Devon Ellington's Blog, page 10

Tuesday, June 3, 2025: A Theatrical Weekend

image courtesy of Mohamed Hassan via pixabay.com

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Sunny and pleasant

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

It brightened up on Friday and still no painters.

I got in the car to run my early morning errand, and got an appointment for it to be resolved yesterday, first thing.

Came back and packed up 4 bags of books to donate to the library. Once I get the all clear from the contest (which I just got), and a span of time has passed for the books I review, the ones I decide not to keep are either donated to the library or put in Little Free Libraries around town. Because books should find their perfect audience! I’d made stacks throughout the year, so it was good to dust them off, pack them up, and clear them out. A few more inches of space (that will be quickly filled with incoming books) is always a good thing.

Headed to the library to drop off/pick up books and drop off the four bags of donations. Did the grocery shopping, and came home with a strawberry plant that already has some decent=sized strawberries on it. Tessa is delighted (she loves strawberries). Mailed everything at the post office, but didn’t stay to chat. I just have to be out of the loop for a bit!

Someone was in my parking space when I returned. I politely asked them to move and they got all huffy about it, but they did. I’m tired of being the one person whose space is always taken by “visitors.” Park in your host’s space or park on the street. Not in MY space when I leave for less than an hour to run errands.

Hauled everything up the stairs and put it away. Got the strawberry plant settled on the porch, although I will have to pot it up soon.

Bea decided to sprawl on the sofa, so I had to sit elsewhere.

I filled out the quarterly survey from Johns Hopkins for the COVID study I’ve been part of for however many years now. They had some weird questions this time around, about whether or not I consider myself double-jointed. A little confused as to what that has to do with COVID, but maybe they are finding long-term joint issues? What do I know, I’m in the control group (so far – if I get COVID, I’ll be moved to a different group).

Willa was rummaging around in my room. She’s not in there very often (she is more my mom’s cat), but she’s fascinated by tarot cards and crystals, so she tiptoes in when she thinks she can get away with it. I told her she can come in whenever she wants, but Charlotte told her otherwise.

I put on my compression sleeves and wrote about 2K on the ghostwriting, and did a bunch of research. I didn’t get as far as I wanted by Friday afternoon (because I lost Thursday), but I made decent headway.

Slept well, up early Saturday. It rained all day Saturday, with thunderstorms and lightning in the morning. I did housework, worked on the textile project, and read. I read DETECTIVE AUNTY by Uzma Jalaluddin. It’s set in Toronto’s South Asian community, and is very well done. She is also a playwright. Now I want to read her plays, and see if they are a good fit for WAM.

I’m also reading SHAKESPIRITUALISM: SHAKESPEARE & THE OCCULT 1850-1950, which is interesting, and mentions a Plymouth, MA born psychic, poet, and spiritualist lecturer named Lizzie Doten. Researching her further, it turns out she was an advocate of equal pay for women, and against women having to marry for survival. She married at age 75, to Zabdiel Adams Willard, who is mentioned as her “life-long companion” and they are buried in Mt. Auburn cemetery. She was one of nine children, and her brother Alfred was a journalist who went west in the gold rush. He is known for his published diaries.

I want to know more, but there are no biographies in either my regional library system or Commonwealth Catalogue. I will see if I can get access to some of the thesis and dissertation work that has been done on her, either online or via ILL (while it still exists; soon it may not, thanks to That Thing’s cuts). I will see what I can track down via WorldCat. While that still exists.

Will she be the subject of another of my “women forgotten by history” plays? Possibly. I will see what the Plymouth Historical Society and the Plymouth Library hold in their special collections. She spent much of her adult life in the Boston/Brookline area, so I will see what BPL has to offer (I have an e-card with them).

It was a dreary, rainy day, so I baked chocolate chip cookies.

Slept reasonably well into Sunday, although I had a disturbing dream.

A personalized call for audio submission came from a company in the UK with whom I’ve had some conversations. I looked at what I have that might suit. I adapted a 10-minute play “Auld Acquaintance” into audio, and a 15-ish minute play “Inspired By” into audio. They’re looking for two different categories, and I will submit one to each. I made some tweaks in “Auld Acquaintance” which I put into the stage version. It’s stronger than I remembered it, and a good two-hander that should go out on more aggressive submission.

