out and about – Page 5 – Sharon Lee, Writer

Like a small earthquake

What went before: So, everything except the writing corner is more or less good to go. I have one more bill to pay, and the afterword to write. Afterword may not happen today, but that’s OK. I know what I want to say, and by definition, it’s not a long piece.

It’s in my mind to take tomorrow off, really, and go down to Rockland to the Farnsworth Museum (which for some reason, I thought was open year-round, but it closes for the season at the end of September?). This will get me (1) a ride (2) salt air (3) art (4) if I play my cards right, breakfast or lunch (or both?) out. All of those things are wins and are known Soothers of Frazzled Writers Surnamed Lee Who Reside at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

This will mean I can sit down and start reacquainting myself with the WIP (again) on Wednesday. I do have some minor commitments, but nothing Epic, like, say, driving to Baltimore or proofing a novel, on the calendar until, oh, Albacon, where I have volunteered to be a Zoom panelist, and to do a reading.

I can feel my blood pressure dropping already.

So, that’s the plan, insofar &c. Happy Hour is coming up in an hour or so, and that will be tools down for me as well.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow as can.

Tuesday: So, a nice day was had by … me, actually. As it happens, I didn’t eat out at all — breakfasted at home so Trooper was sure to get his morning meds, and second breakfast. Then, I had half a quiche in the fridge, so I just took a piece with me for lunch, which turned out to be a GOOD idea because I found a place at a park adjacent to the public dock, which is where Steve and I usually stopped in Rockland, and ate my lunch to a new-to-me view of the harbor, in the sunshine, and I need to get better about remembering to wear a hat. But!

The Farnsworth Museum is a very nice museum spread over three buildings and some storefronts on Main Street. I wandered the museum, then Main Street, bought cookies at the Atlantic Bakery, since I am tragically out of cookies at home (I also need to make my own cookies; it’s not like it’s hard), and ate my lunch as reported.

Then, I went to Camden and got my passport stamped at Reny’s.

It was a day of meeting old friends, the first of which — I’ve been listening to the 60s station on Sirius XM, and I hate to tell you how many of those songs I know the words to. Add these to the songs at play from Classics Vinyl and Rewind, and I could probably do Great Things with my brain, if it wasn’t stuffed full of song lyrics.

But, anyway — on the way over to Rockland, I heard a song I haven’t thought of for … ever — Neil Diamond’s “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show,” which, yes, I knew all the words, OK? — and I can’t tell you how fond I used to be of the Brother’s little sermon, which was produced before people stopped believing that kind of thing.

Inside the museum, met a painting of Marshall Point Light — and yes, I did embarrass myself by saying aloud, “Marshall Point Light!” — and then embarrassed myself again by laughing out loud — there’s a full-sized Langlais camel in the museum garden. I had just recently seen a much smaller one at the Langlais Exhibit in Waterville — and I didn’t know they came in sizes!

I also listened, and watched an illustration being painted, to the story about how Glooskap (Klooskap) invented the arrow, and Mount Kineo of the most perfect stone for arrowheads, which all the Abenaki people knew (this last part is true. It’s well to question Glooskap closely on these matters.), and watched a demonstration of arrowhead napping. This was a video in the Abenaki Room, and well worth the watching.

So, anyhoots, home again, where I fed Trooper some gooshy food and myself some ice cream from home stores (Gifford’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip). I debated going to needlework tonight, but I think I’ll rest at home, by which I mean check what I’ve printed out of the WIP and if it is, indeed, the Most Current or if I need to print a new edition to read.

So! How was your day?

Today’s blog post title from, what else? Neil Diamond, “Brother Love’s Travelin’ Salvation Show”

Photos on the day: The view at lunch; camel, large and small; Marshall Point Light. Oh, and the morning rose bush.

