The reality of moving is setting in. Boxes are proliferating in our tiny apartment. I’m frantically searching through books, figuring out which ones need to be set aside for my Advanced Poetry class that starts in October, which ones might need to be reviewed in the next couple of weeks. I hope Napa is kinder luck-and-health-wise than San Diego has been. I could use a year of recuperation among the grapes!

I’m sending out individual poem packets, book manuscripts to open submissions and contests, using my brand-new PO box address labels. I’m looking forward to living down the street from a lovely independent bookstore again (Copperfield’s Books) and a Trader Joe’s. We can also afford a slightly bigger apartment, and yay, since it’s two bedrooms instead of just one, I’m getting an office again! Instead of having to type and research in a corner of the bedroom. Napa also has a lovely farmer’s market, which I’m looking forward to visiting.

I also had good news, that the Santa Cruz weekly paper Good Times Santa Cruz will be featuring poems from Becoming the Villainess next week in their Poetry Corner! Did I mention how I’m having lots of fuzzy-happy feelings about Santa Cruz? First the radio show, now this. Thank you, Northern California, for such a warm welcome!