I did the Community Tarot Reading for the Week. If you haven’t looked at it yet, you can find it here. I’m using decks by Deborah Blake and Elisabeth Alba this month, the Everyday Witch Tarot and the Everyday Witch’s Familiars Oracle.

I changed the title of CORNWALL CHICANERY to WANDERING DEATH, which fits the themes better. It’s darker than I originally envisioned, although there is some humor in it. I worked on it most of the day. It comes in at 49 pages (my limit was 50). I finished just before 5 PM. It was a full writing day, but a good one, and all on my own work.

Cooked dinner, read a bit at night. Finished Josephine Tey’s THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR, which delves into how mis-and dis-information and rumor causes harm. Just as applicable to today’s social media as it was in the time of the book. Shines a spotlight on how many people are innately horrible, because it makes them feel better about themselves.

Woke up at 2:30 convinced I was behind in packing for the movers. In other words, sense memory stress. Then Willa bullied Bea, and I had to referee. Then Charlotte wanted attention. Then Tessa started howling.

I gave up and got up and fed them.

I was at the car repair place for my 8 AM appointment, and it was done by 9. Big relief. The car issue was one of the biggest stressors last week. But I did it, with a little legwork on my part, within a reasonable length of time and within budget. I mean, I would have rather used those dollars for other things this week, but I had them and could fix the car.

I swung by Big Y to pick up oat milk on my way home, and stopped by the post office to mail some bills.

The painters were back by the time I got home. I’m glad. I hope they get a lot done this week.

I had a big adrenalin crash when I got home, but I sat down at the desk, put on my sleeves, and got to work.

Wrote and polished the synopsis for WANDERING DEATH. Did a final pass on it, filled out the submission materials, and off it went, two days early. Either they want it, or they don’t. This company does have exclusive first look, so I can’t submit elsewhere until I hear back. But that’s okay; it would be a big deal if they contracted it. I sent off the two short audio plays to the other submission call. Three plays out the door by 11 AM. Not bad! I then sent off two more plays when I saw appropriate submission calls. Those were stage plays. But 5 scripts out in a day is decent.

The rest of the day was about the ghostwriting assignment. I got a later start than I planned, but I got in some solid hours and good work. I’m eager to get back to it today, and that will be my primary focus both today and tomorrow.

Regie O’Hare Gibson has been named as the state’s first Poet Laureate! Woo-hoo! If you’re interested in his work, you can read about him here.

Some small coverages came up in the queue – paying a dollar less per script than the last pay period, which paid $1 less than the previous pay period. Which were already excessively low, compared to the work involved. No, thank you. So, in a single month, payment falls $2 per coverage. That adds up. My on-time bonus for May? For all those little scripts I did? $1. My on-time bonus used to be enough to pay the electric bill. Yeah, I’m ready to be done with them. I don’t even know if it’s worth checking my queue in the upcoming pay periods, if this is all that’s on offer.

Did some meal planning for my friend’s visit next week.

In the evening, I headed out to Installation Space (run by a cohort member), where my friend (another cohort member), who co-runs Elsewhere Shakespeare, had his final production of the 5-day festival, JULIUS CAESAR. His dramaturgy is terrific. He cuts the scripts so they run 90 minutes or so, and the cuts keep the story clear and tight. The choices he makes are really strong. He played Mark Antony in this, which tied nicely into when he played it in the bi-lingual production of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA he did a few months back. The woman playing Brutus was especially strong, although everyone in the cast did a good job. I was so happy I got to see it (and feel bad it was the only thing I got to see all week).

Home, and Willa met me on the stairs. The other cats were up and around playing. We got everyone settled for the night. I think Bea jumped on the bed at some point in the night, and then fled.

Slept well, up early. Today and tomorrow’s focus will be on the ghostwriting, with its 6K due on Friday. If I keep clipping along, I’m in good shape, and then, toward the end of the week, spend some time on the Llewellyn pieces and the anthology story. But I’ll see how things go.

I have to put in another Chewy order today, for dry food. We have gone through the 16-pound bag faster than I expected.

I’ll put the sleeves on soon and get to work. Have a good one!

Mon. June 2, 2025: Intent for the Week — Focus and Balance

image courtesy of Mic34 via pixabay.com

Monday, June 2, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Cloudy and cool

It’s June and the heat is still on.

Happy June, though!

