Up early yesterday, and out the door a little after 7 AM to go to Plymouth to my trusted mechanic to get the car inspected. I realized that it was my first time over the bridge since last December – when I got my car inspected.
In a normal year, I’d be horrified that I was turning into one of “those” people who refuse to foray beyond the bridge. But this year, hey, pandemic. We were supposed to Stay the F home, and I did so as much as I could.
The mechanic used his small business loan to transform one of his bays into a socially-distanced waiting room. Well set up – MORE than six feet between each seating area. One of the other customers brought his five-month-old, white, standard poodle puppy, who was so excited to play with all his new friends! Totally made my day. They all followed protocols there ALL the time – unlike the idiots here on Cape where I had the oil change, who not only refused to follow the mask mandate, but gave me a hard time for so doing.
The car passed inspection – I was thrilled! The mechanic and his crew were really touched that I took the time to individually wrap the cookies so that they were safe.
Driving back over the bridge took some time – lots of traffic. Once again, people are ignoring the edict not to travel during a pandemic, and we will have a grim January and February.
I stopped at the grocery store in Sandwich that was on my way home and got the last few things I needed for the holidays. I got some beautiful cod for tomorrow night’s paella. I even found a duck for New Year’s Day! That thrills me.
Home, decontaminated the groceries and put them away, then masked back up, loaded up the car with the cookie tins and made deliveries. Most were no or distanced contact. People were thrilled.
By the time I got back, it was nearly lunch time. Decontaminated myself, had lunch, and then spent the afternoon on client work and on reading the book for review. I’m nearly finished with it – I’ll finish it today and send off the review. Only a day late.
I also wrapped the presents to do under the tree. With “help” from Tessa and Willa, which was hilarious. They are getting along, most of the time now.
Crystal Bar has continued a negative pattern of behavior/lack of customer service with me, and, much as I love their product, I’m done. Too much hypocrisy. She has the right to run her business however she wishes. I have the right not to place my money there.
It’s a disappointment, but hardly life-changing. Hell, I made my own bath products for years. I can always start doing so again. I can also source similar products from other small business artisans, try them, and see with whom I am the best fit. That’s a stronger choice than every order/interaction being a stressful battle.
Done. Solved. Moving on.
Besides, I have a duck for New Year’s.
Last night was our Knowledge Unicorns online holiday party. Some of the kids started winter break at the end of last week. Others had a few days scattered in this week. But you know what they did? All on their own? I’d mentioned how lovely the original Dickens “Christmas Carol” novella is, and, ON THEIR OWN, they got copies of it, split up the parts, rehearsed, and did a dramatic reading of it. It was SOOO cool. What fun! I’m so proud of these kids.
It makes me sad to hear about so many kids/parents struggling and worrying how much their kids are losing doing remote learning, while I have a bunch of kids who are thriving.
This morning will be stressful at the client’s. But then I’m free to enjoy the holidays for the rest of the week, and I intend to do just that. Christmas has no religious or spiritual significance for me anymore, but I do enjoy a series of home-and-hearth traditions, and I can use the rest.
I also plan to do some writing.
I wish you peace, joy, good health, and happiness AT HOME this Christmas. I’ll catch up with you on the other side of the weekend.
It’s been a challenging few days, but before we get into that, hop on over to A Biblio Paradise to read about Barbara Ross’s newest release (today is release day), JANE DARROWFIELD AND THE MADWOMAN NEXT DOOR. It’s wonderful.
I like Barbara’s writing anyway, but her new series is one of my favorites. When she sent me the ARC, I sat down and read it in one go.
Back? Liked it? Ordered it? Okay, great, we can go on.
I only managed the first few sessions on the NetZero Climate Change Conference on Friday. I was so sick, I couldn’t even lie down on the floor of my office and listen (with Charlotte in the chair, well, not taking notes, but interested in the speakers). I had to get to the bathroom every few minutes.
So I gave up, took some medicine, and called it a day. The migraine was awful, and, after awhile, I couldn’t even read.
I did manage to read a thriller by a popular author. The action was good, and I liked the characters, although I thought a lot about them strained credibility. But then, she used the witch slur toward the end and it’s 2020, authors, especially those who claim they advocate equality and inclusion, should know better. She is crossed off my list and I won’t read her anymore unless I’m paid to review her.
