Tag: blog

She could kill you with the wink of an eye

What Went Before ONE: So there I was in Five Below, wandering about and wondering, among other things, who would WANT Stitch headphones, when — my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it said Sebasticook Hospital.

On the off-chance that someone I knew was actually in the hospital and needed me to do something for them, I answered.

My mammogram, previously scheduled for September 12 at the hospital around the corner from my house? The hospital which is closing in May? Said mammogram has been rescheduled for the same time at — Sebasticook Hospital. In Pittsfield. 30ish miles away.

I hate this timeline.

Also — lunchtime.

What Went Before TWO: A mixed afternoon.

I have determined that the Subaru’s navcomp operates while I am playing a CD in the single-disk CD player.

I have determined that I can play Sirius XM from my phone to the car’s speakers via bluetooth and the navcomp will speak to me.

I have determined that I can bluetooth navigation from phone to the Subaru, but Sirius XM will not play from the car when I do so.

I have determined that I can bluetooth both Sirius XM and navigation from the phone through the Subaru’s speakers and both will work; which is to say, the music will play and when the navigator needs to speak, it simply yells over the music.

I have determined that there are no (zero, zip, zilch, NO) copies of Diviner’s Bow at the Augusta Maine Barnes and Noble. The lady on the customer service desk put in an order for three when I asked her to do so, but she allowed as Corporate might not “let them” have the books, ref previous “timeline, this one, hate it.”

I’m going to get a cup of hot chocolate, then I’ll unbox my bread slicer, which was delivered while I gamboled about Central Maine.

What Went Before THREE: Preliminary bread guide report.

I washed it, put it together and cut the last of the loaf using it. It made one straight thinner slice, and one slice slightly thicker, but I stress here that we were using the end of a loaf that had already been abused by my lack of skill.

I will likely be making a new loaf tomorrow, and will update my report then.

So far — it goes together like a dream. I don’t see any splinters and the crumb catcher is kinda cool.

What Went Before FOUR: So, I determined that I would use Steve’s old phone as a navigation/music device in the car. Which is a sensible use of resources, and preserves the charge on my phone in case of need.

So, I opened his phone, and then freaked out, because I was going to have to delete things, and what if he came home and wanted his phone and I’d gone and repurposed it?

Yeah, I know. But it’s a hard habit to break. For most of my life, he’s always come home again.

Happy ending — I can keep the apps, right? But they don’t have to be littering the front screen. I can just leave Sirius and Google Maps there where I can get at them.

And I do believe that’s quitting time. Tomorrow, we make bread — and new words.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

#

Tuesday. Grey and cool. Rain and snow on the menu, say the Weatherbeans. Trash and recycling are at the curb.

There will be no bread baking today, as my hands are not up to it. (Yes, I have a Kitchen Aid. The Kitchen Aid does not put itself together, measure ingredients, or shape the loaf. Or for that matter, put the loaf in the oven.) This is why we have the spare loaves in the freezer, and today I will make a withdrawal. As the spares are already sliced, the updated review of the bread slicing guide will be delayed until the next baking.

On Bad Hands Days, the hands are reserved for writing, and for one’s duty to the cats, so that’s my schedule for the day.

Breakfast was almond butter and cherry jelly on a whole wheat English Muffin. There’s leftover homemade stirfry for lunch.

I have here before me yesterday’s installment from the New Yorker cartoon calendar, which features a man and a woman on a desert island, and the woman is saying to the man, “I wouldn’t mind being rescued now that I’ve finally grown my bangs out.”

I was wandering around the house taking the cat census. Rook was under the ledge of my standing desk, so I sat down to take his picture, whereupon he stepped across and took over my lap.

What are your companion animals doing today?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Sweet, “Ballroom Blitz.”  NOTE:  If you are now or have ever been a fire marshal, do not watch this video.

Cat census:

Earrings and old photos

What went before: Entered a bunch of correx into the WIP today, which gets me to a place where I need to write a scene, tomorrow.

I need to go out tomorrow because I? ran out of cat treats, because, yes, I am a Bad Cat Mom. And also? Because it’s going to snow on Tuesday.

