Devon Ellington's Blog, page 20

Wed. Jan. 15, 2025: Feeling Like a Juggler (in a Good Way)

image courtesy of Daniel Vargas Ruiz via pixabay.com

W ednesday, January 15, 2025

Waning Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

There’s a new post up on Ink-Dipped Advice here, about a re-set for the beginning of the year.

We had a knock on the door while eating breakfast, telling us we can’t use the water for a good portion of the morning because they have to fix a sewer pipe in the basement. What a way to start the day. But they had it fixed in a couple of hours, so it was all good.

I worked on the support letter for A4A. It’s almost where I want it. I will work on it some more today, and then drop off the hard copies at the office later this week.

I adapted a bunch of serial episodes into four chapters for ANGEL HUNT. It felt good, although I worry a little because chapter lengths are uneven.

At noon, I had a two-hour workshop with A4A about going beyond arts grants. It was a terrific workshop, the first of three parts. I was disappointed that only one of the current cohort members participated. I really liked the workshop leader. I knew some of the information in this section, but there was also new information on which I could build.

The store that sent me the wrong book refunded the money, which is great, but now I have to hunt down a copy of the book I actually wanted. Put in another Chewy order, this time for Bea’s food. It should be here tomorrow.

After the workshop was over, I had a late lunch, then turned around 5 small coverages. I had the chance to take a short break, before changing, bundling up, and walking down to the yoga studio. Halfway there, I realized I hadn’t booked myself into the class, so when I arrived, I was able to do so on my phone. It was a bit of a brisk walk in the cold, but when I left the house, a little before 5 PM, it was still light out! The light is returning.

I’m so glad I went to yoga. It was wonderful. And we only have two more classes after this before the studio closes. I will miss it so much. There was also a current cohort member there; we joked about seeing each other out of context. One of the regulars drove me home after, which was very kind of her.

Cooked dinner, and started reading one of the books for the contest I’ve judging for a decade. It’s pretty good.

Slept reasonably well, although I was awake by about 3:30, fretting. Didn’t get up until I smelled the coffee at 5:30. It seems to work to have Bea’s door open all night, and she’s much happier that way, so we’ll see if we can make it work.

So much going on in the world right now, that needs to be, at least, acknowledged. The Neil Gaiman situation is heartbreaking for everyone involved. So tired of predators. Carrie Underwood performing at the inauguration? Why is anyone surprised? She’s always been trash. The confirmation hearings for the incoming cabinet show just how incompetent and loathsome the choices are. The bill the House passed yesterday on transgender girls in sports goes far beyond what it pretends to do. In addition to stripping rights from transgender individuals, it encourages and supports sexual predators AND it is part of the larger plan to strip yet more rights from women and girls. If they can’t play sports, they can’t get sports scholarships and it’s harder to get an education. If they aren’t fit, it’s harder to fight back against their abusers. The whole thing is disgusting.

Every parent who voted for the Sociopath is responsible for all further abuses from here on out. Putting their own children and ALL children in danger like this is unconscionable. No rational human believes that it’s “protecting” anyone. It’s about hate and removing rights, and they don’t give a damn about collatoral damage.

Let’s hope the winds die down and some rains come out in LA. They’ve been through enough. It’s wonderful how many individuals and organizations are stepping up to help. Let’s also note who is not, including the trio of ass-licking billionaires.

On today’s agenda: keep working on the support letter; more adaptation work on ANGEL HUNT; hopefully some work on VICIOUS CRITIC; work on the book reviews and the contest; we’re far enough into the year, so I think I can get out some more pitches and LOIs. I don’t like being in a holding pattern for the two big projects, and I don’t want to cut off other options, in case neither of them work out. I have a medium-sized coverage to turn around this afternoon, and that’s the end of the pay period. I made so little money it’s ridiculous.

I may do a library run later, if the weather holds. I have a lot of books to return, and a stack to pick up. Yay, rolly cart.

Have a good one!

Tues. Jan. 14, 2025: Winter is Wintering

image courtesy of  Albrecht Fietz via pixabay.com

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Last Day of Full Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

How was your weekend? Did you get a chance to enjoy the beautiful Wolf Moon?

There’s a post up on the Goals, Dreams, and Resolutions site about where to start.

If you’re wondering why I didn’t post a community tarot reading for the week yesterday, I explain here.

My heart continues to hurt for those suffering in LA. And my rage continues to grow at the three ass-licking billionaires who refuse to help.

Friday morning was rather scattered. I did a lot of admin work. I’m still setting up the folders for 2025, and I need to finish filing 2024. I’m being more diligent with my expense tracking. I got sloppy last year as the months wore on. But entering amounts in the document the day or the day after the expense happens works best.

I bundled up and headed out with the rolly cart. First to the library, to drop off and pick up books. Then to Big Y to shop. I bought more than I planned (regular refrain), and it was heavy to haul home. But I got it back, and we are in decent shape, except for the basics that will need replenishing, like milk, bread, etc. And I remembered vegetables, this time!

There were some eggs in stock, although very few, and the price was up even higher than last year’s “supply chain shortage.” But then, anyone with a brain and a heart knows none of the furor was ever about the price of eggs, but cover to vote for a racist, misogynistic, selfish bigot and feel good about it.