First Friday and Saturday, too

What went before: So, it turns out there’s a Method to First Friday. It’s advertised as “from” 5 (or 5:30; advertising is a little squishy on this point) to 7:30. What that means is that, some bands will be starting to set up around 5:00 and the restaurants will be open, so you should go have something to eat, nice glass of wine, and then, eh, 6/6:30ish, you perambulate around downtown, and then, around 7, you wander down to Head of Falls, where the music will be happening. Music starts at 7:30 and goes to 9/9:30.

Obviously, I did not make it that far, which is too bad because the band was the Atlanta Rhythm Section, which wouldn’t have been terrible to listen to. There’s a beer garden set up at Head of Falls for the concert and a food truck from The Proper Pig. And I kinda didn’t want to be one old woman in a crowd of folks some of whom had had too much beer.

I did revisit the Langlais exhibit and took in the Dark Was the Night and Bright Were the Stars exhibit. I stopped by the reception — yes, there were cookies and also fruits and cheese and crackers.

I meandered around downtown, and I found out that there’s a rock store. Yes, a rock store; it’s been there about three months, I’m told. I of course bought a rock (yeah, I know, but, hey! It’s flourite, which is an amusing rock, in that it flouresces). I also stopped in Old Soul Supply, Oliver and Friends Bookstore, and Holy Cannoli, where I listened to a folk group for a couple of songs before I moved on, hoping for music in the Green Block, but — not yet. So, I came home, educated and more or less relaxed for having done something different with my afternoon and early evening.

I have about 15 more pages of I Dare to finish proofing — which I’ll do tomorrow.

For now, the cats have had Happy Hour and I’m going to go pour myself a glass out of the Nice Bottle I opened last night to share with Steve.

And that’s the First Friday Report.

Intermission: Oooh, nice echo of the prologue: “I won’t hurt him.”

And my favorite bit in the whole book, though there are so many good bits:

“My lifemate and my oathsworn are blameless. I claim all.”

“Ever more terrifying,” Val Con returned, lightly, deliberately, in the Low Tongue. “Pray reveal at once the horrific crimes of which they are innocent.”

Saturday. Sunny and predicted to a nice-ish day.

Breakfast was toast and cottage cheese and grapes. Lunch will be something easy. I have choices, including a Door Dash account, if it comes down to desperation.

I did not sleep well last night; doubtless the late few days of High Living are catching up with me.

Today’s to-do list includes one’s duty to the cats, finishing the proofing of I Dare, swapping out cat fountains, and straightening up the house, which has become slightly shell-shocked, doubtless from the High Living referenced above. It’s possible that I’ll throw it all over and go back to bed, but not really likely.

My Solid Goal is to get back to the WIP — remember the WIP? — on Monday, so those things that must occur in service of that goal, including turning in the correx for I Dare, have to happen this weekend.

Arrived in yesterday’s mail is news that the Subaru is included in a class action suit referencing failures in the EyeSight Driver Assistance subroutine. The suit appears to focus on the braking protocols, of which I have no complaint. I had hoped that it would be something to address the Concerning Issue of Eyesight turning itself off in downpours where human eyes are basically useless, and the pilot could really use some help staying on the road and not running into the back of a semi. OTOH, I haven’t been to the website yet. That’s actually pretty far down on the list.

Also, just at a tangent — and I’ve made this argument before, so nothing new here — if you (universal you) break the law, you must pay the penalty for breaking the law. It does not matter who you are, who your dad is, what political affiliation you hold, if you have fifteen houses or live in a cardboard box in an alley. Break the law, pay the price. That’s, like, one of the foundations of our society: that money and influence do not alter the functioning of Law. This is why Justice is blind.

So, my second up of tea is gone, and I guess I’d better get to work.

Who’s doing something exciting today?

Happy ever after in the marketplace

Friday. Sunny and warm. The windows are open in my office so the cats can get some fresh air, but I’ll be closing them before I go out to the chiropractor’s appointment and the grocery.

