Devon Ellington's Blog, page 5

Tues. Aug. 12, 2025: Inspiration & Perspiration

“The Brides” by Pamela Bonaguide at The Mount, Lenox, MA. Photo by Devon Ellington

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Waning Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Mercury Direct as of yesterday

Sunny, hazy, hot

Hello, and happy new week (that started yesterday or Sunday, depending on how you do your weekly calendar).

The sculpture in the photo above is called “The Brides” and is by Pamela Bonaguide. It’s on display in the gardens at The Mount in Lenox through October. There’s lots of thought-provoking, skilled work in the exhibit, and this one particularly caught my attention this past weekend. You can learn more about Pamela Bonaguide’s work on her website, Tall Tales & Curiosities, here.

Mercury went direct yesterday, finally. We get to look forward (cough) to the next one in November, from the 9th through the 29th, just in time to screw up everyone’s Thanksgiving. Oh, joy. Yes, that’s sarcasm.

But at least we’re out of it for now. And we’re down to 4 retrogrades.

Friday had a nice, mellow start. I didn’t have errands to run. The Sidewalk Chewing Demons never showed up, even though it was a nice day.

I did a bunch of admin and puttering, and then settled in to work on class prep. It took me from late morning to mid-afternoon. I did it in Canva, and then realized I didn’t need to, I could have just done it in Word and not used the photos. Whatever. I had to make changes 4x from proofreading, because of typos and words that needed rearranging. A good many of the typos were auto-incorrect changing words. Now, I’ve turned off auto-incorrect and Co-pilot, but it seems I have to go into settings and re-turn it off EVERY DAY.

Fuck AI.

Speaking of which, a writer colleague sent me a link to a study being done at a university (I can’t remember which) on the use of AI and how it affects romance writers and readers. Like my colleagues, I had choice words about it, none of it good. Actual authors don’t use AI. Period. It’s theft, pure and simple, creative theft which translates to wage theft. You can’t say you support consent if you use AI, because it takes from people’s work without their consent. And then there’s the harm it does to the environment.

“Oh, I just use it for prompts” or “I just use it for fun.” No. It’s still unethical and causes harm.

I just unfollowed and blocked a bunch of people on social media who were extolling AI/ChatGPT, especially in terms of psychology and spirituality. Off my feed and outta my life. Don’t want you around me.

I also keep removing “influencers” pushing products from Amazon from my feeds. Glad you like the gadget. I’m not buying it from Amazon. Stop promoting (and profiting from) businesses that exploit workers and support fascism. No respect for you for doing that. Not giving them my money unless there’s no other option.

Once the class prep was done, I printed out the handouts – 17 pages, so I only had enough ink for about a half dozen copies. I also have a link where people could download it (which I took down yesterday, because I don’t want it spread around), and an offer to email it to people. Since I had no idea how many people to expect in the workshop, but expected a small turnout, I figured we covered the bases. Since I can’t use slides/technology there, it’s all old-school, which is fine.

Packed the handouts, checked the notebooks, tested pens, put them all in the bag. Checked with the gallery for set-up arrangements, and we’re all good. Made lemon mousse, so we have something fun for dessert over the next few days.

I made up a recipe for bay scallops with rosemary in Alfredo sauce, and it turned out well. I used my favorite pappardelle pasta, which I craved. I managed to time all the bits so the scallops turned out just right. We have leftovers, so I hope the scallops don’t turn rubbery when we reheat. When you make friends with the local fishmonger, you learn when the good deals arrive on scallops.

That spurred me to start the Taste Journal (inspired by Molly O’Neill through WILL WRITE FOR FOOD by Dianne Jacob). I’m using a spiral notebook, so I can cart it around and not feel guilty if I spill on it. It was also good for me to write down the recipe right away. Too often, I don’t write and/or notate as I cook, planning to do it “later” and then forget the details.

I wrote three pages on dinner. Hmm. It was interesting. It’s making me see how the sensory details will support other work, and it also opens ideas for both essays and stories. While I doubt I will keep the Taste Journal for ten years, even a few months will be interesting. I planned three months, but that ends it in November, and the holidays are a good time to write about food, so I’ll do it at least into January (I hope, that’s the plan).

It will be interesting to see how repeated meals are shaped differently, either by intent or because the experience of them is different.

This is not about calories or weight loss or nutrition (although I’m sure I’ll recognize patterns over the months, and make adjustments). It’s about sensory detail.

Read in the evening, slept reasonably well.

I did not do a big Lion’s Gate Portal/Full Moon ritual. With all the squares and retrogrades, the energy felt heavy. It felt like there was crime scene tape crisscrossed over any portal. So I just kept it simple and grateful. When in doubt, or things feel heavy, just perform a bit of gratitude, and everything settles down and relaxes.

Enjoyed a slow morning on Saturday. The temperature was perfect, and since this week is supposed to be miserably hot and humid, I wanted to enjoy it. Yoga, meditation, morning coffee (yes, entered into the Taste Journal). Reading a little. Finally, I made the blueberry soup and put it in glass jars in the fridge so that it will be cold in the hot weather this week.

Worked the poem for Sunday.

Checked and double checked everything I needed for the workshop. Hauled it over to the gallery and set up in the backroom, so it wouldn’t interfere with people wandering through the exhibit in the front room. I also had the digital camera with me, so I could take photos of my piece hanging up in the exhibit, which I need for documentation. I need to sit down in September with all these photos and put together a packet for future proposals.

We had a small group, which was perfect, because we could work our way through each topic and then discuss how it applied to their specific projects. There was also a lot of resource sharing, exchanging of contact information, and desires to support each other’s work moving forward.

All in all, a good experience for everyone, I think.

It was 90F when I left. It was only supposed to hit 86 today, so I was not happy about that. Ran an errand on the way home, hauled everything up the stairs. Didn’t unpack all my project bags right away.

Instead, I had a sapphire martini and some popcorn and read Agatha Christie’s ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE, the August book club pick, which was fun.

Cooked another meal from the Weekday Lunch cookbook, this time a chicken and spinach salad with dried cranberries and almonds. Instead of couscous, I cooked up the rest of the Orzo, which threatened to turn into risotto, but worked. It was very good. I would make up a batch of the dressing (olive oil, champagne vinegar, honey) to use on other things. I would also make this up ahead of time and chill it, then add the dressing right before we ate it as a lunch dish. Options. I like options.