Read more Louise Penny over the weekend, and enjoyed it.
Saturday, the migraine came and went. It was worse in the morning, and let up a bit later in the day. I had to do a dash to Star Market for, well, more than I expected, but with the virus case load rising daily, I’m trying to stock up. We both seem to be having food sensitivity to pork lately – not surprising with the rolled-back food regulations and people forced to come to work sick at the processing plants. The pancetta from TJ seems to be okay, but we’re steering clear of other pork for now. We haven’t eaten beef since probably January or February for the same reason – we feel awful whenever we eat it.
The Crystal Bar soap order actually arrived, so I have a present for my mom’s 96th birthday on Thursday. I’m grateful that they got it here in time, but I still hesitate to do holiday shopping with them. Maybe after the holidays, when it can arrive whenever, and a month to ship won’t be an issue.
Laundry and housework, usual Saturday stuff. Managed to bake challah bread, which turned out really well. I masked up and packed the Halloween treat bags, so they can quarantine and be safe by Saturday.
Migraine receded enough so that I could read. I read a romance novel (I don’t read many of those), which I enjoyed – until the end, when she used the witch slur. It’s an older one, and I don’t remember her using it in other books. If I read a more contemporary book and she uses it again – yup, she’ll be crossed off the list, too. Don’t care if she’s a NYT Bestseller. Started reading another book, set at Walden Pond, by a different author – same slur. Closed the book, put it in the stack to go back to the library, crossed that author off my list.
You can’t claim to support female friendship and empowerment and call another woman a slur that could have literally killed her in the past – and, with the current Supreme Court, very likely will be a danger in the years ahead – and have me believe you are anything but a hypocrite.
If you use “witch” to define a woman as nasty and cruel instead of as a spellcasting badass improving the world, you are NOT inclusive, you are NOT empowering, you’re spitting in MY face, and I will not support your work.
Write whatever and however you want, but I am not your audience.
It is 2020. Slurs like that are no longer acceptable. Well, they were NEVER acceptable, but finally, people are being called out on the “but everyone uses it.” That doesn’t make it okay. In the same way people who actually give a damn stop using the term “gypsy” they – and we – need to stop using “witch”. Even Broadway has moved away from calling chorus dancers “gypsies” and, within the community, that’s always been a term of affection because the chorus is the backbone of the musical. They even changed the GYPSY OF THE YEAR event back in 2018 because theatre people actually walk their talk. That’s now the RED BUCKET FOLLIES, and the Gypsy Robe, which has a beautiful, amazing tradition, is now called the Legacy Robe.
Because theatre people give a damn.
Saturday night, watched PAJAMA GAME, the 1957 version with Doris Day. I’d never seen the film before, although I knew the score. Stanley Donen co-directed with George Abbott. Bob Fosse was the choreographer, in one of his early jobs.
It was fascinating, in the big picnic scene, to watch the transition from the Donen-Kelly style of choreography, which is very up on the toes, perky, over-the-top comic and cheerful to the more down and earthy beginnings of the Fosse style. In that one number, you could watch choreography evolve. It was fascinating.
I enjoyed the premise of labor relations, although it was fluffied up to be a 1957 movie musical. I did think the Sid character was creepy and inappropriate, demanding a relationship with Babe. Other than his looks, he didn’t have much going for him on the positive side, and way too much on the creepy, predatory side.
Carol Haney was great at Gladys. I’m so glad she won a Tony for the Broadway production, got to play the role in the movie, and then won three more Tonys as a choreographer.
Sunday, still struggling with the headache. The landlord dropped off the extended lease. The clock has started, and we have to be out of here by April 30, 2021.
I have no idea where we’ll end up, but it will have been 10 and a half years in this house by then, as a renter, and it’s time to go.
Roasted a chicken (with garlic and rosemary), made mashed potatoes, and my carrot-leek-parsley concoction in mushroom sauce. Of course, I saved the vegetable bits for stock later this week, and made chicken stock from the bones.
Stocking up for a tough winter.
Watched the film version of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Elizabeth Taylor, Len Cariou, Diana Rigg, Lesley-Anne Down. Directed by Hal Prince (with whom I’ve worked), music & lyrics by Sondheim (with whom I’ve worked). Choreographed by Patricia Birch (with whom I’ve worked). Again, I knew the score, but hadn’t seen the film. There was an undercurrent of meanness I didn’t like, although there was also some sly humor. I still loathe “Send in the Clowns” although in context, it made more sense.
