It is the differences of objects that I love, that lift me toward
the rest of the universe, that amaze me. That each thing on
earth has its own soul, its own life, that each tree, each clod is
filled with the mud of its own star. I watch where I step and see
that the fallen leaf, old broken grass, an icy stone are placed in
exactly the right spot on the earth, carefully, royalty in their
own country.
~Tom Hennen “Looking for the Differences” from Darkness Sticks to Everything

I go looking for Charlie, time to take him on a short walk. But he is upstairs, sleeping in my daughter’s room. I have given him a pain pill with his breakfast. So I go straight for my swim and hope to take him later. Laps, third day in a row. I run into my friend, Po, who has been swimming too! I am leading my Wednesday morning writers, and rush off to get there in time. I am all prepared with the prompt. I still am unable to host. The painters in the whole downstairs, and the tile layers, are making great progress, though, and everything looks terrific. Freshening up! My writing group is very productive, a good prompt, excellent responses. We are meeting the challenges of the hybrid format pretty well. Four in person, five online. I have a nice lunch with Frank. He has invited. me back to another business retreat in Scottsdale in late January, and today we booked our flights. I went upstairs to work on poem submissions and couldn’t keep my eyes open. So, I stole a nap. And then it was time for flu and Covid vaccines for both of us. Light rain. Blurry driving. Quick vaccines. Glad to have this done and off the to do list. A lovely dinner, again, around the fire in the dining room, the gathering place, and I do not need to rush off. We linger and talk. There is help cleaning up. In my office tonight, it’s dark and the rain is falling heavily outside the window with a wind blowing up. A drenching rain. Charlie did not get a walk except the one he took himself. It’s warm and cozy indoors and the lamp is lit.