Yes, I wrote it all up in the Taste Journal, and I’m starting to see how taste, smell, and texture trigger memory. I mean, I intellectually knew that, but writing food details down specifically set that off in a different way than, say, adding a food scene as I’m tootling along in a piece of fiction.

Read in the evening, went to bed fairly early. Slept through until nearly 6 on Sunday morning, which was nice. Longer than usual yoga session (with Tessa and Bea on the mat), meditation. Made scrambled eggs for breakfast and finally hit the silky consistency for which I’ve been trying, but don’t always get.

Worked on getting the temperature down inside the apartment, since it was supposed to hit 88F. Managed to get it down to 75, which is okay, but not as low as I hoped.

Did the Community Tarot reading for the week. I love the Ace of Cups in the Marseilles deck. It’s a castle perched on the cup, and the cup has a sturdy base. Dream big, and the dreams are supported.

Went over the poem again, making sure I had the breath marks right. Packed up the bags, chair, etc. that I needed for the event (we were scheduled in the dell behind the barn, so I brought a camp chair. Bill warned us parking will be difficult, since it’s Community Day and there’s a popular music event happening up until we start.

Made sure I was caught up on the Taste Journal. Did some puttering around. Unpacked the bags from my workshop and put everything away. Packed the bag for the day’s reading (and got out the camp chair, etc.).

Read a book that’s getting a lot of attention. I like the premise and the themes, but I felt the execution was surface and flippant in the wrong way.

Had something to eat, figured out what I was going to wear that was cool enough for the weather, but not sloppy. I didn’t bother with makeup other than lipstick, because it would have just melted off.

It was 92F when I left. I dropped off some books in the book drop, so I wouldn’t have to do so on Monday, when they were due. I put gas in the car. I headed down to Lenox. There was a good bit of traffic, but it wasn’t terrible. I was caught in the spurt of Sunday after-lunch traffic of people leaving the weekend behind.

It was Community Day down at the Mount, so there was a lot of activity there. I managed to find a decent parking spot. I was early enough to wander around some of the sculptures a bit. There are a couple to which I’d like to do some ekphrastic work, including the piece in the photo at the top of this post.

I set up my chair and chatted with fellow poets, catching up on news. We had 17 poets in the line-up that afternoon. They were wonderful, old and new faces. “Bread and Jam (But Not for Frances)” got a very warm reception, and several people came up to me after to tell me how much they liked it. All of the poems were terrific. It was an event that was both invigorating and felt like a hug from fellow artists.

Stopped off on the way home to pick up what I thought was a rotisserie chicken but turned out to be a dry turkey breast, some potato salad, and more bread, because for some reason, we keep running out of bread (hint: fewer slices per loaf, higher prices).

Showered off all the bug spray and the sweat, ate dinner, read for a bit. The apartment only got up to 81, which wasn’t bad. It was even cool enough to sleep, and pleasant when I woke up at 3:30 and couldn’t get back to sleep.

The Sidewalk Chewing Demons showed up early on Monday and behaved like total jerks, which is no surprise. The lack of communication is not acceptable, and I’m going to have a chat with my city councilor about it. Which means he will recommend me to sit on some committee or other than decides who gets bids, and maybe I should.

I managed to get the inside temperature down to 76F. Not ideal, but it would do.

I saw a job listing that sounded interesting and in my wheelhouse. The rate was a little lower than my normal rate, but I figured there might be some wiggle room. But then I read further – they want a “freelancer” to commit to 40 hours a week. Which means they want an employee without committing to salary and benefits. Which is wrong, on multiple levels. I considered negotiating for 20 hours at a higher rate, then decided not to even pitch. This kind of exploitation is a red flag.

Took care of a bunch of admin. Turned around the edits for the anthology story. Worked on the poem for the LAVA Center. I lost my original idea for the piece, and had to start from scratch. Hopefully, what I wind up with is better.

Adapted various episodes into five chapters of ANGEL HUNT. I thought I was much farther along than I actually am. I have to remedy that. I’m only about 1/3 of the way through it, and I thought I was past half.

Got the official acceptance for my story (whose revisions I turned around earlier in the morning) into the YA GOT TROUBLE anthology. The release date is still uncertain. Some time next year, May or later.  Sent off the requested bio. Started the next book for review, which is a rough go.

Read a friend’s manuscript and gave her requested notes. Two packages were supposed to be delivered today, but only one showed up. The other is in the local post office, but didn’t make it onto the truck, so I expect it will get here today.

It didn’t get too hot inside, only up to 82, and it wasn’t all that humid. We were fine with ceiling fans.

I am thoroughly disgusted by what’s happening in D.C. right now, and even more disgusted that gay marriage rights are in danger of being overturned and now they’re talking about removing women’s right to vote. Reminder: Merrick Garland and Chuck Schumer could have prevented this, and CHOSE not to. Our histories will all be erased, but I hope those written outside of this country will remember.

We had chilled blueberry soup for lunch, which was very good, and I heated up leftovers for dinner.

I started reading a memoir in the evening, set in Paris. I don’t know if I’ll finish it, because I loathe the character in which the writer portrays herself. She may think she’s cute and funny, but she’s a spoiled, entitled brat, and I want to slap her at least once per page. Not sure this is worth my time.

Slept pretty well. It wasn’t too hot, and the humidity is low enough so it’s decent sleeping weather. Not idea, but decent. I put the cooler on for a little bit, more for Charlotte than for me, but turned it off after about twenty minutes. We didn’t need it, and it was too loud.

I woke up at the normal time, did the morning feeding/coffee/yoga/meditation/writing routine. Managed to get the inside temperature down to 77F, which isn’t ideal, but it’s okay. We will probably need the coolers today, since it will be up to 90F again. It got down into the high fifties overnight, so I’m using the fan to pull in the cooler air until the Sidewalk Chewing Demons turn up again to kick up dust and noise.

On today’s agenda: finish the draft of the poem for Saturday, work on the Llewellyn material, work on the remaining anthology story, work on ANGEL HUNT, work on the ghostwriting. Sounds like a pretty decent day!

I’ve been invited to create another poem for an event at The Mount in early September. I will think about it for a day or two, and then make a decision.  I will probably do it.