The Community Tarot Reading for the Week is up on Cerridwen’s Cottage here. New month, new decks, the Everyday Witch Tarot and the Everyday Witch’s Familiars Oracle, both by Deborah Blake, with art by Elisabeth Alba.

I have an important appointment early this morning. Fingers crossed it goes well.

I have several deadlines this week. One big project just needs a 400-word synopsis and a final polish, and it can go out the door later today. The other is due Friday (the ghostwriting 6K), and I’m in decent shape to hit that, although not as far as I hoped. I also have two smaller projects ready to go out today that came up over the weekend.

There are several “maybes” in the week that I can use as rewards if I stay focused and on schedule. We’ll see how the week shakes out.

Hopefully, the painters will show up and finish the job, so we’re no longer the saddest looking house on the block and I can set up th back balcony.

What’s your intent for the week?

Fri. May 30, 2025: Feeling Behind From Where I’d Like To Be

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May 30, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Partly sunny and warm

Best laid plans go awry, and all that.

Meditation was terrific yesterday morning, and Charlotte was delighted.

The painters never showed up. I want to know what the heck is going on.

I got caught up in vacuuming after breakfast, which sounds like it should take a hot minute, but with four cats, litterboxes, and they are finally shedding their winter coats, the pollen, the dust from the painters, AND the fact that none of the vacuums are doing what I need them to do, it became much more complicated than it should be. I had to keep jerry-rigging them to work until they gave up. I got one of them doing floors properly, another one sort of doing rugs for some of the time, another doing corners, the fourth being useless. I need to invest some serious money in a really good vacuum for pets. The Eureka I bought when we moved here worked for 2 years? 3 years? Until the day after the warranty expired. When it worked, it was great. The Bissell, built to look the same as the Eureka, worked for 3 months, and Bissell wouldn’t honor the warranty. Once the warranty ran out, they just shrugged and said, too late. So no more Bissell for me. It sometimes sort of works on carpets. The Dirt Devil stick works on the wood floors, but not on carpet. The Hoover hand vac (which is from the 80’s or 90’s) is good in corners, but too hard to use in large areas.

Now, I vacuum weekly (often daily or twice daily during shedding season), and have been doing a patch job for months with these vacuums and with daily sweeping using the broom, but I needed to spend a couple of hours on it today.

Everything’s much better now, but it should have taken 90 minutes to do a decent job on the whole house and took. . .a lot longer. Especially since I wasn’t feeling great.

I heard from the theatre to which I sent a proposal a couple of days ago. They acknowledged it and said there would be a decision by the end of Jan. ’26, which means it’s not in conflict with anything I worried about.

And the rest of the day was just a loss. I steadily felt worse and worse, but not in any definable way to figure out what to do to feel better. I did some pondering on the ghostwriting and on the radio play, but no discernable progress. I did a bunch of admin. I let the cohort manager know that I wouldn’t be at the evening’s final celebration. She sent best wishes, and told me not to feel guilty about missing my friend’s show on Wednesday night. It had such a great turnout, the venue turned many people away. Which is not fun for the people turned away, but I’m pleased for my friend, having a full house.

Another friend made an arrangement for me to see her show in a couple of weeks. I’m excited. We’re also trying to sort out when she can come and stay. I wish I knew what was going on with the painters.

Started feeling a little better right before bedtime. Slept reasonably well, although I had a weird dream where the Boiler House Poets were together, and we were walking though a venue space as a short cut to get to somewhere. A wedding reception (for strangers) was setting up, and they had run into some issues, and all of us just pitched in and used various talents with music and art and fabric and table settings and words to help out. I mean, it’s very much in keeping with what everyone in the group does – someone needs help, everyone pitches in.

The support sleeves for my hands/wrists arrived yesterday, so I’m trying them today, and hoping that lessens at least some of the pain I’ve been having.

This morning, after breakfast, I have to run a quick errand to deal with the issue I’ve been trying to get resolved all week. Later in the morning, I will do the usual library-grocery store-post office circuit.

Then, I have to buckle down and make up for the work that didn’t get done yesterday. If I have to work through the weekend, I will, balancing the catch-up work with the work on the textile piece.

I can’t believe it will be June this weekend.

