out of the blump

I hit a blogger slump last week, which I've named a "blump."  Couldn't get up the focus to write here.  Perhaps it was the scary and/or absurd political and financial landscape, or being home after the high of Washington and New York, or the onset of autumn. The cold is a shock - turning on the furnace, getting out the coats, hats and gloves, beginning to put away the garden. But as I look out of my office window right now, the sun is shining on masses of green. We have many days to go and a lot of raking to do before it all shuts down out there.

On the good news front: I am thrilled to have replaced my stolen Bluebird with a beautiful bicycle from Craigslist.  I was lucky enough to contact an honest young man, a bicycle mechanic who'd fixed up a thirty-year old but almost never used family bike. A brand new Kryptonite lock cost $85 and the bicycle only $40 more.  Her name is - that is, everyone knows her as - Nancy.

More good news: my son's battered face has healed except for a red bump still on his forehead.

My cheerful friend Bruce is visiting from Vancouver - my own personal techie, who will show me how to work my DVD player properly, help renovate my computer, and just generally do complex manly things about the house.  What a treat.  

Friend Margaret was also here last week, also visiting from Vancouver - she and I were pregnant at the same time, gave birth to our first and second children only months apart, and so as you can imagine, have lots to talk about, lots of mutual worrying and reassuring.  Margaret also works as my editor - hmm, is there a pattern here, of me putting my friends to work?  Yes.  While we ate lunch, we edited a personal essay of mine that will appear in More magazine in February.  Well, I can't help it if I have skilful friends, can I?

I won't even think about Stephen Harper, the timber wolf in sheep's clothing - oh, the fake friendliness of that soft blue sweater, reflecting the ice in those eyes - or mention the appallingly shallow and inept Sarah Palin.  Because then all my good feelings would vanish and the blump might pull me down again.  

I'm embarrassed to say that I missed "Nuit Blanche."  I intended to go out and explore my arts-ravaged city, but it was cold and dark and I was sitting at the computer working and suddenly it was 1 a.m. and I just went to bed like the fogey I am.  Next year, without fail, I will be out there to see what my artist colleagues have done to transform our concrete home for a night. 

But Nancy and I did go for a long ride on the Don Valley Trail on sunny Sunday morning - Michaelmas daisies and scarlet sumach in the sharp, diminishing light of fall.  Just happy to get my face in the sun.  Happy to get past the blump.  Happy New Year to my Jewish friends, and happy sunny day to everyone.