Weird but good; so begins 2026
Title from something my husband found weird but good this morning, lol.
I have no idea what he referred to; this morning feels like 2023, in that I spent much of the morning seated just outside the coop, sifting wood ash for the dustbathing box, and wrote this post mid-afternoon, and now it's evening as it's uploaded. Anyway, those chickens were digging and scratching nearby as I sang along to Kate Bush's Aerial album, side one, or however it's delineated. The side with "King of the Mountain" and "Pi" and "Mrs. Bartolozzi". Actually I listened to that side about four times because the music player on my phone doesn't stop at an LPs end. Which was great today because it took me over ninety minutes to shovel poo, sift through ash, add ash and sand and dirt and rice hulls to the dustbox as chickens hung out, some resting on the straw-littered concrete as if it was part of their coop. Maybe they think it is: Weird but good.
I think Weird but good is going to be the phrase for 2026. Ah, even writing a new numeral feels healing! Our current weather is weird but good; warm and windy as an oncoming storm approaches. The chickens aren't fond of wind; their feathers get ruffled literally and figuratively. They LOVE free-ranging, which they have imbibed in for many weeks, but only for the last couple of days has it been wholly unsupervised, weird but good. I was going to feature a shot of them foraging near the coop, but when I went out to fill the oyster shell and grit feeder, I found my phone hadn't accompanied as I'm wearing leggings that don't have pockets; weird but good! Good in that while I haven't given up my phone like I discussed several entries back, I am attempting to leave it behind whenever possible. Wearing pants that don't have pockets certainly helps in that endeavor, even if I didn't get a shot of the hens.
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| One of these days I will finish these, for my Eden Quilt. |
Instead today's photo is of a stack of diamond stars waiting to be edged in more diamonds. Maybe ten of them, perhaps a dozen? I had been working on them prior to Christmas, completing one every couple of nights, then I started hand-quilting the project to be gifted, so.... Those stars have stalled, weird but good. Or something close to that.
What else does 2026 have in store? Today I read a marvelous, bittersweet chapter of Nothing More Complicated: The Hawk Book Four. I'd set it at the bottom of this post, but it does contain some spoilers that I shan't reveal. Suffice to say, that novel is high on my list of Git 'er done's, a saying from my dad. Hopefully I'll release that story later this month.
Perhaps I'll work on my Alexandria quilt this year; I ran across a shot of it splayed on the living room floor, felt a twinge of, "Oh I'd LOVE to have that in my hands." Or maybe just a smidgen of it, LOL. If I could get to a smidgen of it in this weird but good year, that'd be AWESOME.
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| From October when I laid it out to place blocks I had finally finished. |
I'd also like to make a log cabin quilt. Maybe. Or start one, HAH! How many more ongoing projects do I need? I don't know the answer to that, but it might be fun to discover.
I'm of a mind that Thankful Joy is the other theme for 2026. Oh my, isn't it nice that last year is OVER? That we've passed the solstice, and even though for the next four days the sun doesn't rise here until 7.41 a.m., the days are indeed getting longer. This storm has brought lovely warmish temperatures, and seeing the bright blue sky, albeit the late afternoon version, hearkens to spring. Silly of me in a weird but good sort of way. It's winter, and going to stay winter-ish for weeks. Yet we've turned a corner, lengthening days and, well, I'll leave other issues for those wishing to peruse them to, uh, peruse.
I want this year to be filled with weird but good moods, moments, mindsets. I feel inundated with weird but good vibes; from God mostly, from those chickens, from nature what with it being a good thirty degrees warmer right now than just a few mornings ago. We had a thirty-five degree start recently, talk about CHILLY for us on the North Coast. Today I sang to the hens, then listened to that album as I put photos onto my computer. I'm 'scrobbling' again, lol, which you can find here. Oh, I know what else is weird but good....
A few days ago I was listening to the playlist for Life Stories: The Enran Chronicles Book Two, which was actually the first installment for that series that I wrote. And somewhere along the melodic way I came up with how to rehabilitate a major character in Far Away from Home: The Enran Chronicles Book Three. I wrote down the pertinent details, but didn't flesh out the notion too deeply, not wanting to mess up in my head what might happen, what I have learned over the years as a writer. When a great idea hits, merely take down the essence, leaving the rest for the actual writing of the scene. As the wind blows hard here, I'll add a little snippet from that novel, maybe to remind myself later if the notes go missing.
Weird but good, well, not if notes go astray, but in how life ebbs and flows. Last year is firmly the past. Today the coop is clean, dustbox replenished, chickens foraging as they are wont. May 2026 bring you exceeding peace and joy, to which I implore you to grab with both hands. Life is short and we're truly here to make it easier for each other in any way possible, thank you Mary Ann Evans.