Breakfast was cream cheese on a bialy, and grapes. Not thinking about lunch, yet. Maybe I’ll grab something at the store.

Yesterday was Steve’s birthday. He would have been 75. Lis Carey did a nice write-up about him for File 770 (scroll down to #7). Many thanks to Kathryn Sullivan for the pointer.

We here at the Confusion Factory had a quiet day, doing the work of the house. I took a break in the afternoon to go to the Farmer’s Market.

Today, as noted, I have a doctor’s appointment and need to stop at the grocery to take on weekend supplies, as well as performing one’s duty to the cats. My long-term plan on the day is to take my work with me after lunch and go downtown, where I may be fortunate enough to find a parking space, and work until 5, when First Friday, err, opens, and then attend the festivities. There is said to be music and art and other such pleasures on offer. I have never been to a First Friday, ref “parking” above.

And that’s the news from here.

What’s the news from there?

Today’s blog post title from my favorite Beatles’ song, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

But you and I, we’ve been through that

Begin as you mean to go on…

SNIPPET ONE:
The red was beyond excellent. Jen Sin closed his eyes, the better to savor it, and heard Val Con speak.

“I see you’re refining Theo’s taste. But, the jade, Brother? Surely you might have taught her to drink something a bit less dear.”

“It’s not quite so dear,” answered the rich voice of his cousin Shan, “when you have a connection, and a discount. And the jade suits her.”

What went before: So, that’s 1,121 new words written today in two shifts, bringing the WIP entire to +/-56,880 words.

Had a good chat with my friends at Holy Cannoli, where I can attest that the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are still delicious.

I thought it was going to rain, and it did drizzle a little, but I had been promised a thunderstorm, to usher in a cooler tomorrow, and I’d still kinda like that, please.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served up and consumed, and I’m about to pour myself a glass of wine and go see if I’m still annoyed with Dr. Who, or if I can finish watching the episode I bailed on — a week ago? Two? Whatever.

I have an early appointment with the chiropractor tomorrow, and then I’m pretty much Free until Tuesday.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Friday. Sunny and cooler. Windows OPEN. Station air is convenient, but I really prefer ambient conditions.

Woke up earlier than I had planned. Turns out that all four cats were low on snuggles, so we did that for a while before I got up and found, yanno, clothes.

The rosebush has survived another night; no sign of digging activity, though it did rain a little last night, so I’ll have to re-up the hot pepper.

Breakfast was a peach cut up into cottage cheese with tea. More tea to hand, and probably more tea after that. I’ll probably make salmon cakes for lunch; which is, among other things, guaranteed leftovers.

My phone updated itself last night, always an exciting time. The best new toy is a button that will allegedly identify music playing nearby. I used it successfully twice, but now it’s not working, or maybe Google doesn’t recognize Bon Jovi’s “Lay Your Hands on Me,” which I would say the chances of that are…low.

Anyhoots — it’s still early, so I guess I’d better do some of the chores I was going to do later, so I have more time to work, later.

I do have a doctor’s appointment at 10, and a short stop at the grocery after, but that’s all I’ve got to write about.

I can share another SNIPPET, for those who may be interested. Shan and Val Con are in rare form, I fear:

“However, if Val Con wishes to come the disapproving banker – “

Val Con raised his hands. “Acquit me! The red is everything that is wonderful, Master Trader, and I will prove my word by shortly having another glass. I thank you for your generosity on behalf of us all.”

Shan eyed him. “I sense an upcoming bid for my cook.”

“That,” Val Con returned primly, “is not for me to decide.”

“I believe you enjoy saying that,” Shan said.

“I believe I do, too,” Val Con answered, cordially.

And that said! What’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Mr. Jimi Hendrix, “All Along the Watchtower”

Cat tax Rookie and Firefly being coy, each in their own manner

Dumplings for lunch

What went before: Did some handwritten work; tomorrow I’ll be typing. I still haven’t figured out who XX are, but I’m sure they’ll tell me bye-n-bye.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served up; I’ve got a couple more things to do, then I’ll be pouring a glass of wine.