The White House admitted they’re not even going to try to do anything about the pandemic. They’re gleeful just to let as many people die as possible. They are mass murderers and ALL of them need to be destroyed, not land in cushy corporate jobs after this.
The Democrats failed us – AGAIN – and let the nomination go through. There is ALWAYS a way to stop something like this. Republicans have done it for my entire life. But the Dems don’t have the cojones to do what needs to be done.
Part of me believes, too, that it’s deliberate, because it was useful as a fundraiser. Sorry, no one who allowed this to happen gets another penny from me unless and until they remove both Kavanaugh and Barrett from the Court.
The Republican ghouls drinking champagne as 225,000 Americans died from their neglect is unacceptable. This is not a time for the dead to rest in peace. This is a time for the dead to howl and haunt and drive every single one of those sycophants to an early grave. The Republicans don’t have souls – they sold them – but I want them to burn in the eternal hell they keep talking about for the rest of us.
Yesterday, I managed to get some client work done. Got home, did extra decontamination because the damn postal carrier kept coming in to the office to talk to me WITHOUT A MASK – why is this allowed? The state has a mask mandate. He “didn’t have it with him” and I kept telling him to step outside and keep an even greater distance, or, better yet, GO AWAY UNTIL HE HAD HIS MASK. Fucking dumbass.
I was masked, but still. Unacceptable.
Our virus numbers are back to where they were in May, and we’ve had three consecutive days back over 1000 new cases each day. This is not acceptable.
Tried to watch a documentary on Quebec last night, but the disc wouldn’t play properly. Oh, well, at least we got to see the segment on Montreal.
If I’m ever in a position to buy a second home/apartment, I want it to be in Montreal. Of course, I need to own my first home first!
The migraine is threatening to come forward again, and it’s already been an annoying day, and it’s not even 9 AM. I have to run an errand this morning, and then I have to buckle down and get things done, no matter how bad I feel.
Knowledge Unicorns tonight, which will be fun. But I’m already tired, and it’s early in the day. Of course, I was awake at least three times, from the same nightmare. I kept falling asleep, landing where I was when I’d woken up previously, and continuing on. It was about being trapped in a cult using electro-shock on its members until they either behaved, lost their cognitive ability, or died.
I was not as productive as I would have liked yesterday. That seems to be the over-reaching theme lately, doesn’t it?
I’m still working on the Ink-Dipped Advice post. I hope to have it up later today.
I managed to salvage something from the restaurant screw-up. The food to which I’m allergic I gave to a neighbor. I’d never opened it and I’d stored it properly, so there was no contamination. Another bit I ate yesterday – it was poorly prepared and I felt nauseated after. The third item, something I never would have ordered and which was a complete screw up – well, I deconstructed it. I managed to use parts of it in a decent salad. The rest, I turned into stock. So it’s not a total loss. It’s not what I’d hoped or craved or paid for, but it’s different and still useful.
Crystal Bar Soaps actually shipped my order. Hopefully, it will arrive by next Thursday. We will see. I still don’t think it’s a good idea to do any of my holiday shopping there, because I can’t trust I will get things in time, even if I order early. So I’m re-thinking a few things and re-sourcing. I still don’t believe it should have taken four weeks and three emails to get an order shipped. I might still order from them occasionally, but only when I don’t have a deadline or a need. Although, if I don’t have a deadline or a need, there’s no reason to shop. Every dollar has a job, according to YNAB.
But, with any luck (and with all these retrogrades, that’s a long shot), it might actually get here in time for my mother’s birthday.
I scanned the utility bills, blocked out my personal information, and sent them to the landlord. I still am uncomfortable about it. My financial information with the utility company has nothing to do with the LANDLORD’s loan application. It’s not my loan; it’s his.
Woke up with an absolutely awful migraine this morning. It’s making it difficult to get anything done, but I have to push through.
I have to be out the door early today; I’m onsite at a client’s for a few hours (hopefully on my own) and then I have to take my mom in for her appointment to renew her driver’s license. She’s nervous.
Hopefully, I can make it back for remote chat, and then do some article work in the afternoon.
