Tues. Oct. 7, 2025: Residency Day 5

Desk view. Photo by Devon Ellington

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Last Day of the Full Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus Retrograde

Cloudy and cool

This will be much shorter than the usual Tuesday post, because I’m only catching up on yesterday, not the entire weekend.

It was a lovely, warm, sunny day here. While it’s too warm for the season, I’m also enjoying the warmth while we have it.

I wrote my way around a lot of stuff, trying to find a way in, and didn’t feel like I was successful. I wrote a poem to take to the workshop that was born out of sheer frustration that I couldn’t solidify what I was trying to contain in the words.

I also switched sewing machines. The one I started with wasn’t hefty enough for what I need, so I switched to a “heavy duty” machine. I had to unthread the previous bobbin, which I did by winding it onto a bamboo skewer. The bobbin wound smooth as silk.

Then, I could get back to writing.

I finally managed to get in some solid work on I WILL BE DIFFERENT, writing the Amanda-Mick breakup scene.

I checked out the R & D store on the way to lunch, and it was such a beautiful day, we had lunch outside again. After lunch, there were group photos in the Boiler House, after which the Collective is named.

I came back and pinned the backing to the textile piece. I put it through the machine, which stitches it like butter. I got the three sides stitched that I wanted, and it’s hanging properly.

By then, it was time to head over to the workshop. We had a great session, really wonderful work, people trying new things, which I love. I got terrific feedback on my poem, and I’m looking forward to digging in for that rewrite.

Swung by the studio to get what I needed for the apartment. We all agreed that there’s a weird smell in the women’s restroom on this floor. I think it smells like sauerkraut, but who knows? It was really bad on Sunday, and I hoped Monday’s cleaning would solve it, but it was back yesterday. I have not yet ventured in there today. Stay tuned! 

Dropped things off in the apartment, and then we headed up to Grazie’s new location, over on State Street. Mill Town Circus is in town, and the bright blue and yellow tent is up in the field behind the restaurant. The food was so darned good. I had pan-seared salmon with sauteed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. I probably should have eaten half and saved the rest, the portion was so huge, but I ate the whole thing. It was wonderful! And good wine, a nice change.

After dinner, we convened in our apartment to have our planning meeting for next year. That went well, although our dates still have to be finalized, and it will be one day shorter next year, which is disappointing. But we’ll all keep our tasks for the Collective, and we all hope to come back.

We sat and chatted for a little longer. I put through a load of laundry. Coming home with clean clothes is a nice feeling!

Just before I went to bed, I got an email from the anthology editor who accepted the comic mystery set on Cape Cod and rejected “Scent Memory.” The publisher for those anthologies is shutting down. I’m not particularly surprised – I mean, I still hadn’t seen the contract for the story, and publication dates kept getting pushed out. It also reinforces the decision not to work the way this editor likes to work – write on spec and do at least two rounds of edits before knowing if something is accepted. The editor said there were efforts to place the anthology elsewhere. I’ll give it some time, and then make other plans for that story. Learn and move on, right?

I mean, I feel badly for the editor, but it confirms this is not a good way for me to work.

Slept well, although I had weird dreams. It was hard to get out of that comfy bed this morning, but I managed it, and got myself out the door and to the studio a little before 7. Morning meditation was interrupted as the fire alarms went off several times (I assume they were testing them, since this is the museum’s closed day).

The morning plan is to write. Between lunch and workshop, I want to get the batting into the textile piece, pin it in place, and then maybe stitch the center. I found that working from the center out works better than the edges in doing the last piece. I also have to rethink the scale of the embellishments on this larger piece. Fortunately, there’s no deadline.

And I have a good idea of what I want to do for “Vast”, so now I can start sourcing fabric. I don’t need all that much (unless I make a lot of mistakes). It will be a fairly compact piece. I’ll let the poem form as I work on the textile elements.

I can’t believe this is our last full studio day. The time has gone so quickly! I need to get a grant application out, but I think I will do that after I get home. I have all the bits; they just need assembly.

There’s been so much wonderful, supportive feedback, and great conversation.

Have a great day!