Winter? We gotta talk.

Otherwise, I need to find something to eat, and then go curl up on the couch and read for a bit.

#

Monday. Cloudy and chilly.

Breakfast was rice cakes and cream cheese with pineapple juice. Finishing up my first cup of tea. Lunch will depend on what looks good when I go to the grocery store.

This morning I have errands, and banking, and staging the trash for tomorrow; ASL review; at least inputting some correx, if I don’t have enough spoons to write that scene. Also, I’m behind on my correspondence.

Slept a good long while, though I have the impression I woke up every hour to look at the clock. Finally truly woke up, but feeling very tired. Which really seems unfair.

The old silver studs earrings wore well yesterday and overnight. I took them out to shower, and this morning put in the pearl studs on their surgical steel posts. Sometime realsoonow, I’ll get to the sapphire studs, but they’re rather heavier and I’m trying to be — what’s that word? — prudent.

I once again thank everyone who left a review of Diviner’s Bow for your generosity. And I again remind everyone else, as is my duty, to please leave a review as you have time. And a special note for the folks who are rereading the previous two books to prep — reviews of old books count, too, and! the Ribbon Dance mmp is coming our RSN, so new reviews there are good, too.

And that’s all I’ve got, really. Given my general state of fuzziness, I should probably warm the kettle for a second cup of tea before I get on the road, but, yanno — mere details.

What’s Monday like at your place?

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From the Department of Old Photos

This fell into my lap, so to speak, when I was looking for something else.

BaltiCon 15 would have been in 1981. The young lady in the picture would therefore have been…28. The shirt is a patterned satin, white on white, the skirt is white. The sash is red. The funny thing sticking out of her head is a red scarf, which — I don’t know why it was there. Must’ve been a reason. And those glasses weighed A TON.  Photo by Steve Miller.

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OK, somebody wanted a pic of Young Steve. The back of the photo says “BaltiCon 1979,” which would make that BaltiCon 13. Steve was 28; I was 26.

Photo possibly by jan howard finder. We had been talking to him in this space. (Longer History: Steve and I were arriving at the con separately, and had arranged to meet “at registration,” as one does. I was dawdling alone, and jan had just asked me (1) my name (2) if I would like to do the con with him. I told him I was waiting for Steve Miller, who arrived just then, whereupon jan said, “Here’s the lucky man now.” So, yes, entirely possible, jan took this picture.)

In which the harpoons are removed

Sunday. Raining, coolish.

Breakfast was salmon cake on multigrain whole wheat bread and the last orange. Lunch will be the chicken breast from the freezer, likely stir fried with rice and veggies.

Yesterday was a V. Quiet Day here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. It did not snow, but it did kind of grumble and sleet and grumble some more, so a good day to be in the office comfy chair with a manuscript and cats scattered about, napping. I wrote 750ish new words yesterday, and I think I have the timeline going forward straight in my head at least, which where we need to start to keep in straight in your heads.

I took the hole-making titanium studs out of my ears yesterday — yes, three days early! Call me a rebel. This was a Rather Difficult Operation. For a minute or two there I thought they were going to be For Always. I did finally get them out, discovering that they’re nothing but little peace-bonded harpoons, which I will not be putting back in my ears, TYVM. I replaced the harpoons with my old and comfortable sterling silver studs, and in a couple days — or, who knows? this afternoon — I’ll put in a pair of “real” earrings and see how that feels.

I bought a new space heater for the bathroom. The ancient of same, circa 2005, will be swathed in plastic and go downstairs with the tower fans, against need.

I also bought a bread slicing guide, since I’m not getting any better at slicing straight pieces off the loaf. This one is notable for being made out of bamboo rather than plastic, has guides for two sizes of slice — East Coast Sandwich and Texas — and has a crumb catcher built in. I’m looking forward its arrival.

The Long Back Yard is Once! Again! snow free, and the snowdrops have doubled their numbers.

