We spent most of yesterday reaming out the attic. Then I went to the fair to judge the talent show, and Tom stuffed grape leaves and made corn pudding. The winner of the talent show was a tiny scrap of a girl, maybe nine years old, who sang Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay" as if it had been written for her. I felt like I was listening to a baby version of Dusty Springfield. Believe me: you never know what will turn up at the Harmony Fair.

And now, on Tuesday morning, I will return to doing the usual: e.g., editing a manuscript and hauling a load of detritus to the Goodwill. How did we manage to accumulate so much useless stuff? Some of it, though, was pleasant to revisit--for instance, toddler Paul's crayon drawing of "a happy piece of toast."

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On Wednesday I'll initiate our next group poetry-reading project. The featured poet, as you know, will be Geoffrey Hill; and our featured reader will be Tom--not the one who cleaned out the attic with me but an excellent high school English teacher from Connecticut. Because it was he who first suggested that we consider looking at Hill's work, I thought it was appropriate to invite him to open the conversation. The first poem we'll be looking at will be "Genesis," and tomorrow he'll share some of his thoughts and questions about the poem.