Patron and host Heather Blakey is always encouraging her writers, young and old, to work with collage in their writing work. I've experimented with it a few times, making a giant collage that helped me focus my goals for a year. When I had achieved what I wanted, I took the poster down.

Now I have another challenge in front of me: I'm moving again. The boxes are stacking up, and sometimes I wonder if there will ever be an end to it. Then comes the day when we will load up the truck, drive to our new -- smaller -- home, and unload, unpack. A new beginning, all over again. I've known for a while that my husband and I would be moving. Still, now that its almost time to actually get up and go, I find that I am sad. I've put down roots, even in this short time. I'll remember this old place as the home I shared during the first few months of my marriage -- and I've been very happy here.

To help ease the transition along, and make me feel more at home with all my belongings tucked safely in boxes, I collaged a special journal to use during the move. On the back of an ordinary notebook I glued pictures that say "home" to me -- a house scene, part of a garden, some chairs arranged as if awaiting a cozy conversation, a couple of tea cups and statues. When I see this, I tell myself that even though the apartment is a disaster of the moving process, it won't always be like this. Sure, when we get to the new apartment, things will be disorganized for a while. But with a little time, effort and love, it will become a good home.

Its helped me to be able to look at the collage I made, and remind myself of these things.

Gone Fishing -- (A Guided Imagery)

Wet scales, sharp-smooth. The gasp of wiggling that proves we all have the instinct to fight for life both attracted and revolted me. There was something in that flesh, firm yet gelatenous and slimy, that held and an answer for me.

The problem was that I still didn't know the question.

Yet that gaping mouth seemed to speak to me; the tiny jaw clenched and unchelnched as the eye rolled around. Almost as if it were not merely a fish, but an old seer peering into the mysteries beyond the veil of time.

If only I could understand the question, all the answerss I longed for would be confirmed by this strong being I had pulled from another world by my own hand.