Spring Institute 2011

I'm off to the fair city of Edmonton to attend the 2011 Spring Institute at the University of Alberta. It has been a year since the last one and I'm a year older too. It'll be home for the next three weeks. I'll miss my family who stays behind and all my precious friends. But, soon that graduate stretch in May will be over too. I'm looking forward to an inspirational drive through the Rockies. Then the reunion of fellow cohort members at our Sunday afternoon get-together on the 1st. Truly amazing - the friendships that have been born out my graduate studies. That's an Edmonton sunrise you're looking at, and Enterprise Square which is the downtown campus of the University of Alberta. I will be living in the atrium and classroom and computer for three weeks. But there is a cafe in the atrium that serves awesome vanilla bean lattes. Ah, the tough life.

"Happy 66th Birthday"

I began this blog last year when I turned 65. Now I'm 66, and I'm just over halfway through graduate studies. Ahead lies the May Spring Institute at the University of Alberta. It promises to be as big a rollercoaster ride as the first insitute. But now I'm better prepared. I'm in good shape and the muscles of my brain are taut and ready for the contest. The rest of me complains a bit, but that's more a matter of exercise. My sister sent me a photograph with the encouragement that the place in the picture would be a good venue to do book signing events. Despite the disciplines of graduate studies, I have managed to continue writing epic poetry. Even published the second volume of Cerulean's Odyssey. It's my place of retreat when I'm tired. Now the studio, after a year of absence, is starting to stir me again. Patience. I spent my birthday with my beloved wife, children and grandchildren and lunch at a favourite restaurant. Beats stress anytime. So cheers. I'll be in touch from Edmonton.