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Happiness is the End of the Tunnel

Welp, it was a hell of an autumn, but I can see the end in sight. I still have moments when I say, “No, I CANNOT DO THAT RIGHT NOW” because my to-do list just got ridiculous, even more ridiculous that it was before, BUT we have an almost finished first book (Bob is done, I’m on my last pass), Bob has started the next book, which is a novella, we have 10,000 words on the novel after that, and (TA DA) we have titles: Arresting Anna, Getting Carter, Stealing Nadine, Surprising Lily, and Breaking the Frame. Carter and Lily are novellas. I’m very proud. Also, my dog is with me and settling into apartment living very well. He has conquered the elevator and rules the dog park. At least he thinks he does. I’m pretty sure by January, I’ll have this all under control. (Stop laughing, it’s possible.)

So what made you happy this week?

145 Responses

  1. I woke up again yesterday. 🙂

    I’m thinking about going to bed now and doing that again. I’m putting off feeding the farm until I’ve slept. I’ve switched over from Miracle Gro to E-Z-Gro. The former comes bundled with every box of seed pods from AeroGarden. The latter came with some other name, but then I bought several pints of different blends. A lot of my gardens are Very Successful, and I would love to attribute that to the different plant food. Maybe.

    🙂

  2. I’m glad to hear you’re doing well, Jenny. Although somehow I must’ve missed something and didn’t realize you’d moved into an apartment.

    I am curled up in front of the fire with a dog at my feet and a dog at my shoulder. Life is furry and good.

    1. Tammy, I think that’s the place where the oven caught on fire and firefighters came when she tried to bake a potato. I’m wondering what she is doing with her house? Maybe it’s just biding it time till she is well enough to move back in. I wish I could be as flexible as she and Johnny seem to be.

    2. I thought that too. Jenny, did you move lock, stock and barrel to the apartment or is it temporary until you go back to your condo? Inquiring minds and all that.

      1. Well, lock and stock. Some of my barrels are still in a Pod. But I have Johnny back, so all is good.

        1. So you’re permanently in the apartment? Will you be getting rid of the house? Yay for getting the dog back! Wasn’t there a cat too, or am I getting confused?

        2. Version 1, still on the “ABOUT” page:

          The Author:
          Jenny Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of twenty novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, and short stories, and the editor of two anthologies for BenBella Press. She lives in a small cottage on a small lake in New Jersey, surrounded by deer, bears, and dachshunds, where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.

          Version 2, also on the ABOUT page and in the right-hand columns:

          About the Author
          Jennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and co-author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies. She lives in a cottage in Pennsylvania, where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.

          Coming soon to an Argh Ink near us, maybe?

          About the Author
          Jennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and co-author of at least twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies. She lives in an apartment in an unspecified state, possibly of disarray, where she often stares at the locks and stocks but not barrels and counts her blessings, among which are her dog and Bob.

          Time will tell… perhaps.

  3. It finally snowed!

    We had a family dinner & a movie night (me, hubby, kids and my mom) last night. We made turkey tacos and watched Playdate (streaming on Prime). It was ridiculously funny to the point where it almost felt like a spoof.

  4. Very happy to hear that you’re feeling better. Hoping the next few months are kinder than the last ones.

    I’m settling into my winter routine. We’ve had an early snowfall which has brought gardening to a sudden end. I need to mulch my garlic. Keep hoping the temps will rise so I can get my tulip bulbs in. I bought a gardening auger that attaches to an electric drill which will make it easy and faster.

    My book club met this week. We read a book by an Indigenous writer. The woman hosting is an amazing cook and she created a lovely meal that used ingredients mentioned in the book, including wild rice, fish and berries.

    DH and I went to several craft shows yesterday. I like to buy locally made gifts for friends and family where possible. Or at least from small local businesses. I’m just about done my Christmas shopping which makes me happy. I’ve also been making Christmas cards. December will be all about baking.

      1. This may be what Santa gets my husband to plant my (mumble mumble but in the three digits) spring bulbs since I can’t this year

  5. It is so good to read that you are doing well with Johnny. I am eager to hear the new art crime books. Every time I read “novella” all I think about are the Spanish soap operas that I rarely watched except for the Colombian Ugly Betty, which is excellent for some reason I can’t explain. I realize that novella is not the same!
    Regardless, I am here for all of your novellas!
    Happiness is and probably will always be my granddaughter who at 2 months is smiling at me, sigh.

    1. Margaret, that is such a sweet age! My granddaughter is in the terrible teens, and does not smile, much, now. So, enjoy it while it lasts!

      1. Thank you Jan, yes I am enjoying her mindfully. I hope she takes after her mother who has been the most wonderful child ever.

