Devon Ellington's Blog, page 50
November 22, 2023
Wed. Nov. 22, 2023: Pre-Holiday House Clean
image courtesy of Mohamed Hassan via pixabay.comWednesday, November 22, 2023
Waxing Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Snowy/rainy/raw/cold
I feel bad for all those traveling today in this weather. May their journeys be safe and less frustrating than expected.
Two serial episodes dropped today. The first is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 87: Infected by Dangerous Magic
Potentially deadly magic fells Gaston, and Lianna has to make a decision.
The second is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
Episode 37: On the Run With Jake
Jake forces Nina to go on the run with him.
I was out of the house early to do laundry yesterday; got it back, folded, put away, ate a quick breakfast, did some touch up painting, changed, then headed over to the Clark for a talk on their European Decorative Arts. It was absolutely fascinating. The stories behind the pieces always intrigue me, because, of course, the pieces tell stories about those connected to them. The curator did a wonderful job.
And the fancy, over-the-top piano? Since I first saw it, it’s been familiar and I’ve told myself it couldn’t be. Well, it is – it was commissioned by Henry Marquand in NYC in Victorian times, and then sat in the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway for years until the Clark bought it. At the time, it was the most expensive piano sale in history – 1.3 million dollars, through Christie’s. Now, of course, the unadorned piano on which John Lennon wrote “Imagine” sold for much more than that. But this piano is part of my personal history, and I’m glad I can visit it. And that I wasn’t imagining things!
After the talk, I bought a small wooden ornament in the gift shop that was so cute, I couldn’t resist, and he fits with our other little wooden ornaments. He’s resting on the mantel until we put up the tree this weekend.
Picked up an apple pie on the way home, and had trouble finding the ingredients I need for the gingerbread, so there might be some improvisation going on there. Went to two grocery stores and couldn’t find what I needed. Both stores were absolute chaos.
Home, quick lunch, did a small script coverage and some score sheets. Did some detail painting on the big creative project. Read a cozy mystery set in Cambridge (England, not MA) that was pretty good, but everything was a little too easy within it. Even though there were murders, there was no sense that the protagonist ever was under threat, and she was rescued, instead of rescuing herself and outsmarting the murderer, which didn’t really work for me. I liked it enough to order the first two books in the series, and see how they are, and to order the first book in the author’s other series.
Decided my Thanksgiving holiday started about mid-afternoon!
We’re clearing out the leftovers (eating them) to make room for . . . more leftovers from tomorrow!
Snow started in the early evening, and we had more than expected. I heard the plows work all night, and it switched over to rain at some point before I got up. Hopefully, most of it will wash away.
Today, I need to get some writing done, and then clean the house. I have some more detail painting to do. If the rain stops, I can take the pieces out on the porch and do the finishing spray; otherwise, that will have to wait until tomorrow or Friday.
I’m figuring out where and how to pack away a lot of our year-round tchotchkes, because rather than overcrowding, I want the winter holiday bits and bobs to be on their own. Since their number expands exponentially every year. I will probably tuck the year-round pieces in the closet in the sewing room that has all the holiday decorations in it, once we put them up.
I’ll be up early tomorrow to make the stuffing and get the bird in the oven. Looking forward to it.
Have a good one!
November 21, 2023
Tues. Nov. 21, 2023: The Cats Always Win
image courtesy of congerdesign via pixabay.comTuesday, November 21, 2023
Waxing Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Cloudy, cold, incoming storm
Hope you had a great weekend! We are in the part of the holiday season where things intensify.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 139: Royal Strategies
King Cordahan has a few surprises up his sleeve.
Friday morning, we were out the door early to head down to Lee and do the last bits of holiday gift shopping. There was traffic on the way down; not so much on the return trip. We’d hoped to stop at a place (along with our planned stops) that had Berkshire-specific gifts, but It wasn’t open, had no hours posted, and we weren’t going to wait around.
On the way back, made a stop at the library and the grocery store.
It was too late to get started on the painting when I got back, and several coverages were in my queue, so I focused on those instead. Didn’t get as much as I would have liked done, but got everything that was on deadline.
Saturday morning, I was out the door by 9:30 to drive down to Stockbridge for the Tribal Medicine Workshop. We’d been warned that it would be outside, and to dress appropriately. I thought I had, but it was still cold. Misty Cook, who led the workshop, is a good teacher and knows her stuff. I knew some of the material, from working with catnip and yarrow and bergamot, but there’s always more to learn, and I was honored that she taught us how to do the tobacco offerings.
However, by the end of it, I was thoroughly chilled, and happy to get back into the car and head home. Originally, I’d planned to stop and pick up a few things, but I was just too cold and uncomfortable, so I cranked up the heat and the radio in the car and came home.
