Yes, agenda: I thought of this as I swam this morning, gradually picking up the shreds (pieces, remnants) of my life and carrying on. Soon, the glass will be half full again - my normal view.

So the agenda this week, apart from fiddlies which are always with us, is the creation of a fresh nine-beat structure for my WWII movie, based on the book by Carolyn Gossage (The Accidental Captives, Dundurn Press). I remember reading a long time ago that the best activity to accompany a period of focused, creative thought is something mindless like tossing pebbles into a pond - repetitive and physical but not taxing. Housework fits the definition but it's not much fun.

Oh, fun! I remember a Peanuts strip. (Does anyone remember Peanuts? Charles Schultz was determined to let it disappear with him.) In every segment, Charley Brown is shuffling through a pile of leaves, back and forth back and forth. In the last box, he says, "I don't know why that's so much fun." I think I used to say that about making love, too, but I have a fading memory. Now, there was a creative activity! (If memory serves.)

Anyway, the agenda for today, after laundry and phone calls for appointments and I'm making pea soup with a couple of pork hocks (do you know how hard it is to find pork hocks these days?), the prime agenda is the 9-beat structure. My partner (Gossage) will be glad to see me back on track.

I hope you are, too.