The first sunny day in a long time. I celebrated by:
-walking in my summer attire into the backyard to inspect a bird's nest among the forsythia. You should see it! It's made with twigs and pieces of plastic bags.
-visiting my dentist and having a cavity filled. I gave him a signed copy of "Yes I Can: Living Well with Bipolar Disorder." His dad has the illness. Joe said I was a very good patient. Why is that? I asked with cotton in my mouth and the saliva extractor going full blast.
Because you don't move, he said. Worst part of not moving is I can't talk. We have so much to say to one another but so little time. I told him not to take the booklet unless he had time to read it. "I just read half of it right now," he said. "Three of my poems are in there," I said. "It's the only way I can get em published."
In my lap was a short story I'm writing. I bring it with me to critique. I pretend I didn't write it, that someone else did. I keep holding my breath waiting to be bored. And then - presto! - I'm almost bored, almost ready to put the thing down, and then there's something that saves the story. As I said to my dentist, the title is terrific. I wish the story could rise to the level of the title.
Look what's comin' to Grand Central Station in NY: the art cars of BMW. Never heard of em until now. But, boy, are they ever beautiful! Which one would you choose.
With the heat off, it's 74 degrees in the living room. Oh, you should read the criticisms I'm getting for my novel.
- the writing in this paragraph sounds forced (what the hell does that mean, forced? I couldn't bear to ask)
- your main character is a real scumbag (yes! he called my character a terrible name)
The interesting thing is I took the course before and got the opposite comments. Don't worry. I pay no attention and just use the class as an incentive to keep on writing.
Here is an email I sent out this morning:
Hi everyone,
Sad to say, our beloved Le Coffee Salon will close at the end of the month. Yin worked very hard to make it the wonderful friendly place it is, so conducive to intimate chats and small groups like ours.
Please stop by during the week, if you can, to hug Yin goodbye and tell her how much the shop meant to you. I was there only yesterday and enjoyed some vanilla ice cream, root beer and a cup of decaf. Wow, am I gonna miss her!
Our next and last meeting is as follows:
Saturday, March 21 from 1 to 3:30 pm
free parking behind shop or across the street
at Produce Junction
Since the Coffee Salon is also a gift shop, items are now half-price. This includes Otis's paintings. Take a look.
Hope to see many of you on Saturday. Barb suggested we continue to meet at the Willow Grove Giant Supermarket. They have a large indoor coffee shop.
Happy St. Paddy's Day,