There was a cold, raw rain coming and going, although the rain held off for the workshop itself.
Had soup and hot tea for lunch to warm up, then started painting. Got one batch of pieces done, front and back. In between, got some reading and puttering, and household chores done.
I’m trying to design the holiday décor on the mantel this year. I was looking at roundups of styles, and most of it, shall we say, is not me. Some of it was very much WTF are they thinking? But lots of it just wasn’t what I’m trying to do. Much of it was too stark and minimalist; other designs were so over the top that, again, it’s not what we enjoy.
I will, however, be packing quite a few bits and bobs away for the holidays, to make room for the holiday decorations. Let’s hope I remember where I put everything, come January.
Sunday morning, I kind of puttered and read the book for review. I mulled over the short story on which I’m working. I was grateful that I hadn’t signed up for Nano this year, because I would be a basket case. I did the finishing spray on the painting I’d done the previous day. I did the episode graphics for this week’s Legerdemain episodes, all the episode videos for the week, and uploaded/scheduled everything.
There was an extra yoga class mid-day, more about the philosophy behind yoga than the asanas, and that was interesting. It ran long, as discussions can do, and I ran a few errands on the way home.
Had a quick snack, and then we spread out and wrote the overseas cards. There weren’t that many, only 14 cards and one card/package combo between us. There have been years when I had nearly 100 overseas cards to write, but that was when I spent big chunks of time abroad. But getting them out before Thanksgiving means they actually have a chance to arrive by the holidays. We mailed them the Monday before Thanksgiving last year, and most of them arrived by December 20. I remember when it only took 5-7 days for an airmail card or letter to arrive!
Why DeJoy is still allowed to be Postmaster and destroy our mail service is beyond me.
Did a legs-up-the-wall yoga pose session for about 20 minutes in the evening. Most wall space here has bookcases, so I shut my bedroom door and used that. The way Charlotte carried on, you’d have thought I would never allow her back in the room. And we were both on the outside! It would have been far worse if she got shut inside.
National Novel Writing Month sent out an email about the recent controversy about grooming/inappropriate moderator contact with minors. The email itself was rather bland and vague, and I had to hunt down what was going on (ewww). The email was talking about moderators and making excuses for the project getting so big and unwieldy, instead of directly dealing with what got people angry.
There’s been a lot of lousy and inconsistent moderation for quite a few years, although I haven’t experienced it to the dangerous/inappropriate extent of what happened this year. I stopped going to the forums years ago, when any time I answered someone’s question with actual, you know, professional information, I was accused of self-promoting. Plus, way too many people were whining and complaining and making excuses rather than talking about writing and trying to encourage each other. I also noticed, in the past few years, more and more forums/participants deeply engaged in rightwing philosophies and evangelical religious work. Which meant they were deriding, cajoling, and harassing those of us on the pagan forums. Not that reporting it made any difference. I was also frustrated, a few years back, when the local liaison moved everything to her Discord server rather than keeping it on the Nano forum. I don’t WANT to have to sign in to Discord to chat with fellow participants. That’s why I’m signed onto the Nano site. I can either have a functioning computer, or I can have Discord on it. So I stopped being on the forums, and, a couple of years back, started the Enchanted Wordsmiths group for people who wanted to be accountable and chat about their work on the site, without the muck.
I think there are a lot of positive aspects of Nano, such as helping people get into the habit of consistent writing (which is necessary if you plan on this being your career rather than your hobby), but when you have a lot of people in a single location, there are going to be problems. What happened this year is a rather extreme example of that, and there need to be guardrails in place to prevent it from happening again.
This year was absolutely the right choice not to commit to it. I would be in such a state of stress and unhappiness. And, for me, once I make the commitment, quitting is not an option. Not hitting my goal is not an option. It all worked out for me this year, and I hope the organizers/board can sort things out so it’s a good experience for people moving forward.
Got the first coat painted on the next batch of projects.
Finally wrote down a flash fiction I’ve been rolling around in my head for weeks, did a bunch of revisions, and got it out the door (it was due Nov. 30). Wrote a short article. Wrote a book review, submitted it, invoiced the batch, and requested my next assignment.
Went to the library to pick up/drop off books. Headed for the post office to mail the overseas cards and the package. The cards will take approximately three to four weeks; the package, if we’re lucky, will arrive by Christmas Eve. The only way they would guarantee the package would arrive earlier is with a $200 surcharge. Um, no. As it was, the paperwork took 35 minutes (and I’d already filled out the Customs Forms before I got there).
So, my international friends, you’ll probably get your holiday cards – by New Year’s.
Guess next year, I’ll have to write the cards and put together the package in October and mail them the first week of November.
Kick DeJoy out. Enough already.
I want a forensic audit of the USPS books since he took office. Especially since postage is going up YET AGAIN in January.