  6. I ordered a small compartmented plastic storage box for the embroidery floss and other things I got for “visible mending”. I thought I had a needle threader, but couldn’t find it, so I ordered one, along with several other small things that came in a kit. I also got a stand with a magnifying glass, with clips to hold the material, I have been doing this kind of mending for year, but not on purpose. I just don’t like to toss a favorite piece of clothing just because it has a hole in it, or a stain that won’t come out. Some seersucker shorts keep splitting at the seams on the butt, and I love those shorts. They are colorful and lightweight for summer. I managed to burn a hole in my brand new fluffy robe with some very hot cheese. Of course it’s in the front!

    I called my auto insurance’s roadside assist to start my truck, since it hasn’t been driven for months, and the battery died. That battery was new last January, so it just needed a jumpstart. I had to wait for hours for the guy to arrive. Luckily, I was not planning on going anywhere. Now I can practice driving to Target, and parking in the back area of their lot. It’s very close, and won’t be crowded until holiday shopping gets into full swing. It would be nice not to have to pester my son every time I need to shop.

    I will be getting a new granddog after Thanksgiving! It will be a Lab puppy, and is living in Iowa on a farm, right now. That makes me happy and will make my son and DIL happy.

    2. Jan, Your threading is ahead of mine. My mother used a needle threader, although I’m not sure how successfully. Ever since my cataract operation lessened my nearsightedness but wiped out my ability to focus extremely close up, needles and I have had a time of it. I haven’t gotten the hang of a threader although I did use it successfully once or twice. Naked eye trial and error so far gets me there eventually.

    3. Jan, I just have to ask: I have been wondering for a while… Where’s Kali? I am sure you must’ve mentioned somewhere but I must have missed it. I am assuming her not beign mentioned in your comments anymore means the stroke messed things up for you two. I hope I’m not causing any grief by asking.
      So happy to hear about the granddog and about you starting to reclaim even more freedom through your truck. How is your eyesight going, any positive changes yet?
      LOTS of hugs. <3

      1. Shass, I think the stroke has caused Kali to be more friendly to me. She used to be a little standoffish, and would not let me pick her up. I think that was because every time I could grab her, I brushed her. She does not like to be messed with!

        Now, she must sense that I am a bit incapacitated and not able to grab her easily. I still brush her, but only after she has had her greenie treat. I also give her a bacon-flavored treat after she gets brushed. That seems to mollify her. Thanks for asking.

        The last eye doctor I saw said my brain is working very hard to get past this problem. She also said that my right eye is trying to help my left eye. ??? All the people who have seen me, including physical and occupational therapists, have said “it takes time”. I am not a very patient person.

        1. I am SO happy to hear all about Kali! So so happy she’s with you and giving you snuggles.
          Brains and eyes do have this special thing indeed, where they try to patch up and mend and compensate when something’s not working as they think it should. I wonder if that happens to ears as well? Anyway, I can definitely see where being patient is not easy – Of course you want things to go back to as normal as possible as soon as possible. At least your brain is doing its very very best to heal as fast as it can. Sending lots and lots of healing your way and hope things speed up for you.

          1. Shass, I can attest personally to the help brains give impaired hearing. I’ve been deaf (but not completely, you understand) all my life but was never properly diagnosed for a variety of reasons. It was “discovered” in my late twenties. My brain had overcompensated through sophisticated extrapolation and lipreading. The first time I was given hearing aids I broke into uncontrollable weeping. 🙂 Now I’m a happy camper.

  7. Alas and alak, the other day my boys told me that they don’t want me going overboard with my inventive dinner combinations. They are strictly meat and potatoes people. They voted thumbs down on the chicken and apple sausage with a sage sauce and butternut squash ravioli. I haven’t made it yet only talked about it. Philistines!

    1. Are these Philistines in their teens or their 30s?

      Can you do plain meat and potatoes with interesting sauces on the side for you?

      1. They are up there. Interesting side story, one of my sons just returned from a trip to Edinburgh where he tried Haggis. Haggis of all things. It must have the tourist version not the traditional version I’ve read about.

        1. The haggis that I had in Scotland tasted much like liver sausage, which I rather like. On the basis of that sample, I think its awfulness is overrated.

  8. This week I spent time with my daughter (she’s in high school and lives with me, but she doesn’t always have time to chat because she’s a teen) and spent time with writer friends, and got a lot of writing done. The days I didn’t get writing done it was because of the spending time with good people.

    I also took a break from the grim book I started for nanowrimo to work on something else, which now has 5000 words and a title, but I’m not sure what it is.

  9. First, Gin you made me laugh out loud by saying you “noped out” of a book. I usually end up reading GBT on Sunday, so commenting here instead of there.

