Devon Ellington's Blog, page 47
January 3, 2024
Wed. Jan. 3, 2024: A Steady, Productive Pace
image courtesy of Mabel Amber, via pixabay.comWednesday, January 3, 2024
Waning Moon
Uranus Retrograde
Cloudy and cold
We’re supposed to get the first substantial snowstorm of the season this coming weekend.
It feels weird not to have a Process Muse post going live today. I do, however, have post up over on Ink-Dipped Advice about cleaning out the In boxes. You can read it here.
There are two serial episodes going live today.
One is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 99: Lianna Returns to Lachlan
Lianna and Lachlan resume their affair.
The other is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
Episode 49: A Surprise Visitor
Matt’s jealous that Nina left with Jake. Nina doesn’t care. Now, Nina wakes up to a surprise.
Yesterday morning, I drafted two episodes of Legerdemain. It was good to get consistently back in that world. I also started the edits for the re-release of the novelette “Severance” and decided I will use a photo I took earlier this autumn for the cover. I considered giving it a new title, because of the television show of the same name, but the title fits the piece better than anything else I’ve come up with, so it’s staying.
I wrote two reviews, submitted them, and received my next pair of assignments.
Popped down to the post office, which was very busy.
I had scripts to turn around. Three of them, in fact, that needed serious attention. And I got them done.
Yoga was good, although it was hard to get off my butt, out of the house, and over there. Once I was there, it was worth it. I have to adjust to the class being on Tuesday instead of Thursdays, though.
Medical facilities are going back to mandatory masking. Duh. They should have never stopped. The COVID numbers are going so high, I think I’ll skip First Friday and the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. I don’t want to be indoors with germy strangers. I have a few other times this month where I have to be indoors with strangers. Even though I will mask, I want to mitigate exposure as much as possible, so some events will fall off the schedule, because the reward does not outweigh the risk.
On today’s agenda: draft two more episodes of Legerdemain. Some more work on “Severance.” Hopefully, some editing on another project. Three large coverages. I need to start working on a couple of proposals that need to go out sooner rather than later to book some gigs later in the year.
Yesterday was a good, steady, productive day, at a sane pace. Let’s hope I can keep it up!
January 2, 2024
Tues. Jan. 2, 2024: Tip Toe into the New Year
image courtesy of Jean Downs via pixabay.comTuesday, January 2, 2024
Waning Moon
Uranus Retrograde
Jupiter DIRECT as of December 30, 2023
Mercury DIRECT as of January 1, 2024
Cloudy and cold
Happy New Year! I wish you blessings and joy!
Let’s tiptoe into the new year so we don’t scare it.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 151: Pravin in Surgery
While Pravin’s still in surgery, Risipi challenges Jae on the Solitary God’s commitment to His followers.
Friday was a mishmash of a day.
I started digging in the deed records of Mamaroneck. It seems that the house was in Helen Darling’s name – she’s in the registry as “Helen W. Darling, formerly MacDonald” (different spelling than the census, but whatever, gives me something else to plug into the search record engines) selling a property. I have to pay to access the actual record, although I have the file number, and I’m not sure whether it’s 1929 or 1939. It’s definitely Frank’s wife. Sold to someone named Jenkins.
But I can’t find records of anything else bought, or when the house was bought. Yet. I’m not done.
There’s also a Sarah Darling in town who bought and sold a good bit of property – wonder if she was related to Frank, or someone completely different?
I finally pulled myself away from all that research, got dressed, and did my errands. Library first, Big Y – which didn’t have some of the things I needed, so then I had to head out to Stop and Shop, which looked like it had been set upon by locusts. Lots of empty shelves. But I found what I needed, except for fresh dill. Everyone seems to be sold out of fresh dill. Note to self: grow lots of dill this year. Hit the liquor store on my way back to pick up the prosecco and wine for the weekend and next week. I was kind of grumpy being out and about in the weather, but so was everyone else, and the locals anyway, would look at each other and laugh and get over ourselves and it was all fine. Some of the tourists were jerks, but that seems to go with tourist territory. Heaven forbid a visitor act like a good guest. Still, it’s much better on this side of the state than it was on the other, most of the time.
Unloaded/unpacked everything and was wiped out. Did some admin work, and some puttering. Did a couple of quick coverages that came in.
Did the serial episode videos for next week and got them uploaded/scheduled on TikTok.
Sorted out a few ideas that need to be scheduled, so I can work on them. A friend is going through a tough time. I told her if she wanted/needed me to come down for a few days, I’m happy to do so, and then talked through a plan on the home front so everything can keep percolating along here. I can make it work, and I want to be there for my friend. She’s always there for everyone else. She can choose not to have me come down, if she prefers; but she knows she has that safety net.
Started reading a book by an author who I don’t like as a person, but I respect her writing. This one is nonfiction. I find myself disagreeing with about 60% and agreeing with 40%. And then annoyed with myself for agreeing with anything.
The first contest shipment came in. I sorted them. It was a small box, so I assume the bulk of entries are digital. It arrived in the evening, so this morning, I will let the coordinator know it arrived safely. Always exciting to get the entries, and hope I fall in love with them.
Ordered some seeds that need to be started any minute; hopefully, they will be here in a week or two, and I can get them in the fridge, and then in the pots on Imbolc.
Had weird dreams Friday into Saturday, so I guess May will be a weird month (each night’s dream is tied to one of the 12 Days of Christmas, tied to the month of that day. Fifth Day = fifth month = May.
Jupiter turned direct on Saturday, which is a weight off, although Mercury was still around to mess with us.
A small coverage came in, so I turned it around in the morning, while my mom got ready for the opera.
I also managed to do the revisions on the last six episodes of ANGEL HUNT, and get the first two of those uploaded and scheduled before we left.
THE MAGIC FLUTE at the Clark was interesting. We had good seats. I was surprised how many kids were there, but it’s marketed as family friendly. The kids behaved well. There was intermittent masking, but at least nobody was hacking up a lung during the performance. I loved the design and production values and the puppetry. The voices were good. Nathan Gunn was particularly strong at Papageno. He was definitely the strongest actor of the bunch. There were times when it was over the top, almost slapstick, but that had more to do with the direction, I felt, than anything else. The production careened from comedy to attempted satire to something more serious. It didn’t really flow or pivot on a beat – it sort of somersaulted amongst genres, which pointed out the lack of logic in the actual storyline quite a bit. But it was beautiful and my mom loved it, so that was worth it.
