Do you have a dream?

mixed, cloudy, rainy, sunny, temps 10

Another mixed weather day - would go from beautiful and sunny to a cloud burst in no time.

I think I'm one day away from finishing book 5, which I've called THE BRUTAL TELLING. We'll see what it ends up being called in the stores! But now it's just pouring out of me as we drive to the finish. Wrote 2 chapters today. quite exhausting, but thrilling. Last chapter still to go...tying up. I always love that, but the trick is to do it with some elegance. Happily there's always the re-writes and the editing and the polishing to get it right.

Then had a quick lunch with Michael, and out the door to Sutton and coffee with Joan at the Tintoretto. It was Rhonda's last day there. she's managed the tea room for 4 years - but is now leaving to concentrate on her own business of restoring antique furniture. Very exciting for her - but sad for those of us who loved her even more than the food.

Joan runs the local yoga and meditation centre, and quietly counsels people on the side and she was telling me she's recently spoken to two people and asked each, 'Do you have a dream?' I thought, what a great question. then Joan said she was walking down rue Principale and got to talking to a middle aged woman and asked her, 'do you have a dream'. And I looked across the table at this lovely, lovely woman and thought - you lovely woman. Imagine talking to people about the things they dream of doing, or being. Awakening in them that one thing they'd regret not trying.

Then, after Joan left, I zipped across to Richford for gas (forgot passport but they let me through anyway) - then met another friend, this time at the Cafe Internationale, for a cafe au lait. This was Janet, who teaches voice at Stratford in Ontario and Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburg - she also specializes in the Alexander Method of voice. Very interesting woman. I had a chance to ask her, 'do you have a dream', and we talked about that for 2 hours! Isn't life amazing?

Last night I gave the after dinner speech to a local club called Le Cercle. 60 people at the Auberge West Brome, including our neighbor Serge and a bunch of people I knew. But far more I didn't know. Frankly I wasn't really looking forward to it. A roomful of strangers...etc. Not scary, but stressful. But they were SO warm and welcoming. Especially the man who's the founder of the ground...Claude Grondin and his wife Lucille. It went well - but it's hard to fail when people are so kind.

My brother Doug arrived tonight from Toronto - about a 6 hour drive. We didn't know really when he'd come so we just had a loose dinner of baguette, cheese and hummus. Doug's a vetegarian - but fortunately he adores Caramilk bars - so we got him a HUGE one and put it by his bed. Doug spent a year with him and the asparagus I talk about is thanks to him!

Must go. Tired. But happy. Nice feeling to have 2 men I love under one roof.