63 thoughts on “Working Wednesday, March 24, 2021”

  1. And that’s why – I think – many people were so tentative in giving you feedback. They didn’t want to set you back again. (I felt I’d read it too often to be able to see it with a fresh eye; sorry.)

    I’m copy-editing full time (i.e. four or five hours a day, although it somehow takes more time than the billable hours). I’m weeding and planning the allotment in breaks; and took Monday as a mental-health day, going for a long walk with my camera.

    Need to contact more friends. But the longer days, especially when they’re sunny, are fun. And when I go to the allotment now there are other people working on their plots too.

  2. This past week was Quilt Show. We hung up the quilts Thursday, had folks in on Friday and Saturday and took everything down Saturday night. I was exhausted! I had a total of 15 quilts in the show (some very tiny). Half were slated for the show last year that got cancelled. The other half were things I finished up this year.

    After judging on Tuesday, I was a little bummed. A couple of my quilts got held for consideration, but nothing brought home a ribbon. But – I told myself the point was to see them hanging up. And after reading the judges comments, there was nothing I didn’t agree with, so it is all good.

    The last award was given by the president of the guild on Thursday – her discretion, the quilt she thought was the most innovative. She picked one of mine. I was pretty flabbergasted, since this was a quilt I was deeply unhappy with. I had tried to skimp during the cutting process, which caused flaws that couldn’t be fixed. I almost didn’t complete it, let alone put it in the show. It just goes to show that you never know what will speak to people.

    As part of the show, we had a silent auction to raise money for the local SPCA. When I got to the show Friday morning, the woman minding that booth had already put her name on my little sugar glider quilt – she knew exactly where she was going to hang it! As I kept watch over it, the total bid on it kept rising. By the end of Saturday night, that little guy went for $150!

    I’ve got two IG links to my quilts from the show I’ll post in the comments.

    In the midst of this, I did get my first vaccine dose on Friday morning. Yay. I’m Pfizered up – the only side effect from the first dose was a 28-30 hour period of feeling like my bicep had taken a punch.

    This week, I’m figuring out what to do with those 14 quilts. I’ve already shipped the one quilt to my aunt. I’ve got another slated for an auction for cancer research/support, and I gave a third to my neighbor for all her support over the last year and a half. It’s also time to get back to work, and time to think about other creations!

    3. Nancy, I am so impressed, both by how prolific you are, but also at how eclectic your quilts are. Congratulations for the innovative quilt award and also for the vaccine.

      1. Kelly – I think my modus operandi is color. I like having clear color in my quilts – I’m really not turned on at all by fabrics that are muddy or that bleed together. Other than that, I’m open to try almost anything.

        1. Such beautiful vision, Nancy. What a gift!

          I remember learning somewhere that back in the day many women used quilts to tell the story of their lives. Often women with no reading/writing ability, but also women using an acceptable, and somewhat covert, way of documenting their lives told through panels. Something to pass down to future generations.

          Have always really appreciated that and wished I had more talent for it. I have made a few small projects, but nothing like yours. So lovely and definitely award-winning in my book:)

          1. This reminds me of that movie with Winona Ryder about the quilt-making group. Was it even called “An American Quilt”? I’m not quite sure.

  3. Nothing wrong with switching to painting, we’ll still be here happily chatting about books with you :).

  4. This week I cut a steek. This is a construction method for knitting, which involves cutting the knitting – for example, to make the front opening in a cardigan. You knit the garment in a tube, and then cut. Its normally used in fair isle knitting. If you are not accustomed to it, it is very nerve-wracking. I fretted about it for ages, and in the end, it was 30 seconds and done! Painless! If you are interested, I blogged about it here: https://knitigatingcircumstances.com/2021/03/21/steeking-without-tears/.

    1. Heh. I had a similar reaction when cutting the opening for my first handmade (patchworked/quilted) Christmas tree skirt – “I’ve done all that work to put it together, lovingly completed the handquilting, and now you want me to cut it up? Deliberately? But what happens when it all falls apart?…”

      It didn’t, of course, but it does take steeling oneself…

      I was a bit more blase when I did the second one, but it still took a deep breath or two of preparation!

  5. I vote for Artist specialising in collage. You enjoy it, you produce interesting work (I’ve seen it on here), and you’ve got several pieces already done…

    As In said, we’ll still be here.

