Devon Ellington's Blog, page 32

Aug. 1, 2024: Blessed Lughnasadh

image courtesy of Bruno via pixabay.com

Blessed Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas) to all who celebrate!

Or Blessed Imbolc, to my friends in the Southern Hemisphere.

Today is the 30th anniversary of my initiation, and a very important day, every year on my own personal calendar.

I am taking it as a personal holiday.

We’ll catch up tomorrow!

Wed. July 31, 2024: Lots Going On in the Old Brain

image courtesy of hainguyenrp via pixabay.com

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron Retrograde

Cloudy, muggy, hot

How did we get to midweek so fast?

Yesterday was kind of hot and sticky. I did a bunch of admin and email when I got back from the laundromat, and prepared for my meeting with my mentor. The meeting went well; I got lots of ideas I can put into play over the coming months. It was interesting how she could parse out concerns and connections I hadn’t realized as I put together my notes.

I was energized, but also needed a break after, to clear my head. Very grateful not to have any coverages to turn around. I’ll worry about money later in the week; right now, I’m going to be grateful!

Bea was impatient because I was late with her lunch. Too funny!

After lunch, I had another Authors Guild webinar with Jane Friedman, Matty Dalrymple, and Michael LaRonn. Excellent, excellent information. I took a lot of notes, and it helps me make a plan, especially when it comes to marketing the upcoming Nina Bell books, getting back on track with the Topic Workbooks, and re-igniting interest in the other series.

There were also things that dovetailed with my earlier conversation with my mentor, which was interesting.

And it gave me some ideas of how I want to rewrite the blurb for TAPESTRY.

But I was definitely tired by the end of all that. Lots of energy required for concentration.

I did some research on the 1908 balloon race. There’s information in the archives at the local library that I will need to write the outline, especially around the characters. They are all sources I have to use within the library; I’m considering booking time Friday to do so. I sent an email asking if they could pull material and give me an appointment – I’m all set up for 10 AM on Friday! It really is exciting, and I think will be the good catalyst for the play for the Berkshire Voices group. Colorful characters, exciting history and high stakes, a 12-year-old girl as central to the action (at least in my version). There was a 12-year-old girl in the winning balloon, which makes my original idea about the race even more fun.

Picked up the week’s CSA box. Lots of cool stuff in it; it will make this week’s meals interesting!

I only did one hour of yoga yesterday, gentle yoga. It was great. I was so glad to be back in studio. It was a full class, too! But I felt much better by the end of it.

Heated up some leftovers. Researched through my cookbooks for a recipe using some of the ingredients from the CSA. I’m going to do my own variation, but reading the other recipes helped me figure out what I want to do. The great thing about having 200+ cookbooks is I can usually get several different versions of something and figure out how I want to do it differently.

Read in the evening. As good as the book I’m reading is, my mind is spinning from all the information, and I need some time to sort it out in my brain.

August is going to be a month of inner work, mostly, I think (while earning as much by taking on as much freelance work as I can). It will give me a chance to process the Capacity Building program and the other information I’ve accumulated, and turn it into something I can use as I plan for fall, winter, and even into next spring.

Right now, my brain is tired, and not sure how to sort some of the information. But I do have solid ideas for tracking data over the next cycle, to see what works and doesn’t, and then I can adjust for the next cycle.

Had a lot of weird dreams. Again, in the dreamscape, I’m living a different life with different people, and they are all familiar when I’m within the dream, but not when I wake up. So I’m not feeling very rested when I wake up, because I was off living that other life. It’s a perfectly good life (as is this one), just different.

By 3:30, my room was too stuffy and sticky, so I moved to the couch, with Charlotte. Bea had questions. Tessa was grumpy. I fell asleep again, and all was quiet when I woke up a little after 5:30, after a pretty good sleep.

Fed everyone, did my morning meditation in Bea’s room.

A large quick-turnaround coverage came in this morning, so I will do that this afternoon, which helps the final number in this pay period, although it’s way, way under what it needs to be. But it’s better than not having it.

I hope to get some more edits into MURDER BELLS, work on proposals, and maybe start roughing out characters for the play, so I have an idea which ones to research farther on Friday.

Tomorrow, I will focus on the article for Llewellyn and on the flash fiction piece that needs to get out the door.

Tomorrow will be the 30th anniversary of my initiation, which happened on a group camping trip to Fire Island. A big day in my personal calendar. I’m taking it as a personal holiday.

Have a good one!

Tues. July 30, 2024: The Tension Between “Slow Down” and the Grind Habit

image courtesy of Pexels via pixabay.com

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron Retrograde

Cloudy, murky, humid

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

I felt like I was getting a slow start on Friday, but hey, why shouldn’t I? That’s the message of retrogrades slow down.

But there was still stuff that had to get done.

Blog up, meeting notes for this morning’s meeting out, blog and social media rounds. Proofread 5 more chapters of TAPESTRY. Finished off my meeting notes for this morning’s mentor meeting and sent them off. Did a library run – there were 11 books waiting for me.

Dealt with some email. Turned around two small coverages. Discouraged at how little work there was in that arena, especially as we’d been told it would be busy.

I’m reading Sara Paretsky’s BLACKLIST, which is very good.

Bea is interacting with the other cats through the glass, and lets me come closer to the glass, but still hides when humans enter the room. She plays a lot, though, which is good, eats well, uses the litter box.

The dishwasher spontaneously decided to work again. It’s been about a year. The machine itself is fine; it’s the outlet that’s the problem, and after this last power failure, it’s working again. Hopefully, it will last for a bit. It’s a big help to have it working, especially with all the extra kitty plates in use until Bea is fully integrated.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Paris. I loved the theatricality of it, and the way different cultural threads were woven together. Gojira’s performance was extremely well done. I like the juxtaposition of a French metal band known for its activist work as part of the Olympics opening ceremonies. The bulk of the comments I’ve seen against it show an ignorance of anything outside of American Christian fundamentalism. Get humanities back in curriculums!

I won’t watch much of the Olympics. I’m more of a winter sport than summer sport person. And I’m certainly glad not to be in Paris right now!

Up early on Saturday, and got ready for the herbal workshop at the Clark. It was a lot of fun; a good portion of the group was from the tarot circle, and it was nice to catch up. We worked with bee balm, blue vervain, boneset, and yarrow.

After the workshop, one of my friends from tarot was my guest at the Clark. We went through the Lathière exhibit and then most of the permanent collection. It was too much to do the whole thing at once, so we did as much as we could take in, and then had lunch at the café. It’s summer, so the fish tacos are back, and they are my favorite. It was a lot of fun to go through the exhibits, showing my favorite pieces, and talking about all kinds of stuff the art evokes.

Came home. Actually took a two hour nap on the bed with Tessa. I hardly ever nap during the day.

Cooked dinner and hung out with the various cats. Bea is fascinated by all the interactions.

Woke up every couple of hours in the night, mostly due to cat configurations on the bed. Tessa and Charlotte were on the bed, and one time, they were both so close up against me on either side I couldn’t move.

Bea found a stuffed turtle in the sewing room (child sized, not cat sized) and that is now her favorite.

I rehearsed my two segments of the poem a few times. I felt pretty good about it. The first segment is rhyming and sarcastic. I’m often sarcastic, but rarely do I try to rhyme, so that was a good stretch. The second segment is about the joy of being in the piece. Very different tones, but I think they will work in the overall arc.

I spent the morning storing energy to be used later in the day for the collaboration and performance.

I headed out just before 2, and got to the Mount wildly early. I helped set up, and caught up with some of the other poets I knew from previous events, including one I’ve been chatting with online since last year’s event.

