Winter Solstice

The longest night of the year and the goddess of femeninity come sailing along right on time for that oddly mood of omnipotence and shady light reminds me distintly of a more northern land, such as in europe, dark Wales and the EU. The school is eerily quiet as stidents flit away like vampire bats into the night to see family and friends. I like this isolating aspect of the holidays and am not in the least bit afraid of being alone, in fact I welcome this opportunity to be with my thoughts and reflections. today we, theo walker, David briggs and I went for our annual feast at the Gyros greek restaurant across the street on Harvard where we tucked into some massive greek food. It was a blast!

I quit writing the applications for fellowships after getting bogged down after two years of trying. I will apply again but next year sounds more realistic as some of the fellowships pay up to $10,000/57,000 and one for poetry is $100,000. Still working or rather re-working the proposal to UNM Press for my book/biography of the navy guy and this time I have a contact who is the acquisitions editor at the press who I met by accident at a conference. Healthwise things are still going well and I exercise every day and find the biggest challenge to diet and eating well. My friend in New Orleans recently sent me a painting which is a butterfly painting with a 'saigon' background of jungle leaves. it is a batique I believe made with wax and a beautiful boxwood frame. It will hang in my library after I get my own place down the road. Next year my state pension comes through so life will be a little changed for the good at that time. In New Orleans baby Callum is getting big: he will be two in February 23. (Laetitia is taking biology classes) I may have the opportunity to go to NOLA in the new year as a volunteer with the crossraods mission who I worked with last year. Have to start saving my pennies!