<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Cathy Stenquist - Author]]></title><description><![CDATA[Cathy Stenquist - Author]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 01:34:18 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.cathystenquist.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Fall Writing Frenzy]]></title><description><![CDATA[The kidlit world is full of fun opportunities to spread your writing wings. Here are a couple I have entered this year: Vivian Kirkfield's #50preciouswords Contest 2026, where you write a complete story in just 50 words. She also has a contest for children to encourage literacy. Such fun! Susannah Leonard Hill's Valentiny contest 2026 (2nd week of February): This year it was to write a Valentine story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/fall-writing-frenzy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abea41ca9315679ff7dd6a3</guid><pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2026 11:31:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_5f91aced482949aaa69ca622a011cb17~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_592,h_524,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Color of Breath]]></title><description><![CDATA[This week the simple act of breathing has been on my heart. (trigger warning for those who may have lost someone they love) A request for prayers for two twins born too early, struggling to breathe on their own, and my uncle in his 80s, who, after a long, multi-colored life, is nearing the end of his journey. The phone held to his ear— I shared my love, gratitude, and last words with him yesterday—listening to his every breath. My sister said he turned toward the phone, and she believes he...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/the-color-of-breath</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abf9765fdba1ab41db2384b</guid><pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:31:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_4178b39808724b30b175dfdb3b0acd32~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_940,h_788,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Were the Colors in Your Week?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here's mine! I drew the colors for my poems from a variety of moments in my life this week. What's better than kids and a parachute? Jungle Green Lemon Yellow Forest Green First up- Jungle Green I took my grandson to a music class at the library where we sang, danced with bubbles, and jumped under a lifting parachute. What fun for a grandma! One of the songs that was sung was a familiar one to young moms.. "Galumph Went the Little Green Frog I decided this was the perfect format for a parody...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/what-were-the-colors-in-your-week</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ab7d1f4a368d16bee4785a6</guid><pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:37:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_a0fd6abcf4544dfba57e48556b134f64~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poetry Inspiring Art &#38; Vice Versa]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have visited many galleries in my life, and love the slow, quiet wandering pace. I am fascinated to see what the human mind can conceive and create, and I always come back inspired and can't wait to get back in my studio to write or create. An inspiring collage by Eric Carle found at the Eric Carle Museum. My uncle Tom Norpell, a well-known miniature artist, was very successful. He used "found objects" in his art. His work and creativity inspired me to want to show my own art in a gallery...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/poetry-inspiring-art</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aaeea83c4bcf32be86a1904</guid><pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2026 14:08:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_a8e8727e2e0f4be4acdbd4d7c874de56~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Next Year Raspberries?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Gardening this year has been so much fun. I loved heading outside each day to see what gifts the garden had for me.  A bit of my bounty :) I learned a lot this summer..., Don't stake your squash; cool idea, but too hard to keep up with. Bunnies can get through the smallest holes in your fencing to eat ALL your beans, eggplant, and kale. Mourning doves love to have a dirt bath in your newly planted seeds. Cucumbers get a pointy end if not properly pollinated. There is a phantom animal eating...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/next-year-raspberries</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9eacc6d2248400549a248d</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:00:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_bc7717dfa88042b5a8e1600204a75a62~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Summer Becomes Autumn]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had forgotten how inspiring I found the Crayola Crayon color names I have been working with this year, and how poems seem to flow more easily at times from colors than from other words. It felt good to sit down this week and choose three new colors. Snapped this week in Massachusetts. This week's colors were inspired by the change in seasons from swimsuits and to comfy sweatshirts. Tan Bittersweet Shimmer Goldenrod Let's start with the color: Tan Do you remember these ads? Check out the...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/summer-becoming-autumn</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a99d889a6d208e948708abc</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:29:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_80ee7abe2fe9456abcafa3559a402caf~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When the Sound of a School Bus Tugs at Your Heart]]></title><description><![CDATA[This week, there has been something about the squeal of school bus brakes outside my window that has brought me back to the first day of school as an empty nester. I wrote this mixture of reflection/poetry/lyrics as I juggled the memories of being a young mom, scrambling to get the kids ready and on the bus, to the quiet tug on my empty-nester heart.  