Fri. April 17, 2026: Ready for the Weekend!

image courtesy of dicomanzano from Pixabay

Friday, April 17, 2026

New Moon

Cloudy, warm, humid

New moon today, yay! What fun. Although the frantic “this planetary alignment will only happen once in our lifetime” gets old. Yes, it’s really cool. No, you don’t have to do everything and make every decision in these twenty-four hours. Take a single step. Make one decision. We’re all in survival mode, and putting ridiculous amounts of pressure on us that something huge has to pile on today is detrimental, not helpful. Work with the energy, don’t let the energy (or people trying to sell you something) work you.

Charlotte was so happy we had online meditation yesterday. It’s her favorite part of the week. Between meditation and her own portion of freshly grated parmesan whenever we eat pasta, she is even more of a princess than before, and she owns it!

The story on the Rape Academy is disturbing and enraging, but not surprising. And there need to be consequences, but until there are consequences for the predators in this regime, there won’t be consequences for anyone else. And there needs to be a reckoning, because anyone who would harm in this way someone who loves and trusts them deserves harsh justice. Since justice no longer exists (at least in this country), we need to become Nemesis.

And then the story about the former Lt. Governor of Virginia who murdered his wife and then committed suicide. Male violence has got to have consequences.

Far too much of my life has been spent outwitting and/or outmaneuvering predatory men, and I am so glad I didn’t listen to all the “advice” about my standards being too high and that I should settle. I have friends who refused to settle who are in terrific relationships, and that is hopeful. I have friends who either refused to settle and remained single, or got tired of settling and left unhappy relationships. I think that, too, is hopeful.

Chuck Schumer betrayed us again, proving he works for Israel, not the US. Get rid of him now. We can’t wait until the midterms.

After breakfast, I got my act together and headed to the grocery store. Only Church Street was closed off for repaving (without notice) and Ashland is down to one lane because of construction. The two streets that my street runs between. Sigh.

I managed to turn back on Church and nip down a side street to Ashland and maneuver around everything to get to the store. Another reason I’m doing many things on foot if I don’t have a lot to carry. But today, I knew I’d need the car. Rt. 2, to get to Williamstown, has construction at that bridge that’s always in danger of falling down (which they will take down completely at some point), and the other street to Williamstown is also under construction. So basically, I can’t really get anywhere for the next couple of months unless I can go on foot, or have a big block of time to get stuck in construction traffic. They shouldn’t be allowed to work on all the streets to the same place at once. Do one, then the other, so that there’s always a route open. I know we have a short season to get it all done, but come on. And communicate! The Police Department is handling a lot of those types of communications now, but even they don’t get all the information they need ahead of time.

Did a bigger grocery shop than I planned because of the selection and the prices. Spent more than I planned, too (over the week’s budget, but within the month’s), but I’m stocked up on several staples before the next price hikes go into effect. There were a couple of things I wanted that I couldn’t find, but I got substitutes. I’m looking for some ingredients to make filled dumplings – in this new fridge/freezer, I have the room to make big batches, put them in smaller bags, and freeze them. But it’s a little early for what I need, so I will wait and make them later in the season. I mean, I have three whole cookbooks for dumplings from all over the world, so I’m going to use them!

I also have two cookbooks just dedicated to potatoes, which means we have lots of variations on potato salad all summer, which is a favorite. Pretty soon, it will be warm enough to make lime cilantro mayonnaise, too.

So I did this great, big grocery shop, and I refrained from purchasing a great, big lilac bush. Because I live in an apartment, and even with the front porch and the back balcony, I’m not sure I could give it the home it needs and deserves. It was hard to use self-restraint. I adore lilacs.

The self-checkout area had a line, so one of the clerks waved me over to her station. I told her I felt spoiled, I was so used to doing my own checkout, and thanked her. I have my own scanning/bagging system, so it was weird to have someone else scan. I did most of my own bagging, since I’m used to setting up the bags and then filling them as to how I carry them, so nothing is too heavy.

Swung by the library. A big stack of books waited for me, including one where there were nearly 200 people on the waiting list, so I figured it would be a year or more before I got it. But it’s here, and I will turn it around as quickly as possible, so the next person doesn’t have to wait so long. When a volume becomes available from one’s home library, the home library hold gets priority over a regional hold. So sometimes, one lucks out.

Maneuvered around the paving and then the construction and made it home. My goodness, that was more complicated then it should have been, for four blocks.

Hauled everything up the stairs, got it put away, and then had to have a break on the couch with Bea.

Did my marketing for the books and for the workshop, then settled into the Freelance Friends chat. Which didn’t work out, because Bluesky wasn’t working.

I had trouble settling in, and didn’t get much writing done the rest of the day. I practically did a grid search for the missing library book, without success. I remember putting it in the stack to go back to the library, then pulling it to copy out some information and putting it near the printer. But it’s not near the printer, I don’t have the information, and I don’t remember whether or not I decided I didn’t need the information and took it back, or what. It’s not marked as “returned” – sometimes this happens if it doesn’t scan, but then it shows up at its home library. I’m baffled.

I did some work on the workshop, but not enough. I had some things to deal with elected officials about, and that took more time than I wanted. I received something I’d ordered the previous day. Part of it was for other people, so I separated and packed that up for them.

And suddenly, it was dinner time. Had trouble settling in the evening, too. Did some work on contest entries, started the book with all the holds on it and was disappointed. It’s very well-written, but I don’t like any of the characters (and it has a large ensemble), and I keep asking myself if I want to spend time with them.

I was tired and annoyed with myself for being tired. Woke up at 4:30 and started my day, so I could get everything done before heading out to the laundromat at 6. Did two loads of laundry, which I will fold and put away after breakfast. One entire load was just yoga blankets, so they are ready for the turnover to summer fabrics on May 1. We use fleece all winter and yoga blankets all summer.

It looks like it wants to rain again. If it does, I may not head out as planned, or I’ll at least wait. I need to mail what I packed up yesterday, and run a couple of other errands. Because of all the construction, it makes more sense to go on foot, but I also am not going out in bad weather. It’s something that could wait until tomorrow, or later today.

I have to finish the workshop handouts and print them, work on BETTING MAN, and catch up on the ghostwriting, since I didn’t get as far as I hoped yesterday. The workshop bag is packed up, so I just have to add the handouts. The snack bag for the workshop is packed (I always provide snacks), and I will add some bowls before I head out the door. I will keep an eye out for a set of thrift shop bowls that aren’t delicate vintage china (which is what I tend to gravitate toward), but something sturdier that can travel around to events. A set of event bowls, so to speak. I have event platters, but I need a trio of bowls that are sturdy and also fun. I’m not hauling my grandmother’s Limoge bowls to events! I use those at home.

Over the weekend, I will finally be able to read the book my friend sent me a little over a week ago, work on contest entries, go to the gallery on Saturday to support my friend’s event, and teach my own event on Sunday. Plus, housework, and maybe some writing. If the light is good enough, maybe some sewing, too, now that the fabric’s been pulled. And so have the patterns. I even found a pattern I’d been looking for, and thought I would have to build a new one from scratch. But I found it, and I only have to size it up a bit, since I am no longer the svelte young thing I was when I first used it.

Now they’re telling us it will snow on Sunday. Urgh.

Have a good weekend, and we’ll catch up on the other side.

Published in: on April 17, 2026 at 7:14 am  Comments (4)  
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Wed. April 1, 2026: Literal and Metaphorical Stormy Weather

image courtesy of Ingo Jakubke from Pixabay

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Full Moon

April Fool’s Day

Rainy and warm

New month midweek. That always feels weird to me.

I would prefer our April Fools to be like the Tarot Fool, not the ones currently in power.

Yesterday did not begin the way I hoped. My mom felt terrible. I managed to get her an appointment in the health practice, but with a different doctor, and right up the street at the hospital, so off we went right away. The doctor was so kind, and did the most thorough exam my mom has had since we moved here. He really spent time with her. We ruled out lots of bad things, but aren’t sure what’s left, so we’re monitoring. She felt much better by the time we left. But most of the day was elder care, although she improved steadily all day, thank goodness.

On the way back, I picked up her prescription at the pharmacy and then nipped into Big Y to pick up a few things.

By the time we got home and up the stairs, it was time for brunch (since we left before breakfast). I scrambled some eggs and made toast, and that was that.