She really wants to go back to see CARMEN at the end of January, so I will make sure that happens.
Home, and got the final four episodes of ANGEL HUNT uploaded and scheduled. I still have to do a bunch of paperwork around the serial, but the final episode will drop on June 14, 2024.
That means THE LIGHTHOUSE LADY should go live on June 19, 2024, which means it has to be ready to start uploading in April. Good thing it’s on the schedule starting next week.
Updated the serial page on the website.
Three small coverages came in, and I turned them around.
Weird dreams Saturday into Sunday, so I hope that doesn’t mean June will be a mess.
Cooked most of the morning: did the devilled eggs, made an apricot mousse, made a smoked trout spread. Turned around some small coverages, because I needed the money. They kept coming in and I kept doing them because I needed the money. The pay was crap, but it was better than nothing. But I burned out doing so many back-to-back. Grabbed enough coverages that came through for a good week’s pay this coming week, although I have to do 3 medium coverages a day instead of the preferred two. I will adjust. January has to be about earning money.
Made vegetable stock, most of which went right back into a curried lentil soup (Moosewood Recipe).
Vacuumed, upsetting Tessa and Charlotte. Willa doesn’t mind. She sits on the bed and points out where I missed a spot. Mopped the floors. Scrubbed the tub. Scrubbed the stove, wiped down the counters and the stainless steel.
I started re-reading FEBRUARY HOUSE by Sherrill Teppin, about the house in Brooklyn where George Davis, Carson McCullers, Auden, Gypsy Rose Lee, et al, spent a year (or maybe a little more) all rooming together and encouraging each other’s work. I own a copy of this book, but it’s in storage, and the book about the Barbizon Hotel reminded me of this book, so I wanted to re-read it, and ordered it from the library.
Dinner was salmon with a brown sugar-cumin-lemon glaze, the rest of the sweet potatoes, and peas. The apricot mousse was for dessert. I have to say, I’m underwhelmed. If I decide to make it again, I’m going to tinker with the recipe.
Stayed awake. We had our devilled eggs and trout mousse and cheese and crackers around 10 PM. Willa and Charlotte were having a fit, so we gave them their bedtime snacks. Burned the other bayberry candle.
Let out the old year (with many thanks, because it was, at least creatively, overall a good one) out of the back door. We had a half split of prosecco and watched the ball drop in Times Square. It’s weird to think I lived there for years and could see the ball drop from my window. On the years I wasn’t working and couldn’t actually get home for midnight because Times Square and the area around it was blocked off, but was forced to go out for overpriced whatevers, and was miserable, even when I was with people I liked. Times Square was packed, as usual, and all I could think of was the next COVID surge coming.
Welcomed the New Year through the front door.
Gave the cats their real bedtime snacks this time, although I stayed up for about another hour.
It was pretty quiet here. Fireworks in the distance, but not in the street putting houses at risk, the way it always happened on Cape Cod. Around 2, some people staggered home drunk and loud, but they were inside in about five minutes, so no big deal.
The cats got me up around 6:30. They’d already been fed, so why they thought I needed to get up, who knows? It was like a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, but feline.
Did the Fire & Ice New Year’s Ritual. I thought I had a white candle for it, but the last white taper was broken, so I used green (prosperity) instead.
Eggs Benedict for breakfast, with mimosas, which is our traditional New Year’s Day breakfast.
Started reading Christine Coulson’s METROPOLITAN STORIES. It’s very different from ONE WOMAN SHOW, but it’s also interesting and unique. And her intimate knowledge of the museum’s nooks and crannies supports the story in a way that someone only doing a walk-through for research purposes could never achieve.
Had the start of a story idea sputter around, but I’m not sure what it is yet. The Caribbean? A bar? Who knows? Definitely an island, friends, found family, fresh start, but where will I place this island? Off the NE coast or in the Caribbean? There’s way too much on the schedule for it to do anything but percolate right now.
Too many demanding emails coming in – can you just give everyone a break? On the 31st, all the year-end nonprofit begging; on the 1st, all the author newsletters plugging their work and organizations with January events. Can you just give everyone a couple of days off, please? Save it for a day or two.
At least I found out that my annual web host bill is only going up by $15, not $50+. That’s a relief, and something I can handle.
Totaled December’s writing, which was still not a “typical” month:
Total New Words: 60,847
Total Edited: 21,803
Client Work/Coverage: 9,355
Video approx. 6 hours
I didn’t track my marketing hours, other than video creation, but it wasn’t enough. It was light on client work, but the payment was still far too low for that many words. Which is important information as I work on reshaping the client work – from this particular agency, I don’t get to set my rate. I have to take what they pay.
It was a decent number of words written, across projects. If it was on a single project, it would have been the equivalent of a category novel. Again, important information.
Light on the editing. That will change this month.
My reading log shows I read 181 books for pleasure and research last year. I think I missed logging a few of the digital books I read. This does not count books read for contests, the reviewing job, or as part of the coverage job. Only those books I read for pleasure or research on my own projects.
Discovered I was behind on the ANGEL HUNT log lines – had to write the log lines for the last 14 episodes. Those went better than expected. So that’s all done. I have a bunch of paperwork still to wrap up that serial, and then a bunch of printing I will do when I get ink later this month. I want to save the ink I have for what I’m drafting.
Drafted two Legerdemain episodes. This week, the primary focus is on Legerdemain, with a goal of drafting 10 new episodes. Hopefully, I can pull it off. I have 3 coverages every day this week instead of two, so I have to manage my time well.
I have other writing I hope to get done in and around the Legerdemain episodes, but I need to stockpile again and get farther ahead. I’m only scheduled through next week (although that will change on Thursday, when I have more episodes to upload).
Went to candlelight yoga, which was nice. It’s always a popular class. People are always happy to be there, and the regulars welcome and help newcomers get set up, which is nice. It’s also nice that I’m one of the regulars now, who can offer a smile and a bolster!
Home. The roast chicken was ready to come out of the oven. I couldn’t find a duck for New Year’s, so I made roast chicken, heavy on the basil and rosemary, with mashed potatoes and spinach (greens for prosperity). It was very good. Made stock with the bones after.
Finished reading a book assigned for review. I will write up the review and send it off later, along with the review of the cookbook I was sent for review.
I have to spend a little bit of time organizing the books for the contest reads. I can’t fully organize it until I pack the Holiday Village next weekend, because that’s the table where the contest reads live from the time they arrive until the contest ends in May.
