We sent the ms. of my new book AS YOU GO OUT, TURN OFF THE LIGHT to Knopf on Monday.  I went over the suggestions of my editor and fixed poems and also errors I found.  We sent it off, very expensively, special delivery, so that the ms could go into production and come out nextSeptember.  I feel good about it.  I was worried because it’s so fat for a poetry book.  The ms. was 171 pages.

Wednesday the first snow of the winter came slowly, gently down.  Thursday the sun was blinding on the fields of fresh unblemished white and the trees were shaking off their branches.  The birds are rushing the feeders, sometimes four at a time hanging on each. Today it’s mild and rainy, heavy rain washing the snow away. I invited friends to our Solstice party nextFriday. Somewhere between 20 and 25 should come.  I hope it doesn’t snow!  I hope to shop for the party food nextTuesday, weather permitting. We’ll also have to get paper goods and cat food and replace the little TV that sits on the table downstairs that keeps dying.

Tha cats are having a wonderful time with the tree.  Even grave Xena takes time from running the house to play hide and seek under it. This tree has branches down to the floor.There are less ‘kills’ this year –ornaments that they take off -- but more chasing and ambushing than last year. Schwartzie has been sleeping under the tree and leaving bed to the other three. The photo of the tree when I moved it from the desktop turned sideways.  I don’t seem to be able to turn it around.

I’m reading submissions to my juried intensive poetry workshop in June.  I’m also writing poems, four this week plus revisions some written in early December.

My friend and the fine poet Lyn Lifshin died this week.  It was due to an accident – falling kills many of us as we age.  I’ve lost so many dear friends this year and the one before. She and I had not been able to get together for the last few years due to decreased mobility on both our parts but we kept in touch via email.  I loved her work.  She was kind and generous to other poets, not as common as it should be.  A warm and wonderful friend and person and whose poems I cherish.