In my NaPoWriMo World – nothing. It’s apparent I’m not going to be able to participate this year so I’ve given myself permission to be ok with it. My days seem to fly by and, honestly, I seem to have lost interest – for now, anyway – in writing poetry. I find myself more drawn to flash fiction and nonfiction. In fact, I took a week-end intensive flash cnf class with the wonderful Kathy Fish and thoroughly enjoyed it. I produced nine flash pieces that I can build on and received lots of support from Kathy and the other class participants. I’m taking a Hermit Crab class in May from another wonderful flash writer, Cheryl Pappas, and looking forward to it! I haven’t been submitting much at all but I do have a poem coming out in MORIA and a flash fiction coming out in Flash Frontier soon. In other writing news, I’ve joined the new Fractured Lit magazine as a reader so be on the lookout for our first issue. Right now I’m doing more reading than writing and that seems to fit into my life better. I’m sure the writing will return but I’m not going to worry about it. These days of social distancing and sheltering at home present a good opportunity to do some reading. Go for it!

I’m reading I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb. I picked it up because it’s coming to HBO as a series in a couple of weeks and, as you know, TV often leaves out pertinent details. The book is engrossing and I can’t believe I hadn’t already read it since I’m a Wally Lamb fan. Also reading, off and on, Heating and Cooling: 52 Micro Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly – such skilled writing! And in between I’m always reading CNF submissions for Barren Magazine.

Besides reading, I’m watching a few series on TV. These are my current favorites:

• Gardner’s World on BritBox – Monty Don is my hero!
• My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name on HBO – I read all the books by Elena Ferrante. The series is pretty good.
• The Plot Against America on HBO – May not finish as this type of show is not high on my list right now.
• Survivor on CBS – My top fave show which I’ve watched since Season 1
• Homeland on Showtime – last episode of the series was last night, I dvr’d it. I’m so sad it’s ending!
• Billions on Showtime – Just started Season 1, looks good.
• Baptiste on PBS – Love crime drama!
• Better Things on FX – I love this series so much. It’s single actor mom in Hollywood with three teen girls and the writing is spectacular. Pamela Adlon stars and produces. I’ve been a fan of hers since I first saw her on Californication. She’s great. She has absolutely no filter and I like that.
• Killing Eve on BBC America – Have watched from Season 1 – such a fresh & darkly funny show.
• Run on HBO – Just watched the first episode so the jury is out. I do like lead actor Merritt Wever who was great in Unbelievable, a true crime series on Netflix. I highly rec watching Unbelieveable – with a stress ball and tissues.
• Last Tango in Halifax on PBS – I’m rewatching Season 1 as my local station is rerunning it in prep for the new season in the fall. I can’t wait! This Brit series is so, so good and I’ve really missed it.

So I guess y’all think I watch too much TV, huh? Fact is, many episodes are dvr’d and watched in early morning and at night after I go to bed. All the hours in between are productive ones . Really.

Gardening: I planted seeds for zinnias, cleome, and something called Exotic Love Vine (!), a packet of which I couldn’t pass up with that name. All of them have sprouted and I’ve transplanted the little plants into larger pots, except for the cleome which took longer to sprout. I really hope they all do well. I love zinnias because they’re happy flowers and bloom prolifically and I love cleome becaus they’re unusual and old-fashioned even if they do stink. The butterflies love them. My one lavender plant has grown quite large and has bloomed like crazy all winter, attracting bumblebees. I’m so glad I have one little thing that attracts and feeds them! I wasn’t able to get to the garden center this year with the stay home order so no new plants. But most of my plants from last year did fine over the winter and I’m babying along the weaker ones. Here are a few pics of my side “secret” garden.

This was taken a few weeks ago. The plants are all bigger now but the tarp is still up. Gotta get that thing taken down.

This is the Exotic Love Vine. I can’t wait to see the flowers!

The baby plants.

I ended up going outside this morning so I snapped a few pics of the garden.

So, that’s about it for now. Don’t know when I’ll post again but I will post again. Stay safe, wear your masks, and wash your hands!