I've always written the morning pages in quiet and alone, but this morning I have music playing: a CD my oldest daughter made just for me three years ago. It's a "mix" disc which she titled "Don't Know Much." All three of my kids have made CDs for me at various times in their lives—which is just one of the things these gifted people have done so far to amaze me and to love me. I love you, Caity.

Yesterday afternoon I rearranged The Cave, trying to open it up a bit while also adding my printer and the little sound system to the setup. It does feel better now. The flow seems better...

I just measured the room. It's eight feet by ten feet, with the ceiling sloping toward the far end, following the roofline. Wait, I'll take a couple quick pictures with the cell phone camera...

Since I was 20 years old, I've had a secret wish to live in some type of a motor home or a small tour bus. Can you imagine? Everything I need to be comfortable and productive, and ready to go whenever the time is right. The Cave doesn't roll, but it's heading in the right direction.

It ain't flowing this morning. I feel stumped. I think I'll pause for a shower and a half-hour walk...

I'm back! Okay, here are the first twenty things which occurred to me to write about this morning:

• Commitment
• Letting it fall together
• Writing so far
• Inner boundaries
• Caity at five
• Music and math
• Trains to me
• Alex's gift
• Life in the cave
• Listening to Meg
• Is today the day?
• You can't save everybody
• Adult content warnings
• Just this moment
• Barack gets busy
• It's my name
• Staying young
• Love letters written
• My odd families
• Bad software

I didn't even break a sweat jotting those ideas down. I am capable of writing thousands of words of blabber on each one. But my writing does not quite feel like it's hanging together right now. Yet? Obviously there is a lot more unblocking to be done. It occurs to me now that a good thing to try might be to write just a hundred words to the first idea, then a hundred words to the second, and so on. Let's see what feels different when I've finished. Don't think, just write.

Here goes! See you in a few hours...