When I graduated from college, I had about $112 in my bank account. I had a three-month contract job lined up to make just a little more than that a week providing health care services to migrant farmworkers, so without much thought for the future, I took all but $2 and bought myself an Amtrak ticket to Seattle.
Seattle is a beautiful city. The Rocky Mountains are breathtaking of course, and Marias Pass through Glacier National Park from the observation car of a train is an unforgettable visual experience. But I’ll caution you: if you board the train east of Fargo, you’re going to spend a day and a night of the 72-hour trip crossing the state of North Dakota.
I’d lived a few years in the lower of the Dakotas during high school, but nothing prepared me for the oddly claustrophobic sensation of ambling across the wide open prairie in what felt like a can of vegetables on iron wheels ($110 does not get you a sleeper car, if you’re shopping for train tickets). From the time we passed the easternmost part of North Dakota until we stopped briefly at the station in Havre, Montana, I saw not one sign of life.
I saw train tracks stretch endlessly across golden wheat fields; I saw the rusted skeletons of cars, pickups, and farm implements abandoned in those fields; I saw sky spreading itself far and wide in search of an elusive horizon. But I didn’t see a house or a moving car or a human anywhere. I wondered if people actually lived there.
Oh, I knew better. Plenty of people live on the open prairies of the Dakotas. We just live far apart, a mile west and a quarter mile north of the old Johnson place.
This month, along with delightfully romantic quotes from Rumi and inspiring new writing quotes, we added a series of photos to the WordCandy collection from the wide open prairie that I know as home. And from the looks of things, our Sweet Bloggers took advantage of these sweet new offerings. Here’s what a few of our super users had to say:
I love this app as do my friends. They have told me that the Wordcandy.me I have sent them has brightened up their day. –Leah James
Whenever I stop by WordCandy, I always find the perfect quote for me. This time it was very difficult to choose from all of the new writing quotes. I’m sending them onto my writing group to inspire them! –Lexanne Leonard
Sometimes, when words fail me, WordCandy steps in and delivers my heart. –Holly Grantham
Great toy to play with. Much better than those stress-relief balls 🙂 and inspiring, too! –Monica Sharman
Take a few minutes and browse some of these delightful posts featuring a simple WordCandy photo and quote, or using the WordCandy as a writing prompt.
Sheila Lagrand Grateful
Shawna Ervin Reading for Nourishment
Monica Sharman Rules
Darrelyn Saloom Garden District Book Event
Karin Fendick An Offering of Time
Holly Grantham Poetry is Like Bread
Lexanne Leonard Write It, Sugar
Heather Truett Sore With Chasing Dreams
Sandra Heska King: A WordCandy Poem
Leah James Thank You
Chris Yokel Naming the Unnameable
Lane Arnold How is Lent Refining You?
Elizabeth Marshall Poetry Always
Donna Falcone March Marches In
Enjoy the Rumi Lollies category, new writing quotes, and photos from the prairie. And if you need just a quick day-sweetener, stop by WordCandy’s delicious Tumblr site for ready-made photo cards. Keep sharing your sweetness all month long. We look forward to the next butter cream frosted roundup in early April.
If we missed you, drop us a note in the comments, and be sure to complete the form at the end of the month so we know to include you in the roundup.
Post and photo by Will Willingham.
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Buy a year of Every Day Poems, just $5.99 — Read a poem a day, become a better poet. In March we’re exploring the theme The Pantoum.
- Earth Song Poem Featured on The Slowdown!—Birds in Home Depot - February 7, 2023
- The Rapping in the Attic—Happy Holidays Fun Video! - December 21, 2022
- Video: Earth Song: A Nature Poems Experience—Enchanting! - December 6, 2022
L. L. Barkat says
Oh, gosh, I love this. Especially the dissonance of claustrophobia somehow found on the wide-open prairie.
And the Johnson place. Pure dry wit. Ha. 🙂
Elizabeth W. Marshall says
Oh, your words. They undo me. Thank you for the mention in the round-up. I am hooked on wordcandy. Cannot get enough. I love the brand newish ones that were baked up and shipped this week, wrapped in the loveliest of photographs and phrases. Keep on stirring up the sweetness. I crave these morsels. Each new one sweeter than the one before.