The Year of the Flood

I am always a little sad and lost when I finish a great book, a book that has swept me away to a different world. This time it was to the dystopic future of Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood, a companion text to Oryx and Crake. My oldest daughter lent me this Canadian writer's latest and gave it a hearty thumbs up. Thank you.

Like a vacation or an insight, a finely crafted piece of writing can change how you look at everything.

Atwood's writing is such a gift. and even though the pictures she painted were dank and squalid, it was hard to leave, and the taint of the story stays with me.

If you do decide to pick up the book, read Oryx and Crake first.

On another topic all together, the latest CLICK Here for SURVEY results are now 3 to 1 in favor of the slow gentle path. Still not too late to vote.

Seasonal Myths

Friends,

I hope your holiday celebration was joyous. We all could you use a little joy in this crazy world, especially my friends and their families struggling with heavy health issues.

While the powerful myths surrounding CLL seem most often like the sword of Damocles or the rock of Sisyphus, this season reminds of us that it instead can be the myth of the impossible: the virgin birth, the oil lasting 8 days.

Let me spread (strange verb) a little personal joy.

My platelets were a resounding 249,000 today, 2 weeks exactly since my last IVIG.

I am going to try to stretch my good fortune out to 16 days before my next visit to the infusion center.

My time off last week to do some serious writing was a qualified success in that I am clear that is important and difficult work I must do. I can share so much more on the bigger canvas of a full book. The tough part is that it is tough. It is slow and methodical. I enjoy no divine connection with the universal truths with words just flowing through me as guitar riffs did through Jimi Hendrix. " 'Scuse me while I kiss the sun". 'Scuse me while I type on the MAC just doesn't have much of a transcendent ring.

Like Tom Robbins says, I need to show up whether the muses do or don't. And work.

Off tomorrow to visit my daughter and son-in-law tomorrow in Berkeley at their new place.