We only had the chance to rehearse a little over half the poem before we had to prepare for the performance.

Two members of the tarot circle came. One of them knew one of the other poets – who just happened to be seated next to me – she’d fed me the first word of my poem, and I fed her the first word of her second poem. All these poets and we wind up sitting together. Too funny.

We were in the tent, so the poem flowed in one direction, then hooked back around and flowed back. The poet who started and ended took everyone’s words in her last segment and created the end piece out of that, which was so energizing.

We were herded out in front of the stables for our group photo. The photographer was someone I’d met at the Small Business Expo in Dalton in May.

It was a lot of fun. Although it was pretty humid, and clouded over, it wasn’t all that hot, and the Big Ass fans were on (yes, that is the name of the company, and their logo is a donkey’s rear end).

It was good to catch up with people. I haven’t been able to participate in any of the Word X Word events this spring/summer because most of them are on Tuesdays, and I’m committed to yoga that day.

Word X Word really set the foundation for the work I’ve been able to do since I moved here. I’m so grateful to them for providing a warm embrace and encouraging my work.

Drove home. Stopped at the pizza place down the street to get a pizza margherita. The place used to be our favorite for “comfort pizza” rather than artisan pizza. They changed their menu a few months ago (and raised their prices). Now, they mostly make gimmick pizzas with fast food as toppings on a pizza crust. But I figured pizza margherita was safe.

I was rather wrong. I’d asked for it with red sauce. They used white. They used to use fresh ingredients, but this time, everything was processed. They didn’t use any fresh basil and sprinkled way too much garlic salt and red pepper flakes on top. Plus, the facility was filthy.

Nope. Done with them.

Showered after dinner and just hung out on the couch. Bea hung out on her side of the glass, watching as the cats all came in to find out where I’d been all afternoon and get attention.

Slept really well. It was raining when I got up on Monday, and rather humid and oppressive.

Did my morning meditation with Bea. I did some chakra balancing work, and she slid out to watch, but as soon as I looked at her, darted back under the bed.

The manuscript of TAPESTRY, along with author notes and other backmatter, including the first few pages of MURDER BELLS, is out for formatting and galleys. I had to write a fresh blurb for the book, which I hope uses the best of the serial blurb and some new information. The temptation is to get to work on the website right now, and, a few days before Mercury Retrograde, that would be a Really Bad Idea. I need to focus on edits for MURDER BELLS and then finish the draft of VICIOUS CRITIC, and the galleys for TAPESTRY when they come in and do the website in September.

Paid some bills, filled out the primary ballots. Went to the bank to put in an honorarium I received, mailed things at the post office, picked up a few things at the grocery store. We’re not eating more bread than usual, but a loaf that used to last seven days now only lasts five, which means there are fewer slices. Got some more wet food for Bea. I’ll have to decide, eventually, what brand is healthiest for her and start ordering that from Chewy. For now, she’s on the same food as she was in Beacon, Fancy Feast (aka “kitty crack”). I fed her some healthier wet food that I have for Willa sometimes, and she likes that, too, so I don’t think it will too difficult to change her to something better. Stopped at the dollar store and got some small plastic bones that I will paint with glow in the dark paint when the weather is better for an autumn project. Dropped off our ballots at the ballot box at City Hall.

After lunch, I finally got the book review out. I answered follow-up questions for a coverage, and then edited four more chapters of “Too Much Mistletoe.”

I finished reading LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE HAUNTED PLACES, which was a lot of fun. I did some work on one of the proposals.

I cooked a summer vegetable curry, using mostly CSA vegetables, but a few other things, too. The recipe is from Moosewood, and it’s very good. Now that I have some high quality vegetables, I need to find better rice. I don’t like the rice I’ve been using.

As I look ahead to autumn and winter, I’m going to try to get into the rhythm of making bread once or twice a week. I’d also like, on a slow day, to make a batch of three different kinds of soup, and that way we have options all week. Home-made soup and fresh bread can take care of a lot of lunches. While I like ending my workday and cooking dinner, I don’t like making lunch. And even with all these lunch cookbooks giving me ideas, lunch is an obstacle instead of a pleasure. I want to find ways to change that.

An opportunity landed in my email, and I have to turn it down, because it’s starting a new project in August, and with the fact that I have to start a project with BVP in September, I think it’s too much to take on right now. I hope to join the next round, in late winter or early spring.

The first A4A advisors meeting is being set up for mid-August. I’m looking forward to that.

The producer of “The Effie Effect” made a cyber-introduction between the director and me. I’m looking forward to the work.

In and amongst all of this were all kinds of tech glitches, and we’re not even in Mercury retrograde yet. And I don’t want to hear about the shadow – that would mean 6 months of every year are in chaos, and I’m not having it.

Up early this morning, after weird dreams. I knew the people and places in the dream, but not once I woke out of it.

Headed to the laundromat. Didn’t have any editing work to do, so I read BLACKLIST instead.

Bea waited for me at the door to the sewing room. Even though she hides when I’m in there doing my morning meditation, she likes having me there, I guess, and I was off schedule today. She’s getting as committed to a schedule as the others.

On today’s agenda: more edits on “Too Much Mistletoe.” A meeting with my mentor at 10. Hopefully getting some work done on a proposal, and then maybe on the article. A workshop with the Authors Guild at 1. Picking up my CSA later in the afternoon, and then yoga tonight.

In other words, it’s busy! I’m grateful there’s no coverage work due today, because that would be a lot of pressure. But I hope something comes in so I can turn around tomorrow, because that’s the end of the pay period, and it’s nowhere near what I need it to be. Fortunately, I was paid for another project, and there’s the payment for the Farmers’ Market Residency coming, but we were told to expect mid-July to be very busy and then it wasn’t.  

There are a couple of things working my nerves, but I’m trying to remember what’s colored by various tensions and step back and not be just reactive. I have better uses for my energy.

Besides, it’s supposed to be a slower time now, with the retrogrades. I need the time to process the last few months and analyze, so I can make smarter decisions over the next few months. All the skills/tools I’ve learned over the Capacity Building Program are meaningless if I don’t actually use them.

I also hope it won’t be as hot this weekend as predicted. That’s always draining. But hey, it’s only Tuesday, but for some reason, it feels like it should be Friday!

I want to make it a good Tuesday, and I hope yours is as well.

Mon. July 29, 2024: Intent for the Week — Savor the Season

image courtesy of Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke via pixabay.com

Monday, July 29, 2024

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron Retrograde

Rainy, warm humid

Although I’m far more of a fall/winter person than a summer one, I don’t want to rush the cycle of the seasons away. I want to savor what’s left of summer. Hopefully, it won’t be too hot and humid. But I want to enjoy long, light evenings, and, with all the retrogrades, a slower pace.

I may not yet be in a position to take August off and make like a European, but I want to enjoy the August that’s there.

This is also somewhat of a sad day, marking the 50th anniversary of my father’s death.

Our lives are always more than one thing.

What’s your intent for the week?

Fri. July 26, 2024: Looking Forward to A Fun Weekend

image courtesy of Gerd Altmann via pixabay.com

Friday, July 26, 2024

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron Retrograde

Partly cloudy and pleasant

Yes, friends, we’re adding another retrograde to the pile. Chiron goes retrograde today until December 29th. Chiron is the wounded healer, so it’s about working on wounds that need attention. For Pisces, this go-round, it’s about healing one’s relationship with self-worth, especially when it comes to money.  The A4A workshops set a foundation for that, so now it’s about building on it.

The Chiron retrograde pushes against the Saturn retrograde somewhat. My Saturn retrograde is a lot about boundaries this year, and the Chiron retrograde makes me question if I’m worth the boundaries (the answer is yes, but Chiron makes you reflect and analyze on the worth).

