I’m cat sitting my daughter’s cat, aka today’s haiku inspiration.
Ode to Odie
By HH
Peeking from grey fur,
emerald eyes mesmerize.
Purr. Headbutt. Bite. Purrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Long ago, when my daughter was still in school, we wrote a poem together. We’ve never forgotten it because we always thought it was funny.
Seals swim by
Penguins pray to fly
Shark attack
— J & HH
I’ve used it as inspiration to start the Histrionics Haiku Exploration.
Sea Life
by HH
Seal glides through water.
Penguin longs to be airborne.
Shark, cunning, attacks.
Heading to Dayton to attend the 2022 Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop tomorrow!! Among other things, we will be celebrating that fact that Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter has won first place in the memoirs/life stories category of the 30th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards!!! So excited and honored to have an essay included in this wonderful collection. You can find the story of how the book came to be here. If you don’t have a copy, get one! Send one to all the fabulous sisters (blood or not) in your life. Happy Reading!

I should have posted this last October when the book came out, like a competent writer would do. I got the posts to FB and IG…but forgot about posting it here (see previous BPS post).
Remember last year when I said an essay of mine was a contest winner and was going to be published in a compilation? Well, that has happened! Instead of thinking of this post as egregiously late, we are going to call it Phase 2 of the book launch! Here it goes:
Do you have a sister? Are you a sister? Know a sister? Have a friend you consider a sister? If so, do I have the book for you (or them)!
Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter

Featuring Nickie’s Prize Winners, Bestselling Authors, Saturday Night Live Legends
DAYTON, Ohio — Bestselling author Amy Ephron calls Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter “a tribute to the love, laughter and closeness of family that Erma Bombeck so brilliantly inhabited.”
Published by the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, the book explores the humorous, nobody-else-could-ever-understand, special world of sister relationships — and friends in your life who are just like sisters. Sisters! features 21 original, hilarious stories by the winners of Nickie’s Prize for Humor Writing, including me! Available where you buy books.
For more on Sisters! Bonded by Love and Laughter, visit go.udayton.edu/erma/sisters.
MAKES A GREAT GIFT!!
It has a been brought to the attention of BPS (Blog Protection Services*) that the owner/operator of this website has been severely neglectful in its care and upkeep. BPS was all but convinced it had been abandoned, however when confronted with the accusations, the owner/operator pled guilty to the neglect, but adamantly insists it has not been abandoned. She’s blamed her inattention to her website’s maintenance on her day job and other obstacles life has lobbed her direction. BPS considers these to be flimsy excuses at best. With that said, BPS serves not to crush creative intentions, but as an entity to remind owner/operators not to forgot about their websites. Creative outlets can only provide joy and entertainment if they are nurtured and filled with content. BPS has been assured that this blog will get its act together.
It’s not a task, woman. It’s fun, remember?
*BPS is a fictional entity, but you can borrow it if you need a kick in the pants.