Valentine Tree

For those who keep track of this, year by year, post by post, and there are a few of you, yes, my tree is still up, but by now it is fully converted to the Valentine Tree, with wintery but non-Christmasy ornaments on it, plus hearts, a red apple, birds, lovebirds, and small greeting cards that are valentiny (meaning small and valentine-ish): "I Love You" in many languages, a sweet opening-night card from an actress in The Language Archive; a New Year's card from poet Molly Spencer, with a red window, red shutters, red curtains; and a New Year's card from poet Jeannine Hall Gailey with a pair of love bunnies looking at the moon. I love my life!

And this is a bunch of grapes, by Jonathan Koch, roughly in the shape of a heart. Right?

I have been busy with various things. Everything happens at once. I was glad to get my 2015 calendar in time to put these things in it before they happened. It's a New York Times crossword calendar, handy for waiting, if 1) I have a pencil 2) I can forgive myself for being so bad at the New York Times crossword puzzle. (I think I can, I think I can.)

The sun has been shining lately, melting the snow and giving me "earth lust." Really, I was re-reading the book Earth Lust, by poet Julie Brooks Barbour, reviewing it for Escape Into Life, and getting sort of lusty and eager to smell the dirt again. If I walk outside, and I do, I can sort of smell the mud.

These are currently available paintings by Jonathan Koch, by the way!