Lisa Beth Darling's Blog, page 8

The Shicksville Redemption

If you haven’t yet read Shicksville Justice this post will not make any sense to you. Today is September 1st and Grandma, our heroine, dutifully hauled herself back to Shicksville to show Dorothy Dotage her brand–printed paper copy–of her Learner’s Permit. You know the thing Grandma didn’t study for but passed anyway. Grandma dressed special… Continue reading The Shicksville Redemption

Shicksville Justice

It’s a working title. I’ve got some of the story. Including, for the first time in a long time, the ending! Yep, I know how each one of these bumbling idiots creates their own demise. Ok, so it’s a dark comedy. But it’s based in reality. And…you know….Writers Should Always Write What They Know. Do… Continue reading Shicksville Justice

Harvest Combe

I finally got back to writing this story and it feels so good! We’re just flying along at the moment. With absolutely no direction. I had to listen to the Sorcerer Supreme and just surrender to the story’s current. Just let go and…type, you stupid bitch, type! Just forget everything you think you know and…type.… Continue reading Harvest Combe

Jumping Over The Pond

Wow! I know, it’s been a good long while since we had a chat. In my defense, I’ve been very busy lately. The gardens. The house. The job. The family. You know how it goes. In the middle of all that, as often happens with me, I woke up one day driven by The Muse… Continue reading Jumping Over The Pond

Audio Release Party

Now Available on Audible and iTunes!!!$24.95 But you can get a FREE copy of this and other novels by Lisa Beth Darling. Just keep reading this page to find out how. Absolutely LOVED this book!! It captivates you with its twists and turns until the very end, then leaves you wanting more!-5 Stars I freakin’… Continue reading Audio Release Party

I’m So Excited

For once…once! (LOL) A release is actually going to happen ON TIME and probably without any glitches. Will wonders never cease? I checked my email this morning to find that the narrator for “The First Sin” finished the book! Oh, happy day! Bonus…he absolutely loved the story. Double bonus…it so shows in his work. The… Continue reading I’m So Excited

If You Could…

I should preface this post by telling you that my longtime companion, my best friend, my black beauty, and the best porch panther ever, Charlie, passed away this weekend. For those of you who love pets you know this is a difficult time. For those of you out there who are Pagan and have full understanding of the word ‘Familiar’, you know how devastating it is and also, possibly, how life affirming it can be. That whole Life/Death/Rebirth thing. He’ll be back. They’ve all come back to me eventually.

I have been in a deep funk for a long while.

In the depths of the grief of Charlie’s passing I realized a strange thing; I am still alive. As such, I should probably get off my ass and start doing some shit again while I’ve still got the opportunity.

This is my blog. I get to say what I want here. I haven’t done that in a long time because, well, yeah, that funk, but let’s face it Today’s Atmosphere doesn’t exactly open things up to a Free Exchange of Ideas. Unless you can speak Shrinkese, of course. I’ve noticed it so much in the shows I watch and movies too. I hate it. Oh, how I hate it!

We don’t have that here. If you should be offended by anything said below, I would like to direct you to the nearest mirror. Kindly stand in front of it, stare deeply, and out loud ask yourself; “What is it about me that finds that offense?” Once you find that answer you will then have a new aspect of yourself to work on and improve making you that Better Person we all aspire to be.

That being said, in case you hadn’t noticed Political Season 2024 is upon us.

There used to be a time when one could get ‘excited’ and ‘enthusiastic’ about such things but when they stretch out for a year and half, eh, it’s hard to keep that going. Within a few months it becomes boring and, at least I find myself switching channels to shut them up.

We were watching the one and only….Pundit Show? Not sure that’s quite the right phrase. That we allow ourselves. This Week with George Stephanopoulos. I don’t know what you think of that show and I don’t particularly care but that’s it for us. Every other political loudmouth has been exiled from our home for many years now.