A submission call landed on my desk for a short story due that day. I looked through what I had to see if anything fit the guidelines, and I had something. Yay, me. All I had to do was write the cover letter and pop it out. Because I was in no shape to start work on something new after the stressful morning.

I also closed out one of the contest categories, submitting my winner/finalist list and the winner’s review. I’m close to closing out the second category. I should be able to do it this weekend. The third category is much bigger, and will take me longer to finish, but I have until early May, so I’m okay.

I plowed through a couple of hundred emails, and set up April’s content calendar.

I was delighted to learn that my short comedy, “Dawn and Dorothy in the Afterlife” about Dawn Powell and Dorothy Parker stuck together for eternity in drunken luncheons, will get a staged reading at the LAVA Center in Greenfield in June. This is my second play with them, and I had such a wonderful experience last year. It will be such fun!

That was a nice uplift to the day.

I cooked a nice chicken and vegetable stew. I tossed a handful of currants in near the end, and that was an excellent choice. After the meal, I sat out on the porch reading WRITERS ON WRITING VOL. II, essays that originally appeared in the New York Times. My copies of both volumes are in storage, and I wanted to re-read them, so I ordered them from the library.

Diane Ackerman’s essay particularly delighted me, the way she uses language so beautifully. I ordered both of her books mentioned in the essay, one prose, one poetry.

I enjoyed the other essays I’ve read (re-read) so far, too, but that, in particular, stayed with me the most.

Synchronicity –there’s an essay from Michael Holyrod in there, and his huge Shaw biography is on my reading list (re-read, I’ve read it before) as background for the May Morris play.

We had a cracking good thunderstorm at night, with lightning. We turned out the lamps and watched it roll past through the windows. The lightning looked like serpents snaking across the sky.

The cats weren’t bothered at all, although Tessa was fascinated.

Slept okay. My mom seems a little better this morning. I have to get back on track with the work today, since yesterday was somewhat derailed. Tessa and Bea are scampering around, playing and having fun, which is great.

Have a good one!

Published in: on April 1, 2026 at 6:21 am  Comments (6)  
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026: Birthday Girl!

image courtesy of Arise Peter M from Pixabay

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Waning Moon

Mercury Retrograde

Rainy and cool

We’ve hit another midweek! Gosh, this year is going fast.

It was difficult to concentrate, because yesterday was such a piece of lovely weather, I just wanted to go out and play in it. It got up into the 70’s F. We opened up the front porch and Tessa was thrilled. I got to do some work out there, too, prepping for planting season.

I mean, I know it’s False Spring and it’s supposed to snow again on Friday for Third Winter, but enjoy what’s in the moment, right?

But needs must with deadlines and things. Plus, I knew I had today off, so no matter what today’s weather is, I get to play.

I had to fill out the quarterly form from Johns Hopkins as part of their Long COVID study (I am still part of the control group).

I took out the garbage and ran my errand.

I spent most of the day finishing the outline for the ghostwriting, and got it off around 4 PM, which meant I started my “day off” a little early. It always feels good to get a big project off on time.

Thursday, I go back to the other ghostwriting assignment which is due on the Equinox!

I finished reading a book that’s been getting a lot of buzz (I’ve actually met the author a few times, in the UK on trips). I liked it, but the twist near the end felt forced to me. I did, however, figure out the killer early, early on, and it was a case of waiting to see if I was right and when everyone else caught on. I enjoyed the book, the writing is terrific, but, to me, the twist wasn’t organic to the rest of it. Also, I was annoyed at the end where there were several pages pointing out the planted clues and explaining them. Yes, I got them, I pay attention!

I also did some reading on the May Morris book that has to go back on Friday. I’m getting a sense of the people, some of whom will become characters in the play.

My hip and back were cranky. I have a feeling, as we move into mud season and it’s cold and damp, there will be some issues. We will deal with them as they come up.

Slept reasonably well, up at the usual time. The morning routine was good, and did my yoga and meditation by moonlight again. The time change means longer light in the evening, but darker when I get up, at least for the moment.

Today is my birthday, so I arranged to be off from work (out of office) for the day.  I woke up to some lovely messages, thank you so much. I’m making up the day as I go along, doing what I please. The weather will negate some of the options. Honestly, at this point, not having a plan feels like the best plan!

There’s good food and cake and prosecco, and certainly plenty of books and cats, so it’s all good!

A day of peace is much needed.

Have a good one!

Published in: on March 11, 2026 at 6:43 am  Comments (9)  
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Fri. Jan. 2, 2026: Easing into the New Year

image courtesy of  Jonathan Sautter via pixabay.com

Friday, January 2, 2026

Almost Full Moon

Chiron DIRECT

Uranus and Jupiter Retrograde

Cloudy and very cold

Happy Friday, and Happy 2026! I hope your year had a terrific start.

Chiron goes direct today, until August, so all the healing work we’ve done since it went retrograde can now be implemented.

Wednesday, I took out the garbage and brushed off the car. I went down to the grocery store, and did a light grocery shop – yes, the fishmonger had a lovely piece of salmon for me! And I got a few other things that I needed, like bean sprouts for the crockpot Thai chicken peanut butter soup I plan to make tomorrow. I don’t keep bean sprouts on hand as a staple. And English muffins for the eggs Benedict. And more eggs. And so on.

Swung by the post office to mail a few things. I wasn’t finished with the thank you cards yet, but I mailed the ones I had, along with some bills.

Got everything home, hauled up the stairs, put away.

The Johnny’s Seed catalogue arrived. I spent a couple of hours daydreaming of buying more seeds than I could use, and then winnowing it down. Details in next Thursday’s garden blog!

I made some small rosemary wreaths to hang at the front door, the kitchen window, and some rosemary to have in my room. It’s a favorite of mine.

Made devilled eggs to celebrate the eve, and also a cranberry streusel coffee cake. The latter is from Sarah Leah Chase’s COLD WEATHER COOKBOOK, which I’ve had for ages, and want to use more often. I wanted to use up the extra cranberries left over from the orange cranberry cookies, and this did a good job of it. The cake came out really well, even though I had to zest an orange and make streusel, two tasks I do not enjoy.

I was a little sore all day from the fall, but nothing major. After the coffee cake came out of the oven, I took a shower and dressed for the night. Even if I stay home, I like to wear something festive. I wrote and submitted the book review. I will wait until Monday to request my next assignment. Let people have their holidays, and that includes the people assigning the work.

There wasn’t much of a break between preparing the eggs and baking the cake and starting the dinner. We had one of our favorite meals: salmon baked in honey, soy, and garlic, with roasted green beans, and sweet potatoes roasted in olive oil, cinnamon, and cumin. It’s a fairly regular meal in our house, and my mom requested it for New Year’s Eve. It was very good.

And, of course, cranberry coffee cake for dessert!

Originally, “a coating to an inch” of snow was predicted overnight, then suddenly around 5 PM, it was upped to 6 inches and everyone running around trying to get wherever they wanted to be for midnight, in case they got stuck.

Puttered a bit in the evening, read a bit, played with the cats. They were confused because the routine was different. Being cats, they like their routine steady. Bea kind of went with the flow, but Charlotte, Willa, and Tessa each had a turn complaining and running around the house screaming. Charlotte and Willa were even more confused when they got their bedtime snacks at the usual time, but no bed. Had we not given them bedtime snacks at the usual time, there would have been chaos.

At 10 PM, we had a light snack of smoked herring and devilled eggs. My mom’s family had the routine of herring before midnight, then something from the pig before noon. So we’ve always done that, although herring is not on my list of favorite foods. This year, I was lucky enough to find (by accident) a tin of smoked herring in a store, rather than buying it in one of those glass jars with the questionable sauces that’s the usual option.

This smoked herring was pretty good. And it went well with the devilled eggs. Willa discovered that she really, REALLY likes smoked herring. Not only is it her favorite kind of stinky, she likes the taste. She only had one little bite, but it made her night.

Washed the dishes, settled down to read some more, while the cats ran around and screamed.

I set up the laptop in the living room, on a folding table, so that we could watch the ball drop in Times Square. I used to be able to see it from my apartment. And then, of course, the years that I had to work shows New Year’s Eve, I couldn’t get back to the apartment in order to see it, because everything around Times Square is locked down. I had to go out to an overpriced restaurant and come home well after midnight. So glad I’m not in that chaos anymore.