Good session of morning yoga, meditation, and the Kripalu journal prompt for the day.
Headed back to the page. If the weather isn’t too bad, I may walk the rent check down to the post office later, just so I’m not sitting so much today.
Have a good one!
January 1, 2024
Happy New Year!
image courtesy of Sara Svensson via pixabay.comHappy New Year!
The New Year begins on a Monday, which is kind of cool!
I wish you peace, love, joy, good health, creativity, and an abundance of all that is good!
December 29, 2023
Fri. Dec. 29, 2023: Bye, Bye 2023!
image courtesy of Gerd Altmann via pixabay.comFriday, December 29, 2023
Waning Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Rainy and raw
We are almost at the end of the year!
On Saturday, Jupiter goes direct, meaning expansion and prosperity obstacles are smoothed out. On New Year’s Day, Mercury goes direct. Finally. This felt like a long one. I’m glad I got a lot done for the holidays prior to the retrograde, or I would have been overwhelmed with everything that went cattywampus during it.
Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:
Episode 98: Complications
The boys cancel the appointment to banish the demon.
Tomorrow’s serial episode is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 48: Back Home
Charlies wants Nina to have protection. Nina wants some time alone.
Slogged through some more admin. Kept my primary inbox under control. Surfed some job boards and rolled my eyes a lot. Worked on my answers for the 2024 GDR questions and did some contemplation on the year. Creatively, it was strong. I need to get the financial more in balance with the creative for next year.
Set up a bunch of folders, both tangible ones and digital ones, in preparation for 2024.
Spun some ideas for a project proposal I want to write in January.
Had an idea for a group project that would be a good way to mutually grow audiences, but I doubt I could get the commitment out of the participants needed to keep it on track, and, frankly, I’m not in the mood to herd cats right now, unless, you know, they are actual cats. So that’s a no-go. I will keep my ear to the ground to see if anyone else launches something similar and then pitch myself for it.
Did a couple of short coverages. My income for these past two weeks will be pathetic.
Ended up going down the rabbit hole of the 1930 census. Found Frank W. Darling, who ran Playland at the time. He and his family lived in Larchmont/Mamaroneck Town. He’s listed as “director of Playland amusement park.” His wife, Helen, is listed as “gardener/landscaper.” With them lived Frank’s two stepsons (which means Helen was married before. I need to find her maiden name so I can track her earlier marriage record. If I can find the marriage record to Frank, I ought to be able to do that). Thomas McDonald, the eldest stepson, lived there with his wife, Opal, and they are listed as “magazine editors” which is intriguing. The younger son, William, is listed as a clerk for an electrics company. You’ve gotta wonder if they were all somehow connected to Playland. They had a servant from Northern Ireland living with them, a twenty-one-year-old young woman name Theresa Keena, only one year younger than William. Frank is listed as born in Michigan; Helen in NY; Thomas and Opal in Minnesota, and William in Massachusetts.
I definitely want to know more about Helen!
I managed to find Frank’s birth record, back in Michigan, and his parents’ names.
None of them show up easily in the 1940 Census, so I will have to do some more digging there, because Frank was at Playland until the late 1950’s or early 1960’s.
Next stop there will be trying to get the property records.
I also found Iris Woolcock in the 1930 census. I’m pretty sure it’s the same Iris at Playland who, in 1948, took an RV to Alaska and wrote a book about it. In 1930, she lived in a boarding house at 118 W. 11th Street run by an Italian-born couple, John and Henrietta Grill, who had wo children, Ida (17, born in Italy), and George (9, born in NY). Iris is listed as a “lodger” with her profession as “artist” which tracks for being the Iris Woolcock who was a Playland Painter at the time. She’s also listed as divorced, which also tracks with the Iris who wrote the book (who was by the time she went to Alaska to write the book divorced from her second husband, Charles Morrow Wilson, whom she married in 1933 and divorced in 1939).
Fellow lodgers include an actor named Joseph Parry (actor) and the journalists Amy MacMaster and Garland Smith. MacMaster wrote an expose on NYC social clubs in 1929 that’s still quoted. Garland Smith’s name, as a writer, is familiar, but I can’t place it. Yet.
There’s a play in that boarding house.
Since Dorothy Dwin was living up on Lexington Avenue, according to the same Census, at the time, and working at Playland, I can imagine Dorothy and Iris on the train together. The train had either just come into Rye or was being built – I have it in my notes somewhere. I remember, in records I went through at Westchester Archives, the payroll records of railroad builders. I made notes, thinking it would be useful, and will dig those up.
I have not found the records I need for Grace King Hutchins or Anita Minter (although I found a lot of info a few months ago about Anita’s time at Parsons, her career in advertising in Georgia, and visits she made to a nearby Vermont town to visit friends from Parsons).
I don’t understand why it’s so hard to find anything about Frank in the Coney Island records, when he was there for years. I also need to find the records of the L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway, where he was a top executive before Coney Island and Playland.
I’m happy with the puzzle pieces I found, though, because they are leading me further.
But finding these nuggets of information takes time and persistence.
I really need the WPA records. As artists ,it’s likely these women would have been part of that program.
Nearly went down another rabbit hole at the National Archives and the Smithsonian. Both need volunteer transcribers. The Smithsonian has a project transcribing letters of a woman artist that sounds fascinating; I’d be one of a group of volunteers working on that project.
But can I afford, financially, the time away from my own work to make the commitment? There’s no set number of hours; but I’d want to be able to commit to transcribing at least one document a week until the project is done.
I have to think about it. But I’m intrigued. It’s the kind of volunteer project I could do remotely, and it’s in a field that interests me – women’s diaries and letters. History that could be lost.
Today I have to do next week’s episode videos for the serials. I also have to do a library run, grocery run, and liquor store run. My webhost told me they’re raising rates this year (I have to pay at the end of January), but haven’t told me how much, so I told them I need to know – and not when they pull it from my account. With that and the rent going up, January will be a tight month, unless the script coverage picks up significantly, and I add in some other quick turn-around, quick-pay work. November was a low-reads month for the serials, so it’s not like I can count on that income. The reads picked up somewhat in December, but I won’t see that money until February.
Tomorrow, I will take my mom to the Clark for the livestream of THE MAGIC FLUTE. Yes, we will be masked. It’s the Julie Taymor production, and I’m excited to see what she did, although I am not the opera fan that my mother is. She’s so happy to go, and has been looking forward to it since I booked the tickets.
