Tuesday, February 4, 2025: Riding the Rollercoaster
image courtesy of Jan Korte via pixabay.comTuesday, February 4, 2025
Waxing Moon
Mars Retrograde
Jupiter DIRECT as of this morning
Rainy and milder
I hope you had a good weekend. Pull up with your favorite beverage; this is a long one.
The Community Tarot Reading for the week is up here. We’re using the Cozy Witch Tarot for February.
With great trepidation, I coaxed the car to the inspection station, where it. . .passed? I have no idea how that happened, although the dashboard did not scream, blink, or tell me anything was wrong with it as I drove. It doesn’t feel quite right, but it drove, it passed, and I have no idea why. But it passed. I still want to take it in for a diagnostic, when I have some money from the ghostwriting assignment, because I don’t feel comfortable driving it.
I got home, had the adrenalin crash, and was perplexed.
I wrote and submitted the book review. My editor is ill, so it will be a few days before I get the next assignment. It’s more important that she gets healthy.
I submitted proposals for two different commissions by the same organization (per their instructions). Because nothing ventured, and all that.
I worked on the ghostwriting project, and made some progress, but not as much as I would have liked.
Another plane crash, this time in Philadelphia, and a private citizen with no vetting now has complete access to the U.S. Treasury. Good work, those of you who couldn’t be bothered to vote out of pretended purity.
Read for pleasure in the evening, had trouble getting to sleep. Charlotte was a pain in the butt. I kicked her out of the room at one point, but she howled so much I was afraid she upset the neighbors and let her back in.
Up at the usual time on Saturday. It was snowing. But I hauled out the rolly cart and went to the new location for the Farmer’s Market. Eggs from my favorite guy who sells eggs were almost the same price as always, which used to be a little more than the grocery store, and are now about 75 cents less a dozen that at the store, so I bought 2 dozen. Bought some maple syrup, and some bread. It was fun to know so many vendors, and to know a good many of the other shoppers! I love living in a small city.
Dragged the cart through the unshovelled, unplowed streets (it wasn’t supposed to snow until late Saturday night, but no one told the clouds that). Unpacked everything. I was worried all the bumpty-bump would crack the eggs rolling home, but they were fine. Did some work on the ghostwriting project. The snow stopped, so I dug out the car with the intent of going to the grocery store – only the coolant light was flashing and screaming again. So I didn’t go anywhere. I couldn’t drag the cart a three-mile round trip, especially since it started snowing again.
Kept working on the ghostwriting project, and was really happy with the day’s work. I did a lot, but once I got into the flow, it went well. I rearranged a few things, too.
Heated up leftovers for dinner, and read for pleasure in the evening. Bea spent most of the day on the top of the sofa, curled up on a blanket, looking out at the snow.
According to some Celtic traditions, in addition to being Imbolc, February 1 is also the day of the Cailleach, the Winter Hag. She runs out of firewood by February 1. If it’s sunny, she’s out gathering more, and there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If it’s overcast and she oversleeps, we will have an early spring.
Since yesterday was sunny WHILE it snowed, I’m not sure what the heck is going on. However, the cats are shedding tumbleweed amounts of fur and are running around with spring fever. So I don’t think we have 6 more weeks of winter. I’m figuring 3 or 4 more. Which reminded me to put in the Chewy order.
Did some ancestor work. Working with the same group of ancestors I with whom I worked as I learned last year is a good choice, because I can go deeper. I can see patterns, connections, do genealogical and historical research, and get more texture to it all, which makes it relevant to life right now.
Did my Imbolc ritual.
Slept reasonably well. Up at the normal time, fed everyone, meditated. We had pancakes for breakfast, with our favorite syrup from the farmers’ market. I posted the Imbolc reading, using a tarot spread I created called Brigid’s Cauldron, which you can read here. I used the Robin Wood deck for it, one of my favorites. It was far more positive a spread than I expected, meant to help navigate between now and the Spring Equinox. I did the Community Tarot Reading for the week (using the Cozy Witch Tarot) and scheduled it to post yesterday morning. I headed down to Cumberland Farms at the bottom of the street to pick up a few things until I can get to the grocery store tomorrow. I walked in the street because the sidewalks were in bad shape. The crows had a fit. They yelled at me and stayed closer than usual the whole way there and back. They really think I’ll be hit by a car every time I put a toe into the street.
Spectrum raised my internet rate, without the necessary 30-day notice required by law. And it’s ridiculous to pay more when my router is doing less. Received another package that only had a partial order in it, only according to the tracking, the order was supposed to arrive on Monday.
The Chewy order was set to arrive on Monday, too.
I finished the draft of the ghostwriting project. I feel good about the work, and am at the point where I need the team’s feedback in order to move forward.