I slept short and bad Friday night, so was in bed early last night with my mug of chamomile tea, my book, and three cats — Firefly, who is really getting the hang of this reading in bed thing; Tali, who seems to think she remembers something like this, somewhere else; and Trooper, who clocked out by my knee and wasn’t heard from again. Rook obviously had first shift of night watch. This morning, he was solidly asleep against my back when I woke up.

Today, I’m back with the manuscript, and ASL homework. Dr. Bill at lifeprint.com delivers our homework and you, too, can watch his videos and learn Sign, does something that I really like. He reviews the lesson with an assistant drawn from the off-camera class, but he also hams it up, introduces words that are not in the lesson in his answers, and gives you the feeling of being immersed. The first two lessons, he stuck pretty close to the syllabus, but by lesson four, he’s apparently decided if we’ve stuck it this long, he can pick up the pace.

I will finish my re-read of Night’s Master … probably over lunch. Next book up is another Grace Burrowes, speaking of whiplash — the first in the Bad Heirs series, because I’m a sucker for a Bad Pun.

You are now All Caught Up.

What’s up with you guys?

Sunday morning cat census.

The red basket that Rook’s tucked into has a History.  Ten years ago, it was manuscript basket on my desk at the Cat Farm’s previous, country, location.  Sprite took it over as a cat basket.  Trooper then claimed it — the conflict that decided his precedence is what gave it that Interesting Bend.  I bought another box, ceding the first to cats, but then there were two boxes, so Belle claimed that one…Anyhoots when we moved, Steve took the red basket, put a towel in it, and announced it an Official Cat Place.  It was used by all of the cats while Steve was still working at his desk.  Rook now uses it, and sometimes Trooper.

There’ll be laughing, singing, and music swinging

Friday. Sun trying to break through the clouds. I’ve been up for a while, but the day’s starting slow. In Garmin-speak, yesterday was very stressful and though I slept well, it was insufficient to renew my body battery.

Whatever.

Breakfast was rice-and-quinoa cakes with cream cheese and the penultimate orange. The name of my next band will be Penultimate Orange. Lunch will be … prolly a leftover salmon cake sandwich with whatever veggies come to hand when I open the freezer.

So! Diviner’s Bow — is it “bow” as in archery, or “bow” as in Liadens are always bowing? Here’s the history, one! more! time!

Because the Padi arc is basically an internal trilogy, I/we decided to give the titles a sequence, to, yanno, Clue People In? Thus we have: Trader’s LEAP, Ribbon DANCE, Diviner’s BOW.

I know, I know — too opaque. I’m reminded of That Time Steve wanted to title a novel Writ of Replevin, and Toni said, “Err. No.”

This afternoon, I have an interview with Griffin Barber for the Baen Free Radio Hour. Which means I have to find my invitation email. Which is why I’m on my third mug of tea. I had Soft Plans to go to First Friday downtown this evening, so I’ll see where I am when we get there.

Last night’s ASL class was short a few people and we kinda flew through the lesson, and had time for side excursions. It was fun. I haven’t yet paid my money for the follow-on course. I will have to miss the last lesson by reason of BaltiCon, but I’ll be able to attend the rest.

What else?

Honestly? I think that’s it.

Who has Friday night plans?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Messers Jagger and Bowie, riffing off of Martha and the Vandellas’ 1964 hit, “Dancing in the Street“

Physician, have you nothing to ease the pain of living?

What went before: So, Northern Light Hospital in Waterville is trying to refer all its patients to Maine General. I know this because the office of a Maine General Spine Surgeon called me to tell me that I had been referred by someone I’d never heard of for neck pain. In the course of sorting that out, I actually spoke with someone at my PCP’s office, and she did confirm that, not only the hospital, but ALL the clinics, and specialty offices attached to the hospital (with the exception of the continuing care facility on the hospital’s campus) are closing down dead on May 27. This means, among other things that I will be driving 120 miles, round trip, to see a PCP, if one can be found at Eastern Maine Medical. Inland will also happily fix me up with Reddington Fairview, in Skowhegan, which is chronically overworked, or, oh MDI Hospital, which is very nice, but — it’s on Mount Desert Island.