Everybody have a good evening; stay safe. I ‘ll see you tomorrow.

Oh. For some reason, this got kicked up by the photo program — this would be me on my 61st birthday at The Lindsey House B&B in Rockland Maine. FWIW.

Thursday. Sunny and warm. Thunderstorms called for, later, with hail.

Breakfast was cream cheese on an English muffin with grapes on the side. I am back from the chiropractor, and thought I was in for the weekend, but! There’s a Dumpling Truck at the KMD Food Truck Court today, and — it just might be that I’ll have to go out again in a few. We’ll see. I mean; it’s not like I don’t have food. OTOH — dumplings.

Today, I do intend to devote most of my time to writing, dumplings or no dumplings. Tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday will be more of the same. I know what I’m doing first off, so — all good there.

I spent some time with my Garmin Watch this morning, and to hear it tell the tale, I live a Very Stressful Life. Which I’m supposing is not impossible, Given Everything. It’s worth noting that the days when I’m, err, less stressed, are days when I’m writing, so — I’m going with that.

Tali’s fan club will be happy to know that I’ve finally found a brush that Tali likes; she was purring the whole time, and even turned over for me, so I could brush her belly.

In other news, I’m listening to Faking It by Jennifer Crusie. I’m having an OK time with it, but something about the narration itches at me. Maybe some books just aren’t meant to be read aloud? Though Steve read it to me when I was being bathed in the energy of one thousand angry suns every day. OTOH — I found Steve’s voice soothing.

My reading is A Gentleman of Questionable Judgment, the 9th Lord Julian novel, which I had somehow missed, so now catching up.

. . . and, yeah; I’m for dumplings. I was going to have stir-fry chicken and veggies for lunch, anyhow. Dumplings will go great. And it’s not like they can’t be steamed and heated up for later.

See me convince myself?

So — who has a long weekend coming up? Plans?

Sometime Later: The chicken and mushroom dumplings are to die for.

And the lavender honey latte is good, too.

Yeah, I went crazy.

It’s summer. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Here’s a picture of Tali, post-brushing, and the boys, Judging me:

The day in review

What went before: Monday. Sunny and already hot.

Breakfast was oatmeal and walnuts. Lunch will probably be a salad, because — easy and cool.

I remembered something I wanted to add to the scene I wrote yesterday, and wound up writing a quick 300 words. Much better now. “Cory Robersun,” indeed. Oh! And now I know why that’s going to be important — makes note. Yeah. That’s good.

So! getting ready to go out to see the chiropractor, then back to do chores, eat lunch, and then out again to meet friends for a catch-up.

What’s everybody else doing today?

Where are my mariner/weather radio experts?

I have here in my hand a CCrane Skywave AM/FM/WX/SW/Air radio. I want to listen to the weather radio, in particular the polling of the lighthouses off the Maine coast and the report from Mt. Washington.

I know that the weather bands range from 162.3625 to 162.5875 MHz. My little radio has seven possible channels under the WX setting: 1 (162.400 MHz); 2 (162.425 MHz); 3 (162.450 MHz); 4 (162.475 MHz); 5 (162.500 MHz); 6 (162.525 MHz); and 7 (162.550 MHz). One of these has in the past been the correct channel, but all I’m getting on any of them is static.

My assumption is that I’m doing something wrong, but such is the scope of my ignorance, that I don’t know what it is.

Could someone please educate me? I’d really like to listen to the lighthouses.

Spanish Aunts.

So took a couple bags of fiction books including a number by some scifi writers named Sharon Lee and Steve Miller to the library for the book sale. No sense them cluttering up the basement until it’s time to clear the house and they end up in the dumpster, after all.

Met my friends, and had a lovely catch-up.