Chapter 10
Swearing loudly in English, as well as a few epithets in Spanish, Noth marched through the gallery, then muscled his way in between several Gonquils gathered in what Noth assumed were staged poses. He was grateful not to know exactly who had killed Andah, but with every step, fury built in his veins, and he pondered if by the end of that day might he actually take someone’s life. He reached the observation deck, casting a quick glance toward his ship. The Other pulsed wildly and he rolled his eyes, then strode ahead.
Two Donsarets stood at the desk, making what sounded like small talk with an Ahlem official. Noth roughly coughed, but the chatter continued. Brusquely he stepped forward, then pounded on the desk. “I need to see Ryder right now!”
The Donsarets immediately moved back. The official blinked, then grunted. “Have an appointment do you?”
“I don’t need a fucking appointment. This is about Andah’s murder, that enough of an appointment for you?”
The Donsarets scurried away while the Ahlem frowned, then shook its head. “No appointment, no meeting.”
“To hell with that,” Noth said, stalking toward the corridor where he and Sooz had gone when they met with Renavier.
“No, stop! Call security I will!”
“Where was the damned security yesterday huh?” Noth shouted, searching for the correct door.
The Ahlem huffed, returning to the desk. Noth smirked, then paused at a familiar entrance, banging on the door. “Renavier, you’re in one of these fucking offices. Maybe Sooz couldn’t get you off your ass but I’m not gonna settle for any bullshit excuses!”
The door behind Noth opened and he turned around, finding the chief tapping one foot, arms crossed over its chest. “Wrong office,” Renavier said.
“Maybe, but it got you out of hiding.” Noth approached the chief, who appeared more Human than previously; Renavier’s eyes were oval, its nose well defined. “Let’s talk a murder investigation, huh?” Noth barked, icy anger coursing through him.
“Get in here,” the chief grumbled.
“About fucking time,” Noth muttered loudly, stepping into the office, the door closing right behind him.
Renavier sat at the desk, then sighed. “You made your point. Now what does Squee want?”
Noth inhaled slowly, then retrieved his pad. He brought up the note he’d written to Squee, thrusting the device at Renavier. “You tell me what this indicates.”
The chief scanned the message, then clucked. “Supposition. I need far more than that.”
“Poisoning someone is supposition, are you for real?”
“Unless Sooz presents me with proof, otherwise like I told her, it was an internal matter between Andah and….”
Swiftly Noth stepped around the desk, then seized Renavier by the shoulders. They stood eye to eye, during which time Noth noted that the chief’s irises were green, their shape fluctuating. Noth grinned. “I don’t know what the fuck you really are, maybe you’re some untaz Tyrah hybrid. But I’m telling you right now whoever killed Andah better be found and kicked outta here today or I’ll take care of it myself. Capisce?”
Noth wasn’t sure how Italian slang figured into his past; maybe he’d loved gangster movies. He felt like a solider now, fully steeped in a lifestyle that wouldn’t become calmer with time’s passage. If I kill someone here, he mused, still gripping Renavier, maybe what I’m supposed to do later won’t feel….
“I could so easily break your neck,” the chief said flatly. “But too many saw you coming this way.”
“Go ahead,” Noth sneered. “Lives are pretty cheap on this station.”
“You’re right, they are,” Ryder smirked.
Noth grunted, then roughly threw Renavier into the chair. “So what are you gonna do, huh? Fucking nothing?”
“With you, I’m going to pretend we’ve had a civilized discussion. With what happened to Andah, I’ll….”
“Noth, are you in there?” Sooz called from the hallway.
“Shit,” Renavier muttered.
“I’m here,” Noth smirked.
“Let me in Ryder!” Sooz shouted.
“Damnit,” the chief sighed, opening the door.
Sooz stomped into the office, her hair loose, her cheeks ruddy. “Are you okay?” she said to Noth.
“He’s fine. I’m the one in need of assistance,” Renavier huffed, smoothing rumpled clothing.
Sooz frowned, then pulled something from her pocket. She placed the fabric scrap on Renavier’s desk. “Remnants of Andah are on this, in case you want more proof. Da’Nota will back me up as well as everyone in the infirmary. I’m not gonna let you ignore this, too many have been….”
Renavier snatched the fabric, then retrieved what to Noth looked like an elaborate lighter. As Sooz shrieked, the chief incinerated the scrap, then stood from the desk. “Evidence goes missing sometimes,” Ryder said.
As Noth was about to speak, Sooz leaped onto the desk, then jumped the chief. Renavier shouted as Sooz inflicted several blows, then she spat on Renavier, hurling furious epithets. Noth didn’t understand any of it, but agony bested fury as the main implication. Sooz wiped spittle from her mouth, then grasped Noth’s hand, leading him from the office. Reaching the still open doors, Sooz turned back. “Blast you, motherfucker! You better find whoever did this or I will kill you!
“Let’s go,” Sooz then muttered, squeezing Noth’s hand. He nodded, allowing her to direct them back to the gallery.
