Rose, waiting for me
 
  November 29, 2009 –  Cloudy cool. Sundays are interesting for me. Maria works a 12-hour shift, and the days seem to fill up. I went to Cambridge to pick up a water garden for my study from my friend Keith Davitt, a garden designer and writer. His water gardens are beautiful, small and quite soothing. Keith also designs big gardens and real ones, and writes about them.
  I walked the dogs, moved firewood onto the porch from the studio barn, made dinner, and went to my friends Rob (Rev.) Rose and Sarah’s house in West Hebron to help them celebrate Advent Day, the coming of the Christmas season.
  I am quietly celebrating mailing off my novel, and tomorrow, I plan to assault my short story book. In December, I’m going up to the far Adirondacks for a fews days to research the sequel to “Rose In A Storm.”
  Some notes. Support farmland conservation. Check out the ASA’s 2010 calendar, available for viewing and purchase online.
  Saturday, noon Izzy and I will be at the Battenkill Book Store, Main St. Cambridge, N.Y. So will Maria and Mary Kellogg. Potholders and poetry will be sold.
  Thursday, December 17, from 4 to 8 p.m., I will be at the Red Fox Bookstore, Glens Falls, N.Y., to sign books and ASA calendars. Mary Kellogg the poet will join me with copies of her new book “Whistling Woman.”
  At 1 p.m., Saturday, December 19th, we will all be at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vt. to sign books and sell calendars.

  – Re: Staying on the farm. I am thinking through some middle ground options. I might sell off a parcel or two of land. If I ever get any money, I could apply it to lowering the mortgage. Those are some ways staying on the farm would make sense. If I did stay on the farm, I would consider getting a small number of animals, two or three. It is strange not to use these barns and pastures. But I think I will not own them, simply allow farmers to keep them here. These are some middle ground solutions to staying here.