For guidelines and samples, go to www.Oregon150.org

For any senior with an Oregon story who would like help with ideas or the preparation, on Sept. 23rd at 10:30, I'll be at Oasis in the Macy's Store at Valley River in Eugene. I'll have writing tools and a tape recorder. I will gladly help with the telling. (However, I can't sing.)

Not only do I have a friend just entering that world and a family member affected, my granddaughter is just beginning her college career with Alzheimer research as one of her goals. Helping raise funds to provide the needed guidance for families facing this emerging crisis as well as funding for research are increasingly important as the baby boomers age. I'm paying attention.

For information on the Oregon Conference, call (541) 345-8392 or go to www.alz.or.org/oregon

The timing of the launch of Manuscript Makeover is perfect as I'm busily picking apart my latest manuscript in order to make it the best it can be. All the help is right there in her book ready for me to mine.

Jessica Morrell isn't a stranger to me. I've taken workshops from her whenever I was able. I also read her newsletter, "The Writing Life" and follow her column in Willamette Writer.

Her insistence that we, as writers, work toward excellence always shatters my complacency at having finished a project. Knowing she expects the best, sends me back to try again. Getting better is a slow process. Not to be achieved in one sitting or one review of what I've called complete.

A big challenge and not to be rushed. In the introduction to Between The Lines, I've already found new ways to evaluate and improve the manuscript I called finished. This month, and this summer will be full of exciting new stretches.

Exciting to contemplate. I'm trying to decide what I'd most like to change. Logically, I know I should concentrate on trying to cure my propensity for run on sentences. That's not exciting. Trying a whole new genre would be. Maybe concentrating on short stories, or very short essays.

Focus is the first step and I'm not there yet. Choosing one path of all the possibilities has my mind skipping from one to another. It's a thought process to be continued.

One that stands out is the day Michael made the move to take charge of his own life. He was barely in first grade when he decided the dinner menu of ham, potatoes and cabbage wasn't to his liking. Since the complaint was new and the meal fairly standard in our family, I wasn't ready to prepare an alternate. He left the table, refusing to eat and went to the bedroom he shared with his younger sister. She followed.

Ken and I finished our dinner but I slipped down the hall to see what the rebellious pair were up to. They were packing-- only their toys, into shopping bags but still preparing to leave home.

I left them at their chore and went back to consult with the head of our household. We decided to let hem leave, but with supervision. We'd follow without letting them know.

When Michael reappeared, dragging his shopping bag filled to the brim, his sister right behind dragging her's, he announced, "We're going to go live with ?????." He's in my class. He gets off the bus right down the street."

I said OK and didn't try to stop them as the left through the front door. We left through the back and watched them moving slowly ahead through the dark. When they were distant enough our view wasn't clear, we got in our car and drove slowly along the quiet street, close to the curb and with our lights off.

They turned the corner and moved on. We had barely turned behind them when we realized they'd stopped and were standing still. We stopped to wait. When they didn't start again, we moved closer and I rolled down the window. An excited dog was barking a ferocious warning and they didn't know what to do.

We waited a couple of minutes and then pulled up. "Would you guys like a ride home?"

Mike answered, "Would you just take us past he dog?"

I thought about their bedtime, their lack of food and my chores yet to be finished. "No. We can't do that but we will take you home if you'd like to get in the car."

Melissa caved first and crawled in. Mike held back long enough to save face and then climbed in too.

When I look back at that incident, I realize it set the precedent for our life together. He was in charge of his life but he would compromise when compromising fit with his needs. I'm not sure I influenced him in many ways but he did turn out to be loving, generous, willing to give his best effort and a leader. I can't imagine that it matters very much now who the boss was while he was growing up.