I am sitting with my student, George, again for our 2nd quick write. George will be coming twice a week for one hour for the next couple of weeks. This is our plan to get him ready for 6th grade, where he will be required to write a lot in class with a fair amount of speed and enough detail to adequately cover whatever question is asked.
Earlier today, Ray and I had a visit from our friend (and priest), Ian, which was the first time we’ve seen him in over a month. I made lunch: baked chicken, mashed potatoes and green peas plus homemade ginger snaps and we had a nice sit-down meal together here in our home. I was happy to see Ian and to catch up since our last meeting. He went to Britain while we were in Texas so that he could be present for his mother’s 70th birthday party and his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We know his family well along with some of his closest friends in Britain, so it’s nice to get news of them and how the trip went. It felt like old home week to have him sitting in our den, chatting.
I also had a good long chat with one of my closest girlfriends here in LA, Judy HG, and we caught up on all the news since our last in-person visit, which was at least six weeks back. We know each other’s children so we had to cover how they are all doing, plus, of course, our own news and developments. We have a nice connection, Judy and I, so I always feel as if I’m speaking to someone I’ve known for years. That’s a good feeling, almost sister-like, and since my own sister died last year, it’s so good to have a female friend who listens and responds in much the same way as my beloved Leslie.
Speaking of “old” friends…one of my students with whom I am working on her developing novel is in the category of new “old” friend. She and I met in the winter during one of my classes and we both felt a strong sense of kinship. This has continued while we are working on the structure of her book so it’s wonderful to have that connection. The tiny class of three women of which she was one had an unusual bonding experience – I believe we all felt as if we’d known each other for a long time. What a wonderful feeling that is!
So, now the timer is going off and I need to close. We put a bit more time on the clock so we could finish up writing. It will be 15 minutes in just a minute or so.
I am happy to be sitting here with George. The fan is whirring and the house feels calm. I love that summer feeling. No rush, only a sense of peace.
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