I can't believe I haven't posted to the site since Sunday. Sorry folks. I've been working on two very different manuscripts for two editors, along with a magazine article. If you are flying Delta during November & December, be sure to check SKY magazine for my article on St. Simons, Georgia. I like that travel writing gig.

My friend John Norwick of Walla Walla, Wash. sent me the most hilarious video yesterday about men and women. Thanks, John. I'm glad you all keep me in the loop even when I'm on the run. I'd post it here but I don't have a clue how to do that.

I took Poe on a five mile walk on Monday and he didn't do a dadgum thing on Tuesday but sleep. He's up this morning, though, rarin to go again. I would've walked him yesterday but we had rain here in Oregon.

When I wasn't walking or working on my manuscripts I was finishing up It's All About Him, the story of Denise and Alan Jackson's marriage. I've been to Newnan, Georgia many times -- the place she and Alan grew up. Newnan was also home to one of my favorite columnists -- Lewis Grizzard. So it was fun to read the book and to know the town Denise was writing about. Of course the Newnan of today is not the Newnan of yesterday. It's practically a suburb of Atlanta now.

I have started reading a new book, The Year of Living Biblically: One man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible, by A. J. Jacobs. The premise behind the book is hilarious. Jacobs is a Jew, by birthright only. They didn't do religion in his household. But he's a father now and decided that he really ought to see if there was anything to this religion thing. So he decided he'd try and live by the Bible, literally, for a year.

This includes wearing fabrics that aren't woven. Eating fruit from trees that are 4 years or older. Not shaving. Stoning adulterers. All the while going about his job in the middle of Manhattan where Jacobs works as editor at Esquire magazine. I don't know what conclusions Jacobs draws, yet. That's why I'm reading the book. I'll keep you posted.

There is one thing eating at me, though. It has nothing to do with Jacobs. Tim turns 50 next Thursday and I am at a complete loss to figure out how to celebrate it, especially since they have an away game in Bend that day. I used to be good at planning parties, but then menopause hit and I can't make a decision to save my life. Any of you who want to step up and plan this thing, give me a call.

Went to care group last night. I am like the only Grateful Dead member of the group. All the rest are raising kids 2 and up. Kinda of cracks me up the way they worry over all this parenting stuff. I remember when Tim and I used to worry about raising kids. Now I realize, of course, that all that work and worry was a waste. We might as well spent our time shooting dice in a game of craps. The results would've been about the same. Kids grow up to make some good choices, some bad ones. Some learn quickly, others have to learn the hard way. It doesn't matter how much you fuss over them. How many parties you plan. How many cakes you bake. It doesn't even matter how much you work at loving them the right way. They still are going to face tough times -- some by their own choosing -- some by design.

Our care group leader read something concerning the way to raise happy kids.

"Yeah," I said, "but you need to ask yourself should that be our goal? To raise happy kids? Because you know what? I don't care if my kids are happy."

Everybody in care group whipped their heads around at me like they'd just seen a demon spirit rise up.

"Seriously. I don't. What I care about is if my kids are in a right relationship with God. Are they being obedient to his call upon their lives? That's what I care about. They can find happiness at the amusement park. I'd much rather have my kids be at peace with who they are in relationship to God. That's more important to me than their happiness."

Good thing, too, because with two of them unemployed and homeless, happiness is out of reach for them right now.

Peace, however, isn't.