Bought cute holiday stamps for the domestic cards.
Did the second coat of paint on the project batch.
Some of the books in the library stack are books that have been on hold for a good long time, like the new Ann Patchett novel, and I’m looking forward to them.
Willa didn’t get the attention she wanted, so she flipped over the water bowl, played in the puddle, and left wet pawprints all over the house. It was a mess, and took a minute (sarcasm) to clean up.
After lunch, flipped the batch over and did the first coat of paint on the back.
Tessa and I negotiated/fought over my computer desk chair. She decided she wanted it. I need it to work.
The cat always wins.
Cancelled my Goddess Provisions monthly subscription. It’s been five great years of amazing products. But there are no more curated boxes, and I don’t want/need doubles on anything. If there’s something I want, I can re-order through the boutique, or from the maker.
Did some script coverage. Did the last coat of paint on the batch. Received payment from the invoice I sent, and got my next book for review. My Kindle is being clunky. It’s from 2014 or 15, and Amazon wants me to buy a new one. But I like this one.
Attended a virtual public meeting about the redesign and upgrades to Natural Bridge State Park. I’m very impressed by the design and the thought and care that’s been put into it. The park has layers of history, along with being a marble quarry and having one of the few marble dams in the world. The meeting helped me understand a lot more about what goes into that type of design, and balancing modern accessibility needs and safety with honoring the history and the actual space.
Cooked dinner, got some reading done. Got an email that sends a lot of plans for next autumn into chaos. In addition to a date change being to the worst week of the year for me, it sets up a domino effect, because I’d been building around the original dates. But it’s not about me; I have to see what the group decision is, and then make my decisions based on balancing my needs and stress levels with what works for everyone involved. I can’t be in two places at the same time. Failed those bi-location exams. And that’s just the way it goes sometimes. I don’t have to make a final decision yet, and I don’t have enough information to make that decision. Emotions are a whole other story, but too bad for me.
A well-meaning (?) neighbor rang the doorbell after midnight, delivering a package that had been misdelivered. Great, but did it have to be after midnight? I had a hard enough time getting to sleep the first time, and a worse time getting back to sleep. And then the alarm went off at 5, because I had to get out of the house to the laundromat, and needed time to scrape down the car from the frost.
Laundromat was fine; got everything done and back. I have to paint edges on this batch this morning, and head out the door a little before 9:30. I’m attending a session at the Clark on their decorative arts collection. On the way back, I’ll pick up ingredients to make gingerbread, and maybe pick up an apple pie, rather than trying to make it. I couldn’t decide which to have for Thanksgiving, so we’re having both. When I get home, I have to paint details on this project batch, and do some more script coverage.
It would be nice to get some writing in there, too, in and around all the rest.
We have a storm coming in tonight, with 1-3 inches of snow predicted. Fortunately, I don’t have to go anywhere until tomorrow afternoon, once I get back from the Clark today.
The tags on the post aren’t holding. Oh, well.
Have a good one!
November 20, 2023
Mon. Nov. 20, 2023: Intent for the Week — Start Getting Cozy
image courtesy of Jill Wellington via pixabay.comIt’s getting colder and more raw out there, and here in the States, Thanksgiving is on Thursday.
My intent is to start getting cozy, and not to overbook myself for the holiday season. I want to actually enjoy everything, not run around and then feel like I’m behind all the time and get stressed.
This week, I want to start getting cozy.
What’s your intent?
November 17, 2023
Fri. Nov. 17, 2023: Commence the Holiday Card Writing
image courtesy of Myriams-Fotos via pixabay.comFriday, November 17, 2023
Waxing Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Cloudy and mild
We had frost this morning, and it’s supposed to hit 60F by noon. Wacky.
Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:
Episode 86: A Literal Demon
When it comes to Brian’s dad, the demon did as asked.
Tomorrow’s serial episode is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 36: Jake’s Back
Jake believes Nina is the only one who can save his life.
Meditation was good yesterday morning. Always a nice break in the week. I love my personal meditation practice, but doing it in community adds a layer. Even virtually, when it’s the right group.
After breakfast, I uploaded and scheduled two episodes of Legerdemain, getting me into mid-December. Not as far ahead as I’d like, but still, better than scrambling at the last minute. Wrote a bit on the weird Northumbria piece. The chapter on which I’m working will need restructuring, but, for the moment, I want to get through it and move on. I did a couple of scoring sheets and a quick coverage.
Then, I spent about 2 ½ hours on the nonwriting project. Made the pieces I think I need; have the materials in case I need some more. Today, I should be able to start painting.
The organza gift bags I ordered arrived. I can start packing presents this weekend and next week.
Read for a bit, and then headed off to a double yoga session. It was good, but man, she worked us in that lower back clinic! Thank goodness we had gentle yoga after.