    Really enjoyed “Of Mice and Murders” and “The Angel of the Crows” so thank you to all who recommended either of those. Also thanks to GBT I have just stocked up my supply of samples, which always makes me happy.

    One of my cats has decided he likes his new (expensive) catio after all and asks to be taken out to it. He will come inside through the cat door, but won’t go out that way unless I hold the door open for him. Maybe some day. The other cat is still a hard no, but Teeger is really the one I had it built for, so all good.

    1. In my experience cats can take a long, long time to get used to things. I’ve had cat trees sit unused for months and months until finally one decides to use it. The remaining one waits and makes sure the other cat survives before trying it.,

  10. I am so sorry you had a horrible autumn and I really hope, whether the apartment is temporary or permanent, that someone else handled the move for you!

    This week didn’t have a lot of happy events. I am relatively limited in what I can do pending surgery. I can drive although getting in the car is painful, but I can’t really grocery shop because of all the twisting it involves. I can’t garden. I turned down some activities because I was afraid the available chairs would be painfully hard. Sigh. I am so grateful this is temporary.

    I did talk with several friends which was nice. I am not enjoying the daily elliptical pre surgery prep but I am pleased that my leg seems to be getting stronger.

    I am deeply depressed that it looks like the reason the Senate Democrats caved was because they could not get Trump to agree to any deal. Reading the tea leaves the Senate would have negotiated and wanted some of what the Democrats were asking for, but they couldn’t get the President to go along and by extension couldn’t get the House. As a result millions will lose health insurance and many will die. But I do think it will help the Democrats in 2026.

    On the other hand I’m delighted that the House will vote on a bill requiring the administration to release the Epstein files and that it looks like they may get a veto proof majority (290–which would mean at least 77 Republicans). The chances that the Senate will also vote are small, but if they do I think they could get the 67 needed to be veto proof.
    I am sure Trump still won’t release the files but this could change power dynamics and also means the next administration would have to release them.

    And I take a daily petty pleasure in reading the latest news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson who deserve everything they have coming and much more .

    1. Also I’m thrilled that it sounds like the story you started for Surprise Lily is turning into a novella. Because of that I planted some surprise lilies and they do indeed surprise me every year.

      1. Aren’t they the best? I loved the ones I had: one day a plain yard and the next day purple blooms everywhere.

        2. They come in purple? Mine are pink. I will have to find purple … er, for next year as DH already has his hands full caring for me and planting the bulbs I ordered last spring.

    4. Apparently as of this morning (Monday, when this finally showed up in my in box), Trump is calling on the House to release the files. Gods know why or what he has up his sleeve.

      1. I think he is saving face because having most of his party vote against him is too embarrassing.
        I also don’t think he thought it through because now what does he do when folks in the Senate want the same vote ? Tell them no? Veto the bill when it passes? What if it passes with veto proof majorities?
        The only thing I am sure of is that he won’t release all the files —maybe a select few.
        Anyway he boxed himself in and I would do a happy dance except that because of my hip I would look like Trump dancing and I refuse.

  11. I’ve just finished putting the garden to bed, before the frosts forecast for the next few days. Planning outings tomorrow (should be sunny!) and Tuesday, spurred by the need to do some early Christmas shopping so I can give the family presents to my brother, niece & nephew, who are coming to stay this week. I’m also really happy to have booked the old friend who usually comes to stay before Christmas – she’ll be here over the solstice weekend, and is looking forward to decorating the tree with me.

  12. Jenny, glad you are getting stronger and Johnny is with you and he has mastered the elevator. Really looking forward to the five new novels/novellas; Nadine, Carter, Anna, Lily. Exciting. Just rereading many favourite books.

    Having dinner with the granddaughters and their parents tonight. Yay. They are so beautiful but I am their Grammy. Finally get to give the eldest her birthday present. We spend more time with the youngest bc she rides. Since Archie, the pony was sold, she has been riding a rotation of the stable horses. Getting to know the “lesson” horses. They are getting to know us. Will wasn’t sure about me on Friday. They tell me once he gets to know someone, he is very sweet and will “hug.” Archie would snuggle with me. There is something about being with horses.

    I’ve opened the big box of Lego to sort through; to sell or give some away. There are Lego sets from the 80’s and 90’s. I didn’t realize how many castle sets with knights, etc they had. Or the space sets. It is a job.

    Don’t want to leave what they, the sons and DILs, call crap. Going to have to be brutal. It is hard.

    Invited to a wedding next year. Invited to a 40th birthday party next month. I asked if I can wear a party dress or low key cool clothes. Getting my hair cut next week. Need one. Finally over the head cold. Thankfully.

