A Contemplative Life

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 bu...

Cards I made this morning. More breadcrumbs fer shure! The perfect way to describe my novels. Seriously lol. Having taken off a few days from revisions (not writing, because in all honestly I am NOT WRITING anything at the moment), this morning I opened Splitting the Sky in manuscript form and began making corrections from the version on my phone. Where I had noted to rework this section , I merely inserted that directive onto the document, hah, then moved on with the next notation. I'll rework those sections after I clear all the tabs in the ebook, because it's still a holiday-sort of time, no need to get crazy with editing. Also that in the big picture, my books are digital breadcrumbs in the corporeal sky. Don't misconstrue; I take my writing (or revising, whatever!) seriously. My novels are the best of what I can produce right now, and I'm pleased (and a bit proud) of the themes pursued, prose created, characters blossoming whether I had them initially in mind or n...

Snapped at the Pacific Ocean on 1 January, 2024. Listening to a playlist tonight, the title of which is the same as this entry. It starts off with "Passing Through Air" by Kate Bush, which leads to "Edge of Seventeen" and "Stand Back" by Stevie Nicks. Basketball is on, the Knicks and Bulls, a fire popping near where I'm seated. It's a January evening, 2024, a new year having dawned. I read five chapters of my latest manuscript this morning, machine-quilted a lap blanket this afternoon, and now it's time to ponder what all this might mean, if anything, as music plays, a fire sparks, and minutes slip past in the very early stages of the next year of my life. I was thinking about my life, 2024, and how chill this year has begun. Chill as in mellow, also cool, rain and gray skies the norm. Music has been blasting, well, playing at a chill level, for my ears aren't happy if the tunes rawk too loudly, lol. Past Me stares hard, cranking it to 11 w...

Happy 2024 to you! Despite suffering a small cold, I feel a lot like the mini figure pictured above. My youngest daughter sent me this photo a few days ago when she was putting together a Lego set. This chap's impish grin reflects how I'm feeling as January gets underway, so let me explain.... It's sunny today, also a little cool, one reason for my enthusiasm. Little by little the days are getting longer, what's not to like about that? Yesterday my hubby and I went to the beach with dear friends who we haven't seen in a long time. The waves were large and impressive, the camaraderie marvelous. The latest manuscript read-through continued this morning, an enjoyably easy way to delve into the writing as well as entertain myself, LOL! I'm happy with this initial peek at this first draft, stoking my interest in the next installment of this series. But mostly, I am EVER SO GRATEFUL this year begins for me without the scepter of agonizing heartache. Who wouldn't b...