Thursday Thoughts: Universal Souls

Sometimes, I have a tendency to get wrapped around the axle. Yeah, I know. It’s an exercise in futility. But hey, we all have our buttons, yeah? I certainly do. I’ve been known to yell at the TV. Which scares the furbabies. Sometimes, the TV yells at me. Which does NOT scare me. Much. I’m not crazy. No, seriously. I’m not. And as you sit there staring at this wondering what the ever-lovin’ what-the-what-what is going on in my head, let me share this little gem from the Universe…

Young souls lean on science, Silver.

Mature souls lean on faith.

And old souls, Silver, prefer long walks and short talks; whistling to hip-hop, country, or rock; and on occasion, tree spotting.

There! On the horizon! Oak!
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Of course science is important, Silver, for counting things, containing viruses, and calculating warmth; it’s just a poor measure of the heart.

I see all of you scratching your heads at this point. I do have one. A point, that is, and one that ties this all together. As a writer, I tend to stay away from hot button topics. If I consistently hit the best sellers lists and had all that name recognition? I’d probably still shy away from them. As it is, I can’t afford to alienate half of my readers. This old world is in a sorry state and yeah, the sides are pretty much split down the middle. Science vs. Faith. Rights and Wrongs. Us vs. Them. Now go back and read the message from the Big U. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all found a little more heart? Yeah, I can get behind that. If you’re looking for me, I’m headed out for a long walk, followed by a short conversation, whistling to whatever tune is on the radio, and oh, look! Oak tree! And then I’m going to take that heart that I’ve found and I’m going to put it into words because what is romance about if not about heart? How’s your heart today?

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Wednesday Words: World’s End

Wednesday? It’s already Wednesday? Are you kidding me right now? Just joking. I’ve given up trying to keep track of time, especially this week. Don’t ask. Let’s just say Monday and Tuesday were not stellar days and move long because there’s nothing to see here. Let’s get to new words. Using #1lineWed’s theme of **THE LAST** and #ThursdayThread’s prompt of  “This is the way the world ends” I put together these 300+ words, hopefully for your entertainment. Our intrepid characters are still working their way through the Carpathian Mountains and Meg… Well, you can ead for yourself what occurs.
****
The last sound Meg’d heard before darkness claimed her was a shouted warning. Unconscious. She’d been knocked out. Surrounded by absolute dark, she actually touched her eyes to make sure her lids were open. They were. The sounds of her slightly panicked breathing echoed in the void surrounding her. Cautiously, she stretched out one hand and found…nothing. She reached in the opposite direction and touched a rough-hewn rock wall. Crabbing backwards, she pressed her back against it.

Her eyes slowly adjusted and the blackness wasn’t quite so oppressive. Faint light seeped in from somewhere. She found her pack a few feet away. Hooking it with a toe, she pulled it to her and scrabbled inside for a flashlight. Switching it on, she almost screamed at the blinding pain in her eyes.

“Dumb ass.” She closed her eyes and slowly let them readjust to the light. She was in a cave—she remembered entering it with Kin. And then… She swung the beam around. Yes, indeed. There’d been a rock fall, the cave entrance now completely blocked.

This is the way the world ends?” Her raised voice echoed off the enclosing walls. “Are you kidding me right now?” She wanted to scream in frustration. Instead, she dug for a seed of determination, found it, and nurtured it. She faced the blocked tunnel and tried to decide which rock to move first. The others would outside working to free her. She could meet them halfway. With a voice filled with defiance, she informed the Universe of her decision. “This is not the way I’m going to die.”

Something growled and she froze. Slowly swiveling her head, the flashlight beam tracking with her eyes, she looked deeper into the cave. The eyeshine of a large predator glowed just beyond the reach of her light.

“Okay,” she whispered, voice quavering. ‘Maybe this is the way the world ends. For me anyway.”
****
I am NOT looking shifty-eyed, rubbing my hands together and muttering “bwahahaha” in my best Snidley Whiplash voice. I know what/who y’all think is in the cave with her but I have news for you. I don’t even know. Yes, really. I have no clue. Is it Kin? Is it a wild wolf? Is it a Carpathian cryptid? Vampire? Werewolf? Troll?  Once I figure it out, y’all will just have to buy the book when it comes out to find the answer. Yeah, I am a big ol’ tease. Why do you even ask?