First posted on August 31, 2022, the sentiment felt timeless this morning.  Hope you enjoy :) Happy Poetry Friday Everyone! And to you Moms,...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/when-the-sound-of-a-school-bus-tugs-at-your-heart</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a91726c4f7694ed1ed7380a</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:46:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_94d07727a5e8483fa103be5098245623~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_828,h_628,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Words That Sing and Soar]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wednesday evening I attended Georgia Heard's webinar "Word's that Sing and Soar," with Irene Latham.  How wonderful it was to gather virtually with so many poets I have gotten to know through Boyds Mills(Highlights). Really looking forward to going to Poetry Palooza there this fall and catching up with them.  Be sure to sign up for these little ditties! They are both a little bit of poetry love, filled with great tips and news about upcoming webinars. Georgia Heard's Newsletter: Heartbeats...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/words-that-sing-and-soar</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a7f84710184b89c47f6b549</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:28:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_428410b03a4c417a8a79d6743d59abff~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Poetry &#38; Art stopped by this week...]]></title><description><![CDATA[...and they have my head swirling, in a very good way.  ;) Poetry that touched my heart: Musician Glen Hansard tragically died last week, and the air has been filled with his music. He started out as a busker on the streets of Dublin, so I was particularly touched by the video of other buskers and people on the street gathered and singing his Oscar-winning song, "Falling Slowly."  I first learned about Glen's work on a return flight home from a business trip to Hong Kong. The only movie...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/poetry-art-stopped-by-this-week</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a75b6837e238b0b8adcee7b</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:10:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_cebdf8f2f26c4ad5a1e23009b242ef78~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rest in Peace, JY]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was a nervous newbie to the KidLit world, attending my first conference in 2017 when I found myself in line to have Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi sign my books.  As the line moved closer, I couldn't quite see them—for the shifting line of bodies trying to get a glance or a photo—but I could hear their voices... the kindness, the laughter, and the generous, encouraging words.  When it was my turn, their lovely smiles and kind words made me feel welcome. As I left, I hugged the books,...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/rest-in-peace-jy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a709932505bf6cad94d6009</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:39:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_82e0f8136c62467abd393df5369ec338~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Red, White and Bluetiful]]></title><description><![CDATA[Choosing the colors for this week was a no brainer. I only had to look at the date and know they had to be: red, white and blue. I had posted a poem inspired by WHITE before, but decided to write a new poem about that color. A search for RED brought me to BRICK RED and for BLUE to BLUETIFUL. What fun these names are! BRICK RED At the top of my street, there is a little-known trail into the woods that has the evidence of all sorts of buildings that had once been there- stone foundations and...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/red-white-and-bluetiful</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a47ea380e6d465694959f09</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 17:35:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_7a21d46847c44dd08e9a8c34f033835c~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fade to Black]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have always been fascinated by the color black. As a mural artist, I learned over the years that my art was not complete until I added touches of black and white — black to define, give depth and shadow, and white to highlight and call attention to areas. If I had to choose between a color photo and a black-and-white one, there was always a clear answer for me- black-and-white. With the color stripped away, I am invited to look deeper at the image; all distraction is gone. I see things I...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/black</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2b0d2e948ac681a4fe3057</guid><pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:58:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_cd802f37d7a848c8a21dc8c0d0174492~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Carousel of Flavors]]></title><description><![CDATA[Anyone hungry? To my delight, Crayola often uses food names to label their crayons. Not only do the word names themselves inspire, taking me to new places, but.... ...all my senses come alive. Take a color name like Cotton Candy :) It takes me right to the carnival. I can almost hear the merry-go-round music. Can't you smell it? Feel its stickiness between your fingers? Taste its sweetness? Words can do that! If you recall, a while ago I wrote a poem about the Crayola color Macaroni and...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/a-carousel-of-flavors</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a183fb88b50f46c29dfb99f</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 00:47:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_2a610db0620242ddae2f901e670e9f16~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[If I do it? Am I?