Wiped out, though, although I think part of it was from the energy expended at the dinner the previous night, and the energy expended on the rewrite.

Did some work in the afternoon. Fretted about various things over which I have no control (in other words, it was a waste of time). I think I’ve gotten MailerLite sorted out, as far as the newsletter signups. I’d tried to move to beehiiv, but the verification process was inappropriate and humiliating; then, on top of it, I couldn’t migrate my MailerLite stuff. Hopefully, I’ve got it all fixed. The test signup worked. I’d like to do the social media rounds later this week and post the link, since I am pulling way back from all things Meta. I won’t particularly miss FB. I can live without Threads. Instagram is the one I have to do the slow disengagement with, because it’s where I keep in touch with the artists I meet through the Studios.

Cooked dinner, relaxed, and played with the cats in the evening. Read.

Slept well, and up early on Saturday. Did house stuff, switching out fabrics, cleaning, playing with the cats, etc.

It snowed off and on all day. I read a lot. That was about it, other than housework. I read some more Martha Grimes. I’m re-reading Barbara Walker’s books. Her scholarship is stunningly good.  When I was first introduced to them in the 1990’s, I wasn’t ready for it; it was harsher than I could deal with. Now, especially in these times, it makes a lot more sense. I still find her tarot deck very disturbing, though.

I considered writing a proposal for a conference in Amherst in September, but my gut is telling me this isn’t the right year for it, so I won’t.

Had trouble getting to sleep on Saturday night, and had weird dreams. Up early Sunday. Willa was shut up overnight and Bea could roam the house. Bea was much calmer in the morning, although she and Tessa played for a couple of hours after breakfast. Good early morning meditation session.

Didn’t do much of anything. Some more housework. Brought in the live evergreen wreath from the front door, stripped it of decorations, and hung it in the livingroom. It smells terrific. Put away the decorations, and put up the heart door decoration. Read DOMINOES, DANZÓN, AND DEATH by Raquel V. Reyes. The series is set in Miami, and the sense of place and diversity, and community is very strong. She is an author who works from a genuine place of community, rather than the performative diversity so many other traditionally published mysteries contain, especially now with the cozy genre moving in such a hard right direction.

Read through some cookbooks, which is always fun. There are some recipes in the ONCE UPON A CHEF books that I want to try. Checked in with a friend, who was having surgery on Monday. I can’t be as helpful in person as I would like (no car), but at least I can be supportive.

Slept well into Monday, although with more weird dreams. Bea was closed in her room overnight so Willa could roam, and she didn’t like it. But I fed everyone and was out the door early, rolling the cart full of laundry around the corner to the laundromat.

I had a lot of laundry to do (and there’s still a lot to do, from the fabrics used for the holidays), but I got two large loads washed and dried and back home, where they were then folded and put away. It had been a little too long since I’d done laundry.

While there, I started reading SPELL BLIND by David B. Coe, a really excellent urban fantasy. It was hard to put down. I look forward to the next two in the series.

I wasn’t much use in the morning; most of it was sorting through admin work and folding/putting away a mountain of laundry. It snowed on and off all day. Not too much, but enough to plow.

In the afternoon, a bunch of small coverages showed up in the queue, and I grabbed them. I turned around 10 small coverages (and have little to show for it).

I then opened the main ANGEL HUNT file, to get in some work on that, and saw that I had, by accident, put the draft of CRAVE THE HUNT, the third Jain Lazarus adventure, in there. When Amber Quill closed its doors, I was working on it. The rights to HEX BREAKER and OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK reverted to me, but by that time, I was juggling other series, like COVENTINA CIRCLE and getting TRACKING MEDUSA (Gwen Finnegan) back out, and Jain kept getting pushed back.

Somehow, I will figure it all out. One step at a time, right?

I meant to only read the first chapter of CRAVE THE HUNT, but I read all 14 chapters written, and the outline. There’s good material in there, and I have to figure a way to get it back on track. It’s been in stasis for years (see THE GRAVEYARD OF ABANDONED PROJECTS for how I do that), and it may be time to bring it forward. A lot of what’s in there remains relevant.

Anyway, if you’re interested in more information about the Jain Lazarus Adventures, even though they’re all out of print, you can read about it here.

I tried one of the recipes from the Once Upon a Chef cookbook last night, creamy Dijon chicken, and it was quite good.

Joe Flanigan, an actor (and excellent human) who lost his house in the Malibu fires a few years ago posted a video about the practical and emotional aftermaths, to help those are currently suffering. The video is up on his @joeflaniganoffical site on Instagram.

Stayed up to finish SPELL BLIND. Had weird dreams in the night (not surprising). Up early. We left all the doors open last night, to see how the cats did. They seemed to be fine, and Bea was running around with Tessa when I got up.

The friend who rescued Bea brought in the cat who brought Bea home, and he’s doing well. He’s retiring after 11 years as an outdoor cat who managed the outdoor space, and learning about the joys of central heating, maid service, and room service. However, there are now auditions for other property manager cats, and they keep showing up in the yard.