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Tuesday Treats and Titles: Dog Chow

So, I was walking through Wallyworld today and while Jake and I were in the pet section–for munchy bones and food–I kept bobbing my head along to the song on the speaker system. One of the advantages of going there before 89 a.m. is that it’s quiet enough to actually hear the music. I LIKED the song and being a curious sort, I whipped out my smart phone, opened the Shazam app and hit go. If you are like me, I don’t always recognize songs even if I know that I like them. So, if you are like me and you don’t have Shazam or Sound Hound, get one or both. The app will listen to the song and tell you the title, the artist and where you can buy it.

Why am I talking about apps and music on Tuesday, when I usually talk about book titles and food? Well, there’s a couple of reasons. 1) I needed a topic for today. 2) I see a lot of song titles (and movie titles) get recycled for books. 3) I find music inspirational.

Some of you know the story of the first book I sold to Harlequin Desire. For those of you who don’t, this is the short version: I met my editor at a local converence and while I didn’t have a Harlequin to pitch, he still aske to read my MS of SEASON OF THE WITCH. He liked it. A lot, but yeah, not exactly his wheelhouse. I received the “rejection” letter the day before I left for New York for a BIG writing conference, a year after the much smaller local one. We met in NYC again and I popped off something to the effect of, “If I writing you a Harlequin Desire, can I send it to you?” He replied, “You write me a Harlequin Desire, I will hunt you down if you DON’T send it to me.” I cam home after that conference and bnaged my head against the wall. Trust me, Harlequin romances are not as easy to write as people seem to think. One day, I started my car to heaqd out for errands and Reba McIntire’s “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” came on the radio. By the time I got home, I had the plot, I hat the title, and six weeks later, I mailed that puppy off to the editor. And yeah, he bought it.

Do you see where I’m going with this? It’s like SEASON OF THE WITCH, which is the title of both a Donavan song (and yes, I AM dating myself because I remember when it first released) and there was also a Nicholas Cage movie by that name. Loved the song, the movie not so much.

Anyway, coming up with titles is not always easy. In fact, COWGIRL’S DON’T CRY is the ONLY title I ever submitted to Harlequin that was actually picked for the book. For my self-pubs, I have only myself to blame. There’s a lot that goes into picking a title. It has to be catchy and memorable. It has to fit the book–the story/plot arc and this is doubly true for genre books. I’m guilty of using song titles and/or catch phrases from songs for the Penumbra Papers books. I depend on music for inspiration when I’m writing them and yes, the song picked for the title usually has a big impact on the story. Granted, there are times, I have no clue until I’m close to the end. Then there are the books in a series where I start with the title and tailor the book to it, even though I usually have a good idea before I ever settle on the title. The Moonstruck world series are examples of this.

Anyway, I’m babbling but I thought I’d share a bit of backstory and insight. I’m always curious how authors come up with titles and how often their working title becomses the published title. If you are an author and care to share, inquiring midns (MINE!) want to know. Readers, what’s the one title you always remember?

And now for the treats, because you know, it’s Tuesday and there’s supposed to be food. Munchy bones and kibble don’t count.  Except for Puppy Chow. 😉

Puppy Chow

Ingredients
1 (12 oz) box Rice Chex cereal could also use corn
1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips could also use dark choco, milk choco, etc.
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (2 lb) bag powdered sugar or less to taste.

Make it:
1 – Place cereal into a large bowl. Set aside.
2 – Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a large microwave safe bowl.
3 – Microwave for 60 seconds and then stir until smooth. If the chocolate chips haven’t melted enough, microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely melted.
4 – Stir in vanilla extract.
5 – Pour the chocolate mixture over the Chex cereal and stir together gently with a spatula. DO NOT OVER MIX. The cereal pieces should be completely coated in chocolate, but it’s ok for a few to clump together.
6 – Pour the powdered sugar over the mixture. Use as much or as little as you like, but I think this is best when no chocolate shows through. Gently stir to combine. Again, don’t over mix.
Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container!

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Monday the First

How can it be August already?!?! I’m not truly complaining. The procrastination is all on me! And now, when I’m up at the buttcrack of dawn, it’s still dark out. And stays dark for a bit. Shorter days, longer nights FTW! I guess I’m something of a vampire at heart. Mostly, it has to do with the heat.