Tomorrow, I have to be up extra early to take my mom in for her bloodwork appointment. And then, I’m hoping to have some big swaths of time to write.
The dystopian writers warned us for at least a decade we were headed down this path. It’s also time, I believe, for art that not only bears witness to the atrocity and corruption, but shows the rebuilding into something more positive, even if we’re not yet sure how that looks like. We need to write, paint, dance, sing, create our way to a better reality.
I keep feeling like I’m not getting anything done, but when I look back, I actually did a bunch of stuff. The emotional reality and reality don’t always coincide.
Friday was pretty much a lost day. I made raw apple muffins early in the morning, and puttered around some, but I couldn’t get focused on anything. There was nothing in the creative tank. It was as though I spent all my creative energy on the baking, when usually baking fuels creative energy for other work.
I read, I tried to write. I had a couple of stories percolating. One, I think, will be novel-length, or at least novella-length. The other will be a short story. Both are ways of exploring rage I feel at two different situations.
Friday night, I listened to the HAMILTON Broadway cast recording all the way through. There’s a lot of cleverness in it. I’d forgotten that Jonathan Groff, with whom I worked on SPRING AWAKENING, originated King George. He’s a delight, on and off stage. Terrific actor and even more terrific human being.
Awake way too early on Saturday. Wrote the first 1500 words on one of the new pieces, even though there’s other stuff I should be working on. I don’t have a title for it, but the protagonist is Nell Dunbar, so for now, I’m calling it “the Nell Dunbar piece.” It’s part literary fiction, with elements of suspense and romance in it. It was originally going to be straight-up romantic suspense, but it doesn’t want to be stuck in that genre box.
Not sure if it will go under the Devon Ellington byline or the Christy Garnet Miller byline or something completely different.
Once that was done, I felt like I could actually cope with the day. I changed the beds, did six loads of laundry, changed out some of the yoga blankets and batiks for fleece on chairs and sofas. Now I actually have some yoga blankets I can use for yoga over the winter. Vacuumed, mopped, tidied up, did some rearranging in the basement.
Vacuuming always causes Kitty Trauma, but at least there were enough catnip bananas to go around, and everyone calmed down pretty fast.
Spent too much time doomscrolling (and it WAS doomscrolling, not hopescrolling). I need to break myself of that habit.
Read a bit in Hal Prince’s memoir, and also started the book I have to read for review, which has way too much backstory/info dump that’s obscuring the spine of the piece.
A friend and I exchanged the short stories we each wrote and submitted to a contest that a third friend is blind judging (so we’ve been careful not to publicly talk about details, because that’s unfair to the friend who’s a judge). Anyway, each of us fell in love with the other’s story and prefer it to our own! I love the possibilities in hers, and how she turned tropes inside out for something fresh and clever that has legs. I love the simplicity, yet she doesn’t overexplain. She loves all the tiny descriptive details I researched and integrated. So we can cheer for each other to win even more loudly than for ourselves!
Received a check for the two articles I submitted last Monday, which was a lovely surprise. The editor had told me it would be “a few weeks” and I expected at least 30 days. To get it in 5 days was lovely.
Listened to the original Broadway company recording of COMPANY in the evening. I was never as enamored of the piece as many friends and colleagues, but it’s such a part of my theatre history (even though I’ve never worked on a production of it) that I wanted to refresh my ears on it.
Was exhausted and went to bed way too early, which meant, yup, on Sunday, I was up again way too early. Had all kinds of weird disturbing dreams that kept waking me up. Puttered around, letting stories percolate. The longer I do this writing life, the more use I find to sit and percolate before I write. I used to just spit out first drafts – and I can still write the first draft pretty quickly, once I have it set in my head. But I find myself percolating and writing in my head in much more detail now than when I used to. It makes the work more precise earlier when I finally write it down.
But that’s the beauty of process – it evolves as you gain experience and work on craft.
In writing classes, I always find the unpublished writers the ones least open to trying new techniques, claiming it interferes with “their process.” I believe you need to shake up your process regularly, and part of the beauty of taking a class is to learn new ways of doing things. That way, when your process fails and you get stuck (which WILL happen), you have other tools and techniques to pull on to get going again.
Businesses are Determined to Sabotage Themselves, Aren’t They?