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

Thurs. May 29, 2025: One Foot in Front of the Other

image courtesy of Kati via pixabay.com

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Cloudy, foggy, humid

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

The painters never showed up yesterday, either, which makes me nervous. Here we have a scraped house and. . .?

According to the latest APCC newsletter (Association to Preserve Cape Cod, whose staff I met during a series of environmental conferences I attended when I lived there), even though the National Guard lost the case to clear cut 170 acres in Bourne for a machine gun range, they continue to pursue it. And Holtec, who is handling the decommission of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, continues trying to overturn denial of a permit to dump nuclear wastewater into Cape Cod Bay. They are all disgusting. Not to mention all the other atrocities the current administration wants to put the area through.

APCC shared the state drought map. Cape Cod is in Level 2 – Significant Drought. On this side of the state, all the rain served a purpose, and we are considered back to “normal.”

Yes, I still care what’s going on in my old stomping ground.

Didn’t get as much work as I would have liked to get done on the radio play. I will have to make up for that this morning. Got the laundry folded and put away. Yes, there is more ironing in my future. Ran a quick errand in the late morning. Did a big chunk of admin. Spent a good chunk of time on the next ghostwriting project, and got about double what I usually get done on the first full workday, so that’s a good thing. I hope I’m finding a rhythm.

Wasn’t feeling well by the end of the working day, headachy and dizzy. I heated up some leftovers and went to bed early. I don’t think I will make it tonight to the farewell celebration of the cohort.

On today’s agenda: online meditation group, work on the radio play, #FreelanceFriends chat, ghostwriting. If I feel up to it, I will go to the cohort celebration. If not, I will stay home and rest.

Have a good one!

Wed. May 28, 2025: A Solidly Creative Day

image courtesy of  Petra via Pixabay.com

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Partly cloudy and pleasant

Wednesday already!

Yesterday morning, I wrote and submitted the review, and also the invoice, before breakfast.

After breakfast, I took out the garbage (chop wood, carry water), and tried to deal with the issue that came up over the weekend. Of course, it’s more complicated than I would like, more expensive, and will take longer. Still, needs must, and a good bit of it is about holding my nerve through the negotiations. I don’t mean to be so vague – I will share more when I can.

Came home, posted questions for the next ghostwriting assignment, and got my first word for the large poem! A day early! I must be close to the front. I worked on a bunch of drafts for that. I was getting overly complicated and precious, so I cut back and simplified. Then, I put it away to focus on other things, since I had to turn it in by the end of the night, and I wanted it to sit for a bit before I went back to it. Plus, there were a few drafts where my last word would have been unnecessarily challenging to the next poet.

Paid by the client from the morning’s invoice just after 10 AM (gotta love that). Requested and received my next assignment. Worked on the radio play, and got about 5 pages done. Received, signed, and returned my contract for the reading at the end of June. I’d forgotten we get a small payment.

The painters weren’t here, and it was a lovely, sunny day. Not sure what’s going on there. However, the people working the manhole covers at the intersection were back, making a racket. They’ve been working that bit of sewer since March. You’d think a family of mutant alligators were living down there or something.

After lunch, I had more questions on the ghostwriting, did some more work on the poem, and wrote up a proposal for a play submission whose call landed in my inbox. That is out the door; there may be date challenges involved there, but we will deal with that if they are interested. Since fixed dates were not listed in the submission call, I hope there’s a little bit of wiggle room. And, of course, it may not be what they are looking for, in which case it doesn’t matter.

Turned around 5 small script coverages. A rush coverage came up to write a long coverage of a very short script at 1/3 of what they used to pay, so I passed.

Prepped for the literary committee meeting. I felt guilty for not being there in person, but it was split about 50-50, and they have the option so people can attend no matter what’s going on. It was a good meeting. I enjoy these conversations so much. And it’s so refreshing to be able to discuss difficult topics with genuine nuance and depth with people who are walking their talk.

Did a final pass on my section of the poem and sent it in, so the next poet has as much time as possible for their section.

Heated up some leftovers for dinner, sat on the porch after to just be.

Slept well – I can’t emphasize enough what a big difference a decent night’s sleep is making for me. Up very early, fed the cats, hauled the laundry to the laundromat, where two other Wednesday morning regulars were also doing their laundry, so we exchanged our usual greetings.