    DH starts his knee rehab in weight room and in the pool. I’m going too. Going to start my own “get stronger” program. Ten (10) minute workout interval training exercise will change my brain and make me healthier. According to experts. DH is listening to studies about “older” people.

    Off to buy an auger for my Christmas present. Have bought more things for the stockings too. Hope to get it all done by first week December. The Christmas Market is open and we have season passes. DH loves the German bratwurst. Last year was the Christmas Market cruise. So much fun wandering through all the markets. Wore my “fingerless” mitts I bought in Baden, Baden at the barn. New favourite mitts.

    1. I really loved reading this. It was like getting to peek into your head or diary and just tag along with the thoughts. Very soothing.
      Horses are incredible creatures. No wonder there’s even equine therapy these days. Connecting with them is very special.

      1. Thank you, Shass. Think of you often and lift you up.

        Granddaughter has had three ponies, one we bought, Archie. He is now sold and living his best life in California. No more damp cold days. He hates wearing a horse blanket. Lucky horse. His new owner is a girl. Will will come around. Going to take carrots and an apple next lesson. R has ridden four different horses now. Maybe one will be the winner. Big step up to a horse from ponies especially tacking up for the lesson. I help put the saddle on the horse and change stirrups etc.

        Archie was a love. Stubborn sometimes but a love.

  13. To create some accountability for myself, I’m going to claim to be happy that I finally took care of a thirty-minute house repair that I’ve been procrastinating for two months, so that now I have to actually do it as soon as I hit “post comment” here and experience the happy that I know I’ll feel if I’ll just do the stupid thing. I’ve got the drill and screwdriver and Sharpie and screws and gizmos all together, so no more excuses!

    Anyway. In other things, I’m happy that I’m within a day or two of finishing the current (penultimate) draft of the fourth Garlic Farm mystery, and I’ve been finishing the quilt UFOs (quiltlets, so quick projects) that I didn’t know I still had hidden away. I’ve used them to practice machine-quilting with the back-up quilting foot, which I still don’t like as well as the previous one, so I’m happy that I went ahead and ordered a new one (due to arrive tomorrow) that I expect will work more like the old one, so I can finish the Christmas quilt I made to match the burgundy wallpaper in my bedroom before Thanksgiving, and I can be happy about that too in a few days.

    So, really, this week has been all about being happy that I’m doing the dull-but-necessary stuff that will make future-me happy!

    2. I know all about those postponed household repairs that I have the parts for. We’ll ignore the repairs I don’t even have parts for yet. Fairly urgent piece of paperwork has still higher priority today when I hit post, but routine yet urgent chores may edge in first.

    3. Update: I did the stupid repair (although it took an hour instead of half, mostly spent unspooling an extension cord to have power for my drill — my cordless drill didn’t have enough power for this project), and I’m happy, present tense instead of future tense!

  14. Those are some fun titles! Titles can be hard so congrats:)

    Glad to hear you’re doing better and that you and Johnny are settling in. Years ago, we briefly lived on a high floor in an apartment and our then dog did not do elevators. So two or three times a day he got carried up and down, I think it was ten flights of stairs, for proper walks. He was about twenty pounds, so for the rest of his potty breaks for the day I filled a kiddie pool with soil and grass and kept it on the cement balcony and lucky for us he was fond of using it. And he was such a good sport about it, too. Dogs really are the best and definitely a big happy.

    1. katyL, I am so grateful my little curmudgeon of a dog was already trained to use a puppy pee pad, when necessary. She still prefers to go outside and race around the yard, but on rainy days, or future snowy ones, she will forgo that pleasure. It just makes life so much easier for me, as I’m also sleeping in a lot, these days.

      1. I just read this and it made me so happy! You can disregard my comment from Above, since I have now seen that your fluff is still right there with you.
        Big happy!

        1. Shass, she has adapted very well to the changes, here. I was surprised. The cats are also adapting to a different feeding schedule.

      2. For little dogs this can be especially good when it gets cold, Jan. My little pup now goes out all winter but she’s got coats (often with her pjs underneath, lol) and she’s not out long on very cold days – which in my neck of the woods really add up so a lot of her exercise then is indoors. I actually got her a dog snowsuit, but she didn’t take to it so she bundles up in layers instead:)

        1. You’re right, katyL, but I can barely get a collar on Kali, she is so resistant to being handled. I do think the cold bothers her, despite all her fur, because she comes in much quicker when it’s chilly.

          1. What helped with my pup, Jan, was zipper-style vests. My pup doesn’t like things that go over her head. But the zipper-style vests help because they can be put flat of the ground and she can step into the arm holes and then I raise the vest up and zip it along the back. This may help with your Kali because there’s really no body handling involved in that there’s no maneuvering it on. I was concerned at first that the zipper would catch fur, but the zipper lines have a layer of fabric next to the skin so it works well.