On today’s agenda: working on a letter supporting A4A for a grant proposal (my colleague asked me to write a letter to be included, and I’m delighted); catch up on email; work on VICIOUS CRITIC and ANGEL HUNT; turning around some small coverages; a two-hour workshop through A4A; hopefully, the weather won’t be too bad, and I can walk to and from yoga tonight. It’s supposed to snow on and off again all day.

I’m trying to brace for what’s coming next week, and not looking forward to it. We are in for a rough ride.

Peace, my friends.

Mon. Jan. 13, 2025: Intent for the Week — Balance and Preparation

image courtesy of WOKANDAPIX via pixabay.com

Monday, Janaury 13, 2025

Full Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and a little milder

I am not doing a community tarot reading for the week, and you can read why here.

I have no idea what this week will bring; there’s a wide range of possibilities. I’m going to have a vague work plan, and adjust as needed.

A lot of people are suffering right now, and need help. Starting next week, this country is going to move into a disruptive, disturbing, and cruel era, and we need to be prepared to fight it and deal with what we have to deal with.

As we’ve seen, everything can change in a moment. All we can do is be as ready as possible, and as ready to help as possible.

Hang in there, friends, and we’ll catch up tomorrow.

Fri. Jan. 10, 2025: Lucky to Be Among Artists

image courtesy of Pexels via pixabay.com

Friday, January 10, 2025

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

My heart continues to break for those who lost and are losing everything in California. I wish I had the financial resources to actually make a difference. I am furious at those who have them and refuse to step up. I’ve seen people like Jamie Lee Curtis and Selena Gomez step up. But not the trio of ass-licking billionaires.

I tried to sit in the online meditation yesterday. While the intent was good, there was too much toxic positivity, and I had to leave. Charlotte was disappointed.

There are probably still some promotional posts making the rounds, but I’m halting my promotional posts for the foreseeable future. It is inappropriate to promote my work while LA is burning. I know, on a business level, I will take a hit, but I can’t, in good conscience, ask people to buy my books when lives are being destroyed. “Something awful is always happening” doesn’t make it okay.

The problematic client, for whom I was trying to feel empathy in the chaos, sent a tone-deaf, inappropriate promotional email out that announces changes to the business that were never told to the contracted workers. We shouldn’t find out this way. We should have been told ahead of time.

I did a final proof of the ghostwriting project and sent it off, reasonably early in the morning. I was at the point where tinkering would mean going backwards instead of forwards. I need another conversation with the editor. It’s out of my hands now. It was a terrifying moment to hit “send” but necessary. They said they’d get back to me with notes today.

With so much going on, I feel guilty about worrying about this, but I really want to do a good job.

I checked in with more LA friends/colleagues. I was worried it would add to their stress, one more thing, but they were grateful to hear from me.

Turned around the small coverage.

Worked on some notes for an idea that’s been rolling around in my head. I have no idea if it will ever add up to anything, but it’s interesting to work on the notes. Always a good idea to keep the brain engaged.

I got myself put together and attended the cohort welcome dinner. What a great group of artists! I’m so glad to know them and be a part of their journey. It was a lively meal with great conversation and good food.

But I had trouble settling down to go to sleep when I got home.

Up early, still trying to get settled. Definitely worried about things on the work front. I want answers on a few things; at the same time, I’m afraid the answer will be “no” and then I have to pivot elsewhere. Only I’m not sure where that elsewhere could be, so I better buckle down to work on alternate plans, just in case.

Yesterday was also the funeral of President Jimmy Carter. It was a lovely service. Several people said they felt like it was a funeral for America.

Much as I disagree with many things the Pences stand for, Karen Pence’s cut to the one who wanted her husband murdered in the January 6th insurrection was perfection. Good for her. Too bad more politicians and CEOs don’t have her grit.

On today’s agenda: library and grocery store. Waiting to hear about the next steps (or not) for several projects. Hoping some script coverages show up (although, with everything going on out there, that is doubtful, and understandably so). Getting out a book review. Working on contest entries. Working on the materials for my course in March.

Trying to figure out why the MailerLite plug in for my newsletter isn’t working. How many potential subscriptions have I lost over the past months? I am really getting fed up with MailerLite. I updated the plug-in and it’s still not working. I’m worried that if I uninstall and re-install, it will mess everything up even more. I’d like to move everything to beehiiv, but it doesn’t import from MailerLite yet.

Urgh.

There’s a lot of anxiety going around, between natural disasters and the unnatural disaster that’s about to happen to the country. The best we can do is stay as grounded as possible and give each other grace whenever we can.

What are the plans for the weekend? No idea yet. It depends if any work comes in. Otherwise, I’ll work on VICIOUS CRITIC, the anthology story, and the poem for the Boiler House anthology. And the contest. I had a good poke around my dashboard yesterday to get oriented, and now I’m ready to read. I like to clear off the first round of reads before the second round arrives.

Honestly? This weekend, I’d like to hibernate a bit. It’s supposed to snow tomorrow.

Have a good one!

Thurs. Jan. 9, 2025: Prioritizing

image courtesy of Michael McGuire via pixabay.com

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

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

Our post office is closed today, in honor of President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. I mean, I assume all post offices are closed today for that, but I noticed the sign up when I went to the post office on Tuesday.

