BLAZE

A long time since I've written. It's been a busy month.

La Ronge was wonderful: trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees and WATER! I was even persuaded to drive the houseboat. I also learned that my HBC fur factor grandfather worked at La Ronge in the 1930s — but clearly fur is not a factor for me! (Sorry, I had to say that.) We saw some ancient cliffs and took an interpreted hike; we also explored the lake in both a canoe and a fishing boat (on different days). All great fun.

Big ring around the moon / Gonna rain hard soon ...

But now that I'm home I'm very busy. I've been writing outlines and lesson plans all week — I thought I'd try to be a little better organized this year. All my PROW courses are running this semester, with healthy enrollments; if my English 111 course also runs, I'll be a busy little elf! This weekend I need to finish the instructor handbook because Peter wants to distribute it next week. There's so much to do before school starts!

That old dog has chained you up alright
Give you everything you need to live inside a twisted cage
Sleep beside an empty rage...

And then there's paying work. And the dread Active Voice newsletter — can't remember why I agreed to that gig. Hmm. And family and friends. My aunt is keeping a mandolin for me, I think. A mandolin is strung like a violin, but fretted, so it should be easy to learn, apart from the strumming technique. Haven't done any yoga or meditating lately; I know I should because I'm very very tired, but I have a million evasive reasons not to get around to it. Have been reading well: finished A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle and The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart; started The Fourth Hand by John Irving but had to return it to the library before finishing. Then I read a cute little thriller called About the Author, a playful, if somewhat over-written, first novel. Don't know what I'll read tonight...

Well, it's time to go: must have my weekly allowance of giddy laughter at humanity's latent silliness. Tomorrow is Zachary's birthday — he'll be TWELVE! Happy birthday, Zak!

the sage sag,
L

PS: Happy (belated) birthday, Mom! (Aug 14)
PPS: Happy (slightly less belated) birthday, Nicole! (Aug 21)

All these Leos! No, what I mean is, Oh, those Leos!