They got to the part where they started discussing who was running for President of the United States in 2024. Trumps’ numbers are low. Bidens’ numbers are low. Blah. Blah. Blah. This one’s ‘old’. That one’s ‘ancient’. This one’s ‘not exciting’. That one’s ‘over the top’.

Basically saying what we’ve all known for decades..they ALL suck! They stink. Bottom of the soggy worm infested barrel. Matt and Trey were right, it’s always a choice between a Giant Douche and a Turd Sandwich.

No “news” there.

As I sat there watching them push the political puck around and agreeing with them I wondered if there wasn’t just one person out there somewhere who actually would make a Good President. Someone neither Turd or Douche.

Just one.

There has to be at least one. Don’t you think?

Problem is, I can’t come up with anyone. Nope. Not a single frickin’ politician that I would like to vote for. That I could be ‘excited’ and ‘enthusiastic’ about. (They ask you that on the surveys I take on YouGov…like you’re going to rock concert or something instead of trudging your way to the polls, doing your Civic Duty, while trying not to puke on everyone around you.)

I thought may be we should throw way ‘the box’. Just not think outside it but toss that puppy on the pyre and be rid of it. Maybe that box is what keeps Good People from running; they just don’t fit into it…in a good way. So they think no one will vote for them. More likely, they just don’t have the cash for such a large endeavor.

The Constitution of the United States of America lists the Qualifications for President as: Being 35 or older and a Natural Born Citizen. I refuse to argue that second part again. If you don’t know what it actually means…Google is your friend, go ask it.

Certainly we can find someone who fits that very barren description and who would also serve as a truly Good Leader and maybe even be a bit inspiring. Maybe someone who doesn’t have one foot in the grave and the other on the proverbial banana peel? I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

If You Could….put anyone at all who falls within those guidelines on the 2024 Presidential Ballot, who would it be?

I’m not trying to start a big political debate or arguments, I’m honestly asking so if you answer (and I hope you do) please do so in the same light.

All the Books

Lisa Beth Darling’s books are widely available in print, e-book, and audio book from a variety of international retailers. Click the links to discover more about each spellbinding novel and story.

The First Sin-South of Eden

The OF WAR Series

The Heart of WarChild of War-A God is BornChristmas Eve on OlympusChild of War-Rising SonWomen of WarKingdoms of War

The Sister Christian Series

GenesisSins of the FatherMysterious WaysProdigal Son

The Doc Series

On a Hot Summer Night Cold November Rain Regret Me Not

Standalone & Non-Fiction

ObsessionDream Weaver
15th Anniversary EditionA Window to Magickal HerbalismThe Shame of Eminent Domain

Christmas-Fire Update

Once Upon a Time, I could say anything I wanted here in Ye Olde New Blog ‘cuz, ya know, it was, like, ‘just us’. Since the fire there’s a lot more of ‘us’ and I don’t know who they are anymore. You Old Timers will probably be able to Read Between the Lines fairly easily. The rest of you, just take it at Face Value.

My daughter’s family is still safe and warm in that slightly larger hotel room with kitchenette. Did I tell you that last time? I can’t remember. I don’t remember much at this point to tell you the truth it’s all just such a blur. It’s getting a little cramped in there but it’s better than where they were and it’s shelter from the storm we’re having today. In that regard, I know just how completely lucky they are. For some people out there, tragedy strikes and no one even notices. They go from teetering on the edge but having a place to live to sleeping under a bridge in a matter of hours. I am grateful the family is not in that position.

So far, no luck with the Apartment Hunt. Like most other people I heard and read about the Housing Crisis before now but I didn’t really get my head around it until now. I’m still trying to do that, actually. Back in the Dark Ages when Hubby and I were apartment hunting, before we moved into the house we lived in 7 different apartments. Sometimes it was just us, back those Early Days, and sometimes there were 4 of us. While moving will never be listed as One the Most Fun Things To Do in Life, we didn’t have much trouble with it other than straining our backs. It’s not because we made a lot of money, we certainly didn’t. There were many months we had trouble making the rent but it was always the top priority. It was because there were apartments.