            For times when you need to put a collar on, you may find a harness works better, too. For the same reason really–because they can step into it then have it clicked on the back rather than having something closing in at the neck. My previous pup had a lot of fears around collars and it took me weeks of training when she was a puppy to get her comfortable with anything on her at all, so I know it can be tough. Plus, not all coats and harnesses are made the same so it can take research time to find ones that function for you. Happy to share the brands I use if it helps:)

  15. I’m looking forward to more Jenny & Bob books!!!

    I filed my Anthropic copyright claim today and am happy that’s out of the way. Feels like a weight lifted.

  16. Seeing another Happiness-post from you, Jenny, makes me happy. Everytime a new Argh–post is there when I got to check the site, I’m happy, cause I know you’re still here with us. Doubly happy to hear you and Johnny get to hang out and get used to flat-life together. I hope it’s only temporary and that you can go back to your house soon, but if not, that you can find peace and comfort where you are right now too. I hope your recovery still goes well and writing all this stories (Yay, Yay!) makes you as happy as it makes us.
    My weekend has been miserable. I had the reading with the hypnotist Friday, and suffice to say, it was very painful. She did not say anything that surprised me, or anything that did not sound like it could be true – in fact, everything she said was applicable. But, I don’t quite know how to handle it or how to progress from here. This threw my entire system into so much stress and anxiety that I had to cancel yesterday’s birthday party, threw up what I tried to eat and spent 80 % of the time in bed watching comedy with the cats. (I’ve been alone all weekend, Sven’s been in Germany for a gaming-event.) I feel I need to talk with SOMEONE knowledgeable on manipulation/gaslighting, but don’t feel good about the shrink at the GPs and don’t know where else to turn. I don’t want to talk with family.
    I’m happy for my absolute gem of a friend in England, who’s been very supportive and has done his best to give advice and try to ease my anxiety and come up with solutions for how to stay sane. Also happy for MIL, who came by today to drop off a package Mr Postman had delivered in a pickup-box, and gave me big hugs when she noticed I was sad. Also happy for my cats. Matcha has been a real tick whenever I’ve been on the couch, and Triple beside me on top of my duvet if I was in bed, both with so much purrs and snuggles. Best. Cats. Ever.
    HAPPY for a surprise-gift from a Ravelry-friend dropping in Thursday! Happy tears happened. It was this GORGEOUS double loom-kknit scarf with CATS on it. So many picture-squares of cats. It’s incredible and I love it to bits. What’s more: The lady sending this surprise had also added a very, very soft stuffed cat to the box as well, a gorgeous orange tabby. He came very much in handy during the reading, something soft to hug.

    1. Oh and… another BIG unhappy: Triple has bitten my laptop-screen to death. No, I am not joking. She’s been biting down so hard on one corner that pixels have died and the screen is almost unusable. Now you’d say: “Shassie dear, you don’t use the screen anyway!”, which is correct… up until the point where you need to scan a QR-code to log in on a website, or someone sighted need to look at something for you that your screenreader can’t figure out, or you need to make a photo of the screen with your phone because your computer is doing weird stuff and won’t listen to reason and you need to know what’s going on. That’s where a working screen is very practical to have. We’re now trying to figure out whether we can have the screen replaced for a reasonable price, OR whether I really have to buy another computer. In both cases: How do we keep this from happening again? I’m thinking a laptop-sleeve/cover/case and screen-protector, maybe. Question 2: WHY now? I’ve had this computer for 1.5 year and another laptop before then, why did this happen now?
      The UPSIDE of being blind in this scenario? Provided I don’t need to scan any codes or need sighted help, the computer still works fine and I can use it without problem. Weird small blessing.

      1. Shass, I send my sincerest wishes for a solution to the gaslighting person, and the pain that is causing you!

        Also, sending many kitty hugs to Triple, who obviously has “issues” right now. Good luck with the computer problem.

      2. Sorry for all your recent challenges. Sending not only pocket hugs, but also an expandable tent size hug, in case you need to spend any time completely surrounded in hug energies in a larger area.

      3. You can probably attach another monitor for those occasions when someone needs to read it.

        My daughter dropped her laptop (she was in 6th grade and it was Covid times) so many times that the screen was useless. She had to use an ancient desktop and that laptop is now attached to the TV for watching Netflix and Disney.

