It’s a holiday weekend, so I’m told.
Here in the center of Maine, we’re looking at sun and warm weather starting, oh, today, and getting progressively warmer — kissing 90F mid-week — before exiting on thunderstorms, next Friday, and falling off into more seasonal temps.
For those following along at home, I’ve been using my XChair for a little over two weeks now, and it’s a delight. Well worth the money.
The household is slowly reforming around the hole where Belle used to be.
Trooper has stopped going to her usual places and calling. He had seemed to form the theory that the front door was involved, and twice tried to step out onto the front porch to scope things out while we were in-loading groceries. Turned out that was too scary for everybody, and I think we’re past that now.
Sprite has been stepping up into what had been Belle’s special duties, such as sitting on Steve’s lap while he reads, and felining his copilot’s chair. Firefly has also been coming forward to cover some of Sprite’s duties.
The humans still get lumps in their throats at odd moments, or will abruptly notice that they haven’t seen Belle in a while and hope she hadn’t gotten herself stuck in a closet . . .
It’s a process.
On the Professional side of the coin, Baen has let us know that Ribbon Dance will be released in June 2024. David Mattingly is even now hard at work on the cover.
Steve is working on Trade Lanes. Though I had intended to put my feet up and take it easy for the next while, it looks like I’m working on the follow-up to Ribbon Dance. Well. If the book’s ready to be written, I guess I’m ready to write it.
I think that catches us all up — no, not quite.
Steve and I went out yesterday to forage, and I very much fear that!
A dragon followed me home.
Condolences on the loss of Belle. Is always so hard to lose a fur baby.
Lumps in the throat get better, although, occasionally, even 20+ years later losing my Telzey cat will get me.
Times like this, one wishes that words could comfort, but one has also learned that they . . . really cannot. Nevertheless, I too offer belated condolences. No small part of the ache of loss is watching the other cats, bewildered and uncomprehending as they expect to find her and then don’t.
Ah! Another book wants to be written! Good news for all of us! Hope all goes well and that everyone can find joy in the process.