I’m fighting a cold and have missed several key events in the past few days, including my great aunt’s book party (grr!), a day of work (sorry, Andrea!) and the first night of my women’s program tonight. I’m still sneezing but will probaby drag myself to work tomorrow and to my first writing program tomorrow night. To follow up on the prayer-bead workshop that I mentioned before, dear friend Erin and I and a long-lost high school friend, Deana Pervis, (who happens to be a friend of a friend for Erin’s, small Island!) went to Eleanor Wiley’s for the bead workshop and had a lovely time chatting, talking about Eleanor’s…

(or, Found Poem, with Edits) The bone-pot simmers, the lemon blossom fades.The last leaf falls. Regardez, beside the line of rosesbraving the November air,just beyond the sage-green shutters to wherea would-be novelist blackens white pages in her chill room. See you all when Winter’s come. *Poet Olga Broumas originated the idea of poetry as “lumens,” the unit of light that comes from a candle or lightbulb. Little poems = little rays of light.Advice for Aspiring Writers: See more light. Read more poets.

Ever eat the food from Fortune Cookie? Webster Street, Alameda. Yum. Apropos of my last post, about No Fear, my fortune cookie from Fortune Cookie last night read: Act boldly, and unseen forces will come to your aid. Advice to Aspiring Writers: The Universe speaks. Pay attention.

Yes, you know you want to…you all who write and ask for more. Why don’t you write, you ask? Really want to know? The list is too long, but in general, and in the briefest of tidy-whitey briefs, the holidays kicked my booty. Too many to-dos and hoo-has. Parties and gift lists and cookies and guests. Mothers-in-law and all the sibs. Homemade gifts and knitting by the light of the moon. I made scarves for each of the kids, plus both the moms (mine and his), made photo albums for all the kids plus both the moms, a variety of cookie for each member of the family to include in…