I hadn’t packed a book in the laundry essentials – oh horrors! I do, however, keep a yellow pad and pens in the bag, so I sat and made notes on the Nina Bell series. I feel like I’ve shot myself in the foot with the delays on VICIOUS CRITIC, but maybe I should just not worry so much about aligning the season within the book to the release date. People read books set all year throughout the year. They even read Christmas stories in summer at times. I’m working on timeline details to make them work in the overall series vision.

Back home with the laundry. I will put it away after breakfast, and then get to work on the radio play. After I’ve done my quota on the radio play, I will get to work on the ghostwriting. 6K due on June 6. Which is do-able, if I get all the character work done today.

I have 4 plays to read within the next month before the next literary committee meeting, and I have 2 plays to read by mid-June for the next Athena Project event. I’m looking forward to them.

I have some errands to run late morning, and I plan to see a friend’s Shakespeare show tonight (he runs what he calls “a punk band that does Shakespeare”). His work is terrific, and I try to see as much of it as I can. He put together an entire festival for the next week, but I don’t think I can make it to each event. I’ll support as much as I can, though.

I better get going! Yesterday was a busy, but creatively positive day, and I hope today will be, too. Jury duty’s been rescheduled for the week after the residency. I was a little worried how that would affect the ghostwriting, since I’m not ghostwriting during the residency, but it’s far enough in advance notice so we can sort it all out.

Have a good one!

Tues. May 27, 2025: Flow With What’s in Front of You

image courtesy of Pawel Grzegorz via pixabay.com

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Foggy and cool, moving toward sun and warmth

Hello! I hope you had a great holiday weekend.

The Community Tarot Reading for the Week is posted here.

Friday, I responded to the art gallery curator’s questions and did the rounds of elected officials before settling down to polish the ghostwriting assignment.

I got the polish done by about 10 AM and sent it off. Then, I headed out for the usual Friday errands: library, grocery store, etc.

Came back, hauled everything up the stairs, put it all away. My brain went on strike. I simply could not think coherently, and needed to rest my brain (and my eyes, from all that screen time, and my hand from the typing). I read a bit, but most of the afternoon was just recuperating from the intensity of the writing. I have to start building that time into my schedule. Cooked dinner and relaxed on Friday, night, going to bed early.

Slept well, up early on Saturday. I put up curtains behind my bed (since it’ll be a while before I can invest in a new bedframe/headboard). Got that put up, and it looks very nice. Turning the bedroom into a sanctuary (without spending lots of money) is getting there.

Finished reading and making notes on the plays for today’s literary committee meeting, and sent off my responses on them. Did some research reading in the morning.

In the afternoon, I attended a workshop taught by a friend of mine on sociocracy and consent-based decision making in organizations. I wasn’t really sure what that was, but my friend was teaching it, so of course I showed up. He’s a wonderful teacher and it was very interesting. I feel like I learned a lot, and those are things I can utilize in all kinds of spaces, in a way that benefits a group without causing harm to individuals within that group. Since so much group activity is based on power dynamics, this type of structure is much more inclusive. I mean, it’s sort of the way the Boiler House Poets do things anyway (although I didn’t realize that’s what we were doing).

Did not get to the art opening at Eclipse, for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, I hadn’t promised anyone I would be there, so I didn’t risk disappointing anyone. Cooked dinner, tried to do some math on the textile project, went to bed early.

I thought I was sleeping in on Sunday, but nope. The cats got me up at the usual time.

Discovered that I earned more cashback on one of my debit cards using it to pay for the brakes than I’ve been paid for a script coverage. Yeah. So we know where the coverage work fits into my life moving forward – only when it’s convenient. By September, it won’t be relevant anyway, since the agency is closing.

Got an email from an historic site in the region offering one-day bookings for writers and artists in shacks with no electricity (or heat or fans or other weather protections), no food, and bathrooms a hike away. For $100 day. Um, no, thank you. That type of rustic does not fuel my creativity (and it didn’t, even in younger days – there’s a reason I live in the 21st century). For less than that (with the discount for locals), I can spend a day at Kripalu with three sessions of yoga, three meals and snacks, and whatever workshops, walks, time in the labyrinth, or solitary creative time I want/can fit in. I am much more suited to the latter (although I doubt I’ll be able to do it this year).

I did the Community Tarot Reading for the Week, which you can find here.

