In Love with France, At Home In Italy

HOW ABOUT HERE, INSTEAD OF IN THE CYBER-MUSEUM OF HALF-BAKED IDEAS THAT IS THE “NOTES” SECTION OF MY IPHONE ? I used to think that handwritten stuff on yellow pads was safe from oblivion/extirpation, but now I see that that was my naive, techno-dunce Luddite self, speaking. That self-description hasn't really changed, but having had a lot of those yellow pads go missing over the years, I am starting to see the error of my ways. Even if they do resurface, then what?  Rather than continue to be haunted by these poor, unanchored bits, I've decided to give them their moment and see what happens.  In the storied writing course where I am both teacher and student, the course chair tells us that to write is a discipline. No lolling around waiting for the Muse. You're the one who's got to show up! But to have a limitless-seeming space like a NOTES section on my phone is an irresistible invitation to hoarding and procrastination. In this type of t...

If you have been reading this blog over the years, part of the above title may sound familiar (see  CATCHING UP WITH MYSELF  and  STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH MYSELF  from 2013  ).  Procrastination Queen that I am, I had been intending, for some time, to try to post the many blogs-in-progress that have been gathering dust in the Notes section of my IPhone. Many are awaiting the photos from my overloaded camera roll that should accompany them. It shouldn’t be that hard to put it all together, right? Well, maybe not for those who were born into the computer generation. But I am a certified techno-dunce--just ask any member of my techno-savvy family whom I need to have within screaming distance before I even dare turn on the computer. So I let the technical aspects of posting get in the way of finalizing my pieces. And now, the current state of the world makes me feel as if to write about my own mini-dramas might seem a sacrilege.  ...