Conversations with Calliope- Getting Organized

(Work Space)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready to go again after the Labor Day weekend?
JOE: I am. I started my day yesterday with an organized list of things to accomplish.
CALLIOPE: How did that go?
JOE: Very well. I finished my two top priorities, writing my Seven Generations column for this Saturday and finishing Plug Your Book by Steve Weber.
CALLIOPE: Anything else?
JOE: I also explored Barnes and Noble's e-reader which I think has possibilities.
CALLIOPE: What's up for today?
JOE: Getting organized. I have too many piles of papers. I've lost track of what they are about. I did start putting them in files so I can find things, but have quite a bit more to do.
CALLIOPE: That should keep you busy. Anything else on the agenda.
JOE: I plan to visit the web sites and groups which I joined but with which I have not been very involved lately.
CALLIOPE: I hope you are enjoying all this.
JOE: I don't enjoy the process of getting organized but work much more efficiently when the process is done.
CALLIOPE: Good luck with it.
JOE: Thanks. I'll talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Where Were You

(Spring Flowering)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Where have you been?
JOE: Carol has a vacation this week. I guess the mood is contagious.
CALLIOPE: I guess so. We were in mid discussion about Grass Roots and you promised to elaborate.
JOE: I did. I was telling you about hearing their song Where Were You When I Needed You on Wednesday night.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: They came out with it in 1966, during my first year out of the monastery. It reminded me of feeling like an alien on earth in a culture which had emerged while I was away.
CALLIOPE: Did it bring back memories and feelings about those days?
JOE: In a way, but it didn't through me into chaos as Michael McDonald did.
CALLIOPE: How did you react?
JOE: I quickly moved on to thoughts about all the friends I have developed since then and how much I have learned and grown.
CALLIOPE: So it was a good reaction?
JOE: It was.
CALLIOPE: What's next on your horizon?
JOE: The books I am working on as well as a new awareness of my place in the cosmos and my feeling of responsibility to make the most of it. I'll tell you more next week.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Halloween foolishness)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Where have you been?
JOE: Don't take offense. I had to leave early this morning for a presentation on eating disorders in Batavia.
CALLIOPE: How was it?
JOE: Fairly basic. I didn't really learn anything new but sometimes it's enough to confirm what you already know.
CALLIOPE: Did you do anything else today?
JOE: Yes. More excitement on the technology front. My Kodak printer died and I had to decide on a new one.
CALLIOPE: How did that go?
JOE: Quite well. I found a Hewlett Packard printer with reasonably priced ink. It does excellent documents and photos despite the low prince.
CALLIOPE: Any other items of interest?
JOE: Yes. I have been wrestling for quite a while with why my video camera won't upload anything. In my research, I discovered that the Kodak printer can sometimes interfere with other programs. I uninstalled it and found that my camera now works fine. Quite a discovery.
CALLIOPE: And what about your writers group last night?
JOE: We had a small gathering of four. I was afraid we might be finished with the group but it went well and we will continue for the time being.
CALLIOPE: Glad to hear it.
JOE: Me too. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

(Moro Castle, San Juan)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How was yesterday?
JOE: Good progress. In addition to packing, I sold my washing machine. I'm getting there.
CALLIOPE: Did you make it to the concert?
JOE: Yes. We met friends there for Ruby Shooz, the last concert of the summer season at Charlotte Beach. They were the best I had seen all summer and played oldies which we all enjoyed.
CALLIOPE: Glad to hear it. Did you get your column finished?
JOE: Yes, and I had Carol read it last night. I kept putting it off until the last minute wanting to do just one more thing before I left. I finally finished it just in time to walk out the door.
CALLIOPE: You sound a bit rushed.
JOE: It's my own doing. I'm trying to do everything at once and would like to get back to a normal schedule, whatever that will be.
CALLIOPE: Any work on your writing?
JOE: I'm starting to feel the itch to write again which is good. I worked on my web site yesterday but could upload changes which can be read on Internet Explorer but not other browsers. Very Odd.
CALLIOPE: There's always something.
JOE: There is. I am exploring other web site development tools. I found a free one which I will consider further.
CALLIOPE: Good luck.
JOE: Thanks. I'll need it. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. How are we this morning?

JOE: I can't speak for you, but I'm doing pretty well.

CALLIOPE: What news?

JOE: In this morning's paper, the column above mine was a rant about the war and its cost financially and in human life. Right under it was mine about finding ways to get along with people.

CALLIOPE: Did you think they fit together?

JOE: To some extent. They are opposite sides of the same coin. The problem is that getting more angry does not usually incline us to find ways to get along.

CALLIOPE: Agreed. So where does that leave you?

JOE: With parallel approaches. But I guess that's okay. I will keep doing what I am doing.

CALLIOPE: And how about the book?

JOE: I'm making some progress. I started the next chapter but found I needed to do some research.

CALLIOPE: Such as?

JOE: Such as where my wife's shop is located in Edgartown. I was in one just like the one I use in the novel. I also had to scout out a restaurant for my wife and her sister to lunch at before going out to Chappaquiddick for the afternoon.

CALLIOPE: So you did get some writing done?

JOE: Yes, but not as much as I would have liked. It seems things such as arrangements for my writers group keep cropping up.

CALLIOPE: That's life unless you want to be a hermit. At least you are moving in the right direction and got something done.

JOE: I plan to do some writing today and feel in the mood to at least finish this chapter and then think over the weekend about where to head next.

CALLIOPE: Be patient with yourself. It doesn't all have to be written at once.

JOE: That's sometimes hard to remember. I guess I need to learn how to slow down and enjoy the process more. There is really no rush.

CALLIOPE: Agreed. Besides you don't want to tax your muse too much.

(Lighthouse- Nantucket)