Slept well, up early on Sunday. Sunday was cool, sometimes rainy, sometimes the sun peeked out. I didn’t do much of anything except read and play with the cats. My body and brain needed a rest day. I have to figure out the best way to keep the brutal ghostwriting schedule balanced with my other client work and my own work in a way that each project can feed the other, and I can still have rest/recuperation time. The tendons in my right hand all the way up to my elbow are hurting a lot from everything, and I have to figure out a way to rest them more.

Sunday, a few things came up that change the schedule for the upcoming week. Everyone is fine (at least so far), and I will share as I can, but I have to be flexible.

I had problems with my phone, but AT&T does not have customer service, so there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I may need to get a new phone, but I want to keep my plan, and that doesn’t seem to be an option.

Slept well Sunday into Monday, although I was up early. I had some ideas for the final book in the ANGEL HUNT series and also for my workshop in August. Jotted those down so I didn’t lose them.

Took down the winter curtains in the kitchen and put up the summer sheers with roses on them. I made them years ago in New York, and they fit perfectly in this kitchen. I’m not switching out the living room, front door, and door to the porch over to the white lace panels until the painters are done because I don’t want them to get dirty and dusty. When I switch out the winter red paisley curtains, I wash them.

Switched out the linens on the kitchen table for June. A little early, but it made more sense to do it now. Put the last of the clean flannel sheets away in the cupboard in the laundry room. We won’t use them again until the Autumn Equinox. We ended up using them far further into May than usual.

Took down the sheer curtains I’d put up mid-stair. In spite of being sheers, they made a big positive difference in the winter, but we really don’t need them for summer.

Cleaned the stairs, one by one. The problem with white treads is that they show the dirt. Mopped the floors. Things are nice and clean! I mean, I’ll have to do it all again once the painters leave, but, for the moment, things are nice and clean!

Spent time out on the porch, reading, amongst all the plants, which was nice. I finished reading the book for review, which I will write and send this morning, and then invoice. Did some other reading, about Sarah Siddons, John Philip Kemble, Elizabeth Inchbald, and Dorothy Jordan and the state of theatre at that time. I also had to do a lot of contemplation on something that’s been bothering me, and figuring out where and how to set healthy but fair boundaries around the issue.

Cooked dinner, relaxed in the evening, slept well. Did not do enough work on the textile project, although I did some work drafting the pattern. I’d hoped to piece at least one of the compasses this weekend, but I needed rest more. I will have to make up for it next weekend.

Slept well, up early this morning. I’ve had a schedule change for the week, which I will discuss in more detail a couple of days into the week. There are some practicalities that have to be handled early in the day, plus the book review and invoicing, and then moving on to the next ghostwriting project, which has 6K due next Thursday, June 5. Plus work on the radio play (which is due, in completion, June 3), and starting on the work for Llewellyn this week. AND I have to finish drafting the pattern for the textile piece so I can actually piece it next weekend and start the borders the following week.

I hope the painters make a lot of progress this week. While it’s nowhere near as chaotic as I feared, weeks of disruption still takes a toll.

I better get moving, hadn’t I? Have a great week!

Intent for the Week — Flexibility

image courtesy of jesslef via pixabay.com

Monday, May 26, 2025

New Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Cloudy and raw

Memorial Day

Today is a holiday Monday, supposedly celebrating those who gave their lives to protect and defend the ideals of this country. I honor them today, even though the current regime does not.

The Community Tarot Reading for the Week is here.

Some things came up over the weekend that mean some schedule changes and uncertainties, and I have to roll with them. Everyone’s fine, and I will share when I can. It just means I have to be ready to re-jiggle things as needed this week.

Have a good one!

Fri. May 23, 2025: There’s a Nap in Sight. . .

image courtesy of Shanon via pixabay.com

Friday, May 23, 2025

Waning Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Gray and chilly

We’re at Friday. We’re going into the long holiday weekend. I am so ready!

I did not get my dream of the painters not working yesterday. They were here on the covered back balconies. They’re painting the trim first, which seems a little ass-backwards. And it’s white, which means it’ll look good for a week and then get dingy.

Meditation with the group in Concord was good. Charlotte was delighted.

After breakfast, I settled into the work. All I wanted to do was sleep, but I’ll get additional sleep over the weekend. I mean, first, I had to do the daily rounds of elected officials (which I don’t talk about here every day because it’s become like brushing my teeth), but then I got down into the work. I turned around the last two small coverages. I’ll have earned enough to do a couple of loads of laundry from this client, that’s all.

