Lady, the Dog

Lady, the Dog 
By
Kristina Stammen
 
Today I lost my best friend,
I will no longer see her eager brown eyes,
Wagging tail, and happy face.
Lady enjoyed a life full of verve.
A dog’s day of eating and sleeping,
The simple things only a four-legged creature
Can ask for. 
She also liked rolling around in bedsheets,
Sunning herself and sniffing the fragrant air.
Flowers ranging from rose to Lantana.
I remember taking her to the beach
And she tried drinking the salty water.
Lady was there when I needed to air
My problems. A friendly ear and unconditional
Love.
That’s great about dogs,
They are great listeners
And don’t talk back.
I will deeply miss Lady.
Her partner in crime, Tramp,
Is now alone.
May he live a long time.(2001)  
Lady2
 
 
 

Orange County, CA

Orange County
By Kristina Stammen

Orange County is the place to live.
Rest your weary head on the sand
And dream of burnt French Fries!
Next, go to the mountains
Get even more sunburned on the snowy slopes!
Education plays an important role to us.

Colleges and universities abound in O.C.
Oceanography is among the many majors.
Understanding English, written and oral, a
Necessity to all.
To pass, you must write complete sentences.
Why (Y)? Success is measured by all you do.

(February 11, 2002)
 

An Ode to the Poem

An Ode to the Poem

A poetic forum has fallen upon us.
The past few classes,
Rhyme and meter dominate the evening.
Thought provoking & inspirational poems rule the roost.
Oh, the praises of the poetic art!
I attempt one now or rather an ode to the form.

Metaphors and similes seep into our minds.
Romantic poems cause us to fall in love.
Inspirational ones believe we can accomplish our dreams.
Thought provoking verses make us stop to think & question our beliefs.

A plethora of poems change our lives in many ways.
Poets Black and Wordsworth changed mine for the better!!
An appreciation for life & the beauty of nature.

Oh, to the form of the poem and their artists!!

– Kristina 11-21-2000
 

Ghosts

The Ghosts of the Stratton House
by Kristina Stammen

White billowy clouds blanketed the sky with the sun giving off an aura of heaven. I tilt my face toward the sun and smile, my husband is at my side. We are walking with arms entwined in a beautiful rose garden when from nowhere a loud cannon shot is heard and I suddenly fall to the ground. When I woke up I found myself in a moving car. The person at the wheel was wearing a black leather jacket. I couldn’t quite figure out who it was and I couldn’t even remember my name.

“Madison, wake up!!” the person next to me yelled. Slowly I turn my head in the direction of the voice and found a bitchy-looking girl.

“Don’t call me that!” I said in anger to the brunette bitch causing her to turn up her nose and shut up. I looked around and noticed we were going somewhere. Up ahead I saw a huge white house and realized what was going on. These three so-called friends had planned on scaring me to death by playing a practical joke on me. Despite my appearance of long blond hair, brown eyes and a height of five foot nine, I was considered an intelligent, introverted girl who didn’t have many friends. My name was Madison Stratton but preferred to be called Maddy. These so-called friends always enjoyed picking on me and this was no exception.

“Guess where we’re going?” the guy in front me teasingly asked as the other two just laughed.

“Spike, don’t scare Madison away like that,” the person in the front passenger seat said.

“We’re going to the Stratton House. Your favorite place!” Spike said menacingly.

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My Top 10 Favorite Books

Kristina's top 10 favorite books

  1. The Last Man by Vince Flynn
  2. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
  3. Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson
  4. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
  5. Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig
  6. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
  7. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
  8. The Lord of the Rings-The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
  9. Phantom of The Opera by Gaston Leroux
  10. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

The Importance of Proofreading and Spell Checking

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One of the biggest complaints reported by e-book readers is poor grammar usage.  Although the occasional mistake is understandable, some readers are often left wondering if their e-book author even read their own e-book.  Do not let yourself be one of those authors.  You need to thoroughly proofread and spell check your e-book before offering it for sale.  

When it comes to proofreading, there are often two sets of writers.  Many automatically know the importance of proofreading and spell checking.  However, there are others who have the why bother mentality.  If you are wondering why it is important to proofread and spell check, you need to familiarize yourself with the importance of proofreading.  Of course, proofreading allows you to catch any mistakes that you may have made.  It also allows you to make sure that you didn’t leave out anything important.  Proofreading also enables you to make sure that your e-book flows together perfectly.  

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