New Year’s Eve, we hope for quiet. Good food, reading, enjoying the tree, burning the second bayberry candle “down to the sprocket” for luck and prosperity. The Day will be, again, about good food, good books, and rest. I have yoga in the afternoon.
On a creative level, I’m very happy with 2023. I just need to level up the financial side of the equation in 2024, while maintaining the creative.
Thank you for your camaraderie this year, and let’s step gently into 2024, so as not to scare it.
Have a great weekend!
December 28, 2023
Thurs. December 28, 2023: A Messy, Emotional Day
image courtesy of 51581 via pixabay.comThursday, December 28, 2023
Waning Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Rainy and Raw
You can read the latest on the garden over at Gratitude and Growth.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 150: Sorting Out the Mess
Shelley starts cleaning up what the portal jumper destroyed.
It’s the serial’s 150th episode, which is kind of a big deal. One Hundred and Fifty Episodes, releasing steadily twice a week, since it began over a year ago.
And still going!
If you haven’t yet begun reading it, and enjoy fantasy, mystery, and some odd, often dark humor, I hope you start. The first three episodes remain free. The rest are paid by token. Likes (which you do by clicking the thumbs up icon when you finish reading an episode), Crowns/Faves (which happen when you unlock a specific number of episodes via token) and reviews always help the algorithm.
Speaking of Amazon: One of the interesting (?) things about the criticisms I’m getting for leaving Substack from those choosing to stay on that platform for “financial reasons” is that most of them come from the same individuals who huff and puff and repeatedly tell me (be it on social media or via email) that they will NEVER read anything of mine because I’m distributed by the oh-so-unethical Amazon (ignoring the fact that, for everything other than the serials, Amazon is one of many distribution options). Yet they defend Substack, and somehow, I’m wrong because I refuse to stay on that platform and I’m unsubscribing from newsletters there. It’s a Venn diagram as a circle. If they have the right to stay on Substack (and they do), I have the right to be distributed on Amazon (which I do). They have the right to not buy my books. I have the right to unsubscribe from their newsletters, especially when they’ve publicly declared they will not buy my books because Amazon is ONE of the distributors. Again, non-reciprocal (non)relationships which need to end.
Most of those saying they are “looking into” moving their newsletters and begging subscribers to hang in there are, I suspect, hoping the whole thing blows over and people will stick around and put their heads back into the sand, and they won’t have to actually DO anything. Again, they have the right to stay on the platform. I have the right to unsubscribe. I’m keeping a handful of subscriptions for a few more weeks.
Whatever.
Leaving Substack and ending the column is the right choice for right now.
There’s an old adage of “when someone shows you who they are, believe them.” There’s an adjacent wisdom that when someone you value shows you how much lower you are on their priority list, take note of it and adjust. That was brought home to me yesterday in an unfortunate, hurtful way, but, hey, noted and adjusted.
This is where the tarot is a useful tool to focus and weigh possibilities. The Eight of Cups often shows a figure walking away from eight stacked cups. In this particular case, it means walking away from an emotional trap (cups are associated with water, creativity, emotion). Being undervalued is definitely an emotional trap. The Five of Cups is also a useful card here, often showing someone crying over three spilled cups and ignoring the two cups still full off to the side. Focus on the full cups. Acknowledge and grieve the spilled cups, but do not drown in them.
In other words, it was a somewhat messy, emotional day.
I read a lot. I finished John Scalzi’s STARTER VILLAIN, which is just so much fun. I started reading THE MIMICKING OF KNOWN SUCCESSES by Malka Older, which mixes science fiction with Gaslamp mystery on Jupiter, and is interesting.
A friend got some sad news, and I’m going to do what I can to help, even though I’m at a distance.
It’s rainy and raw today. I don’t have to be anywhere until my double session of yoga tonight, and I only have one small coverage to turn around, so I’m going to enjoy the time. I managed to make some headway into the overwhelming inbox that needs attention, while keeping my primary inbox cleaned up. Small steps.
Tessa got what she wanted this morning – the tree on at 6:30 AM. She sat and enjoyed it for about two minutes, washed a paw in triumph, and then sailed out. She’d proven she could get us to do what she wants, and was satisfied.
COOK’S ILLUSTRATED sent me an email that I had opted in to “auto renew” and owed them money. I specifically do NOT opt-in to auto-renew on magazine subscriptions ever. That’s why I sent them a check and crossed out the auto-renew on the form sent with the check. Since their email is no reply, I am sending them a letter, cc’d to the state’s AG office, to tell them off. So not only am I not renewing (I’d already decided that), I want nothing to do with their company again.
The grifters pretending it’s “business” and I made the choice are infuriating.
Having lots of trouble with the computer keyboard and the cursor freezing.
As usual, the final days of Mercury Retrograde are chaos.
Have a good one!
December 27, 2023
Wed. Dec. 27, 2023: Mostly Reading
image courtesy of nini kvaratskhelia via pixabay.comWednesday, December 27, 2023
Last Day of the Full Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Rainy and raw
Today’s Process Muse post covers several topics: The Back Pocket Document, Time off, and Changes. You can read it here.
Two serial episodes go live today!
The first is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 97: Intentional Interruptions
Lianna’s guide insists Neville knew she was there and sabotaged her.
The second is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
E pisode 47: An Amicable Dinner
Nina & Charlie talk about important people in their lives.
It was too mild for late December yesterday, and that kind of threw me. I’m grateful I’m not out there shoveling snow when the plow pushes it up against the back of my car, but a little colder would be nice.
I meant to spend a timed 20 minutes on Admin. Instead, I spent most of the morning on it, and cleaned out two of my inboxes before the first of the year. All that’s left is a bunch of digital articles I sent to myself over the past months, and I have to decide how to digitally store the ones I don’t print out. But other than that, my primary inbox and promotional inbox are done. The secondary, the one that got spammed a lot these past few months, will take longer, but it’s on the schedule.
I took a break to do some of the core/lower back exercises, so I wouldn’t be miserable the rest of the day (week).
We wrote our thank you notes (and even used stamps that say “thank you” on them).
Tessa and Charlotte both wanted the sofa. Tessa won, because she’s the Queen. Charlotte pouted, but went into the sewing room to sleep on her pink blankie. Willa dashed up and down the hallway, playing with various mice.
Didn’t get much writing done. I think I need to cut myself a break this week. Don’t put any pressure on myself, rest up, and if I want to do something I will; otherwise, it’s resting and storing stamina for the writing schedule that starts with the turn of the year.