This pile of retrogrades makes it feel like swimming in molasses sometimes.

Certainly yesterday, everything felt like it was at a crawl.

I got the blogs up, made the morning blog/social media rounds, dealt with some admin. I had to do a run to the grocery store; we were out of things like bread and butter and couldn’t wait until today. I got blueberries and blackberries and black plums. Don’t have to buy vegetables often, because of the CSA.

The space where the liquor store I used to frequent until it abruptly closed five months ago has reopened –as a liquor store! New owners, different name. The new owners seem nice, taking time to chat. I was delighted to see that my favorite clerk from the previous incarnation has been hired back. I’d worried about him. The stock is a little different, but has good variety, and the prices are good. I wish them well, and the location is certainly convenient.

When I came back, Bea was out and about in the sewing room. She was calling out for Tessa, who was asleep on my bed. She didn’t want any of the humans; she wants Tessa. And she’s willing to chat with Charlotte, as long as Charlotte doesn’t give her any guff. Which Charlotte is incapable of doing for any length of time, but Bea isn’t at all phased by Charlotte’s drama queen temperament. She’s taken the foil ball and one of the mice under the bed with her, and scattered the other toys.

The sewing room has all the interactive toys the other cats don’t use, so there are things to keep her busy as she’s out and about more.

I proofread 5 more chapters of TAPESTRY, after layering in the new character. In order for the geographical logic to work on E. 6th Street, where buildings tend to be 4 or 5 stories, not 3 stories, I had to add another floor, which meant another tenant. Since I made this individual a semi-recluse, I just have to refer to them, not have actual scenes. An easy fix. I need to look at the lots on the street (hopefully I can pull that up from the city’s files) to see if there’s a small space between buildings, or if the buildings from E. 5th Street back right up to the 6thStreet buildings. I want to know if there’s a possibility for more windows in my fictional building. I need to be realistic; it’s like when someone writes something set in NYC and has stuff happening in alleys; Manhattan has very few alleys, so you know it’s someone who hasn’t done their research or hasn’t stretched geography in a way that makes sense. It’s a good way to turn locals off a book.

I turned around a coverage and read most of a second one; it’s not due until tomorrow, so I can finish it today without stress. I worked most of the afternoon in the sewing room, so Bea could get used to my presence, but she wasn’t interested.

I heard back from one of the proposals I sent out this week. We are going to meet via ZOOM in the fall and schedule my workshop for the spring. Yes, I’m being paid for it. I’m doing what my mentors suggested!

I still have to finish/polish the two other proposals that I hoped to send out yesterday, but couldn’t.  I don’t want to send them on a Friday or Monday, so off they will go on Tuesday morning. I’m also putting together a proposal based on conversations with my mentors, although I don’t yet know where to aim that.

We got our ballots for the September 3 primary. We will fill them out and I will take them to the ballot box at City Hall on Monday. I also got my contributor copies of the 2025 SPELL-A-DAY ALMANAC, where I have 24 pieces under the Cerridwen Iris Shea byline. I’ll be posting on Instagram about that later today and this weekend.

Charlotte showed off for Bea about how much affection SHE gets, while Bea is on the other side of the glass all by herself. Bea watched, and watched me pet Tessa, seriously wondering why the other cats were letting themselves be handled by humans. She did let me come right up to the glass doors without running away, which was progress. And she loves the bedtime snacks my mother brings in every night, although she hides until the room is empty.

Tessa was on my bed when I went to bed, and Charlotte snuck on, too. I had to figure out how to position myself diagonally to keep them separated. But we managed. Tessa left at some point, because when I woke up, she was gone.

Bea watched Charlotte race up and down the cat tree. Again, Charlotte is showing off. Bea wasn’t much interested in people, although she was happy to eat her breakfast. I did my meditation and morning tarot card pull with her, but she wouldn’t come out. It will take time. She definitely wants to roam the house at night; she has to learn that until she starts interacting with humans (even though that means she has another trip to the vet coming up), she won’t be able to go beyond the sewing room. It will take a while, but she will learn. She likes toys. I will demonstrate some of the interactive toys she hasn’t figured out yet for her this afternoon, so she can play with them when she wants.

We had a power outage blip this morning, which set me back a bit. I assumed it was Spectrum being awful as usual, but the power in the whole place went down, and I’ve had to reset everything. It was only for a few minutes.

On today’s agenda: writing, script coverage, proposal work, prepping some LOIs to go out next week, a library run. I’m sending the meeting notes to my mentor for Tuesday’s meeting, so it’s not all last minute. Tomorrow, I am going to an herbal workshop given by a friend over at the Clark, and then another friend and I are spending time at the museum. He’s never gone to the museum before, so I’m taking him through as my guest.

Sunday is the exquisite corpse poem – very excited! That’s always a highlight of my summer.

I will test before both, just to be cautious. I think I’m okay; just fatigued from, you know, life and the world.

Monday is back to the grindstone. Only instead of grinding, I want to take pleasure in my work.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, July 25, 2024: Fitting Together Freelance Puzzle Pieces

image courtesy of Zoltan Matuska via pixabay.com

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Cloudy, humid, hot

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

Yesterday morning, I did some more work on the BHPC program, and I wrote and sent off a workshop proposal as a follow up to a conversation I had several months ago with a group out of Northampton.

Two proposals down this week, two to go before the end of the month!

Added that work into the meeting notes with my mentor next week, and some questions/information on a long-range project.

Honestly, I was ready for a nap by 10 AM.

But I proofread another 5 chapters of TAPESTRY. I have to go back in and layer a couple of things I need for logic that will build in a series arc. I can’t just ignore it in the early books. While I can add in Phebe’s Tavern in VICIOUS CRITIC and build from there, there are a couple of neighborhood/location details I have to seed in now, rather than ignoring them and then they suddenly pop up. It’s one thing when a neighborhood grows and changes, and this neighborhood and Nina will both do so over the course of the series. It’s another when things that have “always been there” pop up several books into the series. I have a chance to seed some things in now that will come forward later as other details recede, and the opposite.

I finished this round of edits on “A Stylish Death” which means all three stories for MUDER BELLS are ready to have the edits entered. I did a quick pass on the early chapters of VICIOUS CRITIC, and fixed a few things.

I turned around two small coverages – the reading part wasn’t small, but I didn’t have to write much. I have a medium and a large coverage to turn around today, and hopefully some more comes in for tomorrow and then the first three days of next week. They told us that mid-July would be one of the busiest times and it’s been crickets. I mean, I’m glad I didn’t see a lot of coverages passing me by when I was out of town, but now I need them.

I did not write up and send off the book review, so I need to do that today.

Bea is getting braver and more playful in the sewing room. She still doesn’t have much use for humans, and hides when we are in the room, but once we’re gone, she’s spending more time in the room, playing with toys (big step) and observing through the glass doors, knowing she is protected. She’s also spending some of her nap time in her crate, on the opposite side of the room from the bed.

The other cats have serious new banana envy.

In the evening, after supper, she called out for the cats again. Tessa started to tell her off, but then Bea rolled over and showed Tessa her belly, so Tessa was appeased, and they hung out, on their own sides of the glass. She was playing and showing off for Tessa, which was very cute.

I slept through the night until 4:30 (yay, hope this becomes a habit). I moved to the couch. The moon was shining through the front window, Charlotte settled down on top of me, and I slept until nearly 6, when Tessa got me back on schedule.

