image courtesy of Laci Döme vvia pixabay.com

We’re still in winter, here in the mountains, about to switch over into mud season before we actually get to spring. According to the predictions, we’re supposed to get snow all the way into April this year. I hope they are wrong.

But, in any case, it’s sunny today, and a bit milder (so all the snow we had on Saturday is getting drippy).

Much as I enjoy gray days and snowy days snuggled inside with a book, much as I enjoy lying on the sofa in the front room watching the sky, sunshine makes a difference.

People here are always in such a good mood when it’s sunny. Sometimes the sun peeks through during an otherwise gray spell, and everyone dashes around getting things done before the next storm. But, because the sun is shining, they’re all cheerful.

If they have to be out and about in gray weather, they meet it with a philosophical shrug.

When the weather turns bad, people stay home, unless they are first responders or plow drivers. And nobody makes a fuss that things are closed.

I live in a small city now, tucked in the mountains. When I lived in big cities, in previous parts of my life, we ran around doing whatever was on our list in spite of the weather. We battled the weather, we had to overcome the weather, and we took it personally when the weather overpowered us.

I like the approach here much better. I think it’s much healthier.

I take more time and care planning my travel, even short jaunts, around weather. When we first moved here, the locals warned, “don’t expect to go anywhere between November and March” so I don’t make plans to go beyond short distances during that time. And events held locally within those bounds are all “weather permitting.” No one gets offended if you cancel because the weather’s bad; chances are, they’ve already moved the event.

The level of stress that removes is wonderful.  It’s a much healthier attitude than “get there at all costs, even when it puts you in danger.”

One of my resolutions is to not fall into that trap anymore.

At any rate, today is sunny, and I’m off to join my fellow cheerful residents in running errands. Because we have storms coming through, off and on, for the next month, and we are going to enjoy ourselves while we can!

image courtesy of Mabel Amber via pixabay.com

February Wrap Up

February’s a short month, and this one has been all over the place. And I don’t know why the typeface is weird. How was your February?

Done

7 Plays submitted

Keeping up with script coverage work

Book reviews

Process Muse Posts

Ink-Dipped Advice posts

Completed and submitted article for publication

Soup class

Meditation

Set up Lnk.bio

#28 Prompts on various social media channels

Wrote 3 2-page comic radio plays

Artist Talk

Went back to the yoga studio

Residency proposal out

Drafted 4 short stories

Yoga Nidra class

In Progress

Outline for a project due in April (or maybe June)

Outline for FALL FOREVER

Legerdemain (Keeping up with writing/uploading/scheduling episodes)

Angel Hunt (keeping up with writing/uploading/scheduling episodes)

Judging contest entries

Heist Romance Script (and its research)

March newsletter material

Notes for a cycle of poems

Short story

Exploring multiple social media platforms

Moved/Dropped

Nothing (that’s a first)

Unexpected Additions

Working with Midnight City Tarot deck (I love it)

Residency Proposal

Short stories

Urban Fantasy romance outline

Disappointments

Barnes & Noble’s lack of customer service (they’ve now lost me as a customer)

Post office kerflamma

Successes

Named as a grant recipient by the state’s cultural council

image courtesy of  GLady via pixabay.com

The cats are very attached to their morning and bedtime rituals, especially the two rescues who had such a tumultuous time before they came to live with us.

I, too, find particular routines helpful to make the transition in and out of my day, and I’ve recently tweaked them, to make them even more useful.

I treated myself to a programmable coffeemaker for Christmas, and it astonishes me that such a small adjustment of setting up the coffee and having it ready when I get up makes such an enormous, positive difference in starting my day.

Morning ritual is feed the cats, grab the coffee, write in my personal journal, and sometimes a few pages on project in longhand. Then yoga, morning meditation, and the day’s tarot card pull. The morning coffee/writing session is usually on the couch in the living room, looking out over the front of the house and over to the mountains. When the weather is warm enough, I’ll sit out on the enclosed front porch and do it there, enjoying the plants. I’ve done that since I moved here, and often started the day with some variation of that on Cape. When the weather was nice enough there, my early morning writing sessions were out on the back deck.

THEN the rest of the day can start, with things like breakfast, checking emails, and doing my first writing session of the work day on the computer.

Thursday mornings have an additional morning meditation session, over Zoom, with the Concord Library and Be Well Be Here.

At night, I do a slightly longer meditation (with singing bowls) directly before bedtime (after the cats get their bedtime snacks). Part of the reason it’s longer is that it takes me longer to settle into the meditation, with my mind still racing through the day.

