memorial

I don't have your grave to visit
and I never strew your ashes.
I thought it didn't matter
because I had you in my memories.
But it's been ten years
and I'm starting to realize why people carve their names on trees
and tag graffiti on bridges
and why I write down my stories.

 we'll never know what we forget
 and I know I don't want to forget you.

I hope you like it.

Robert Mercer 

5/30/72-8/27/07

playing during the pause

using a friend's tip for freezing blueberries for cherries: freeze them flat first and then put them in a jar--that way they won't freeze in big clumps!

So, I am in the rare pause in my work--the calm before the storm--where I've sent in my sketches/rough drafts and am waiting for publisher feedback before I can continue. This is usually an optimum time to start something new or research a new idea (or clean the house) but instead I'm spending my days pitting and freezing cherries (for Christmastime cherry pies!) and making zucchini bread. I'm not sure where all this Little-House-On-The-Prairie homemaking urges are coming from but I'm enjoying it:

To the point where this has really piqued my interest:

Gee, I wonder why the Sasquatch keeps asking if I've heard from the publisher yet...

color-blind just means being blind

Listen to my NEPR commentary on  color-blindness here: http://nepr.net/post/its-schools-job-acknowledge-race 

Here I am on NEPR again, this time talking about the problems of teaching "color-blindness" and spreading the word about the Community Book Stop! Take a listen HERE!

(Edited to add that the discussion suggestions for the Book Stop can be found HERE.
And our book list HERE.)