Much too busy

I’m late with the blog this week as I am way behind in most things right now. I am putting together two different workshops. For years, some of the poets in my June juried intensive poetry workshop have been after me to do a follow up workshop. I decided to do it and it’s schedule for Columbus Day weekend this fall. I had kept a list of every poet who indicated an interest. I copied their names, put them into a hat and drew out the first twelve. When one of them couldn’t make it, I drew one more. Another couldn’t make it. I thought I would stop at ten, but finally I have eleven participants. I’ve been working first on lodging for the June workshop poets, and now for the fall participants. That’s a busy weekend on the Cape [although nothing like the next weekend Oysterfest, when 20000-25000 people descend on Wellfleet]. I’m trying to get all 11 settled for Columbus Day weekend while there’s still space available. So far I think 7 of them have reservations. The greenhouse is now in operation. The first hardy seedlings went out there yesterday. Now I’m waiting for the peppers I started Wednesday to sprout. They’ll stay in the bay window for some weeks, probably. It has been mild lately. Woody did some pruning the day I started the peppers, especially of the sour cherry, the two pear trees and some of the aggressive ornamentals. I wrote a piece about the Golem for an exhibit in Berlin at the Jewish Museum there. That’s all the writing I managed to do this week. I’m glad the curator liked the piece. Working on the June and Columbus weekend workshops at once is taking more time than I anticipated. I’m uncertain whether I’ll do the fall workshop again or just the June. I’ve also been occupied by preparations for the two-hour poetry workshop I’ll be doing Saturday in New Jersey at Passaic Community College, where my friend and fine poet Maria Gillan teaches. Then after lunch I’ll give a poetry reading. We’ll leave in the latish afternoon Friday and drive back after the reading and book signing. Saturday evening we ate with Dale and Stephen at a Peruvian-Italian restaurant, Tumi’s. Except when we’re traveling, we rarely eat in restaurants. It was fun and I needed a night out. Sunday night we watched the Oscars but we got bored and went to bed before any of the major awards. The only part I liked was Chris Rock. Woody goes to many more movies than I bother with, so he is more into it and likes to watch. I couldn’t care less. I’ll be late with the blog next week too, since I write it on Saturdays and we won’t be back here till around 10 or so, later if we run into traffic or weather.