Summer

It's summer now and I'm glad. I finished Divisidaro and it was great; the first Ondaatje I've read. A very lyrical writer; I read somewhere the book was a series of intimate moments, strung together, and that makes sense.

I'm reading Snow by Orhan Pamuk now. We are going to Sunriver this weekend!

Michael is very busy with school. Tomorrow I start hip hop dance. And Monday I start ballet.

I think Janine returns to Portland next week.

Caffeine Destiny summer issue is going online the third week of July. I promise.

Here I am!

I haven't been updating this lately, which I know is no way to maintain a fan base! All 14 of you...

Michael and I saw Michael Ondaatje at the Portland Art Museum on Monday, and if you went yes that was Michael and I giving out programs.

I made bread today.

Today it's officially summer. I've read two Josephine Tey mysteries in the last few weeks. I need a big summer read, and I think I'm going to read Divisadero, Ondaatje's new book.

I haven't finished a poem in a few weeks. Michael is getting up very early to go play golf tomorrow so maybe I'll get up early with him and write before I go to work.

Or just go back to sleep. I'll keep you posted.

Cowgirl Up!

Tonight Laura and I are going to go see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in concert and I am very excited!

This is the last week of school for the kids.

Read a Josephine Tey mystery in two days last weekend and now I'm reading another one. Summer is a good time for mysteries.

I have been revisiting my poetry manuscript and it's been revised from last summer into a stronger manuscript and so it's out on the road again. If it doesn't find a home this time, I know it will eventually.

In gardening news, I think I killed one of my coreopsis plants trying to divide and relocate part of it. I planted sunflowers and my lavender is almost set to bloom. I am thinking I won't grow any tomatos this year.

I started a longer poem and I thought about the Z's comment about writing dumb unfinished poems. I have lots of dumb unfinished poems, but they're the engine for the less dumb, more finished ones. It's all one big thing. Maybe the dumb, unfinished poems are the bottom of the iceberg, and the finished, less dumb ones are the ones that poke up out of the ocean. Okay, enough poetry metaphors.

June

I haven't participated in an ATC swap in a long time, but this is one I made for a "bumble bee" swap that I sent off last week. I've been working on three different altered books at the same time. I find that's more fun!

I am reading the mystery, the Hotel Majestic by Georges Simenon. I have never read anything by him, but he's a French writer. The book I'm reading was first published in 1941. I'm also reading Equivocal by Julie Carr. I like her poems. Alice James Books consistently puts out really exceptional books.

The kids will be out of school soon. Then I won't have any kid in grade school. I'll have two middle schoolers! Max is going to be at Parkrose Middle School next year, with Laura.

I ran today and went shopping with Laura. Michael and I took a nice long walk with the dogs tonight. Summer is definitely here. My lavender will bloom soon!