      4. Was he jealous of the time you spend on the computer? Milton used to sleep on my laptop so I couldn’t use it.

    2. Shass, I think my cats may be in line for the best cats ever award, too. It may be the cold weather, but they are sticking to me like glue, especially at night. It could also be the velvety throws on my bed and chair. 😉

    3. I am so sorry that this gas lighting person makes your life so hard. Sending sympathy and many many pocket hugs.

    4. I’m so sorry, Shass. I’ve been there, doing that screaming inside thing because everything was so out of control and so wrong. One thing that got me through was the that-was-then-this-was-now reboot. Trying not to mourn what I’d had and move on to design a new life/relationship/future. Letting go is so hard, but it’s the way forward. But first you mourn. Good luck on everything.

      1. Thanks for that insight, Jenny. I’m still busy mourning what has been lost, when it would be best to think ahead.

        1. I think it’s important to take some time to mourn. The losses are real. And far better to mourn than to be in denial and as a result end up in trouble (keep doing those stairs but make sure you have a staircase for example!)
          Hang in there Jan.

    5. So this is a little weird, and I am on the fence about it, but I was listening to NPR and they had a woman on who lost her husband. She was in grief therapy but still had crisis moments late at night, or in between sessions. She started talking to AI as a supplement and even had her therapist chat with it. I know there are a lot of ethical concerns involved, but if you are in dire straights and need someone to talk to, it may be worth a try? Or maybe there is an online support group for people in similar situations?

      I have been struggling with finding a therapist who is a good fit and accepts my insurance and it’s exhausting. I am going back to spending too much on books, chocolate and shoes for a while because It is still cheaper than therapy. Ugh.

    6. Thanks for the love and the hugs and comfort, everyone. I really appreciate it, especially during the screaming-inside-out-of-sheer-despair-moments. I don’t want to put too much details onto the interwebs, but let’s put it like this: I’m not grieving having cut the contact with the manipulative gaslighter one bit. I seriously hope I never have to see or speak to them again ever and I wish they would disappear out of any and all aspects of my life. That they impact my life by proxy is what gets me. I want to find solutions to fix it, because I REFUSE to let this person win. I want to break their spell and get the loved one they are manipulating to wake up and realize what is going on. I have been in that spot myself, I know how they twist your perceptions and make you dance to their tunes. I guess having that experience from before, in combination with the help from you to see what was going on, is what saved me. I just don’t know how to get through to the person close to me whom is still in almost daily contact with P when this absolute villain keeps pulling them back into their clutches. In the meantime, I’m trying to write down every big or small thing this person does that is manipulative, so I have proof to stand on for the day I might need it. You here saw it first – others have seen it too, it IS not just in my head! It really is not. It. Is. Not. (SHUT UP, brain.)
      Regarding the laptop-screen: Yes, we too are wondering if Triple has issues with… whatever’s going on. She might indeed feel it’s a rival to her getting attention. Yes, we too thought about the option to connect to another screen when needed, but it’s not always practical. We’ve now dropped it off for examination and are waiting to hear how much it’ll cost to fix it, then we’ll decide how to proceed.

  17. This week’s happiness included getting our new drivers licenses (very fast!), having a couple of “wine tasting” hours with my parents, getting the garage cleaned out and organized, and – today – painting a piece of furniture.

    I had this antiqued ivory console that looked fine in our old shabby house but terrible in this new nice house. Its intended use is as a visual base for a wall-hung rosewood display cabinet. That’s how I used it in LA, where everything was patched together so it didn’t matter if that composition was mismatched.

    After toying with some other ideas, I decided to paint the console to coordinate with the rosewood cabinet. Three rounds of sanding first, 100-150-220 grit. Then a base coat of outdoor-rated craft paint the color of milk chocolate. Then a coat of black cherry metallic paint (I love it already). Will shortly go out to give it another coat of black cherry.

    This piece was small enough that I could get the job done with a 3-oz bottle of brown and a 6-oz jar of black cherry.

    With this and yesterday’s handiness (use of gap filler foam, assisting with a nail gun operation, and cutting a piece of baseboard to fit), I’m feeling quite accomplished. 🙂

  19. My wonderful cat Dmitri died from a saddle thrombus. He was five. His hind legs collapsed and he seemed more surprised than anything. I went to find my phone, cat carrier and car keys and heard him give a cry. It was that fast. Maybe 15 minutes. His vet had never noticed any heart problems. He will be missed so much.

    1. Oh I am sorry to hear that. This must be so hard on top of everything else you are handling. Sending many many pocket hugs.

      1. Thank you all so much for your caring concern. Just when I think life can’t get any harder it does. You all keep me grounded and sane.

    2. I m so sorry! It’s hard enough to lose a beloved pet when they are old and are ready to go; this must have been a real shock for you.

    10. That’s really tough. No warning and it all happening so quickly makes it very difficult for you, but perhaps it was easier on him.

    17. Oh, heavens, the shock of losing a beloved young kitty-cat suddenly, so, so hard. I feel for you and hug. All condolence.