Looking back now, it seems like there were a lot of apartments in a lot of different neighborhoods in a lot of different price ranges. We cruised the classified ads–back when there was such a thing, just looking for a place to live is vastly different now–find things we thought we could afford and go look at them. We always kept the neighborhood in mind, we lived in many diverse neighborhoods where the only common denominator was our income level which was not what would call at that elusive Disposable Level. With one exception, back those crazily intense Just Us Days, we never lived in an apartment complex. We lived in apartments inside cut up houses in real neighborhoods.

A few years back, work was completed on a rather large apartment complex in Good Ol’ Downtown New London. They’re not cheap. Not by anyone’s estimation. Before that, for several years, other smaller apartment complexes or condos maybe, popped up down there. Two more are Coming Soon with another about to host a Grand Opening in the next few months. Granted, these places are Modern and Safe, very chic. So perhaps they’re worth the rent being asked. I don’t really know. I do know that for those prices I can make a mortgage payment so…..

I’m told all this Housing Boom is due to Electric Boat (or EB as we call it, you must run those letters together as if it’s an actual word to say it properly) and their hiring of, I think it’s like, 5000 new employees. Something like that.

Ok.

But, keep in mind that EB lays off too. It’s a cycle. In a few years, when the pendulum swings to Not So Rosy, they will do just that en mass.

In the meantime, rents are sky high.

Even in those apartments as I described above, most of which are not Modern and some of which are not necessarily what one would call Safe. They’re nice apartments, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t have the amenities of those complexes. No pool. No gym. No private parking. No Starbucks in the lobby. You get me? I’m kidding on that last one. Nope. The two are just not on par with each other. Yet the rents remain around the same asking price.

I know landlords have to make money, I’m not against that. (The Term Landlord herein refers solely to a private person who owns rental property not to the lovely LLCs that are greedily buying up the same multi-family houses and quickly turning them into dumps.) I do ask that they realize, if they are trying to compete with the New Improved Shiny Complexes, they should upgrade their old a apartments to have a better chance. If they can’t afford that, perhaps they’d like to lower the rent from the stratosphere to some place where everyone can breath. The landlord gets money and a lower income family stops struggling their butts off to pay 2k a month to live in a small hotel room with their three children.

Win-Win.

Then again, what do I know? I certainly had no idea at all that soooo many people wanted to come and live and in my little City by the Sea.

I really didn’t.

Rebeca and her family are still there. They were very much hoping, that given all the money collected, they would have a Home for Christmas. Yet, even with all that money, no one wants to rent to them. Their income level isn’t high enough. Not one single State Agency has stepped up to help. Not one. I don’t want to hear any bitching from the Peanut Gallery about how easy it is to suck off the State and not have to work. So far, they haven’t even gotten SNAP never mind someone to talk, just TALK, to them about how to find housing. Again, so far, not one local organization that claims to be of assistance to people like this in dire times like these has offered their helping hand. It seems as long as they’re in a hotel room everything’s hunky-dory as far as these people are concerned.

What a joke.

I’ve always said that, despite opinions to the contrary, this country is very happy to let anyone and everyone die cold and hungry in the street.

Although at this point, I suppose I must admit, that my information here is all second-hand. (Except where the Housing Crisis is concerned, you can get that info in Your Town USA.)

Yet it is Christmas. I know there’s stress and strain on the family. I had hoped to ease that a bit when paying for that room past Christmas. I had hoped to be able to work a little Christmas Magick for the kids. This is absolutely no year at all for Santa to ‘forget ‘ about them or ‘not be able to find them’. This year, for them, Christmas means more than ever. I would actually go so far as to say that is probably the most important Christmas of their young lives, except Reighna who has no idea what’s going on because she’s not even a month old yet.

Alas, in the end, my ideas to make things a bit more homey and Christmasey for them will not be put into action. I hope when they wake on Christmas Morning they are delightfully surprised.

