Almost all the leaves are down from our big trees out front, and most from the back. Yesterday was warm enough for no mittens while playing outside till nightfall. The kids raked up a giant leaf pile, snacked on the last local watermelon of the season, ran, climbed, dug a giant hole in the sandbox. It so was easy to entertain them–because they needed no entertainment.

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Want to alert any readers in Waterloo to next week’s “Bookstravaganza” at the Starlight, Monday, November 2, 8pm. It’s a mini-festival to celebrate books, and includes in the lineup local writer Jason Schneider whose most recent book has just been published by my brother Christian’s own Blaurock Press. Also appearing will be exciting new talent from House of Anansi, ECW, and Coach House.

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Today is a sleepy writing day. I’m tapping away at the stories, and wondering … what comes next? If you were to ask my kids that, they’d say: Hallowe’en!!!! All week it’s been: only three more days, Mommy. Only TWO more days! And after that comes Christmas! Here’s what I look forward to at this time of year: winter solstice, when the days begin imperceptibly lengthening again.