Hope your day is lovely, and not too hot. The Sidewalk Chewing Demons are back, so today will not be particularly quiet.

Mon. Aug. 11, 2025: Intent for the Week — Surviving Another Heat Wave

image courtesy of Stefan Schweihofer via pixabay.com

Monday, August 11, 2025

Waning Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Mercury DIRECT as of today

Hot and humid

Good morning, and welcome to another summer week. Yesterday was hotter than predicted, and the next few days should follow that pattern. I’m trying to get things as cool as possible in the early mornings.

The Community Tarot Reading for the Week is up here.

I have quite a bit on my plate this week, so I will just plod through and do the best I can in the heat.

What’s your intent for the week?

Fri. Aug. 8, 2025: Contemplating Notebooks

image courtesy of Pexels via pixabay.com

Friday, August 8, 2025

Day before Full Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

Hazy, humid, not too hot yet

And we’re at Friday again!

If you haven’t done so already, this weekend is the perfect time to listen to the 30-minute “Effie Effect” to relax and have a laugh. There’s even an interview up with me on the channel.

Subtle, right? 

Today is 8/8, the pinnacle of the Lion’s Gate Portal, and all the fuss just makes me tired. As a colleague pointed out, any day can be a portal day, if you choose change. We are the portals.

It rained yesterday morning, which meant the Sidewalk Chewing Demons were delayed, at least for a little while. I was trying to figure out how I’d get from the house to the car out of the parking lot to the grocery store, and then back in.

Since they weren’t there, and I left for the store right after breakfast, it was all good.

I did a big grocery shop, restocking basics and buying specifics for the week’s meal plan. One of the cookbooks I took out of the library has a lot of terrific recipes I’m going to try in the coming weeks.

The Sidewalk Chewing Demons were still nowhere to be found when I returned, so I parked in the lot, unloaded the car, hauled everything across the street and up the stairs, and put it all away. Willa wanted a partner to play with her catnip strawberry, so we did that for a few minutes, too.

I had a bunch of admin to take care of, and some research. I considered putting together a proposal pitch toward a new client, but when I did some digging into the company, there were red flags raising concerns for me, and I decided not to pitch there. Managed to get a play out on submission. Hopped on and chatted with #FreelanceFriends, which is always fun.

The rest of the day was about finishing the ghostwriting, giving it a final proof, and getting it out the door, which I did by 6 PM. I could have waited and sent it this morning at 9, but I just wanted it the hell off my desk. I know there’s some good work in it. Whether it’s what they want is something else, since the goalposts keep shifting.

Tried a new-to-me recipe for kielbasa (per my mom’s request), potatoes, and corn from the Weekday Lunch and Breakfasts Cookbook, which I recently got out of the library. Yes, it’s for lunch and breakfast, but some of the meals are big enough for dinner. It turned out well. There are a whole bunch of recipes I plan to cook from it while I have it. It’s about to get hot again, so I figured I’d make this recipe while it was cooler.

Next week is supposed to be brutal, with the heat and humidity. Not looking forward to it. I’ve enjoyed this break of slightly cooler but still summery weather.

Started reading after dinner, but was too tired. Slept reasonably well (it was cool enough) and woke up naturally (well, cat-urally), at the normal time. It gets lighter later in the morning now, so Tessa’s not yowling at 4 AM.

Morning yoga and meditation. Bea lets me give her a solid petting session as part of the breakfast ritual, purring the whole time. It’s the only time all day she wants to be petted, but it’s progress. She did join Tessa on the yoga mat this morning, so I had to work around both of them. She looks at me like she thinks yoga is just the weirdest thing ever.

Today’s priorities are the pieces for Llewellyn, finishing class prep for tomorrow and printing out handouts, and working on the poem. If I have time after that’s done, I will work on the poem due next week and/or the revisions of the short story due next week.

Tomorrow, I will do some writing on the Llewellyn pieces, and then I’m teaching, mid-afternoon. Sunday, I will take it easy until I have to head to the Mount for Word X Word. Monday, we go back to the writing routine. I’m not sure which ghostwriting project I’ll be working on next week, at least to start, and I have to talk to them about partial payment for something. I’ve coughed up 40K in a month. I need some $$.

I will also get out some pitches and LOIs either today or early next week. I’ll be juggling projects next week: the poem for LAVA, the short story edits, the other anthology story, the work for Llewellyn, ghostwriting, work on ANGEL HUNT and on VICIOUS CRITIC.

I considered, instead of making the original, larger version of “Human Compass” into a quilt-like piece, stretching it on 1x and then doing a felt backing on the frame. But where the hell would I store it? Maybe the large version just needs to rest for a bit, until I decide what to do with it.

I don’t have to worry about errands to the grocery store or the library, because I did all that earlier in the week. I can focus on tomorrow’s class and other things. I’m sure the Sidewalk Chewing Demons will show up today and cause chaos, so I’m just as happy not to have to try to maneuver the car around them.

One of the ideas in WILL WRITE FOR FOOD is to keep a taste journal (an idea from Molly O’Neill, one of my favorite writers). The idea intrigues me. The first big question is: when would I start?

Which would be, anytime I want. I doubt I’d keep one for ten years, like Molly did, but I’m sure the details of such, even kept for a few months, would add texture to all my writing, but especially the poetry. It would also encourage me to expand out into more interesting foods, in order to have new things to write about!

The second big question is in what to write it? What kind of notebook? A spiral bound seems to make the most sense, although that’s not very inspirational. But that could be lugged around just about everywhere, and I wouldn’t feel bad if something spilled on it.

There’s another big project I’m considering starting in November, and I’m trying to figure out the perfect notebook in which to keep it. Contemplating notebooks and pens is one of my favorite daydream pastimes!

Have a great weekend, and we’ll catch up on the other side.

If I can just make it through these last days of Mercury Retrograde. . .

Thurs. Aug. 7, 2025: Challenges

image courtesy of andreas160578 via pixabay.com

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

Hazy, humid, cloudy

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

I had such trouble getting going, mostly because the ghostwriting weighed so heavily on me. All I wanted to do was to go back to bed. I need to find a better system/rhythm for it.

