There was no rhyme or reason to the family reading patterns. We'd dive into whatever caught our fancy. My habits haven't changed over the years, and since I married a man who has his own love of history, science fiction and comic books, there's no been pressure to do otherwise.
When I was a little girl, most of my friends wanted a pony. I wanted a screening room.
2021 is here. Resolutions have been made, even if it’s just a resolution not to make resolutions. We’ve waved goodbye to the hell year that was 2020 and we’re moving forward.
2021 is here. Resolutions have been made, even if it’s just a resolution not to make resolutions. We’ve waved goodbye to the hell year that was 2020 and we’re moving forward.
As the festive mid-winter retail sales opportunity descends upon us, it’s time to look beyond 2020. A new year means new projects and fresh stories to tell. Time to make future plans.
Thanksgiving is on Thursday this week here in the US, traditionally a day to overeat, watch too much football, make bets on what family grievances will be aired, and try not to strangle your relatives and/or in-laws. Things will be quite different for most of us this year, decisions made not to gather in large groups or travel to gather with the family. I know such choices have been hard, and they change the landscape of the day.
One hundred years and one day ago, my great-grandmother stepped into a voting booth for the first time to exercise her newly granted right to help choose the leaders of our nation. She was always around of being there that November, and voting was a lifetime habit she maintained until shortly before her passing. She passed that pride along to her daughter, my grandmother, and to her granddaughter, my mother. As the fourth generation to exercise that right, I do so faithfully, but I feel particularly connected to her this year, knowing I walk in her footsteps. I also walk in the footsteps of the other great-grandmother whom I never knew, who marched for the vote. If I didn’t cast my ballot, I suspect I’d receive a nocturnal visit and a firm talking to.
What I’ve been working on is not exactly a new activity for me. I’ve played with Photoshop a fair amount of the years — but the operative word here is “play.” The last few months, I’ve been doing some serious study to learn how to manipulate the program. How does it help my writing? Well, it doesn’t. At least not directly. It does give me a chance to do something creative that isn’t my book, which means it helps me refill the well somewhat.
Let’s face it. 2020 has not been the easiest of years. And even if we’re in a place where we’re secure in the roof over our heads and our loved ones are well, it’s hard not to have moments when everything feels as if it’s closing in and we just want to curl into a ball. That’s when I turn to my comfort reading and viewing.
My weather app claims the predicted temperature today is in the mid-80's. It's lying. By mid-afternoon, we'll be seeing 90+ on the thermometers. Yes, summertime in La-La-Land, which means perfect weather to swim, but lousy weather to cook in, unless you crank the air conditioner up. Since we still have to eat, even with the weather, we've turned to our Instant Pot and our air fryer/toaster oven because those don't warm the place up as much. Plus, much less oil used to fry things.