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Since I was young, I dreamed of having a backyard garden. It was perfect. No weeds, continuous blossoms and a harvest to die for. Especially in the winter when I longed for the blossoming energy of spring. Dreaming of what a garden could be. When I was 15, we moved to Boston and my family had a community plot. I loved driving there with my family after dinner and all of us pulling weeds and watering in the quiet dusk of the river valley, the joy of discovering what was ready to pick, and...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/if-i-do-it-am-i</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1042072b5c18841b95f72d</guid><pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 14:30:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_eefaad064d2b45ae96ab598f080dab26~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It's the Tiny Things]]></title><description><![CDATA[I think I can now safely say Spring is really here, and snow will remain a distant memory.  I find myself enjoying being out in nature more and soaking it up with all my senses. the smell of my lavender lilacs the sound of baby birds in the birdhouse outside my home begging for food the softness of dogwood petals the baby goslings quietly paddling behind their mama the flavor of my summer drink- lemonade infused with passion fruit tea.  Can't you just smell them? Spring shows us it is the...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/it-s-the-tiny-things</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a070cb9d0805c2303f48d27</guid><pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 15:17:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_a06d7c8d5e464d3cbb3a203def156a93~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Happy Mother's Day!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Welcome to the Poetry Friday Round-up  I am delighted to be hosting for the first time.  Coffee's on, apps are on the table, candles lit.  Oh, I almost forgot. Some music would be nice. Welcome! Let me take your coat. Make yourself at home ;) Please feel free to let the music play while you browse. This week we celebrate mothers: Birth mothers, adoptive mothers, friends and family who are like mothers to us. They love , comfort , nurture, support and guide us—our soft place to land, our port...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/happy-mother-s-day</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fa1dddb27e981e27c781c4</guid><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 13:56:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_f3bdc36ec5c6482bba49d583450de93e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_812,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Orange You Glad It's Poetry Friday?]]></title><description><![CDATA[So happy to be back this week to celebrate COLOR!!!  My precious granddaughter, running with joy through the tulips. This Crayola color journey has been an interesting one so far. I am amazed at all the "fandom" over crayons! These are just a couple of sites to check out if you want to know more about those "broken-colorful-wands-of-creation-filled-with-possibility," that you have in a Tupperware container in your closet ;) Check it out HERE Check it out HERE In 2013, Smithsonian Magazine...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/orange-you-glad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f3716f7b1c42fb24eff3bf</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:13:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_9fdee13f253949e399eb96a950901695~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's My Line?  2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's my turn to play .  I can't wait! Each year, beginning April 1st, POETRY FRIDAY  friends and other poetry lovers are invited to join the fun, as a poem travels daily from blog to blog, with each host adding a line. A big thank you to poet  Irene Latham  for creating The Kid Lit Progressive Poem, which was a way to celebrate National Poetry Month (April) as a community of writers. This year, I was assigned WEEK #2. Exciting but scary—with only one line ahead of me, the possibilities are...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/what-s-my-line-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f37136a8c272568cdf3e8b</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:08:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_ce6f6c8c90e24e59a7313f5a982b7bee~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reconnecting with the Magic]]></title><description><![CDATA[A book is a magical thing. It can take you to places you have never been— tropical islands, outer space, foreign lands— all from the safety and comfort of your own bedroom. The picture books we discover as children and the novels we read as young adults tend to stay with us and hold a very special place in our hearts.  My  sister-in-law Delle and I were chatting the other day about our favorite childhood books.  Hers was The Secret Garden  by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and mine was Island of...]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/reconnecting-with-the-magic</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f37136a8c272568cdf3e8a</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:48:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_8ab979b35bea4b108ca6a0f2ba683a2a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_788,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Color My World]]></title><description><![CDATA[Happy Spring, everyone! This year, the change in seasons has been a long time coming. But this week I saw little buds starting to form on skinny maple branches—their red color popping against the blue sky. It made me so happy!  And then the surprise of a single crocus flower in my snowy backyard inspired this little ditty! The promise of growth, new life, and the resurrection of plants from their winter beds fills me with hope. Color is about to explode in the coming weeks, announcing spring....]]></description><link>https://www.cathystenquist.com/post/color-my-world</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f37136a8c272568cdf3e89</guid><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:13:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d9550d_b3ec51042713436dba4ba6c6140a1ead~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Cathy Stenquist</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>