Suzette Haden Elgin's Blog, page 8

Thursday...

One of the things that I have to focus on rigorously as I'm writing the new novel -- and that slows me down -- is the fact that Terran linguists interacting with nonhumanoid ETs would never be able to trust their reactions to the ETs' nonverbal communication (NVC). NVC that from another Terran might mean good feeling and rapport and relaxed vibes could very well have a radically different meaning coming from the nonhumanoid ET. Which would complicate fieldwork enormously. The ET consultant mi...

Wednesday...

George did come home exhausted from Fayetteville yesterday afternoon, and almost immediately fell asleep in his chair and napped for two hours. It's a magic chair; although he has typical elderly-trouble sleeping at night, he can always fall asleep if he sits in that chair. I, on the other hand, am blessed with the ability to sleep soundly at night, and if you were ever to find me asleep in the daytime you could be sure that I was sick. I never go to sleep in the daytime unless I'm sick.

Yeste...

Tuesday...

I will admit, right up front, that I'm lonely when George goes to Fayetteville. We've been married forty-six years; I'm used to having him around. It's true that every morning [except on Sunday, and except when he goes to Fayetteville:] he goes into town and makes his rounds, but he's usually home sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. When he goes to Fayetteville he often doesn't get back until after 2:00 p.m. And I'm like Sheba; I miss him.

However, I don't want to give you a false impre...

Monday and a bit of Tuesday; postscript...

Here's the recipe for the chicken:

George's Oven Chicken


INGREDIENTS

3 large skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Chef Prudhomme's seasoning mix, "Meat Magic," to taste
2 to 3 TBSP salt for brining


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the chicken in a container with a lid, water to cover, and the salt; brine for at least an hour.

2. Spread out a sheet of aluminum foil, and [with tongs:] lay the chicken breasts on it, backside down.

3. Cover most of the seasoning mix dispenser lid with your thumb; shake dispenser over the...

Monday and a bit of Tuesday...

Tomorrow -- Tuesday -- George will be going to Fayetteville to do the grocery shopping for the items we can't get locally [including, needless to say, the wine we drink with dinner, since we live in a dry county:]. This will totally disrupt Sheba's day. She doesn't feel that I'm qualified to take her for her 11:30 a.m. walk, for one thing. And she absolutely will not eat her lunch when George is away. She'll eat her quarter-teaspoon of vitamins -- she loves her vitamins -- but not her lunch. W...

Saturday; postscript to the postscript...

If I tried to respond to each of the comments about Sheba and the Stupid Game, I would be repeating myself over and over. I think it would be better for me to use this postscript instead and say a heartfelt "Thank you for your comment!" just once. So here goes:

"Thank you for your comment!"

Sunday...

We've made it through another week, and back to my day off again, and so far no one has said "Lord, your life is boring!" For which I am sincerely grateful. And I am way behind in my responses to your comments -- especially the ones about the Stupid Game that Sheba and I play in the mornings. I'll try to catch up a bit today.

We have another dry and sunny day predicted today; thank you, Providence. George mowed our lawn yesterday, and he has been spraying plants down at Michael's place that a...

Saturday; postscript...

That Stupid Game I play with Sheba goes like this, but you have to be there to get the full effect:


Verbal

1. Let's play Bawnkee-Bawnkee! Here we go!
Bawnkee-Bawnkee-Bawnkee!

2. Here we go!
Bawnkee-Bawnkee-Bawnkee!

3. And another one!
Bawnkee-Bawnkee-Bawnkee!

4. And another one!
Bawnkee-Bawnkee-Bawnkee!

5. Last one, last one!
Bawnkee-Bawnkee-Bawnkee!
Gotcha! Gotcha!

6. Good little dog!
Go get George!


Nonverbal

1. With each of the "stanzas" I cover her up completely with my blanket.

2. With the two "gotchas", ...

Saturday...

George turns on the lights -- and National Public Radio -- at five minutes till six. I'm always awake a bit before that, and so the first thing I do each day is pray this prayer:

Holy One,
thank you for bringing us safely
through the day and night just past.
Thank you for the new day you have given us.
Help us to use it joyfully and productively;
bless the work we do this day.
Watch over us,
and watch over this sweet world;
for the sake of the innocents,
that have had no part in our failed stewardship,...

Friday...

Well, at last! The thunderstorms have come to an end, and they're predicting at least four or five days of dry hot weather. I am so very glad. The stormy spell was finished off with an unusual twist last night -- a 2.6 earthquake near Bentonville. A big enough quake that people actually felt it, and not way out in the woods where there was nobody around to feel it, which is the more usual situation in this area. We didn't feel it here at our place ... too far away. The last time I encountered...