The sky is a deep blue and partly filled with fluffy white clouds, which is one of my favorite kinds of sky. The violets have vanished and the profusion of dandelions has waned, but the river banks are awash with pink and white phlox, as well as honeysuckle. The water is still pouring over the … Continue reading Flowers, Floods and Fecal Matter
Dream Journal: Vampires and a Home Invasion by Humans
Proof I achieved REM sleep for a short time last night - I had a dream and remember it. My husband and I were vampires, with a baby vampire - the procreated kind, not the kind you get by turning a regular human baby into a vampire; the latter always seemed like a stupid choice … Continue reading Dream Journal: Vampires and a Home Invasion by Humans
Happiness is Necessary
No one cared if I was happy. I wasn't supposed to care if I was happy. Life wasn't about being happy. People that chased happiness were foolish and probably selfish. Happiness was transient. You would always be chasing happiness because you could never find a way to keep it permanently. No one cared if I … Continue reading Happiness is Necessary
Reading that Shapes the Writer: Pride & Prejudice
Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is my favorite classic and probably my favorite novel that is not in the speculative fiction genre. I can trace my love of entertaining dialogue, social interaction and skillful mockery of human foibles to Austen, before I ever found my way to Pratchett or Adams. This book is often thought … Continue reading Reading that Shapes the Writer: Pride & Prejudice
Fangirling
I thought I'd write more about why I like John Scalzi so much as an author. First, a note: Scalzi's novels do not read as the work of a progressive activist unless you're one of those far-right sphincters that feel facts are liberally biased. So there's a high chance you'll enjoy them just as much … Continue reading Fangirling
If You Haven’t Read John Scalzi, You Should Start
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2019/05/28/agent-to-the-stars-fuzzy-nation-and-the-androids-dream-now-out-in-trade-paperback/ John Scalzi is one of my favorite authors. I haven't read The Android's Dream* yet but can definitely recommend Fuzzy Nation and Agent to the Stars if you haven't read them, yet. Fuzzy Nation was actually the first book of Scalzi's that I read. I was browsing my library's little used bookstore and thought … Continue reading If You Haven’t Read John Scalzi, You Should Start
A Night in Malin Head
I don't remember their faces, their names or their national origins. I remember we were all staying at a hostel in Malin Head, Ireland, and shared insomnia like an infection. We talked about anything and nothing at all, until the wee hours of the morning when the lady that ran the hostel told us that … Continue reading A Night in Malin Head
Easily Impressed
I sincerely hope whomever is responsible for WordPress's marketing emails is being tongue-in-cheek, though I can't tell from the tone of the rest of the email, which seems quite sincerely, seriously professional about inducing me to spend money. "Impress your friends with your very own domain name" I can't decide if having friends that would … Continue reading Easily Impressed
I’m Giving Myself a New Title
I'm proclaiming myself Queen of the Night and declaring the local park my territory after about 10pm. No one will be around to contest my claim, except perhaps Nature, and so far she's been content simply to soak my socks & shoes and give me the occasional jump scare, when one of those lurking night … Continue reading I’m Giving Myself a New Title
Musical Interlude: Mermaid
I finally got around to joining Spotify last year one night when youtube went down and left me deprived of my playlists there. Their algorithms have been getting better about suggesting music I might like, which is how I found my way to the Swedish musician Skott. Her song 'Mermaid' could be mistaken at first … Continue reading Musical Interlude: Mermaid
On A Good Day 