I did a revision on the strawberry poem. It’s closer. Not there yet, but closer. And then I did another revision, which is very close. Because I print it out in large font to read (and to put in breath marks), the spacing changed, and then I started reworking it some more with an eye to enjambment, which made for an interesting change in certain rhythms. I always worry when my stanzas contain different numbers of lines, but since I’m not working within a specific format (such as sonnet or villanelle), maybe I’m getting away with it. Some of the time! The stanza design near the end isn’t quite right, although the actual words are saying what I want to say there.

I’ll keep working on it. With a few more passes, it will work for Sunday, and then I can take it into the residency and ask my fellow poets their ideas on restructuring.

I’m trying to figure out what to bring into the residency this year. I like bringing in stage play excerpts, because poets have such a great eye for word specificity and rhythm. But my poetry won’t grow unless I work it with them. I still haven’t figured out how to pull off the comic horror cleave poem, which I hope to start playing with again next week. I want at least a very rough draft to bring into the residency. But I need a lot of mental space in which to work on it. Maybe I’ll block off Aug. 17 as “cleave poem day.”

Once I wake up from the three things I’m supposed to do on the 16th

Folded the laundry and put it away. Poured the 16-pound bag of cat food kibble into glass jars that keep it fresher and are easier to handle. Finalized and approved the flyer, which I can now forward to the Collective. And you’ll be seeing them all over social media between now and the reading in October! Plus in September’s newsletter.

As much as the sidewalk replacement annoys me with the noise, watching them work is rather interesting. The way they measure and then mark with chalk reminds me of how I use dressmaker’s chalk when I quilt and/or sew. And then, instead of using a rotary cutter on cotton, they use a big (noisy) cutter through the concrete.

However, they are putting crime scene tape across people’s front walks. You can’t trap people in or out of their houses for days. The whole thing is so poorly organized. And the construction dust is making it impossible to keep the house clean. I can’t keep windows closed in summer.

We don’t need new sidewalks on the street. We need the bridge replaced on Rt. 2. There’s a ridiculous amount of money for those “repairs” but that whole section of town is going to be redesigned anyway, so again, very disorganized.

Worked on the ghostwriting. Still not finished. Fortunately, yesterday was my deadline for it, not theirs. I hope to get it done today.

Got my act together and headed to the library in the early evening. Picked up a stack of books that came in, put them in the car, and then headed upstairs to a friend’s program about Nathaniel Hawthorne’s time in North Adams in 1838. She wrote a book about it, which was published last year (I bought it the day it came out). It’s just delightful. I was very happy to be there, both because the content was excellent, and to hang out with colleagues.

Home, heated up leftovers for dinner, did some reading. Had trouble getting to sleep. Woke up at 3:30, fretting. Fell back asleep and had weird dreams.

Today will be challenging on multiple fronts, so I’m just trying to buckle up and deal. Four more days until Mercury goes direct. Feels like years, not days.

Have a good one!

Wed. Aug. 6, 2025: Navigating Through Physical and Mental Haze

image courtesy of Hundankbar via pixabay.com

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

Hazy and humid

There are some great trailers for the entire Premiere the Play series, including “The Effie Effect.” Podchaser has one of them here, along with the full production. I had a great time working with Dean Productions, and I hope I get to work with them again.

I did a bunch of promotion for “Effie”, and I also listened to it. I’d heard a rough cut, but hadn’t heard the final mix yet, and I’m really happy with it. Tomorrow, an interview with me, conducted by producer Rebecca Lynne, will go live.

Hey, if you listen and like it, I hope you rate it well! That helps both the theatre company, and it helps me.

I wrote two short pieces for Llewellyn (March 2027).

It looks like the chaos on our street is about putting in new sidewalks. Again, the city should have communicated with us ahead of time. I feel bad for the neighbors whose yards are getting torn up without notice, losing flowers and shrubs. They shouldn’t be able to do anything they want, crossing property lines.

The elderly aunt of the downstairs neighbor was taken away by ambulance again (this happens every few months). She’s about 20 years younger than my mom, but in worse shape.

It was difficult to settle into the ghostwriting. I wanted to bask in the glow of “Effie.” But it was necessary. I’ve got bills to pay. I did a lot, but still not as much as I hoped. I may need an extra day for it, if I can’t get it out the door today.

Yoga was fantastic. I’m so glad I got to go.

The poster for the Boiler House Reading looks really good. It will be finalized today. I also got edits on the comic theatre mystery anthology story – but still no contract. I don’t like working this way, doing rounds of edits without a commitment.

Re-reading Dianne Jacob’s WILL WRITE FOR FOOD, which has some interesting exercises in it that I want to try. I’ve always wanted to write about food well, and have yet to master it. Although I got an idea from the book that I will apply to the poem.

Slept reasonably well, in spite of the poor air quality. Up early and out to the laundromat. Pushed through the laundry, hauled it home, hung up what couldn’t go into the dryer. It looks like it will rain any minute, but maybe it’s the wildfire haze. We talked in yoga, last night, about how we look out the window and it looks like someone erased the mountains, because of the haze.

I have to give the finalization okay for the poster this morning, acknowledge receiving the editing notes (I have until next week to turn them around), write two short pieces for Llewellyn, and then it’s back to the ghostwriting all day, until I leave for a friend’s reading.

All I want to do is go back to bed.

Five more days of Mercury Retrograde. Hang in there. I know, it’s hard.

Tues. Aug. 5, 2025: Effie Effect Goes Live Today!

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

“The Effie Effect” comic noir radio play goes live today, kicking off Dean Productions’ Premiere the Play series. You can listen to a trailer here, learn about the artists involved here, and find out more about the company, the season, and where to listen, here.

The Community Tarot reading for the Week is up here. We’ve switched to the Tarot de Marseilles for August. I probably should have used that in July, for Bastille Day and all, but oh, well.

Another week!

Friday was a lovely day, nice temperatures, low humidity. I took advantage of the back-to-school sales to pick up notebooks for my workshop. If we don’t use them all, they’ll go into my stash. I have pens around, I just have to test them before the class.

