Z is for zebra for February 26 on Alphabetaphilia

Hi readers and writers,

This is the last day for this year's alphabetaphilia so if you're still enthused about alliteration, feel free to go back to any letter you'd like and add a sentence using 5 words starting with that letter on Feb 27 and Feb 28 or any other day you visit the blog.

Here's a zebra, Equus quagga to scientists,a favorite photo from Creative Commons, to inspire you today to find 5 z-words, use in a sentence, and post in comments.  The coat of the zebra has to be one of the wonders of the world.  If you watch a herd gallop by in real life or in TV, the optical movement is overpowering.

cheers,
Laura

Y is for Yarrow on Alphabetaphilia for February 25

Dear readers and writers,

Here's a photo from Creative Commons of yarrow plant to inspire you to find five y-words, use them in a sentence, and post it on comments below.  Only one more day of Alphabetaphilia this year (although you can always go back and fill in for your favorite letter(s).

cheers,
Laura

W is for Wave on February 23 for Alphabetaphilia

Dear readers and writers,

My computer problems continue, but I'm trying to at least get through the alphabet!  Here's a wave to inspire you to choose 5 w-words and use in a sentence that you post in comments.

cheers,
Laura

V is for Vanilla on February 23 on Alphabetaphilia

Dear readers and writers,

For February 23, we have V for our letter.  Here's a photo from Creative Commons, with thanks, of vanilla beans.  I was over 30 years old before I realized my favorite flavor, vanilla, was a product of beans!  Thank goodness, someone else had discovered that long since and shared it with the world.  Let vanilla inspire you to some aromatic and tasty thoughts using 5 words starting with V today, use them in a sentence, and post in comments.

cheers,
Laura

U is for Umbrella on Alphabetaphilia February 22

Dear Readers and Writers,

If you have Rihanna's hit song, "Umbrella" stuck in your brain, feast your eyes on this display of umbrellas in Wuhan, China to give it a new direction.  Then, write five U-words and use them in an unusual sentence, post in comments.

cheers,
Laura

T Is for Tortoise on February 21 in Alphabetaphilia

Giant Aldabra tortoise

Hi readers and writers,

Today's inspiring image from Creative Commons is the giant Tortoise, an image that invokes the idea of the Galapagos and the birth of evolution in Charles Darwin's young mind.  So let your mind give birth to five words starting with T, use in a sentence, and post in comments!

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia for February 20 with Sand Dunes for S

Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Colorado

Hi readers and writers,

Today's alliteration challenge on Alphabetaphilia is inspired by the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado: S-words, shown with thanks to Creative Commons.  So let's write with these sand dunes as our stimulus.  I have walked there twice, both times in awe of sand dunes so far from any ocean.  The high snow-caps in the background most of the year emphasize how far away from sea gull country you are, while the grains of sand whisper to your feet of the sea.

Find five words starting with sibilant S, use them in a startling sentence, post in comments.

cheers,
Laura

R Is for Raccoon on February 19 in Alphabetaphilia

Raccoon climbing in a tree

Hi readers and writers,

Let this raccoon from Creative Commons inspire you to find five words beginning with R and use them in a sentence, post it in comments.  I'm sorry to be a little late.  Still having computer issues.

What do you know about raccoons?  I like them a lot, with their little burglar masks. In spite of human warping of the landscape, they've learned to deal, to make a living anyway, not to be intimidated.  But then, I haven't come home to find them playing in my flour all over the kitchen as one friend has, or found them eating the last fish out of the fishpond, as another one did.  What's your thought?

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia for February 18 with a Quill for Q

Dear readers and writers,

For February 18, we have a quill to inspire us to write an alliterative sentence with five quality Q words and post it on the comments.  Have you ever tried to use a quill to write?  I haven't, but I have used one to play an autoharp.  It's a challenge.  Goose feathers are made for the convenience of geese, not people, that's for sure!

In any case, enjoy writing a sentence with five Q words today, and please post it under comments.

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia for February 17, P is for Pagoda

Dear readers and writers,

Here's an image of a pagoda to inspire us to write an alliterative sentence with five words beginning with P for today.  This pagoda has a sad history that we heard while visiting Wu Cheng village in China.  A general was far away from his wife conducting battles.  As a joke, he sent word that he had been killed.  She jumped off the pagoda to her death.  He was said to be shocked and saddened when he came to Wu Cheng and found that his beloved wife was dead.

Do select five words beginning with P, use them in one praiseworthy sentence, and post it in comments today.

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia for Feb 16: O is for Orion

Dear readers and writers,

To inspire us to find O words today, here is the constellation Orion, one of my favorites and one of the easiest to find in the night sky, even in Los Angeles where albedo is ferocious and the sky is barely dark at all.

Today, think of five words staring with O in honor of Orion, use them in a sentence, post in comments.  Voila!

cheers,
Laura

PS Thanks to Creative Commons for the image!

Alphabetaphilia: N Is for Newt on February 15

Hi readers and writers,

When I was a kid running wild in the woods of North Carolina, we ran into newts from time to time.  They are often brightly colored to warn off the predators because of their toxic skin, as this one shown above courtesy of Wikipedia Commons is.

Let the newt inspire you to find five words beginning with n and use them in a sentence for today, posting in Comments.

