Random Things!

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Random things I’m thinking about, because I’m feeling sort of random today.

On one corner of our property is a gravel area which used to be the horse paddock. Alas, the horses needed more time and energy than I could give them. They’re happily living on Vashon Island, hoping for sunshine along with the rest of us. So that space is being reclaimed by nature (until I get out there and weed). I happened to be outside in between the rain breaks today. Which is tough because it’s been raining way, way, way too much. In a 12′ X 12′ area I counted 82 slugs! The vast majority were the normal big brown/black slugs we mostly have in our garden (along with the gray European slugs, banana slugs, two types of terrestrial snails, etc.). But I also found this guy. Not sure if it’s a species of its own, or if it’s a hybrid between the brown/black ones and bananas. However, I’m thinking if there’s that many slugs in the gravel area, it makes me shiver to think what’s hiding under the foliage areas in the garden! I went back inside not bothering to use my patented foot stomping technique.

School’s out in seven days. Aaack. I have seven days to clean up three pieces of short fiction and get one to my critique group and the other two edited, formatted, covered and up for sale. Then there’s two weeks of craziness – swim lessons, child entertaining (otherwise known as quality time) and fun excursions – before I get back to writing in any real way again. And strangely enough, the local Strawberry Festival and parade, which mark the beginning of summer around here, happen before school gets out. Snow days.

Someone in Italy bought one of my 2Fer short stories. Whoo hoo! I know it’s only one story (plus the bonus one). Most people wouldn’t get excited. But it’s Italy. I’ve never been to Italy. I don’t know this person. And it’s not like I’m a household name. It’s even a story from my pen name. I felt the same way then somebody from Australia and someone from Germany bought things I wrote. Okay, I admit, I get excited when anybody anywhere buys something I wrote. It means they were drawn in by the cover, the title, the sample, enough to spend their hard earned cash (or credit) on something I wrote. Makes my day.

My story I was struggling with turned out to be a novelette. Fantasy. Whew! Glad it morphed into something recognizable. It’s one of the three pieces above that has a 7 day deadline. Make that 6. Tomorrow is Sorticulture.

Sorticulture is an Art & Garden Fair in Everett, WA. It starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend. And tomorrow I’m going. In the rain. Checking out all the cool new plants and all the amazing garden art. I’ve given myself $20 to spend. More is way too dangerous and too much to carry on the hike back to the car.

We spent most of last weekend at a Rock & Gem Show. Looking at beautiful rocks. My daughter discovered the silent auction and spent all her money. I bought a few cool rocks from vendors, then gambled in the silent auction as well. Got a foot long piece of soapstone in a curvy swervy shape (the moss was free), lots of carnelian, a chunk of bog wood (petrified wood that hung out in a bog too long) and several Montana picture agates in raw form. Love rocks.

And I’m once again trying to read too many books. Six library books, some paper, some ebook. And I want to buy more, more, do you hear me? Instead I will buy plants because they involve exercise.

That is all.

 



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