Author: Sharon

Winter is coming

What Went Before:  Wednesday was a Day of Surprises, the upshot being that I won for myself the Coveted Visit with the Cardio Doc, for Christmas Eve.  In an Unrelated Incident, I also threw out my back and have spent the last two days on the sofa, in that unpleasant land between zoned out and hurting.

Which brings us to!

Saturday. Snowing and cold. Winter is back.

Well. That’s one way to lose four pounds. I’m exhausted, but not hurting. Am debating a maintenance dose of muscle relaxants, but I’ve already been mainlining the damn’ things for two days, and as we all learned in biology — the heart is a muscle.

Breakfast was oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, which actually — tasted good, which is another reason to stop with the muscle relaxants, ref “lose four pounds” above.

. . . and the jury is back. A maintenance dose of muscle relaxants, it is.

On today’s to-do list is! Tyop logging, swapping out the cat fountains — which, no, can’t wait, because someone lost their balance and spilled crunchies into the pool, thank you, muscle relaxants — packing a go-bag* (Most Important Decision Made: Hassan the Assassin will be representing the Stuffies. Also, I can use my old phone as a tablet, so it will be in the pack, stuffed with all my books, and earphones. Hmm. May want to download a few more audiobooks…), and figuring out what to eat for lunch.

One benefit of the last two days of forced inactivity and zonieness is that Rook has earned his Advanced Lovebug badge, which, as you all know, is usually not awarded to cadets who have under a year in grade, so — quite an accomplishment, there.

And, I think that’s all I have to report. Trooper is on the copilot’s chair, snoring and raring to go after these last few days of sofa duty.

How’s everybody doing?

________
*I have never before bothered with a go-bag, but here we are.  I don’t really expect to need it soon, but, then, we really didn’t expect Steve to be sent to the ER DO NOT pass ‘Go’ when he’d just dropped in for a routine cardio check.  Better safe than without anything to read.

 

In which Time is broken

“Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.”

Hah.

UPDATE:  Finished my tyop read of Diviner’s Bow last night.  Received a anonymous gift of Walker’s Mince Pies in the mail, and! the Tax Packet in email.  Collapsed in the Command Chair and listened to The Goblin Emperor because my eyes wouldn’t focus.  Went to bed early so I could ditto get up, this morning.

Wednesday. Up before the sun. I say this in literal truth. Warm already, going to be warmer.

Breakfast was pumpernickel bread with cream cheese; finishing up the first cup of tea.

Tax Packet printing as I type — no, I take that back. Paper jam. Print job stalled and restarted. Welcome to the Tax Packet, and the first of many ggggrrrrrrrs.

. . . and another paper jam.

. . . and another.

Finally back in business as Rook has appointed himself Overseer of the Print Job, and has turned his Fell Gaze upon the machinery.

Today’s plan is to start the tyop log, go to gym 9:30ish, get my hair cut 10:45ish, go to the grocery and maybe the post office, assuming I can find a place to park, then come home and get back to work.

As I plan, it doesn’t have much to recommend it, and I’m still behind on things I WANT to do, some of which I may have to jettison.

All together now — Adulting is Hard.

Everybody have a good day. Please feel free to talk among yourselves.

Below, the fruits of the hunt, and a candid portrait of Firefly.

      

Kit Kat

The ebook edition of Sea Wrack and Changewinds: All of the Archers Beach short stories, by Sharon Lee has dropped in all markets, and! AFAIK. Thank you and happy reading to all.

Monday Catchup:  I got out some of the glass trees from MOMA and put them up, along with the daily birch trees, and the old yellow tree that used to be in my office.  The lighted stand for the crystal ball arrived, and all lit up they make a … comforting display.

Tuesday. Rainy and warm. Trash and (some) of the recycling at the curb. (The open bin can’t go out, ref “rainy”)

Breakfast was pb&j on a whole wheat English muffin. Lunch will be the leftover pork chop and the leftover veggies.

After I finish writing and posting this communication, I will be mixing together the pumpernickel bread kit from Steve’s stash (Steve bought kits; I think, after the pumpernickel, there’s a multigrain bread kit, and a crepe kit), and setting it to rise. Then I will be about reading the last 50 pages of Diviner’s Bow’s galleys, and opening a correction log.

<whine> I had really wanted to feel good about this book, but all I feel at the moment is tired and lonely</whine>

Aside one’s duty to the cats and so forth, I think that’s all I got on for the day — baking and reading.