I let out the old year a few minutes before midnight (okay, I booted its nasty ass out the back door). We watched the ball drop, had our half split of  a disappointing Prosecco, and then I let the New Year in the front door.

It was snowing like the dickens out there around midnight!

Willa and Charlotte got another round of bedtime snacks (at Willa’s insistence; my mom tried to get away without giving them another set, but Willa wasn’t having it). Charlotte and Bea settled down pretty quickly, but Tessa was rummaging under the tree and running around. This is why we tie off the tree. Even when they’re good, it can still be precarious to have cats, trees, and shiny, dangly things.

I slept pretty well and hoped to sleep in, but when you have cats who like schedules, it doesn’t happen. I slept in until around 6:30, when Tessa and Charlotte AND Bea all got into the act to get me out of bed. I was much more sore from the fall than I’d been so far, but the yoga helped.

Fed everyone, did the annual Fire & Ice ritual to welcome the new year. I’ve been doing this ritual since the 90’s, and it’s a favorite even though I only do it once a year. I was convinced I’d learned it from one of Valerie Worth’s books. One of her books made it up here with me. The other has gone astray over the last few moves. Since it wasn’t in the book I had with me, I assumed it was in the other one. I replaced the missing one a few months ago. . .and the ritual isn’t in that one, either. There’s a similar one, but not the one I’ve been doing for 30-something years. So where did I learn it? And from whom?

Well, I guess it’s mine now, and I should write it down, since I’ve been doing “from memory” what I’ve been attributing to someone else, but it’s not what’s on their pages. Maybe it’s from one of D.J. Conway’s Celtic or Finnish books? My copies of those are both still in storage.

Made eggs Benedict for breakfast, and it was very good. Everything timed out properly for once, without any frantic rushing around. We had mimosas, with  a much better brand of prosecco than we had in the half split at midnight.

Tessa was rummaging around the tree again, because she wanted it on, in the morning. When I wouldn’t turn it on, she banged the plug on the floor and ran around and around the tree. Again, good thing it’s tied off. When the sun came out, she finally gave up and went to sleep in a sunny chair.

We switched over calendars and did a few bits and bobs needed to start the year. I wrote out the rent check and some bills. I knew I would have to go out and dig out the car eventually, but I just didn’t feel like it. We had around 4 or 5 inches of snow, I guess.

On the Eve, I dressed in pants I made myself (years ago, but I love them, even though they’re in a type of large pattern I rarely wear, this one horse-themed). I mean, I wore a sweater, too, I wasn’t running around in just pants. On the Day, I had my fleece lined leggings and turtleneck and the caftan over it that I made a few weeks ago, which is very comfortable.

And a commitment to sewing again, which I’ve missed.

I definitely prefer roast duck to this pan-seared-sauce thing. It’s too much fuss for New Year’s Day (a roast duck just goes into the oven and comes out perfect), and it was good, but not brilliant, and for that amount of work, I want brilliant. However, my new 10-inch pan did the job perfectly, cleaned up well, and I have a little bit of rendered duck fat I can now use in other recipes.

About mid-afternoon, I put on jeans and a sweatshirt and grumbled my way down to dig out the back of the car. The snow was the consistency of powdered sugar, and I was back in my caftan and leggings within 15 minutes. So it wasn’t a big deal.

Since we had our big meal around 2, we just had a snack in the evening. I’m re-reading a couple of favorite books, and I also read Travis Baldree’s newest, BRIGANDS & BREADKNIVES, which is fun.

The last few years, I decided to ease into the new year, rather than hit the ground running, and I much prefer it. According to the social media influencers, a lot of other people are finally getting around to that, too.

Slogged through a bunch of email, too, since I didn’t manage to get my inbox anywhere near down to 0 on the Eve. I was saddened to hear about the awful fire in Switzerland, and intentionally kept away from any “news” about That Thing’s latest chaos shenanigans. I’m happy for New York City that they voted some smart people in, and I really liked Mamdani’s speech.

Slept pretty well. Don’t remember the dreams, but they left a good aftertaste, so I guess July will be okay, too. I was also less sore this morning, which was a good thing, since I have to walk down to the post office later, and tonight, I’m walking to the gallery opening and back. There was a little coating of fresh snow overnight, but nothing much.

On today’s agenda: writing. My own, and I’ll probably do at least a little work on the ghostwriting, since I’m behind where I hoped, and I only have next week to finish it. I have some organizing I need to do, too. I’m breaking it down into manageable bits. The big reorganization will go into full swing after we take down the decorations on Sunday. I’ve been making do with a couple of things in the office short term that are not working long term, and I have to adjust.

Tomorrow, I may go to the Farmers’ Market, or I might just stay home. I am getting up early to do a chicken peanut butter soup in the crockpot (an experiment). I need to finish and print the handouts for the ekphrastic workshop on the 10th, and I want to get in some of my own writing. Sunday, we start taking down the decorations. It will at least be an all-day event, and I have a feeling we won’t get all of it done, and some of it will spill into next week. I prefer to keep up all the decorations until the 6th, Twelfth Night/Befana, but with it falling on a Tuesday, it doesn’t make sense to lose a whole workday, and I didn’t want to shift the client work back to Sunday. I wanted to enjoy the whole weekend.

Monday starts the regular workweek style schedule again: writing, ghostwriting, LOIs and submissions out, requesting the next book for review, starting the reads on the contest entries. I’m trying to build in about 10 minutes of yoga stretches before I eat lunch, and then another 20 minutes at the end of the day, before I start cooking dinner, to counteract all the sitting. Tuesdays I won’t need the end-of-day because I have yoga at the studio at the end of the workday, but I think it will help to build in those other sessions.

Have a great weekend, and we’ll catch up next week.

Published in: on January 2, 2026 at 9:00 am  Comments (2)  
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Fri. Dec. 26, 2025: A Couple of Cozy Days

image courtesy of Alberto Antonio Peguero De Leon via pixabay.com

Friday, December 26, 2025

Waxing Moon

Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

I hope you had a loving, gentle holiday, and I hope you have a fun, restorative weekend planned.

After breakfast on Wednesday, I trundled down to Cumberland Farms at the bottom of the street and got another quart of milk. It was sputtering a few flakes and windy, but nothing major.

Once I got home and unwrapped, I did my marketing for the day. I revised three more chapters of VICIOUS CRITIC. Being so close to the end, it was tempting to push, but I wanted to stay sharp, so I didn’t. Still, it was a good 7K.

I need to figure how to get that pace for the ghostwriting.

I read and played with the cats for a good portion of the day. I kept feeling like I “should” be doing stuff. Some of it is muscle/sense memory, even after all these years, about working shows over the holidays. Some of it is that capitalistic, systemic conditioning that we have to be productive all the time. I’m trying to break myself of some of that, so I keep up a positive work ethic when appropriate and also really take time off when appropriate. It’s less about balance than sanity, and what serves my creative process best.

Hauled myself off the couch in the late afternoon to make the dinner: pork roast, mashed potatoes, red cabbage, green beans with hollandaise sauce. It was yummy. Everything turned out well, and even timed out okay, although my mother wandered into the kitchen, peeled the potatoes, and turned on the stove earlier than I planned. But it all worked out.

And the individual chocolate trifles are good, although quite rich.

After dinner and the dishes, we put on the lights and the candles, put on the tree, put Christmas CDs with songs sung by Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra on, and opened gifts. Everything was so inventive and thoughtful, and we are so grateful. And we have treats to eat for weeks!

Tessa, Charlotte, and Willa had fun with the unwrapping and the ribbon and pouncing on mounds of wrapping paper. Bea fled to the condo. It was too much commotion for her. Last year was Bea’s first indoor Christmas, the tree was in the living room, and sewing room doors were still shut at night, so she didn’t have the full experience. Once we put everything away, she came back down for a cuddle, while we made like Icelanders and read books.

Once my mom went to bed, I did her stocking and put it at her place at the kitchen table.

I slept pretty well, albeit with strange dreams. Much to Tessa’s delight, I was awake without prodding at 5:30 on Christmas Day. I fed everyone (Willa and Bea got the duck and sweet potato that day instead of the usual Sunday). I did the morning yoga, meditation, and writing. Could I have given myself the day off? I did not want to, and I get to do what I want.