Stopped at a local thrift shop for a great haul that totaled under $10. I got a pair of pretty picture frames, a harvest decoration, two autumnal ceramic platters,  and a silver plate tray with an interesting maker’s mark that I have not yet been able to decipher. The online “encyclopedia” that claims to have all these marks keeps popping up sketchy “ads” that won’t go away and try to capture my information. I may have to find some reference books, maybe in the Clark’s library, since they have an extensive collection of decorative arts. I think it was made around 1935, if I’m reading the last symbol correctly, but I haven’t been able to reference the first two yet. A friend gave me some leads I will follow up on. That’s the positive side of Mercury Retrograde – great thrift shop finds.

Picked up one of my mom’s prescriptions, got a few things I needed for the weekend at Big Y, did a drop-off/pickup at the library.

Home, lunch, dealt with some email, took a rest (since I hadn’t slept well), put up some transitional-into-autumn decorations (the bulk will go up in September).

Rested for a bit, then showered, put on makeup, put on festive clothes, and headed down to Future Labs Gallery to help them set up for the reception. That was a lot of fun.

The show looks terrific. They did a wonderful job with the installation. My piece is near the front, which is both pleasing and a little scary. Everyone’s work is so fantastic! I’m so thrilled to be part of it. And it was so great to see people from last year’s and this year’s cohort. And we made plans for stuff we want to do together moving forward. A bunch of people from tarot also showed up, as did some people from the library. So that was all good. I popped next door to see some of the performance members of the cohort. Talked to one of my friends about the idea for a group show for Future Labs I have for autumn 2026, and he is all in for it. I will write up the proposal in September and then talk to them about it. We would definitely need a year to put it together (the pieces I’m thinking of are a little on the complex side, because heaven forbid I stay in my comfort zone).

Sonia, from the gallery, made a tequila, lemonade, and grapefruit punch that kicked ass. I just had a taste; I rarely drink tequila anymore. I had a little wine, though.

Came home, cooked dinner, tried to get settled. Could not get to sleep. My hip and my feet were really bothering me. I’d worn the wrong shoes. I think I will get gel insoles again for my shoes, and swap them out as I switch shoes. That’s worked before.

I finally took some Valerian root to knock myself out and slept until nearly 6:30. The cats were totally freaked out when they couldn’t wake me up. But I felt much better.

Bea now lets me pet her down her back three times as part of the breakfast ritual. She’s getting there. (Tessa always insists on only 3 pets at a time, and Bea copies Tessa).

I made most of the housewarming gift for my friends. I might still look for a different frame. I’m not convinced the wood with gold trim frame I chose is right, now that I see the piece. I have two weeks. The hard part of the piece, the house blessing itself and the graphics, are done.

Slogged through a lot of email. Got out a script submission for a development workshop near the end of the year. They didn’t choose the play I submitted last year, but liked my writing and invited me to submit something different this year, so that’s what I did.

Got my act together and headed out the door for a friend’s performance at Steeple City Social. He and his collaborator created a John Cage-like piece using coffee-making equipment. There was a good turnout of people I knew, and also people I hadn’t yet met, but now have. Since a lot of the seating is large couches, one winds up sitting with strangers who then become friendly acquaintances.

The piece was a lot of fun, and then we got to sit around and have a good catch-up with A4A people.

Home, and rested on the couch for the rest of the day, except for cooking dinner. Finished the MFK Fisher biography. Didn’t sleep particularly well, although it was nice and cool. The bad hip was bothering me Friday night; the good hip bothered me Saturday night into Sunday morning. I really do need to settle on an acupuncturist and start going again.

I had a nice, long yoga session in the morning, which helped. I had trouble settling in for meditation, though. My mind kept jumping around, worrying about everything that has to get done this week. We’ve survived the first two weeks of Mercury Retrograde. We just have to hold on for one more!

I did the Community Tarot Reading for the week, and scheduled it to post. I wrote the first draft of the poem for the Mount on the coming Sunday, about my grandmother’s kitchen in Foxboro. The bones are there, but I need to work rhythms and sonics and images a little more. At least there’s something on paper with which to work. And I had to look up the name of the grocery store that was in town in the 70’s – Fernandes. Once I saw the name, I remembered it. I knew it wasn’t a Shaw’s or a Hannaford. And writing the poem brought back a lot of memories. I will probably strip it back a little, so it doesn’t meander. It also reminded me of one of my favorite books as a child, BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES, and that sent me down a rabbit hole about Russell and Lillian Hoban.

This may be a poem I bring into the residency this autumn and/or read at our reading. It’s a page and a half, so I have plenty of wiggle room for the Mount’s reading (I have 3 minutes).

I did some ironing and put a lot of stuff away, both from the ironing, and that was used for the textile project.

Whitney’s extended their “Whitney’s Bucks” through this weekend. I had “earned” some when we bought all those plants in spring, but couldn’t get there during July to use them. I thought I’d blown it, but they extended the use. We hopped in the car and headed down. It was a lovely morning for a drive. I got a large pot of black-eyed Susans, some small purple petunias, and a pair of geraniums (buy one, get one free, even with bucks). So that was all good. I put up photos on the Instagram account, if you’re interested.

Hauled them home, repotted them, got them out onto the back balcony.

After lunch, we took Willa and Charlotte out on the back balcony in their playpens. They know if they want to go out, it has to be in the playpen, so they walk right into it as soon as I set it up and open the flap. I read a book and they sat and enjoyed being outside safely. The book was by Donald Bain on his ghostwriting career, which was interesting.

Cooked a new-to-me recipe for dinner that worked pretty well, and I’d probably do it again.

Overslept this morning. The cats were not amused. Did the morning yoga and meditation, but still felt logy and unfocused. I needed to get my act together. I have a 20K revision to turn around in 3 days.

Bea threw her toy mouse at me, hitting me. I tossed it back. She caught it, threw it up in the air a few times, then batted it back to me. So I guess we play catch now.

I worked on the copy for the September newsletter, catching up on what’s been going on. I’m going to lead with the Boiler House Poets Collective reading, and then have the links for “Effie” and then do the catch-up.

It made me realize that if I think I’m going to have a holiday something-something released, I need to figure out what it is soon. AND figure out what holiday short I will have as part of the newsletter.

I did a revision of the poem, which included changing the title to “Bread and Jam (But Not for Frances)” and reworked a few things. I cut some material, but also added a stanza about Frances the badger. I tightened some images and worked some sonics. It’s not there yet, but it’s closer.