Picked up takeout on the way home.
Read for a bit, to finish a book I’d begun and paused when I decided to read THE HOUSEKEEPERS (which I loved). Sadly, this book was mediocre and disappointing. I kept getting too far ahead of it. From someone whose publisher gives a huge amount of publicity.
Slept well, although my bad hip gave me some pain (from class, where we worked on it) Stretched it out again in this morning’s practice, and that felt better. My arms and hands and midback hurt from the nonwriting project, but it’s good to use a different batch of muscles than sitting at the computer all day.
On today’s agenda: we head to Lee to do the last of our holiday shopping. I do some writing first (starting with Legerdemain). Then, I alternate painting with script coverage – do a coat of paint, do a script coverage, and so forth and so on. On the way back from Lee, I also have to stop at the library to drop off/pick up books.
Tomorrow, I have a Native Herbal Medicine class in the morning in Stockbridge. I considered making another couple of stops, since I’m down in that direction, but the weather’s going to turn, so I’ll probably come right back to complete the painting and add the finishing coat.
Sunday, I’m supposed to be in about five different places, and since I haven’t mastered bi-(multi?) locating or cloning, so that’s not happening. The priority on Sunday is writing the overseas cards, because they have to go out on Monday.
In and around everything else this weekend, there’s writing that needs to happen, and, preferably, some edits on CAST IRON MURDER, if I can fit them in.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side!
November 16, 2023
Thurs. Nov. 16, 2023: A Scurry of Squirrels
image courtesy of Jon Pauling via pixabay.comThursday, November 16, 2023
Waxing Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Cloudy and cold
The latest on the garden is over on Gratitude and Growth.
Today’s serial episode is Legerdemain.
Episode 138: Strategizing with Taz
Taz gives Shelley a realistic picture of threats to Legerdemain and beyond.
Yesterday was a little scattered. My brain felt like a scurry of squirrels got loose in it and ran rampant in all directions.
I got the laundry done early, and then folded and put away. I ordered more of the supplies I needed for the nonwriting project; then we hightailed it down to Pittsfield to pick them up, and stop at HomeGoods to pick up a couple of things we knew they carried, and didn’t feel like looking for elsewhere.
I turned around a scoring sheet, and then settled in to the Llewellyn 2025 Almanac edits my editor needs by Thanksgiving. She gave me only a few tweaky notes, which are much appreciated. Seven notes on a total of 25 short pieces. I found one other thing I thought we should adjust, to keep things consistent, and brought that up. The rest was proofing, and it looks good. I’m excited about these pieces.
After that, it was too late to start anything that needed intense concentration, so I continued reading THE HOUSEKEEPERS by Alex Hay, which is just a delightful and surprising novel.
Headed out for tarot circle. There were a lot of people there today, some of whom I hadn’t met before. The discussions are always fascinating, intense, and layered.
Home, had time to heat up leftovers for dinner (it’s all leftovers all the time until Thanksgiving, and after that, you guessed it, more leftovers).
Jeremy’s cooking class was good; it was on knife sharpening, and discussions of other classes. It’s a good group. This was our last class for a bit, which is fine. We all have lots of holiday prep (although only about three of us, including Jeremy, are cooking the full dinner next week).
After class, I stayed up to finish THE HOUSEKEEPERS, and then went to bed.
Pulled myself out of a dream I didn’t want to be in during the night. It wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t where I wanted to be. Went back to sleep for a bit, in spite of Charlotte and Tessa fussing at me, and got up at the usual time.
On today’s agenda: meditation, writing, editing/posting Legerdemain episodes, promoting today’s episode (and yesterday’s Process Muse – I didn’t make the rounds for that, oops), a score sheet, a small coverage, and then as much on the nonwriting project as I can before a double session of yoga.
Better get going then, hadn’t I? Have a good one. It’s supposed to get up to 60 degrees tomorrow, and there was frost on the windshield this morning.
November 15, 2023
Wed. Nov. 15, 2023: Thinking Leads To. . .
image courtesy of Arek Socha via pixabay.comWednesday, November 15, 2023
Waxing Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Sunny and cold
On today’s Process Muse, we’re talking about Creativity Altars. You can read and comment here.
Today, we have two serial episodes dropping.
The first is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 85: Like a Crushed Tomato Truck
Gaston uses glamoury to hide the carnage.
The second is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 35: Working the Band Gig
Nina crews for her friend Randi’s band until her work is interrupted by Jake.
Yesterday was sort of hit and miss in the productivity department, although I’m glad my schedule is flexible enough so I can do that. I alternated writing with working on the test pieces on the non-writing creative project.