What’s on for your day?

Lifters never fall

Sunday Catchup:  I took the day off, did some embroidery, played with cats, read, watched Red One, which I really enjoyed, and will probably watch again.

Monday. Cloudy, now.

Breakfast was a cinnamon roll, because I could. Lunch — dunno. Mac ‘n cheese, maybe.

Stayed up late because Firefly wouldn’t let me get up until we’d seen Ross fairly settled on Finity. Then I had to open the next book to show her that they’d kept their word. Honestly, four years old and nothing but suspicion.

In the Realm of Shameless Self-Promotion! Sea Wrack and Changewind ebook has broken 400 the hard way! Amazon, 367; Apple, 15; BN, 3; Kobo 16. The ebook drops on December 17 — that’s tomorrow!

Today it’s back to the proofing mines. Firefly has already checked in, and Rook arrived for his after-breakfast lap-sit and cuddles. Trooper is in his box on my desk, snoring.

And that? Is all I have. Yes, yes, the non-stop glamour; how do I keep it from ruining me?

What’s everybody up to, today?

Today’s blog title from Diviner’s Bow.

Books read in 2024

57 Alliance Rising (Hinder Stars #1), CJ Cherryh, Jane Fancher (e)
(55, 56 Diviner’s Bow, line edit, copy edit)
54 The Masquerades of Spring, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
(53 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (e))
52 Black Dogs Part Two: The Mountain of Iron, Ursula Vernon (e)
51 Black Dogs Part One: House of Diamond, Ursula Vernon (e)
50 The Wind’s Twelve Quarters, Ursula K. Le Guin (book club)
49 Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels(Dangerous Damsels #1)India Holton (e)
48 Two Old Women, Velma Wallis (book club)
47 First Lie Wins, Ashley Elston (e)
46  Mystic Tea, Rea Nolan Martin (book club)
45  Fated Blades, Ilona Andrews (e)
44  Grace, Beverly Watts (Shackleford Sisters #1) (e)
43  The Fortunate Fall, Cameron Reed (e)
42  A Sorceress Comes to Call, T. Kingfisher (e)
41  Secrets at Midnight, Nalini Singh (e)
40  Born a Crime, Trevor Noah (book club)
39  Rocky Start, Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
38  Librarian Bear, Murphy Lawless (Virtue Shifters #2) (e)
37  Primal Mirror, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity #8)
36  The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (The Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #2) (e)
35  Timber Wolf, Murphy Lawless/Zoe Chant (Virtue Shifters) (e)
34  Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus (book club)
33  Whammo Ranch, Jerry Boyd (Bob and Nikki Book 2)(e)
32  Bob’s Saucer Repair, Jerry Boyd (Bob and Nikki Book 1) (e)
31  Finders, Melissa Scott (Firstborn, Last born Book 1), (e)
30  When the Dandelions Sing: A Novel, James J. Hill III (book club)
29  Winter Lost, Patricia Briggs, (Mercy Thompson #14) (e)
28  Koalafied for Love, Murphy Lawless (Virtue Shifters) (e)
27  The Time Traders, Andre Norton (re-read) (e)
26  War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (re-re-&c-read) (book club)
25  Earthly Delights, Kerry Greenwood (Corinda Chapman #1) (re-read) (e)
24  Wednesday’s Child, Rhea Côté Robbins
23  Hate Mail, Donna Marchetti (e)
22  Comfort is an Old Barn, Amy Calder  (book club)
21  Arabella, Georgette Heyer (e) (re-read)
20  The Foundling, Georgette Heyer (e) (possibly I read this once before)
19  Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (e)
18  What Cannot be Said, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #19) (e)
17  The Grief of Stones, Katherine Addison (e) (re-read)
16  Witness for the Dead, Katherine Addison  (e) (re-read)
15  The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (e) (re-re-re-read)*
14  Hen Fever, Olivia Waite (e)
13  Unmasked by the Marquis, Cat Sebastian (e) ( re-read)
12  A Duke in Disguise, Cat Sebastian (e) (reread)
11  Heart of Stone, Johannes T. Evans (e)
10  West with the Night, Beryl Markham (e)
9   A Song to Drown Rivers, Ann Liang (e) (netgalley)
8   Bookstores and Bonedust, Travis Baldree (prequel) (e) (library)
7   We Could Be So Good, Cat Sebastian (e) (library)
6   Thorn Hedge, T. Kingfisher (e) (library)
5   Wild Seed, Octavia M. Butler (e) (library)
4   In Our Stars, Jack Campbell (Doomed Earth #1) (pre-pub) (e)
3   Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree (e) (library)
2   Heart of the Sun Warrior, Sue Lynn Tan, (Celestial Kingdom #2) (e) (library)
1   This is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (e) (library)

_____
*… I think I may have lost track.  I do know I started several books, and put them aside, because I Just Couldn’t. I stress that it wasn’t Them, it was Me.  I don’t think I actually finished anything before I finally did manage to settle into a re-re-re-&C-read of The Goblin Emperor, so that’s where we’ll pick up the tally.