We have worked very hard on our end to make the house as Christmasey as possible, we even bought a live tree for the first time in decades.

Hubby baked cookies and helped me wrap presents. Nikki and I had a lot of fun stuffing stockings. I haven’t stuffed a stocking for a child in many moons and it was delightful. All of the old Christmas figurines are out and on proud display. The front window has a warm string of white lights and the sill is holding angels, bells, and Christmas teacups.

I hope to have a nice relaxing and fun filled day with my family on Christmas, after all, truth be told, it is our very first one and we’ve waited a long time for it. Too long.

After that, I don’t know what’s going to happen. 2k a month is a hell of a lot for one little room when it could be paying rent instead. We have some cash that people donated and I kept in reserve for just this foreseeable occasion so that will get them through a little longer. We have not touched the GoFundMe money yet but, if this keeps up, we will have to. On that front, I am happy to report that we are only $140 shy of our original 5k goal! Not too shabby! Many thanks to all of you who donated and I ask you to share that link so we can keep the fundraiser ‘alive’.

My wish this Christmas is that my daughter’s family find a place to live. If there any landlords out there reading this in New London, Groton, Waterford, and the like, who are willing to give this family a chance please get in touch.

I would really love it if my oldest granddaughter got a home for her 4th birthday which just so happens to be Valentine’s Day. She is the light of my life, my sunshine.

Fire-Update

We’re having a bit of Nor’Easter today. My area isn’t getting snow but driving cold rain. It’s certainly no weather to be without shelter in. Yet, somehow, it feels as though the storm has arrived just in time to blow out the bad and usher in some truly good things.

All week the phone and emails, people coming, going, us picking things up and trying to sort it all out (at this point it’s like shoveling against the tide with a broom) has been non-stop. Truly amazing and truly exhausting. In between that, we’ve done the best we can to be physically present for them but that hasn’t been easy. Hubby had appointments on unrelated matters….he finally settled the first worker’s comp case! Woot! Only took two years and the deal is crap but at this point…who cares? ONE is finally DONE now we have to tackle the other knee. For which he had an all-day doctor appointment for his last rating and we only have one car. While I work in Groton and have been able to stop by quickly to pick up/drop off laundry on my way to/from work it’s been a challenge. We were able to take our oldest granddaughter, Laylah

First Day of Pre-School

Overnight one night, we hope to do more now that……

They’re in a nicer motel in New London, where the family happens to be! Thanks to just the checks that were donated, I was able to get them into a local motel for two weeks! It’s a little bigger, it even has a chair and microwave, so there’s some room for this family of 5 to at least not completely trip over each other 24/7. From the looks of the pictures there may even be enough to get a small dresser in there which will considerably help organized otherwise greatly disheveled conditions.

I looked online for a local motel and found one that I knew to be clean, fairly new, and friendly to people in my daughter’s situation. I found one. I liked the online price. I almost booked it right off but, well, I’m getting the room but someone else is staying in it and I didn’t know how that was going to work out. The next day…the next day…keep that in mind, please…with time running a bit short and me getting a bit braver about booking online (something I am completely unfamiliar with because I never go anywhere) I checked it out again….it was nearly $200 more! In one day.

That day happened to be her step-son’s birthday. What a way to spent your 8th birthday, huh? Totally crappy. I went to BigY and got a cake in the suggested flavor with matching candles. We had a Christmas present for him (I just started ordering Christmas presents about 5 hours before the fire broke out!) so I gave him that, ran next to door to Odd Job and picked up a few small gifts suitable for a hotel. Not an easy task. I dropped all of that off at the hotel. Then went to the bank to cash the checks. I was given 11 100-dollar bills.