On the writing front, I got the blog up. I wrote a partial Legerdemain episode, and paused at a point where I needed to choreograph a fight scene and need to figure out a way to make it comic as well as action-based AND drive the plot forward. I did some work on the weird Northumbria mixed genre piece, and did a scoring sheet. Then, a coverage came in, and I turned that around. I wrote over 2K of new material, but because I spent so much time on non-writing projects, it felt like I hadn’t done much.
On the non-writing front, I experimented with layers of paint, color, techniques. Because of the medium onto which I’m painting, it needs multiple coats. Some of the colors aren’t what I feel looks best – the silver is a particular disappointment. Part of my problem is that I have cheap brushes, because I didn’t want to make the investment yet. But they basically disintegrate between uses, even when carefully cleaned, so I’m having to do workarounds.
I alternate between being really happy how they’re turning out and wondering if they look like a craft project from kids’ summer camp.
Reworked the poem “Night Walk” and actually submitted it to an anthology call in the UK. It’s probably premature to submit any poetry, but the theme really spoke to me, so I figured why not give it a shot? I’ve worked and reworked the poem over several weeks. And now it’s out the door.
Had to do some research on some runes. I needed some runes with specific meaning, and completely blanked out. I’ve worked with runes long enough to know the meanings. Once I looked them up, it came back, but I had to go and look them up.
If you missed the whole “skydiving babies” bit on Bluesky, it was whacky and funny and out of control. Thoroughly enjoyable, and not something that can be explained for the jokes to work.
My keyboard is being funky this morning. Uh oh.
I was thinking about the writers who initially inspired me, like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lousia May Alcott, Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, etc. Then I started thinking about the women forgotten by history, about whom I’ve written plays: Kate Warne, Jeanne de Clisson, Giulia Tofana, Lavinia Fontana, Canaletto’s sisters, Susanna Centlivre, Isabella Goodwin, Dawn Powell, Marie Corelli, and those I still want to write about, like Anna Katherine Green and Marie Bancroft, and the various supporting actresses in Kit Cornell’s touring company. How to honor them?
I considered printing out photos and/or sketches, but wall space is mostly used for bookcases. Then, I thought about those tiny frames. I could nestle them in bookcases. Then, I remembered, in one of my multitude of holiday decorating books, seeing a tree made out of wooden spoons, and I thought, that makes sense. Forgotten women, wooden spoons, spoons as wands, kitchen, women’s work not recognized.
I could get those tiny photo ornaments you hang on trees and use those. Only there are a lot of them, so I’d have to make a bigger tree, such as gluing two spoons bowl to bowl to make it taller, and then the smaller spoons as branches. Which means a bigger base. Which could be an upside-down wooden bowl – again, bowls are often associated with women and their unrecognized work.
I was rattling on about it to an artist acquaintance who said, “You know this is an art piece, right?”
I hadn’t thought of it in those terms, but I guess she is right. Something to work on after the holidays, gathering inexpensive wooden spoons (and then, do I paint them?) and a bowl from a thrift store, etc.
NOT something I can do before the holidays.
It doesn’t have to be a winter holiday piece; it’s relevant any time.
I could probably get a small wire tree, but the wooden spoons have more meaning.
“That’s part of what makes it an art piece,” my acquaintance said. “Choosing elements for their meaning.”
Oh. Okay.
Got some reading done in the evening. Slept well. Up early and out the door to the laundromat. The machine was out of quarters, so I had to use the card reader, which always worries me, so I’ll have to keep an eye on my card withdrawals for the next few weeks, to make sure the information wasn’t captured and misused. I prefer using quarters.
I started reading a wonderful book there called THE HOUSEKEEPERS by Alex Hay. Every chapter has wonderful surprises. It’s a delight.
Home, put the finishing spray on the backs of the test pieces. I think they work. I’ll move forward with the rest of the project. If I can get the materials, I should be able to finish it this weekend. Along with finishing the overseas cards.
On today’s agenda: writing, working on the Llewellyn almanac edits, maybe getting some work done on the non-writing creative project, tarot circle, cooking class. Oh, and folding/putting away the laundry!
Better get to it!
November 14, 2023
Tues. Nov. 14, 2023: The Joy of a Flexible Schedule
image courtesy of Nick Collins via pixabay.comTuesday, November 14, 2023
Waxing Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Snowy and cold
Yes, it snowed! Just a dusting, making the neighborhood look very pretty.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 137: Jed and Sebastian Face Their Realities
Love can’t always conquer all.
Friday was not as productive as I hoped. While we don’t have the constant daily 6AM – 2AM year-round leaf blowers and chainsaws going here the way we did on Cape Cod, it is the end of autumn and they are doing the leaf cleanup. So Friday morning was a barrage of horrible noise that interfered with my ability to work.
I managed to slog through a bunch of admin that needed my attention, but I didn’t really want to do. But it was necessary, and now it is done.
