A string and a prayer

sunny, cloudy, warm, cold, dry - then torrential rains. All normal.

Back home in Sutton!! Feel I've been away longer than I have. So wonderful to be home. Played with Trudy, hugged Michael, cut the first peonies and some lupines out at the pond. visited Markus. Wrote. Took Trudy to the Vets, with Michael - just for some rabies shots and other shots...and some heart worm prevention stuff. All's well.

All's better than well.

When I stepped out of the car and hugged and kissed Michael and asked how his breakfast in Cowansville was he said - It was grovelous.

huh?

He started to say 'Grotesque' (as it massive) - and changed halfway to 'marvelous' (as in massive).

Feels so amazingly good to be home. But it was also a wonderful time away...everything, as you saw, went so smoothly.

Met Simone at 8 at the cafe creme in Westmount. hadn't met her before. She's the publicist for the launch of Still Life in French. The French title is En Plein Coeur - which means Right in the Heart. The literal, exact, translation of Still Life is - Nature Mort. A GREAT title, but so great it's been used a million times. So we went with the other, which is also a magnificent title.

The publisher herself, from Flammarion Quebec, Louise Loiselle, also came, which was a lovely surprise. She was on vacation. so the three of us sat around and talked strategy and touring and timing. And it became clear that this fall I would in fact be juggling three tours.

The US and Canadian tours for Bury Your Dead.
The Canadian tour for the literacy novella The Hangman
And the Canadian/Quebec tour for the French translation of Still Life, En Plein Coeur

Very exciting. But crucial to pay close attention to scheduling. fortunately, everyone is very reasonable and fairly flexible...though there are some dates that can't be changed...like the Miami and nashville and Montreal Book Fairs, and the literary festivals.

I had two very large, extra strong, cafe au laits - no breakfast - and boing...what a caffeine rush! Drove - having to pay close attention - to my dentist for a cleaning - then home.

It was very cold this morning, but Michael told me he bundled up, put the roof down, and drove the beetle to Cowansville for breakfast. I tell you - he's in love with this car.

Our neighbor saw him and remembered he - like one of you - used to have a karman Gia (sp?) Said he might just see if he can get one again. We might have to rename the road...VW way.

Gary's coming on Thursday to take a photo of me with the car for The Globe and Mail. I thought it would be fun to sit in the car and have old fashioned goggles and a scarf appear to be flapping out behind me...but I would obviously be stationary. So I did what I always do... Oh, Lise...

Emailed My Assistant Lise and asked her how she'd get that effect. A few hours later she sent back the funniest email, with a bunch of suggestions! What a creative woman she is...and i have to think, not many assistants get urgent requests like that.

her winning suggestion is to tie some thin nylon string to the end and hold it up (out of camera range) with a pole. so it looks like it's heading straight out behind me. Will let you know how it goes on Thursday.

Speak to you tomorrow!