I started doing something recently that helps with that transition. Before I tidy up the living room (or wherever I’ve been) and give the cats their bedtime snacks. I read a few pages of poetry, or from an artist or writer’s published journal, or look through a book filled with pictures of paintings.

A great deal of my work life has to do with reading: research, background, work by colleagues, script coverage, contest judging, book reviews. I also read several books a week for pleasure. But all of that reading is different from reading poetry or an artist journal or looking at paintings. I often do the poetry/journal/looking at art to warm up to write a creative project, so sometimes I’ll dip into it during the day.

But doing it as part of the evening routine gets me into a calmer, more receptive place, which allows me to settle into the evening meditation faster, and encourages a better quality of sleep.

Starting and ending the day focused on creativity supports the rest of the day’s work, and also eases me into more restful sleep.

What routines and rituals do you use to start and end your day with nourishment?

image courtesy of Dim Hou via pixabay.com

We often feel like everything has to be a huge, radical change.

But small adjustments along the way are just as effective, sometimes more effective.

There are times we don’t need or want a big change. But we just need a small adjustment.

I find I need to make adjustments to my daily work schedule, almost every day. I have to match the energy to the task, instead of just powering through a list, and deciding it “has” to be in a particular order because “I say so.”

I know when my deadlines are, and then I ride particular energy waves at particular times of the day to get it done. With the lack of air conditioning in my home, and last summer’s heat, I found that taking a break in the afternoon, and then working both early and late in the day, when the temperatures were cooler, worked better for me. Sometimes I packed up and went to a local library, where it was air conditioned, and the cold helped my brain sharpen. But that flexibility, and those small adjustments, made a huge difference in both the quality of my work and the quality of my life.

Sometimes changing the orientation of your furniture will freshen up your room. I’m big on decorating with fabric; I change the fabric every season, to different colors and textures. It gives the room a fresh feel and lifts my mood. When I travel, or do a residency, I roll up a few batiks to take along to spread on tables or throw across chairs to make the space feel like mine. It makes a difference.

A small adjustment that made a huge positive difference in my life was a programmable coffee maker. I set it up at night; the coffee is ready when I get up. Waking to the smell of coffee starts my day on a bright note. It never occurred to me this would make a difference, but it does.

Walking to the library on nice days rather than driving (when there aren’t too many books involved) is another small adjustment that makes a big difference.

What are some small adjustments you’ve made that have created big, positive differences?

image courtesy of Suju Foto via pixabay.com

January’s had some twists and turns, and I haven’t been on this site as much as I’d hoped. But here’s the wrap:

DONE:

ANGEL HUNT launch

Book reviews

Script coverage

Holiday decorations put away

Seasonal fabric switchout for the rest of winter

Keeping up with posts on Ink in My Coffee, Ink-Dipped Advice, Gratitude and Growth, The Process Muse

Car inspection

IN PROGRESS:

Second arc of LEGERDEMAIN

The rest of ANGEL HUNT

Reading contest entries

Drafting novel in longhand

Notes on 2 other novels

Work on a big article

70 pages on Heist Romance script

50 pages on LUCKY NUMBERS script

Noodling on a few other ideas

DROPPED/MOVED:

This month was more about adding than subtracting

UNEXPECTED ADDITIONS:

Screenplays

Batch of idea cookies

DISAPPOINTMENTS:

Didn’t get a residency to which I applied

Didn’t finish the Fearless Ink postcard

Didn’t get out enough LOIs

Injured my back, which limited me a lot in the last ten days

What’s your January been like?

image courtesy of khamkhor  via pixabay.com

More Me

One of the many annoyances around the turn of the year, that stuck in my craw more than usual, was the whole, “New Year, New Me” mantra.

I don’t want a “new” me.

I’ve done a lot of work in the past couple of years on the me that I am, and I’m getting to like that person most of the time (or at least, respect her).

Prior to the last move in the summer of 2021, I’d lost a lot of what I liked about myself, and I’ve worked hard to get those things back, while also evolving to be more of who I want to be.

In other words, “more me.”

While I am far from perfect, the whole “new me” concept suggests something was “wrong” with the “old me” and I think that can often derail positive growth. I don’t want to be a different person. I want to be more of the best parts of me, while working on the parts of me that need healing or improvement.

Also, as I age, “new me” sounds like I should be traded in for a younger, shinier version. You know what? I’ve earned my age, and while there are things I don’t like about aging, I’ve had a lot of great and transformational experiences I wouldn’t give up.They are part of what makes me “me.”