Speaing of weather, we had a tiny bit of rain–not even close to half an inch over 4 days of possibilities. Other parts of the states got their share AND ours. They needed it too so I’m trying not to whine…or be jealous. Much. It wouldn’t be quite so bad but for the water restrictions. We can hand water a garden twice a week–Thursdays and Sundays for my address.

My go-to Starbucks is closed for a month for renovations. I go there because it was the closest to home and it’s just down the street from Wallyworld, where I am this morning because…Monday. In the process of learning it would be closed, I discovered that they’ve built a brand-new stand-alone store two miles away from that store. Which puts it a closer to me, at 1.7y miles, instead of 3 miles to the other. That means I can still get my Starbuck’s fix on Mondays and Jake can get his “pup cup.” I’ll still use the original on Monday’s because it’s right there but the rest of the time when I get a craving? Yup, new store!

I added new words to the WIP. It’s going slow and not very steady (see previous comment about procrastination) and I did revise a few chapters (ditto on the procrastination). I know. I know. I’m terrible. But, ya know, sometimes it’s just not easy and this is one of those sometimes.

Reading/listening was pretty much a no-go this past week. I got 45% through an audio book, just didn’t connec to the MC or any of the secondaries (but for the magically sentient house) so I skipped through to the last chapter and learned there is a cliffhanger of sorts. The rest of the series is available but I just didn’t care enough. In a weird reading headspace, instead of diving into the Psy-Changeling Trinity series by Nalini Singh (new book coming out 8/9 (there are five books I want to read to refreash my memory on the series characters and plot arcs), I picked up a book by Kit Rocha from my dark and dirty shelf. Oddly enough, I’ve picked up the first book in this series a time or four since 2017, which is the last time I read it and never got much beyond the first couple of chapters. This time around, it is oddly satisfying. My brain sometimes!

My Cards are still running streaky. The trade deadline is Tuesday 6. p.m. and they’ve only made one trade as of typing this yesterday. Shortstop Juan Soto was traded to the Phillies for left-handed pitcher JoJo Romero. We need pitching but it sounds like he’s going to Triple A Memphis first. Ah well. Today and tomorrow could be interesting. The Cards REALLY need help on the mound. The injury bug has taken lots of pitcher bites.

Not much else is going on so i’ll let y’all get back to your regularly scheduled lives. Anybody have news to share? Anyone have anything they want to discuss? Who still needs rain? 🙋🏼‍♀️

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Friday Sinema: Now For Something Completely Different

You get brownie points if you get the reference in the title. As for our sinema, here. This is totally random, a bit amazing, and just plain fun–in a bizarre way. Or it is for me. Your mileage may varry (YMMV),. We’re supposed to get some rain and cooler tempts today and tomorrow. We’ll see. In the meantime, put on your dancing shoes.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Connections

Another week is rolling off the calendar page. Part of me is protesting–uselessly–because time is passing so swiftly! The other part is cheering on this old sphere spinning itself merrily dizzy because Autumn can’t get here fast enough! School here starts in 20 days. Or less. Depending on which district. Sports reporters are already talking college  and high school football. That’s our thing around here. Not mine, necessarily, but the general populace. I’m a diamond-kinda girl. I’m all about the baseball and fastpitch sports. Anyway, it is once again Thursday and once again, the Universe has weighed in with some wisdom.

Haven’t you noticed, Silver?

The right people always find each other at the right time.

Relax,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Yeah, Silver, it’s freaky.

This applies to both real life and the “fake lives” writers create in our heads, especially romance authors. Oh, other genres that have relationships–even if it’s the MC (hero/heroine) and the villain–but this is especially true in romance. It’s not always easy “finding” the right person for a character. Sometimes we try too hard to make them fit because, dude! All that prep–finding pictures based on the physical description in our heads, nailing the backstory to be built into both the character arc and the plot. It’s a job, I’m tellin’ ya! But sometimes, it comes down to using a mallet to hammer a square peg into a round hole. And yeah, I’ve read a few books that left me scratching my head and wondering, “What the ever-lovin’ heck did s/he see in him/her?” And yeah, I’ve had a few characters that I totally loved but when I paired them with who I thought was the perfect match? Yeah…nope. Peg, hole. And all that pounding makes my head hurt.