  6. Every season (art)
    has its pleasures,
    and frustrations
    equal measures

    from afar
    all that’s seen
    is varying, glorious
    shades of green

    up close, large flaws
    become apparent,
    but only to
    the one who made it

    finish it, ship it
    let critics say
    “I would have done that
    some other way”

  7. The day job was going like crazy but yesterday it just ground to a halt and today is not looking too promising either. Fortunately, I had worked ahead. Unfortunately, we are now in Second Winter (not as much fun as Second Breakfast) and it is grey and overcast and blah and cold outside so I’m not much feeling inspired to do anything else in my downtime.

    1. It was grey and overcast and blah (but not cold) here yesterday, and today it is beautiful and sunny and daffodils and violets are blooming, and I’m still not inspired to do anything in my two days off. My garden needs digging if I’m going to plant broccoli on time and that’s not going to happen at the end of a ten hour work day, but I’m still sitting here, trying to pay attention to things I want to read.

  8. Still working on the narrative for H. Then I go off doing chores and read and thinking about word choices and clarity. Taxing the brain. Honing the editing skills. All this writing is giving me ideas.

    Made little masks with granddaughters. Revamped the instructions to make it easier. Sat with their cat every night for 2/3 hours to keep her company while they were at Whistler skiing. H rigged up a little stuffed monkey on the end of a fishing rod, locked the reel, and watched her play. Tired her out so she wouldn’t miss them too much. She is a little darling.

  9. Day job is very demanding right now, loads of work. Heck, I only work part-time but accumulate extra hours like a turbo, grrr.

    On top of that are the two community college courses I’m enrolled in. The one on English conversation is finished after this evening’s lesson, but the one on Ancient Greek contines until summer and my movitation is not the best right now since I just can’t find the time to revise and it’s a bummer when one sits in class and can’t find one’s way through a text.

    Outside the sun is shining but I haven’t been outside for a week now. I just don’t seem to be able to get away from my desk, argh.

    Well, I’ve had a short spell with a running nose last week and called in sick (thus the need to work my way through the mountain of work). I’ve experienced the healing power of bining on “Baby Ballroom” on Netflix. Crappy title imho, but great series. I always loved ballroom and Latin, but the enthusiasm of those kids is stunning. And the ex-pro dancer who runs the zig zag dance factory (UK) is wonderfully quirky.

  10. I don’t have photos yet, but I finished an awesome rainbow unicorn sweater last night.

    Here’s the thing: it usually takes me about a month to knit a sweater (worsted weight) and I did this in TWELVE DAYS! With Fair Isle work in it! I have no idea how I managed that so quickly, but it’s a RECORD!

  11. Jenny, you taught highschool art. You could probably do a cool modern art bamboozle and sell if for a huge amount and live pretty.

    I have a mild topical allergic reaction on my skin. Went to the doc, she says something must’ve irritated it.

    I think I’m allergic to my hostile work environment. 🤔😁🤷🏻‍♀️😏

    It’s astronomically Autumn here now Suddenly the air is chilly in the mornings. And the rain showers are colder.

    Craftwise it’s masks, masks and more masks. I like to match trim or colour to my outfits, so using leftover fabric to make more masks. I’m not giving masks up even if I’m vaccinated soon. I really LIKE not catching every communicable ailment the children bring.

      1. I long for the fabric mask I made for the family now that we have to wear FFP2 masks. They make you sweat and your breath tastes and smells very differently, ghastly. But preferable to catching something as nasty as C.
        I too will stick to masks after this mess. It’s nice to not catch everything when taking the tube or bus.
        Even the cold I got last week was mainly me going out into the cold with not-dried-properly hair. No extra “presents” from others, so I’m back on my feet in far less time than usual. Nice.

  12. Still chipping away at my short story for an anthology. I’d love to make the deadline (there really isn’t any pressure–no one is expecting it), but I also have a plan B in case I don’t. Sprints on Sunday afternoons with my writer peeps have helped a lot. These are the first new words I’ve written in over 2 years. Divorce, family death, injury and illness, an earthquake, and a pandemic have presented challenges to my creative life. But I’m starting to get my mojo back.

  13. Have done very little writing work over the past week, maybe I needed to step away entirely. Only a bit of editing, plus a few brief sessions of Read WIP And Jot Down Ideas.

    Then this morning, while lying in bed before getting up, and while doing yoga, and while watering the flowers I planted on Monday, had what I think are Good Ideas for revising a recently-completed novel. Making the opening less thinky and jumping right into some action, the way our Argh Host has been talking about lately.

    I like most of that book, but had a nagging feeling that it got off to a slow start, so having – finally – a plan to galvanize it feels great. And if satisfied, I might even try submitting this one instead of going straight to self-publishing.

  14. Sometimes Things Just Work Out That Way.

    I missed out on a first Covid Jab yesterday. To get it, I needed to go inside Sussex II State Prison. To go inside, I need my DOC ID Card, which died in the washer February a year ago. I did not replace it then because Covid in the prison. Besides, the power plant wherein I work is outside the prison – I never go inside.

    It came to a choice between shopping and dining with the dotter and dealing with entering a prison.

    An hour ago, I got an automated phone call for Residents Over 65. So now I’m signed up for a first jab with Prince George County at Unity Baptist Church tomorrow at noon. Unity Baptist is less than a mile away. 🙂 I don’t need a particular ID to get in, my driver’s licence will do.

    So write. Or paint. It will all work out, and we’ll still love you.

    3. Reminiscent of the Morton Salt Girl, an hour before my noon Jab appointment, my PCP’s office called to let me know they’d gotten some vaccine and would be happy to set up an appointment. I stuck with Unity Baptist, and they stuck with me. I’m stuck, now. 😀

  15. It took a month, not a week, but we finished the great demolition and reconstruction of the side yard. Pics and description on FB. Took out fencing and a wall of overgrown shrubbery, tamed a wisteria gone wild, repaired trellises, planted nice new border plants, built a pergola and a privacy screen, and now we have a maintenance-free area to enjoy going forward, other than the twice a year pruning of the wisteria.

    If I recover enough I’ll plant in the crape myrtle and 4 buckets of rosebushes plus the new dahlias but I plan to spend the rest of this week washing ibuprofen down with coffee and reading, really.

  16. I got my first covid vaccine shot today! At last! (I’ve been eligible for over a month, so it felt like forever to get the appointment.) Quite an assembly line at Gillette Stadium. Must have been 100 stations, split between first and second shots. I thought there would be two stops, once to register and get my vaccine card, and then another for the shot, but then the person I thought was just registering me got out a syringe and jabbed me! Took like a minute and a half, most of it on filling out the vaccine card.

    Anyway, that’s my big accomplishment for the past week. Also did a bunch of transcribing at By the People and started to really loathe President Garfield, the more I read of his diaries. I kept thinking that if women had had the vote then, he wouldn’t have made it into Congress, let alone the presidency.

    Also planted some tatsoi, which is extremely hardy, and we’re having an unseasonably warm week, but it’s possible it will regret sprouting in the current 70 degree highs when we have a few below-freezing nights next week. But I have a ton of seeds, so if the seedlings survive, great, and if not, I’ll replant in a couple weeks.

    1. Gin, My husband got his first shot of vaccine at Gillette Stadium almost 4 weeks ago. This Sunday we return so he can get his second. Lots of people took selfies against the view of the empty stands while they waited for their after-shot 15 minutes to run out.

      1. I didn’t see the selfie-taking, but then again, I get a little overwhelmed in crowds & unfamiliar places (it’s part of having some mobility issues and anxiety about falling or not having accessible options). But I was really impressed with the efficiency of it all. I still think the state is doing a TERRIBLE job of communicating (and the original Hunger Games style sign-up was insane, and the state is opening up for business much too fast), but once I got an appointment, everything went smoothly, so I give the organizers a lot of credit for that. I arrived early and was just stunned by the stream of people heading for the entrance.

  17. Running around and cleaning and doing paperwork. Big meeting tonight. Once I get through that I can relax.

  18. I have an actual day to myself. I should probably be writing.
    In the olden days it seems to me authors set up stories
    Differently. I am reading The Boyfriend School by Sarah Bird (Thanks and blessings to whoever recommended it on this blog.) and it’s making me rethink craft. Now I think my improv training may be clashing with my writers training.
    Do you any of you writers ever do the once upon a Time thing? I do musical improv and when we write the first song from suggestion from the audience we have to set up how life was before the inciting incident. Great examples of this done well are from Beauty and the Beast.“Quiet town and a quiet village. Everything like the day before.” And The Little Mermaid. “Part of that world.”
    It’s a fun exercise when you have to do it in front of an audience with eight other people and a pianist. Groupthink can be crazy.
    I also try to do it in my writing sometimes. Just to get the sense of where the world changed.

    2. I recommended The Boyfriend School. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! I’ve gotten so many fantastic recs from everyone here; I’m happy to contribute.

  19. I spent an hour on Tuesday morning recording a video for the Brisbane Writers Festival (children’s events), which I was supposed to go to last year, but of course it got cancelled and they are doing it virtually in April instead. I was feeling SO pleased with myself – then I discovered that I had actually recorded the bits IN BETWEEN my talking (bending over to pick up something, muttering to myself, scratching, etc), instead of the talking. Which explained why the video lasted 6 minutes instead of 25.

    Rerecorded it yesterday, and this time I got it. Phew. Now editing it.

    I also finished – I think – an adult novella I’ve been working on for a couple of years. Now I am trying to resist the impulse to send it to someone. I want to leave it for a bit, then reread it when the excitement of finishing it has died down a bit.

  20. What is this? the third or fourth week at the new job? I started on March 1st. Today I had a mini-meltdown because I don’t know how to do anything (a slight exaggeration.) That lasted about an hour while I was flailing around trying to get a flash cite done.

    After it was all over I realized I actually have the instructions with screenshots and everything. Geez.

    Other than that, I’m enjoying the new job a lot. It’s quiet. No one is screaming or running out of the building. Our building is closed and I’m not allowed to let anyone in the door, so an officer has to do it if someone comes who has an appointment. So far all my transactions have been pleasant and mostly on the phone except with my co-workers. One of the officers said something really rude and funny because they didn’t realize I was coming out of the next room. I snorted because it was funny and the poor guy was so embarrassed. apologized profusely. I told him not to worry.

    I know we all have to be careful and be PC (which I think is just fine.) But it wasn’t sexist, or racist, it was just rude – and really funny.

  21. BTW – If you decided to paint, Jenny, you know we’d all buy those too. You could set up on Etsy. We could have a secret code word to put in all the Arghers listing so that we’d know it was each other. Nancy could sell her quilts, you could sell paintings, we could have a little Argh community economy.

    Other people could buy things of course, but we could support each other in lots of ways. A little Argh Eutopia.

  23. I’m in the throes of composing a Logic Puzzle — this one based on the Missing Will. So far I have five heirs, five bequests, five places people are hunting for the Missing Will, and five possible reasons it’s Missing.

    Of course it’s based on the Ferguson v Admins of Ferguson case I’ve been reading through.

    At least I found a deposition given by my g-g-g-grandfather in 1868, in which he acknowledges a widow’s dower payment made to his wife from her first husband’s estate . . . and he also mentions both his daughters and names their husbands. So I know he knew those things, and I also know that he was still living in 1868; this is the first proof I have that he was living after 1850.

    1. If you don’t already know aobut the Rule Against Perpetuities, check it out sometime. Makes for good complications in wills. It’s been too long since I was in law school to explain it properly, but I remember that the exam questions about it tended to talk about octogenarian fathers and pregnant widows a lot. It has to do with not being allowed to bequeath things too many generations beyond when the testator dies. The idea was to prevent the sort of permanent intergenerational wealth that we see anyway with trusts, where people many generations down from the testator (or person establishing the trust) are still inheriting the wealth.

  24. I got my first shot (Pfizer) on Tuesday. They opened up the local university for a mass vaccination site and it was run very smoothly, with National Guardsmen doing most of it, plus local medical people. Scratchy throat, sore tongue with a weird taste in my mouth, very swollen glands, and a sore arm where I got the shot. Arm is fine today, two days later, and the rest is slowly improving. Of course, last night a filling fell out, so now I get to deal with that.

    Making serious progress on the polish revisions for cozy mystery #3 and I am miraculously on track to get it in on time. Mind you, I’m also at the stage where I’m sure it is terrible, but if it is, I guess my editor will tell me.

    Today is going to be a long day at the day job, so I’m glad the arm is feeling better. (I had yesterday off.)

  25. Wednesday was a very long day at work. Lots of dealing with people, which I am both good at and find utterly exhausting. I also got my second shingles vaccine on Monday, and it knocked me out. Much worse than the Covid shots.

    1. I can totally relate Karen, my second shingles shot was a killer. For those of you who haven’t had your covid vaccine, my coworkers are saying take a walk and keep hydrated. Who knows if there’s any scientific evidence behind that, it’s just what is floating around here.

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