I just got this and had to include it in this week’s post!!!

Octoberfest Instructions to a Naive Tourist from a Native München:

Don’t go alone
Don’t go on the weekend and if so then really in the morning (10:00)
Only go if the weather is nice
Eat a haehndel
Only go when you are in a good mood
Expect many drunk people
HAVE FUN!

Some friends of Angelika, who live by the fairgrounds outside of town where the Octoberfest is held, have offered to take me. They, too, suggested going on a weekday, in the morning. Maybe for the next blog I’ll have some wild stories to report…

For this week’s report, I’m happy to say that my treatment went well again! And as Howard calls it, I also got through the “Big Sweat”, no problem. The symptoms actually came on later, lasted for less time, and were a bit less intense. So, maybe I’ve turned a corner.

For the last week, I have been feeling under the weather though. I haven’t had a lot of energy and not much appetite either—which if you know anything about me, is just not right! I asked the good doctor about it but he wasn’t in the mood for questions and grumbled something about it having to do with the Protocel. I don’t know. I haven’t taken that since mid-July. I prefer to think that it’s the dendritic cells hitting critical mass in my body, causing large cancer cell casualties. I want to believe that there’s a big change happening in my system and wouldn’t it be odd if I didn’t feel any differently? I’ve still been swimming and going to the park and it’s still raining––with little sun in sight.

Sadly, I don’t have any great adventures or sightseeing trips to report. Mostly, I’ve been working on poems, which for me, is a favorite form of psychic spelunking! Speaking of poetry, I really blew it! My critique group, The Emerald Street Poets, just published an anthology of our poems called, Harvest from the Emerald Orchard, and had a reading at the Louden Nelson Center this past Tuesday night. I heard there was a great turn-out and that it was a festive night of verse! I so wish I had had my wits about me to have invited you. But, you can still hear several of them on KUSP this Sunday night from 8:00-9:00 pm (or listen on the web pod cast afterwards, at your own convenience) talk about what it’s like to be in a critique group and perhaps read some poems, too. Oh, how I miss my poetry community! Santa Cruz must be the best place in the world to live if you happen to aspire to versifying!

I spent the morning learning how to add photos to this blog. I ran into some limitations but I did end up posting a few photos from our wedding in July. You can find them in the “Wedding Album” link on the upper right side of this page. There’s another album called “Honeymoon” but I’ll need to take a break from such technical feats before I attempt posting more photos.

In just a little more than a month, I’ll be home and wanting to see all your sweet faces and it will be your turn to catch me up on your lives. Howard and I are talking about having a big party to celebrate this new life we starting, so stay-tuned in November for date and time. Of course, you’re invited!

I guess I’ll leave you for now with a big virtual hug and with a seasonal poem-in-progress.
Kathleen

THEY’RE DOING IT AGAIN

Overnight they slipped out of their
Shimmering green summer gowns.

We carouse now in their wine and cognac-colored
Lingerie that splashes and pools around their narrow feet.

Soon the trees’ only embellishment
Will be bare shoulders, curves and knees.

kathleen Other