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia: L is for Leaves on February 13

Hello readers and writers,

Perhaps L is for Late today.  I had some issues with getting my computer to admit it was plugged in, but now it seems okay.  Leaves are so cool.  Now that I live in So Cal, autumn leaves are few and far between, but I still love the shapes of trees whose leaves have left them behind, and enjoy the misty green tips of those trees thinking about producing new leaves in spring.  A magic moment I recall from fifth grade, when I had to begin wearing glasses, was seeing that all those tree-blobs were made up of wonderful, twinkling, individually mobile leaves on the way home from the optician's office.

So let leaves inspire you to choose five words beginning with L, use them in a sentence, and post in comments.

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia: M is for Mountains on February 14

Hi readers and writers,

Do you love mountains?  I do, so we get a picture of them for Valentine's Day this year.  These mountains run along North of the 10 or San Bernardino Freeway in Los Angeles, on the East side, calling the skiers and the lovers of pure, clear air to come up and visit.

For today, let the mountains inspire you to find five words starting with M and use them in one marvelous sentence, post it on comments.

cheers,
Laura

K is for Krakatoa on Alphabetaphilia February 12

Krakatoa lithograph

Dear readers and writers,

Today is February 12, the day for K alliteration on Alphabetaphilia.  I picked an image of Krakatoa, the volcano from 1883, from Wikipedia Commons (thanks to them!) to inspire us today.

I saw "Krakatoa, East of Java" at a drive in theatre many years ago, and it scared the bejabbers out of me.  The only one that scared me more, out of all the films my family went to see in that drive in, was "War of the Worlds."  The rising of a wave, even a pretty small wave, made me worry that it might just keep rising on and on, tower into a tsunami, and crash over the world as I knew it.  And a low, low tide was sure to be followed by a giant wave, I thought, so at Myrtle Beach, I tried to stay inside the beach house at low tide.

Enjoy playing with K-words today.  Find five, use in a sentence, capitalized or not all fine, and post the words and sentence on the comments.  A short delay for me to moderate comments and your fabulous sentence will shine out on the world.  Go!

cheers,
Laura

J is for Jupiter on Alphabetaphilia February 11

Dear readers and writers,

Here's a NASA photo of the huge planet Jupiter, showing its giant red spot, a storm that has gone on for years and years, circling the planet repeatedly, but not slowing or stopping.  Awesome, if it were not a burned out hulk of a word, would be a good descriptor for Jupiter. And do you see the moon shadow?  Love those words, moon shadow.

For February 11, be inspired by Jupiter to think of five words starting with J, use them in one jovian sentence or jocular sentence or whatever, and post in comments.  Enjoy the sentences others have produced.  Tell your friends, here's a fast, fun internet escape from work, including a workout for your brain's alliteration circuits.

cheers,
Laura

Alphabetaphilia for February 10, I-Words

Dear readers and writers,

For Sunday, February 10, our letter for alliteration fun is "I." So here is a photo of my favorite insect, the lightning bug or firefly, first dark, then aglow.  On summer evenings, these bugs flashed their signals to each other along the edge of the woods behind our house, and I could not stop watching.  My sister loved to catch them and put them in a jar, but I just loved to see them flash.  Not in our backyard, but at some locations lightning bugs flash in synchony.  On!  Off!  On!  Off! Just imagine how cool that would look.

For today, think of five words starting with I, use them in a fabulous sentence, and post in comments.  Visit Alphapedia once, or as often as you can.  Welcome either way!

cheers,
Laura

PS Thanks to Creative Commons for the photograph.

H is for Hotpot on February 9 in Alphabetaphilia alliteration game

Hi readers and writers,

Here's a lovely hotpot for H-day, February 9, my son's birthday 40 years ago in Denver.  I assume with Nemo raging around, Denver and many other cities probably would love a hotpot dinner today.  Thanks to Creative Commons for the photo, which was a spread for someone's birthday, appropriately enough!

My husband and I enjoyed a hotpot in Qiqiha'ar, China in 2005, where we had felt stranded since the Chinese tourist service had forgotten to meet us and take us to our programmed nature reserve, Zhalong, or even to our hotel. My limited Chinese got a real workout there, near Mongolia, out west and north of Beijing.  When they finally realized where we were and what had gone wrong, we got a basket of fruit we were warned not to eat and a quick trip to Zhalong that we enjoyed, although the marsh was afire and reminded us of brush fires in SoCal.  And then the guide took us out for a Mongolian hotpot, there, almost in Mongolia itself. We lifted the various items with our chopsticks and dipped them into the boiling soup, then into sauces, then yum.  It was delicious, and being coddled at that point was also delicious.

So today, be inspired by the hotpot to choose 5 words starting with H and use them in one sentence you can post in comments.  Enjoy!  And do cruise through the others' sentences and enjoy the alliteration gone mad.

cheers,
Laura

On February 8, G Is for Girl on Alphabetaphilia

Hi readers and writers,

Today's alliteration challenge on alphabetaphilia is G: five words that start with G, used in one sentence.  Feel free to join in just today, or work backwards and forwards as much as your time permits.  Drop ins welcome!  This exercise is one that can decrease your inhibitions in writing and increase your experience with wild and wacky words.

cheers,
Laura

Thanks to Creative Commons for the photo of the Khumi girl.

February 7 is for F-words sort of

Hi readers and writers,

I always dread day 7 of Alphabetaphilia because it's hard to say we want your five f-words without being mis-understood and giving rise to snide snickers and lurid lears.  But it must be done.  Give me five f-words that are fit for family entertainment and use them in a sentence and let's get it over with.  I'm posting the flowers from Provincetown again this year because it's one of my favorite photos, reminding me of walking down the beach to the workshop on Memoir at Norman Mailer Writers Colony.

cheers,
Laura