Back... But Just Momentarily

       Yes, I've been gone for a while, and I'm still not ready to return. I've heard tales that I've been off on some tropical island--with cabana boys making sure the margaritas keep comin'--but alas, that is not the reason behind my absence in the blogosphere. (However, if Viggo Mortenesen was willing to wear shorts, go shirtless, and sip blended drinks next to me, I'd move anywhere... even to Jefferson City, Missouri, which is where he used to live when he had already become a movie star. Jefferson City--less than an hour-and-a-half away from me.)

Here is an old photo of my granddaughter.
With her eye peering through the viewfinder,
she's reminding me:  I need to focus on things
and get things accomplished.

      I've been gone for the following reasons:

• Throwing away and giving away and boxing away 16 years worth of teaching stuff took a week. I added to the landfill (I'm sorry) and heaped piles of materials onto several long tables at the school where I left--for good--just a couple of days ago. Hopefully some of my trash will become other teachers' treasures. 
• Retirement has resulted in some emotional vacillations that I wasn't prepared for.
• I'm busy preparing to teach the writing class I've taught for the last two summers which begins soon. It's an intense, four week, five days a week (all day) 6-credit graduate class. I'll be teaching teachers how to get back in touch with themselves as writers--if they've gotten out of touch--along with teaching them how to teach writing more effectively. (It's work, but it's work I love doing.)
• I'm in the process of preparing a resume' (something I haven't done in over 17 years). If anyone knows of a wonderful teaching job in a private school in St. Louis or a public/private school in Illinois and can drop it right into my lap, I'd appreciate it. Seriously.
• My freelancing work (not really freelancing--I'm talkin' 'bout Chicken Soup stories) has been occupying my spare time
• along with my bigger, more important WIP, which I've fretted over but have not worked on
• and a wonderful book, The Fireman by Joe, has keep me intoxicated. (Joe Hill! He's got a new book out. This one is not as creepy as NOS4A2, but the plot is keeping me flying through the 700+ pages.)
• And I'm still feeling high over the film festival my students created. Their digital stories about Ferguson and their home were incredibly powerful. If I can get permission to share a couple of them, I will. They were that good.

     So, for Lisa Ricard Claro and the other two people who occasionally read this blog, I will return (much to your future dismay). It might be sooner or later... but I won't be gone forever.