We did the stockings (lots of bath and body stuff and more yummy treats). I made scrambled eggs for us to eat with our panettone (a Christmas morning treat).

I went into my office to get a few things done, and Tessa started rummaging (there’s a picture up on Instagram). Sigh. It was funny, but still, she’s Very Busy lately.

I did the revisions on the last couple of chapters of VICIOUS CRITIC, finishing that draft. I put together all the chapters (I work on them in separate files) into one document. Word was awful, changing fonts on me. But I got it into one file, for the final manuscript pass. Chapter 16 had vanished, although I remember revising it a few days ago, and even have the note as to how many words. But it wasn’t anywhere to be found, so I had to redo it and pop it in.

I hate Word. It keeps getting worse and worse. It doesn’t help that my cursor is jumping all over the page, too, instead of, you know, typing in order. Not a fan of Scrivener, either.

But I got everything in the file I want. I worked on the acknowledgement document. I will do another pass this weekend, pop in the author note and the first chapter of BETTING MAN, and get it off to my editor before the end of the year.

I kept thinking yesterday was Sunday instead of Thursday. All turned around.

I did some work on the historical mystery, too. I was about ready to give up on it, but managed to get it back on track.

Then it was time to start the big meal for the Day: Coq Au Vin. The recipe isn’t all that complicated, but the flavors have to be layered specifically, so it needs time and attention. It’s made in the Dutch oven, which is great. And, of course, we had more mashed potatoes!

At one point, I looked up from cooking, and it was snowing like crazy, although not much stuck. So we sort of had a white Christmas.

We ate around 1:30, and enjoyed it. I’ve been making this dish since we moved here, and this time, it came out perfectly. It’s the only time I make it all year, but it’s worth it.

We had the other set of individual trifles for dessert, after we did the dishes and put them away.

I spent the afternoon on the couch with the cats, reading. We had the tree and the lights on (Tessa was delighted), and Christmas music on the CD player. I kept feeling I “should” be doing something, but ignored it.

Slept well, and slept in until after 6. Originally, I planned to haul things to the laundromat, but when I saw it was going to be 5 degrees this morning, nope. Instead, I slept in. Yes, 6 AM is “sleeping in” in this house!

I don’t remember the details of my dreams, just that they were around something-something creative, and I woke up feeling good about it, not disturbed. So I guess January will be creative, which is a good thing.

The dreams over the Twelve Days of Christmas supposedly connect to the coming months. So last night’s dream is January, tonight’s dream is February, tomorrow’s is March, and so forth.

Morning routine went well. I will do a light grocery shop later and run a couple of other errands. I want to get them done early, since we are supposed to get 4 inches of snow between tonight and tomorrow, and then an ice storm coming in on Sunday.

Even there’s not a lot of natural light, I will work on the textile piece today. I think I can finish it, and then polish the text portion over the weekend.

Have a good one!

Published in: on December 26, 2025 at 7:59 am  Comments (9)  
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Thurs. Dec. 18, 2025: Catching Up on Laundry

image courtesy of Piyapong Saydaung via pixabay.com

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Dark Moon

Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde

Sunny and Cold, getting warmer

You can read the latest on the garden over at Gratitude and Growth.

We were out of the house on time yesterday, and off to Williamstown, to the doctor. The water main breaks seem to have been repaired (boil order was lifted), and we didn’t get stuck in repair traffic. We got there in plenty of time.

The waiting room is shared between the regular doctor and the urgent care facility. They’ve taken out the comfortable chairs, and everything is awful, molded plastic. But there weren’t a lot of people there (it only opened on Tuesday), and we were masked anyway, so it was all good.

The doctor’s appointment went smoothly; he’s pleased that she’s holding steady and the medication adjustments are working. He said we could skip the bloodwork this go-round (since they sent us home last week), and do bloodwork in April and her next appointment is in June. So that’s all good.

Stopped at the store on the way home to get a couple of things we need before the regular weekly shop.

It was mucky and looked like it wanted to rain or snow. The person next to me parked too close (just part in the cleared space from the snow, it’s as good as lines), so I had to park closer than I would have liked to the person next to me – who usually parks badly. As soon as the person goes somewhere, I will run down and adjust back into the space properly. I am so sick of parking lot woes, and the landlord won’t do anything. The landlord is great about most things, but not the musical chairs parking.

Home, hot chocolate, and just no spoons for anything. It was the day before the dark moon, which is my lowest energy day of the month anyway. However, I was caught up on everything, and although there’s always something that could be done, not doing much wasn’t going to throw a spanner into the works.

I did, however, work on the edits for VICIOUS CRITIC, getting the first three chapters done (around 7K). I had to fix a few things, check a few facts, work on the author note as I worked, and adjust the series bible. Usually I wait until the final edit is out, but I’m going along as I make changes here, with the series bible up on the screen, and I’ll keep doing that with this book. There are too many details, and the tracking sheets are getting mucky.

An editor I worked with for an anthology, where the publishing house shuttered before it could release, has found a new home for it. So I filled out all the paperwork for that and turned it around. Nice way to end the year!

Mediabistro (which has gotten weird anyway lately) is now on Substack, so I disengaged from their listing.

An MIT professor was shot and killed in his home in Brookline. The Brown University shooter is still at large. The director of the FBI is doing relationship podcasts with his girlfriend. Completely unacceptable.

I read the next book for review, and will write up and send the review this morning, then request my next assignment.

Did some work on the ghostwriting. This assignment doesn’t yet have a deadline; I’m just trying to work ahead a bit.

Leftovers for dinner, reading in the living room with the holiday lights on, and happy cats. A nice way to spend the evening. Rested on the acupressure neck roll for a bit, hoping to soothe the neck pain.

Slept reasonably well, up early, fed the cats, out of the house to the laundromat. It was busy, because people are trying to catch up on all the laundry they couldn’t do during the construction weeks, and then the water main break, but everyone was cheerful and respected each other’s boundaries. So it was fine.

Home, last online meditation group with the Concord Library for the year (Charlotte will be happy). After breakfast, I will fold and put away laundry, work on the historical mystery and the Nina Bell revisions, and work on decorating. This evening, I hope to attend an art opening at Downstreet for a couple of Future Lab colleagues.

It’s supposed to be 57 degrees F tomorrow, although the parking lot this morning was an ice rink. Too much fluctuation.

Have a good one!

Published in: on December 18, 2025 at 8:40 am  Comments (2)  
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Fri. Nov. 28, 2025: Awakening From the Turkey Coma

image courtesy of PublicDomainPictures via pixabay.com

Friday, November 28, 2025

Waxing Moon

Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Mercury, Jupiter Retrograde

Saturn DIRECT as of yesterday

Cloudy & cold, incoming storm

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it. If not, I hope you had a lovely day.

Saturn went direct yesterday. Mercury goes direct tomorrow, giving it two more days to screw with us. It’s exhausting, but hopefully, we get some relief soon.

Speaking of caftans (as I was earlier this week), I realized that, in many of the tarot decks showing a woman on the 9 of Pentacles card, she’s wearing a caftan. Which just makes me smile. Sovereignty in fabric.

I was just dragging on Wednesday. All I wanted to do was go back to bed. The temperature fluctuations do a number on me. We try to keep a pretty even temperature inside, but there are also barometric pressure changes, and those do another number on me. But I plodded along as best I could as it rained, stopped, rained some more, temperature went up, temperature dropped for a couple of hours, then shot back up, and. . .you get the idea.

The birds were very confused, too.

The cats slept through most of it, being, well, cats.

The Sidewalk Chewing Demons were out, making noise and not getting much done. There’s a theme here. You’d think, with all the necessary travel, that roads would be kept clear.

I completed posting for November’s content calendar. Even though this weekend is sale frenzy, and with box store blackouts, it’s indie frenzy, it’s going to be so frenzied, I’m skipping it. I posted every weekday through Wednesday. Monday, I start the promo for the holiday stories. I don’t want to add to this weekend’s noise.