I did a couple of short coverages. I’m grateful for the time off (I was so burned out at this time last year, but couldn’t afford the time off), but this year, I wish I had a little more work these last few days so that January won’t be so tight financially.
But I’ll go client hunting in early January, so I’ll take care of it.
I read THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL by Jess Armstrong. It’s a gothic mystery set shortly after World War I, in Cornwall, mixing those elements with a lot of skill. I enjoyed it. The Epilogue reads like it’s the first book of a series; I kind of hope it’s not. As much as I like the characters, I think it would do well to stand alone.
Not every book needs to be part of a series.
Although, as a writer, when I spend as much time as I do building a believable fictional world, even if it’s set in/adjacent/alternate to the “real” world, I want to keep using it. And readers like series. I get it. I just think there are times when standalone works, especially in gothics.
I was kind of emotionally messy yesterday, so mundane tasks like tidying up and doing admin fit.
I was so proud of myself for getting the Inbox down, and it immediately began refilling. But it should be easier to manage now, as long as I build in the daily time to deal with it all. I’m unsubscribing from a bunch of stuff, so that will help, too.
Woke up around 4:30 this morning (and it wasn’t even Charlotte’s fault). Hauled the laundry to the laundromat, got that pushed through, then swung by the post office drop box to send off the thank you cards.
Started reading John Scalzi’s latest book, STARTER VILLAIN. Wow. Just wow. A tour de force. He’s called a “genre writer” but he’s so much more than that.
Working on some timing issues for a few things. My phone was wonky (went black and I had a heck of a time getting it going again), the computer’s acting up. Again. I’ll be glad when Mercury goes direct.
At this point, it’s about hanging on, and trying not to put myself in situations that could go terribly wrong.
If you read The Process Muse post, you’ll know that this is the last Process Muse for now, and the last one on Substack. I’m sad to end the Process Muse, at least in this edition, but I can’t stay on Substack with their support of extremism for profit. Since I designed the column specifically for that platform, it doesn’t make sense to move it. But I will write posts and articles about process, and let you know where they are. I am very grateful to everyone who took the journey with me, and hope they will continue to subscribe to the quarterly newsletter.
I’m going to let myself be tired and sad today and putter around. Maybe I’ll write; maybe I won’t. I’ll read the book for review; I want to cook a few more recipes from the cookbook; I’ll get both those reviews done and out early next week.
The first shipment of books for the contest should arrive tomorrow.
I’ve readjusted the writing plan for January 2024; I have a feeling I will be doing a lot of adjusting for the year. Sometimes within the week or the day. I have my primary projects/deadlines set up. Whenever I have less client work on a particular day, I will slot either additional work on a primary project or work on a secondary project. Plus, there’s stuff I want to do around the house, and some re-organization that needs to happen.
So, this week, I’ll rest up in anticipation.
Have a good one. It’s a mucky, rainy day. The cats have the right idea, all curled up in fleece blankets.
December 26, 2023
Tues. Dec. 26, 2023: Happy Boxing Day!
image courtesy of Stocksnap via pixabay.comTuesday, December 26, 2023
Full Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Chiron Direct
Foggy and wild
I hope you had a wonderful long weekend, whatever you celebrate!
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 149: Sherman and Sebastian Both Get Stubborn
Shelley doesn’t have time for misplaced male ego masquerading as honor in this crisis.
If you’d like to read more about the Substack controversy, there are some good articles on it. One is by Andrea Grimes (who moved over to WordPress), and you can read it here. The link takes you to the post with comments, so you’ll need to scroll up.
Another excellent post is Anne Cunningham’s “Cultivating a Garden of Nazis” where she mirrors many of my same thoughts on Elle Griffin’s post defending keeping extremists on the platform, and articulates them better than I could.
It’s ironic that all the Substack stuff and the rumors back in my previous location hit during the last stretch of the Chiron retrograde. I’d just been congratulating myself on the deep Chiron retrograde-related healing work I embarked on these past few months (little of which I’ve discussed publicly) and the universe laughed and gave me a wallop. That’s the way it goes, isn’t it? But I dug into the aspects over the last few days, made some decisions, and as of today, Chiron is direct until late July of next year.
What does that mean? Chiron is the asteroid of the Wounded Healer. When it’s in retrograde, it’s a good time to look at past wounds and figure out how to heal them, stop miring oneself in them and replaying them, learn from them, and move forward. Unfortunately, self-confidence tends to be at a low ebb during this retrograde (especially when there are other retrogrades at the same time), which makes the work harder. Once Chiron goes direct, you feel steadier on your emotional feet. The day of turning direct (today) often feels emotionally sticky, but hold the course and don’t get mired. Of course, Uranus, the planet of what makes you unique, is still in retrograde, as is Jupiter, the planet of expansion, and the danged Mercury, but we appreciate what we can get. Jupiter goes direct on the 30th, allowing for expansion into the New Year, and Mercury goes direct on New Year’s Day. We’re stuck with the Uranus retrograde until nearly the end of January.
Again, all of this astrological stuff is information to help you understand and work with various emotions and challenges. It’s a tool, not an excuse. “Why am I feeling this? Because x, y, z tangible things are going on. Why does it feel more intense and chaotic than usual? Oh, look, this is the pattern in the heavens, which means it’s more likely to feel these emotions right now. I’ll take a breath and stop telling myself I’m a failure for having them. And I will give other people who are also struggling an extra moment of grace. Instead of being re-active, I’ll take a minute to see if there’s a healthier response.” Which we should do anyway, but the astrological context is a tool to remind us.
Anyway, on Friday, as I ran my errands, I did a lot of thinking and weighing various options on several fronts. Mercury Retrograde is challenging for impulsive decisions and communication (and don’t buy a house, a car, a large appliance, or sign a contract during it, or you’ll miss important information in the details). Part of me wanted to put off decision making. But it’s also a good time to resolve issues. Put a lid on it. Cut the cord. Be done.
I had no intention of going to the library until after the Christmas holiday weekend, but, of course, more books came in, so I stopped by to clear off the little shelf they keep them on for me. And wish them a good holiday weekend.
Then, it was off to Big Y to get the last specifics I needed for the dinners on the Eve and the Day. I recalculated some of the meal decisions per what was in stock and looked good. I also bought a bread labeled as “babka” although it didn’t look like any babka I ever saw in NY. This was more like my favorite Portuguese Sweet Bread, but with raisins. It was fresh out of the oven, so I grabbed it.