Contacted Crystal Bar Soaps for an update on the order I placed on September 26, and got a vague non-answer about how busy they are and how happy they are to have my order. Well, honey, then SHIP IT. I responded that I hope I receive the order by Oct. 29, for my mother’s 96th birthday, which is why I placed the order in the first place and ordered it on SEPTEMBER 26. For items that are supposedly in stock. I’m a big fan of their products, and I believe in supporting small business/independent artists. But the shipping delays have gotten out of control with this company. Using the pandemic as an excuse doesn’t work anymore, especially when you announce on social media that you’re hired more employees (which is great).
I’m re-thinking my plan to do holiday shopping with them, because even if I order the day the merchandise goes live, there’s no way to be sure I’ll get in time for the holidays. That’s additional stress on top of the whole trying-not-to-die and keep-a-roof-over-our-heads stress.
I’m glad they’re doing well, and that their business had grown and not tanked during the pandemic. At the same time, I need to feel confident that my order will be processed in a reasonable amount of time. Because once it ships, then there’s the shipping time involved, which is about a week, except when it’s longer. They use USPS, which is far more reliable than either UPS or FedEx, but it’s voting season, and everything takes longer to get where it’s going. We’re into the fourth week now since the order and it hasn’t yet shipped. I don’t find that reasonable for items that are in stock. If things were made-to-order, it would be understandable, but then give us a realistic time frame. This is either the third or fourth time I’ve had to chase down shipments, because I ordered – and paid – for something and then heard nothing until I contacted them to find out where it was. I’m tired of it. At least, previously, I got an actual answer on the status of the order, rather than this fluffy “happy” I ordered and maybe they’ll ship it “someday.”
I contacted them AGAIN this morning, asking for specific information on my order instead of platitudes and vagueness, and, once again, reminded them I ordered it back in September, and I need it by next week.
Yesterday, I risked ordering from a local restaurant. The only other time I did this, early in the stay-at-home – the entire household came down with food poisoning and the restaurant shrugged it off. So, I crossed them off my list.
So, yesterday, I ordered from a restaurant of whom I’ve been a regular customer for years, even before we moved to the Cape, and at least once a month, often more, pre-pandemic. I decided to go ahead and spend the money and order several meals’ worth of food. Cut down on my cooking this week, support a local business. All good, right?
I called in the order, REPEATED THE ORDER, had them REPEAT THE ORDER BACK, and set up a time for curbside pickup.
I get there, about five minutes after the agreed-upon time. They hadn’t even started preparing it yet. And it’s not because they were busy. There were three people in the restaurant, and the phone wasn’t ringing. But they greeted me by name as they always did, and said it would just be a few more minutes
Thirty-five minutes later, they bring out a big bag, thank me, tell me it’s good to see me, etc. They KNOW me there. I added a 50% tip on top of the order, because, you know, it’s a pandemic.
I had to stop at CVS to pick up a prescription for my mother and a couple of other necessities. There were register issues, but we went back and re-entered and did what we had to in order to process the order and the payment. It took five tries, and I felt so bad for the poor woman at the register. She was so apologetic, and I kept telling her it wasn’t a problem, and we’d just keep trying until it worked. And we did. Patience and persistence. I felt bad for the other people in line behind me, but CVS should have also put a second person on a register when the line got long.
Dropped off books at the library, picked up what was waiting.
Got home, unpacked things, decontaminated.
Find out the order from the restaurant is wrong. Not only is it WRONG, most of it is stuff I can’t eat, because I’m allergic. They KNOW I’m allergic to these things. I’ve been eating there for 15 years. I ordered one appetizer and two meals. That’s what I paid for, along with a 50% tip. I got three appetizers. One of which I can’t eat, because I’m allergic (and yes, I remind them of the allergy every time I place an order).
I call them. Just a “hey, I picked up my order, got it home, and instead of X & Y, you gave me C & D, some of which I’m allergic to, and the prices on these items are less than half of what I paid.” I didn’t mention the tip, because that’s tacky.
They think it’s funny.
No interest in making it right. They deliver, so they could have sent out a corrected order. No interest in refunding even a portion of the order.
The only option was to go back and BUY IT AGAIN.
