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Sally Paradysz
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Hallow’s Eve Trick or Treat

October 13, 2018 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as , , , ,

From A Cabin in the Woods | Diane Sismour | A Slice of Orange

 

This month on From a Cabin in the Woods we are featuring Diane Sismour’s “Hallow’s Eve Trick or Treat.”

Diane Sismour | A Slice of Orange

Diane Sismour has written poetry and fiction for over 35 years in multiple genres. She lives with her husband in eastern Pennsylvania at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Diane is a member of Romance Writers of America, Bethlehem Writer’s Group LLC, Horror Writers Association, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.  She enjoys interviewing other authors and leading writer’s workshops.

Her website is www.dianesismour.comand her blog is www.dianesismour.blogspot.com.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter at: http://facebook.com/dianesismourhttp://facebook.com/networkforthearts, and  https://twitter.com/dianesismour.

 

 

Hallow’s Eve Trick or Treat

Before the goblins and ghosts come knocking at the door, I go through costumes of Halloween parties past with hopes one will inspire a new use to don during Trick or Treat. There were some outrageous getups over the years.

Each brings a memory or two, but one particular outfit stirs a smile. Guests were required to stay in disguise throughout the entire party. The person who remained a mystery won best costume. Usually we had an idea who was whom except once. That year someone arrived, and nodded to people as he entered our house. Nobody knew who the concealed man was until he removed his mask at the end. A party crasher fooled everyone!

I remove the box from the stack, and place it upon the bed. The odd sensation of déjà vu strikes. A staggering certainty hit that I’ve been here before doing exactly this, just not in this lifetime! Then another thought occurs . . . wouldn’t it be fun to write a story about a parallel dimension. One facet in today’s time and another from the past, and possibly a third in the future, running simultaneously with the character’s thoughts colliding with more frequency.

A good shake removes most of the wrinkles from the cape and I arrange the red satin around my shoulders. The matching gloves slide on up to the elbows, the felt flames flickering in glitter. I nestle the horns upon my head and fasten the belt attaching the forked tail, and WHAM! Another déjà vu moment. The story idea is taking shape with each occurrence. One last item—place the black iron circlet around the horns and ta da— Queen of the She-devils. Now to find a minion or two to wrangle some candy so I can go write this story.

However your muse likes to trick, remember to give her a treat. Happy Halloween!

~ Diane Sismour


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Poems by Sal–and more.

September 13, 2018 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as , , , , ,

New Life | Sally Paradysz | A Slice of Orange

 

I always feel a little sad each month when the 13th rolls around, and I realize that Sal is no longer with us.

But this time I have good news. First, A Slice of Orange is pleased to publish two of Sal’s poems. Next, members of the Bethlehem Writers Group have volunteered to write columns for the 13th.

Here is the schedule so far:

October: Diane Sismour

November: A. E. Decker 

December: Carol L. Wright

January: Jodi Bogert

February: Christopher D. Ochs

March: DT Krippene

Sal was one of the founding members of Bethlehem Writers Group, and I think she would be over the moon that her fellow members are filling her spot.

Marianne


Poems by Sal

 

ANCIENT RITUALS

Sally Paradysz

Next, I heard some named penance an ancient tradition.  A struggle between senses and sense.

Lash marks bled on bare backs.  Knees on scarred hardwood, calloused and worn, bent until they screamed for relief.

Men seek to give lessons, but silence was the teacher.  Then, we are swept clean and told to go forward in purity.

Penitent, but longing still.

 

 

 

SILENT PAIN, SILENT LOVE

Sally Paradysz

  

In this world where personal

commitment, with all of its

delicate forms, seems

to be shattering apart,

 

And unconditional and

undying love has become

nothing more than a

matter of convenience,

There are some of us still,

who find the intelligence

and passion born of living…

In some who approach their

life without analysis,

which can destroy the Whole,

There is some magic in this life,

you know, where if

you only consistently

look at the pieces,

They will just as surely

blow away in the wind

and demolish the All…

Are we becoming obsolete

within a world of

organization, rules, regulations,

in “Bud” we trust,

to borrow a phrase…

Will this magic disappear

with stick-on name tags and

clothes that make us

all look alike…

It is with this passion and

controlled arrow-like intensity,

mixed with warmth,

That I will approach the time

of day when white months

are on the wing,

And in the heat of that

summer’s evening, will let

myself be taken away,

To transcend and merge in

the Light, where such certainty

comes only once, no matter how

many lifetimes you live…

In this dance with the

universe, my eagerness gives way

to shaman-like silence,

Discarding all sense of

anything linear and spiraling toward

millions of candles,

Where my constant companion

of loneliness disappears for

the last time,

And I become consumed and out

of a world that seems

to be God-abandoned…

Never again will I live with dust

on my heart, or feel

trapped by foggy mornings,

Instead I am forever grateful

for the four billion years

Of love,

Which will help me with my

systems of balance and order

in the lifetime I have left…

I have ceased being separate

and now feel free to continue

the dance of integration…

 

 

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Paths by Sally Paradysz @A_SliceofOrange

October 13, 2017 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group, Writing tagged as , , ,

New Life | Sally Paradysz | A Slice of Orange

 

Paths

 

I love paths. We have one that goes to the field for our tractor, but the best ones are those I’ve made to my writing/meditation cabin, and the one I use to walk to the field. These two I’ve lined with rocks and as I stroll by I’m always amazed by the large roots that grow above ground. Different and yet so eye catching. It took a long while to clear the brush away, find and place the stones alongside, and then try to keep them clear enough to follow over the years.