Home, unloaded everything, and put it away so I could easily find it for the holiday meals.
While I was doing everything, I made a few decisions, and got to work putting them into play. I considered doing a tarot reading about these decisions, but I KNOW what I should do, so just stop faffing around and do it already.
After lunch, I decided to read. I finished Colleen Cambridge’s MURDER BY INVITATION ONLY and went back to Zadie Smith’s THE FRAUD. I should have spent time making the episode videos, but I didn’t feel like it.
Got ready to go to yoga. We were having a special relaxation yoga class at the studio, in honor of the classmate we lost this year, Mary. She loved relaxation and Christmas, so it was a class in her memory, and quite lovely. Two of her sisters attended.
Home, cooked trout for dinner with steamed vegetables and leftover sweet potatoes. Checked on some friends, who I know have a rough time over this holiday. Read and looked at other people’s holiday decorations on social media. I love seeing how people take joy in decorating. Took some extra meditation time in the evening, because I’d been on social media so close to bedtime.
Enjoyed the fleece sheets!
Up early on Saturday, which, in the Celtic calendar is “Nameless Day” or “In Between Day” or “Potential Day” — a day not associated to any of the trees. It’s about protection, reflection, and rebirth. A good day to figure out which potential inside you that you wish to manifest in the coming cycle.
I did my morning yoga and meditation practices. I’m making a bit of an adjustment to them, so that they flow better into the rest of the day, and provide a firmer foundation. I still write in longhand over my first cup of coffee (once the cats are fed), but I’m trying to hoist myself off the couch earlier to do the morning yoga and meditation, and then get going.
Made scrambled eggs to eat with the last of the babka. Yes, it was so good, we ate an entire loaf in less than 24 hours. Did the every-60-days-deep-cleaning of the coffee maker, and tried to scrub a pot that suffered from an unfortunate chocolate melting experiment. I see a purchase of more steel wool in my future.
I sat down and did the week’s episode videos for the serials, and uploaded/scheduled them. I did an additional post for Legerdemain’s 150th episode, which goes live on Thursday. I did the social media rounds for Saturday’s Deadly Dramatics episode, and then did a final round of promotions for both “Just Jump in and Fly” and “The Ghost of Lockesley Hall.” The “Just Jump” video always makes me laugh.
I edited an article. I knew I was procrastinating, when what I needed to do was draft another Legerdemain post.
Then, the moderator from my Mastodon instance got in touch. Someone whined that I was “excessively spamming self-promotion” about my work. The moderator disagreed, but I still have to go through the whole appeal process. Really? So film bros can post the same promo multiple times a day (usually for pieces depicting violence against women) and that’s “good business” but a woman posts different little videos once each about her comic romances and that’s “excessively spamming self-promotion.” Bite me, you misogynistic asshole. You don’t like promo posts? Scroll past, mute, or block. It’s called curating your feed. Amazing how these same people who whine about artists promoting their work are often the ones who advocate allowing hate speech, pretending it’s “free speech.” If you love “free speech” so much, where’s my freedom to discuss and share my work? Especially considering how much I boost and support the work of my fellow artists there. I re-read the Terms of Service and Code of Conduct – there’s nothing saying we can’t promote our own work. In fact, one of the reasons I joined this instance was due to a lengthy group conversation about the fact that we CAN promote our work.
I will go through the appeals process because it’s protocol. I’m not sure if I should move instances or just dump Mastodon. It doesn’t drive traffic to my sites, and, while I’ve met some interesting artists across disciplines, I’ve found them by accident. I can only spend time “just hanging out” on a site that also serves my work.
I hear so many conflicting things about Threads. I’ve hesitated to join it up to this point, but I kind of think I have to, if that’s where my audience perches.
More decisions to make.
I realize people struggle around the holidays, but lashing out at others just trying to get by isn’t the solution. Stop telling me to be nice to assholes, and tell THEM to treat others with respect.
And stop stirring up unnecessary drama just before a holiday to make yourself feel valid.
Finished reading THE FRAUD, which kept adding layers as it continued. Started Ann Patchett’s TOM LAKE.
On a happier note, two of my NY-based friends sent me e-cards that are absolutely hilarious. So that was fun. So much fun that all three cats came and watched the video cards.
Made a big batch of black bean soup (Moosewood recipe) that was very satisfying. And should get us through the week. I think I have enough red lentils still to make a curried lentil soup later this week.
It supposedly snowed in the evening – my phone kept saying “snow for another 60 minutes” but I saw nary a flake.
Up a little later than usual on Sunday (Christmas Eve) because Charlotte was being a pest, and I didn’t want to give in. Knew I should have sat down and gotten some writing done, but just didn’t feel like it, so I decided to give myself the time off.
It was cloudy and threatening to rain. A good day to curl up with a book. Finished reading TOM LAKE, which I liked a lot, in spite of disliking a particular stylistic choice in certain sections of the book. I understand why it was made, but I didn’t like it. But Patchett has the skills to get me to like the book even while disliking that choice.
Started reading this month’s Agatha Christie book club read, SLEEPING MURDER. My mom really liked it, and had no idea who did it. I enjoyed it, but figured out the killer pretty darn fast.
Christmas Eve dinner was baked cod, using a recipe in a cookbook I’m assigned to review. When I review (or judge, as I am in the upcoming contest) cookbooks, I always make a handful of recipes from them, to see how they work and if there are any glitches with them. I served the cod with sweet potatoes and steamed spinach. It turned out very well.
We open our gifts on the Eve, so that was fun. One friend sent me a box of all kinds of fun bits, and it was great to open each and enjoy them. Some of them included some of my favorite treats that I wasn’t able to find locally this year. One of the gifts is the LITERARY WITCHES ORACLE, which is fascinating, and works so differently from many other oracles. I’m excited to work with it.
Another favorite gift (from my mom) was my new yoga mat. Thick and squishy and blue (it says “teal” but it’s actually more turquoise). My old, thin, green mat was originally purchased at Barnes and Noble in midtown NYC on Fifth Avenue sometime back in the 90’s. It has served me well (and I’ll still use it for daily home practice), but it was time for a new mat!
The Advent candles and the bayberry didn’t burn down all the way, so we had to extinguish them and finish on the Day. The only time I REALLY have to sit up with the bayberry is over New Year’s, when I try to time it so it burns just a little over midnight, but am usually up until about 2 AM with it.
Tried to sleep in on Christmas Day, but the cats weren’t having it.
