Broken Record

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As Winter Storm Orlena sweeps through the northwest, I am comfortably ensconced in my library, watching the snow come down, with a stack of books from the James Asher series by Barbara Hambly beside me.

Since my last post, I have gotten even less done than the little I had managed to do before. Each week my living quarters dissolves into a chaos of dirty clothes and scattered papers. I spend the weekend putting myself back together only to repeat the process next week. This weekend in particular I spent mostly sleeping and haven’t even managed to get those basic tasks done. I feel like each week I need an additional week to recover, and I’m not sure how to break out of this insidious cycle.

So I’m afraid that I don’t have much to report on the creative front because I’m just not creative right now. At the moment, I really have no plans or idea of what I should (or can) be working on, so I’ll probably just putter along and do what I can when I get some spare motivation. The goals stated in previous entries still stand; I’m just not sure about the time table.

And because all of my thoughts are either an incoherent mess or mired in mental sludge, bullet points will once again comprise the bulk of this entry:

• I loved the first book of the James Asher series (Those Who Hunt the Night, 1988) but hated the second (Traveling With the Dead, 1995) and for the longest time, those two were all that there were. I recently discovered that Barbara Hambly had written another six books for the series starting in 2010, and am very glad I decided to continue. The rest of the series is much better than Book 2 (although you still have to read it because there are events that have repercussions for the rest of the characters.) If you like historical mystery thrillers and vampire fiction that isn’t maudlin or filled with heaving bosoms and don’t mind prose that sometimes verges on the purple, then I recommend you try them out.
• Speaking of excellent series, I’ve also started reading a wonderful manga series called Witch Hat Atelier and for fans of Miazaki, I think you would like it. It has a very rich world, wonderful characters, excellent world-building, and the artwork is lovely. So, if you haven’t read Witch Hat Atelier, there are currently 6 volumes out. Volume 7 is going to be published tomorrow, February 2, and I am really looking forward to reading it.
• I seem to have developed an addiction to buying candles… they are kind of taking over my space. ^_^ Today I’ve been burning “Stay Home and Read” (hazelnut cappuccino & fireplace) and “Sassenach” (basil, lavender, & thyme) from Frostbeard Studio. Plus, I just ordered the “Tale-Inspired Sample Pack” from Mythologie Candles.
• The rescue kitten (rechristened “Audrey”) is doing very well in her new home. She’s finished her rounds of medicine, is growing at least a foot each day, and is scheduled for a checkup with the vet next week. If anyone is interested in donating, I’ve created a Go Fund Me to help offset the initial costs of her care.
• In case you missed it, the unparalleled television show Babylon 5 by J. Michael Straczynski is FINALLY streaming online through HBO Max. If you have not watched B5 yet, either because you’ve never heard of it or out of some lingering bias against “cheesy” 90s sci-fi, then you need to rectify that oversight. Especially now. Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are two of the most well-written and prophetic shows ever created and their messages hit home even deeper now than they did when they first aired. Babylon 5 is phenomenal and I will never EVER stop recommending it.
• Also, I was fortunate enough to snag this delicious Bakery Box Special, just in time for the snow. Those mitten cookies look rather familiar… 😉

  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My apologies for these very short and not-exactly-writing-related entries that have dominated The Cat’s Cradle of late. Like everyone else, the strain of the pandemic and politics is getting to me, and I just don’t have the energy to be more in depth. If writing topics do occur to me, then I’ll be sure to share. Just don’t expect anything of substance for a while.