First frost, bullets of weird green

It's 34 degrees outside and we had our first frost. I brought in most of the houseplants, but not all of them, and I did not cover the tomatoes, zucchinis and other garden plants, so I will have to wait and see if they survived or are gone. The broccoli should make it.

• We haven't turned our furnace on yet. I don't think it's that cold in here, but PB has been complaining bitterly. He stands in his boxers saying it's cold, it's cold. I say, when I am cold, I put on a sweater. He hangs over me, gets in my face while I am trying to work, harping on turning on the furnace. He wants it to be warm enough to be as close to naked as possible. I think that's unenvironmental and unhealthy. I tell him, go talk to your Dad.
• PB wants a ride to school because it's cold outside. I say, wait til it snows. We live in a decadent neighborhood where most of the parents drive their kids to school every day. We think it's unhealthy and unenvironmental to do that and have decided not to. He thinks we're monsters. I feel a little guilty until I think of all the wasted gas and him turning into a lazy slug.
• In the spirit of reduce, reuse, recycle, I have reduced my usage of shampoo and conditioner to about a third of what I used to use and the results seem to be just as good. YAY!
  

From the Poetry Retreat I just attended

Here we all are.

If you click on it, you can make it bigger. Can you find me?

Bennie McBean Goes FIshing

This is just a doodle.

I am back from my Poetry Festival and my writing retreat but still trying to get caught up.

About to fly

Headed out shortly for my four-day writing retreat. Have a great four days if I can't check in. (And even if I can!)

Today I posted to Detroit Daily and also posted the UP journal in its entirety to Half-formed. (Because I was up all night with insomnia.)

Wordless Wednesday

Flower Photo Friday on Wednesday

No time for real posting. I was awarded a partial scholarship to a writing retreat, Springfed, and am getting ready to head up to Harbor Springs Michigan for lots of writing. Yay! This is one of my flowers--a zinnia, and I hope it's still here when I get back. I know it has to frost sometime. But I am NOT in a rush!

Away message

I am leaving tomorrow at some undetermined point to drive to Harbor Spring Michigan for a writer's retreat.  I got a partial scholarship--YAY!  I may not be posting until I return Monday.  I expect to be very busy retreating.

Sugary (Cotton Candy)

Sugary (Cotton Candy), by Mary Stebbins Taitt, for Illustration
Friday's Sugary Challenge. In Sketchboook, from sketchbook exchange,
pen and ink. (Ooops, I accidentally posted this to the wrong blog! Duh, meant to post it to Imagik, my main art blog.) (OK, forgive the repetition in this instance.)

Waterloo Village Bridge

Waterloo Village, Stanhope, NJ. This is where I spent 4 of the last 8 days--at the Dodge Poetry Festival. See another view of this bridge here. You might be surprised of you did not look closely.

Four

Let's Play Four

A) Four places that I go to over and over:  to the grocery store, to bed, around the block (for exercise), to the fridge/stove (for food).

B) Four people who email me regularly:  Pam, Gail, D1 and D2

C) Four of my food favorites:  spring rolls (the NOT-fried kind),  Biker Buddy's Homemade Spaghetti, my omelets, calamari

D) Four things I'd like to do:  publish a poetry manuscript, publish a young adult novel, publish a children's picture book, publish an adult novel (all written and maybe illustrated) by me.

E) Four people I think will respond: John C, Pam, Gail?  OK, I can only think of three. 

F) Four things you did yesterday:  drove from Syracuse to Detroit, hiked alone at Rock Glen Provincial Park in Ontario Canada, Took pictures of a waterfall, climbed a cliff with no assistance of any kind (no trail, ropes, handholds, pitons etc).  (AK!)

G) Four things you hate:  cleaning house, dealing with  bills, mail, banking (UGH!)

I was tagged by Bea Bittermann and I tag John C and anyone else who wants to play along.