Dear John

I guess I've decided not to spend 2009 utterly blogless. Yes, I was considering it, though more in an absent, non-deliberate kind of way. I've been journalling faithfully this year and I've got a secret (only for the time being) project or two in the works, and . . . well, there was just something that unexpectedly shifted in me when I mentally hung the new calendar. I'm in the midst of some sort of transition. Rob and I both are. My mind and body have been busy the past month and a half with new tasks—learning skills, creating order. (You should see the "Screening Room"! It's finally empty! You can dance in it! At the same time I'm dancing in it!) I am also beginning to write. Let me rephrase that: I am beginning to Write. This doesn't mean that what I Write is fabulous or skilled, only that I am giving it more and believing in it more, young though it may be (much younger than I am—tell me, how does that work?)

I wrote a little screenplay for a competition, and now it's going to be made into a short film. Those of you who know a little about this may be wondering why I just wrote "going to" instead of "was." It's a long story. Call me if you want the low-down.) It's not a dramatic or comedic masterpiece; it was just an experiment, really, and a love note to the two girlfriends who inspired the story. I got lucky; somebody picked my script. Dumb happy luck. Now I'm trying to write a play, to see if I can, and for the sake of discipline and understanding. Where's it leading? Hopefully to satisfaction and friendly connections. Yeah, I'd love to publish a story in the New Yorker, but I'll be fine if I only succeed in expanding my brain a little. And, of course, collecting my prize money from the script competition . . . hint, hint, LDSFF. Ha.

But this isn't really what I stopped in to say tonight. Two weekend events prompted me to blog because they were just so lovely. Small things. First, an old friend from my NC years . . . JOHN . . . left me a short and dear little note on my blog. It's driving me crazy. WHICH JOHN? I can think of several I remember with love from back in the day, but WHICH JOHN? Come on, JOHN, I am going to split my brain open trying to figure you out, and you did not leave a link to any contact info. I'm not one of those folks who are no longer interested in old friends. (I have come across a couple of those recently—awkward!) Not sure if you'll stop in for another visit, but in case you do, my email address is at the top left of this page. I leave you no excuse!

The other thing I want to rattle on about is a delightful surprise I discovered today after church. Somebody tacked a wonderful Valentine garland into the ceiling on my porch, and it was dangling colorfully in our path when Rob and I tried to open the front door. "Rob + Georgia, eternal sweethearts" it said on one side. Amen to that! And the fascinating history of Valentine's Day on the other. French ribbon, lots of pretty paper hearts, it is a treasure! Thank you so much to the friend(s) who left it. I'll even forgive you the nail hole. (It goes so well with our house's other holes.) It was so much fun coming home to that. I'm leaving it right there so that everyone who knocks on our door has to (gets to) see it. Wait—JOHN, was that from YOU???

So I can't stand unfinished business. Please, mystery friends, identify yourselves and let me obsess about something else. I've got a prioritized list, really.

Love to all, and glad to be back in the blog business—

Geo