Almost October

Feeling listy today:

- It's pouring the rain down outside. The wind is blowing. I love Fall (my favorite season), but contemplating the months of grey, overcast skies and unending rain that lie ahead makes me want to crawl into a cave. A well-appointed cave, with velvet wall hangings, fireplaces you can stand in, and secret passages between the kitchen and the library. Hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe what I really want is a castle in the English countryside...

- Kate had an accident Thursday night and knocked her two upper middle front teeth. The left one got pushed back a bit but luckily neither one fell out. She was very upset. It's been an usettling couple of days. (A quick trip to the dentist on Friday assured us all that she is just fine and will likely not lose the tooth)

- I have mixed feelings about my flashathon. I didn't write as much as I had hoped. But it was fun and there was great participation. Guess I'm just a little disappointed in myself.

- I'm getting ready to begin my top-secret knitting project for the girls for Christmas and I'm really excited about it. An entire Groovy Girl wardrobe! There will be nightgowns and robes, sundresses, sweaters, skirts, hats, accessories, blankets, and whatever else I can come up with. All designed and created by me.

- My team (Oregon) lost to Dennis' team (Cal) yesterday. Boo hoo.

- There are some trees with brilliant red leaves near our house and every time I drive by them it makes me smile. If only I could change color to celebrate the seasons!

Barbie Gets Dolled Up

Um...remember when I said I was working on a rather complicated Dale baby sweater? It kind of took a turn for the worse and I had to frog the whole thing. I apparently have a complete inability to count while simultaneously knitting yarn-overs. Realizing that my new niece could well be in college by the time I finished, if indeed I ever did finish, I decided to scrap the sweater idea (for now, not forever) and knit something infinitely easier - a blanket. The truth is, I think this is a much better choice anyway, because it's something she can use for years and is fully machine washable and dryable. I'll post pictures of the blanket and the surprise I knit for her big brother after they've received them. In the meantime, I've been at it with the doll clothes again.

Sometimes a gal needs a little glam in her life, so Barbie got this:

The dress pattern is from Nicky Epstein's Knits for Barbie. I made up the shawl myself.

Using the same pattern with a little variation creates a less formal look:

Note: Barbie is not wearing shoes because this is surfer Barbie and she has honking huge feet. I love how realistic they are (and yes, some of us do have feet that wide), but unfortunately they don't make any shoes for them.

Finally, I'm never happy unless I'm making up my own designs, so I created this skirt and top set for Kate's Barbie:



I'm currently working on a mix-and-match set for Emma's Barbie, so keep an eye out for more pics soon.

360 Poems

Yep, that's right. I finished my 12th round of 30 poems in 30 days yesterday. Here's the latest batch of titles:

She Never Wears Her Bonnet
Rain
A Question of Shadow
Among the Cannibals
Temporal Physics
Oath of the Blue Angels
Fire
The Way
Recompense
The Authenticity of Violence
Belles-Lettres
haiku
How Thunder Stepped into the Sky
Filling a Bucket of Berries
Going to Bruneau
Nine Things and a Sidecar on Route 66
Where Pharaohs Dreamt Music
raw doubt
Pipes
Unexpected Bats
Sophia Loren Steps into a Discothéque
Ophelia’s Confession
An Open Letter to Calypso
Will Shakespeare is Living in a New Mexico Commune
Family History, Part V
Requiem for Hope
Peace
Two
Remember This
Loosen My Limbs

Writer Profile Project

In case you've forgotten, let me bring your attention once again to Kelly Spitzer's Writer Profile Project. This week you can read an interview with the über-talented Gwendolyn Joyce Mintz.

Summer's End

The kids are back in school, the days are changing shape, and every other leaf is flexing a final green finger before the fall, but you can't go wrong with fresh raspberries in September.

Another Poem Pub

Check out the new issue of the gorgeous Press 1, including my poem Aubade: Passion Fruit.

Poems

I'm back in 30/30 doing 30 poems in 30 days and it feels great. Some days are harder than others, but it is a blast. I'm also writing a flash a day for the month of September, which is decidedly more challenging, but very rewarding.

I've had several acceptances recently and you can currently find my poem not 29 anymore in the new issue of the denver syntax. This is a great zine, with a beautiful look and lots of fabulous work.

I also have two poems in the brand-new Irish ezine, The Linnet's Wings. I'm thrilled to have these pieces published because they're both quite personal and mean a lot to me. Memory of a Winter's Day is about an anniversary trip we took to the Grand Canyon. The second poem is a haibun and stretches all the way back to when Dennis and I first met. It's called Taking the Road from Crownpoint to Chaco.

Hope you enjoy!