I slept last night like I'd been felled, and now I sit, peacefully un-groggifying myself, as robinsong shrills through an open window. Last night was the first night of open windows downstairs, the first night of grumbling old humidifier, the first night of coming home from a movie and breathing in the fragrance of doorstep summer night. As Tom fiddled with his key, I suddenly remembered the scent of my New Jersey grandparents' concrete front porch, the smell of gravel and mowed grass and Salems and the sharp odor of the dusty little carnations--we called them pinks--that edged the stairs.

Last night was the first evening of dinner outside--braised chicken salad, a mason jar of ice tea, slabs of new bread, and the cat sprawled voluptuously beside us in the grass.

And today will be another summer's day.

Yesterday I finished the memoir I was editing and sent it off to the author. This morning, after my walk, I'll turn my attention to prepping for my upcoming zoom class; then do some planning for the teaching conference, clean the upstairs rooms, start weeding the backyard gardens. Probably I'll go out to write tonight.

I've got stacks of new editing lying in wait, but they can lurk until tomorrow. I need a few hours to focus on class planning. There's so much prep involved in the teaching conference: individual sessions to design, reading intros to write, collaborations to work out, marketing to do, plus supporting participants, supporting faculty, supporting the Monson Arts staff. I have to drag out all of my mother-skills to run this thing.

But we are doing well, registration-wise, which delights me. In our first year in new digs, our numbers are as good as last year's, and many of these people have never taken part in the conference before. It's an excellent sign.

By the way, I've suddenly had one space open up in my upcoming Poetry Kitchen class: "From Draft to Dream." Maybe you'll consider joining us? Here's the class description:

From Draft to Dream: Revising into the Unknown

Dawn Potter, instructor

Maybe you've got a notebook full of first drafts that you can't bring yourself to touch. Maybe you're looking for a way to bring your existing writing into new territory. Maybe you struggle to trust your own judgment about revision choices.

This day-long class is for anyone who is looking for new ways to step into existing poems. Via prompts, readings, and conversations, we'll experiment with structure, language, narrative, voice, and other elements of poem construction. At the end of the day you'll have a sheaf of new revisions and a toolbox of ideas to put to use in your writing practice.

Date: June 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. ET,  on Zoom

Cost: $75

Class size is limited to 12 participants. 

Inservice teachers will receive 5 hours of professional development credit. 

Register here!