This year is not about being “new.” It’s about being “more.”

More in terms of creativity, health, compassion, and laughter, for starters. More in terms of boundaries and elements (physical and psychological) that make me feel secure and stable (while knowing those are often fleeting).

How do you plan to be “more” you this year?

image courtesy of  Arek Socha via pixabay.com

I hope you’re having a strong start to the year, in spite of the Mercury and Mars Retrogrades. I did some work on the Questions for 2023. While I’m not sharing everything (there are a few things I’m more comfortable keeping private), I’m sharing a good bit of it:

Assess 2022. What are the major highlights? What are the big disappointments? How do they weigh against each other?

Highlights:

Participating in Word X Word’s World’s Largest Poem Event

Creating and Reading a piece on “Landscape” with Word X Word

Having friends visit (safely) after years of pandemic separation

LEGERDEMAIN, the serial

Wrote some short plays

The playwrights’ workshop that launched multiple ideas

Weekly Thursday morning meditation sessions with Be Well Be Here

Plenty of online cooking classes with Chef Jeremy Rock Smith

Licensed some radio plays

Launched THE PROCESS MUSE on Substack

Finished the first draft of THE TREES WHISPERED DEATH

Held boundaries

Gently dipped my toes into some local artists organizations and events

Started seeking out and applying for artist residencies again

Did a lot of internal healing and growth work

Joined CreativeGround

Disappointments:

Didn’t finish edits and prepare the submission for CAST IRON MURDER

Only finished drafting one novel

Didn’t build as much local community as I hoped (this was partially pandemic-related; I skipped or withdrew from many in-person opportunities due to lack of COVID safety protocols)

People, in general, were a disappointment, in the collective sense. Not the locals, who are pretty cool, but the general population.

Given your GDRs for 2022, what did you achieve, what are you still working on, and what did you release?

–I started studying Italian, but Duolingo was not the right choice for me. There’s not enough context of explanation. It’s about repeating what’s on the screen, and I felt I didn’t really learn. I had to let it go. So I have to figure out another way to learn.

–The hoped-for trips to Ithaca and Montreal were cancelled due to high COVID risks. Teaching at CCWC was moved on online, which was a relief.

–I got involved, a little bit, with Word X Word, which I really enjoyed. I had some involvement with Assests4Artists, which was fun and useful. Again, because of pandemic concerns, there were plenty of events I skipped, so I’m disappointed that the risks were too great to try to build better community.

–Dropped the ball on the direct mail postcards too often for the freelance work. I need to course correct that this year.

–The daily yoga practice was inconsistent, and, again, because of COVID risks, I couldn’t take in-studio classes as often as I would like.

Balance:

Overall, the positives far outweighed the negatives. While I’m still pretty much of a recluse, I like most of the people I’m meeting, and the inner work has hopefully set a solid foundation to build more community this year.

Looking at 2023, consider these:

What is your relationship with the ongoing COVID pandemic? How will you continue to protect yourself, your family, your community?

I continue masking and not attending in-person events that I feel are high risk. I will do so as long as I feel is necessary.

Where do you need to change things on your path? Is it work? Is it nonwork?

I’m really tired of bullies, especially those who claim they are “doing good” but demand everyone “do good” in the exact way they want everyone to do so. There are plenty of people online with whom I am disengaging because I’m tired of their crap.

I also will continue to strengthen my boundaries, so that I am not forced into situations where extroversion is demanded of me “for the good of the organization” and I’m miserable.

What creative explorations do you plan to make in 2023?

I want to do more creative exploration in multi-disciplinary forms. I want to work with words and/in different forms, do more with textiles, collages, soft sculpture, etc. In addition to upping the writing.

List 3 goals for 2023, in any area of your life. Underneath each, list 3 active steps to start the work they need.

Try 1 new cookie recipe every month.

–Actively seek out new recipes

–Block off time to try new recipes

–Recruit family, friends, neighbors as tasters

Refine and Redefine My Freelance Business. I need to step away even more from what no longer works for me on creative or financial levels and seek out what does.

–Tighten the target on direct mail campaigns and make sure they go out on time; be faithful in follow-ups.

–Update/create media kits for the different aspects of the work on projects and get them out/up on the website.

–Build my local network, then expand to regional, while still building the wider remote network. I’ve either relied too much on local or too much on far away.