I fed everyone. Bea stayed out after she finished breakfast, taking her bath in front of the glass and watching everyone else. There’s a good deal of roaming around the living room after they eat their breakfasts, while I’m writing in longhand on the couch and enjoying my coffee. Charlotte came up to the glass and tried to start something, hissing at her. Bea was completely unphased. Young as she is, Bea is taller than Charlotte when they sit, and could look down her Roman-esque nose at Charlotte. Bea didn’t hiss back or do anything except stare at Charlotte. Charlotte backed up, then turned and ran. But her tail was up, not curled under, so she wasn’t too upset.

Tessa thought this was hilarious.

They are working out their dynamics. The glass protects everybody.

I started doing my morning meditation in the sewing room with her, and then pulling the tarot card for the day. Since she is interested in cards, I thought that’s another way to get her comfortable with me. Especially if I’m doing a 20-30 minute sit where I’m still. She stuck her nose out to watch, but didn’t get close.

Tessa sat on the other side of the glass lecturing, because she is usually part of that morning ritual (except when she decides not to be).

Today, I have writing, a book review, proofreading, a proposal to get out the door (It would be great if I could get both out the door, but not sure I have the spoons), do a grocery run, and turn around two coverages. There are a few other things I’d like to get done; if there’s time, great, if not, not.

Have a good one!

Wed. July 24, 2024: Steady, If Somewhat Slower

image courtesy of StartupStockPhotos via pixabay.com

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Hazy, cloudy, warm, humid

How are you doing? We’re in the middle of the week.

Yesterday was a kind of rainy, mucky, humid day. I really didn’t feel like doing much of anything, but too bad for me.

Today is July 24 of 2024. 24/24!

If you just did the 24/24 numerology, you’d have 12, which then becomes 3 (1 +2), the triskele, change and magic. But we’ve got that extra 2 for 2024, which makes it 8, plus the 7 for July, which makes it 15. Which turns it into a 6, which links families and friends and communities together.

Got an early start. Proofread the next 5 chapters of TAPESTRY, fixed a few things (last chance before we go to galleys). Dealt with several hundred emails. Worked on the program for the BHPC residency later this year. Worked on the material for my mentor meeting next week. Updated my submission log. One of my stage plays was turned down from a call, but they’re interested in audio, so I’m trying to figure out if I should submit something. I think I will pass, since they don’t pay but keep up the file forever, and my audio plays are usually licensed for a fee to specific markets.

Nearly forgot to get the crockpot dinner going.

Had a webinar from the Author’s Guild on Platform Building for Indie Authors, with Matty Dalrymple, Michael LaRonn, and Jane Friedman, which was really good. I do a lot of their suggested tips already, but there were a few things I could fold into the next newsletter.

I also really like their position that, while traditional books now have to hit big in the first 3 months and often disappear, books in general (and especially indie books) have a long life.  A lot of the conversation tied into the work in the A4A workshops, and it was nice to get that alignment. They all agreed that the most important factor in a writing career is to keep writing. There’s no body of work, and therefore no career, if one doesn’t keep writing.  Matty suggested reading all those “250 things to market your book” lists as a menu, picking your favorite options, not trying to do it all. Michael said part of experimenting with different types of marketing is finding what best fits your personality, and letting the others go, no matter what the “experts” say.

I’m looking forward to next week’s webinar, which is about advertising. I sent them all thank you emails, to which they all responded in just a few minutes (I didn’t expect a response. I thanked them because I’m thankful for their time and expertise).

Charlotte was unhappy because it was a webinar, not a typical Zoom call, and no one could see her to tell her she was pretty.

I went and implemented some of what I learned (and actually did some work on the September newsletter).

Was not in the mood for script coverage, so pushed that off until today. Instead, I read the next book for review, which was very good. I’m also shifting around to different locations for different work tasks, so I’m not always sitting at the desk. Also, it’s retrograde season, which is about slowing down. Fighting it wastes energy, so I’m looking for ways to use the slower energies, but still get done what needs to get done, and cut as much stress as possible. I can always find something to stress about. But what if I decide not to? Worth a shot.

Picked up the CSA box. Yummy! Squash and carrots and garlic and cucumbers and cherry tomatoes! We are going to have one heck of a primavera tonight.

I skipped yoga, out of caution. Other than being tired, I feel okay. And I might just be tired because I had a lot on the hoof these last weeks, and the adrenalin crash from the cohort program. I mean, I sort of feel like I could tip over into being sick, like I usually am when I get back from a trip, but I’m resting enough not to really do that (I hope).

We think New Girl’s name will be Beatrice (from ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL), Bea for short. Bea from Beacon. She seems to like that name the best, although she still doesn’t have much use for humans. She still hides when we are in the room, even when we’re just hanging out so she can get used to us. She’s taking more time out and about around her meals, though, exploring the sewing room, and she even played with her banana with us watching through the glass. She’s grown in the few days since she’s been here. She will be a long, lean cat with long legs.

However, after dinner, when she called to the other cats, they came to the glass door, but were hissing and growling at her. They didn’t do the last few days, so I don’t know what that was all about. It didn’t phase her at all. She kept patiently explaining her side of the story. It’s all part of the adjustment process. Time and patience.

If I didn’t think Charlotte would rip the house down to the studs, I’d go in there and sleep at least one night in that room with her.

Bea likes to sleep most of the day, and roam at night. She would prefer not to be confined to the sewing room at night, but, for the moment, she must. We’ll get there. It took a couple of years to get Charlotte and Willa settled in, and they were used to humans.

Tessa, however, has reclaimed my bed during the days, since she’s on night shift.

Weird dreams last night, but up early and out the door to the laundromat. I was back before my mom was even awake. About half of what went through the wash couldn’t go into the dryer (the joy of certain cottons), so that’s hanging up all over the place. Not sure how long it will take to dry in the humidity, but it’s better than shrinking.

I didn’t get much done on the edits for “A Stylish Death” at the laundromat. I thought I had to rewrite a section for logic, rewrote it, then realized the first way was both better and correct because I’d researched it with the appropriate professionals while writing the first draft. So I had to go back and change it all back to what it was. I worked in the car; it was cooler, and that way I could isolate from anyone else that came in to use the laundromat, and mask when I went inside to load or unload the machines. There’s not much left in those edits; I might push through this morning, and then all of MURDER BELLS has edits that need to go into the document, as soon as I get this proof of TAPESTRY out the door. There’s some logic I need to smooth out in the climactic sequence about furniture placement (it’s relevant to the way Nina confronts the murderer). There’s a glitch in that logic, and I may need to sketch out the room so I can see how to move around the players.

I hope to do more proofreading on TAPESTRY, write the book review and submit it, do three small coverages, get at least one proposal out the door. I have three that need to reach their targets before the end of the month. I lost the thread of the flash fiction I’d hoped to get done before I left, and I have to figure it out again. That needs to get out the door this week.

I’m not going to tarot this afternoon (again, being cautious). I’m testing negative, but I don’t want to put anyone at risk. Too much at stake this weekend for any of us to get sick.

Have a good one!

Tues. July 23, 2024: Back to Work

image courtesy of Free Photos via pixabay.com

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Waning Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Rainy, warm, humid

Did you have a good weekend?

On Friday, I forgot to put in the link for the article on the importance of work logs over on Fearless Ink, which went live while I was away last Wednesday. The link is here.

Early Friday was about catching up on emails, and getting a few things sorted out.

I am having another coaching session with one of my mentors next week, which gives me this week to implement some of what we discussed. I want to come back to our meeting with tanglbles.

I am happy to announce that, as of September, I will be an advisor for the incoming Capacity Building Program at Assets4Artists. I am thrilled to now be a part of the team supporting other working artists. I start in September, with the next cohort working from December through May.