  20. I went to the beach for about half an hour today & it was perfect. I will put an IG link in comments for some pics & a short video.

    Sister Shubert cinnamon rolls – yum.

    When I get through with this work shift I have 10 days off!!! Nothing beats that.

    Glad all is well with you & Johnny & that guy you write with, Jenny. Although he just read what he considers to be the scariest book in the world so you might want to prepare yourself for that!

  21. My happy this week is that the exterminator came and found either 7 or 9 holes in the wall through which the mice have been entering my apartment. He closed them up, but since then I’ve been seeing the same mouse I always see and now I wonder how it will get out. I still have a few of the glue traps that the mouse avoids, but no other traps or poison.

    My colonoscopy is on Tuesday and I was so depressed yesterday that I didn’t go out to buy any clear liquids except for a 2l bottle of off brand Sprite. I had planned to get some ginger ale, but I spent so much time in the bathroom that I didn’t do any of the reorganization of my storage rack and it still looks like all my dry goods and a lot of my baking pans are piled up in my dining room. Maybe I will get some rearrangement done before I have to start drinking all that solution at 6pm. But my 4×6 foot baker’s rack is back in place and I have refilled the wine rack so I should be able to get most of the stuff off my tables before I have to start the hard part of the prep. If not, life is still so much better without the metal rack standing in the middle of the hall waiting for me to run into it.

    1. Can you borrow someone’s cat, Aunt Snack? My cats delight in terrifying mice to death. Good luck with the procedure. You’re not going to get much sleep!

      1. Thank you. The only cats I know are geriatric and have no front claws so I don’t think that I will ask to import them from the suburbs. But the idea of cuddling up with something warm and furry sounds quite appealing right now.

  22. It made me happy to see many posts mentioning the house vs apartment thing. I was semi convinced it was onset of whatever Trump has, and I’d need to start dancing with my fists. Phew, that was close!

    My plants have been fed. The timers are reset (until the next breaker trip.) My most recently planted tomato seed pod has germinated, unlike the pepper seed pods. Another Romaine lettuce pod has germinated. The green onions are overdue for harvest. There will be omelets.

    1. It’s actually a good thing. I have to downsize again, and what I’m finding is that I’m living with everything I love and I’ve donated to charity places everything that’s still in good condition so I feel virtuous. Johnny never spent much time roaming the house, so he’s fine with apartment living since he still gets three walks a day, plus the dog park which is dog crack for him. He’s the only dog in the building, so we’re extra careful, but people have been lovely. It’s all good.

        1. I am so happy that Johnny is with you. And that you are able to work on the book again. You’ve had a hell of an autumn. I’m hoping Winter will be much kinder to you. And hearing there’s going to be that many books is a very delightful thing. My brain is singing good songs.
          We had my grandson’s 10th birthday at my house yesterday it went off well everybody seems to have had a wonderful time. My son christopher bought way too much food and ended up taking pizza to a homeless encampment. I have a callback audition for a commercial today. And christopher‘s got a audition for something that we will film tonight. I see I’m one of the many Heather Cox Richardson readers on this blog I find it does help it’s about to be Thanksgiving and being told that one ought to be thankful often makes one remember the reasons not to be thankful. I refuse to do that. Not this time. I am blessed in so many ways. It’s useless to remember the niggles.
          I wish all of us moments of pure joy and laughter.

      4. I am hoping the downsizing leaves you more time to write and take care of Johnny and means less time housekeeping/feeling bad about not housekeeping. I am glad you have the things you love around you.

  23. There is a lot of “I will fix it in January” going on at my house too. I spent the weekend feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. Too much to get into here. It’s a relief to come to work and get some rest.

    The bright spot for me is that I am cleaning out my father’s house in pockets and donating what I can, which really does give me a pretty decent endorphin boost. Beanie babies that still had the tags on went to Toys for Tots and a local charity that fills shoe boxes with presents. Food is going to the hut of hope, which is almost always empty when I get there. Gonna have to work on a plan for furniture, and a dumpster is coming. Dumpsters are magic.

    I am also trying to plan my way out of some of the stress. Things like auto feeders and water fountains for my dad’s cat and a new litter box with higher sides.

    I made crockpot pork and saurkraut yesterday and it turned out well. I am looking for more super-easy crockpot recipes if anyone has suggestions. Something that doesn’t need too much stirring, etc. because my menfolk probably won’t do that.

    1. Lupe that sounds like you are being incredibly productive!
      I never did the crock pot thing but I did marinate chicken the night before so when I got home I just had to put it in the oven.