Headed out to the grocery store and the library. The grocery store was packed, but everyone was cheerful. I got an apple pie. The woman next to me grabbed one, too. She was already making pumpkin and chocolate pies, and is the only one in her house who eats apple, but didn’t feel like making that, too, so this was her treat for herself. The library was busy, too, but everyone was efficient and kind. Came home and my parking spot was blocked (again) by someone parked perpendicular to the spots. I hauled everything up the stairs, and by the time I was done, they were gone, so I could get into the spot. I’m really sick of this.

Charlotte and Tessa were established in different chairs in my office, steadily ignoring each other.

I worked on the ghostwriting in the afternoon, but didn’t get as far as I wanted, which means I’ll be working today on it some more.

Wednesday night was the local tree lighting. Whether it’s the lighting at Rockefeller Center or a small town elsewhere, I always feel like I’m in Whoville (not a bad thing). Anyway, it’s very pretty.

Thursday was cold and we even had a bit of sun peeking out here and there. I had a heck of a time getting the hock lock out of the turkey, even with the monkey pliers (the monkey pliers are the large pliers I bought to wing and de-wing the monkeys when I worked on WICKED on Broadway. They are highly useful for many things). When I finally yanked it out, I went flying across the room. Good thing there was a wall to catch me. Ow.

Anyway, the turkey was prepped and got into the oven a little after 9:30. It was a little under 13 pounds, and I cook it at 350, rather than 325, poach it more than roast it, so that the meat is very tender. I made mashed potatoes, stuffing, peas, and the carrot-and-parsnip dish we like so much. And, of course, there was cranberry sauce, although I bought that, rather than making it. I made gravy, too, although it wasn’t my best gravy outing. It was okay, not wonderful.

But everything timed out well, and it was good. Yum, yum. I’m definitely grateful we were able to have a tasty hot meal in a home we love. While I’m grateful for the years of large Maine gatherings, I also like small ones at home.

Cleaning everything up after took almost as much time as cooking the meal. We have plenty of leftovers split between fridge and freezer, but not so much we will be sick of them. I made turkey stock, and, again, split it between fridge and freezer. Lots of dishes all the way around – we used our pretty dishes for the meal and for serving. We didn’t go matchy-matchy, just used pieces we liked.

Once things were washed and put away, and the stock simmering, we enjoyed our apple pie. It’s good, but I would have liked a touch more allspice.

Cleared the space for the big tree, switched out some fabrics, put away Thanksgiving decorations. Read a little bit. Rested a bit. I felt like I was coming down with a cold yesterday, but I feel better today.

The weather app kept saying it was snowing, but I didn’t see any flakes out of the window.

I love looking at people’s decorating and sewing and craft ideas on social media. Even if it’s not the way I would do it, or not something I would wear, I love seeing the creativity and joy people take in it.

I also enjoy people posting about the new traditions they’re starting, breaking old patterns that made them unhappy. No, we don’t need to spend the day with people who are toxic and nasty. We can create our own traditions.

I am ignoring all the ads screaming at me to buy stuff. I have a few more things to pick up for gifts as soon as I get paid, and then I can ship off the boxes. I’m hoping that can happen early next week.

Went to bed early, slept reasonably well, dreaming that Kamala Harris was hosting a cook-along. I want to live in that timeline, not our current dumpster fire.

Good morning routine, and I feel better this morning. Day 99 of the free write.

I was going to do a run to the store to get in some stuff for baking, but there’s a winter weather advisory out until 10 PM today. At first, it was just a “coating” of snow. Now they are saying 5 inches. I’m not going to twist myself trying to outrun the storm. I’m just going to stay put.

I have writing and ghostwriting to do today, and we want to get the big tree up with the lights on and tied off, and leave it undecorated for a few days until the cats adjust to it being there, and then start decorating it. We will do some of the other decorating in the meantime, including the front entryway and the tree on the porch, and some of the other stuff.

You know how it is: if it’s not moving, it gets decorated. That’s why the cats keep moving. Bea will learn.

Depending on the weather, and how much I have to shovel, we may go to get our wreath and do the grocery run tomorrow, or on Sunday morning, before the next big storm comes in on Sunday afternoon. I will not be able to go to Amherst for Monday’s writing session and lunch. I will attend via ZOOM. It’s our last one of the year.

I hope to start the baking next week, baking one type of cookie a day, and then I can get pack the platters and get them out the door the following week. Somewhere in there, we will write domestic cards (maybe start them this weekend).

Also, this weekend, I need to get some work done on the textile piece.

I’d like to get as much done early in the month, so we can actually enjoy the holidays. I have the candles set up on the Advent table, but I don’t yet have any of the other decorations on the table. (The first of Advent is on Sunday).

Somehow, it will all get done. I want to enjoy the doing, though!

Have a good one, and we’ll catch up next week.

Published in: on November 28, 2025 at 8:06 am  Comments (2)  
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Tues. Nov. 25, 2025: Slow and Steady

image courtesy of Jody Davis via pixabay.com

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Waxing Moon

Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Mercury, Jupiter Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

Welcome to another week! I hope you had a good weekend.

November 25, 2025. I like the way it looks. I’m sure there will be a lot of TikToks and Instas about its meaning, and I could yap about the numerology of it, but I just like the way it sits there.

I got my review out early Friday morning, and put in my next review request. That felt like a good way to start the day! I got the next book by the mid-afternoon, which was great news.

Errands were fine in the morning. I picked up a prescription for my mother, did the pre-holiday shop (including picking up the turkey), did the library drop-off/pick-up, and another errand. I had to drive home a different way because Ashland Street was closed down (again, without warning), and the Sidewalk Chewing Demons had a couple of streets in the neighborhood closed (without warning), so I had to jiggy around various streets to get back home.

But I got home, hauled everything across the street and up the stairs, and put it away. Started puttering with a few decorating things for the holidays. I don’t want to rush, because I like to honor Thanksgiving/harvest and all that, but I also want to get things done, so I can enjoy it.

When I took out the cooking spray to put it away, the lid fell off and it turns out the spray nozzle was broken. Which meant I had to try and return it.

Gave myself the afternoon off (still no notes from the ghostwriting), reading for pleasure and putting around the apartment. Pondered the historical mystery. Level Best sent out a reminder that the deadline is December 30th. I hope to have it finished and out the door around the Solstice, but that depends on how much holiday prep and ghostwriting takes up. One day at a time, that’s the best I can do. Along with all the other insurance and other crap that needs to be handled before the end of the year.

Cooked dinner and had a nice quiet evening, reading and listening to music.

Up early on Saturday. Good morning routine, especially working out details for the historical mystery. After breakfast, I headed back to the grocery store with the broken cooking spray and the receipt. Easy peasy switching it out, they were very nice about it. It took all of five minutes. While I was there, I picked up some more potatoes and another jar of honey. I’m using honey a lot in my cooking.

We pulled in everything else from the back balcony that needs to come in, and cleaned almost everything off (I don’t want it in the house when it’s been sitting out in the contaminated dust from the Sidewalk Chewing Demons). Everything was filthy. I can’t spread the rugs out properly to mop them inside, so I sprayed them down with Lysol, folded them, will pack them away and then give them a good scrub when I roll them out again in spring (if I mop out there now, they will freeze). Next year, I will know to mop on one of the warmer days before I bring things inside.

The green shelf unit (which was a brown $5 find at Restore on Cape back in the day, and I painted) is back in the kitchen, in front of the big window, with the herbs on it. The folding tables on the front porch are cleaned and folded, and ready to be used to cool baking over the next few weeks. The bistro table from the back is on the porch, filled with plants that are still blooming before winter. The red table is on the porch, ready for the tree we put up out there. I put up some extra hooks for window lights on the porch, too.

It was sunny off and on, so I grabbed the caftan and needle and thread. I tacked down the neck facing, and then measured, pinned, and hand-sewed the hem. I may have to do some additional stitching on the neck, so it sits properly. But it drapes well when I put it on. It’ll be nice in warmer weather, and if I really want to wear it in colder weather, I can put on fleece leggings underneath and a turtleneck!

It’s an easy, comfortable design I can use with a wide array of fabrics.  Look out, I’m about to become that eccentric older woman sashaying around in caftans!

Pulled out some decorations from Bea’s room and figured out where I want things to go, even if I haven’t put them all up yet.

Heated up leftovers for dinner, and had another quiet evening of reading and writing and cats.

Slept reasonably well, and was up a little later than usual on Sunday. Good morning routine, longer yoga session, played with some ideas in the writing session.

