cats, dogs, horses, you name it, she loved it

My mother's obituary is in the "Globe" and the "Citizen" today and tomorrow. I've already had emails from Toronto friends. Auntie Do thought it was perfect except that "it didn't mention her love of animals." True - an unfortunate error. If you read it, please add "animal welfare" to the list of things she was passionate about.

Received a great card this morning from friend Lani in Stratford, containing a goofy picture of the two of us in 1978. I didn't know that a death in the family is also a celebration of friendship.

An interesting experience last night - I met with a young man to whom I had been given as a Christmas present. Yes - his mother paid for an hour of my time and gave that hour to her son, who has lost his job in advertising and was writing a screenplay and considering his options. We had wine and cheese and I asked him questions. I think I showed him that his expectations were unrealistic in two directions - on the one hand, a bit grandiose, and on the other, too self-deprecating. He is working with a co-writer who's a perfectionist, has to make everything perfect on one page before moving on to the next, and I told him that's the death of art, that art is messy, that the first drafts need to be flung on the page so you have something to work with, so you can figure out what you want to say. What do you want to say? I asked. What stories do you want to tell? What matters most to you?

These seemed to be questions he needed to hear. I wasn't sure how it would work and he wasn't either, but we both enjoyed our time together. Please, students and bloggees, give me as a Christmas present anytime. I'll work on the bow.

PS Just checked the weather network. Forecast for Florida next week: cloudy and rain, every day. Forecast for Toronto: above average temperatures, due to drop back down Sunday, the day I return.

Ah well.