extremes

i will tell you that it rained.
HARD.
beginning around 3 AM it rained 
all day monday.
there were floods, the roads underwater
washing out a bit
and just down the road from my house
i eased past a van 
that hydroplaned sideways in the depths.
 i've never seen such rain here
 and then again it rained thursday
and water was standing in the yard. wet everywhere.
saturated.
my job has been to heal.
which is on its own schedule
not the one i want it to follow.
 so i've been around the place a lot
(sleeping a lot)
which now really is jungleized.
and i'm watching this year's teenagers.
all awkward
and funny
and i've been
 enjoying the hollyhocks
that began at my friend's house
years and years ago.
 on the front stoop yesterday
the bunnies were bold.
they are all eyes, ears, and nose
and leg
 sweet cottontail.
a shifu heart from a friend
warmed my heart
and another card with shifu and spun gold!
it's still july,
but i've felt august and even september
playing games around the corners.
two sunny days, now.
i'm thinking of the end of august
when i will be co-teaching one book arts class twice a week
at st. lawrence university
with melissa schulenburg.
i'm really happy about that committment
giving structure to my autumn
without the responsibility of a full teaching load.
 i'm happy to be working with students again.
this time older and a bit more mature, maybe.
~~~
back from my walk
and i realize i'm not back yet. 
i forgot my manners.
thank you all for your well wishes. 
i am healing well, more slowly than i had expected, but thoroughly
as far as i can tell.
things are working a bit better, 
though naps are still necessary.
again, thank you.


shifu and healing

the summer 2017 issue is out
 and i am so happy to be part of it.
paper as textile,
paper as practicing empathy.
seldom have i been so proud of my work
not because it's so grand but to be part of this issue
in the papermaking community
astonishes
and delights me, too.
 my article is about my observations of how shifu
facilitates healing
 and there's a sweet sample of humble lokta
paper and kami-ito.
which Mina and friends put together for the issue.
 there's work here that is new to me
 and my dear friend aimee's work as well
 a lace bark cap here
 and julie's work 
(which I have seen, yes, but have never met her)
 two samples in this issue
plus full color!
 when i finally climb down off cloud nine
 i will take some time
read this one in depth.
and enjoy.
 in other news here
i had a lovely mile or so walk last night
 and i felt terrific.
 i saw my first goldenrod in bloom
which means the summer really has turned
 and sunset creeps into the long days now.
change is coming.