Read for pleasure on Sunday night. I’ve finished reading the Richard Jury series. The last book I liked more than the previous five or so, even though I disagree with her loathing of her female characters. But I’ve learned a lot. I skimmed the first two books set in a place I adore in the UK (by a different author, who will remain nameless here). I was absolutely disgusted with her pagan-bashing and the circle of series villains she created. I put the books down, will return them, and not read any more of her work. Right wing crap, even for the UK.
Next on the agenda is to re-read Elizabeth George’s Lynly series. Her book on writing, WRITE AWAY! Is one of my favorites to re-read.
Sunday into Monday, dreamed I lived in the alternate timeline, where Kamela Harris was president. I was very grumpy to wake up in this one. Did the morning rounds of contacting my elected officials. They have the power to remove Scott Bessant from Treasury and exile Musk, no matter what That Thing declares on his way off to golf. I also let Kirsten Gillibrand know I’m embarrassed I ever voted for her when I lived in NY, since she betrayed everyone by voting for Bessant.
Jamie Dimon could actually pretend like he cares about his profession and the country and do something positive for once in his life, but instead told people to “get over” their response to tariffs. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There is no human on this planet I loathe more than Jamie Dimon.
I heard a rumor that there have been 5 plane crashes in 4 days, not 2, but have not been able to reliably confirm that yet.
Monday morning, I tightened the piece for the ghostwriting client, proofed it, checked it against the style guide, and sent it off. They said I’d get revision notes by Friday; if it takes them that long, I will have to ask for an extension of the next deadline, because I can’t turn it around in 3 working days. But we’ll see what happens. They usually respond pretty quickly, so I’m hoping it get it, by, say Wednesday.
My problematic client was late paying again, but it got here, and I transferred it to the bank. Still none of the promised work for this month from them. I contacted my state reps about actions they can and should take in this ridiculous power grab (thank you, Courtney Milan, for drafting excellent text). I started discussions with the gallery in which I will participate in an art show in August. I need to get back to my sketches this week.
My brain was tired, and I had trouble concentrating on other work. There were plenty of things I SHOULD do, but my brain ached. I rested for a bit, cooked an early dinner (maybe it was really a late lunch).
I put on Real People Clothes, slapped on some makeup, and headed down to Bright Ideas Brewing, where the artist cohort was having a hangout session. It was great to talk to people about various projects, concerns, and what’s going on. I had one small (5 oz) drink, since I was headed to a meeting, and didn’t want to show up at City Hall smelling like the brewery (Altoids are my friend).
Walked the block or so to City Hall. There were several of us wandering the halls in search of the meeting, and we’d all been told different room numbers. We finally found the correct room. And the meeting was cancelled because they didn’t have a quorum. I felt bad for those presenting a project. One of my city councilors was there (for whom I voted) and asked if I was interested in joining the commission. We sat and talked; there are two vacancies on this particular commission, and he recommended me. He also recommended me to the library board, once there is a vacancy. These are mayoral appointments, so I probably have a few more hoops to jump through. In any case, if I’m appointed, I will actually show up when I’m supposed to. Turns out this councilperson and I moved to town the same month of 2021, and have a lot in common. We talked about ways to put our energy and concern with what’s happening with the country at large into positive work within the local community. He and his business partner are opening a place on Eagle Street next month, which will be a bakery/coffee shop by day and a cocktail lounge at night. Which sounds like the kind of place I will spend a lot of time in.
It all happened very fast, but I’m reliable and do the work, so if I can be useful here, I think that’s worth my time and energy. It’s DOING something, not waiting for someone else to do something.
Got some reading done in the evening. Went to bed early.
So all this chaos and illegal power grab has direct correlation to the way Congress sat with their thumbs up their collective ass for much of the last few years. Not just refusing to prosecute That Thing (who got played by Mexico and Canada yesterday, and only “won” in the sense of destroying good will). But remember all those cronies of That Thing’s who were subpoenaed by Congress who just ignored those subpoenas and didn’t show up? And Congress couldn’t be bothered to make sure there were consequences? That was the test balloon for this. And here we are.
Woke up feeling that huge sense of a weight lifted off with Jupiter going direct. I didn’t realize that’s what it was until I checked the calendar and remembered. Bea and Tessa had a lot of fun playing. The rolling rack in the storage room fell apart overnight, so I have to put that together. When I take out the garbage, I will also take the shovel and clear out the slush behind the car before it freezes down tonight. I have some follow up emails with information for cohort members. I want to work on the class prep for March. I will send out a newsletter just about the screenwriting workshop. I hope to finish the draft of the anthology story.
Hopefully, some coverages will turn up this week, and I will get assigned some more books for review, while I wait for the notes from the ghostwriting client. I want to make good use of the time. I also have to haul some books back to the library and pick up the ones that accumulated since last week.
Kind of a long post – thank you for staying with it. Have a good day!