I received information from the previous day’s health insurance webinar, and printed that out. I will go over it before I make appointments or ask questions.
I started doing some web design stuff, but the instructions and what came up on my screen didn’t match, which was frustrating. I want to have a section of my website to have a very different look than the rest, but I don’t think the template gives me those options. And a lot of what I want to do can only be done on a “posts” page, so it makes me wonder if I should do a completely different subdomain.
I have to think about it.
Once the leaf blowing noise quieted down, it was so late, I’d lost my best working hours. It was exhausting.
Had a quick bite for lunch and headed over to the Clark for the rare book talk. I got there early (of course) and sat in one of the tall booths reading art books and the latest NEW YORKER.
The talk itself was very different than I expected, but good. One of the librarians gave it. It was listed as a “rare book” talk built around World War I, but it was more about the ephemera and prints than books. Which was fine, but different.
The talk was packed; I’d gotten an email that it was full and there was a waitlist. I learned a lot of tidbits of information I didn’t previously know, which will be useful when I least expect it.
And it makes me more eager than ever to spend some time researching in the library.
Swung by the grocery store on the way back for a small shop. Just kind of puttered around in the couple of hours after I was home, feeling like Friday was a lost day. Especially since I wrote less than 1000 words.
Received my edits and proofs for the 2025 almanac, which my editor needs before Thanksgiving. I usually don’t get them until late January/early February. So I guess I know what I’ll be doing this week. She loves the pieces, which is great, because I wasn’t sure I’d hit them right this go-round. There aren’t a ton of notes, so it shouldn’t take me too long, provided I proof properly.
Read in the evening, which got some ideas spinning.
Up at the usual time on Saturday, fed the cats, read a bit. Wrote an insert scene for GAMBIT COLONY, a project on which I’ve been working on for years, which might or might not see the light of day. I really want to go back and do more work on it – it’s my stress relief project, and I tend to want to work on it in winter, when I’m in hibernation mode. But it can’t take priority over other projects. I did, however, spend too much time re-reading the latest draft of the first book in the series.
Scanned and sent a zipped file of slow cooker recipes to a friend who just got a slow cooker. She’s in for a treat! Slow cookers are so great when you have a busy day and come home tired. Toss everything in before you go to work, and you have a tasty meal when you get home.
Drafted an episode of Legerdemain.
Teak-oiled the bistro table. Once it dried, I rearranged the tables on the front porch, so the bistro table could go out there, and the small red table were the small Yule tree goes, and rearranged some of the other plant tables in the house. Scrubbed and disinfected one side of one of the balcony rugs; it took all afternoon to dry. Did some other household chores.
Read. A 24-hour turnaround coverage came in after dinner, so that dictated Sunday. Coverage still isn’t up to what it was pre-strike, and I had two workdays with no coverage work last week, so I took it.
Up at the usual time on Sunday. Made some more notes for GAMBIT COLONY. Drafted an episode of Legerdemain. Did the big rush coverage job. Scrubbed the second side of the rug. Figured out some crafty stuff I want/need to do in the next couple of weeks, but now I have to get the materials to run tests and see if they work. I have some of the materials; if I can get my hands on the rest and run tests this week, I can do them over next weekend.
Of course, I completely forgot that I was supposed to write the overseas cards THIS weekend, because I have to mail them a week from yesterday, but I’ll get it done this week. There aren’t that many anymore, sadly. Some people have died, some have gone out of touch.
Did the episode graphics for Legerdemain, and all of the episode videos for all three serials. Got those uploaded and scheduled.
Charlotte woke me up at 3:30 on Monday morning and was a pain in the everything. I finally fell asleep again and overslept. Wrote an article.
Put in the order for the craft materials, for pickup. It came through quickly, but I had to pick them up all the way in Pittsfield. It was a pretty day, so my mom decided to come along for the ride.
On the way, she wanted to stop at a particular thrift store; we found some lids and cute candleholders. We went to pick up the craft materials, and then I stopped in another store and grabbed some ribbon. Drove back up, went to a local store to pick up a gift for a cousin, stopped at a thrift store where I got a Santa flying over a village; stopped at another store where I got the bags for the cookie platters. Stopped at the library to drop off/pick up books.
Phew.
Unpacked everything, had lunch, turned around a batch of scoring sheets.
Willa decided she is sick and tired of Charlotte being the Princess in the kitty condo all the time, and staked a claim. She and Charlotte Had Words. But no smacks.
Then, I stripped down the kitchen table, covered it with butcher block paper, and got to work. I was basically running experiments, to see if this first batch of objects would work. They look like they turned out well, but I’ll know better once I paint them today, if they are what I want for this particular project.
It started snowing while I worked. Amazing how quickly the weather turned.
