Christmas Eve, Portland

Dear Ones,

Thank you for receiving this. I know it's a busy world and i deeply appreciate you taking the time.

We are well, grateful, home. We stay pretty close to that these days.

Felix is having surgery on Dec. 31st, to address the fact that his ulna (our outer forearm bone) is growing faster than the radius (inner) on the right arm, b/c of the fall. he's not happy about anesthesia, and views the prospect of ending up with one arm shorter than the other with some dismay. He does take heart in our sheer continued existence together.

He's learning what we all come to eventually: this life is precious and short. he lives that in many ways, by accepting more, letting go more easily, eating slower, praying diligently every night at his altar. that's the stuff he makes happen in his life. he's still loud and goofy and kid-like, but that's all tempered with an older person's resonance. At times he reminds me of a 25 year old man i met once, who had a young man's energy tempered w/ the eddies of having survived a bunch of cancer.

The Felix Maus book feels very good. I have about 30 pages to edit/re-write, and then to the editor. i am working w/ my friend Gabe on the book cover. i am excited about that as well.

The picture below is the book cover in its draft form.

i'll write more at some time about the arduous nature of writing this book. it's been a lot of editing, remembering, smiling and crying.

Till next time,

all Love,

m