I can’t go back. It means going out AGAIN (in a pandemic, assholes), after I’ve already decontaminated and put everything into the wash. And why would I go back, since they aren’t interested in giving me a corrected order unless I BUY it again? So I’m now supposed to pay double because THEY screwed up? When I already gave them a tip of 50% of the price of what I already paid for that I can’t even eat or use? I’m supposed to blow next week’s food budget, too – and I GUARANTEE you they would put in the wrong order AGAIN.
That’s what I get for supporting a local business and giving a big tip.
Screwed.
There’s the food budget for the week gone. It’s actually more than I would have spent for the week, because it was supposed to be 3 days’ worth of dinners, at a much higher cost than if I bought groceries and cooked the same thing. I’m a freelancer. A fellow small business. It’s not like I have so much extra cash lying around IN A PANDEMIC. I won’t starve – I’ll live off the stockpile I’ve been putting aside for the next shutdown. But I blew my food budget for the week to support a local business who couldn’t be bothered to fill my order or fix their mistake.
I’m upset. I’m frustrated. I feel betrayed, that this company with whom I’ve done good business with for 15 years thinks it’s funny and okay to screw me.
I don’t want to hear ONE WORD more from the restaurant industry about how they’re struggling when this is how they treat their customers. I talked about this on social media and was surprised how many DMs I got about people telling me stories about how the restaurants can’t be bothered with the customers trying to support them.
As a consumer, I’m frustrated. Businesses are crying that they’re suffering, but they treat their customers like crap and then want them to spend even more? No.
Give us what we paid for in a timely fashion OR communicate that you can’t clearly and why and set a new timeline. OR, when there’s a screwup, work WITH us for a mutually beneficial solution.
Because I am NOT going to continue to give money to businesses – be they large corporations or solopreneurs – who treat me like shit.
Don’t tell me to “support local business” when they won’t fulfill their part of the transaction.
As a consumer, I’m frustrated.
As a marketing person, I am appalled that these businesses think they can keep getting away with screwing their customers.
Maybe, just maybe, some of the businesses that are going under are doing so because they’ve betrayed their customers often enough that the customers have walked away.
It goes with what I talked about for months pre-pandemic. This area has a non-reciprocal economy. I’m a small business, and a skilled worker. But I’m supposed to take a job that’s not in my profession for a fraction of my rate because “we don’t pay for that” meaning my profession. But when I go further afield to clients who appreciate my skills and pay me for the value I bring to my work, I am told I’m not “supporting the local economy.”
Even though my very presence puts money into the local economy by paying taxes, shopping for necessities, shopping for gifts and whatever non-essentials I can afford at any given time, etc. I put money into the economy regularly, but I am not supposed to receive money for my skills. The only reason I CAN put money into the local economy is because I have clients who live FAR AWAY who pay me for my skills. If I was only earning minimum wage in one of the local shit jobs that aren’t in my profession, I’d have even less to spend locally.
And why shouldn’t it be a two-way street? It’s not like my skills aren’t needed. But they don’t want to pay for them. Yet I’m supposed to pay and pay and pay but not BE PAID.
That’s not a sustainable model.
It’s one of the reasons the local economy was a mess even before the pandemic.
Cats and Stuff
Yesterday, Willa stole Charlotte’s catnip banana, so then Charlotte ran upstairs and stole Tessa’s catnip banana, and then Tessa ran into the other room and stole Willa’s banana. Everyone still had a catnip banana, but it was the WRONG catnip banana, so there was hissing and yowling involved until we got them all switched back.
So much for peace by catnip banana.
Tessa has decided she really likes my grandmother’s rocking chair (which is by the window and the heater in my bedroom). She has decided she will now reign from there.
The landlord came to look at the newly installed furnace. Now he’s telling me the bank from whom he got the loan wants copies of my utility bills. I think that’s inappropriate. I’m not the one who applied for the loan. On top of that, I had months where I had to give up work to have various “estimates” come in from different companies, and we were supposed to get new insulation, a new fridge, and a new washer as part of this furnace upgrade deal — NONE OF WHICH IS HAPPENING. I’m not giving my financial information to a bank with whom I don’t do business. They’ll get copies of the bill — with my name and information and account number blanked out. They can see the final amount, but not personal details.
Today, I have client work and article work and LOIs to focus on. Let’s hope it’s a productive and creative day. I’m just exhausted physically and emotionally and sick of everyone. I got my check from Llewellyn for the 2021 annual, which was a nice lift to my day.