I got my schedule for the Berkshire Voices Playwrighting Cohort. I start on September 9, and it runs through December 10. I let them know I would miss one meeting during the Boiler House Poets Residency. I also asked about protocols on what to work on; I can’t bring WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE in for revisions. I need to start something new. But I have a few weeks to think about it. Do I bring in the play about the women who painted the Playland Amusement Park props in the 1930’s? I’m only a couple of scenes into it. Do I start the play about Katharine Cornell’s touring company (also in the 1930’s) and that difficult trip to Seattle, where they wound up being hours late on Christmas Eve because of weather/train getting stuck, the audience waited for them (in full evening attire), they put up the set in front of the audience, with actors telling theatre stories, then performed the play until about 4 AM? Or do I do something different?

I have a few weeks to decide.

I also sent a thank you to the Barr Hill Players for such a positive experience. And got out a couple of other thank-yous, too.

I dashed out to get a couple of things I needed for the FM residency, then picked up a couple of things at the grocery store and at the library. Came home, unpacked.

Spent time in the sewing room with New Girl putting together the final pieces for the FM residency, preparing the flipbook with prompts, putting the welcome posters on poster board, etc. New Girl watched from her safe space under the bed. Added all the new dates into both my transportable calendar and the big wall calendar.

Rested for a big portion of the afternoon. I am tired. The weeks leading up to the trip were busy; the trip was busy; the drama about needing to cut ties with someone in the week before the show was draining; I am tired, and I need to rest. Usually, when I return from a trip, I get sick. I’m trying to avoid that this time.

New Girl came out for her supper, even though we were watching from the living room. That’s a big step for her; she doesn’t like to be watched while she eats. But she looked at us, and then went back to her food. She even left a little bit of her supper for later, not gobbling everything out of fear there wouldn’t be a later. She talked to Charlotte, who just sat there, smirking at her. But not hissing. Then Charlotte showed off how she gets to sit on my lap. It was very funny.

When I cooked dinner, New Girl had her nose up, sniffing the air.

We have winnowed down the name choices to about four. The one I least expected, that I kind of threw out as a joke, is one of the two she responds to the best. We’ll see if that continues for the next few days. If it does, that will be her name. I would rather it’s something else, but it is her name and her choice.

I reconnected with a dear, dear friend from MISS SAIGON days. We are both so excited to be back in touch, and are making plans to get together.

This Saturn retrograde is in Pisces, and, especially for a Pisces, the theme is “restoring lost years.” That’s what it feels like, restoring good elements with which I’ve lost touch, and helping me let go of things that held me back.

After dinner, I printed out some sell sheets for the Topic Workbooks. I didn’t ask the Chamber to print those, only the prompt sheets and the resource sheets.

I packed all the bags I needed for the FM residency. I wanted to make sure everything was ready and I wasn’t scrambling at the last minute.

I will need to buy more ink this week. Because, of course I will.

New Girl called out in the evening, and all three cats came running. They regarded each other through the glass doors. Tessa talked – and she mimicked Tessa! She’s a mimic! I’ve never heard a cat do that before. The cats were so surprised, they had to sit down.

Slept pretty well. Up early, making sure I had all the bits and bobs for the Farmers’ Market residency. Fed everyone. Tessa doesn’t like the extra two minutes it takes to prepare New Girl’s plate; Willa doesn’t like that New Girl gets something she doesn’t. We will work it out.

New Girl and Willa were the only ones who ate much. Charlotte never eats much in one go, and Tessa eats more in cooler weather.

Headed to Full Well Farm to pick up my CSA. Decided which bit would come to the residency with me as the “found object from the market” and washed some blueberries and put them in a bowl with a net over it for the “taste” prompt.

Packed up the car and headed out. I found a parking spot in the shade. They had the table, benches, and materials all set up for me! I couldn’t believe it. How many times, in my previous location, had I shown up for events for which I was booked, assured the few things I asked for would be there, and then nothing was set up or available because they “hadn’t gotten around to it?” This really restored my sense of trust.

I taped my four posters to the four poles, set out the mailing list and the Topic Workbook sell sheets, set up the prompt flipbook. I was across from the FM booth itself, where people get their tokens and other information, next to Door Prize Nama on one side (food) and benches for people to hang out on the other, and in front of the Vietnamese pop-up.

I started working through the prompts a little after 9. We kept it easy and flowing. People could join whenever they wanted and leave whenever they wanted. We usually had a group that swelled for a few prompts, and then just one or two people. A couple of people stayed for nearly an hour. A little girl and her mom wrote back and forth, creating a story together, and she had the best time. It was adorable. When I pulled out the fennel for the “found object” prompt, a woman ran right over and wanted to know about it. I told her it was part of my CSA from Full Well Farm and sent her down and across one vendor to their stand. Another woman stopped by when I had the prompt about the North Adams sister city of Tremosine Sul Garda in Italy to tell me about the trip her son took there. The prompt about the North Adams Point to Point Hot Air Balloon Race of 1908 was very popular. People were very excited that I had prompts relevant to North Adams and the Farmer’s Market, rather than vaguer prompts that could be used anywhere.

A lot of people just wanted to talk and find out about the writing and the process. It was very low-key, flexible, no stress. I saw lots of people I knew – from the cohort, from yoga, from tarot, from Word X Word, from the library. It was a lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed myself over the four hours, although my hand was a little tired from holding the pen by the end of it! I did all the prompts with the participants, when I wasn’t talking to people interested in the whole thing. I have the starts of a couple of viable pieces.

I have to follow up on a couple of conversations for other potential projects.

I filled out my paperwork to get paid (yes, they pay us), packed up my stuff, and headed home, with a brief pause to spend a little time with someone I knew from a long time ago who’s just passing through town. Showered and collapsed onto the couch.

Charlotte informed New Girl she could order off a menu (incorrect), so New Girl rejected her lunch, and then regretted it later in the afternoon. I suggested she take Charlotte’s advice with a grain of salt.

My mom and I both spent some time in the sewing room, so she’d get used to us. She’s still under the bed mostly. While she very much wants to be with the other cats, she still associates humans with shots and surgery and getting stuffed in a crate and put into a car. We’ll give her the time she needs.

I read LIBERTY EQUALITY FASHION: THE WOMEN WHO STYLED THE FRENCH REVOLUTION by Anne HIgonnet, which was absolutely fascinating. I’d ordered it from the library because of Eulalie Morin’s portrait of Juliette Récamier in the current exhibit at the Clark, and I wanted to know more. Certainly a story I was not expecting, including that she married the man who was probably her biological father.

Slept well Saturday into Sunday, even though I went to bed very early on Saturday. I was just tired and logy all day. I finished reading THE WREN IN THE HOLLY LIBRARY by K.A. Linde, which I mostly liked. I have some issues with that particular publisher and the way they put their fingerprints all over everything, but most of it worked for me.

The friend who came to the reading had asked to read the script, and I sent it over I think Friday. She had some great notes that will help the revision so much. I’m very grateful.

New Girl ate all her breakfast. I spent some time in the room with her in the morning, but she stayed under the bed. Much of what she’s doing now is sleeping; she’s exhausted. Plus, her internal compass has to recalibrate, and that takes about ten days. Otherwise, if she somehow got out of the apartment, she would instinctively make her way back to Beacon. She ate her lunch this time, without a fuss, too, and my mom spent time in the room with her in the afternoon.

