Maria is not leaving for India until Sunday but in a sense she is already gone. She was anxious about the trip for a week or so, then went over the details and moved beyond fear to excitement, which is where she is this week. Her head is in India, anticipating it, thinking about it, so anxious to get there.

it is quite appropriate to be anxious about a trip like that, but she has moved past that and we both are so excited we can hardly sleep. This trip seems like a miracle to us, an unbelievable opportunity.

It is an affirmation of her beloved potholders, her life, her evolution as an artist and a strong woman. In some ways, also an affirmation of the principles and ideas that govern our lives. We both believe strongly that one lives by example, not by argument. We spend little time arguing, we prefer to create and try to do good.

Maria leaves in four days, and that will surely leave a big hole in my life for a bit. It will be almost instantly filled by work, excitement and renewal. And the news of her trip and then, her return.  I am also excited about the two weeks I will have to focus on my next book, a rare gift, a pure creative time. Cassandra Conety will start work Monday morning, freeing me of morning chores.

I will be at the keyboard before dawn on Monday, maybe even Sunday night. I think my next chapter will be “Into The Woods,” the story of our re-claiming our own woods and also of what I have seen and learned about the divide between city and country people, who no longer seem to have much in common to unify them.

The farm is a great and continuous teacher. Today, the mood is excitement, pure and simple. I think it will stay that we. We are both excited about our lives.