back in the saddle again
Yes, well-ish enough to resume the writing. Hi, peoples, and glad to be back. It was gorgeously hot while I was ill, and now that I’m feeling healthy again, or on my way to it, the June Gloom of Northern California summer has arrived, so it’s blowing cold wind and fog outside. Brr. Just what the doctor didn’t order.
Busy weeks, the next few — D#3 is heading for graduation and all its attendant activities. D#2 is almost finished with her semester at CoA and planning ahead for her heavy summer semester. D#4 is getting used to her new school and looking for a job, and getting ready to turn 17. The Boy is almost finished with elementary school and is looking forward to becoming a tween, officially. Middle school, here he comes.
Mr Husband and I had a fabu time at the Jimmy Buffett concert in Concord the other night. Click here to see pix of all of us in the limo and at the concert, and closeups of Sir Jimmy himself, courtesy of the talented Sharlene Stephens. I think it’s official — I’ve become a Parrothead, like it or not.
The garden is growing slowly — a lot of my seed-grown plants are just not thriving. They are still tiny sprouts when they should be large transplantable creatures by now. That’s a disappointment. Also watching all the squashes do not much of anything. They should be starting to take over the universe by now, or soon. Oh well. Maybe June Gloom is what they needed. (ha ha)
I did some fun work for a London publisher a few weeks ago — proofing their books to Americanize them vis a vis spelling, humor, slang, etc. It is absolutely true that we are two nations divided by a common language. And that humor is the hardest thing to translate. I have a short arts piece to work on for The Monthly and a revision of a longer financial piece I did in January that got held until June or July, same publication. Book sales are steady if slow, but everyone who reads it loves it.
I’m giving a reading at Books Inc in Alameda June 4, and it also includes a “speed dating with poets,” that is, 5-minute slots wherein one can get one’s poetry critiqued by a working poet. Sign up in advance — contact Sue Levy at Books Inc. if you’re interested: 510.522.2226
Oh, this week’s Alameda Sun has a potent editorial that I wrote in support of the school district’s LGBT anti-bullying curriculum. Click here to read it (it’s short but pointed — be careful!).
That’s it for now. More to come after a Compacty weekend with kids, fog, garden, cats, the Oakland A’s game with fireworks, a trip to Thrift Town, and lots more.