It suddenly got hot, after a long summer of cloudy weather, and I’m completely unused to it. The dog and I walk before 8:00 AM as otherwise the sun nearly kills us. If we walk too late, when he gets to a house with a tree on a lawn, he lays right flat on it in the shade for a few minutes before we’re able to carry on. So it’s much better to just go early.

God knows it’s going to be Living Hell at the Liberal barbecue I organized for this afternoon at 5:00 PM. You’ll recall I had to fight to get the position of organization chair, and now I’m thinking why did I want that? Starting with Vaisakhi Day in April, we’ve now had nearly 10 events.

And today will be quite a challenging event, as besides the heat, we have no idea how many people to expect! Can you imagine? Alice, the president, and I are meeting at Superstore at 2:30 to shop for 100 people, and then drive the food straight to the Mission Creek park where volunteers will be ready with coolers.

We’re going to barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs, and have pop and water, so if we run out, I’ve already designated a Young Liberal as a runner, and he’ll have to return to Superstore for whatever we need.

I was in Osoyoos for the weekend as mom had a party as she likes to do. Freddie turned 70 in May, but mom and I didn’t go, so she decided to have a party for his friends. There were 20 of us, and Jerralynn and Stu barbecued big, thick pork chops that were just delicious.

I haven’t written a damned thing, not even this blog for ages, so the more I say I’m going to write the less I do it. It’s strange, eh? Maybe I’ll have major writer’s block for so long I’ll discover a new goal and forget about writing.

And the worst of it is that I now have a very good direction, kindly provided to me by writer Sharon Thesen who said why don’t you put all your newsletters into a book? She said those are ‘refreshing’ and could be of interest. So I dutifully printed them, and then I sat there looking at the stack, afraid to begin.

I ordered a book which lists writing contests as well as publications that will solicit articles. I signed up and paid for the Write your Novel course via distance at UBC. Now if I would just put pen to paper, and begin, but no.

And so I have great hopes the course is the thing that’ll finally get me over this unpleasant hump. I’ve never taken a course via EdX whatever that is, but it’s some type of Open Learning program. I hope I can master the computer end of it.

Until then, I continue to water my flowers and vegetables, do a bit of cleaning, cook, bake a few things, make jam, mow the lawn, and shop at thrift. My pal Gord, who’s a writer, said he can’t even own a pet as when he’s writing the house could burn down around him.

I can see why Joan Didion lived in a hotel with her hubby and kid. No distractions.