Luckily, the Universe is correct. If we let go of the wrong ones, the right ones suddenly appear and the very right time in the story and let me tell you, it is KISMET! See me doing the Snoopy Happy Dance™ while also pulling a Julia Roberts at the polo match in “Pretty Womant.” (Check the .gif behow. 😉 ) As a writer–and as a person living life–we need to trust the Universe to get it right. Because it usually does.

Hey, give me a break. It’s hot. My brain does not want to brain deep brain things. It wants to sip frozen concoctions (hopefully with alcohol!), sit under the fan and maybe nap. And now, so everyone can get back to their lives, here’s our question of the day: What’s right in your life?

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Wednesday Words: For Ever Day Time

Happy Humpy Word Day. Midweek means new words based on a theme–or two, brought to us asipiring writers by #1LineWed and #ThursdayThreads. Our two prompts this week, for those playing along, are **EVER** and “One day at a time.” Yes, this was an easy one, after a bit of thought. Meg and Kin’s story has jumped ahead in this one. There’s no immediate danger, there’s breathing room…and way too much time for thinking. Hope you enjoy.
****
Some of the rooms in the old hotel had balconies. Meg’s was one of them. She’d come outside to get fresh air and to think. Hands on the stone balustrade, she leaned against them staring at nothing in particular. The door opened behind her and ever cell of her being perked up. She didn’t have to turn around to see who had joined her.

Without looking back at Kin, she asked, “Do you ever think about tomorrow?”

“In what way?”

“Well, as in the future.”

“Don’t you know, the future is now.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t go all metaphysical on me. It doesn’t suit you.”

“What? You don’t believe I’m a deep thinker?”

“I think you are a man of action.”

“Aye, lass, I am that.”

“So you don’t think about…like…ever after?”

Kin cut her a side-ways glance but Meg doggedly stared out over the city.

“Are ya talkin’ about happily ever after?” His brogue thickened as his voice turned growly.
She lifted one shoulder in a minimal shrug. “I like to plan ahead. I want to think about what tomorrow might bring, what might happen next year, and five years from now. I want to be prepared.” Now she did focus on him. “I’d think given what you do for a living, you’d think the same.”

“No, lass. I live one day at a time. Tomorrow brings what it brings and next year? Or five years down the road? Considering my line of work, I’ll be lucky t’still be breathin’.”

“Don’t say things like that!”

“Tis true though.”

Meg stared back out across the city’s ancient architecture. Silence enveloped them like a scratchy wool sweater—irritating but also a bit comforting. “Have you ever come close?”

“T’what?”

“To…dying.”

“Yeah, I have. I’ve learned to live life t’its fullest and I plan t’keep on doin’ it for the rest of m’life.”

Her smile was bittersweet. “Sounds like a plan.”

His hand suddenly swallowed hers where it rested on the railing. He tugged it up so that their entwined fingers rested against his chest. “Sayin’ that, lass, doesn’t mean I don’t care. And I have news for ya. Whether ya like it or not, that future you might or might not be envisioning? It’s gonna include me. Ya don’t have a choice in the matter.”

She bristled at his statement. “I do too.”

His slow smile lit up golden lights in his eyes. “Can you live so easily without me then?”

Well…shit. He had her there.
****
So there you have it. Just a random scene that will help finish out the puzzle nicely when the time comes. Writers, feel free to add your own words to the mix. Readers, are you a “Happy Ever After” or “One Day at a Time”  kinda peep?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: I Got Nuttin’, Honey

After dinner and dishes last night, I’d flopped on the bed and on a whim, I opened my mail app on my phone. I had an email that I need to look at on the desktop so I schlepped into my office. I dealt with the email and decided to check out the blog roll because, hey, Cheezburger memes! And then I remembered that I hadn’t set up today’s blog. So…I opened the edit tab for WordPress and started to head to my Scrivener app to copy/paste the words I’d written last week for…tomorrow. Wednesday Words. Tuesday. Treats. And titles. And I got nada. Zilch. Zero. It didn’t help that I was wide awake at 4 a.m. and at 9:17 p.m. as I’m trying to figure out what to write about, my brain is like, “Dudette! Seriously? You want me to…you know…actually think? Moi?:!” Uh, yeah, brain, I do.