People are being encouraged not to buy anything from ads on FB or Insta, much they way they were encouraged to stop ordering on Amazon back last autumn. It will certainly make it easier to pull back from those platforms if my sales numbers are substantially down by the end of the month. I just don’t think people will do it, much like they still order from Amazon, and they still are on Substack (and more snuck back onto Substack, after believing that people forgot the issues with them).

I wish we had more ethical options for just about everything. But we can start adjusting our behaviors and attention, and slowly shifting things. It lacks the Big Dramatic Exit, but it still can have an effect over time.

I worked all day on the ghostwriting outline, and this is all I can do without further feedback. Either they think I have potential to join the team, or they think I’m too far out there on my own track. I really enjoy the work, so I hope they are willing to keep me around and train me up!

The wildfires continue to be horrifying and heartbreaking.

What is unacceptable is that the trio of billionaires kissing the incoming administration’s ass has the resources to stop the fires. They could ask what is needed, how much it costs, and get out their checkbooks. Instead, they do nothing. In some cases, they criticize. It is unconscionable.

Billionaires should not exist.

I plan to check in on the Effie team today, and make sure they are okay. My problematic client is based in LA, and I hope they are all safe (and I won’t expect work from that direction for a bit).

I didn’t go to tarot yesterday. I finished my revision instead.

In this morning’s early meditation, I was all settled, with Charlotte on one side, and Bea purring nearby. Then, Tessa decided it was a good time to hurl a major furball. While I cleaned that up, Charlotte took the opportunity to sneak in and steal Bea’s food.

Sigh.

Let’s hope the online group meditation is less fraught.

After meditation, I will do a final proof on the ghostwriting project and send it off. Fingers crossed it’s closer to what they want.

I have a book review to finish and submit, and then maybe I’ll go back to drafting the anthology story. I have one small coverage to turn around. The Contest I’m Mad At wanted me to take on about two weeks’ additional work and turn it around in a couple of days, and I had to say no. The ghostwriting project had to be the priority this week.

The second set of ink tanks are coming up from PA, so it’ll be a couple of days. But that’s fine, because I have the one set that arrived.

This evening is the welcome dinner for the incoming Capacity Building Cohort. I’m very excited to meet everyone. It’s at a local restaurant I’ve wanted to try. A colleague is giving me a ride to and from the dinner, which is so kind.

That’s kind of all that’s going on right now. It’s been about the rewrite for the past few days. Now, I have to let it go and see what happens next.

Have a good one.

Wed. Jan. 8, 2025: Trying to Find Clarity

image courtesy of Matthias Wewering via pixabay.com

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and cold

We’re in the middle of the week!

One of the first things that landed in my inbox was more gaslighting from the problematic client, with more false promises. I’m not clearing my calendar for work that won’t appear. You blew it, boo. I’m going to prioritize the clients who actually value my skills and my work. At least I accept they’re lying, rather than getting my hopes up about work.

I was already really frustrated with both Facebook and Instagram the past few weeks, and yesterday’s revelations just escalated it. FB keeps on pandering to the far right and stops fact checking (not that they ever did much of that) and moving their “content moderation” to Texas, to make sure anyone on staff who’s a woman or LGBTQA is unsafe. Along with the AI bots posing as accounts (I heard they pulled back from that, but I’m still cleaning them out of my feed). Every other post on Insta is now an ad on which I click “hide” because I don’t want them. Over last weekend, there were a string of absolutely disgusting right-wing evangelical “sponsored” posts that I blocked. It’s one thing for artists to have promotional posts; it’s another for all these corporate and especially the drug ads and the evangelical ads. No.

I’m not at the point where I’m deleting my accounts yet, but I need to shift my relationship with them and pull back. I’ll complete the month’s content calendar for January, see what those sales numbers are, and then decide if I’ll try a “no-post” February, and compare numbers. I haven’t been happy on FB for years, but there are some people who only use that platform and that is our way of keeping in touch. I haven’t been on Threads that long, although I’ve enjoyed a lot of conversations. Instagram is the one that would hurt to lose.

I hoped Substack would course correct. I was wrong. I hoped Twitter would course correct. I was wrong. I doubt Meta will course correct, so we will see where we are in a few months. Dickheads will be dickheads.

A lot of people are fleeing to Bluesky, which is great, but it’s a very different experience. Newcomers often freak out and want it to be what they’re used to; oldies don’t want newcomers to ruin it. Bluesky has a lot of upsides, but there are also times when it feels like sitting in the middle of a group of feral squirrels on acid. There was an influx of bots lately, so I’ve been blocking more than usual. I wish we could see who muted us. I’m against muting. I’m either all in or all out on someone. If someone is muting me, especially about my work, then I want to block them.

Suddenly there’s a clamor on various social media sites to “go back to blogging.” Boo, some of us never stopped. Catch up, will ya?

Got some admin work done, and work done on the ghostwriting revision. Had to pause for a ZOOM interview, which went well. Although so many people applied for this, I would be very surprised if I got in.

Bundled up and headed to the post office to mail some bills and some paperwork the city needed. Picked up a few things at a nearby store (like trash bags, which I forgot to get when I went to the grocery store). It was really cold and windy.