Grow My Substack and other online presences with steady, high-quality content

–See what each platform does best and target specific content for each, while interacting more to build contacts

–Keep up and get ahead on LEGERDEMAIN, and keep building that audience, expanding into new markets

–Write the proposal to Substack for tiered/bundled content

–Seek out more online teaching opportunities.

Keeping working on the house/garden (I had 4 goals to share, not three)

–Make my bedroom into a sanctuary

–Take the time to design the porch and the back balcony garden areas

–Reassess, rearrange, refresh furniture and accessories more often.

Find My Personal Style (okay, so there are 5)

I feel like the past years, living in my previous location, I lost all sense of my personal style. I got so tired of the bullying and the relentless “you’re not rich, so you’re worthless and deserve nothing” attitude there that I tried to fade more and more into the background. In my previous life, before the last location, I had to wear black a lot to work backstage, so I loved playing with color and trying all kinds of mix and match and vintage styles with some new pieces. I have all kinds of interesting and unusual jewelry picked up in my travels over the years. I want to start playing with clothing again, and figuring out what makes me feel comfortable and beautiful.

List 3 dreams for 2023, in any area of your life. Underneath each, list 3 active steps to start launching them.

Plan a trip to Gladstone’s Library for 2024

–Put away money each month

–Figure out a date and book

–Prepare which projects will be done there.

Land at least one residency

–Research potential residencies

–Apply

–Decide which projects lend themselves to residencies best

Take a chance on a real creative stretch

–Not sure if that will involve taking a class, or just taking a risk on work, and then putting it out there.

List 3 resolutions for 2023, in any area of your life. Underneath each, list 3 active steps to start your commitment.

Continue to build holistic wellness routines

–Grow the yoga and meditation practices

–Expand my repertoire of healthy recipes

–Disengage from toxic people, both online and in person

Grow my business, creatively and financially

–Listen to my instincts

–For freelance work, raise prices and vet potential clients more thoroughly

–For non-client creative work, look for better placement.

Rest & Vacation

–Stop treating myself like I have to “earn” rest, time for yoga, etc.

–Stockpile work/earnings to I can take time off without financial pressure

–Remember that “no” is a complete sentence.

What do you need to release, in any of these areas, to clear your path to achieving your goals, dreams, and resolutions in 2023?

Release reliance on algorithms. Part of that means educating freelance clients away from data and metrics based, and focusing on longer-term goals. Another thing I have to release is being cruel to myself.

What is one new type of creative endeavor you will play with during 2023? (And the emphasis here is on “play.” We don’t build in enough playtime for ourselves).

Working on multi-media/multi-disciplinary art forms, finding new ways to tell stories that use words, but within three dimensional spaces (not theatre or film-based).

What is one stretch goal, dream, or resolution that you want, which will probably be a multi-year endeavor? What is one small step you can take this year to get it going?

–This one, I’m keeping private for now.

As always, take your time to think about it. Only share, in January, what you feel comfortable sharing.

My computer is in computer hospital, so it’s a good time to take more time off than I planned. And, in spite of the holiday busy-ness, to rest.

I hope you do, too.

I will be back in January with the answers to the GDR 2023 questions; I may be able to schedule to post from a public computer for it to go live on the 2nd. Otherwise, I will do so as soon as I can.

Whatever holiday you celebrate, I wish you love, light, and joy.

image courtesy of Hà Cao via pixabay.com

Over on Ink in My Coffee, the almost-daily blog, I have an intent for this week about staying steady to finish what needs to be done for others in the holiday season, so that I can enjoy the next two weeks ending the year.

Part of that enjoyment is about envisioning what I want to craft for 2023, which I will talk about leading up to answering the Questions for 2023, which are posted on another page on this site.

One of the aspects I’m working on this week is also what I’m calling “flexible gratitude.”

The big challenge for me is the work. I’d hoped to push hard this week with one particular aspect of the freelance work, earning at least my goal and maybe a little more so I could take off most of the next two weeks without worry.

However, there’s nothing on my schedule for today for that particular client, or at all for this week (although there may well be a few things coming up).

I pushed hard last week for that client, so I’m not in terrible shape. The bills for the month are paid; the cards stamped; the packages mailed and arrived. Provided there aren’t any emergencies, I don’t have to panic about a lack of work this week.

I can be grateful that I have the time to finish what I want to get done for the holidays, instead of sitting up until midnight on the 24^th, trying to get it all done.

I can be flexible with my gratitude; grateful for open time today to switch focus to other things; grateful to jump on as assignment when it shows up.

After all, that’s why I freelance, isn’t it? To have a flexible schedule.