Once the pieces were done and drying/cooling, I put the table back together so it was a place to eat again. Made the hunter’s pasta I like so much, with mushrooms and prosciutto. Read in the evening, but was tired and went to bed early.
Slept through the night. Up at the regular time. This morning, I will alternate writing/turning around the almanac edits with painting. By tomorrow, I should be able to put the finishing spray on the pieces, and then we’ll see if we move forward with this project or not. I’m hoping it’s a “move forward” and I can actually finish it this weekend, along with the overseas cards.
It snowed overnight, just a bit. It’s supposed to alternate snow and rain today. I’m staying home and working.
In other words, even though I’m keeping track of word count, this is not a typical month, because there are so many non-writing things involved. I probably won’t get an accurate word count until January.
But then, in the life of a freelancer, there’s a lot of fluctuation.
Gotta hit the page this morning: At least one Legerdemain episode needs to be written, not to mention all the other projects needing attention, and I need to slot in stuff based on time and deadlines.
Have good one!
November 13, 2023
Mon. Nov. 13, 2023: Intent for the Week — Ride That New Moon Energy!
image courtesy of Michael Skale via pixabay.comToday is the new moon in Scorpio. Look out!
Seriously, though, it’s an energetic and creative moon, albeit a tad turbulant, so step in, step up, and go for it!
November 10, 2023
Fri. Nov. 10, 2023: Rare Books Beckon
image courtesy of PublicDomainPictures via pixabay.comFriday, November 10, 2023
Waning Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Cloudy and cold
Although tomorrow is technically Veterans’ Day, many businesses around here are closed today, and good for them.
Today’s serial episode is from Angel Hunt:
Episode 84: The Demon Steps In
The demon arrives to join the fight. So does Lianna’s attacker.
Tomorrow’s serial episode is from Deadly Dramatics:
Episode 34: Nina Explains the Hands
Nina’s theatre training gives her the skills to see through the Carl Dario disguise.
Meditation was good. Charlotte was delighted, because, you know, Zoom.
I revised, edited, polished, uploaded, and scheduled four more Legerdemain episodes, which gets me into the first week of December. Not as far ahead as I’d like, but I’m getting there.
That took most of the morning. Then, I had the health care webinar, sponsored by Assets4Artists, which was very helpful. We’re in open enrollment now, and I have to get off my duff and find a local doctor.
After the webinar was over, I prepared the ingredients for the crockpot cassoulet and got that started.
Then, it was back to the desk to turn around a short coverage and a couple of score sheets.
I headed out to yoga; double session last night. We had the lower back clinic first, and then gentle yoga.
Home, and the cassoulet was ready. This was definitely a stripped-down version, for the crockpot. It was okay, but not wonderful. Sadly, we have lots of leftovers, so we’ll be eating it for a while. I might pick up a ciabatta or some garlic bread to pair with it for the coming days.
Word count new material: 1299
Word count edited material: 4041
Re-reading YOU’LL NEVER EAT LUNCH IN THIS TOWN AGAIN, which I originally read when it came out (1991) to get more of a sense of producing, and the misogyny talented women in Hollywood dealt with (and still do). I was early in my career then, just about to make the leap from part-time office jobs to support the every-night-at-the-theatre jobs to off-Broadway work without the supporting office or temp jobs. Now, that I’ve had several decades of a career, I’m reading it with a very different perspective. There are many more red flags in it (and I’m looking at the author as unreliable narrator, which one kind of has to, in a memoir). And how did she get anything done with all the drugs she did? I’m also wary because she took “instant dislike” to a lot of people with whom I worked and had good, or at least decent, experiences. (I did not know them at the time I first read the book).
The misogyny, however, remains unchanged.
My copy is in storage, so this is a library copy, which I ordered to re-read based on a comment in Cybill Shepherd’s memoir, which I probably wouldn’t have ordered if it wasn’t for a comment in Larry McMurtry’s memoir. That’s what’s great about reading, how one book leads to another and another and another.
Slept pretty well. Up at the regular time this morning. I need to have strong focus this morning, because I have to leave at 1 for the Clark. I’m going to a rare book seminar that’s fully booked. Hello, masking. And we even have our own section of the parking lot. Looking forward to it. You know me. Anything with old or rare books, and I’m salivating.
But I need to have a productive morning, because I don’t know how much I’ll be able to do once I get back.
This weekend, I plan to do some writing and some home-and-hearth stuff, and we plan to write the overseas holiday cards. If we’re on a roll, we might write some of the others, too, but just not mail them yet. The weather will be questionable, so I doubt I’ll do much out-and-about. I also have to read the next book for review. At some point, today or tomorrow, I have to do the episode videos for next week’s serial releases and get them uploaded/scheduled. And work ahead on Process Muse.
