absentee blogger's guilt

Okay, here's the posting where I promise to do better by my blog. I swear. This summer has been lovely, thanks to my new abode and the aforementioned gardening jones that has gotten the most of my time. Blissful, though, and incredibly calming.

I told a friend tonight that I've become the kind of person who thinks that getting the latest issue of Sunset magazine in the mail and checking out gardening tasks for the upcoming month is a good time. Oh, lawdy, what has become of me?

On top of being mistress to the weeds, I immersed myself in water this summer, attempting to learn how to swim the right way (i.e., not twisting my neck and gulping to breathe while doing the front crawl) in middle age. Hey, lemme say, it's not easy. Can there be a learning curve in the water? I think so.

Best part of the summer: Taking what can only be called an intimately sized poetry class through the ASUC Art Studio at UC Berkeley with three other students. Our teacher, Cody Gates, one cool guy who's passionate about poetry was nothing if not encouraging (what every beginner needs). I think my poems evolved in the short six-week class, and now I'm committed to keep going. Am looking for a new class, because there's nothing quite so inspiring as a deadline. More later. I promise.