Normally, in a Mercury Retrograde, these purchases would be easy-peasey. But with the Mars retrograde layered over it, everything is a conflict and a problem. Add the Neptune retrograde (creativity slowed down, especially for Pisces) and Uranus retrograde (the need for economic and political change), and this period of time sucks.
I’d rather just make like a Victorian and take to my bed today, but that is not an option.
Yup. Five damn retrogrades. July will not be an easy month.
If you missed any of the #31Prompts, you can catch up here.
The weekend was good, for the most part. Too much stupid from too many stupid people, but, whatever. Some friends stopped by on their way to the rest of their trip. Nice to catch up.
Other than visiting with friends, it was a quiet holiday, except for the numbnuts who set off fireworks in the neighborhood. The cops do NOTHING. It’s nudge, nudge, wink, wink, boys will be boys. It’s the same damn idiots every year who set them off. It’s illegal, so DO SOMETHING.
I will have a few words with my Town Councilor this week. Not that it will do anything — he’s a total waste of space and has done NOTHING for his district since he got elected. (And no, I did not vote for him. I knew he’d be a waste of space in the job).
The night of the 4th was spent on the floor, trying to soothe the terrified cats.
These jerks aren’t smart enough or skilled enough to be handling explosives.
Friday was an outstanding writing day — worked on ELLA, GRAVE REACH, typed up part of ELLA, did some revisions on GAMBIT COLONY. I love steadily working on projects. You can watch pages stack up, in a tangible way.
Got a contract signed and in the mail — wanted to get it done before Mercury went retrograde.
Finally switched the winter, fleece sofa and chair coverings to the cotton yoga blankets for the summer.
My order from Crystal Bar soaps arrived — just lovely. They have such excellent products.
Marinated tuna steaks in a soy-sesame-ginger sauce. Delicious.
Saturday, was up at five. Baked lemon cupcakes, chocolate chip devil’s food cupcakes, and a spiced chocolate banana bread with rum before it got too hot. Took a dozen of each cupcake to the new neighbors to welcome them. They are long-time Centerville residents, downsizing. Took another dozen of each type of cupcake to my lovely firemen — this is a busy weekend for them.
Got a little bit of writing done, but not much. It was too hot to think. Got a good bit of reading done instead.
The Goddess Provisions box arrived and is a delight. A book arrived, too — one of the Caribbean books I test drove from the library that I wanted to keep, so I bought a copy.
Started re-watching the Lord Peter Wimsey episodes starring Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walters. I’d forgotten how much he loves to play with props when he works.
Up early on Sunday. First writing session on the deck, on ELLA.
Plenty of loads of laundry, between clothes, sheets, and the winter furniture covers.
Worked on GRAVE REACH.
Started the short story inspired by the July 1 prompt on #31Prompts: The bagel has landed. I wanted it to be a flash fiction; it might be a short story, or the draft might be a short story, then edited down to be flash. We’ll see. Right now, I’m just writing. Stretching. That’s important.
Up early Monday. Worked on ELLA, worked on GRAVE REACH. Onsite with a client, then another appointment, then meditation group.
Today, I’m onsite with a client, then another appointment. Decent writing sessions on both ELLA and GRAVE REACH.
Not where I’d hoped to be by this point in the summer on anything, but I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
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Devon’s Bookstore
GWEN FINNEGAN MYSTERIES
Archaeologist Dr. Gwen Finnegan is on the hunt for her lover’s killer. Shy historical researcher Justin Yates, frustrated with his failing relationship, jumps at the chance to join her on a real adventure through Europe, pursued by factions including Gwen’s ex-lover and nemesis, Karl, as they try to unspool fact from fiction in a multi-generational obsession with a statue of the goddess Medusa.
Buy links here.
Stuck in NYC when plans for their next expedition fall through, Gwen and Justin accept teaching jobs at different local universities. Adjusting to their day-to-day relationship, and juggling the academic and emotional demands of their students, they are embroiled in two different, disturbing, paranormal situations that have more than one unusual crossing point. Can they work together to find the answers? Or are new temptations too much to resist? For whom are they willing to put their lives on the line? Available on multiple digital channels here.NAUTICAL NAMASTE MYSTERIESSAVASANA AT SEA
Yoga instructor Sophie Batchelder jumps at the chance to teach on a cruise ship when she loses her job and her boyfriend dumps her in the same day. But when her boss is murdered, and the crew thinks she's taking over her predecessor's blackmail scheme, Sophie must figure out who the real killer is -- before he turns her into a corpse, too. A Not-Quite-Cozy Mystery.
