to be impactful communicators but also for me at times – like now – lend essence to the seasons of our lives. Thank you. And to all of us who read her, bloom brightly and fragrantly in places less traveled.

Billy Burnett
Joni and Friends