 

Special attention paid to the little things on my land makes a huge difference to me. These are the points of life that mark my growth as I go forward. Time spent in nature with love and opportunity all encompassed into this one small three-acre-place that I call home.

God has given us a world full of hope for everything and everyone. We are all unfinished people, moving forward at the rate of speed we are meant to travel. And as we wander on our different paths, finding and following our own heart’s desires, let us take time to be thankful for what we have right now. It can all change in a moment, and then this opportunity will be behind us….

 

Sal


Sally Paradysz | A Slice of Orange

 

Sally Paradysz writes from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She is an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she has provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sally has completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She is definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.

You can like Sal on Facebook, or read her monthly column, From a Cabin in the Woods, here on A Slice of Orange, or on her personal blog, Sally Paradysz.

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Burls

September 13, 2017 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as , ,

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On the outskirts of the area where I split wood stands a cherry tree. It isn’t huge, but it has at least two burls on it that I can see. I find burls extremely interesting, and at times I can’t stop staring at them. It is a living thing, and something that resembles sap drips from all over it and down onto the forest floor. I have one that I split open years ago, and it is gorgeous on the inside.

Actually, burls are a valuable wood product for artists, furniture makers, and wood sculptors. Some of the most exotic salad bowls and serving bowls I have ever seen are made from burls just like these.

From my book-lined cabin in the woods beside my home, I can see many of these burls standing out proudly from the trees on my land. The sap seems to draw the sunlight to them, and their glow is intriguing. It is yet another example of what can be hidden inside a shell or a human being. Something exquisite emerges once it is opened to be examined. This author of imperfect words wishes that once we open ourselves up to the world, we can walk away with hope and new life passions that will change our life forever……

Sal


Sally Paradysz | A Slice of Orange

 

 

 

Sally Paradysz writes from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She is an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she has provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sally has completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She is definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.

You can read more from Sally on Facebook

Her book is available here:

 

FROM SCRATCH

FROM SCRATCH

$16.95eBook: $3.99
Author: Sally Paradysz
Genre: Memoir
Tag: Non-ficition

Why I Walked Away From My Life and Built This Home

More info →
Buy now!
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From a Cabin in the Woods: New Life by Sally Paradysz

August 13, 2017 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group tagged as , , ,

New Life | Sally Paradysz | A Slice of Orange

The fawns are here!

On my wooded acreage here in Bucks County I have new life.  The fawns are here! So far one of the does has a set of twins, and another doe of my same herd has a new fawn as well. They are not teeny tiny anymore as they grow up quickly, and seemingly right in front of my eyes. Fawns are amazing animals. Just minutes after they are born they are able to nurse, and soon after that, they are able to stand. As quickly as they can travel, sometimes in just hours, the mom leads them away from the birth area and somehow persuades her babies to hide. The fawn/fawns creep under a low growing plant or bush, curls into a ball that would fit onto a dinner plate, and stays there. If she has twins she will lead the other to a different place, she doesn’t want them together because of predators.

What a blessing it is to watch these new fawns grow.

But now they are large enough to follow their moms all around my woods. They drink out of my ground water bath, and nurse right in front of me while I sit on my porch. Never have I seen such gentleness in the eyes of the does. What a blessing it is to watch these new fawns grow. I do feel tension when I see fox or the occasional coyote walking around, but I feel confident that the does are well aware of any danger and will act accordingly and swiftly.

I’m not sure if I have enough wood drying in the field to get me through this coming winter, but these fawns seem to enjoy walking around the pile that is left to split. I still have a lot of work to do this summer, and I’m hopeful that I will get most of it completed while these fawns grow and play.

A sigh of contentment escapes as I continue to live on my “Winnie the Pooh” land, and I think I must be the richest woman in the world…..

Sally


New Life | Sally Paradysz | A Slice of OrangeSally Paradysz writes from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She is an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she has provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sally has completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She is definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.

Read more about Sally’s life as she builds her home :

FROM SCRATCH

FROM SCRATCH

$16.95eBook: $3.99
Author: Sally Paradysz
Genre: Memoir
Tag: Non-ficition

Why I Walked Away From My Life and Built This Home

More info →
Buy now!
2 0 Read more

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