Around the times she emerges from her meals, she’s starting to explore the room. She even played with her catnip banana a little bit. She’s fascinated by tarot cards. She’s also fascinated and rather perplexed by the ways the other cats interact with the humans in the house, and watches as much of the interaction as possible. Charlotte, of course, shows off, how she sits on the human whenever possible, and how much of a princess she is. I’m trying to play with Willa in front of the glass doors during Willa’s designated after lunch playtime so New Girl gets a sense of playing. She’s sauntering to her food now, rather than slinking toward it, with her tail curled up, which is progress.

After supper, she called out for Tessa, who came to check on her. Tessa’s hanging out the most with her, one on each side of the glass, which is a good thing. Tessa still patrols a bit at night and does bathroom escort duty with the humans where needed, but she’s hanging out with the New Girl, and that will help get her comfortable. Willa tries to jailbreak her out of the sewing room at least once a day. I think they will all be fine together. Charlotte is the only wild card.

Charlotte’s actually being far more mellow than I expected. She’s let New Girl know she’s watching her; she’s intentionally giving bad advice; she’s showing off. But she’s not being aggressive.

On the wider world stage, I’m not happy that Biden stepped back from re-election (in spite of disagreeing on many decisions or lack thereof), mostly because it was caving to big money donors. We already demonstrated support in the primaries – and for Kamala Harris, so all these foo-foos calling for an open whatever can shove it right up you know where. We already CHOSE, and she is part of the package we chose, knowing she might have to step in at some point, confident she can step up. I’m delighted in the surge of grassroots donations. Big donors better not try to put in another old white dude instead of her. We chose her. Remember the monied white dude pressure to replace her on the re-election ticket with a white dude last year? Big donors need to shut up and write checks.

And we need major campaign finance reform.

And Manchin, threatening to pretend to turn Dem again and run? Talk about an attention whore. Once again, proving he will always put himself before the country. The sooner we see the back of him, the better. Aaron Sorkin made an ass of himself, too, in the NYT op ed. I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised or disappointed – just another entitled white dude, thinking he knows best. Or knows anything. We crossed paths when we both worked in NYC theatre. I respected his work, did not like him. At this point, I’m losing respect as well.

Got the details for next Sunday’s Word X Word exquisite corpse poem. I am excited.

Heard from the person passing through town Saturday afternoon that they tested positive for COVID. So I will be resting and testing and cancelling out of most things this week, with an eye to being healthy at Saturday’s workshop and Sunday’s poem. I feel fine, just tired, but I will be cautious.

Slept well Sunday into Monday. New Girl ate a good breakfast. Things had been moved around in the room, so she explored overnight. Good for her!

I got an email from Amazon that I will be getting royalties next week from the serials (but not how much; heaven forbid they let you know how much). No bonus, because the serials are down and there weren’t enough comments on the individual episodes from readers before they came down. Whatever. These royalties are from May, which was a reasonably strong month, so we’ll see what happens. I think I’m only getting one more payment, at the end of August for June. I doubt I’ll get anything for July, since the last serial came down mid-month. I’m just glad to be free of that contract, and that these stories can go on to other lives. June’s payment (for April) was a joke. April was a pretty decent month for reads, but you’d never know it from the royalty payment. So glad to be out of that situation.

I contacted Joe Manchin’s office and told him to step away. Thank you, Paula, for sharing that idea. I was polite and respectful, but very direct. I took the time to contact my Senators and my Congressional Representative to let them know Madam Vice President Harris has my full support as the presidential nominee, and that I already voted for her in the primary, so none of this open nomination nonsense.  I knew she might have to step in; I am confident she can step up. I asked them to vigorously support her.

I dug my way out of an avalanche of emails that came in while I was gone. Friday was about answering the most pressing, with information needed this week; now I can go through the others. That’s going to take a few days.

I had to dash out and grab a loaf of bread, and I dumped some books in the book drop. I’m masking out of the house (I never stopped when it came to grocery store and library, etc.), but I’m being especially conscientious during the resting/testing period.

Tessa and Charlotte actually both slept on my bed for most of the day, with only a few inches between them. That is rare. Tessa figures since she’s on night shift taking care of New Girl, she gets to sleep during the day. On my bed.

TAPESTRY came back for a final proof before it goes to formatting, and putting in the backmatter and acknowledgements and all the rest. I talked with my editor about whether or not to add in the information about St. George’s Academy on E. 6th Street, which is across from the building I chose for her (with alterations), which is the building my friend used to live in, where I used to stay. We were usually in and out at hours when the Academy was closed, so I didn’t pay much attention. I might add a reference here and there, and, in future books, see if it’s relevant. But we both figure we can get away with not much else, at least in the first two books. Thank goodness I created a style sheet; that’s been a big help with consistent spellings for me, the editor, and the copyeditor.

I got the first 5 chapters proofed, about 11K.

Turned around a large-ish coverage. Some of it I did in the sewing room with New Girl. She was not impressed. Very little coverage has come in for this week, which concerns me. There should be more, since there was a contest deadline on the 22nd. I also managed to get a workshop proposal out the door. Got a couple more to push through this week. I’m starting to feel, though, that I’m overbooking my autumn, but we’ll see what actually comes through.

New Girl is spending some of her nap time now in her crate, rather than just under the bed, which is progress. And she plays with her catnip banana. She and Willa figured out where the door bolt goes into the floor, and they’re trying to work it out to release the door (there’s also one at the top, so I’m not too worried).

Made a large frittata with CSA veggies and eggs my friend gave me. It was delicious. New Girl ate her supper, then called for the cats. Tessa hung out for a bit, then assigned Charlotte to sit with her, while Tessa did a few things. Charlotte wandered off after about five minutes.

Tessa was not amused. “You had one job.”

Charlotte’s response was, “I don’t work. I’m a Princess.”

They fussed at each other for a few minutes, in front of the glass doors, and then settled down.

Charlotte is also showing off the glories of the cat tree.

Slept until about 4:30, when Tessa began the Breakfast Operetta. She taught New Girl the chorus. I refused to feed any of them until 6. Breakfast does not start at 4:30, unless the humans have a road trip and leave early.

It was raining, so I didn’t go to the laundromat; I’ll go tomorrow morning. Today, I have more proofreading and some small coverages to turn around, and hoping for more to come through for the rest of this week. If not, there’s a book to review, and more proposals to get out. I also need to work on a short story, and on my Llewellyn article. And the proposals.

We’re still trying names with New Girl, to see which she gravitates toward. She’s very clear, with the side eye, about which ones are not acceptable. I’m starting to think she has Abyssinian in her rather than Siamese, because of the body structure and those long legs – legs getting longer every day, as she’s growing.

I feel okay, just tired. I’m trying to pace myself, and prioritize the task to the energy, while keeping everything on track. August, with all those retrogrades (we’ll be up to 5 by early in the month) is about slow, steady work, and staying as quiet as possible (with Mercury being one of those retrogrades).

Mon. July 22, 2024: Intent for the Week — Restore & Recalibrate

image courtesy of Tikovka1355 via pixabay.com

That is not a photo of the New Girl — it’s a stock photo. New Girl is a muted tortoiseshell, with lots of gray and black. I suspect there’s some Siamese in there, too. Double the ‘tude — and she definitely gives excellent side eye.

I’m going to stay fairly quiet this week, focus on the work, not do much outside of the house. I need to rest; as I age, I need more recovery time, and last week was a lot. I also need to take what I learn, apply it to what I’ve been learning in the Capacity Building Program, and make some decisions.

There’s follow up, there are proposals and LOIs to head out the door, there’s a short story to write, an article to work on, edits to deal with, a book to review, and script coverage work.