Which means two-way flexibility. Too often, when a company says a schedule is “flexible” they mean you’re on call without a retainer, and when they say “jump” you’re supposed to drop everything for them.

That’s not why I freelance. I want to control my own schedule. When our needs align, we work together; when they do not, they do not.

The reality of money doesn’t always allow for that. Sometimes, an assignment comes in at a bad time, but I have to take it because I need the money.

But when I can take a breath and enjoy unexpected space and time, I like to do so.

Are there other things I “should” be doing? Probably. I should probably learn how to utilize TikTok and market my entire backlist and find new venues in which to promote the serials and send out a ton of LOIs. (I realized that I sent out 0 LOIs in November, and only 1 so far in December).

Instead, I am going to focus on writing and reading and decorating. Okay, so I have to shovel the car out of the snow, not my favorite tasks. But that will be my cardio for the day, right?

I will be grateful for a day without assignments, and then, if and when some come in later this week, I will welcome them, and can meet them with fresh eyes.

Especially since I spent the weekend in a whirl of baking and decorating and card writing and considered taking today as a snow day (since it’s snowing) and I’m tired.

Why not jump on the opportunity?

And do it without feeling stressed about it?

That is part of what I’m trying to heal in this Chiron retrograde: the feeling that if I’m not always up to a mythical level of “productivity” I’m being lazy and useless.

Nope. I’m refilling the creative well, resting, and rejuvenating. Which is necessary.

This week, in addition to the intent of holding steady, I will also work on flexible gratitude. Which, I am sure, will offer challenges. But I will still put in the work, and see how that changes things.

image courtesy of Karsten Paulick via pixabay.com

No, this isn’t a Janus-headed post. That’s for, you know, January.

November ended in the middle of the week, and this is our first Monday in December. It feels weird to do the typical monthly wrap up, because it feels like it was longer than half a week ago.

Basically, in November, the primary focus was on THE TREES WHISPERED DEATH for Nano. I got 60K written, and had an uneven experience with it, which I will discuss in the coming weeks over on The Process Muse.

I kept up with script coverage work, landed an article assignment from a new-to-me publication, started the holiday decorations, got out the overseas cards, worked on LEGERDEMAIN and ANGEL HUNT (although not as much as I hoped, and I’m behind where I wanted to be at this point). My beautiful, giant Brother color laser printer (only two years old) died, and the lack of customer service on a piece with a warranty is appalling.

As this month drives forward, I am still working on THE TREES WHISPERED DEATH, with the aim to finish this draft; pushing on the next arc of LEGERDEMAIN, which has to be finished, polished, uploaded, and scheduled, so the marketing can continue; more work on ANGEL HUNT, so I can focus on its launch in January, decorating, baking, card writing, and other holiday stuff.

I’ve done my shopping, wrapped and packed the gifts that are mailed (post office trip as soon as this is posted). I’ve drafted one short story, almost drafted another, and am keeping up with blogs, script coverage, et al.

I’m trying to be organized about getting things done early in the month so that I can actually dial back and you, know, ENJOY the holidays when they actually happen.

That means my goal, my dream, AND my resolution for this month is: ENJOYMENT.

If you haven’t looked at the Questions for 2023, they are on their own page now, so help yourself.

Take the time for pleasure this holiday season. Less stress, more fun!

image courtesy of victorrdyrnes via pixabay.com

Oasis

The coming weeks through the end of the year are often chaotic, tense, emotionally draining. Even when you have strong, positive relationships with family, friends, and co-workers, it can all be a bit much.

It means you need to create an Oasis, for your own well-being, a space into which you can escape, even for a moment. Here are some suggestions:

The Astral Oasis

Take a few minutes and close your eyes. Visualize your perfect tranquil space.

For some, it will be a cozy chair by the fire, with books or tea or knitting or some combination.

For others, it will be a space on the beach or somewhere else in nature.

For yet others, it could be a fond childhood memory, or a fantasy world, or outer space.

Whatever makes YOU feel safe and happy is your space. You never have to tell another individual about it. It is secure, and it is YOURS.

Build a few minutes in your day, similar to meditation time, to visit this space. You can keep building it, rearrange it, do whatever you want until it feels good. Then, visit it regularly. When you start feeling restless in it, make changes to it. But this is YOUR space. You can embellish it with scents, sounds, textures, whenever you wish.