Most of the day was built around the ghostwriting project. Writing, researching, rearranging, honing. It’s difficult to do what would normally take 4-6 months of research to figure it out, and compress that process into 4-6 days.

I sat in on the #FreelanceFriends chat at noon on Bluesky, which was fun and cheered me up. I was at the point of being completely over the human race just before the meeting. I had a quick break, and then the Boiler House Poets Collective had a ZOOM meeting about some plans. It was fun to see people and reconnect in-between times. We’re going to look at photographs and decide which one we want to build our 10th Anniversary commemorative piece around in the next couple of weeks.

I looked through a bunch of my photos and realized how few photos I have of North Adams, other than around this building and around the studio and museum space when I’m in residence. I have a lot of the Spruces and the grounds at the Clark, but few of North Adams itself. The ones I have aren’t really the kind to inspire a collaborative poetic piece. There’s not something I can throw into this mix.

It does make me want to wander around more with my camera on nice days and take some real photographs, apart from the collaborative project.

Got some questions from the gallery curator for August, which I will turn around today.

After the meeting, another quick break to clear my head, then back to work. There were times I felt like I’d never get it done.

I cooked dinner, and then went back to work. I finished the draft around 10 PM. I still have to massage it, make cuts, tighten, put in day and time references. But I will get it out the door today, on deadline.

And then take a nap! I also have 1-1/2 scripts to finish reading and commenting on for Tuesday’s literary committee meeting.

Once I submit the ghostwriting assignment, I have to do the library-grocery store run, getting in what we want to enjoy for the holiday weekend. I’m sure the store will be a zoo.

Tomorrow, I will work on the radio play for a bit in the morning and catch up on some housework. In the afternoon, a friend is leading a workshop, and I will attend both to support him and because the topic is interesting. In the evening, I’m invited to an exhibit opening at Eclipse Mill, where at least one friend is part of a group show, and I might be acquainted with some other people involved. Sunday will be about the radio play and piecing the fabric compass. Monday will be about more piecing, and finishing a book for review.

Because next Tuesday, I am out the door just after 7 to make an 8 AM call at jury duty! I’m taking some notes for the next ghostwriting assignment with me, to work on in the holding room, because 6K on that will be due soon. Once I know whether or not I’m seated for a case, I can see if the usual deadline structure will work, or if I have to push it back a little.

Next week, in general, is very busy both in the days and the nights, but again, it’s a good kind of busy. I intend to enjoy the various elements as much as possible.

Have a good weekend!

Thurs. May 22, 2025: Hoping Rain Gives Me a Quiet Work Day

image courtesy of Pat via Pixabay.com

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Waning Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Rainy and raw

You can read the latest on the garden over at Gratitude & Growth. I actually have something to say today!

Yesterday morning, I did two loads of laundry, got the summer quilt on the bed, and everything else folded and put away. I was going to pack away the last of my spring sweaters, but the weather’s been chilly enough to need them.

I put new batteries in the thermostat. I’d been dreading it for days, and it took less than three minutes. Go figure.

Turned around 4 small coverages.

The painters were working at the back and on the back balcony, so I could actually work in my office, which was nice.

I received estimated dates when I will get the word in each direction of the exquisite corpse poem. We’re doing it so it goes in one direction and then flows back, so each poet will write two 30-second pieces from the previous poet’s final word.

The bulk of the day was spent on the ghostwriting, which is due tomorrow. I kept working and reworking and refining what I have. I find I’m writing both ends toward the middle, in order to make certain elements work. I ended up doing more work after dinner. I still have more than I would like left to do today, but I’m determined to finish it (if the power stays on) and submit it earlier in the day tomorrow, rather than dumping it on the team at the end of the day. Hopefully, I can make that happen!

I’m not even going to talk about the disgusting budget bill the Republicans pushed through yesterday. Guess I’m losing my health care, and my mom’s will be majorly cut back. And I won’t have access to vaccines anymore. Disgusting. I’m also furious that Corey Booker voted to confirm Charles Kushner. He just negated everything he claimed he stood for in his marathon speech. I’m so tired of hypocrites.