Had trouble getting back into revision head when I got home. But I got back into it, and did about 8K worth of revisions. I still have a good bit to do today, and then do a final proof before I send it all off tomorrow. I hope this revision matches what they want, stylistically. They like my ideas and character-building.

One of my sets of ink tanks was delivered (in very battered packaging). The other set is supposed to arrive today. So that should keep me in ink for a couple of weeks. I haven’t printed much since mid-December.

It was too cold to walk to yoga and back (in the minuses by the evening), so I skipped it.

The wildfires around LA are horrific, and I’m worried about friends and colleagues out that way. That sentence doesn’t say enough, but there isn’t much I can say that’s helpful.

Slept erratically, interrupted by weird dreams, and didn’t want to get up. But I did. Difficult to have a useful meditation session when Charlotte uses it to try to get away with everything she knows she shouldn’t.

On today’s agenda: completely focused on the ghostwriting project revision. That is where my attention needs to be. It’s due tomorrow. I want it to be good. I can’t control whether or not they hire me for more work, but I can make this revision the best I can, and hope they are willing to guide me further into their brand voice. Fingers crossed I can pull it off.

Have a good one!

Tues. Jan. 7, 2025: The Weather App is Not My Friend

image courtesy of  Steve Buissinne via pixabay.com

Tuesday, January 7, 2024

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Cloudy and cold; snow expected

I hope you had a good weekend.

If you didn’t get a chance to check out the Community Tarot Reading for the Week, you can do so here. We’re using the Rackham deck this month, a really beautiful deck, that was a gift from a friend.

Friday, it started snowing, as I was slogging through email and trying to get things organized. I used the time, after my email time, to work on the next chapter of THE VICIOUS CRITIC, and wrote a little over 1100 words, which felt really good.

I loaded up the rolly cart with books and headed for the library. Dropped off and picked up books, and rolled home. It wasn’t too cold, and I managed to time it during a break in the snow. It didn’t start snowing again until about an hour after I returned.

You know what I’ve discovered? The walkable errands – post office, library, grocery store – take the same amount of time walking as by car. I’m not sure if it’s one-way streets or parking or what, but it’s taking me the same amount of time on foot as by car. Which is a good thing to remember in nicer weather: do more errands on foot.

It’s certainly healthier.

Had 2 tiny client pieces to turn around, and had to send one back because, once again, the submitter ignored the guidelines. Oh, and the on-time bonus I get, because I haven’t missed a single deadline in all years I’ve worked there? This month’s is ¼ of what is usually is.

I did, however, manage to get a script out on submission, I saw a call for a commission that I am rolling around in my brain, and I have an editorial calendar for a publication for whom I’d love to write, and I want to pitch them several ideas. I rolled them around in my head over the weekend, and I hope to pitch this week.

Saturday was all about packing away the holiday decorations. It took all day, mostly because I don’t have the room to spread out all the boxes, and have to do it piecemeal. I didn’t get all the lights packed away (although they are down), and I still have some fabric to swap out. But the bulk of it is done, and the trees are put away until next year. I was sore and tired by the end of the day. Two weeks to put up, one day to take down, totally worth it.

I wanted a long soak in Epsom salts, but our bathtub is too small to be good for that, so I settled for a long, hot shower, and felt better.

Slept for 10 hours, which was good. Sunday, I had no energy. I was going to go to the grocery store, but kept seeing, on the weather app, that it was about to snow, so I kept putting it off. Only it never snowed.

I finished reading the December Agatha Christie read, ELEPHANTS CAN REMEMBER. That was one of the first Christie books I ever read, way back in the 1970’s, and I’ve always enjoyed it. This time, though, I noticed an unresolved plot strand. Which is why I love re-reading; one gets something fresh out of each time. I then went on and read the January pick, FIVE LITTLE PIGS, which I didn’t remember, but enjoyed very much.

After that, I read the script for ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, which is the background for the anthology story I’m writing. It’s a bit problematical, to say the least, and some of what is supposed to be satire on misogyny doesn’t come through well. But, again, the musical is background for the story, and having the script in hand (from the library) gives me what I need for the story itself.

It added to the percolation already going on in my head. Plus, I spent some time on poetry, as I promised myself I would do at least once a week.

Did not sleep well. Had disturbing dreams, which relate to December of this year. I hope to make decisions as I see markers along the way to change those possibilities.

Monday was cloudy and looked like it would snow any second, which irritated me, as I could have/should have done my grocery shopping on Sunday, when it was bright and sunny, only I kept putting it off because of a combination of the weather app telling me every few minutes it was about to snow, and my own exhaustion. That’s what I get for paying more attention to a weather app instead of what I see out of the window.

So I wrapped up, took the rolly cart, and went out in 12-degree weather. I picked up one of my mom’s prescriptions and went to Big Y, buying more than I should have, but still managed to get it all home. I still didn’t do as big a shop as I normally would to set us up for the month, since it all had to fit in the cart. I was escorted by members of my murder of crows, squawking encouragement. They really are hilarious.

