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Introducing, Excerpting, Adapting, and Updating Older Connections Articles

Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #87, January/February 2000

There is a wealth of creativity, affirmation, and information in past issues of Connections. Older articles (especially those written several years ago) may warrant another look in future issues. When starting to write for LLL publications yourself, orienting an administrator to her job (which may include writing for the ALL, departmental memos, and/or Connections), or introducing a writer to LLL editing and review, you might consider the advantages of using older articles as a starting point.

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Sugar Cookies

Originally published in an LLL ALL

Plump and warm
Soft and buttery
Cut in the shape of two little hands,
Take a nibble
Get a giggle
Sugar cookies.

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Where Do Good Ideas Come From?

Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #93, January/February 2001

I think on my feet, while I wash up a cup, tidy a drawer, drink a cup of tea, but my mind is not on these activities. I find myself in the chair by the machine. I write a sentence . . . will it stand? But never mind, look at it later, just get on with it, get the flow started. And so it goes on. I walk and I prowl, my hands busy with this and that. You’d think I was a paragon of concern for housekeeping if you judged by what you saw.
—Doris Lessing, from her memoir The Roads of London

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Adapting LLL Articles from Non-LLL Sources

Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #92, November/December 2001

When a Leader reads an essay in a parenting journal, an airline in-flight magazine, or a chapter in a book, she may think, “Wow! What a great idea for a La Leche League publication!” Original topics for LLL articles can sometimes be elusive, and very often these non-LLL sources can provide an interesting basis or general outline for a piece in an ALL or an article for Connections or LEAVEN. Even just a simple title like “Three Ways to Improve Your Home Office” might encourage you to snap out of writer’s bloc and get your own article written. These are some things to consider:

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A Kitty Hawk of Team Management: Taking Wing with a New Idea

Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #89, May/June 2000

Last spring my family visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A highlight of that trip for me was a visit to the site of the Wright brothers’ first man-powered flight of 1903.

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The Mobile Home Office

Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #98, November/December 2001

A La Leche League administrator doesn’t always have the luxury of working at her desk all day. When errand clusters take you far from home, a little planning and creativity can help you take care of your LLL work away from home.

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Preparing and Packing for a Major LLL Event

Co-written with Judy Minami. Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #80, November/December 1998

A multi-day conference or other major LLL gathering requires special preparation and packing. Your family may need help planning for your absence and your Area has invested in your participation at this event. You want to be alert and get the most out of the gathering as possible. Whether you are attending alone or with your children, these suggestions may help make your trip more enjoyable and fulfilling.

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Music to My Ears

(Country music-style waltz, written around 1978)

There’s a big storm formin’ in Cheyenne, Wyoming,
I guess it’s time I hit the road;
I been drivin’ all night and it’s just gettin’ light,
This old diner is feelin’ like home;
But I’ll give you a call, and I hope that I hear your hello
At the end of the line;
And then maybe you’ll say, “Hey, that’s a very long way just to see me,
Do you need a place to stay?”

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Just Like Mommy

Originally published in LLL of New Mexico’s Enchantment

He doesn’t have my Cary Grant chin
He doesn’t have my eyes
Or my nose
Or my square jaw.

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Using Your Voice

Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #68, November/December 1996

I had a bad cold last spring. And after about a week of coughing, sneezing, and general malaise, my voice finally just gave out one morning. After a few hoarse whispers indicating my condition to my husband and sons, I realized that things were going to be a lot different around here for a while.

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