I wrote two short Llewellyn pieces. Doing those three things cheered me up quite a bit. I was feeling pretty low earlier in the day. Got out a long-shot submission, but I had to at least try. I did some work on the class prep, but not enough. Since I’m not using slides, I have to figure out what’s on the handout (more than planned) and how to do it (probably in Canva). If I could do it in original PowerPoint and then put more than one slide per page, I would, but I can’t figure out how to do that. I don’t have six or seven hours to figure it out. If it’s not easily clickable, I’ll just do it in Canva’s document feature, or I’ll just so a simpler handout with a cover sheet and do a flipbook of a few visuals. I have all the material; it’s just arranging it in the best way for this class.

After lunch, I attacked the ghostwriting revisions. I did not get as much done as I hoped, so I have to make up for it today. I just didn’t feel up to much.

I did, however, re-read Jon Hessler’s MY STAGGERFORD JOURNAL, which is the journal he kept during the sabbatical he took from his teaching job to finish his first novel, get started on a couple of others, and start the transition to his full-time writing career. I’ve had the book for ages and re-read it regularly, always getting something different from it. It’s a very short book. I still haven’t read the actual novel about which it chronicles.

I did some marketing for the Topic Workbooks. I have to re-do all the Instagram ads, which is a PITA, because resizing the landscape versions just squishes and distorts them, and it’s not letting me do the adjustment in the Instagram crop feature anymore. I did the first three, which are the ones I need immediately, and I will re-do the others as I need them.

A friend sent me her book manuscript, which I will read and make notes on as soon as I have this ghostwriting revision turned around. And then I have to make a proposal I promised another friend to help her sort out.

It wasn’t as hot as predicted, which helped, and I’d gotten the temp inside to a comfortable level. But I just was dragging yesterday.

I also have a list of information to get out to various people today. I should have gotten it out yesterday, but didn’t get it done. All I can do is the best I can do. And yesterday just wasn’t all that much. The last few months have caught up with me, and I’m tired. I think I will block off Labor Day Weekend to do absolutely nothing.

Slept reasonably well, up early for yoga and meditation. Getting back into that rhythm helps a lot. Bea let me scritch under her chin as well as petting down her back this morning at breakfast, purring all the time. Progress.

Today, I will write a couple of the short Llewellyn pieces and maybe do a couple of other things here and there, but the main focus is on the ghostwriting rewrites. I need to get them out the door by end of day tomorrow.

The air quality is terrible, so I will set up the air purifier.  And they’re digging up the street, without communication, because they are jerks. I may have to decamp, if the noise gets too bad. There is zero reason for a big digger to come and rip everything up down all sidewalks. Zero. And if there was a reason, the residents should have been informed about it ahead of time.

Six more days of Mercury Retrograde. Hang in there!

Have a good one!

Mon. Aug. 4, 2025: Intent for the Week — Do the Work

image courtesy of pixabay.com

Monday, August 4, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

Sunny and warm

Welcome to another week! The Community Tarot Reading for the Week is up here, and we are using the Tarot de Marseilles for the month of August.

It was a good weekend, and I overslept this morning,but I will catch up.

I don’t have a lot out-and-about to do this week. I’m going to yoga tomorrow, to a friend’s reading on Wednesday, teaching Saturday, and reading a poem with Word X Word on Sunday at the Mount. The rest of the week is about working on the Llewellyn materials, the class materials, the poem for thie weekend, the poem for next weekend, the anthology story, and turning around 20K in revisions by Wednesday.

So I need to show up and do the work.

What’s your intent for the week?

Fri. Aug. 1, 2025: Lammas!

image courtesy of hartono subagio via pixabay.com

Friday, August 1, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

Lammas

Cloudy, cooler, and pleasant

Lammas

Happy Friday!

Blessed Lammas in the Northern Hemisphere, and Blessed Imbolc in the Southern Hemisphere. Wherever you are, may your day be filled with beauty and blessings.

It is also an important day in my personal calendar, and I honor it.

I did the fix in the ghostwriting visuals packet and sent it off. I heard from one of the editors in the evening how much she loves this version, which is a good sign.

I swung by the post office to mail bills, and then headed out to the Clark to visit the exhibit again and sit with some of the pieces. Something is trying to form. I don’t yet know what it is, so I just have to let it percolate. Sometimes, a piece will immediately spark an idea, and a character starts talking to me, or the “what if?” is clear. Other times, like this, I can feel something trying to take shape beneath the surface, but not yet know what it is.

On the way home, I stopped at Stop & Shop, since it was there. I haven’t shopped at that one in months. I usually go to the Big Y, which is closer, sources a  decent portion of their stuff locally, and has better prices. The store is cleaner than last time I was there, which is a good thing, but it still smelled like the septic was backed up, and the prices were ridiculous. I mean, a quart of milk is 60 cents more expensive.

I bought only what I absolutely needed, for this morning. As I came home, it was starting to rain, and about ten minutes after I was safely inside, it began pouring. We finally got the rain we’ve been promised for days, although not the thunderstorms.

It made a huge difference.

I dealt with some stuff for the Boiler House reading. I spent the afternoon reading about MFK Fisher. I’ve read a lot of her work, and enjoy it. I hoped reading about her would then get me in a better frame of mind for more inspired meal planning. I’ve felt very uninspired lately, although I’ve managed to come up with a few new dishes.

I read a book about her various kitchens, which I later recognized, when I started reading a full biography by the same author, were excerpts pulled from the larger biography and enhanced with lovely sketches. However, I felt the author was romanticizing Fisher’s experiences in those kitchens. There were plenty of times when there was very little money around, for either rent or kitchen materials or food. She made do with what she had, and she created magic where others would have just had bland essentials. That was part of her gift. As someone who has had to be creative in the kitchen during lean times, I relate. And it’s not romantic at all. You do what you need to do with what you have. It’s great when a recipe works out and it tastes better than you hoped with what you had, but it’s using what’s available and being creative.

One of my go-to cookbooks when times were lean in San Francisco in the mid-80’s was THE NEW COOKBOOK FOR POOR POETS by Ann Rogers, which I picked up for 99 cents, and I still use it. That book was also about being creative on a budget. If I remember correctly, that was the book that first led me to MFK Fisher’s writing.