The FAQ on the We’re Abandoning You Page (it’s not called that; it’s called The Transition Page), chirpily informs us that making sure any on-going prescriptions are up-to-date is very important, because the hospital realizes that it may “take some time” for people to find a new PCP.

The hospital also acknowledges that one of the several reasons it’s shutting down is because of staff shortages, so one wonders where the hell they think the people its abandoning are going to find doctors, since a bunch of them are BEING FIRED, and probably moving out of state.

What a freaking mess.

Well.

I guess I’d better make some lunch, hey?

Some time later: Got some reading of the WIP done. Will do more tomorrow while Ashley is here, and I’ve pulled back to Steve’s office to give her room to wield her equipment.

One of the Afternoon Thoughts was that Steve’s cardiologist is going down with the hospital, and that I was glad Steve didn’t have to stress through that. Of course, he’s also my cardiologist, but that seems much less of a *particular* blow. I’ll miss my PCP more. That Thought led to the subsequent thoughts, that I’m glad Steve is missing, oh, yanno, the dissolution of Democracy, and the general demise of the world. I kinda wish I could miss it, too, but — I told the characters I’d do this book for them.

In other news, Trooper is telling me that it’s Coon Cat Happy Hour and he’s pretty nearly right, so I’d better go see if I have enough plates and cocktail napkins, and little paper umbrellas.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Thursday. It’s…raining, and the temps are just above freezing. Supposed high temps for the day in the upper 40sF.

I had taken all the cat toys up from the living room floor and piled them up on top of the ball racer, and put the pile on the sofa so Ashley’s vacuum has a free run. Rook has cleared all the toys off of the ball racer and is playing with it. So, there, Mom! Oh, and now the girls are interested. Photomentary at eleven.

Again! I thank everyone who has left a review for Diviner’s Bow. Keep ’em coming! Also? You guys read hella fast.

Breakfast was sausage gravy on whole wheat/multigrain toast. Kettle’s on for my second mug of tea. Lunch will be — eh. I’ll check the freezer and see if I have any soup. If today’s weather has a Theme, soup is what it’s good for.

Ashley texted that she might be a little late, which, given the weather, is prudent. I’m here until 5:00 anyhoot.

I? Am never going to learn how to count in ASL. Or maybe I mean to say that I’ll never learn how to count fast in ASL. Which is OK. I mean, I don’t particularly count fast in English. I count slightly faster in Spanish, because it became music for me somewhere along the line, and more about matching cadences than counting. Also, it’s my contention that you don’t need to count in sign. If somebody asks you how many kids you have, and you have three, you pat three invisible heads. If somebody asks how many cats you have, you make the sign for “cat” until you’re done.

As soon as I dispatch this letter, I’ll be pulling my work back to Steve’s office, where I’ve activated the heat pump, so it ought to be nice and toasty.

How’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog title is brought to you by The Star Fox by Poul Anderson.  I attribute the quote to Cynbe ru Taren, but it’s been at least 60 years since I’ve read The Star Fox, so I could be wrong.  Great quote, though.

Reading and writing and counting o! my

What went before: So, at end of writing today, the WIP weighs in at 23,075 words OR 113 double-spaced pages. It has been printed out and we’uns will be getting together tomorrow to see where everything is, what pieces are missing (I mean, yes, three quarters of a book is missing, but where’s it missing from? Eh? I. Riddle. You. THAT.)

For right now, I’m straightening up the disaster area called my desk, and trying One! More! Time! to learn how to count in ASL. This is not going well. Part of it is that my fingers are none so limber as they were 50ish years ago, when I learned this stuff the first time, and honestly? I don’t remember being taught how to count. How to say stuff, oh, yeah. Number of stuffs? That’s what the “many” sign is for.

I do remember from the past that one of the very first signs we were taught was “Bathroom” In this iteration “Bathroom” is in Lesson Three, which seems — harsh.

Of course, my first sign teacher was herself deaf, and the most practical woman I’ve ever met. I remember when I forgot the sign for “dear” and substituted “deer,” which made sense to me, but not so much to her, and she demanded to know what I was thinking. I explained that they sounded the same. And She. Just. Stared. At. Me. until I meekly asked, “D-E-A-R, how sign?” Whereupon she signed it for me, LARGELY. . . SSSLLLOOOOOOWLY. So I’d Get It.

