Stafford Poetry Challenge

  • The Creative Act

    By Barb Edler 27 March 2026 I’m one who may write two or three poems a day. Some of them I really treasure. Others I can never get just right even though I feel strongly about the subject. Most of… Continue reading

    The Creative Act
  • Finding a Voice

    By Barb Edler 25 March 2026 I love taking generative writing workshops and one just ended today. Our instructor provides the prompt, we write, then share. It’s a wonderfully small group of women who are of a similar age. The… Continue reading

    Finding a Voice
  • A Storm’s Brewing

    By Barb Edler 11 March 2026 Spring in the Midwest is volatile. Tuesday night we watched several weather reports, watched the radar, and wondered if we’d need to get to the basement. I quickly cleaned the kitchen after supper because… Continue reading

    A Storm’s Brewing
  • The Abecedarian Flash

    By Barb Edler 8 March 2026 Prompt:  write twenty-six sentences, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet, beginning with the letter “A.” Write NO MORE than twenty-six sentences. No less either from The Art of Flash by Kathy Fish. Sunday’s… Continue reading

    The Abecedarian Flash
  • Moon Magic

    by Barb Edler 2 March 2026 I’m traveling this week: speeding along toll roads, racing to one place to the next, waiting to pick up children from the airport, and trying to squeeze in some sightseeing along the way. Yesterday… Continue reading

    Moon Magic
  • Dismantling Education

    Slice of Life Post for July 15, 2025, by Barb Edler As a young teacher, I was fortunate to learn from marvelous instructors from the Iowa Writing Project, an opportunity provided by the Grant Wood AEA located in Cedar Rapids,… Continue reading

    Dismantling Education
  • Teaching: A Summer Adventure

    Slice of Life Post for June 17, 2025, by Barb Edler I got a call in May while driving home from shopping in Burlington which I let it go to voicemail as I figured it was a Robo call, but… Continue reading

    Teaching: A Summer Adventure
  • Last Week of May 2025: Proud Moments……then Kerplunk.

    Slice of Life Post for June 3, 2025, by Barb Edler The first thing I remember being proud about was my wonderful mother. Debating who had the best mom was actually a childhood discussion. No one I knew had a… Continue reading

    Last Week of May 2025: Proud Moments……then Kerplunk.
  • A Few Captured Moments of Joy

    A Slice of Life Post for May 20, 2025, by Barb Edler What do we miss when we’re busy trying to capture images with our cameras, etc.? A compelling question I continue to ponder. Recently, I have enjoyed a few… Continue reading

    A Few Captured Moments of Joy
  • For the Love of Birds

    Slice of Life Post for May 6, 2025 by Barb Edler Today is beautiful. The sun is shining, the temperature is perfect, and there are no annoying bugs to ruin this spectacular day. One of the best things about where… Continue reading

    For the Love of Birds