Came home to find that Maximus Medicare has decided Martin’s Point made no error in deciding well after the fact that the treatment they told me was covered, wasn’t, and I am liable for the entire bill. No one seems to care that this does not particularly make me willing to trust Martin’s Point ever again, and I suppose they have a point. If I need a medical intervention, I’m probably going to have it done and worry about being bankrupted by medical bills later.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served and devoured. Trooper is sitting on my lap. Tali is lounging on the edge of the desk. I have poured a glass of wine.

Tomorrow, I’ll go to the grocery early, I think, then come back for a solid several hours of writing before it’s time to go to the needlework meeting.

I think that’s it for the day. I’m glad I got in a tiny bit of writing before the day started.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Here are the coon cats, ignoring me and my silly, leafy lunch

The wheel in the sky keeps on turning

What went before ONE: And back from dancing. I was the New Kid. It was interesting and everyone was good-natured and very kind. I may have been the only one in the room who had never had theater or dance in my background, and I include the two Littles who were part of our group.

I notice a cross-over between ASL and some of the “body-speak” going on in dance. I suppose if I pursue it, I’ll have yet another physical language under my belt.

I got to interact, very briefly, with the bowli ball’s older, bigger, and more sullen brother. It was too big and goopy to perform the antics of an actual bowli ball. Instead of a gyroscope heart, it had a — what? bag of mud — that made for interesting shifts of velocity, weight, and … squishiness. Not good for tournament play, but an interesting item nonetheless.

After class, I went down Main Street a bit, stopped at Incense and Peppermints to see what they’re doing with the increased space, then Smitty’s Book Cellar to introduce myself and give out a couple cards.

I grabbed some pretzels when I got in, but I think that’s not quite lunch, so a salad it is.

The temperature has cracked 60F/16C; still cloudy and mizzling, off and on.

I hear through the dance class that next Saturday is World Tai Chi Day. Who’s participating?

What went before TWO: 830ish new words, which means! The WIP has cracked 30,000! +/-30,250. Pretty good for a day when I thought I wouldn’t be writing.

Defrosting some Smithfield boneless pork chops for tomorrow’s making-ahead, and also lunch.

The cats have had Happy Hour and Trooper wished to Take Exception to my coming back to the keyboard to finish the scene, so we had to have That Discussion again — the one that makes no sense? About how the clackity-clack on the keys makes cat food? Yeah, that one. He did lay down and go to sleep though, and I finished my scene. So there is that.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Sunday. Intermittently cloudy and not. Breezy with gusts. Weatherbeans have put out a fire caution; calling for a high temp of 50F/10C. It rained on the overnight.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs with potato and onion, and a side of toast with blueberry-ginger jam, which was actually a bigger breakfast than I usually indulge in, so lunch plans may be adjusted accordingly.

This is Easter Sunday for those who celebrate. When Steve and I first got together, we celebrated by going to BaltiCon. Afteryears, Easter usually snuck up on us. We had the Convention Calendar in our heads and could mostly tell you which cons were on any given weekend, but Easter? Eh–a moveable lay (i.e. non-SF) feast that didn’t have much to do with us.

For those who are interested in cat placement, Trooper is at the moment sitting upright on my lap, purring, and making it easy for me to type. Rook is sprawled at the end of the desk, apparently chewing on the philosophical conversation we had this morning, when he found Tali already in my lap when he wanted to be there. How is it possible that I love him for being The Best Rookie AND Tali for being The Best Tali? This wants Thinking Over.

Second cup of tea brewing.

After I finish my morning letter to the internets, I have some stuff to do downstairs, and then I intend to catch up on all those things I failed to do last week by reason, I guess, of doing other things instead. And do my first pass through the ASL homework.

Directing my gaze into next week — there’s another movie-and-learned-discourse on Monday night; the movie is “Brick.” I may or may not attend. The movie looks interesting, but I have a limited capacity for leaned discourse on the Metaphors of Violence in Cinema.

