THE GENTLE RAIN FROM HEAVEN UPON THE PLACE BENEATH, LIKE MERCY

Today, we had a light drizzle; dribbling bits of moisture, a natural watering of the earth. I love the smell of rain-clean air, moist fresh-cut grass and newly picked herbs from my 'Victory Garden' Style Deck with the rich loam and homemade compost filled pots. Veggies grow still, abundant in the California sun. It's a good day to enjoy the simple pleasures.

Inklings on the Modernmuse

Having read the very interesting subject of tea on ModernMuse.blogspot.com, I confess that a hot cuppa tea, properly prepared--with the warmed teapot, water at the precise temperature of 212 degrees poured at first boil over the aromatic leaves of a first harvest, and sipped out of a china cup with its thin edge adding no conflicting flavor to the rewarding brew that slips over the tongue like fine silk cascading over bare skin--sigh, sigh--is one of my favorite things. Everything is better with a cup of tea.

But what really struck me was that our erstwhile instructor's vision of our future possibilities. That is true encouragement.

My Inklings

C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein joined several others of reknown in a writers group called The Inklings in the early 1900s. As demonstrated by the success of their respective writings, some of which have been parlayed into the large screen, good things come from sharing and inspiring each other. To that end we decided, after sharing a challenging class under the erstwhile instructor, Julia Park Tracey, editor of The Alameda Sun, and writer extraordinaire, to follow her suggestion and form our own writer's group. We welcome your inputs and suggestions. Join our Inklings.