Anyway, I spent the afternoon in the world of MFK Fisher, and there’s a lot I didn’t know about her. She died in 1992, and I remember how people revered her. I’d read  and re-read her work over the years, but I hadn’t read much about her. For instance, I didn’t know she was a screenwriter in Hollywood at one point in time. It makes sense, though.

The next book for review arrived, and I will get started on that this weekend. Also received the art print I won through Athena Project (another frame to get). It’s a print by Liberal Jane, and it’s terrific.

Heated up leftovers for dinner, enhanced with some additional ingredients (in line with Fisher, who loved leftovers). Had a quiet evening, which was nice. Rehearsed tonight’s text piece. Artists involved are promoting it. I hope we get a good turnout tonight. I’m sure we will, I mean there are 24 of us! I’m so excited by what I’ve seen of everyone’s work.

I was sorry to hear that Robert Wilson died. While he wasn’t easy to work with, his curiosity and determination to manifest his vision were admirable.

Thought I’d slept through the night, only to discover it was around 1:30. Had a terrible time getting back to sleep, then overslept.

Baked corn bread for Lammas this morning. I used a different recipe than the one I’ve used for the past dozen years or so, but it turned out really well. Cornbread and blackberries this morning. Yum! And got the table linens changed over for August.

It was cool enough so Tessa and Bea could play a lot this morning, to Bea’s delight. Tessa then later took over my office chair and decided she was running the office today. Like she doesn’t run the whole house every day, but today she decided to do it from my office chair. She prefers this office setup, too.

Today’s agenda: pick up some materials for next weekend’s workshop, see if I can find a nice frame for my friend’s housewarming project. I want to make that this weekend. I have a post office, library, grocery, and pharmacy run to make.

I need to do some work on the Llewellyn materials, and then maybe some work on the anthology story. I will eat something in the mid-afternoon so I don’t go to the opening on an empty stomach, shower, put makeup on and festive clothes. I offered to help them set up the refreshments, so I will go down a bit early. I’m not sure when I’m supposed to read, so I’ll have the text (in 16 pt. font) tucked into my purse and be ready.  I also want to float over to Installation Space, a couple of doors down, where the cohort members are performing music, etc.

I’ll photograph my piece on my phone tonight, and then, next Saturday, when I teach the workshop, I’ll bring the digital camera and take more photos. In the coming weeks, I will have to sort them into a documentation folder for the project, along with the artist statement, the poster, etc.

Tomorrow is a day of rest – okay, I’ll do some writing and some ironing, but most of it will be about rest! Sunday, we’ll see what we feel like doing. Probably some writing. Monday is back to a work schedule, juggling the Llewellyn projects, the anthology story, finishing the prep for my workshop, and I’ve been invited to create a piece for Word X Word for Community Day at the Mount on August 10, around the theme “Rooted.” I was going to write something about living in the wrong place, but I’m tired of that topic. Done that, and certainly been there. So I think I will build the piece around favorite recipes from childhood and my grandmother’s kitchen in Foxboro, MA. Lines are forming in my brain, which is a good thing, because then I can write them down and rearrange them until they work.

I also have to write the piece for the Words on Art on Words exhibit, and make the housewarming gift for my friends. If I don’t get back the ghostwriting notes today or early next week, I will get a head start on the next project for them, too.

Next week will be a mostly at-home, head-down-working week, which is just fine with me. It shouldn’t be too hot, I think it hits 85 on Monday, but the rest of the week is more moderate, and it goes into the 50’s at night.

Have a good weekend. What have you harvested this cycle?

Thurs. July 31, 2025: Waiting for the Promised Storms

image courtesy of  Gundula Vogel via pixabay.com

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

Cloudy, cooler, but very humid

And July is done! Whew!

There’s not much to read about the garden, but you can read it here.

I finished the work needed on the ghostwriting project and got it off my desk onto their desks just before lunchtime. They won’t have the other project’s notes back to me for a few days.

I dealt with some stuff for October’s Boiler House reading, and materials from “The Effie Effect” airdate next week, and the gallery opening tomorrow.

If you want to get a taste of “The Effie Effect” via its trailer, it is here.

I looked at the prompts from the Williamstown workshop back in 2022. There are two prompts I haven’t yet used that might make 10-minute plays, but it would be pushing it to draw them beyond that. There’s one that might make a 30-40 minute. There’s another that needs to be a full-length or a long one-act and has a larger cast.

I can also focus on the anthology story, the Llewellyn spells, and the text piece for the LAVA Center over the next few days.

I did some marketing for the Topic Workbooks. And then I rested my hot, tired brain on the sofa, reading. I paged through a book that was kind of cute, unknown histories of classics, only I knew most of them. Read some of a biography of Adrienne Rich. Tried not to be grumpy waiting for the weather to break.

Started reading the newest installation of a mystery series where I loved the earlier books. I’d gobbled up the first five books. The author then took a break, and I hadn’t realized that four more books had been released in the interim. I ordered the newest from the library, planning to then backtrack.

Only, instead of growing, the character has backslid. She acts like an idiot for the two thirds of the book I’ve read so far. She signs a confidentiality agreement at the top of the book, but does nothing but blab all the way through it. That’s not cute, especially not for a protagonist. I wanted to slap her silly. From a fun, engaging protagonist in the early books, she’s turned into a character “too stupid to live” as the character of Meg Langslow often puts it in her series. I’m so disappointed. I hope, by the end of the book, she has consequences for not keeping her damn mouth shut. She’s turned into someone who can’t be trusted. In this genre, if I can’t trust the protagonist, I’m not going to stick around. So disappointed.

Realized there’s a mistake in the visuals I turned in with the ghostwriting, so I will fix that this morning and re-send.

I wish I could take August off from social media completely. I’m really sick of it. I can’t stand signing into FB anymore. I can’t even get to the people whose posts I want to see. And too many people are just spinning out on other platforms right now. I mean, there’s a lot to be worried about, but it’s too much right now.

Unfortunately, I can’t stay off completely for the month, because I have to promote my books, the radio play, the various art shows, etc. But I can adjust how I spend my time, and how much time I spend, and I will. At this point, I’m mostly on Instagram and Bluesky, although I’m getting fed up with them, too.

