Category: Gratitude

Welcome, Daily Science Fiction readers

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Hi! If you’re stopping by because you just read my flash “The Call” in Daily Science Fiction, thank you. It means a lot to me that you liked it enough to find out more about me. (Or maybe that you hated it enough to hunt me down and tell me how awful I am. Strong emotion is the point.) The long version of who I am is on my About me page. The short version is I’m a writer who has a varied background and likes to reflect that in her writing.

If you’d like to see more of what I’ve written, check out the Short stories page, which has links to other stories on-line as well as pointers to anthologies where some of my work appears. I’ve also self-published some work, including one mystery novel, a couple of science fiction novellas, and some shorter works. Links for that can be found on my Hartshorn Publishing page, including links for excerpts.

Last month, I participated in the A to Z Blog Challenge, using a theme of epic fantasy. I’ve also done a number of posts defining different genres, and every Monday, I like to blog about something I’m grateful for. (Today, I’m grateful for readers!) I also participate in the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour each month, where a bunch of writers post on the same topic on their blog; here’s my latest post, on deadlines.

I also blog about my garden, books I’ve read recently, recipes (infrequently), my family (without names mentioned), and anything else that seizes my fancy. Take a look around, comment if you feel so inclined, or maybe even subscribe to get e-mail updates of new posts. (Comments are closed on posts older than 21 days, so if you want to talk about something older, either comment here or use the contact form. Also, I moderate the first comment from new visitors, and I use Akismet to weed out spam. It keeps the site friendly.)

So happy you came by!

What are you grateful or happy for today?

Books that keep me up too late

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Last night, I stayed up until 1 in the morning to finish The Black Opera by Mary Gentle. It’s a marvelous tale, set in 19th century Naples, with Napoleon, the Inquisition, opera (obviously), zombies (sort of), questions about God, science and reason vs. superstition and faith, a ticking clock, and magic and miracles that come through music. (Also, Italian swearing for the beginner!) I had some issues with the editing and proofreading, but the story itself captivated me, and I was unwilling to put it down and get some sleep. Sure, I could have finished reading it today, but I just couldn’t bear to wait to see how it all turned out.

It made me feel my own writing was inadequate, but at the same time, I am so grateful that Gentle’s writing is so very immersive. I love discovering books that I don’t want to put down until I reach the end.

Have you read a book like that recently? What are you grateful for today?

Life

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I’m grateful to be alive. I don’t always say it, but it’s true. Things could have gone much worse when I had my accident. Also, as long as I’m alive, I know that things will change. Circumstances may get better, they may get worse, but they will change. I tend to look for them getting better, and I tell myself, “This, too, shall pass,” when I’m feeling really down. It doesn’t always convince me, but even when my heart doesn’t believe, my mind knows it’s true.

This, too, shall pass — this Monday, this slump, this whatever. I am alive and grateful for it.

What are you grateful for today?

Rain, rain . . .

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It was a mild winter, and the spring’s been pretty dry. Like humidity that felt almost normal to me (17%) and warnings for fire danger — not what I expect here on the green East Coast. Storm moved in this weekend, though, and it poured last night. Today was mostly drizzle and overcast, but there’s a bit more rain forecast for the week.

For this, my flowers are grateful — half my daffodils never opened because it was so hot and dry. And so am I.

What are you grateful for today?

Ice pops!

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(If you’re here for the A to Z Challenge, scroll down to the next post. This post is one of a regular series on things I am grateful for.)

It’s the middle of April (or just past, anyway), and today’s high was close to 90. Fortunately, last month, when we had our last heat wave, I found some of the leftover ice pops from last summer in the cupboard and stuck them in the freezer. There’s nothing quite like the joy on a child’s face when they come in flushed from the heat and you tell them they can have an ice pop to help cool off with. My husband and I are rather fond of them, too.

Yes, another modern convenience, brought by the combined might of artificial flavors, sugar, and electricity. What’s not to love?

(For the record, the current forecast is that tomorrow will be at least ten degrees cooler, and Wednesday ten degrees cooler than that. So not worried about general climate warming right now.)

What are you grateful for this Monday?

Time with my kids

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(If you’re here for the A to Z Challenge, scroll down for today’s post. This is my regular Monday post about things I’m grateful for.)

This year, I ran across some very clever Easter egg ideas online. I showed a couple of them to my son, and he agreed that the geode eggs were cool. We had to hunt for alum powder (for future reference, check pickling supplies), and it took longer than we expected. I’ll post some pictures after I either find the charger for our camera or locate my son’s camera. The colors of the shells are intense, and the crystals are lovely. Continue reading

Sunshine and quiet

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(If you’re here for the A to Z blog challenge, scroll down to find today’s post.)

It rained all weekend. I love the sound of rain pattering on the roof, especially as I go to sleep. However, there’s a lot to be said for sunshine and blue skies that lift my mood. It’s the simple things that matter, and that I try to treasure — especially knowing that the next couple of days are supposed to be rainy again.

What are you grateful for today?

Connected

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I cheerfully tell people I’m an introvert. I love working at home, without having to deal with people face to face or be pleasant to dozens of people on a regular basis. (This is also part of why the thought of doing panels fills me with trepidation, but we covered that topic already.)

However . . . Continue reading

We can all use a laugh

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I love laughing. Who doesn’t? While reading Terry Pratchett’s latest Discworld book, Snuff, I came across the following, which made me laugh because I saw both sides of the exchange clearly:

Miss Beedle led the way out of the hall and into a room in which chintz played a major part, and drew Young Sam over to a large bureau. She opened a drawer and handed the boy what looked like a small book. “This is a bound proof of The Joy of Earwax, and I shall sign it for you if you like.”

Young Sam took it like one receiving a holy object, and his father, temporarily becoming his mum, said, “What do you say?” To which Young Sam responded with a beam and a thank you and a, “Please don’t scribble on it. I’m not allowed to scribble in books.”

Has something made you laugh today? Share in the comments. Or let us know what you’re grateful for today.