Mt. Pleasant Scribblers meet

The regional writer’s group, Mt. Pleasant Scribblers, met Monday, October 17, 2022, in the gathering space at the Mt. Pleasant First Presbyterian Church.

Those present included Kathy Casteel, Rita Davis, Valerie Kreutner, Claudia Streeter, Karen Osborne and Marilyn Vincent.

Writings presented for this month were the following:

Marilyn Vincent wrote about their recent trip to their favorite biking trail along the Root River in southeastern Minnesota to celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary. They looked forward to riding two days and seeing two professional plays. However, rather than the delightful trip they imagined, this ride had difficulties. The first day was unusually cold and windy, and under the leaf covered trail surface hid black walnuts which jarred their tires and threw them from side to side. It was a challenging forty miles.

The second day, though cold, was sunny and calm, but this new part of the trail was also covered with walnuts putting further strain on their recumbent bikes. Near the end of the day, Marilyn’s bike rack that held her e-battery in place lost its bolts. Now the rack and battery which rides above the top of the back fender, fell down off the fender and made the trike difficult to pedal. After searching for a solution, Marilyn discovered the cord used for her small shoulder bag would work to tie the rack up to the seat. Though the battery kept poking into her back, the motor still worked making it possible to pedal back to Lanesboro.

Even though there were riding difficulties, the Vincents enjoyed their time at Lanesboro and the Root River, and look forward to returning next year.

The group had been waiting since last month for the next installment of Kathy Casteel’s “Maine Event” and we were not disappointed when Kathy read us her writing about her solo trip to Maine this year. She continues her adventures taking us down a dark and winding road to what she thought of as an “abandoned shack,” where she was to stay that first night. Not knowing what to expect, she was greeted by a kind host and was delighted with the cozy, welcoming interior of her cabin in the woods. Kathy awakened the next day to sun and the beauty of the Maine countryside. The dark and winding road of the night before became a “charming tunnel” through which to travel to the day’s adventures.

Those adventures included her first time seeing an ocean and learning about lobstering-- going out to tend lobster traps.

After lunch in Bar Harbor, she rode a windjammer onto the Bay of Fundy.

More of her Maine adventures…to be continued…we hope.

The second piece that Kathy shared was about her grandpa. She made three transitions in time in this writing that she wanted the group to listen for to see if she needed to add something to make the transitions clear. Kathy’s grandfather was one of the “Greatest Generation”…who fought in World War II leaving home a young wife and her five children. Kathy has the letters between Lillian and Bill that were written during the war years-treasures of a dangerous time for him and a busy time for her on the home front. Bill was very excited to hear that he would be a father to a boy, his first biological child. The love of a granddaughter for her grandfather is evident in this writing.

Rita Davis shared two pieces. One was about a time she was on a medical mission trip in Kenya where she met a young couple, Cheeseman and Everlyne. Rita observed Cheeseman do diagnostic testing at an HIV clinic and as a result was instrumental in helping facilitate more accurate results by requesting a timing device for his use. Everlyne’s work was also in public health. Rita looks forward to returning to Kenya next summer, meeting them again-and the child they surprisingly named Davis in her honor.

Rita also shared a writing entitled “Reflections on Body Image”. It was read because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Rita’s first experience with breast cancer was in her student nursing when she met a woman who had had a radical mastectomy. She remembers asking God that if she ever had cancer, “please don’t let it be breast cancer.” Twenty-five years later she had that diagnosis, found early by self exam. And now she is a 26 year survivor!

Scribblers are pleased to welcome new members who are interested in being part of a group, sharing efforts in the craft of writing. The next meeting, at 1:00 PM, Monday, November 21, will be in the gathering space at the north entrance of the First Presbyterian Church, 902 S. Walnut, Mt. Pleasant. For more information, contact Karen Osborne, 319-367-5586.