First of all, I am not a “girlie.” I am a grown-ass woman embracing her crone years. Second, I am not “delulu.” I work toward my dreams. I find both those terms highly offensive. I’m so sick and tired of these accounts who pretend to empower women, but are, in actuality, infantilizing them. It’s not “reclaiming” the language. It’s carrying water for patriarchy. I sing the Block Song and move on.

For someone who can’t write music, I’ve come up with a lot of jingles to accompany daily life!

On the list for August is also updating all the websites. Which will take a minute, to say the least.

Spectrum is going to screw us further. Not only have they reduced the range of the routers, now they want us to rent “pods” for different areas of the house to have full coverage at $3/month for each. When the router USED to cover the entire space. How does that fit in with the regulations? Or is legal? I’m tired of the state have “regulators” who don’t actually regulate. I am looking into buying a router in autumn. Someone in one of my cohorts must be technically savvy enough to advise me and then help me install it.

Although the temperature outside has gone down to the 60’s, it’s 89% humidity, so the air is very heavy, and it’s still 82 inside. I’ve got the fans going, to try to pull in cooler air. We never got the promised thunderstorms yesterday.

On today’s agenda: pop the missing visuals into the ghostwriting document and send off the replacement, send off some information to the library for the BHPC reading in October, mail some bills at the post office, head over to the Clark for a bit. In the afternoon, I’ll do the marketing rounds for the books and maybe work on the anthology story.

I had to put in an order for dry cat food yesterday, and it’s supposed to show up today.

Yes, it’s Bea who turns on the ceiling fan in the living room at night. During the night, I woke up and went into the living room at one point. The fan was off. Tessa complained. I told her it was off for the night. A minute later, Bea hopped onto the chair, then up on the bookcase, then used her head to bump the switch for the fan into the “on” position. She was very proud of herself. I told her she was very clever.

I let the fan run, then turned it off. I woke up a few hours later and checked, and, sure enough, it was on again.

Sigh.

I need to rehearse the text piece for tomorrow night. I can’t believe the gallery show is finally opening.

Tomorrow is Lammas, so I’m putting together what I need for that, too.

Have a good one!

Wed. July 30, 2025: A Solid Day’s Work

image courtesy of rawpixel via pixabay.com

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde

Hot and humid

And here we are, mid-week!

Chiron goes retrograde today, until January 2 of 2026. Chiron is the wounded healer. A lot of people dislike the Chiron retrograde. I’ve learned to appreciate it, because it makes me take a discerning look between a real wound that needs healing and ego that just needs an adjustment. It’s not always a fun ride, but working with each of these Chiron retrogrades over the last few years has been helpful in the bigger picture.

Yesterday morning, I tried to get the inside of the apartment as cool as possible, which only made it down to 79.

I did some organizing in the office/admin work. It didn’t feel like I got much done, but every bit is progress.

I polished, printed, and sent my notes to the theatre, even though the meeting was cancelled. Of course, it took longer than I hoped, but everything takes longer this season.

It wasn’t even 10 AM, but it was too hot to work in my office by then.

I moved to the living room with the laptop and worked there, with ceiling fan and small coolers going. I got frustrated because there were a lot of notes I’d made for the ghostwriting and repeatedly saved, and they are missing from the document. And photos I’d sourced and remember specifically saving and backing up are nowhere to be found. It’s very frustrating. I started a Power Point for certain visuals that the template won’t let me insert.

New Dramatists has applications open for a 7-year, funded residency program. Some of it can be virtual, some of it in person. It sounds fabulous. But…I am in my sixties. I don’t think I can commit to seven years, having to spend part of it in New York. They don’t have firm funding numbers, because it changes, depending on the year’s funding, and I’m not comfortable with that, either. It seems to me that this is a program for younger playwrights, earlier in their careers, who are committed to being in NYC for this amount of time. It’s awfully tempting, though. But if I got it, it would be a lot of back-and-forth, and I would be over 70 when it was finished. I don’t think that makes sense.

However, if any readers of this blog who are playwrights are interested, go for it.

I got a very nice email from the theatre on the other side of the state where I’d submitted a play a couple of days ago. They will read in September, and let me know by the end of the year.

I did most of an editing pass on the document. Then it was time for yoga.

Yoga was fantastic. We had a good time, and I got a chance to cool down. It had gotten up to 84 inside the apartment, which is just about as hot as I can take. Although having the small coolers on right beside us helps a lot. Yoga was nice and cool, though. Which was a relief, since it hit 91 in the early afternoon and was still 91 when I left yoga at 6:30.

Home, dinner, a bit of a break, then finished the editing pass on the ghostwriting. This morning, I still have to add some information to two chapters and redraw the floorplans, then do a final proofread, and off it goes by the end of today.

Had the cooler on beside the bed with the 2-hour timer going. Charlotte woke me up a few times once the cooler shut off, because she wanted it on again. She can’t turn this one on by herself (she had almost mastered the mini cooler), so she wakes me up when she wants it on. And then places herself on the pillow between me and the cooler, so she gets the breeze.

It’s supposed to be the last of the Very Hot Days, and then we get a break for a bit. I’ve got the big fans going, but I’ve only managed to get it down to 81 inside, which does not bode well for a 90-degree day outside. And the humidity is already at 79%. With very poor air quality. I might have to run the air purifier for a bit.

When I came into the living room this morning, the ceiling fan was running. My mother is sure she turned it off when she went to bed last night (she was the last one out of the room). But it was on this morning, with Bea stretched out right underneath it. It’s entirely possible that Bea knows how to turn on the fan via the light switch. I’ve seen her climb up there before.

All I have on the agenda for today is the ghostwriting and some marketing for the Topic Workbooks. As soon as the ghostwriting goes out the door, I am going to lie on the couch with the coolers on and read a book. And ponder about the one-acts that I need to come up with to expand my portfolio. I need a couple of 30-minute plays and a couple of 40–45-minute plays. A couple more 10-minute comedies wouldn’t be out of place, either, especially with 2 or 3 characters, not my usual 5 or more. I’ll look at the prompts we created in the Williamstown Theatre workshop way back when FALL FOREVER was first conceived and see if any of those suit.

I’m grateful that I don’t have to be at the gallery for the installation. Much as I’m interested in learning how to install, I’m happy to have a little bit of time at home. I’ll practice my text piece tonight and tomorrow for Friday’s reading.

We’re halfway to Saturday, when I can finally take a long nap!

Have a good one!