Meeting 10th Feb. 2010

In attendance: David C, Jo, Melissa, Cath, Mary, Wendy, Mandy, Terry and a first time visitor Cathy…a science fiction writer…welcome Cathy
Brags.
David…not quite ready to toss the caber but doing well. Jo… informed us of a competition being run by the Cancer Council…stories, poems, films, about your cancer experience. Some good prizes.
Melissa..about to start teaching a course on Cultural Communications at Tafe Nowra…needs speakers from other cultures to talk. Cath……has renewed her passport…perhaps readying herself for that elusive first book award? Wendy…a question…why is Susan Boyle referred to as a spinster yet Kylie Minogue, just four years younger is not? Mandy…happy to be still alive…
Terry…...Reverse brag…car broken into, window smashed…expensive…bugger

Words
David…Plenipotentiary…an envoy or agent with full power to act on your behalf
Pleonasm….using more words than necessary…redundant words
Jo… uproariously…laughing really loud, tumultuous
Melissa...inchoate…not fully developed, incomplete, …policy on the run?
Cath……odiferous…strong scented, pungent
Mary….galvanised…stimulate with an electric current ( galvanise into action)
Wendy...perigrinate…wandering, traveling from place to place (on foot?)
Cathy….mute…one who is silent, an oriental slave who is unable to speak
Terry…degustation…the act of tasting (a 7 course degustation dinner)

Homework
About the old sugar and spice phrase referred to when talking about girls… Mary…about schoolgirl bucking the system…right or wrong? Cath…about a tomboy/ rebel young girl Melissa…poem about a couple unable to have children…tried a witch…ended up with puppies Jo…poem about Rainbows…to find rainbow’s end…just clutching at straws David…Poem/music lyrics…Melissa’s song for Pink…very good Terry…an essay on the reverse discrimination towards the male of our society today Mandy…’tongue in cheek’ or maybe not…the inverse of Terry’s essay Wendy…a poem…about the pain of waxing…funny as always

Exercises by Melissa…who always gives a lot of thought to this aspect
1) an exercise on ‘kindred relationships’ …associative powers with word groups…
e.g. what is the link between the following words…bug, rest, fellow, cover…answer is ‘bed’
2) the second part of the exercise was to use all of these linked words in a sentence.
A lot of fun and some sentences which actually made sense.

QuickWrite
Using Melissa’s ‘writer’s block’ we had to write about…fertility
Typically a wide range of poetry and prose with varying approaches to the subject.

Homework for next week…
Describe the worst date you ever experienced…make it as humourous as you can…it doesn’t have to be true…just funny

Next week…Facilitator is Helene Exercise is Mary…Homework is Cath
See you there ….Terry

Meeting on 3.2.10.

Present: Jo Ball, Helene Gaul, David Rudder, Melissa Ehlers, Vala Hanns, Mary Sinnamon, Wendy Williams, Robyn Kellner, Terry McLafferty, Cath Davidson

Brags: Terry's grandson & son won first place in Hobie 16 summer competition at
Vincentia Sailing Club
Jo informed us of the proposed ammalgamation of the Aboriginal Health &
Regional Health Departments, also her son Murray has a vicious Quoll
roaming nearby
Mary will be going to Jenolan Caves with her husband to hear an opera
performed in the Caves
Vala Reported David Cargill looked well, he may be at the meeting next
week. She has also commenced French lessons
Helene Has had a poem published in the About magazine Congratulations
Helene
David expressed his thanks to Terry for the interesting tutorial presented
last week, seconded by the group
Robyn's research for her family tree continues. She has found references of
her family in NZ from a newspaper report of 1880

Word of the day: David - Pericope, a short passage or paragraph. Peri (surround) Cope (cut off)
Helene - Liberty. freedom
Melissa - Halcyon. peaceful, gentle, calm
Mary - Pundit. Learned person.
Wendy - Clandestine. secret
Robyn - Notwithstanding. nevertheless, despite
Terry - Has bought a copy of 1811 Dictionary of the
Vulgar Tongue. We will be sure to hear some of his
discoveries in future writings ie:- kirtles, doxy,
fartleberries, particios. He also described the Gypsy
Oath with gusto
Jo- Sumptuary. laws to limit expenditure.
Cath - Anathema. dislike intensely

Homework: Last week each person was given a fortune cookie, then asked to write a piece relating to the "fortune" contained.
There were many & varied thoughts regarding this.

Exercise: Wendy had everyone thinking deeply as they tried to write a meaningful sentence containing words which contained one letter more than the previous word. Terry outdid us all, his longest word had 16 letters.


Next Week: Facilitator - Terry Homework - Mandy Exercise - Melissa