July into August

On our way back to Gilmanton for round two, we drove up to Northampton, had a nice dinner at Circa. Next stop, Albany, staying at the Desmond Hotel with a wedding party and a whole bunch of soldiers with their families attending seminars on supportiveness so that there were phalanxes of men in khaki camouflauge, then giggly bridesmaids, on our way to breakfast. Bill and I enjoyed the Diana at Saratoga, both had some money on the winner, Proviso, which edged out 3 other horses in a four-way photo finish.

Joining Jenny and the kids was especially lovely this year, they are all a little older and so much fun to be with. A poem I wrote about them:

Grandchildren

After they had gone, it was almost as if I had dreamed them.

The younger girl followed her sister everywhere.
They strutted past me, making crisp turns, re-enacting a parade
on the front lawn, beating sticks together like snare drummers.

Their brother pondered large questions,
such as whether, after fireworks, it were possible
to sweep up all the sparks.

And if brooms existed that wouldn’t catch fire.

Also, he had read in a local newspaper that Mars
would appear on August 27 almost the same
size as the moon. And it would crash into us.

These are exciting times.



Soooo, the second week of August I went off to attend the Advanced Seminar at The Frost Place, with Nan, a bunch of new friends, and our faculty: Gray Jacobik, Jeanne Marie Beaumont and Fred Marchant. I learned a great deal from all 3, from all the other 18 participants, really. I am going to think about each line, whether it needs to be in the poem, whether something else needs to be in the poem, whether the poem is finished, well, I should be paying more attention, I think. No dashing off poems.

Got back to Drew Farm for a few more days before we head back to Connecticut. Attended Opera North in Lebanon, a lively performance of Don Giovanni. A visit to Portland and Brunswick is in the near future. More later.