Waking up thinking it’s a different day is unsettling. I thought it was Friday and wondered why Theater Talk wasn’t on the radio… It’s good to know it’s Thursday so I have an extra day, as it were. I have a wedding reception to go to on Friday. Blood work and the Preakness on Saturday, this week just keeps going on…

I became a grandmother last night. Many texts and Facebook updates and email kept me on the computer and cell phone far later than has been my recent routine. I am grateful to be a grandmother and am proud of my son and his lovely wife, Christina. The baby is in the ICU, he wasn’t breathing when he was born. I told my son it will be alright, that the doctors are just being cautious so they don’t get sued. I hope that I am right. I can’t imagine a 9 pound 10 ounce baby would be anything but healthy. Still, it’s a worry, right from the start. I hope they all know my love and best wishes are with them. I do love this child. It’s strange to inherit a title even though I knew it was coming. I am now someone’s grandmother. Odd. I’m not used to it yet.

I’m trying to gather up files and assemble them into some sort of way in which I can find a poem or story or essay when I want to use them. I’ve been horrid at that aspect of organization. I did get my binder of where I sent what poem when updated. It was fairly easy since I haven’t been sending many out until recently. I owe so much gratitude to Dawn Corrigan. She was patient and helped me shape a kick-but poem for Girls with Insurance. She was on hiatus and decided not to come back to GWI in May. I’d been waiting for her return to send something in. I miss her!

On other fronts, my plan was to get a novel ready for submitting this year. After my wonderful, insightful first readers read Ellie’s Elephants, I reworked the first 15 pages and sent it into the Houston Writers Guild contest. I got some beautiful feedback and encouragement. Point wise, I was in the top twenty-five. This energized me and now, with this new information and the advice and questions from Betty, Natalie and Chyo, I’m prepared for another rewrite. So, away I go…