Okay, I’m not a fan of the cold and it’s November tomorrow, so the cold has arrived. Not horrible cold, I can still go outside in shirt sleeves, but I shiver. The good thing about autumn cold? It’s not awful, it’s invigorating and it makes me appreciate cocoa again, chocolate that warms me from the inside. Lovely stuff. So cocoa weather makes me happy.

What made you happy this week?

This week I read books about self-portraits and reread Murderbot and Ngaio Marsh. I’m eclectic.
What did you read this week?

This week I’ve been throwing things out. And yet I still have 177 unread e-mails.

What did you work on this week?

I set my kitchen on fire a while ago, and now I’m revising it. Not just cleaning and repainting but rethinking where everything is, what’s important and what’s not. It’s not just useful, it’s fun, plus I get to look at stuff on the internet for ideas.

Since I torched my stove, I’m revising recipes for the microwave and other various appliances are realizing that I really don’t want another behemoth oven-with-burners in my kitchen. Experimenting with slow-cookers and air fryers and sandwich presses has made me look at my old dishes in new ways, plus I get new cookware to experiment with (pasta cooker in the microwave) so that’s fun.

I wrote a novel a while ago that got rejected, and now I’m revising it. Not just cleaning up typos but rethinking what the reader wants, what I want, tightening and focusing so it’s almost a new book. It’s not just important to my bottom line, it’s exciting seeing where the story goes now, plus I get to diagram it out on a white board which thrills my graph-paper-loving heart.

What I’m saying here is that not getting it exactly right the first time can be a good thing, and good things make me happy.

What made you happy this week?

This week I reread First and Then by Emma Mills, and it was just as good the second time, a YA with depth but no histrionics and a protagonist I really liked spending time with, plus a great cast of supporting characters.

What did you read (or reread) this week?

This week in what I sincerely hope was the nadir of my slide into total worthlessness, I misplaced my laptop. I still had the iPad so I could get on the net, but all my work is on the MacBook, and I began to wonder if my subconscious was plotting against me. Fortunately I found it again, but it was a near thing.

What did you do this week?

I don’t know how my e-mail gets so out of hand. I check it every day, usually multiple times. I mark as spam anything thing from anywhere I don’t want to see again. I pay my bills when the land. And yet, ninety-two freaking e-mails not counting the ones I had looked at and hadn’t answered yet. The feeling I had when I deleted everything? Priceless. Because THIS time I’m going to keep on top of things . . .

What made you happy this week?

This week I read a cookbook on sandwiches without bread that had really good stuff in it. Also a lot of re-reads: Chase, Stout, Gilbert . . . yeah, I’m not seeing a pattern, either, except “good books I know won’t let me down.” That’s a lot. But I’ve just started the new Time Police book, Saving Time, and so far it’s great (Jane is still a delightful bad ass).

What did you read this week?

ETA: Just finished Saving Time and it was a lot of fun. Needs to focus more on Team Weird and stop bouncing from catastrophe to catastrophe in other character’s heads, but still good.

It’s cocoon season, the part where I put up plastic on the windows, rehang the insulated drapes, and plug in the heated throws. The dogs and cat get fuzzier and I get more interested in cocoa and hot soup.

In other working news, I now have 92 unread e-mails in my inbox, and that’s not counting the other hundred plus I’ve read and haven’t deleted. I see a purge coming, so if you e-mailed me about something and didn’t get an answer, give it to the end of the week and then e-mail again. I think part of my work tomorrow is going to be a Delete All.

What did you do this week?

It’s beautiful here with the rain falling softly. Autumn is the best season. Well, there’s spring, too . . .

What made you happy this week?