So let’s talk about writing. And things we use to help us write–whethre it be writing software, a quick research trick, a way to organize notes…

I mentioned Scrivener above. I tumbled onto Scrivener years ago when I “won” National Novel Writing Month. By winning, for those of you not familiar, it means I completed 50K words on a novel. Literature & Latte, the parent company and creators of Scrivener, was a sponsor that year. As a winner, I got a code to get a copy of Scrivener for half price. This included lifetime updates and as many computers as I need–like a desktop and a laptop. It was created specifically for Mac and I had a Mac Air at the time. Long story short, I tried the 30-day trial, kinda liked the thing, so I splurged and spent the $40 to buy it. Then they finally came out with a Windows version, which is what runs my desktop (and my new laptop which yes, has a free copy of Scriverner). The deal is, I had to buy the Windows version. TOTALLY worth it! I took an on-line class from a friend who wrote (at L&L’s request) the “Scriverner for Dummies” book. I’ve never looked back though I do wish I’d known a bit more about the program, the way it actually works for me, and how I use it. I would have done things differently. Ah well, live and learn.

Some of the mistakes? I set up a Scrivening (the name for a folder) each time I started a book in a series. I was doing a lot of copy/paste of background info and research. Then I had that proverbial 💡 moment and realized I could set up one folder for an entire series. I’d go back and fix all that but, at the same time, I discovered Dropbox as a way to automatically backup files to the cloud. To consolidate now would be a huge hassle. I’d either have to go into the cloud to delete the original copies of the stuff I moved from original folders to new folders, or I’d just have to leave the originals. and try to remember they are the old copies and I should ignore them. There’s probably an easier way but my brain doesn’t work tech like a normal person. Don’t ask. I’ve learned and now, all new projects are set up correctly.

Have I bored you completly yet? There are a couple of bottom lines here. One, like I’ve mentioned before, be organized. Don’t be me! And two, my organizational skills are directly linked to the way I write. Which is the big reason I love Scrivenr. I can switch from test to bulletin board views and as long as I’ve jotted notes on the “card” attached to that file, I can see what I’ve done–where I’ve been, where I’m going, where the holes are. That scene that’s currently chapter 12 actually belongs in chapter 3? Not a problem. I simply drag and drop that card to the coorect place. It’s like a virtual white board! And yes, I have a physical white board. Five, in fact. And all of them are covered with notes, Post-Its, print-outs, and I think there might be a bookmark, some message buttons, and some magnets.

Anyway, today’s “title” is Scrivener. Or any writing software that you find usable. That just leaves me with coming up with a treat.  *thinkthinkthinks* 🤔 Have I mentioned the Decadent Cowboy Cookies I buy at Wallyworld? They are big. Soft. And totally decadent. There’s pecans, cinnamon, granulated suger, coconut, and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. If I were a more dedicated cook, I’d play around with something like the Toll House recipe and see if I could come close to replicating them but I’m lazy. It’s far easier to pick up a dozen and a half (3 boxes of 6) and just splurge. Plus, instant gratification.

So, there ya go, folks. I little insight into the crazy that is my head, my process, and my sweet tooth. Writers, do you have a favorite softward, app, or tool that you couldn’t write without? And readers, homemade or bakery coolies, and favorite flavor/kind?

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Bringing the Monday Heat

I know. I’m a broken recoard. And temps in the 100s is not necessarily a new thing for us Okies. Still, it’s miserable and misery loves company, am I right?Every time my AC stutters a little, I have a mild panick attack. Which is crazy because, being older than dirt, I remember life BAC (Before Air Conditioning). Somehow, we managed. Because we didn’t know any better. Swamp coolers were the thing and most businesses just had massive ceiling fans. Still, I totally identify with the above .gif. I’m also old enough to remember the movie and the actress. And yes, I know that feeling.