    2. Lupe, I used to make (and may soon return to) slow cooker meals pretty regularly. My go-to pork recipe was:
      big piece of bone-in pork shoulder (3-4 pounds)
      one large onion, chopped
      2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed
      1 small can of tomato paste
      1 snack-size cup of pineapple, crushed or niblets, with juice
      spices to taste (for us this was ginger, cumin, ancho chili, cayenne, smoked paprika, and turmeric)
      season with sea salt or soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to taste

      Bung it all into the cooker, add 1 cup of water, turn to high and walk away for 2 hours. Come back, turn it down to low, and walk away for 4 hours.
      Come back, shake the meat off the bone, stir things up, throw in a freezer bag of green peas with diced carrots, add more water if it looks dry, let it sit until the veg is cooked through (20 minutes or so).
      Serve on smashed potatoes, rice, or couscous. 🙂

    3. Good for you, Lupe! I used a large storage box with a flat bottom (easier to scoop) and high sides, for my cat who liked to pee with her butt in the air. Strange cat. That worked to contain the problem. I hope your menfolk get with the program!

    4. Here is what my mother called Brunswick stew (it’s not, and she explained what Brunswick stew really is when I asked about the name) and made in a pressure cooker. I have started making it in the crock pot.
      Some meat. She used “stew beef” and I use whatever I have. Enough that the chunks of meat show up in the mess.
      A can of corn (I also add some random green vegetables sometimes.)
      Enough catsup to make it look orange…I don’t know how much that is because I never measure.
      I cook it about four hours on low. Needs no stirring. Best winter comfort food ever. Adjust quantities to taste. Add whatever you can think of.

  24. As usual, this didn’t show up in my emails until Monday morning, so please excuse my tardiness.

    I’m happy about Jenny getting her dog back! Yay! Also happy about having a house guest who is a fellow author, who is mostly spending her days hiding out on the 4-season porch I apparently built for her to write in, lol. But sometimes she comes out and we eat dinner and talk writing (and how to do online shit, which she is better at than I am). She’s staying for a pretty long time–until the Wednesday before Tday, which will be 2 and a half weeks–so I suspect I will also be happy to get back to my own routine eventually.

    Happy to have finished both the submission for the Cranky Crone book and my (insert cursing here) proof edits for the new Llewellyn book, so hopefully I will finally be able to get back to work on the cozy. Not as happy about my agent saying that the Cranky Crone book will be a tricky one to submit, because it doesn’t fit into any of the usual categories, but I’m also not surprised. Sigh.

    1. Deborah, you don’t fit into any of the usual categories, so why should your book? I’m sure it will all work out.

        1. Ha! Blessings on you both. The book is one part practical life advice, one part witchcraft, and one part humor. So it may be tricky for it to find its niche. I think I invented a new one…

  25. So happy to hear you’re settled in your new place and it’s working for you, Jenny!

    We had a nice but short trip to Pinnacles NP. We’d intended to stay two nights, but it was pretty rainy, so we left the second afternoon. We’d done two of the things I was looking forward to the most—some night sky photography and a hike I was curious about—so there didn’t seem to be much point in being damp for another night. The hike was so pretty (and six miles, which is plenty!), and I got some good photos. I used a different lens and it made all the difference.

    Spent yesterday learning about editing star photos in Photoshop. Making progress! This week will mostly be about prepping for my dad’s 87th birthday on Thursday, the family celebration thereof on Saturday, and Thanksgiving, which Kid 1 will be home for—yay!! I’ll also endeavor to do some writing… My soft goal is to finish a draft of this book by the end of the year. 🤞

  27. My happy is that the election work is wrapping up.

    Also amusing is the Dem county leadership is changing in a very messy way. I hope to get details at a meeting later this week. If the Dems are going to act out, it’s better that we do it now, well before the midterms.

    I actually got two and a bit more of a third little project done.

    Jenny, I’m glad you’re in a good place with Johnny.

  29. For those of us who read this blog more than the news, my week is now much happier because
    1) the House passed the Epstein file bill
    2) Speaker Johnson said he would insist the Senate make changes.
    3) Instead Schumer asked for unanimous consent to pass the bill and got it.
    4) now Trump has to sign it because if he vetoes it they can override the veto.
    5) huge loss of face for Trump who only six days ago was trying to bully Mace and Boebert into retracting their signature so there would be no vote.

    What will actually get released by this administration remains to be seen but it creates several ways people can try to dice the release.

    2. Ooh.

      Ooh. MTG and possibly Massie are saying they will read redacted names on the House floor.
      This matters because under the speech and debate clause of the Constitution they can’t be charged or sued for any thing they say on the House floor.

About the Author

Jennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and co-author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies. She lives in a cottage in Pennsylvania, where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.

Find out more about Jenny’s published works by visiting JennyCrusie.com

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