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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Marcia,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Reporter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You did an excellent job of describing the feel of a small town.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>indicated the end with a “30”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>might need some explanation of the “30”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>heads lifting and turning as we flew out the front<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>door. It isn’t clear whose heads lifted and turned. Perhaps, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>heads lifted and turned to follow us as we flew out the front door.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Churning out term papers couldn’t have prepared me for rural life in small town America. “couldn’t have? Perhaps hadn’t <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ended sort of abruptly, so I imagine this is the beginning of a longer piece.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sally,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A Random Act Of Pasta<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>but a few hours in a cheerful atmosphere and a meal I didn’t have to prepare or clean up lifted my spirits as<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the hostess led us to our table.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This seems like a run-on sentence. I would end it before the word (but) with a period. Then drop the (but) and say something like: The thought of a few hours in a cheerful atmosphere and a meal I didn’t have to prepare or clean up lifted my spirits. Drop the last about the waitress taking to your table.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The rest of the vignette was well written as usual! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Leonard<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Love is Blessed with Salty Tears<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am afraid I couldn’t quite connect with this one and I am unsure of the meaning of the title. Maybe something like “the balm of tears, or sea-salt tears referring to the sea as the origin of life?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>. It seemed too high-brow and obscure. That is probably me though. There were some lovely word combinations even if I couldn’t quite follow the meanings.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cleora<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>An Inconvenient Partner<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This seems awkward to me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Finding the air pump he aired up the tires. He found the pump and put air in the tires?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> I don’t think this adds new information and it moves rather slow. If you mean to introduce a potential hazard to John’s explorations, he could just as easily met him running cross country or riding his bike out to hide it at the original buildings. Too much empty dialogue. <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>