On Wednesday, my new washer-and-dryer will be delivered, and the sales rep directed me to save up my dirty clothes and start washing the minute the delivery van cleared the driveway, because there’s a 48-hour, if-it’s-wrong-we’ll-make-it-right-today LG policy IF the wrong is reported within 48 hours. So! Laundry Party at Rolanni’s House! Bring snacks.

Thursday evening is of course ASL class. Before that is the Return of the Pest Control Guy, who will be replacing the things he knocked down during his inspection two weeks ago.

I have started reading The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne (by Ron Currie, a Maine author) and in-between am re-reading Sea Wrack and Changewind (by Sharon Lee, another Maine author). Not sure why I got started on that, except it was at my place when I sat down to eat lunch a couple days ago, and one must read something.

My redecorated office door looks very nice in the sunshine. Very glad I decided to take that on.

And that? Is what’s doing at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

What’s doing at your place?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Journey, “Wheel in the Sky”

Cat census and redecorated office door:

Monday morning you sure look fine

What Went Before: Aaaaaand back from ASL class. I remember a little bit of finger-spelling and some signs, but I’m sloppy, and need to clean up my act. Fun doing something that’s not writing, in any case.

My package from the Royal Mail arrived, however, the Royal Mail thought I was gonna sign for it, and sent me instructions to be on-hand. Our local carrier wasn’t interested in getting out of his jeep in the wet, so he just tossed it in the mailbox. No harm done, and the package is in the drawer.

The cats were in post-Happy Hour places when I came home and were initially startled. Then Trooper got with the program and started demanding to be fed.

I have a glass of wine, and ought to look around for something to feed myself.

Friday. Cloudy and cold. Snowed on the overnight. (All together now, with feeling: Will this torment never end?) Dry ingredients for today’s loaf of oatmeal/wheat bread mixed and coming up to room temperature, while I gird myself to meet the day, and set the kettle to boil.

…continuing…

We here in Central Maine are under an Active Wind Advisory. Hopefully, it will blow the snow off the driveway. OTOH, I’m not going anywhere today. One of the news feeds would have me to know that many folks in York County have already lost power.

Breakfast was one egg yolk (because I need the egg white to stick the oatmeal to the bread crust) and a whole egg, scrambled with leftover tomato, onions, rice, with the last piece of bread from last week’s loaf, toasted. Finishing up my first cup of tea, with Trooper on my lap, purring. Lunch will be fish and something. I’ve fallen off the fish wagon, which is all too easy to do without Steve around to remind me.

There are eleven in the ASL class, plus the teacher. I have homework — practice my ABCs, count from 1-10, which isn’t as easy as you’d think, work out how to fingerspell my last name — *cough* — and the name of the town I live in. Also, there’s a website and I’m to do Lesson One. I may have to teach Firefly how to Sign, because here’s the thing — you not only need to learn how to make the sign; you need to learn how to read the sign when somebody else is talking. Which is Every. Bit. As. Hard as trying to follow a conversation between two native speakers of, oh, Spanish, after having aced your Spanish 101 vocabulary test.

The classroom we’re in has … character. Also, a line of rubber duckies on a ledge above a bulletin board. There’s a podium with stickers all over it — colleges, coffee, sports teams. And a sign up with the duckies that says, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM WHINING. I’m not doing the room justice, really. For me, it’s Just This Side of Sensory Overload, and I have to force myself to focus on the teacher and my fellow students, instead of spacing around to study the Things.

So, that. As reported elsewhere, today I bake bread, ref “last piece” and “toast” above, and also the ASL homework. What else I do — depends.

What’cha all doin’ today?

Today’s blog post is brought to you by Fleetwood Mac, “Monday Morning,” not because it’s Monday morning, but because, in order to pass my very first sign course, 50 years or so ago, I had to sing a song in Sign, and for some reason I chose “Monday Morning.” Yes, I got my certificate.

Oh, I had a debriefing when I got home last night: