Category Archives: doing it wrong

There’s some Georgia O’Keeffe stuff going on there.

FINALLY! Books are here. I restocked some of my older titles and I have a stack of Sweetheart Braves. I’m always afraid to open them when they are in book form because inevitably the first thing I see is a typo. But they look so pretty.

We had a big weekend besides the frenzied writing.

Friday night we went to the Clark College Pow Wow — I think it’s officially called a Multi-Cultural Celebration. Great turnout this year. We had a fun time.

Saturday night we went the annual Day of the Dead party, hosted by one of Bob’s colleagues. Amazing food with music and dancing, including audience participation. That was fun, too.

And my team is in the playoffs. We won the knock out match last week to make it to this round. We played match 1 of 2 at home on Sunday. We won that match but we have to play away and figure out how to hang on to the lead. We are playing our bitter rivals Seattle.

I sent this to my wonderful friend and huge Seattle fan Hannah to represent us going at it over our teams:

Current word count. Still looking good!

7487 / 50000 words. 15% done!

When we go to Orleans we go I5 to Grants Pass and in good weather cut over to Cave Junction and a couple of dinky little roads before we hop over Grayback to Happy Camp. In the interim spot between Cave Junction and Grayback, a big truck loaded down with portable toilets came up behind me. No matter how fast I drove or how narrow the road got, he remained no less than three car lengths behind me.

Normally I just get out of the way but I was already driving above the speed limit and: it was a truck with portable toilets! It was like a PeeWee Herman movie with me shrieking as I drove faster and faster and portable toilets loomed up behind me.

He finally pulled off to go a different direction.

During my visit I picked buckets and buckets of grapes. We got a bunch of apples and huckleberries. Mom and I went to get some pears. I am not especially comfortable on tall ladders or any ladders, to be honest. Mom wanted me to scamper up to the top for the prize pears on the top of the tree. I climbed about halfway and balked as the ladder bowed in the breeze.

Mom said: MOVE! I’ll do it.

So I let her climb up there and helpfully stood back and took photos in case I got something that would make a good viral clip. Don’t worry, she’s fine.

Isn’t this bear poo an interesting cylinder shape?

On the drive home I saw a small RV pulled over by a state trooper. The driver was dressed like Davy Crockett complete with full buckskins and raccoon tail cap. My sister said there might have been a mountain man festival in the area which would explain the fast-driving portable toilet truck, too.

This is my pumpkin crop with the blue hubbard and a butternut.

STILL NO PAPERBACK. ARGH. Amazon is killing me. They have everything but haven’t approved it.

Quick update in case anyone is checking here: Sweetheart Braves paperback is still not available.

Giant online retailer told me they shipped the proof last week. It’s not here. Since I’m leaving town tomorrow I’m certain it will show up then. I won’t have time to review and click the magic button until I return next week.

I didn’t even read this book, someone told me about Swedish death cleaning and I took the idea, as I interpreted it, and spent a day going to town on our own clutter situation.

I didn’t do a dramatic job but I had a bunch of kitchen items from my mother-in-law’s kitchen (Yeah, yeah, I know, but these are items that I actually want, really good old school Pyrex and Corningware. They don’t make it as good anymore. If you need some good Pyrex, let me know. I can fix you up) and no place to put them. While I was in the mood for decluttering I did the same in a couple of other areas of the house — sheesh, decluttering is exhausting and so much work for such a small reward. But the small reward was one entire carload of stuff away. I’ll take it.

I’m inspired to take care of some other piles of stuff that don’t bring me joy but I need more time to go through it. I started Book #4 so my attention has been redirected.

I got rid of things using various methods: giving them to people who need them, Goodwill, Friends of the Library, going to the clothing reseller, and listing them for free on Nextdoor. It’s been quite an eye opener that stuff I have that I thought was super amazing, in great condition, and would be in high demand from a person looking for free stuff, did not get even the tiniest eye blink of interest. Oh my, and I also had a big wake up moment when the too-cool-for-school clerk at the clothing reseller gave me her best look of over-polite disdain and slid my items back across the counter.

I’m a woman now.

Book 4 still isn’t available in paperback. SORRY! I received notice that Giant Online Retailer shipped my proof last week. I need to make sure it looks right before I release it into the world.

Going to Orleans next weekend. Coming soon: this year’s squash crop.