Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. They’re very much appreciated, and I did have a lovely day, with much more of a celebration than anticipated.
Yesterday started out cool and cloudy, which is actually my favorite sort of day. Later, it gave into its damper nature and rained, but that was OK, too.
We had appointments to view two houses. One is probably Exactly the Sort of House we, at our advanced and advancing ages Ought Really to Move Into. It was quite a nice house, and had everything on The List, saving a sun room/screened porch, but those lacks could probably be more-or-less easily addressed. It did not make me stand up and cheer, but…newish roof, two car garage, and a nice big, sunny window for the cats all count, too.
The other house. . .
The other house and I were Immediately Sympatico, while, at the same time, I Knew Quite Clearly that it was Completely Unsuitable for us, at our advanced & advancing etc. It was what I think of as an Artists’ House, and artistic people were clearly living there. As I said to Steve, If we were already living in this house, I would see no reason to move. As it was, I kinda wanted to sit on the stairs and have a soda and talk to the people who did live there.
After house-viewing, we went to lunch at Jin Yuan on Temple Street and so to home where we split a piece of carrot cake and some vanilla ice cream and retired to the living room to read. Steve was reading Dragon in Exile on the couch, and I was in the blue recliner with Dancer of the Sixth (in which I seem to see Influence, but that may just be me). I would like to report that all three Coon Cats visited me on the recliner and hung out a bit while I read. Mozart and Trooper sort of draped themselves across my lap, but Sprite insisted that she squeeze between me and the arm of the chair, before she purred herself into an intense sleep, from which she only roused when I got up to tend to business. I am In Awe of both her ability to squish, and her purring expertise.
Today, I have a few chores on the list, but I believe I will finish reading my book while Steve finishes up Dragon. . . And then we shall see.
The contest to win a free Carousel Sun audiobook is now closed. I will, as promised, be making the awards this weekend. Thank you all for playing!
I also have some news from Don Blyly at Uncle Hugo’s SF Bookstore in Minneapolis, which I will report in another post.
Hope everybody has a great Friday!
Happy belated birthday! For some reason, I feel moved to creep out of my usual introvert shell and share wishes for a happy post-natal-anniversary day and many more to come.
I write (I know, you hear that all the time) and your work (yours and Steve’s) has been a huge inspiration to me from the start. I love your rich universe, the use of language, the layered and intricate relationships between characters and cultures…ah, heck, I love it all. When I worked in the bookselling biz, I ordered and pressed copies of your books into more hands than I can count.
Most of all, though, I loved that the books existed at all, that the stories kept on keeping on–because their structure, their style and their focus were unlike any other SFF out there. It meant that my stumbling efforts, my quirky and non-traditionally developed stories might have a snowball’s chance of someday finding readers too. So I kept on keeping on, and I published, and the adventure continues.
So. Thank you for all that. That’s my gift of gushing and gratitude. A day late, but still quite sincere.
I’m glad yours was an excellent birthday and sorry I missed saying Happy Birthday on the day (a bit of con-crud relapse ensued, nothing serious.) House-hunting…I dread the thought and admire you for attempting to be sensible about it. Not sure I could be. I was sensible last time and this house has served us pretty well, but it and I have never completely bonded (and it’s over 30 years now and I do not see us moving. Though one never knows, life being what it is.) Best of luck in the search (unless it’s now over, in which case I hope you enjoy the one you picked.)