We do stockings on Christmas morning, which is always fun for the chocolate and the stuffed animals and novelty socks and funny little stuff in there.
Quiet day, texting with friends, reading, cooking, eating. I finished SLEEPING MURDER and started Christine Coulson’s ONE WOMAN SHOW. I’d gone to her author event at the Clark. The book and the process intrigued me so much I bought a second copy for a friend, who I hope likes it.
It’s a novel about a woman’s life told in short narratives written as museum labels. Christine wrote for the Met Museum in NYC for 25 years, before leaving to become a novelist, and she was fascinated by constructing a novel and a life in these short narratives. The structure is fascinating. Like a poet, every word has to work on multiple levels. And yet, there’s an entire story told, and several arcs (some heartbreaking, some funny, some both). As a reader, I was caught up in the story (she suggests reading it in one sitting). As a writer, I’m fascinated by how she pulled it off. Not that I’d try that construct.
I made Coq au Vin (the Ina Garten version) again for the Day’s big meal, because we enjoyed it so much last year. It worked again, served with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. I originally planned to serve red cabbage, but I’d picked up the wrong jar of Aunt Nellie’s, and it was pickled beets and onions, not red cabbage. Ick. So creamed spinach it was. It was very good.
This particular recipe calls for a half bottle of burgundy and a quarter cup of Cognac. You could get dizzy just walking into the kitchen. But it was really good. And there are leftovers!
In the afternoon, I started reading Paulina Bren’s book THE BARBIZON, about the Barbizon Hotel in NYC, especially in its heyday of the 1950’s. Truly fascinating. Very well written. It led me to ordering several other books from the library, written by women who lived there for stretches of time.
The social pressures of the time she discussed reminded me very much of present-day Cape Cod.
It rained on and off all day, so it was a good day to curl up with a book. And be a cat mattress for Charlotte.
It also mentions The Martha Washington Hotel and the Allerton. “New York Movie,” my short story inspired by the Edward Hopper painting that keeps going off the rails at a certain point, has a central protagonist who lives there (although earlier). It also mentions the Allerton. A college friend lived in the Allerton for a few months, and I visited. Now, I’m curious about more history about both those hotels (although I did quite a bit of research on MW when I started writing “New York Movie”).
Finished burning down all but one of the Advent candles (so I guess I’ll have that one finished tonight).
Wanted to sleep in this morning, but the cats weren’t having it. But I got to do my morning yoga/meditation practice early.
Tessa wanted me to plug in the tree lights at 6:30 this morning, because unless it’s sunny, in her kitty logic, the tree should be LIT.
It’s Boxing Day, and I’d like to take it off, but there are things that need to be done. I kind of love how many small local businesses are taking this week or next week or both weeks off. Good for them.
On today’s agenda: thank you notes, Legerdemain, some editing work, a couple of short pitch coverages. Maybe a few other things. Putting around with some cleaning/organizing.
Have a good one!
December 25, 2023
Mon. Dec. 25, 2023: Merry Christmas!
image courtesy of MustangJoe via pixabay.comMerry Christmas to all those who celebrate!
I hope you have a joyful day.
If you are struggling, please know you are in my heart, and I wish you peace and rest.
If this is not your holiday, I hope you at least have a day off you can enjoy!
December 22, 2023
Fri. Dec. 22, 2023: Of COURSE There’s Drama Going Into a Holiday Weekend (Headdesk)
image courtesy of Gordon Johnson via pixabay.comFriday, December 22, 2023
Waxing Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Sunny and cold
I hope you had a lovely Solstice.
Yesterday ended up being far more complicated than I expected. Because heaven forbid we should just slide into the holidays with peace and joy, right?
Today’s serial episode is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 96: Randolph Neville’s Reading
Lianna’s guide tries to give Lianna information during the reading, but constant interruptions prevent it.
Tomorrow’s serial episode is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
Episode 46: Another Dead Body
A man’s body is found nearby. Is it Jake?
The sun came out for a bit yesterday morning, which was lovely.
Too funny: My horoscope yesterday morning said that January was going to be more social for me. I laughed and laughed, because I usually hibernate Jan. and Feb., especially with the weather around here. And yet, people are getting in contact to plan getting together! Weather-permitting, I will.
The tickets are all set to take my mom to the opera on Dec. 30. The museum even gave me permission to use a specific parking spot (the individual got in touch to offer me his designated slot) so that my mom doesn’t have to walk so far. They are so nice there.
I managed to edit/upload/schedule four more Legerdemain episodes. Got the log lines done. I already did next week’s graphics, so popping everything into the video templates today shouldn’t take too long.
So, Substack: The response to the concerns that they are monetizing right wing extremists is unacceptable. The whole “we don’t like them but we like their money” is ridiculous. There have been red flags for months, including the writers who claim you can just curate the extremists out of your feed and it’s all good. Which isn’t the way it works. And the people defending keeping the extremists on the platform (for profit) aren’t out there working against those banning books or getting on school boards to keep the extremists off – because they’re being paid by said extremists. It’s not about free speech, it’s about profit, and this façade they’re putting up pretending they’re free speech advocates isn’t fooling anyone except their fellow profiteers.
I’m so tired of being told I should be nice to and/or ignore people who are steadily stripping away my rights and would kill me, given the opportunity. No.
I never looked at Process Muse as a newsletter, but more like a column. Most newsletter platforms aren’t appropriate for it. So, I’m looking into options. Which dilutes making a big, dramatic exit from Substack, but it’s not like I’m a huge public figure. I’m leaving so that I’m walking my talk, not to make a big public statement. I’m looking at my options. I won’t lose any income from moving it, since I never used a subscription/paywall for it (loss of income is a reason some authors are giving to stay).
That research ate up more of the day than I hoped.
I nearly forgot to put the Cornish hens into the crockpot, but I managed it by late morning, and used the “high” setting instead of the “low” setting.
Yoga was good, although I wasn’t diligent enough in the week between sessions, and felt the difference. I have to do some of these core/lower back exercises EVERY DAY. No excuses.
When I got home, I received information about a somewhat nasty rumor that someone in my previous location (with whom I’ve had no contact in SEVEN YEARS) has been spreading. It’s completely ridiculous, and I can’t understand why the individual who started it bothered.
What’s the point of spreading a lie about someone who is no longer a part of your life? I’m baffled.
So that was all exhausting.
But the Solstice dinner was lovely, as was the ritual after.