A major motion picture, that woman. She was born to conquer worlds, and the Luck gave her me.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

#

Wednesday, sunny and warm-ish. We here in Maine once again stand, battered but unbowed, beneath the threat of a Winter Storm.

Before we go any further, the ebook edition of Diviner’s Bow on Amazon has cracked the top ten list for Science Fiction Adventure. So make of that what you will.

Thank you! to those who have starred and! reviewed! *smooch*

So. Breakfast was Cabot cream cheese on Lundberg rice and red quinoa cakes. The Cabot cream cheese was good (better than Philly cream cheese, which I have been bored with for years, but which has been, except for a brief period when a local dairy operation produced its own cream cheese, the only game in town), the rice-and-quinoa cakes were — OK. Not much different to me than their plain rice cakes. Second cup of tea is with me here at the desk. Lunch will be fish of some kind. Maybe I’ll make good on those salmon cakes that I didn’t make last week. That’ll give me leftovers.

Today, I have some work to do on behalf of the Ribbon Dance audiobook, since I’ll be traveling about the time book prep will be going on, but mostly I’ll be sitting with the WIP, reading what’s there, making notes, and hopefully not yelling, “This is hopeless — HOPELESS!” FWIW, I don’t think that’s where we are.

Last night, I started (re)reading Night’s Master (because of course everyone read Tanith Lee Back In The Day), and being soothed by the lushness of it. That used to be a fantasy thing, all that Imagery and soft, unlikely, specific words, told in that dreamy once-removed voice.

I ran out of socks, so I started doing the laundry, and the sun is pouring into my office, making it toasty warm. Rookie had decided to make Tali’s life a misery and a burden, and once again Firefly stepped in on Tali’s side. I’m finding this evolving dynamic fascinating, and to the point. Rookie’s going to be way too big a cat to allow him to be a bully. And the fact that he’s already bigger than Firefly and she’s whaling the Bast outta him is apparently making an impression. I hope he draws the Right Conclusion.

And that’s what I’ve got for the early report.

What’s everybody doing today?

Firefly, during yesterday’s Gala Book Day Celebrations:

The Tuesday Report

What went before: No new words written, but notes put down. Straightened up the mess I made downstairs, did the dishes, performed my duty to the cats, staged the trash for tomorrow’s grand parade to the curb, did some ASL homework.

That’s gonna have to be enough for the day.

I realized as I was Spacing Around that tomorrow is a Double Whammy — not only the second New Book Release Day without Steve, but also the anniversary of the day we moved in together, in 1978.

Well.

I’m done for the day — a little early, which unfairly does not mean that Coon Cat Happy Hour is early.

Everybody stay safe. Remember to check your ebook reader tomorrow morning to make sure that Diviner’s Bow has downloaded properly and is ready to read.

Tuesday. Book Day; Diviner’s Bow hardcover, ebook, and audiobook officially hit the shelves.

Sunny, windy, and thereby chilly here in Central Maine. Trash and recycling were picked up while I was out running errands. There’s news of a cat litter delivery, but I’m not sure if that isn’t for tomorrow.

Went to the post office and picked up a package; a kind friend sent me some Lundberg black rice. Went to the UPS store and flang the heart monitor into the hands of the intake person. She asked me if I wanted a receipt, but I told her I didn’t care what happened to it. Tried to stop at the new local bookstore, but was informed that she doesn’t open til Thursday. Spent a pleasant few minutes chatting with the owner of the used bookstore in the basement.

Went to CVS and bought makeup, which was kind of an eye-opener. Mind you, I’ve never worn much makeup, but the stuff I had is at least three years old, so I figured it was time for new. I’ve been watching Makeup for Olds on Youtube, now and again, and in a startling number of cases, the addition of makeup makes Our Model look … older. And then I remembered that I started wearing makeup because I had a baby-face and needed to look old enough to actually be an administrative aide to the dean of a graduate school.