On the way home, I steeled my nerves so I could do something I find a bit gauche when others do it.I really do find it extremely off putting so I never do it. I walked into the motel, introduced myself, pulled the cash from my wallet (disgusting I know! So bad!) as I explained the situation. He happily gave me the room for the price I saw the day before online instantly saving $200 so I was able to take that $1100 and secure the room for two weeks. PHEW! That’s a load off. Not a permanent one but a load just the same and I hope it takes some of the stress off my daughter’s shoulders. They have a place through Christmas. I was assured they could keep that room at the same rate for as long as they needed to stay.

For some reason or another, their landlord gave them $2000.00 in cash as like “sorry” money or something. It’s odd, let me just that. The investigation isn’t complete and they’re handing out money. Ok. Whatever. They have that cash in-hand. I firmly begged them to take the whole wad and pay for the place through January. This way they won’t have to worry about a thing as the snow begins to blow.

My daughter, understandably was quite upset after seeing this and the rest of the aftermath of the fire. She was able to go through some of it and recover some very sentimental family items along with some clothes. We were also ale to rescue Sonic, Laylah’s cat, a few days ago. He’s been hanging out at my house. Laylah was happy to see him when she stayed over. It was the first night he ventured out of the basement. We found him settled next to her in her bed, both of them sound of asleep. We’re hoping to rescue the other cat, Vaughn at some point but right now she’s too skittish to come near anyone.

Here’s a bit of kismet for you. The day I got the room, within two hours, her partner secured a job! Best part; it’s within extremely easy walking distance of the new motel. In fact, they almost share a parking lot. How perfect is that? Now there’s a stream of income so hopefully that will make it much easier to sign a lease on a permanent place whenever one is found. Granted, it’s not a lot income for a family of 5 but it’s a start and in a field he likes.

Oh, yes, did I mention, a reporter fro Channel 30 News reached out to me on FB? I was shocked and scared to death when they interviewed me so thankfully they didn’t use much of me in it. You can watch it here.

Today is Move In Day for them. They’re packing up and getting the hell out of that shitty Super 8!!! Leaving my daughter and granddaughters there always made my stomach turn. I just wanted to grab them, throw them in the car, and take off with them. As many times I offered to do just that I was refused. That’s ok, I understand.

Tonight they’ll be in a cleaner cheerier place and that makes me feel better. It’s certainly the best I could do for them under the circumstances. Best off all, we have yet to touch a dime of the GoFundMe Money. I’m thrilled to be able to say we’ve collected $4,585.00 so far. I’m sad to say I had to raise the goal to 10k given I have no idea how long their motel stay in actually going to be.

I keep doing my best to post updates over there to keep the campaign “alive” and sending out the link to it with the updates–well, it won’t let me just post a link to the update anyway. I put the app on my phone so I can quickly get those Thank You notes out to people. That’s been quite something.

Anyway as we’re coming to a lull with physical donations and the family is safe for now, it’s time to turn our attention back to Christmas and try to make it the best we can for the kids. I have plans to get them a small artificial tree, someone donated a ceramic Christmas Village, if there’s room I’ll give them a couple of those buildings, a few strings of lights, and I do have very nice Christmas Stockings for each child. I’ve roped a friend of mine who’s staying at the motel into being a Christmas Elf. She so kindly agreed to let us drop by on Christmas Eve and to store presents for a few hours. After the kids go to sleep, my daughter or her partner will run over there, grab them, put them around the tree and when they wake up….voila! Santa Claus found them! They were not forgotten!

I suppose that sounds silly and incidental to some folks out there at a time like this but, you know, I grew up on all those old Christmas Shows, “Charlie Brown”, “The Grinch”, “Rudolph”, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, in fact I still watch them every single year and I still cry when “The Grinch’s” heart grows. So, a little Christmas Magick never hurt anyone. In fact, due to all of this, this year will be the first in decades that there’s a real live big Christmas tree in my house. I want to spread the magick as far and wide as I can for them.

For you nice folks, I want to say Thank You to you too! So I made a video. I hated the first one, even when I put it up I hated the music but it was free. I have since updated it with something so much better! I hope you enjoy and if I don’t come back before hand….Happy Holiday and a very Merry Christmas!