Insights into other people's minds help to keep one (very) humble. I stayed overnight with a friend in Stratford and we attended WAITING FOR GODOT, but she was far more interesting than Godot, and I have come away with fresh ideas to pursue, new urls to google, and thoughts to think, lots of potential blogs, in fact. It takes the hours of a visit to discover in satisfying detail what other people are doing with their lives and time. Not an extended visit; I keep in mind what Horace and Benjamin Franklin (both) said: After three days fish or a guest stink. But overnight, for sure, with time to talk over a nightcap (or wine on the porch by lantern light), and more time over breakfast coffee. You'll note that I assume alertness both late and early. I'm a nightingale as well as a lark. Just don't talk to me in the middle of the day because that's when I fold, spindle and mutilate. So we covered, among other things, the ecosystem, weather and food, including health and nutrition; e- and print-books, the reading (contents) thereof; practical clothes, shopping for, sources and tips; and of course, our work in progress because we are both writers. No gossip, no people or character analysis - well, a little - but not to the point of malice or destruction. We part with promises to keep more in touch, knowing that we have more to learn from each other. "Go to your friend," said Kahlil Gibran, not with hours to kill but with hours to live." Yes. Thank you.

We've already lost the battle for lie, I know that. Lay down your weapons as they will do you no good. May and might are goners. Career and careen are divided by an ocean, with Canada somewhere in-between, depending where you live and I guess how old you are. We've lost the correct pronunciation of forte. The reason why is horrible and repetitive. Reason-is-that is correct but most people say reason is because. (Oh, reason not the need!) People get lost in the subjunctive. There was once a popular song: "If I knew you were coming I'd of baked a cake." That's short for If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake. Right . These days you you'll hear people saying "if I would have known....and you'd probably say it, but they'd never sing it. Wrong. There's a love song in the musical Camelot: that begins: "If ever I would leave you..." Which is wrong. Grammatically, it should be "if ever I were to leave you," but you can't sing that to the music provided, because it doesn't fit. Some singers try to correct the lyricis. Neil Diamond sang "Songs you sang to me/Songs you brang to me" and I find that more charming than a singer correcting brang to brought. And Frank Sinatra missed Cole Porter's irony in the song "The Lady is a Tramp by citing all the genuine things the lady does ("don't go to Harlem in diamonds and pearls") thus proving she's a tramp - NOT! Frankie or his arranger changed the conclusion to "that's why the lady is a champ." Oh, dear, when I start arguing with lyrics, that just shows you I'm not a champ at all. I've lost the battle. Do you have any pet peeves?