I know I was exposed to COVID on Saturday afternoon (the person let me know they tested positive last night), and I was probably exposed several times in the city. Isolation for a few days is the safe choice. “Resting and testing” are my watchwords this week, and trusting that vaccines work. I know I was exposed twice in the last month, and the vaccines held, so let’s hope that remains true. Other than being tired (which is understandable), I feel fine. Let’s hope it continues, although symptoms probably wouldn’t show up for another day or two. I don’t HAVE to be anywhere until Saturday, and then Sunday is the poem, so, fingers crossed.

What’s your intent for the week?

Fri. July 19, 2024: The Pleasure of a NYC Visit

image courtesy of Fernando González via Pixabay.com

Friday, July 19, 2024

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Partly Cloudy and pleasant

I am back! Did you miss me?

I had a great time.

Even though I was angry on Tuesday morning at the situation causing me to leave late, I made good time down to Beacon. The drive was lovely. Although it was hot outside, the air conditioning worked in the car (always questionable with a Volkswagen).

My friend was glad to see me. We unloaded the car, I gave her the gifts I brought, we had some iced tea and a catch-up. I got re-acquainted with the cats (she’s now down to 6 indoor, 1 outdoor, and the one guest). Her open studio days are this weekend – for some reason, I thought they were next week – so putting me up in the midst of all that was even kinder.

We went to dinner at a place I really liked when I visited last year. I’ve been thinking about their French fries since my last visit. We had a good talk about art (although we met through theatre, and she’s now doing film work, she’s also a wonderful visual and textile artist). I think she’d have a great time at the MASSMoCA residency or at Walkaway House.

I met the guest cat, who is very sweet and shy. Slick, the outdoor cat, brought her home a few weeks ago, and she’s been living in the bathroom, getting her shots, her spay, the rest of it.

We tucked the chickens in for the night, and checked on a few things outside. She has vegetables, pollinators, and medicinal herbs on the property, too. Not to mention a great view of the mountains.

An old acquaintance who had booked tickets for the reading cancelled, but kept asking me about who to contact and how to release tickets. I’m the playwright, hon. I don’t run box office. I told her to contact the producing organization.

I woke up early the next morning, even though there were no cats demanding breakfast. Her cats would rather sleep in. When she got up, the cats were fed, the chickens were settled in for the day, and we were fed. I had a chat with Slick, the outdoor cat who brought home guest cat. Slick isn’t too keen on my level of intelligence since the last time I visited, and he had to show me where the spare key was kept. But even though he still believes in social distancing, he did the slow blinks, so all is forgiven. My friend drove me to the train station.

I bought a ticket on the platform (same ticket machines as in Rye). For some reason, I was charged for a multi-day Metrocard instead of the day pass. The train ride down the Hudson River was gorgeous. Everyone else was on their phones, and I just sat and enjoyed the view. I hadn’t realized how much renovation has gone on down in Yonkers, or that Lionsgate has a full-on studio there now. Between that and all the old mills being converted into film studio space up the Hudson, the East Coast is revitalizing its film capacity.

The train pulled into Grand Central, old home for me.  The smell was what hit me first. There’s a very particular smell in those tunnels. I went out the Vanderbilt exit, and that whole side of the station has been transformed, part of it now a plaza. Really nicely done.

It’s amazing how fast the “New York” came back. In the two blocks between the station and where I picked up the downtown bus in front of the New York Public Library and its lions, I was asked for directions three times (and yes, I still knew how to get everywhere). I also immediately reverted back to “tourists need to get out of my way” mode again. It was weird to be around so many people again.

Behind me, two young women were chatting about how a friend recently got back from MASSMoCA and “didn’t have any use for it.” I stopped and waited until they almost bumped into me, then turned and said, “And what didn’t she like about it?” They had no idea, so I nodded and said, “An opinion just to be contrary. Good to know” and kept walking. They were kind of stunned, and I thought it was hilarious in a city teeming with tons of people, the two walking behind me are talking about MASSMoCA. As Kevin Sessums always says, “everything is connected.”

It was only a short wait for the bus. Gotta say, I enjoy those new hybrid buses. I wanted to take the bus down Fifth Avenue to see what’s changed. It was fascinating. Many more little plazas tucked away with container-scaping and chairs. Lots more floral decoration everywhere.

I got off just before Washington Square Park. I visited a bunch of old haunts, and took a bunch of pictures. I remember Washington Square Park, when I went to college, and its few scraggly trees. Now it is fully landscaped and beautiful.

I visited the new memorial to the Triangle Factory Fire (which is the Brown Building at NYU). As a wardrobe person, a social justice activist, and a woman, those deaths matter to me. I’ve had a project around that fire percolating for years, and one of these days (probably in a residency), it will birth.

I visited the neighborhood where Nina Bell lives in that series. The buildings that inspired where she lived are still there and haven’t changed much. I took photographs. There’s an academy across the street that I don’t have in the books. I have to do some research to see if I have to add some references to it. the beautiful red brick of Cooper Union is still there, although everything around it has been built up with glass and steel. I took pictures up and down Lafayette, and around the Public, so I can orient the ways I stretch geography in ways that fit the area.

I found the reading location on Great Jones Street. Of course, it was several hours before I had to be there (since I am perpetually early). I wandered around the neighborhood, enjoying it, taking it in, but also realizing I was on the borderline of heat exhaustion. It was in the 90’s outside, but over 100 with heat index.

And then I saw Phebe’s Tavern, on E. 4th and Bowery. By the way, the Bowery has seriously gentrified. Phebe’s was a big part of my college life (even though I was a commuting student), and later on, part of my off-off Broadway and off-Broadway life. But I hadn’t been in there in decades, and I was delighted it still exists.

I went in and sat at the bar. I ordered a Coney Island Pilsner, which was nice, and had French fries (I craved the salt). Turns out the bartender grew up in Beacon, the town in which I was staying. Kevin is right – everything is connected. One of the waiters is from Dublin, and only arrived a month ago. He talked about how all the young people are leaving Ireland because the culture’s dried up and there’s nothing for them there anymore. A lot of them are living and working in Australia, so as he goes around the world on his adventures, he’s going to give Australia a miss for now. His degree is in Marketing and Communications, which he kidded was a fake degree. The bartender (a young woman) has an engineering degree. Once I finished the beer, I had an iced coffee, because I wanted to be coherent for the reading.

I pointed out, up on the ESPN running, how the producers turned the only women commenting into Retro Barbie, with the almost beehive ponytail, the Pucci knock-off blouse with a bow, and the huge fake eyelashes. She could carry off the look, but the producers were sending the message not to take her seriously. Which means she must be much smarter than the guys, whose body positions and weird ties all spoke of entitlement. And the producers are trying to get the audience to take her less seriously, or, at the very least, to make the guys feel more important. A lot of information can be communicated with the sound is off.

I made a bunch of notes on things for Nina and for the Coventina series. Little details of place to make it all more immediate. I will have to fold Phebe’s into the series. I don’t have it in the first two books yet, but I will start using it in the third. It’s been there since 1968, and definitely was around in the 80’s, when I was in college, so it’s all good.

I went back around the corner to Great Jones Street to the reading. We were on the 4th floor, above the art gallery. Very much reminded me of early career studio spaces. Everyone was so excited that I came down to see the reading.  I got a very warm welcome.  I chose my seat and saved a seat for the friend I knew was coming. It was kind of hot up there, but they had the fans going.

The first part of the reading was excerpts by four actors of works in progress they were creating for themselves. It was interesting to see what material they chose as the foundation for the pieces. The script consultant in me was itching to talk to them about their pieces afterward, but that was not my role here.

