Clouds

by Beth Alexander Walsh

My cloud is full. At least that’s what my iPhone has been telling me for the past year and a half.  I am with Joni Mitchell, “I really don’t know clouds at all.”  I asked my daughter where I could find my cloud and then googled later when I forgot what she said. Google sent me to my settings and apparently my cloud is mostly filled with pictures, and it appears that most of the pictures are of my dog. I keep saving those pictures for an Instagram account dedicated to the dog but I never seem to post them. Also, she’s a very cute dog.

When researching how to unclog my cloud it occurred to me that I have a very messy digital life. I take the time to unclutter my house every day. I sort through mail. I recycle newspapers, glass and plastic. I take the time to clean out the closets, pantry and refrigerator, but I have done nothing to clean up my digital life. I still have my last computer afraid to recycle in case I may need something from it. It has not been fired up in 3 years. That brings me to my new laptop (which actually isn’t that new). It is filled with pictures and artwork that have been posted on blogs many years past. I have apps on my phone that I have no idea what they do and how they got there. I’m also ashamed to admit that I have over 1300 emails that have not made it to the trash pile.

2020 is the year I am taking out the trash, digitally speaking. Unsubscribe will be my new motto as I clean up my email and delete old contacts. Bookmarks and downloads will be scrubbed from my PC and I will power up my old pink laptop for the last time and officially say goodbye. Questionable apps will be removed from my phone and I will go through those hundreds of pictures. I will make space in my cloud for more memories to come. You never know when the dog might want a selfie.

Happy New Year

Welcome 2020!

It is hard to believe that Winter Street Writers is turning seven years old this month! We would like to thank the Beverly Public Library for continuing to allow us to use their facility as our home base. We would also like to thank our 575 followers on our Facebook Page who continue to read and comment on our humble little blog, We hope you all continue to follow us.

Gail Balentine has had a busy 2019! After finishing writing her first novel and researching different avenues in publishing, we are thrilled that in July, Harmony in Winslet became available on Amazon in print and e-book form. She has been learning the ins and outs of marketing and promoting her novel and was recently featured in the Museum Enrichment Series at the Lynn Museum and Historical Society.  We can't wait to find out what is in store for Jane Harmony in Gail's next novel.

Lauraine Lombara's  poem Italian Poppy was recently paired with a photograph by Law Hamilton in the exhibit In Your Mother's Tongue; A Word and Image Dialogue at the Griffin Museum of Photography. You can read Lauraine's poem and see Law's photo here: 

https://winterstreetwriters.blogspot.com/2014/08/italian-poppy-by-lauraine-alberetti.html

Beth Walsh continues to be the administrator of the Winter Street Writer blog and Facebook page. She is enjoying her new role as the Site Manager for the Meals on Wheels program for the City of Beverly and the senior lunch program for Beverly Council on Aging.

A new year is always cause for reflection. The start of a new decade makes us ponder what lies ahead for us long term. What changes will we see in the world of technology, our environment, local and world politics and the arts by 2030? Here's to the new year (and decade) ahead. May it be happy, healthy and creative!