September 11, 2008 – I hate to say anything nice about goats, they are such a pain in my butt, but Ruth is a sweet creature, loving and bright and I am fond of her. If it weren’t for the undue influence of Murray, she’d be a doll. Maybe she is.
  So I want to share something I am thinking about. Writing fiction again. Somebody I trust told me that I ought to write a novel, and to my surprise, I had a powerful reaction. I started my writing career doing fiction, and wrote a novel and some mysteries. My first book was a novel, “Sign Off,” and it got some lovely reviews, but was published on the day the Gulf War was declared, and it sank like a rock, out of sight.
  Fiction is rough, but I am drawn to it. Just a thought, and I have an idea naturally. I wouldn’t give up the other books, but it might be nice to dig deep into myself, and recall my own roots as a writer. Maybe this thought will go away. I hope not.
  Ideas like this have to live in the light a bit, and stand the test of time. Sometimes they need to go away. Sometimes not.