Blake Matthew Bowlin, my new nephew, was born Sunday. Happy mother and father are doing fine at home and trying to get used to life not only with child, but also with family.

Listening to: Pat Metheny's Watercolors disc (actually on tape) IN MY NEW HOUSE!!! We are finally here! It seems like a crazy long journey, but I have finally moved. Tonya and I are really sore and tired, perhaps a bit cranky, but really happy to be here. The kids are figuring out how to live in a house, and the experience has been painful at times, and ecstatic at times. Max's favorite thing seems to be the water sprinkler, that and the TVR feature on the new Dish system. The twins seem to delight in chasing each other around. Alex seems to love her solitude in her room.
 
Took forever, it seems, but finally found the book I was reading, The Greatest Story Ever Told. Perhaps I've lost a little interest, but I had read a good third, and I'm committed to finishing. Plan to read Asimov's I, Robot next.

Ready to get back to some sort of routine of writing. I got a nice letter the other day from someone who actually reads my blog. The letter encouraged me to get back to work on an essay that has been bouncing around with me for some time. I'd also like to get back to submitting some stuff.
 
Did get news that two poems have been accepted for online journals. One is to be published at Dufus. It is titled, "Slam the door when you go." The other, "Fear at Burger King," is already available at Chronogram. I'm actually getting paid real money for the poem at Chronogram. So thanks to all that have looked so kindly on my little pieces. And reader, please go read.
 
Peace,
 

Back at the library, checking emails, trying to get some quiet, fighting various temptations, picking up a couple of movies.

We finally have a closing for Monday. Hopefully we can load the truck on Sunday and get out of the crap hole early. Have already gotten a couple of nasty notes from the apartment (which seems to have already changed managers after only a week of having a new one). We are excited, but a bit anxious. After all the roadblocks, I suppose we keep expecting a call that says the whole thing is off.

The whole ordeal has been, and continues to be, an exercise of faith. We have prayed and trusted that this move is the will of God. I've wondered if I was blinded by the house, and that these roadblocks might be confirmation that we are not to proceed. But faith untested is not faith worth having. We must have trials and difficulties to prove the faith real, not for God who knows us, but for ourselves, who cannot fathom the depths of our possibilities.

About a third through The Greatest Story Ever Told, and despite a couple of nagging problems, I am enjoying it. A couple of notes: first, I noticed in the Prologue that a chief motivation for writing the book was that so few people were reading the Bible, that biblical phrase in conversation brought stares and blank expressions. Mr. Oursler seems to have been sad that such an important document was fading from (my expression) cultural literacy. The book was published in 1949! Well, Mr. Oursler, it hasn't gotten any better.

Second, in the Prologue, the author explains that he took great pains, when the story would be made into a radio serial, to be sure that the story was accurate and would not offend (and I presume appeal to) Protestants or Catholics. He writes nothing of how it would be received by Jews. There are pains taken, it seems to my ignorant mind, to faithfully reproduce the people and times. However, there are little things that might stand out as inaccurate or even offensive, such as Jesus being described not only as having a perfect body (not a problem in itself), but coupling the image with notes that his skin was "lighter" than his companions. I don't know that a lot of people would notice it, but it did bug me a little. However, the story is still interesting. I'm sorry, actually, that I am past the part with Joseph's role in the story. I liked reading about his as a man of faith. However, I'm confident I will find similar tales of others in the novel.

Well, I haven't moved into the new place yet. I'm sitting in the library after reading my emails because I have no phone at home and thus no internet access. We were supposed to close a week ago. Argh!

Have finished reading The Best American Mystery Stories 2000 and a book of haiku poems I found a few days ago at Half Price Books. The haiku was not so great, but it is part of a series I have two or three books of. This is the first (I think, I'm not sure because the others are in my office). It wasn't terrible, but I suppose I have found some more satisfying. Of course, with haiku, one's state of mind has much to do with how it is received. And I have not been in a great state of mind.

The mystery stories were fine. I'm glad I finished before the move, but with my books packed up, I'm reticent to start much else. I did begin reading a copy of The Greatest Story Ever Told by Fulton Oursler. I have this first edition that isn't in great shape and it somehow didn't get packed with the other stuff. So far, I've read three chapters. I like some; some I'm not too keen on. We shall see.

Still writing...a little. Haven't worked on the "grief" essay in a couple of days, but I think I'm nearing the end of the draft. I did finish drafting my first (can you believe it, after 40 years?!?) sestina. It is about the delay in moving. It is perhaps too dreamy, but I'm glad I finally did one of these. I think I'll do others.

Better run for now. Peace of Christ to all who read here.