Dear Friends,

One of you inquired why I have not set up my blog to invite comments as most bloggers do now. The fact is, I did not set out to be a blogger.

Instead, it was my late husband’s cancer diagnosis in September, 2009, which led me to write “Dear Family and Friends” letters. Francis and I wanted to give them news of his progress.

Two of our friends then created www.elaineandfrancis.blogspot.com as an accessible place to “park” those letters. It made for a convenient way to bring people up to date on developments. (In reality, I must add, however, there has been a lot of interactivity, both before and after Francis died – but through email, not via the blog online.)

After Francis died, my Dear Family and Friends letters (again, posted on the blogspot(s) – have served several purposes, all related to my decision to write, that is – to share our story. In some of those letters, I shared a handful of poems before they were published in the first and third book. I also used email to notify people about book readings I’ve given on the second book, SING TO ME AND I WILL HEAR YOU – A Love Story (2014).

I might, in future, invite responses online to my emailed letters posted online, on the blog. But, I’m turning 80 years old this year, 2015, and have a lot of outside work to do – in warm weather, maintaining the permaculture garden around me, and, in winter, even with neighbors’ help, there’s shoveling to do – a lot of it this year! These outdoor activities are blessedly compatible with writing, but, for an elder, even one who is “fit,” – physical work like that also uses up energy.

Know, therefore, that I welcome responses to my own emails, through email – even if I’m not ready to open up my blog to the wider pubic, in an interactive way. The contact link on my website also allows anyone who would like to email me to do that. And I’ve been pleased to response to some who have.

Peace and Blessings,
Elaine