Path not taken

This was a glorious day. Instead of rolling out of bed and opening the laptop, I decided not to touch the laptop till at least 5 p.m.

I read, thought, did some Tai Chi, made phone calls, and marveled at all the time I suddenly had at my disposal. I felt the way I have when painful relationships ended. Suddenly there is time for everything. Wonderful.

I took a long stroll through the balmy summer morning to Powell's, where I picked up Avel Gordly's autobiography--something I'd been meaning to read for ages, but after I met her on Saturday it became a necessity.

Then I met Susan at the Japanese Garden. Susan is absolutely amazing: she was one of the first women admitted to Yale back in 76, and then she went from Yale to law school in California and became a high-powered, brilliant lawyer. Now she has Multiple Sclerosis and has to be more brilliant than ever to navigate the many locations that are inaccessible to wheelchairs and scooters. Most of the Japanese Garden is accessible, but not all of it. We didn't go down this stairway.

It was a great day for photographs. I made some wonderful portraits of Susan but was shy to ask her permission to post them, so I will leave you with this, and with a slideshow of fifteen more non-portraits, as contemplative as any photos I've ever made.

And now I'm going to leave Blip for a few days. I'm craving more time away from the screen. I want to read Avel Gordly's story, I'm working on a new poem, and I'm spending time with Bella this week as her mama is working on a project. Also Regeneration has arrived, recommended by several of you. I won't be commenting for a few days, and please don't feel any obligation to comment. I'm thinking about how to manage my time a little more wisely, how to cut back on Blip time without having to leave completely. Working on it.

"My writing has stopped, I don't have any energy any more. This is why I keep telling anyone younger than me, don't imagine you'll have it forever."
--Doris Lessing at 88. (Thanks to D.A., who is 71, for goading me with it.)