You can visit it anytime you need a moment of peace in a stressful day. If you can close your eyes, do so, and imagine it in your mind’s eye as you follow your breath. If you are not in a place or situation where you can close your eyes, keep them open. Follow your breath, and hold the calm, safe feeling you have when you visit your oasis.

If you do this regularly, simply saying or thinking the word, “Oasis” (or whatever you choose to call it) will take you there for a few moments of calm.

The Physical Oasis

Set up a favorite chair, corner of the couch, oversized cushions and blankets on the floor of your bedroom – anything that makes you feel safe and calm.

Carve out a few minutes every day to sit there and feel peaceful. It can be right before bedtime (that will help you sleep). It can be first thing in the morning, to start your day on a calmer note. It can be a break during the day, or when you get home from work, to transition from the detritus of the day to something calmer.

As you do this regularly, you will be able to call up the look and sensation of the space (similar to the way actors use sense memory) if you’re have a stressful time away from home. You will be able to take a deep breath, pull up the sensation of how good you feel in the space, and build moments of stress relief into you day.

Again, after a period of time, just saying or thinking the word, “Oasis” (or whatever you choose to call the space) will give you access to the feelings of calm and safety.

Naming

Names have power. Words have power. Naming your sanctuary, especially if you never share that name with anyone else, gives you even stronger boundaries and safer space.

Working in and with the space regularly will, as mentioned above, give you the ability to speak or think the name wherever you are, and pull up the sense of tranquil security.

Start creating the space  now, during these stressful weeks, slowly, with flexibility, and then you can carry it with you next year.

You’ll know when you want and need to make changes, and that’s a good thing. The space does double duty: it offers calm and safety, while being a work in progress to grow with you as you grow.

Have a lovely season, my friends.

image courtesy of Couleur via pixabay.com

As we get into the whirlwind of Winter Holiday celebrations, we often spend too much time worrying about money, pulling off the holiday, making things perfect.

We forget this is supposed to be fun.

It’s supposed to be celebratory, not stressful.

The older I get, the less I’m worried about how the holiday looks to others than how it feels to experience it.

I honor and love many family holiday traditions.

I also create new ones, and integrate the two.

What makes me happy?

What is important to the people with whom I spend the holidays?

How can we focus more on happiness and less on expectations of what a holiday should be? What needs to be rearranged? Re-aligned?

Communication always helps. If someone says to you, “This is really important to me at this time of year” – listen. Is it something you can do that makes them happy, without hurting you?

If something is important to you during this time, speak up.

If needs and desires for the holidays are in conflict, talk about them, and see where you can find a pleasant compromise, rather than a resentful capitulation.

Where can you decrease the stress while increasing the fun?

Small changes over a number of years are often easier for everyone to deal with than huge changes in a single year.

But try different things in different years, and find what makes you enjoy the season, rather than dread it.

image courtesy of Julita via pixabay.com

We’re halfway done with November, and getting into the holiday season, so it’s time to check in. How are you feeling about the month? How are you feeling about the upcoming holiday season? What can you do to be kinder to yourself about it?

I often joke that I look at the “holiday season” as Halloween through Twelfth Night, but it’s not really a joke. I celebrate quite a few different holidays in that stretch, some of which came about because friends and co-workers included me in their celebrations over the years and I wanted to continue to honor them.

But I do like the stretch of November, after the Samhain decorations are down, there are a few cornucopias to celebrate Thanksgiving, and it’s not yet time to put up the Winter Holiday decorations. I like that sense of breath and rest in those few weeks.

I have friends who put up Christmas or Solstice trees the week after Samhain. Hey, if it makes you happy, do it.

But I like the quiet before it all revs up again.

What I’m up to this month:

NaNo: as of today I’m at 33,267 words, and wrote every day on THE TREES WHISPERED DEATH

Worked on Legerdemain (but not as much as I wanted/should have)

Worked on ANGEL HUNT (but not as much as I wanted/should have)

Kept up with THE PROCESS MUSE

Kept up with the blogs

Celebrated election results (so far)

Kept up with script coverage

Kept up with book review assignments

Added the social media channels Mastodon, Tribel, Cohost, Ravelry, and WT social to my roster

Got rid of WT social after 48 hours

Started reviving my Pinterest account

Downloaded the Devon Ellington Twitter archive (still have to do the Fearless Ink one)

Read and commented on my friend’s manuscript

Read a bunch of books for pleasure

Took a trip through Vermont and into upstate NY

Took a couple of cooking classes with Jeremy Rock Smith

Performed the Tending the Dead Rituals

Got Ko-fi back up and running

How’s your November going?