After breakfast, I started the bread (the Ina Garten recipe again). It rose beautifully, much higher and faster than previously. I also put a simmer pot on the stove, cutting up a lemon, adding rosemary, a dash of vanilla extract, some whole cloves, and a little cinnamon. It smelled wonderful. Later on, when the smell faded a bit, I added a dash of allspice (I really, REALLY love allspice).

Did the Community Tarot Reading for the Week, which you can read here. I really do not feel up to 7 of Wands this week, but needs must. I hope the hope of the Star card will also be relevant.

Did a little bit of decorating, a bit of planning work on the textile piece, some writing, some reading, and read the next book for review. It snowed off and on most of the day.

After lunch, I put on Real People clothes (and actually felt good in them – I much prefer my winter clothes to my summer ones). I walked, in the snow flurries, down to Future Labs for Dawn Nelson’s artist talk. She is the artist currently exhibiting in the gallery this month. It was a nice mix of Future Labs artists and Eclipse Mill people. The talk was very interesting, about process and how mentorship has influenced her work. I’m glad I went. I learned a lot, in addition to supporting a colleague.

Walked home, finished reading the book for review, cooked dinner, read for pleasure in the evening.

Slept reasonably well, although I had weird dreams. Up at the normal time on Monday, morning routine. It was rainy and raw, reinforcing my decision not to head out to the laundromat that morning.

I was annoyed with myself for not doing anything on the holiday cards this weekend, or doing more on the textile project. But my mind and body felt heavy and exhausted.

I’m participating in the Big Box Blackout from today through December 2, 2025, not buying from big box stores. I mean, I buy as little as possible from them anyway. And it’s not just about shifting WHEN I do the buying, it’s trying to avoid them as much as possible.

As I’ve said before, I haven’t done Black Friday shopping since the 80’s. The chaos and bad behavior has been too much for me on that day for decades. I love to find gifts for people, and I want to enjoy the process, not cage fight to get something because it’s on sale.

First thing after breakfast yesterday, I wrote and sent off the book review, submitted the invoice for the last batch I read, and requested the next assignment. That felt like I at least had a decent start to the week!

Several times this month, I’ve been asked why I don’t participate in particular writing groups. I respond that they meet at night. Since I write for a living, and that constitutes my workday, I want to do non-work-related things in the evenings. I often get push back, “Well, the group meets at night because members have day jobs” to which I respond, “and writing IS my day job, and I prefer to spend my nights in activities that aren’t work.”  I AM involved with a couple of professional writing groups right now that meet as part of my workday (Feminist Writing Community and Honor Roll Playwrights), and I am very grateful for them. Sure, I go to readings and talks and things at night. But after writing all day, I don’t want to go somewhere else at night to write and to listen to people make excuses for not writing.

There’s less hostile push back around here than on the other side of the state, because there are more working artists here, so when you point out something like the above, usually people get it.

It’s that most spaces/opportunities are either for beginners or big names, and there’s a lack of space for people in mid-range who doggedly show up and do the work on a regular basis. (What used to be called “mid-list writers”). These writers matter because they have always been the backbone of the industry. Focusing on everything as a “debut” or someone famous – that’s part of why the industry is collapsing (along with turning it fully corporate and the whole corporate greed/private equity that strips assets for parts). It’s not sustainable. There are a whole bunch of people who show up and do the work and create the stories (especially in series) that people love. Acknowledge them and make space for them. Give them support so they can do the work they do that sustains the profession, not in spite of the profession.

Even more important, I get to decide how I spend my time. I’m not in my twenties, starting out. I am a working artist, and I need to protect my work time, my creative time, and my down time, so that I can continue to create. Something that often happens in groups is that the people making excuses for not doing the work siphon off the energy from those who are (creative energy vampires). I’ve dealt with enough of those in my life, and I prefer to place my time, energy, and attention in more reciprocal environments. There are always times when people can’t do the work, because of health or emergency issues, and we give each other grace and support through that. But that’s different than people who consistently CHOOSE not to do the work.

One of the things I appreciate about Future Labs Gallery is that it offers members and associate members space to do the work and experiment, no matter at what point in their journey they are.

The FWC session was good. I got some solid work done on the draft of “Body Games” (the historical mystery). Not as much as I would have liked, because I had to stop and research details along the way. Placeholders won’t work, because they would change the trajectory of the story. I have to incorporate the details of life in the reign of Queen Anne as I go. Those details define how the characters behave/respond to the plot points.

Got my daily marketing done. I won’t know how effective it was until January or February, but at least I’m steadily showing up to do the marketing and follow the content calendar. When I teach the workshop in January, I have to make sure I have sell sheets prepared. I’ve already begun work on the handout.

Got out some necessary emails. Got paid for the book reviews, and received my next assignment. Slogged through a bunch of emails. Did some tidying up in my office, especially the big work table so that I can actually work on it.

Got some ghostwriting done, although it took me a bit to get into it. Once I did, I enjoyed myself, which is always nice. I might be close to finished with this by the holiday or early next week (even though, technically, I haven’t yet started).

Leftovers for dinner, reading in the evening. I had some research books to go through, and then I started a holiday novel that was recommended, but didn’t like it, so gave up.

Tessa decided to sleep on the bed (Charlotte was off somewhere), so we got settled in at bedtime. Charlotte joined us at 2 AM, waking me from a nightmare. I was worried they would fuss at each other, but I was pinned between them and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a younger, alt-me living and working in London.

Woke up on time, got everybody fed, hauled the laundry to the laundromat. There were people there, even that early, which slowed things down a bit. The murder of crows hung out with me while I waited out the washing and drying in the car. There were about two dozen of them. I’m going to have to start carrying unsalted peanuts again. And because the crows were all hanging out with me, the people kept their distance. I got everything washed, dried, and home just as the Sidewalk Chewing Demons showed up, so I could stash the car in the lot and haul everything up the stairs before they made passage impossible. I will fold and put everything away after breakfast.

Today’s agenda: writing, ghostwriting, yoga. Hoping to keep it simple. If it clears up, I might do some sewing on the textile project. If it’s this dark, I won’t. I’m in a holding pattern on a few things, so I might have to change direction a few times this week and early next, but I’m trying to keep everything as simple as possible.

I’d like a quiet Thanksgiving, and a quiet weekend to get a good start on the decorating and work on the domestic cards. The weather is supposed to be mucky, so I’m glad we’re not travelling. A big meal, a quiet few days, some decorations, and that will be lovely.

We’re going to put up the tree and the lights in the doorway between the living room and the sewing room for a few days, tied off but undecorated, to see how Bea and Willa deal with it. Bea was fine with the tree last year, when we had it near the fireplace, but my mom really wants it back in the doorway this year, the way we used to. It does look very pretty there, framed by the doorway and the glass doors. We might not put on the very delicate ornaments again this year, just the sturdier ones. The cats have always been fine with the tree, and even last year, Bea’s first year with an indoor tree, she was fascinated and gentle with it. We have them in with us when we decorate, and I think that helps. If one shuts them away and then they come in and everything is done and different and sparkly, they get overstimulated. If they’re part of the whole process, it’s just part of the day, and they adjust better. My cats always have, anyway. As long as Willa doesn’t chase Bea through the sewing room and they don’t barrel into the tree, we should be fine.

The only one who ever was a bit of trouble was Elsa, my first tortie. That’s why I usually put up the tree with just the lights for a day or two before decorating. She would climb the tree the first couple of days, and then get used to it, and leave it alone. None of the others ever have.

I put special stuffed ornaments on the bottom branches, and there are toys that go under the tree that only come out this time of year, and that keeps them busy and away from the upper branches, too.

I mean, I tie the tree off anyway, just to be sure, but compared to many of those videos that make the rounds this time of year, my clowder of cats is remarkably good about it all.

I better get going. The laundry won’t fold itself. Have a good one!

Published in: on November 25, 2025 at 7:58 am  Comments (4)  
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Thurs. Oct. 30, 2025: A Lovely Day

image courtesy of one_for_the_road via pixabay.com

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Waxing Moon

Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Cloudy and cool

You can read about the latest on the garden over on Gratitude and Growth.

