It’s the countdown to everyone’s holidays and I want to wish you the fullest and most life loving of seasons. My own Thanksgiving, in the company of friends and family and my terrific grown up children put the worries and challenges of living in a world of heartache and frailty aside and when I choose to breath, I felt to air from my lips to the souls of my feet and I remembered that “It could be worse”does not have be part of every Thanksgiving gratitude.Sometimes no qualifier is needed.

As many of you know the contest has been extended to December 31. As a first contest, this is not unusual since it takes some time for folks to discover us. That said, we have 75 entries now, which is small as such things go but perhaps good for those who have entered. And I have, since I need to take my time, started reading the manuscripts. The minimum for my first run through has averaged an hour and often I take longer. I make notes as I go. I need to allow myself time to clear my mind between readings. In my mind, I try not to compare any manuscript to any other poet’s writing, but to clear my mind of comparisons I make notes on every manuscript, noticing especially strong poems, and work that strives and asks questions and goes beyond them. At my best, I read as though this is the only chapbook in the universe, and my delight or my questions rise from that. At my worst, I put down a chapbook and let it sit till later because I know when I am not at my most clear eyed and receptive. So far, I have been touched by my first readings (yes I will do second ones in the next month and a half because I have lived a life of second chances) and this is by no means going to be a simple process to prune down the final group.

To those who have asked for feedback, that will come after the final selection and I will read each manuscript I am tasked with yet again, and notice if you wanted anything in particular in the way of commentary. To those of you who did not ask for feedback, that opportunity is still open and you can always write me saying you would like this.

Today there has been good and bad news, but fortunately the bad is only that my vacuum cleaner Bessie has died after eight years of faithful service, struggling with the dog hair and my tendency to be Clara Klutz. The good news came in from Israel, where they said I am honorable mention (it is good to be mentioned in an honorable way!) in The Reuben Rose, Voices Israel poetry competition. So it was expensive bad luck my vacuum died, but priceless news that somebody actually read a poem I wrote. So pick a moment. Take a satisfaction break Notice not only did you write one poem but many and further you had the courage to send them off into the four winds to land at Wildflower Lane, where each poem is a tangible wonder, where each poet has her name spoken. Yes, I feel there is something magical in reading first lines and second and third….

Peace…Jane