Good thing I bought eggs at Cumberland Farms, because there were NO eggs in the grocery store. Just empty shelves. Avian flu = egg shortages. Someone in Louisiana has already died from it, and several cats have died from contaminated raw cat food. And since the incoming numbnuts will only dance and clap as millions die (the way they did in the early days of COVID), we are in big trouble.

Once I hauled everything home, I went back down to Cumberland and grabbed another carton of eggs.

And then realized I’d forgotten to buy green vegetables at the store, because I’d gotten into the habit of the CSA box, and I don’t even think of them at the regular grocery store unless I have them on a list. I’ll pick up green vegetables when I go back to the store on Friday.

I got the rest of the lights down and put away, and switched out the Christmas-colored lights in the kitchen for white winter lights, which will stay up until March or so, when I put up the pastel-colored lights for spring and summer.

I took a few minutes to remember the insurrection four years ago, and sit with the anger that those who should have pushed prosecution and made sure the traitors could never present a threat again did not do so, and failed the country. And look where we are now.

I turned around one miniscule coverage. I spent the bulk of the afternoon writing the first third of the first draft of the anthology story, a little over 1800 words. It’s a little whacky, and will need more work, but at least I’m getting the bones down. And now the story will shut the heck up while I finish the ghostwriting revision that’s due on Thursday. That’s been percolating, and today and tomorrow I sit down and put in the revisions.

The problematic client finally paid me. They are trying to see how far they can push boundaries. Hopefully, I can replace them soon.

As part of the cohort I belonged to last year and the cohort I’m advising this year, I’ve been invited to participate in a cohort show this August, which will be fun. No idea what I’m going to do for it yet, but I’m looking forward to it. When I get more information, I’ll figure out if I want to do something fabric-and-text-based to hang in the gallery, or performance-based for the opening/closing. I also have to get to work on my poem for the Boiler House Anthology. That’s due in February. I’ve been rolling ideas around in my brain.

The Chewy order arrived, so the cats are all set. I’d been fretting about not being able to go and get ink for the printer and then realized I could have it delivered, so that will happen today.

Today is all about the ghostwriting revision. At 11, I have a ZOOM interview for a potential cohort. After that, I have to walk down to the post office to mail a few things, and then make another stop or two on the way back. Snow or not, it needs to get done. I hope I can make it down to yoga tonight.

I hope you’re having a good start to the week and the year!

Mon. Jan. 6, 2025: Intent for the Week — Careful Navigation

image courtesy of Lars Plögervia pixabay.com

Monday, January 6, 2025

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Twelfth Day of Christmas (last night’s dreams = December)

Befana Night

Cloudy and cold

There is a lot going on this week, on multiple fronts, and I have to navigate my way through it with care and intelligence. Not easy, when I’m feeling tired and burned out. But, too bad for me. Things have to get done, and they have to get done on time.

The Community Tarot Reading for the week is up on the Cerridwen’s Cottage site. We’re using the Rackham deck for January.

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

Fri. Jan. 3, 2025: Why Yes, It’s Winter

image courtesy of  JackieLou DL via pixabay.com

Friday, January 3, 2025

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Snowy and cold

I’m seriously considering turning my phone completely off on Sundays, at least for the bulk of the day, so I’m not even tempted to look things up, and then get distracted online.

Things I didn’t talk about in yesterday’s long post:

The attack in New Orleans, which was horrifying. I’ve spent some quality time in New Orleans, although less on Bourbon Street than many other places. But knowing the geography of it all makes it more visceral. I feel for everyone injured and the families of those killed.

I don’t have enough information on the exploding truck in Las Vegas from what I consider reliable sources yet. I don’t much care about that kind of truck exploding in front of a hotel with that specific name on it. I do feel for those injured who were just going about their lives. The fact that the first reaction from many venues was that it must be another electrical fault instead of an attack is telling. An acquaintance pointed out that those vehicles malfunction when they go through a puddle, so let’s wait until there’s more well-sourced information. I mean, considering the staged attacks during the campaign, it’s hard to take this seriously. We already know that collateral damage is just shrugged off.

Lightning hitting the Capitol building and the Washington Monument made me laugh. Tower card much, anyone?

I got my act together yesterday morning, finished up the thank you letters, and walked to the post office to mail them all and the rent. So if you’re expecting a thank you from me, it’s on its way. It was bright and sunny, rather windy. Not all that cold, comparatively. But the sidewalks were icy. They are not good about keeping the sidewalks clear around here. I had to remember to take shorter steps and keep my weight on the balls of my feet.

But I made it there and back.

Got the next two posts for this month’s GDRs up and scheduled to post. Got the month’s Ink-Dipped Advice done and scheduled to post. So those deadlines aren’t hanging over me.

There was plenty I “should” have done, but I was feeling resentful and grumpy and gave myself the rest of the day off. I spent a good bit of it on the couch, with Charlotte sitting on me, which made her happy. I dug into the Ancestor work. Since I’m building on the work I did last year and going deeper, rather than going in a new direction, it was interesting. It’s about layering what I started to learn last year. Things that didn’t make sense last time around are clearer this time. And while Nancy Hendrickson’s work is a great starting point, my own work is evolving a little away from that to suit my own family, traditions, and understandings more.

