Manuscripts and Mishigas

I haven’t been able to snatch time to write at all since I’ve been reading the manuscripts of poems from poets in my June workshop.  Those are for our half hour conferences.  With intense pressure to get the gardens fully planted and emptying the greenhouse [now about 4/5s done] there has been little or no time to see friends, read, watch something streaming – and most importantly, to write. 

I should finish rehab for my left elbow and be discharged this Wednesday; that will free up four hours a week.  I’ll still be doing the exercises, but at my chosen times. I had another spot of trouble with my new computer this week – I was locked out of my email and daily schedule – but it got speedily fixed once I gave up trying to fix it myself.

Late this weekend, I have managed to steal the time to write two poems and a couple of pages of my book, so I feel more like myself and less discumbobulated and hollow.  When I don’t write, I feel much less alive. It felt good to get a bit of time for what I need to do for myself. We didn’t go out this weekend or invite company over as we really need the time.  Dale did come by, but only to pick up a birthday present of Thai basil grown and potted for him.  He will get his major gift on Tuesday – we’re working together then, not Monday this week, because of Memorial Day.

I hate Monday holidays.  They never feel like a holiday to me.  Friday holidays would make much more sense. Then it’d really feel like an extended weekend. As it is, I still have as much work to do on Monday as usual and then lose Tuesday to the rest of the usual Monday work.  Tuesday, Dale will have to take the multi-page handouts to Orleans to be copied and collated.  Every day or the workshop has various handouts, relating to the craft subject of that day – like imagery, oral effects, line breaks, etc.  Some are up to 15 pp. long.  The handouts that are just one or two pages, we can copy ourselves. Everything has to have 13 copies. I also need to go over my lectures.

Melenie has Covid.  Her husband Jay had it last summer.  He had it bad – very high fever, Melenie’s case is much lighter.  I still worry she is not cutting back enough and could have a relapse.  I’m  relieved that she caught it this last week and should be over it soonest since I’m hoping she can make it here Thursday of workshop week. She sells books at the workshop reading and cooks with me for the class party.  I love cooking with her.

I am slowly v e r y  s l o w l y reading the Lapidarum book on stones.  It’s interesting but I read a short chapter on a particular stone after I get into bed, I find it helps me go to sleep.  Since I bought the book, I can take my time. I figure it will last me at least a month and a half more – maybe even two months?