But first, it’s back to the page.
Have a great weekend, and we’ll catch up next week!
November 9, 2023
Thurs. Nov. 9, 2023: This and That
image courtesy of pixabay via pexels.comThursday, November 9, 2023
Waning Moon
Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
I can’t believe it’s Thursday again.
You can read about the latest on the garden at Gratitude and Growth. The look of the template has spontaneously changed; I have no idea why, and not the time to mess with it. It’s fine. A little less simple than I usually use, but I can live with it for the moment.
Over on Ink-Dipped Advice, I talk about the concept of building a life you don’t need a vacation from. You can read that here.
Today’s serial episode is from Legerdemain:
Episode 136: Sebastian Reveals Part of His Past
Sebastian denies being the elusive Scythe
I wrote the second chapter of the weird cross genre piece. This was more difficult, but it was still fun. I need to start a series bible and tracking sheets for it. It’s definitely a viable project, provided I can make the final third work.
I had a conversation with a fellow artist about creating a “secret page” on one (or more) of my websites for newsletter subscribers. It could hold material such as pre-release of short story or novella tie-ins, or any other material. It’s simple enough to do; the question is do I want to do it? It’s sort of like putting certain material behind a paywall on Substack, only it’s not a paywall. I’ve visited author sites that had a “secret room” and few of them really worked for me.
I really would want to work on the design elements and make it look and feel like a secret library room. I’d want space for special promotions, but also hide fun little things, almost like putting up a game. And the thought of all that work is a little much right now.
Wrote an article, and got that out the door.
Pulled stuff in from the balcony, to get everything wrapped up for winter. The details are over on the garden blog (link above). That didn’t take long, but more time than I expected, plus the cleaning that had to start right away, and the rearranging. But with a storm coming in, I wanted to make sure it was done. Our lives revolve a lot more on weather here than they did in New York, where people simply overcome the weather whenever possible.
Did a run to the library and the post office.
Home, and that was kind of it for me for the day. I had the pre-storm headache, and it pretty much derailed my day. I wrote about five drafts of the flash fiction in my head. Maybe today or tomorrow, something will get down on paper. Since I only have 250 words with which to work, I will probably overwrite, and then cut, and then switch out words for better words.
Read CYBILL DISOBEDIENCE, Cybill Shepherd’s memoir that was published in 2000. I never worked with her; I met her once, when she came to see John Heard in the Arthur Miller play I worked on at Manhattan Theatre Club. She and John had done a movie together shortly before. She stopped by wardrobe to chat (everyone chats with wardrobe, at least the good ones, because they know they can’t do their thing if we don’t do ours, and we take care of everyone, physically and psychologically). She was very kind to me; I had had rather a rough day. Even though I tried to hide it, she picked up on it. I’d heard all kinds of stories about her (as one does about women in the business who don’t allow people to walk all over them), but my experience with her was positive. So it was interesting to read the memoir, and see where we’d worked with some of the same people over the years.
Didn’t feel up to going to tarot. Stayed home and made henhouse pie instead (shepherd’s pie, but with chicken instead of beef). It turned out well.
Jeremy’s class was about the pantry. Mine is In good shape, and I keep it organized similarly to the way he suggests. The only thing I’ll change moving forward is keeping my rye flour in the fridge instead of in the pantry. If I can fit the jar in the fridge.
He brought up a really good point: Cupboards and pantries are for movement, not storage. If you “store” something, you’re not going to use it. You want to keep things moving, so there’s less waste, and what you eat is fresh. I love having a very full pantry and full cupboards, but I’m getting better at moving things through, while still keeping things stocked.
Next week is all about knives, which is a class I’m really looking forward to.
There were snow flurries when I went to bed. It changed over to heavy rain in the night. Now it’s a kind of a sleety mix. It’s supposed to switch back over to snow. I like to lie in bed and listen to the rain. The cats, however, wanted their breakfast.
I’m happy that our mayor was re-elected. Still waiting to hear who got the City Council seats. I’m pleased at the results in Ohio and Kentucky and Virginia and the court in Pennsylvania.
The SAG-AFTRA strike seems to be over; friends are preparing to go to work. Hopefully, that means more (and better-paying) coverage coming in.
I have meditation this morning, a health insurance webinar at noon, and then double yoga session tonight. After the webinar, I’m making a stripped-down version of cassoulet in the crockpot, which will be ready when I get back from yoga.
In between that, I need to revise, polish, upload, and schedule some more Legerdemain episodes, maybe do some more work on the weird cross-genre piece, maybe draft the flash fiction. I also need to turn around a script coverage and a couple of score sheets. I doubt I will get any edits on CAST IRON MURDER done (although I’ll edit Legerdemain).
Yesterday’s word count for new material was 3376.
Onward.
