Never Say Never

Oh blogger, why can't I quit you?

There's no good reason why I should be back here again, but, well, sheltering in place brings out the blogger in me. So, I will use this place as my virtual hangout until we return to some normalcy. Although, at this point, it seems like we have weeks to go before I can be in a room with people outside of my family.

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This is Mabel, our pup, after just scaring the two Canadian geese into the pond.

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The pond is on the property of the Grisham House in Oxford, MS. I've been teaching at the University of Mississippi since August. Now I'm teaching classes online, which is cool--but not how I expected to spend my last months here. The house is beautiful. Can't go into too much detail about the house, but there are 77 acres. Very isolated.

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The high today will be 83 with thunderstorms later. Pollen everywhere, even on my keyboard as I type this on my porch.

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My kids and I have been somewhat isolated since we've been here--just a handful of friends and no buddies who are my kids' age. So while the nation hunkers down with self-distancing, believe me when I say we've been doing this for months. We're used to it.

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This is a weird, weird time.

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I have enough poems to put together a new manuscript, which has some of the best work of my life.  Mississippi has been nothing but inspiring for me. And I continue to be inspired by its wondrous and tragic sides. This morning I started four new drafts, which I think I'll finish today. I mean, I have an abundance of time.

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We are good. There are worse places to shelter in place. We miss Massachusetts but my hope is that by the time we're ready to return in May, the state has hit its peak. Mississippi is a few weeks behind the curve (in many respects).

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This seems like a good place to stop. More to come.  XO



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