In spite of not sleeping well, I was up before 5 AM yesterday. I did my yoga and 15 minutes of writing (after feeding the cats), and then headed out to the laundromat. I did my morning meditation in the car, waiting for the laundry to go through. It’s too dark to read, and sitting in a parking lot with the inside light on at that hour turns me into a target.

As I waited for the dryer to finish, I met a nurse coming in to dry a load of laundry. She had a dryer for 25 years with no problems, until it lived out its life. Her new, expensive dryer lasted – two weeks. And the company won’t honor the warranty. So she comes down here early to throw things in the dryer before work.

Home a little after seven, hauled everything up the stairs. Mother had a nice birthday breakfast.

Bea just wants to be cuddled all the time now. It’s kind of adorable.

Dug into the ghostwriting and finished this polish pass by noon-ish. Got it off my desk and onto theirs. I was told notes would be delayed – which means my payment is delayed, which is frustrating.

Spent the afternoon reading the next book for review. I will write and submit it today, and get to work on the next book for review over the weekend, so I can submit that next week, and get my next assignment.

In the early evening, I headed out for Grazie in order to pick up my mom’s birthday dinner. The owner and I had emailed back and forth a few times during the day. He’s so kind. I ordered the rigatoni and meatballs for 2. It’s gigantic. It could have easily fed six. The meatballs are almost as big as the palm of my hand.

We ate about a third of the gigantic platter. We will get two more dinners from it. We saved the giant salad for today’s lunch. And, it’s delicious, which always helps. The photo at the top of the post is a stock photo. The photo I took of the giant platter of food did not do it justice.

She loved her cheesecake, too. We had cheesecake for dessert at lunch AND dinner. Because at 101, you can have cheesecake all day on your birthday if you want!

We had a nice, quiet evening. Thank you to everyone who sent physical cards, emails, or wishes through social media. She really enjoyed hearing from everyone.

Speaking of social media, on Instagram, I learned about The Sunday Letter Project. As someone who loves writing letters (and had a ton of pen pals growing up), this sounds like such fun. It started in the UK, and has gone international. I’m going to approach a couple of places in this area about it. Right now, the nearest Letter Keeper shop is about an hour and change away in Vermont (and isn’t yet on their pinned map). There are also chances to write local letters and to write to oneself or an ancestor or whatever. One can mix and match what one chooses to do.

Slept well, up at the usual time. Good morning routine, although I was scattered and not particularly creative in the 15-minute writing. Considering this is Day 70 of 90, that’s a shame. But not every day will be brilliant.

On today’s agenda: meditation with the online group in Concord, working on the novel and the play, doing some unpleasant admin that has to be finished and get out the door, and then some ghostwriting work.

It’s supposed to rain on and off all day, so I’m glad I don’t have to go anywhere.

Have a good one!

Published in: on October 30, 2025 at 7:12 am  Comments (2)  
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Wed. Oct. 29, 2025: Happy 101st Birthday to My Mom!

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Waxing Moon

Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Cloudy and cool

Happy 101st birthday to my mom! And may she have more years of pleasure and contentment.

Willa is certainly doing her bit to help her favorite human!

Good morning routine yesterday, and I hit the desk running well before breakfast. I wrote just under 1K on the novel, finishing the chapter I began yesterday. These are my test chapters for myself, to see if the piece is viable, and it seems to be.

I also wrote the next Joy scene, where she meets Daniel, who is the right partner for her. That scene ran 3 pages, just under 500 words. So that was a good start of the day.

I did some errands, including picking up my mother’s favorite cheesecake. I suspect being outside in 27-degree weather without a jacket was not my best move. Came home and did a bunch of admin work. The Chewy order had arrived yesterday, so I got that unpacked. The cats have another box to play in for a couple of days, before I break it down. I’ve been doing most of my activism offline in the past months (for obvious reasons), so even though I don’t always discuss the details publicly, I’m doing my bit. I constantly ask myself where my skills can have a positive impact in my community? We need all our bits, and when we do what plays to our strengths, it all gets done, and there is progress. Even though right now, there doesn’t feel like progress.

It turned into a very pretty autumn day, with good sunshine, and in the low 50’sF. In the short break right after lunch, I had all four cats enjoying it in the living room.

Dug into the ghostwriting. Had to sort a few questions out with the editors. Finished the draft, and started the polish. Will finish that this morning, and get it off my desk and onto theirs.

The final literary committee meeting of the season was in the evening, on ZOOM. It was, as usual, a great discussion. The whole committee loved the play I recommended (I met the playwright in the Athena Project this summer). It’s too big for the theatre to do alone, but it would also be a great opportunity to partner with other organizations. And, of course, the playwright is someone I wanted to put on WAM’s radar, because of her skill and talent. I will miss everyone over the winter. I really loved these monthly meetings, and the detailed, in-depth discussions.

Heated up leftovers for dinner. Read in the evening (the next Bruno mystery). Sourced and ordered (at a decent price) some materials I need for a holiday project.

I had a terrible time getting to sleep. I just could not do it.

So the Speaker of the House, after boasting how his party controls House, Senate, WH, now says the Democrats control everything? And hasn’t worked in how many days? Sounds to me like he both abdicated his responsibility AND ceded authority. The minority leader, with all the rest of his party, should stride in, take the gavel, call the House back in session, and get back to work. The other guy abandoned his post, so to speak, and publicly ceded authority. So get in there, take what’s offered, and get to work. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were enough on the majority side by now who would call for a motion to vacate the chair and elect a new Speaker. This one is a liar and a sycophant. Would there be legal challenges? Sure. But, in the meantime, a few things could get done. Like swearing in the representative from Arizona who was duly elected over a month ago. Like finding a way to end the shutdown. Like releasing those files that need to be released. The Dems won’t do it, because they don’t have the spine to take such bold action, but it would definitely have an impact. Oh, and if the door is locked? If they can find a bulldozer for the People’s House, they can find a locksmith to change the locks on the Capitol. Do something strongly active. I’m glad they’re holding the line, but now they have to do more than that.

Anyway, the plan for the day is to finish the ghostwriting, work on the novel and the play, and get my mom her special birthday dinner from Grazie.

101 is quite an achievement!

Have a great day.

Published in: on October 29, 2025 at 6:42 am  Comments (10)  
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Thurs. Oct. 23, 2025: Late Night Writing

image courtesy of Florian Pircher via pixabay.com

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Waxing Moon

Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Cloudy turning to sun and cool

You can read the latest on the garden over on Gratitude and Growth.

Yesterday, we had adventures at the RMV. It was absolutely pouring out, and the Sidewalk Chewing Demons were causing all kinds of problems, but we got to the car, and I maneuvered around everything to get us downtown. I found a parking spot right in front of the RMV and pulled in.

I got my number – it was the exact same one I had the previous day. Too funny! And the same clerk, who remembered, was happy to meet my mom.

She processed the paperwork. Since my mom was voluntarily giving up her license, she had to call Boston about it, letting them know it was voluntary, but she was renewing the Real ID.

Boston deleted EVERYTHING. Which meant what was coming up was her previous NY license, from 2010. And that we would have had to start the entire process from scratch (which is why I brought what is commonly known as a “fuck-ton” of documentation).

The clerk was great. She felt terrible about it all. She and her supervisor figured out how to backtrack into the files and just make the necessary update that it was an ID renewal and a voluntary license release. Because Boston was no help (big surprise).

My mom had to sign a bunch of stuff (yes, I read it first, to make sure) and have another photo taken. We have the temporary ID and should have the physical card in a week or so. Unless Boston screws it up again.

It would have been completely impossible to do this online.

After that, we went to CVS so I could pick up her prescription, and then ran a couple of other errands. The sun had come out by now.

I also had to negotiate with the landlord. He’s raising the rent. Even though he knew we’d go back down to what we finally agreed on, at least he was willing to talk to me ahead of time and negotiate. It’s still a great deal for the space, and it’s do-able, but with my mom’s health insurance going up at least 52%, internet is up, gas (for the house, not the car) already up 125% and now they’ve filed another 18% increase, and everything else going up, it’s a lot.

