So I haven’t done anything with those window frames yet…BUT I WILL! MARK MY WORDS! Anyway, it was my cat Hermia’s 19th birthday yesterday, April 15. Yes, 19. Can you believe it? I can’t. I was never a cat person. We had them growing up, off and on. Names like Cinders, and Felix, and Truffle [...]

Posted in cats, hermia 2 Comments »

“To write well, to write passionately, to be less inhibited, to be warmer, to be more self-critical, to recognize the power of as well as the force of lust, to write, to love.” ———John Cheever (from The Journals of John Cheever) Been back from my residency in Vermont for two weeks now. Ooof, talk about [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, books, cats, fiction, hermia, my writing, ted, travel, writers 1 Comment »

Wow. I can’t believe it’s over. My last day at Vermont Studio Center. So much to say but my head is utterly pounding and the thoughts in my brain a-jumble — anxiety about travel tomorrow, the strange ritual of packing up after 5 weeks away, the  goodbyes to dozens of wonderful people. What is there [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, art, books, cats, collage, cute photos of me, my writing, ted, travel, word of the day, writers 3 Comments »

I’m hoping for a new year of creativity, much reading and more writing, a year of change, of equality, of compassion and respect, of peace, of prosperity. Jackophobia: The fear that somewhere, somehow, Jack is watching you Hope With Dick and Jane (postcard made by me, Nov. 2008) Me and Ted, July 2008 And finally, [...]

Posted in cats, crafts, cute photos of me, postcards 3 Comments »

Jackophobia: The fear that somewhere, somehow, Jack is watching you. (Inspired by Gary Larson’s Far Side Cartoon)

Posted in Uncategorized, cats 2 Comments »

…check out how much my garden has grown! I’ve got Cayenne Peppers ripening red. I’ve been researching (aka Googling) how to cook with Cayenne Peppers and came across some interesting ideas like this. But if anyone else has some good ideas for what to do with Fresh Grown Cayenne Peppers please let me know. Here [...]

Posted in Movies, Uncategorized, cats, cute photos of me, food, my plants 2 Comments »

That’s the title of a memoir written by the incomparable Marge Piercy. Piercy spoke Friday night at the Literary Arts Festival at one of the colleges where I teach. She was great: cranky, funny, obnoxious, generous– and such an amazing poet. When asked by a student what advice she had for new writers she exclaimed: [...]

Posted in books, cats, poetry, ted 2 Comments »

O. M. G. I totally forgot it was Hermia’s Birthday today. Two days of celebrations!She was born on April 15, 1991– which makes her 17 years old. But, according to this website , she’s really 78 years old (in the human equivalent). Here’s their chart: Here’s a look at Hermia through the years: 1. (first [...]

Posted in Uncategorized, cats, hermia 3 Comments »

My Canadian pal, Lola, turned me on to this cool weblog by writer JA Konrath– called A Newbie’s Guide To Publishing. He has some pretty sage advice and words of wisdom, for example: There’s a word for a writer who never gives up… published and Write when you can. Finish what your start. Edit what [...]

Posted in books, cats, fiction, my writing 1 Comment »