I will in a few minutes be getting myself the last of the leftovers for lunch, and then seeing what kind of trouble I want to get into.

A REMINDER for those who are reading and/or have read Diviner’s Bow: Please leave a review — stars are nice, too, but a review is awesome.

ALSO! If you want to talk about the book with other fans, there is a Spoiler Lounge all set up with chairs, and snacks, and drinks, norbears, and — oh! Cake.

Spoiler Space for Diviner’s Bow

And now? It’s lunchtime.

Happy Book Day, Diviner’s Bow!

The 27th novel set in the star-spanning Liaden Universe® created by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, third in the Padi yos’Galan internal arc, Diviner’s Bow riffs on classic Lee-and-Miller themes of what does it mean to be human, and the proposition that we’re all better when we help each other.

A world divided cannot stand. A people divided cannot thrive.

The Oracle has Seen the end of Civilization — and of the Haosa. While well-meaning people struggle to implement change that might, at least, mitigate a disaster, others are looking toward the profit they can make from the end of the world.

And the lives of two small children may be the threads that bind the future — or unravels it.

The Padi yos’Galan arc: Trader’s Leap, Ribbon Dance, Diviner’s Bow.

All three available from your favorite vendor. Diviner’s Bow is also available from Audible.

Cover art by David Mattingly:

Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner

What went before: 500ish new words, bringing the total WIP to +/-21,750 words.

Knocking off a little early today, mostly because I have correspondence to write and a house to visualize.

Tomorrow, it looks like I’ll be in, unless the weather revises itself again. We have gotten nothing like the pretty bad storm the ‘beans were predicting. So far. It’s supposed to be warm and rain tomorrow, but a lot depends on timing. Right now, it’s looking like Tuesday is my day out, in between Monday’s warm-and-rain, and Wednesday’s — wait for it — snow.

Also tomorrow, I need to bake bread. I bought some harvest grain mix which I’m going to add to the Standard Whole Wheat Loaf to jazz it up a bit. There’s nothing wrong with the Standard Whole Wheat Loaf, mind you; I just prefer something a little chewier.

Tuesday, of course, is Book Day. It may also be a day to take a short drive and test the proposition that using bluetoothing both googlemaps and sirius xm from the phone will result in my having both things, with the map program interrupting the music as necessary. I’ll also see if the car’s map program will speak to me when there’s a CD in play. I would also like to speak to the person who thought that drivers only need a map or music. Must be a non-driver.

In. Any. Case.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Monday. Cloudy and … there’s something weatherly going on outside — frizzling, I guess.

Breakfast was the last waffle with sausage gravy. Waiting for one of my extremely rare cups of coffee to brew. I have a choice of leftovers for lunch.

The dry ingredients for today’s loaf of bread are mixed together, the other ingredients assembled and ready to be added as soon as everything warms up a bit.

Aside the bread, I have a couple of minor tasks to attend to, but today is, one! more! time!, devoted to writing and to ASL homework.

Has anyone here read Alibi by Sharon Shinn? May I have your no-spoiler impressions?

Unless I knock off really early today, or for some reason choose blanket forting, I will not finish the Honey Pot Plot today. But I probably will finish it tomorrow. It’s a spare little trilogy, but I’ve been consistently amused. I am especially amused that the Myth of the Winged Russian has leaked over from RED (now RED One)– and for all I know RED‘s writers got it from somewhere else. The Winged Russian really deserves a place beside Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner. For those who haven’t read it, the first book is Rocky Start, by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer.

I’ve been rotating between reading on the couch in the evening and reading in bed. The cats are trying to work with it, but I get the sense that they prefer reading on the couch, which, after all, has History behind it. Last night was a couch night, and they all four came in to join me. Tali took the top platform of the cat tree, so she could overlook the whole room. Trooper claimed his usual corner of the couch. Firefly snuggled in hard against my hip, and Rook got up on the back of the sofa and put his paw on my shoulder.

And that’s the Monday morning report from the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

How’s Monday treating you so far?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Mr. Warren Zevon, “Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner.”