Monkeying with the evidence

Sunday. Cold and bright.

Today is Rolanni Catches a Break Day. Not quite a Writer’s Day Off, but I intend to do some things that (1) have nothing to do with this manuscript, and (2) are possibly enjoyable.

Breakfast was eggs scrambled with potato and onion, and a slice of homemade whole wheat toast. Lunch will be pork chop, butter beans, dressing.

Random Observation of Fact: Steve’s ring, which I had sized to fit the ring finger on my right hand, is now too big for that digit, and I’ve moved it to the second finger of my left hand, where it fits perfectly.

From the Annals of Feline Investigator Cookie Rookafeller, two items of possible interest to his fandom.

1. Every morning when I get up, I take a pill. This morning, I got up, and due to press of business, did not take the pill immediately. When I returned to the bedroom in order to ingest said medication, I found that Investigator Rookafeller had knocked the bottle to the floor and rolled it halfway down the hall in the direction I had taken re business.

2. I store unbroken boxes behind the sofa in the snow annex until I can get around to flattening them and taking them out to the garage/recycling bin. There is one such box in that position now. This morning, as I passed by to open the curtains, I looked into the box, and saw one of the grey foxes that make up part of the cats’ holdings in the box. I took him out and put him on the floor. Investigator Rookafeller *rushed* over from his resting place, grabbed the fox by the scruff, jumped into the box, placed the fox under a wad of packing material, jumped out, LOOKED at me, and went back to where he had been napping. . . . Right. No monkeying with the evidence, Monkey.

I hope everybody has a lovely day. I may or may not be around. Do feel free to visit among yourselves.

On the occasion of Trooper’s 15th Birthday

Saturday. Bright and cold, but most importantly? It is December 14.

This is Trooper’s 15th birthday. The celebrations began early with the Birthday Cat taking his place on the Living Room Observation Post, where, after careful study, he was able to report with confidence that the garden, the lawn, and the maple trees were correctly placed. He then withdrew to share a teaching breakfast with his grandson. He’s now asleep on the copilot’s chair.

In Shameless Self-Promotion, Sea Wrack and Changewinds PAPERBACK retains the coveted #1 New Release banner for its placement in Fantasy Short Stories. The EBOOK edition, which drops on December 17, rejoices in 392 total preorders.

Today, is all about reading galleys, interspersed with one’s duty to the cats, changing the bed, and figuring out what’s for lunch. (Breakfast, for those keeping score, was oatmeal with walnuts and raisins, because Food is Boring. It strikes me that I would not make a very good Haosa.)

Possibly, I’ll knock off early and watch “Red One.” Or, yanno, not.

Which leads to the question — What’s your favorite seasonal movie? I rather liked “While You Were Sleeping,” and I know there’s much fondness for “Die Hard” — but, else?

Picture of the Birthday Cat:

Are you a Wonder, or a Marvel?

First, let’s get the Shameless Self-Promotion out of the way.

The PAPERBACK edition of Sea Wrack and Changewind: All of the Archers Beach short stories, by Sharon Lee, is now on sale at Amazon. Here’s the link.

The EBOOK edition of Sea Wrack and Changewind will drop on December 17. It may be preordered now from All The Usual Suspects, and/or bookmarked at Baen for purchase On The Day.

Note that the above describe two different editions of the same book.

Yesterday’s wrap-up, short form: It was warm and sunny; it was windy and snowy. I read galleys, then went out to take on ice melt, cat food and a wreath. Eventually collapsed onto the couch, with cats spotted ’round the living room and listened to The Goblin Emperor.

Which brings us to!

Friday. Sunny and cold.

The toaster oven is heating so I can warm some naan for my breakfast, which will include hummus, and an orange.