I did not sleep well, in spite of the fresh fleece sheets, and had a series of bad dreams. But it’s sunny today, probably the last sunny day we see for a week. I was going to head down to Pittsfield on the hunt for something in one of the grocery stores down there, but I don’t need it until next weekend, so I’ll go on a day next week that isn’t totally stormy and awful.
On today’s agenda: some writing, across several projects. Platform research. Next week’s episode videos. And maybe a whole lotta nothing.
Tomorrow is known as “Nameless Day” or “Between” in the Celtic calendar, because it’s a day between tree months. So tomorrow, I am going to make up as I go along, and do exactly as I wish!
Have a lovely holiday weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side!
December 21, 2023
Thurs. Dec. 21, 2023: Blessed Solstice!
image courtesy of Linda Roisum via pixabay.comThursday, December 21, 2023
Waxing Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Cloudy and cold
Winter Solstice
There’s a Winter Solstice wish over on Gratitude and Growth. And Happy Summer Solstice to my friends in the Southern Hemisphere!
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 148: A Misplaced Dandy
An unexpected guest, diverted in his dimension jumping, lands at Shelley’s feet.
I got a little bit of work done yesterday morning, along with trying and failing to find the Cornelia True/Roman Gray notes on ANY of my flash drives. So, I guess I’m starting over. Which is fine, but annoying. I found “Lake Justice” which is one of my favorite novelettes, and did well, and should get an additional life; I’d planned, once Amber Quill closed, and I got the rights back, to do two more novelettes with these characters (one a paranormal skiing mystery) and release them together. We’ll see when that can go back on the schedule.
Went to the bank, the post office, the library, Big Y. Made a stop in a store I regularly pop in on in my travels. Found a gorgeous small hanging Christmas quilt at an astonishingly low price by a local artist from Williamstown. The upside of Mercury Retrograde. Grabbed it. Found a post office and a small house to add to the holiday village. And a very pretty figure of a garden with an intriguing maker’s mark that I have to research. AND a large trivet shaped like a butterfly. You know me and my trivets. The whole haul was under $10. Again, gotta love that aspect of Mercury Retrograde.
Moved the large bell wreath on the living room door to my office, giving the wreath out of bronze bay leaves a rest. I have to give it a good clean anyway, and I’ll rehang it after the holidays. That meant we could hang the new quilt on the living room door, where it looks beautiful.
The post office and the little house fit in well with the village. I’m picking up pieces from various makers/collections, but they all go together without being too matchy-matchy, so it all works out. I haven’t posted any photos of the village, because I’m still figuring out its cohesion and story. This year, it’s mostly how it fits onto the big worktable in my office! I’ve taken pictures for myself, but there’s nothing postable.
I had an idea rolling around my brain and the characters would not shut up, so I sat down and wrote 9 script pages. The concept is very commercial and marketable. I am not the writer to do it as a screenplay. I might be able to pull it off as a novel. But probably not until at least 2025. At least I’ve written enough to quiet down the characters, have a temporary end point, and can put it in stasis. Yes, I really do use the techniques I teach in THE GRAVEYARD OF ABANDONED PROJECTS.
Got dressed a little festively and made up (thank goodness for Ipsy). Packed my bag and headed over to tarot. We had a large group, and it was fun. I was glad I had plenty of little rune ornaments to hand around.
That’s what the Solstice project I’ve been working on was – I made rune ornaments out of clay, painted them gold (once they were baked), chose six different runes to paint on them (not all on one ornament, there are six styles of ornament), put the name/meaning of the rune on the back, put a matte finishing spray on them, corded them with red velvet ribbon, and put them in little organza gift bags. Some of them went into the packages for friends. I’d also made some other clay ornaments for friends, including gold bells (on gold cords), and a couple of specialty items, like a cat for a friend with cats and a dog bone for a friend with a dog.
Anyway, I’m glad I made a lot of the runes, because it was a big group, there were enough for everyone (including those new to the group or who hadn’t been there often), and I got to give one to an acquaintance-becoming-a-friend who runs the local bookstore and happened to stop by. So it all worked.
Guess what also worked? I nabbed the last set of bayberry candles at Wild Oats. They hadn’t had them last week, but must have gotten more this week and nearly sold through. I popped in the front, where they have all the cool gifty things and where the candles would usually be. Nothing. On impulse, I went inside, to have a wander around and see if I could figure out an alternative. There, sitting in a batch of other candles, was ONE BOX of the bayberry.
I grabbed them so fast I nearly knocked over the display. So happy about it. I’d almost given up having bayberry candles this year, and it’s such a big part of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve for us.
Home, dinner, reading on the couch.
Today is the Winter Solstice. I said, to a friend at tarot, how I was almost sad it was already here – I would have liked another couple of weeks to hibernate in the dark! But I’m also very grateful that the light is returning.
My Solstice gift is The Cozy Witch Tarot, which is quite different from traditional tarot decks. The art is lovely. There are different major arcana cards: The Wheel of Fortune is the Good Luck Charm, The Hanged Man is the Patient Witch, Death is the Broom, The Devil is Toxic Witches, I think there’s a fine line between denying that scary, bad things can happen and reframing them (and should we reframe everything? When does that become toxic positivity?), so I’m going to have to work with the deck for a bit to see how that speaks to me. I do love a lot of the artwork. I’m going to have fun with it.
Today I have to do mundane things like take the garbage out. But Winter Solstice IS the day we change over the sheets from flannel to fleece, so my little penguin fleece sheets go on the bed and we get even cozier.
I have some writing to do today, and getting 4 episodes of Legerdemain uploaded/scheduled. Because I have two hours of yoga tonight, I’m putting our Cornish hen Solstice dinner in the crockpot. I have a couple of quick score sheets to turn around, and a whole lot of puttering. I don’t have to actually leave the house (except to take the garbage out) until I leave for yoga this evening.
No meditation this morning. We’re on break until Jan. 18. I think it will be longer. But it was a lovely three years as a group. I continue my daily, sometimes twice daily practice on my own.
I fully realize that the only reason I was able to get ahead on the holiday stuff and truly enjoy these weeks is because I didn’t do Nano this year. Which is something to ponder moving forward.
I’ll be home at sunset, before yoga, so we can do the traditional Winter Solstice ritual of watching the house get dusky, then turning on the lights one by one. Tonight, after yoga and dinner, I will take the large cauldron out on the back balcony and burn the saved greens from last year’s wreath, and then do the rest of my ritual. Looking forward to it.
I hope you have a lovely, beautiful Solstice! Here’s to the return of the light!
