It’s been a while since I used November for its true purpose, which is (of course) writing a novel in 30 days.
Is it time?
I think it might be time:)
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Posts Tagged ‘#365Ways2021’
NaNo or NaYes?
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, finishing, nanowrimo, Writers, writing, yay on November 1, 2021| 1 Comment »
Cutting Myself Some Slack
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, chilling, creativity, Thoughts, treats on October 31, 2021| Leave a Comment »
It’s Sunday. I had plans and a to-do list and I’m getting some things done, but today I’m cutting myself some slack.
Do I need a little break? I do. Will it help get me back into gear and enhance productivity later? Probably.
Or maybe not. I still need that break.
For the sake of happiness and productivity, our goal should not be to squeeze every second of distraction and leisure out of our days.
— Arthur C. Brooks, The Best Ways to Waste Time – The Atlantic
So I’ll spend at least part of my afternoon reading, drinking a smoked yaupon tea with whole milk and maple syrup, maybe have a treat, like one of the donuts we picked up yesterday. I’ll also check every half hour to see if we’ve managed to trap that last kitten, and generally take things slow.
…
Who am I kidding, of course I’ll have that donut!
Here’s hoping your day is good too.
“Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”
— Moliere
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Looking Ahead
Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Thoughts on October 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Between house stuff and criss-crossing the city for errands I haven’t had time to do anything special today. I did finish up a reread over breakfast, one I knew would satisfy, so I’m feeling pretty good. (I’m one of those people who enjoys rereads. It’s like ordering your favorite meal, knowing that you’ll love it.) The fact that this book is one in a long series is even better.
Isn’t it nice to have something to look forward to?
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Not/Great
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #stupidpandemic, cats, friends, home, Thoughts on October 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Things we no longer need:
- hangers on doorknobs so the cat isn’t trapped in a room
- the scratching post in my office
- the cat tree in the living room
- the cardboard boxes strategically positioned in all the best kitty spots
- the blanket on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed
- the half-empty bottle of anti-inflammatories
- the half-empty bag of food
- to make sure we close the laundry room door
- the chair by the best people-watching window
- to worry if I drop a bit of the brownies I made for the vet and don’t immediately pick it up
- to mute the TV any time a crying baby appears
- the cat bed by the fire
It’s sad not to have the cat here. That’s not so great.
But also? We had a friend over for lunch for the first time since the pandemic began. It was a fantastic festival of vaccinated friendship and exactly what we needed today.
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One Final Gift
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #notyay, #sadsadsad, cats, home, kitty, Neko, Thoughts on October 28, 2021| 3 Comments »
One fine summer day in 2006 Mr. Man came home from work and showed me a picture of an adorably tiny grey and white kitten.
“You remember K, who lives on a farm?”
I did.
“Their neighbor has a cat she hasn’t spayed, and a dog that likes to eat kittens.”
Well, that’s awful. What can we do?
“They’re forcing the neighbor to fix the cat so it won’t be a problem in the future, but she needs to find homes for a litter of kittens.”
I was pretty sure I knew where this was going. Mr. Man batted his eyelashes at me.
“Look at that sweet face.”
He was right, the kitten was adorable, bright, charming and full of energy.
“Tintin could use some company, don’t you think?”
We brought her home a few days later. Tintin was not quite as happy about the company as we had hoped, but we were right about her energy and intelligence.
Neko was a catch-and-release hunter who never met a mourning dove she didn’t want to bring home to play, a fierce protector who growled at unexpected visitors, and while never a cuddler, she always wanted to be close.
Was she smart? Oh yes. She led us to problems like leaking basement pipes and trained us to open the patio door on command, to build cardboard palaces, and to carry her up and down the stairs when they got to be too much for her to manage.
Last month we learned she had lung cancer, along with a rare complication called lung-digit syndrome that made it hard to walk as well as breathe. We consulted an oncologist, got new meds, gave her treats, and generally did what we could to keep her comfortable. We watched her energy and appetite wane. She lost weight. Stairs became a draining once-a-day event. Two days ago she stopped taking her meds.
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For fifteen years we made her hunting blinds so comfortable she couldn’t be bothered to actually hunt, decorated rooms with blankets and fleece beds, and made sure we fed the birds year round so that there was always something entertaining out the windows. Whatever we could to make her life better.
Sometimes the only thing left is to make the end as painless as possible.
So today, we did that too.
Today It’s Work & Other Things
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, making stuff, quotes, Thoughts, work on October 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
— Goethe
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A Little Adventure
Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Egypt, Thoughts, travel, Tuesdays on October 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Lots of work today, so maybe you can hang out at the pyramids until I’m done?
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Should Have Read the Fine Print
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #ThisDigitalAge, #yoursoulwasdelicious, rights, Thoughts, tl;dr, TOS, tricksy on October 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Installing new software? Want to make sure you aren’t giving away the rights to your immortal soul in the process? You may want to stop by Terms of Service; Didn’t Read.
This free service distills all that obscure fine print into a list of the least favorable terms and a letter grade so that you at least have some idea what you’re signing onto.
Your soul will thank you.
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See More
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, writing on October 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”
― Henry David Thoreau
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Now It’s Getting Real
Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, climate change, Fiction, imagination, inspiration, superheroes, Thoughts, writing on October 23, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Part of what good fiction does is to create a world and place the reader in it, allowing you to imagine yourself battling the Empire, slaying the dragon, or rescuing the fair prince in distress. But I get it, fiction is also a distancing mechanism.
Satisfying stories open with a problem and close when that problem is resolved, leaving the reader with the sense that they’ve helped and no more needs to be done. I think that can be particularly true when it comes to real challenges like climate change.
Sometimes what’s needed is a picture.
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Meet ThisClimateDoesNotExist, a project by a group of scientists from the Quebec AI Institute in Montreal. They’ve put together a tool that lets you visualize the impact of climate change not on the world in general, or even a region, but on an address.
Take Killian Court at MIT, overlooking the Charles River. What would it look like flooded?* Or the US Capitol Building? Or the Sam’s Club parking lot in West Palm Beach, The Alamo in San Antonio (and I’m pretty sure we can kiss the River Walk goodbye), Pike’s Place Market in Seattle, or (now it’s getting real) the Guinness Brewery in Dublin?
* Not worried about flooding? Try the options for wildfire or smog. Also unpleasant!
Then picture yourself there too. Who better to be the hero of that story?
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