I would like to sing the praises of programmable thermostats. What a pleasure to get up and the house is already warming nicely, and I don’t have to race around the house, teeth chattering, to set up the heat, then pile on layers to keep warm while station temps rise to acceptable levels.

The lack of needing to race around &c has messed with Rook’s schedule. He had become accustomed to running down the hall to Steve’s office ahead of me, waiting while I did the needful, then running ahead of me to the thermostat in the laundry room, then the thermostat in the Great Intersection, and finally into my office. I guess I could still do the route, and keep him — and me — in shape.

I’ll go to gym a little later this morning, to let *outside* warm up, then I’ll be home to read galleys.

Not a particularly exciting day, but mine own.

We used to ask each other occasionally, it not being the sort of question you can ask every day — “Are you a Wonder, or a Marvel?” I haven’t much been feeling either, but these questions shouldn’t be altogether lost, and so I put it to you —

Are you a Wonder, or a Marvel?*

Behold, the Yule wreath, decorated and sublime.

They call me the breeze

Thursday. Calm blue skies, damp surfaces. It was 55F/13C when I went to bed at 10:30 last night. It’s now 33F/0ishC and heading for a high of 38F/3C.

We had a pretty fierce windstorm last night, but seem to have done pretty well. I see limbs down at the neighbor’s house, and some sticks down hereabouts, but nothing big came down; the windows held, and so did the roof.

Victory.

Diviner’s Bow galleys arrived last night after I was in bed, so I ate breakfast at my desk in order to sort them out*. That means breakfast was a Kodiak Bar (chocolate with chocolate chips), and a cup of tea, which is Skirting A Line, but — needs must. Kettle’s on for second cup of tea. Next on my to-do list is picking up so Ashley has clearance in which to work her cleaning magic, while I?

Read Diviner’s Bow for the third time in three weeks. Whee.

And that’s it from here — galleys carry all before them.

Everybody get comfy — you know the drill. I’ll poke my head in as can.

________
*Because time is so short, there will not be a General Call for Tyop Hunters.

Today’s blog title via JJ Cale, “They Call Me The Breeze“

Crystal World

Wednesday. Raining.

Well. That’s a right mess out there, that is. The steps are glassy with ice. I have administered ice melt. The smart money at the moment is on — Rolanni is staying in today. But, yanno; that could change.

. . . and as I type this, the plowguy arrives. I’m not sure he made anything better, but he’s clearly banking on this 55F-and-rain to clear us back down to a clean slate.

The next time I *do* get out, I’ll need to take on clay cat litter, along with more ice melt. And maybe a wreath. I’ve been thinking it would be nice to have an inside wreath, in keeping with Tradition. Not sure I’m up to getting out Steve’s Tree (it being Steve’s Tree, because his mom had made it for him), but I could maybe set out one of the glass trees. I do like some light in the Dark Times.

First cup of tea is brewing. I’m not sure what’s for breakfast, which condition, in the most recent rewriting of Da Rules, means, “oatmeal.” Da Rule Being: “If you can’t decide what’s for breakfast, it’s oatmeal. No skipping breakfast.”

Anyhoot, after breakfast, I will once again Survey the State of the Grounds, and see if I’m going out, or if I’m calling to cancel my hair appointment.

All other planning depending on the State of the Grounds, I guess I’d better get with breakfast, and! Oatmeal it is.

Update: I’ve decided not to risk my neck — or other important body part — on the ice.

Also, I have Suddenly! Realized! that I can buy a new lighted base for the crystal ball that Steve and I gave each other for a wedding present, back in 1980. The old base had long ago succumbed to leaking batteries, and was discarded. The ball has since graced a shelf in the living room.

* * *

For those who don’t take the Evening Edition, as it were, on Facebook, a small catchup:

Yesterday, instead of doing any of the Useful Things I should have done, I worked on my story. I regret nothing.

The guy, and his helper, did come by and installed all five programmable thermostats, which I then programmed. However, I forgot to hit “Run” at the end of the programation, and the house stayed at 69 all night, which was — kinda nice, actually, but not very efficient of fuel. I have today repaired my error, and the heat should get turned down on the overnight, which, yes, means the house will be cool, but this is after all why I have blankets.

. . . and that’s all the news and catchup, too. Now that I have the whole day ahead of me, I believe that I will — write.

Yeah.

Crystal ball, signed by the artist RW Stephanious (?),1980, given by Steve Miller to Sharon Lee, and by Sharon Lee to Steve Miller on the occasion of their marriage, November 6, 1980.