President's Message:

It’s been a busy and success-ful year for FAWNS.  There were four workshops presented – Jacqui Winn on How to Write an Arresting Article,  Jan Foster on Writing Tanka  and Bringing your Writing to Life, and Richard Brookton on Writing Scenes. 

We published our annual anthology, with contri-butions from most members, and conducted two competitions, one poetry and one prose.  Our Super Short Story Compe-tition attracted 122 entries.  Our annual Christmas luncheon at the Blue Gum hotel was so much fun, we decided to have a Christmas in July as well, in future, and invite other regionals to join us. 

Our newsletter, under the clever hand of our editor Jany Garland, won the FAW NSW annual newsletter Award.  We also now swap judging duties with Eastwood/Hills FAW regional – they judge our FAWNS award and we judge their John Kelly award in return.  Well done, all of us!  That’s quite a record – now let’s see what we can achieve this year.

Your outgoing president,  
         Jan Foster

 

Writing Prompts:

1. write a paragraph on any subject, using words of only one syllable

 

OR

 

2. Let's dance!

 

 

A for ‘orses;   B for Mutton;   C for Looking or C for Miles;  D for Ential;  E for Brick; 
F for Vescence;  G for Get it/for police;   H for Consent;  I for Me;  J for Oranges; K for Restaurant; 
L for Leather;  M for Sis’; 
N for Lope;  O for the Wings of a Dove;  P for Relief;  Q for Billiards (or a bus);  R for Mo;

S for ?   (any suggestions?)                  
T for Two;  U for Me;

V for La France; 
W for (the Winnings?);

X for Breakfast; 
Y for Because;   Z for Wind.

 

BEST ALTERNATIVES:  The following expressions are also recognised Cockney Alphabet definitions because:-
(a)  They are all recognisable words in their own right – unlike, say, “entail” and,
(b)  They are timeless and universally understandable – unlike, say, “Rantzen:
D for Dumb (Deaf or Dumb)
F for Been Had (Ever been had?);  G for Police (Chief of Police);  H for Retirement (Age for Retirement); 
I for Lootin’ (‘ighfalutin’)

 

(Suggested by Dorothy Walker)

 

Correction does much, but encouragement does more.

 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

 

Julie Andrews Turns 69:  To commemorate her birthday, actress/ vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.  One of the musical numbers she performed was 'My Favourite Things'
from the legendary movie 'Sound Of Music'.  Here are the lyrics she used:   (Sing It!) - If you sing it, it’s especially hysterical!!!” 
  
”Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings, 
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,

     These are a few of my favourite things. 
”Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favourite things. 
When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad, 
I simply remember my favourite things,
      And then I don't feel so bad. 
“Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions, 
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring, 
      These are a few of my favourite things. 
”Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin', 
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',  
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames, 
      When we remember our favourite things. 
”When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had, 
      And then I don't feel so bad.” 

 

 

 

 

Things will probably come out right.

But sometimes it takes strong nerves just to watch.    Anon