I’m so tired of people who claim they want to do good in the world, and then they deliberately, intentionally cause harm in their daily lives because it’s convenient. Amazing how many people dismiss the harm they cause unless it ricochets back on them.

I made up a sauce for pork chops last night with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. It turned out very well. I completely eyeballed it, so I have no measured proportions. Let’s hope I can recreate it in the future.

We’re supposed to have a bad storm all day. I don’t know if the painters will work on the covered back balcony areas or skip today entirely. Somebody left a large garbage bag right outside our back door. I don’t know if it was the painters. It better not have been my neighbors.

I have two meetings today, one just typey-typey on Bluesky, the other on Zoom, so I better be productive around them, or I will be up finishing my work until midnight! I also have the online meditation group this morning. I did my own regular morning sit. I’m starting to get used to the longer 30-minute sit. The first few weeks, I was either having trouble settling in it or staying in it, but I seem to be adjusting. Clarity to start the day is always a good thing!

I’m going to try to get a little bit done before meditation, and then it’s work-work-work all day.

Wish me luck, and have a good one yourself.

Wed. May 21, 2025: Back Working at the Kitchen Table

image courtesy of Jill Wellington via pixabay.com

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Waning Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Dreary and cold

Gosh, we hit the middle of the week quickly, didn’t we?

US friends, please leave a comment on the Regulations site so the FDA doesn’t refuse updated COVID vaccines to anyone under 65. Today is the last day to comment:

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2025-N-1146-0001

Bea got into all kinds of mischief yesterday morning. Between her Abyssinian lineage and her tortie-tude, she’s a sassy little handful sometimes. But so smart and so cute.

The painters were working right in front of my office. It wasn’t that loud, so I worked on the kitchen table instead. How many years of working on kitchen tables as a writer did it take to have a dedicated home office, and here I am, writing on the kitchen table again. Too funny.

I wrote my thank you to the Athena Project, and put their next reading in my calendar. Unless I have a Public Art Commission meeting that night, I should be able to attend. Even if I do, since Athena is on mountain time, I might be able to get back in time. I would like to support them, even when I am not one of the featured playwrights. They sent me a feedback form, which I filled out, and I also created a quote they can use for grant applications.

I was thrilled to be confirmed as part of Another Large Poem with Word X Word at the Mount this July. This will be my fourth year with them, and it’s one of my favorite annual experiences. It happens the day before I drop off the textile piece for the group art show, which means I can’t be working on that piece at the last minute! Now, I eagerly await my words – I get one word for each direction, and I have 24 hours to write each short poem.

Did some work on the June newsletter because June isn’t far away!

The painters started hauling up equipment to work on the back balcony, so I migrated to the living room, but they were also hammering and using the saw in the front.

However, I managed to turn around 4 small script coverages. Confirmed a meeting for tomorrow.

Spent the rest of the afternoon on the ghostwriting project. I made good progress, but I’m still not working quickly enough. However, I will push through and get it done.

I was delighted to stop for the afternoon and go to yoga. It was a great class, lots of familiar faces, and a new service dog. (One of the class participants is blind and brings her service dog. She’s got three retired service dogs at home that sometimes visit, too). Dogs love yoga so much.

Home, heated up leftovers, read a little bit. An old friend who is an artist is clearing out her work, and sent me a lovely piece completely framed and beautifully done. I have to find the right place to hang it (it’s on temporary display). I’m honored by so generous and thoughtful a gift.

Slept reasonably well, up early, fed the cats, hauled the laundry to the laundromat, and had it back home by seven.

It looks like the painters are using replacement siding and not paint on the house. I hope that’s not the case, because I really don’t like this color. It’s too light and neutral, and will look dingy within six months.

We have a big storm coming in tonight and all day tomorrow. I’m cancelling my plans for this evening and hunkering down. Hopefully, the power will stay on tomorrow so I can finish the ghostwriting and get it in on time Friday morning. I would think the painters couldn’t work in a storm, so they will probably do as much as they can today, although it looks like we’ll have a cloudburst any minute.

I have to replace the batteries in the thermostat. It’s been about two years since I had to do that. I hope I remember how. If it’s going to be cold and nasty for the next few days, I don’t want to be without heat. Although if the power fails, we will be. The fact that gas heat is controlled by an electrical switch irks me.

Better get to it, hadn’t I? A lot to get done today, while I can.

Have a good one!