“Childhood is a strange country.  It’s a place you come from or go to – at least in your mind.  For me it has an endless, spellbound something in it that feels remote.  It’s like a little sealed-vault country of cake breath and grass stains where what you do instead of work is spin until you’re dizzy.”

Lyall Bush  (Executive director of Richard Hugo House, a center for writers and readers)

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This comment on a Starbuck’s paper cup left me breathless.  Just the first sentence is good writing, and I’m sure it was first spoken aloud.  “Childhood is a strange country.”  Like the first sentence of a novel I want to devour, and that’s leaving off the “little sealed-vault country of cake breath and grass stains!”  It’s inspired me, of late, to do more spinning ’til I’m dizzy writing.  And in January, I launch my website- prostituting my skills to those who need any kind of writing, from copy and commercial to internet dating ads and techie editing.  Blondie said it first, but I’m saying it now, and loudly:  Call Me!

Locals:  Watch this space for info about my new January thang:  A Night of Cheap Wine and Literature!  Everyone is invited- you merely bring a slice of writing to share (your work or another’s) aloud or to pin to the wall…      We’re overdue for a shindig, methinks.

Lastly- but not leastly- Darth said recently in an email that he can’t wait ’til I remarry or change my name back to “_” (my maiden name).  (Wait- does he think I’d change my last name if I remarry again?  Identity crisis…)  I pointed out that I’ve only kept “his” name because of the kids (ironically, I’ve had “his” name more years as a single woman now than I did as a married one), but now that he mentions it, I’ve never really felt like a “_” (his last name).  So let’s have a contest.  Who can come up with the best last name suggestion?  Heck, if you’ve got a great first name/last name combo- throw it out there!  I may consider changing both!