September 28, 2010

The smoky purple asters are tall as I, the swamp hibiscus quite a bit taller. Spider fed and balled herself up under the porch roof to digest and keep out of the way of hungry birds.

Tried to paint, but my studio was flooded, so I came home and dug around in the garden. Weeds came up easy after the rain. Pulled out a running Virginia creeper root twelve feet long and thick as my thumb. The ground groaned with relief when it came out.

Off to Marion in a few minutes to lecture at the McDowell County Library on Hasidism and the Jewish novel, in preparation for a discussion on Chaim Potok. Preparation didn’t involve much scholarship, but it involved some, and each time I do scholarly research, however minimal, I remember that I liked it, and was good at it, and marvel that I let it go almost completely to the wayside. I’ll keep it for some unforeseeable season of calm in the future.