Put in the Chewy order, to make sure the cats stay fed. I bought a bag of Nine Lives because I was worried I couldn’t put in the order before we ran out of their “good” food. It’s kind of like feeding them Burger King for a few days in the interim. They were enthusiastic yesterday, but this morning, they wanted the good stuff back.

Was not paid by the troublesome client I hope to replace soon. Yet another reason to replace them. I understand not paying us on the holiday, but we should have been paid yesterday. I mean, I only earned 1/3 of what I hoped to this pay period, but getting paid on time has always been a point in their favor.

It snowed in the evening and overnight. Not much, but when it snowed, it came down hard.

Used some of the leftover duck to make something similar to Shepherd’s Pie, but with duck instead of beef. It was good. Read in the evening, and listened to music. We enjoyed the tree.

Tonight is the last night to enjoy all the decorations. Although Twelfth Night isn’t until Monday, it makes sense to take things down over the weekend. Next week is very busy.

Dreamed that I was helping a local friend move, so I guess that’s what I’m doing in September.

On today’s agenda: working on the ghostwriting revisions, taking the rolly cart and heading up to the library to drop off/pick up books. Do some tidying up and finish filing 2024, although a lot of the tidying will happen after the decorations are put away. I might start on the lessons for the screenwriting class. I have the basic outline done – that’s what landed me the gig. But I can start on the nuts and bolts of each lesson, so I’m not working at the last minute. I also want to read the next book for review over the weekend.

Next week, I start on judging the other contest. Once the decorations are put away, I’ll set up the worktable in my office for that. I have to set up the 2025 folders this weekend, too. Next week is the ghostwriting revision deadline, an interview, and our welcome dinner for the new cohort. I hope I have a working car and a working voice by then.

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

Thurs. Jan. 2, 2025: Let’s Start Cozy

image courtesy of Melanie via pixabay.com

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Waxing Moon

Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

8th Day of Christmas (last night’s dreams – August)

Snowy and Cold

It feels very Monday-ish for a Thursday.

I want a cozy, quiet start to the year, not a sense I have to leap out of the starting blocks.

The first garden post of 2025 is up over on Gratitude and Growth!

The Goals, Dreams, and Resolutions post is up over on the GDR site.

How was your exit from 2024 and entrance into 2025? I hope it was what you wanted, either gentle or celebratory, or a mix.

Tuesday was a bit of a flurry, trying to get things done. I’d misplaced a bill that needed to be paid (because I resent having to pay this particular bill), but I found it and got it sorted.

Headed out, first to the post office (we needed stamps for the thank you notes. We’re late on those – apologies, I’m mailing them today). Stopped by CVS to update all our insurance information. Then continued to Big Y for a light grocery shop. I mean, everything is going to be a light grocery shop until the car is fixed. Found everything I needed, packed it up, and rolled it all home. I spent more than I planned, because I went over budget on what I wanted for New Year’s Day (which was really, really, REALLY important to me), but then I got in some royalties that covered it, so it worked out.

Lots of mail in the box. We received a bunch of thank you notes, which makes me feel guilty that ours are late.

Received payment for the ghostwriting assignment, even though I’m still in revisions for them, which cheered me up. Had a good exchange with an anthology editor. Listened to the rough cut of “The Effie Effect.” They did an amazing job with it. I have very few notes, and I can’t wait until it releases later this year, and everyone can listen! I’m going to listen to it a couple more times before I give any notes, just to make sure.

Grabbed a couple of scripts; had to send most of them back because they ignored the guidelines and had to be marked as such and returned to be fixed. Which means I don’t get paid for those scripts. There were only a handful of scripts in the queue that disappeared after less than 30 seconds. I grabbed what I could.

I sent regrets to yoga and to the event I was supposed to go to on New Year’s Day. I feel fine and I keep testing negative for COVID, but I sound terrible. It would make people uncomfortable to be around me right now (heck I’m uncomfortable around me right now at times), and no one can risk accepting at face value “I’m not contagious” or “it’s just a cold.” We simply do not live in that world anymore. I’ve been even more vigilant than usual about masking when I’m out on errands, and Lysoling the heck out of everything all the time. I’ve had no fever or other symptoms, not even the usual fatigue of a cold. It’s just the laryngitis and the cough. The cough comes and goes, and I think the heating system (which probably hasn’t been cleaned in 50 years) is an irritant. I used to get laryngitis all the time, and for long periods of time. I’d forgotten now annoying it is.

But I’d run myself down, getting into the holidays, and I hadn’t been as vigilant about masking as usual. Plus, I socialized more. I’m lucky it’s just laryngitis, and not a higher price.

Oh, and I had to pay Google’s extortion fee because, even though I deleted thousands of emails and hundreds of photos (photos are backed up, don’t worry), the needle never moved and my storage was 99.98% full, with the threat of not allowing me to send or receive emails. It’s extortion. But it gives me a year to figure out a workaround.

I cooked our favorite salmon in honey/soy sauce with green beans and sweet potatoes roasted with cinnamon and cumin for dinner. Staying up was a challenge, as I’d been up since 2:30 that morning.

