I’m so pleased to announce that my new column Americana, will launch in The Oklahoman this week! I’m super excited, of course.

We have other big news. We’ve decided to sell our home here in Oklahoma. We bought it ten years ago. We’ve loved this home. But there are other priorities that command our attention and it’s more house than we really want.

As you may imagine, this decision explains why I’ve been off blogging for awhile. So far, we’ve gotten rid of over 200 books, 100 items of clothing, 3 major pieces of furniture and dozens of smaller items and appliances that had ceased to give us pleasure.

I’ve been taking care of the dozens of little jobs that are easy to ignore for day to day living but jump out when we are looking at the house through a buyer’s eyes.

Today Jeff cleaned his closet for the first time in ten years. This is first time in 22 years that we’ll have to move ourselves, and he found (as I have) that he’s not as sentimental when he considers packing and hauling it to a new location.

Now that the house is all shined up and the Salvation Army truck is bursting at the seams, I REALLY hate to leave this place. But it still feels right.

In all my purging of old junk, I found the files of poetry from a college class I took in 2004. Since I had forgotten most of it, I could judge its quality better. Here’s a simple one that I liked.

Quarks

The jet shudders and shudders me

In a storm on the North Atlantic sea

Lost in the crackling clouds, afraid

That the blind waves will swallow me.

I am less than a gnat on the nose of the sea

With a view of God, so grand that He

Reigns in an ocean of stars and yet

Knows the transient tears from me.