SERNE & DETERMINED, my play inspired by the life of painter Lavinia Fontana, was next. There were 12 early career actors involved. They had worked on various theatre skills for a week up in Vermont, and specifically on this script for the last two days. So, they had already developed a working language together, and that translated well into the reading. The central role of Lavinia was shared by three actresses, who handed off the part at various points in the play, and Gian Paolo, her husband, was shared by two actors who did the same. The way the actors took care of each other throughout worked well. Each actor brought something very different to the role. It didn’t, as I feared, make it fractured; it was more of a layering.

They made many good choices, and they found the humor and brought it forward well. It’s a drama, but there’s a lot of humor in it, which gets tricky, because that has to be written and played differently than a more traditionally structured comedy. The timing on the humor was strong. So often, in a drama with humor, it’s played too seriously, and the timing doesn’t let the humor land. They got the humor, made choices when to push it and when to play it straight and let it land on its own, and had fun with it. I hadn’t realized, until I saw the reading, that I structured the trio of apprentices and the trio of noblewomen that almost serve as a Greek chorus depending on whether she’s in the studio or with them.

There’s also at least one scene that I need to rip apart completely and rewrite, because it’s got some tropey dialogue and a sappy rhythm that’s out of tone with the rest of the play and drags it down. There’s a stronger, more tension-filled way to get that across. There are revisions to be made throughout, and things about which I was uncertain that surprised me when they worked.

Their commitment to the piece was terrific and so appreciated. I spoke to most of the actors after, and they told me how much they loved the piece and working on it, and were so excited for me to come and see it. I told them how much I appreciated their work and joy in the piece.

It was a love fest, all around!

I did not go to the bar with them after. I wasn’t up for another bar.

Instead, I wandered back up Lafayette, past the Public Theatre again (where someone was smoking a joint, leaning against the gate to the loading dock), and got on the #6 subway at Astor Place Station. At 14th Street, the express pulled in, so I darted across the platform, and it was only one more stop until I was back at Grand Central. Back up into the station itself, found the board for the train departures, got a train back up to Beacon, leaving only about 20 minutes after I arrived in the station.

The Hudson line actually runs on time, mostly, rather than the New Haven Line, which was my regular commute, where, in 30 years of commuting, I think only 1 train I was on was on time in that entire span.

It was a peak train on the way back, so I expected to pay for the upgrade. The conductor didn’t charge me because, at my age, I could have bought a discount senior ticket at 50% off! Good to know, for the next time I visit.

I texted my friend once the train was actually moving (because how often have I been on a train, and they switch us to a different one at departure time).

I had a window seat next to the river side, and enjoyed the ride all the way up, taking photos.

By the time we reached Beacon and I hopped off, it was pouring with rain. My friend picked me up, and we stopped at the diner for a quick bite, then home.

I spent some time with the guest cat. My friend and I caught up on our days. There was commotion on the porch. I thought it was Slick, but it was two teenaged racoons. I knocked on the window glass. One of them looked at me, smirked, waved a paw, and went back to what he was doing. Little brats.

I slept well, and was up early, even though no one else was. My cats have me trained well. I packed and got things ready to go, then hung out in the kitchen with Bob, one of the older male cats, who likes company. When my friend got up, we got the chickens situated for the morning. I carried a live chicken for the first time, and I don’t know which one of us was more perplexed. She’s used to being carried, just not by an amateur.

Packed up the car, we got guest cat in the carrier, and strapped her into the front seat beside me. My friend gave me three dozen of the eggs from her chickens. Fresh eggs! I’m delighted. Off we went.

She had a LOT to say at first. Of course she did; her internal compass was being torn askew. It’s one of the reasons when one brings a new cat home, or when one moves, one should keep them inside for 10 days, so their internal compasses can re-orient. She taught me some of her vocabulary, we did call and response, we did a sing-along.

After about an hour, she felt like this was going to be the rest of her life. I assured her it was not.

Poor little thing has been through a lot.

We ran through some names. She was vehement on a few not being an option (that cat has great side eye). There are still several on the list, and she’s gravitating to one that kind of surprised me. But we’ll keep trying, over the next few days, and she can pick her name.

Once we got off the Taconic, Murder Maps tried to kill us. Of course. In the 4 times I’ve made this trip, they’ve never brought me home along the same route, so I can’t learn the route. And getting back and forth from the Taconic is fiddly, with backroads and county roads (how much do I hate county road? Let me count the ways). We got lost somewhere along Queechy Lake, with Murder Maps insisting I drive into the lake. I pulled over and said, “We’re lost. Sorry. I have no idea where this place is in the map in my head and in relation to where we’re going.”

She looked at me like, “I’m a feral cat from another state. I got nothing.”

I pulled out a paper map and held it in front of the carrier, so we could both see it. She found the map very interesting, and had a few comments. We figured out our route, I put the map away, and off we went. She really is a great road trip cat.

We made good time all the way from Beacon to about Williamstown, where there was a surprising amount of traffic for Williamstown. I turned off the air and rolled down the windows. She raised her head to sniff and learn the new scents.

Before we left, I’d put in an order at a store to pick up a few things we needed for her (even though my friend sent us off with a giant goodie bag). One item was there; the other item was shifted for pickup in Pittsfield. Nope, nope, nope. They couldn’t change the order and I couldn’t place a second order. So the manager stayed outside, at the car with the doors open, with the cat, while I ran in and bought what I needed (and then cancelled the other order). Above and beyond, and very kind.

Home, unloaded, reconfigured the sewing room a bit, and set it up for her, and to keep the other cats out. She still needs a few more shots, and they all need to get curious about each other and have time and space before formal introductions,

She was both frightened and fascinated. She’s never seen a bed or a chair or a desk or many of the other things in that room before. We sat with her for a while. I gave her a meal. She decided she feels safest under the bed, amongst the boxes of Christmas decorations. We left her to get some rest (she must be exhausted) and have a little peace and quiet.

The other three are fascinated. They know she’s in there; they can see her through the glass, and smell her. Willa had a few things to say. Charlotte, who I expected to throw drama queen fits, just sits there and smirks with the “I’m watching you” vibe. Tessa came out to the living room to cuss me out for going away, and then noticed, and had to sit down and think about it.

New Girl hid most of the rest of the day. My mom spent a good portion of the afternoon lying on the bed, but she didn’t come out.

She ate her dinner, when no one was watching. She hates being watched while she eats (she did the same at my friend’s house).

The other three go about their day, annoyed that the doors are shut, but not fussing too much. They take turns sitting at the glass doors and staring inside.

She ate her bedtime snack treats, and it was a quiet night.

I slept in my own bed (it was cool enough), Willa was with my mom, Tessa was roaming around on night patrol. I was up at 5:30 with the coffee maker, and folded New Girl into the breakfast routine. She ate her breakfast in a hot minute, and dived under the bed again.

She came out and squeaked at Tessa through the glass. Tessa growled and got a little hissy, setting some boundaries, and then backed away, which I think hurt New Girl’s feelings, because she retreated back under the bed.

Time and patience. Get everyone used to each other and curious. The room feels huge to her (it’s at least double where she was staying, maybe even bigger). She used the litter box, so that’s all good.

Today, I have to do the prep for tomorrow’s artist in residence at the Farmers’ Market. I also have to respond to a lot of things that came in while I was gone. You know I hate vague posting, but I hope to have some fun stuff to share with you next week, once everything is signed and sealed. Later this morning, I will do a library run and get some fish for dinner. Tomorrow, I pick up this week’s CSA box, and then do the residency. And then rest.

Sunday is blocked off as a rest day. If I feel up to it, I will join the circle in the evening.

Back to work on Monday, getting things sorted and putting into action what I learned in the Capacity Building program.

Have a great weekend, and we’ll catch up on the other side. I’m sure I will have more cat news.