But we did it. We played with the cats and read. We had the bayberry candle burning. And then poured the prosecco and sat in front of the computer to watch the live stream of the ball drop in Times Square.

I am very glad I don’t live there anymore, but it still is a big moment.

I let the old year out of the back door before midnight, and welcomed the new year in through the front just after midnight, along with sprinkling rosemary on the front doorsill.

I didn’t stay up much later than that.

I woke up just before 2 AM to a ferocious, frightening storm with thunder, lightning, high winds, and pelting rain. I was very glad to be tucked into my cozy bed.

Fell asleep again and the cats got me up around 7. I fed everyone and did the Fire & Ice ritual to welcome the New Year. I did my meditation. I worked on the GDR post for the year and got that up. I really need to get a new template for the site. It’s so frustrating to work with that one.

I counted up my work numbers for December:

Work Totals for December 2024:

New material:             40,978

Edits:                           31,267

Adaptation:                   5,493

Client work:                 67,340

Marketing:                  14 – ½ hours

Meetings:                    3 hours

Contest Judging:         15 hours

The new material and edits are pretty good, especially for a holiday month. The Client work number is only so high because of the ghostwriting test assignment. Marketing was less than it should have been, but I stopped earlier than planned, because I got the sense everyone was overwhelmed with promotional posts.

Still underpaid for the amount of work I did.

Year End Totals for 2024:

New material:             566,584

Edits:                           711,636

Adaptation:                 113,127

Client Work:                272,826

Marketing (including videos/website): 98 hours

Professional Development: 18 hours

I was inconsistent breaking down meetings, research time, and other miscellaneous things that needed attention.

Books Read for pleasure or research for my own work (anything I read for review, as part of a contest, or as part of client work did not make the list and I read a couple of hundred of work-related books): 202.

The new material number indicates I could have written about 6 books this year. The reality was, of course, less, being a mix of books, plays, screenplays, poetry, articles, blogging, and short stories. I may need to break that down into more categories for the coming year to get a better sense of how much is actually happening in each slot. And the other reality is that it’s highly unlikely I could write six novels in a year (one every two months) without breaking my brain. I mean, I know John Kimbro (who wrote gay pulp fiction under a bunch of names and the Phenwick women books as Katheryn Kimbrough that were a big deal when I was growing up), could knock out a book in a few weeks, but at this point in my life, I cannot. Not if I want them to be either coherent or good.

The edits make sense, because many pieces went through multiple drafts. The adaptation number makes sense, too, because it was the Nina Bell material and just starting ANGEL HUNT.

Client work should have paid far more than it did. With that high a word count for client work, I should not have been struggling financially this year. Which means replacing the high-promising, under-delivering client this year must be a priority.

Marketing was on the low side – 98 hours over the course of a year isn’t enough. 10 hours month should be the minimum, with probably a little more being the sweet spot. It should probably be at least 150 hours of marketing over the course of the year.

Professional development was a decent number. I need to be more consistent about breaking down the other elements in my work week.

I don’t make “reading goals” for the year. I just read however much I want. I do keep a log, and note when something is a re-read, because there are books I like to re-read regularly. The 202 number of books read is just for pleasure or research for my own work; it does not reflect the large number of books read in connection to the contest judging job, the book review job, or that come through the coverage job with an eye to adaptation for screen.

I definitely need to work smarter in 2025. Tracking these numbers is a good wakeup call. I could be embarrassed/ashamed that I worked so hard for so little return, but it’s one of those things where you don’t necessarily realize the extent of the problem until it’s in a long-term context.

Rather than wasting energy being upset, I need to focus on a saner work/pay ratio.

I’ve started to put out feelers and have had a few bites, so we’ll see what actually works out. I have to pay attention, show up and do the work, and do less work for those who don’t pay well enough, so I can add more work for those who do.

At least I don’t have a sense of misplaced loyalty to that client, the way I’ve had to some others in the past.

The upside is that it shows that, when I do show up and do the work, I can get a lot of work done.

I just have to get the financial part into alignment. This is not my hobby.

I made Eggs Benedict for breakfast, which is one of our favorite breakfasts anyway, and something we do to start the New Year (family tradition says you must have something from the pig before noon on New Year’s Day. My mother got that from her mother and grandmother, reaching back).

Around noon, I made a mixture of orange, cranberry, and fig, and stuffed it into a duck. Roast duck on New Year’s Day always makes me feel that I’m setting up for a good year.

We had it mid-afternoon, with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. And it left enough time to take the duck carcass apart and make stock. The stock is an absolutely gorgeous color, like dark honey.

Got out a play submission for a call that landed on my desk and needed to be turned around quickly.

Read in the evening, but went to bed pretty early. Slept in this morning, much to Tessa’s dismay. It snowed overnight, plowable snow, but it looks like it will be okay to walk to the post office later.

Not sure how I will structure today. I want to do more work on the ghostwriting revision, and there’s plenty I “should” do, but I don’t know how much I will actually do. Some downtime would be nice. I worked too hard yesterday.

I’m not doing the “new year, new me” thing. I’m doing “new year, better me.” I don’t need a “new” me. I just need to build on the work I’ve been doing for the past couple of years.

One step at a time.

Have a good one!