April 12, 2014

First staggering day behind me. The second is tomorrow. Today I breathe.

Reading in the Grotto for UNCA’s Arts Festival. There were eleven readers (thirteen were scheduled) and that’s too many. Of those eleven, four were worth hearing. On such occasions, it’s hard to know whether to go with inclusiveness or to vet things a little, and if to vet them, by what criteria. A is in pain, and it’s sad to watch her move, but move she does, pushing the world before her as she always has.

The more comments I get about Man and Superman, the fewer anxieties I have about my performance. It seems to have worked. Not all of the performances do, but the production does. Last night people laughed heartily all through. Drinks and salad with L at Olive or Twist afterwards, where the old folks were dancing to a live band.

Everyone who asked yesterday was told I would spend today in an orgy of gardening, and that’s exactly what happened. Never was there a clearer, brighter day. The streets of town are Edenic with flowering cherry and weeping cherry and redbud. Stuart left me with two strapping redbuds overhanging the walk. I bought Adirondak chairs and bench for the back lawn. I lay down on the bench and had immediately to leap up, because I was falling instantly asleep. Will keep that for a better time. Planted a scarlet single peony, red poppies, beebalm, baptisia, several kinds of iris that the lady at the farmers’ market had to explain thoroughly, daisy, spearmint, golden ice plant. I dug up a clump of violet violets from the old yard and resettled them in the new. Then I slept and dreamed I was in an airport and our plane could not quite make it off the ground, a clear reference to my not being able to wake up and get about my labors. Golden evening now. I will sit on my porch with my toes in the sunlight. Then I will go to the theater.