Okay, moving on. I’m sooooo EXCITED! As most of y’all know, I was a HUGE “Live PD” fan. Loved the hosts, the LEOs, and the departments. Then “woke” happened. I stopped watching A&E when they suddenly cut the program. Well, “Live PD” has been reincarnated as “On Patrol Live.” Dan Abrans is back as host and producer. And STICKS! I LOVE STICKS! Aka Sean Larkin, retired Tulas PD SWAT officer. Cureently, their 3rd is a deputy from Richland County. So many of my fav LEOs are back and it’s awesome to see them. LT Danny Brown is now a captain. The civilians still run the gambit. The criminals (innocent until proven guilty in a court of law) are still mostly dumb–because if they were smart a) they wouldn’t be doing the crime or b) they wouldn’t get caught. Anyway, it’s on REEL Z channel. Our Uverse carries it but it can also be streemed. CLICK HERE FOR INFO. You know, in case you liked “Live PD” too.

In other news, believe it or not, I’ve made progress on the last Moonstruck Wolf book needing revisions. I’ve gotten through a handful of chapters this past week and intend to finish up this week. God willing, the AC keeps working, we don’t have brown outs/blackouts, and Boone leaves me alone. That’s the plan. I keep having to backtrack because the previous book shares a lot of characters and plot with this book and remembering what went down is playing havoc with continuity. My brain = Swiss cheese, remember? Still, progress!

I finished off the Olympus Pride series by Suzanne Wright. She writes quirky characters and odd shifters (the latest release in audio features a Pallas cat and a bear cat aka red panda.) Also down and dirty, in case that’s not your thing. There is another book (#4) out in the series, but not in audio yet and I can’t find any info on when it will be. Then I listened to my first Emily Henry romcom, BOOK LOVERS. She’s a literary agent, he’s a high-powered book editor and they have a small town romance. And there is Big Foot porn. No. Really. My only ding is that it’s 1st Person Present POV which is sooo totally not my catnip. Still, I gave it 5 stars. Currently reading BETWIXT by Darynda Jones. She also has quirky characters but its something to bridge the gap until it’s close enough to Nalini Singh’s new release next month and I start my reread of the Psy-Changeling Trinity series.

Okay. Writing. TV. Reading. Sports. My poor Cardinals are running hot and cold. *sigh* Stormy’s soccer season is over. The last two games (okay, technically, I guess they are matches), the opposing teams didn’t have enough players so Stormy volunteered to play goalie for them so the teams could at least scrimmage. I love little kid sports! 🥰

Wildlife and critters update. I saved a juvenile blue jay from the garage. Pete was very intent on helping me. I managed to capture the bird and not kill it, me, or the cat before getting it outside and free. In Pete news, I’ve never figured out why the intrawebz has a thing about ginger/orange cats. There are all these memes and threads about them sharing one brain cell among them all. I’ve been adopted by two orange cats in my life–Moses, the one-eyed street cat who used to catch and gift me with moles and baby rabbits (on my chest while I’m sleeping in bed) and now Pete. He was skittish when he first appeared but he figured out that garage life is a good life. He could come in but he’s still not too sure about the indoor fuzzy children. Anywayh. y’all know that Lawyer Guy reinstalled a new cat door on one of the garage doors. For about three weeks, we had to prop it open for him to come through from outside to inside because the door had a magnet and it sort of “stuck. I went out one morning to feed him and he wasn’t in the garage. That’s when I realized the folded bit of duct tape we used to prop the door open was gone and the door closed. The next thing I knew, Pete butted the door with his head and in he came. I’m so proud! He figured it out. I’m also putting extra water out for birds and furry things that skitter about at night.

So, that’s pretty much my life. This week is all hundreds until we get to week’s end when there’s a really good chance of rain and temps in the low 90s. Yes, please! Today is an early trip to Wallyworld before the pavement gets hot. Then I need to do a load of laundry before the day heats up. After that, it’s my usual day–coffee, email, blog reading, procrastination… No, I plan on knuckling down on the damn book. I’ve wasted way too much time letting my head get in the way. How’s your life? Anything getting in your way lately?

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Friday Sinema: I Salute Them!

[EDIT: Once again, I screwed up on posting time. Sorry ’bout that. I obviously need more coffee!]

I wish I spoke Ukrainian. Or there were subtitles. Still. This “cut” is from the show that aired on January 30, 2022. That’s approximately 1 month before Russian invaded Ukraine. This video is longer than usual but I think it’s worth the time and you can get the gist of the conversation even without understanding the words. Do I need to say that I wonder what has happened to those amazing performers? I hope you enjoy. Stay out of the heat and try to enjoy your weekend anyway.

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