Buy Links here.COVENTINA CIRCLE ROMANTIC SUSPENSEPLAYING THE ANGLES
Witchcraft, politics, and theatre collide as Morag D’Anneville and Secret Service agent Simon Keane fight to protect the Vice President of the United States -- or is it Morag who needs Simon’s protection more than the VP?
Buy links here.THE SPIRIT REPOSITORY
Bonnie Chencko knows books change lives. But she never expected her life to change because she happened to duck into a small bookshop in Greenwich Village on a rainy late November night. She’s attracted to Rufus Van Dijk, the mysterious man who owns the bookshop in his ancestors’ building. A building filled with family ghosts, who are mysteriously disappearing. It’s up to Bonnie and her burgeoning Craft powers to rescue the spirits before their souls are lost forever. Buy Links here. RELICS & REQUIEM
Amanda Breck’s complicated life gets more convoluted when she finds the body of Lena Morgan in Central Park, identical to Amanda’s dream. Detective Phineas Regan is one case away from retirement; the last thing he needs is a murder case tinged by the occult. The seeds of their attraction were planted months ago, when Phineas investigated an attack on Amanda’s friend Morag. Now, fate is determined to draw them close. But can they work together to stop a wily, vicious killer, or will the murderer destroy them both?
Buy link here.
Full Circle: An Ars Concordia Anthology. Edited by Colin Galbraith. My story is “Pauvre Bob”, set at Arlington Race Track in Illinois is included in this wonderful collection of short stories and poetry. You can download it free here.
Archaeologist Dr. Gwen Finnegan is on the hunt for her lover’s killer. Shy historical researcher Justin Yates, frustrated with his failing relationship, jumps at the chance to join her on a real adventure through Europe, pursued by factions including Gwen’s ex-lover and nemesis, Karl, as they try to unspool fact from fiction in a multi-generational obsession with a statue of the goddess Medusa.
Buy links 
Stuck in NYC when plans for their next expedition fall through, Gwen and Justin accept teaching jobs at different local universities. Adjusting to their day-to-day relationship, and juggling the academic and emotional demands of their students, they are embroiled in two different, disturbing, paranormal situations that have more than one unusual crossing point. Can they work together to find the answers? Or are new temptations too much to resist? For whom are they willing to put their lives on the line? Available on multiple digital channels 
SAVASANA AT SEA
Yoga instructor Sophie Batchelder jumps at the chance to teach on a cruise ship when she loses her job and her boyfriend dumps her in the same day. But when her boss is murdered, and the crew thinks she's taking over her predecessor's blackmail scheme, Sophie must figure out who the real killer is -- before he turns her into a corpse, too. A Not-Quite-Cozy Mystery.
Buy Links 
PLAYING THE ANGLES
Witchcraft, politics, and theatre collide as Morag D’Anneville and Secret Service agent Simon Keane fight to protect the Vice President of the United States -- or is it Morag who needs Simon’s protection more than the VP?
Buy links 
THE SPIRIT REPOSITORY
Bonnie Chencko knows books change lives. But she never expected her life to change because she happened to duck into a small bookshop in Greenwich Village on a rainy late November night. She’s attracted to Rufus Van Dijk, the mysterious man who owns the bookshop in his ancestors’ building. A building filled with family ghosts, who are mysteriously disappearing. It’s up to Bonnie and her burgeoning Craft powers to rescue the spirits before their souls are lost forever. Buy Links 
RELICS & REQUIEM
Amanda Breck’s complicated life gets more convoluted when she finds the body of Lena Morgan in Central Park, identical to Amanda’s dream. Detective Phineas Regan is one case away from retirement; the last thing he needs is a murder case tinged by the occult. The seeds of their attraction were planted months ago, when Phineas investigated an attack on Amanda’s friend Morag. Now, fate is determined to draw them close. But can they work together to stop a wily, vicious killer, or will the murderer destroy them both?
Buy link 
By Jenny Storm. A young girl fights to save her horse trainer father's reputation when vicious rumors could ruin their lives. Purchase from 