I’m really sick of people running around saying “grow your own food” and “stock up on supplies.” People who are barely scraping by can’t stock up, they’re holding on by their fingernails as it is. I do better than many, because I do tend to keep a full pantry and restock as I use, which keeps things flowing. And I can put out some pots on the deck, but I don’t have the space or the skills to grow all the food we need. All this “oh, learn how to sew” and “go to the thrift shop” and “buy local” – all of that is how I’ve always lived my life. None of this is new, and these 20-year-olds on Instagram running around making videos like this is some new concept are just showing their privilege. I’ve never “shopped every day” – why would I? I shop on Amazon maybe once or twice a year, and that’s only if I can’t source it elsewhere. The whole influencer thing is exhausting. And annoying.

I love watching how people renovate their houses (even when their style is quite different from mine), how they plant their gardens, their animal rescues, what they’re cooking and sewing. But I remove “influencers” from my feed every day, because, please, just bite me. Go life your life, have fun and learn, but you are 1/3 of my age and have even less life experience than the plants in my house who are older than you. Glad you’re discovering all this cool stuff, but many of us have always lived this way, and it’s not new. It’s how artists and other people on the margins have always existed.

Meanwhile, That Thing is literally looting the treasury and taking a wrecking ball to the country, and no one who is supposed to be a check and a balance does anything about it. Now he’s saying the entire East Wing will be demolished THIS WEEKEND. You know he’s going to tear down the whole building, right? And loot/sell off the country’s history and pocket the cash? And no one has the guts to stop him.

So I better get out some more LOIs. There are a couple of things I have my eye on as short-term possibilities. It’s just getting up enough energy, along with everything else, to put together the necessary materials and get things out the door.

And it’s so relentlessly loud ALL THE TIME with machinery that the only time I can get work done is late at night right now, so I think I just need to flip my schedule and start sleeping (ha! In this noise?) during the day and working at night.

I did, however, manage to read another play for next week’s literary committee before starting the ghostwriting, which still had to start later in the day than I would have liked because of the noise.

Once it was quiet, I could concentrate and work, I wrote until midnight and finished the draft. A little over 8000 words. That means today, I have some character stuff to add in and do a final polish. I hope I can get it off my desk by end of day today – two days early. Then, I can start the other revision tomorrow, and maybe get it in early next week and invoice before the end of the month, which would be fantastic.

I had trouble getting to sleep after all that, but it proves that when it’s quiet enough, I can buckle down and work fast.

I woke up with a raging migraine, though. But I had a good morning routine, although the writing session was more about practicality than creativity. And the Sidewalk Chewing Demons are out there making noise.

I’m hosting today’s #FreelanceFriends chat over on Bluesky from 12-1 PM EST. Stop by if you have a chance. We always have fun, and share solid information.

Let’s hope today is a relatively calm day (I initially wrote “clam”, and wouldn’t it be nice to receive some clams today?), and that I get a lot done.

Have a good one!

Published in: on October 23, 2025 at 7:28 am  Comments (2)  
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Wed. Oct. 22, 2025: Too Many Forms

image courtesy of Iqbal Nuril Anwar via pixabay.com

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Waxing Moon

Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Rainy and cool

Wednesday always feels as though it comes up quickly.

I was up and out of the house right after breakfast. It was clearing up a bit, and turning into a pretty day, so I walked. I mean, I kind of had to, because there was construction at both ends of the street (again, without prior notice), so it’s not like I could have taken the car out.

Walked down to the post office to mail some bills and cards. Headed down farther to City Hall, to drop off our mail-in ballots in the ballot box. Then headed over to the RMV to ask what to do about my mom who only wants to renew the Real ID portion of her license, not the driving part. They are always very nice there, and gave me the necessary paperwork. I hope the person who helped me yesterday is there when we go in this morning. I know it sounds weird to go on about how nice they are in the RMV, but that has been my experience in this state, at least so far, ever since we moved to MA in 2010. Let’s hope we have a good experience again today to reinforce that!

We still had to put together a lot of paperwork. Although she has a Real ID, if they give us trouble processing the renewal, we have all the paperwork. We shouldn’t need it, but bringing it will mean it all works smoothly. She who has the most documentation wins. I am sick and tired of forms and paperwork. It’s all crap.

I had hoped to stop at another store on my way home, but it wasn’t open yet, and I didn’t want to hang around until it did, so I headed home. We did paperwork, gathered paperwork, basically the morning was an administrative waste of time that shouldn’t need to happen.

It was finally quiet – until the moment I sat down to get to work, and then the Sidewalk Chewing Demons started up again.

Bea and Charlotte both wanted attention. Tessa lounged on the front porch. Willa ran around. Feline life is as usual around here.

I read one of the scripts for WAM’s next literary committee meeting, and I did a revision on “One Too Many.” I think it’s ready to go, although I’ll let it sit for a few days and give it another look. When submissions open on Nov. 1, off it goes, and either they want it, or they don’t.

I had a good session on the ghostwriting, and feel good about what I got done, although I’m still behind. I hope the RMV doesn’t eat the whole morning, and I can really dig in today.

Yoga was really good. It’s nice to have an hour a week where I can just “be” and not worry about anything else.

Home, heated up leftovers for dinner. I grated fresh Parmesan over the pasta, which meant Charlotte got a few slivers, which made her so happy. She loves freshly grated Parmesan (but won’t touch any other kind).

Read a bit in the evening, slept reasonably well until Tessa howled me out of bed in the morning.

I have to finish filling out the paperwork for my mom, and we head out after breakfast. Wish us luck at the RMV! Then, I have a few errands to take care of, and get back here to write. I’d like to work on the next Joy scene, where she meets the right partner for her, but it depends how long we are stuck at the RMV and how complicated that gets. If it eats up the morning, I will have to focus on the ghostwriting.

Have a good one!

Published in: on October 22, 2025 at 6:48 am  Comments (4)  
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Thurs. Oct. 2: Portal Into the Residency

image courtesy of  Siggy Nowak via pixabay.com

Thursday, October 2, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Sunny and cool

The photo is not what the residency looks like. I just liked it.

You can read the latest about the garden over on Gratitude & Growth.

I got out the short story that had to go out yesterday. Fortunately, it was all prepped, so all I had to do was navigate the stupid, annoying form and upload it.

Printed out the schedule pages that will substitute for the daily white board for my mom. Ran the errands that needed to happen in the morning, and they were all successful. I needed help, in one store, reaching something. A clerk brought over a stepladder and climbed to get it, and it kept skooching farther and farther away. But she snagged it eventually, and then we had a serious case of the giggles.

Got things home and sorted out, and then some other stuff came in that needed attention. Packed up my wellness bags and the sewing paraphernalia that I’m taking with me. I will double check that I have extra needle threaders.

Worked on the ghostwriting project until about 10 PM. I’m close to done. I have a couple of fiddly things to do, then a proofreading pass, and out the door it goes.

I put aside a couple of things to take to the residency, and now have no idea where they are. I don’t think I packed them in a project bag. Or maybe I did. I’ll know when I unpack in the studio later. Not having those items with me isn’t a tragedy. I just feel like I’m losing my last marble.

But the daily sheets for my mom are in good shape, so she can keep track of dates, times, and what is going on. So at least there’s that.

And it’s not like I’m that far away. If I’m missing something important, I can always come back and retrieve it. I’m just annoyed with myself.

Good morning yoga, meditation (Bea was happy), and 15-minute writing session. I have the online meditation with the Concord group, then I will finish the ghostwriting project and get it off my desk. Then I’ll do the other little stuff I need to do to prep the last few things for the residency, and pack the food.

This afternoon, I load up the car and head over to the studio. I’ll unload at the studio and the apartment. The plan is to return the car (provided no jackass takes my parking spot), and then return to the studios on foot for our official orientation. I’ll help my fellow poets unload, and then maybe go back to the studio for an hour or two to set up.

I’m looking forward to just getting there! Once my stuff is there and the car is back here, I will feel like I can settle down. I’m excited to be with everyone again.

Mentally, I left a few days ago, which is why these last few days of finishing things up have been such a struggle. But I will get there.

I’m keeping an eye on government shutdown stuff and other chaos that will entail, but, for the most part, I’m going to try to isolate myself from the outside world as much as possible while I’m in the studio. I’m feeling depleted in that area, and I hope stepping back for a few days (while not ignoring the dumpster fire completely) will help me reinvigorate.

Have a good one! I’ll share studio photos when I can.

Published in: on October 2, 2025 at 6:58 am  Comments (4)  
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