#freelance — Public Fediverse posts

Typed Until It's Done: https://devonellington.wordpress.com/2026/08/19/wed-aug-19-2026-typed-until-it-was-done/

#Writing #WritingCommunity #Freelance

Wed. Aug. 19, 2026: Typed Until It Was Done

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Foggy, warm, humid

Here we are, hump day! Downhill to the weekend from here.

I was out the door right after breakfast to pick up a prescription for my mother. I nipped next door and grabbed coffee, bread, and the remaining ingredients I needed to make brownies, because we felt like brownies.

Home, mixed up the brownies, popped them into the oven. Got a call from my mother’s doctor insisting we had an appointment early this morning (it was cancelled when we went to the June appointment) and insisting that Medicare required it. So we’re headed out the door in a few minutes. Waste of everybody’s time. She was there in June, we cancelled August per the doctor’s agreement, she’s supposed to be back in December, when she will meet the new doctor. But now we have to go anyway, and I lose another half day of work.

After the brownies came out of the oven, I settled to work at the desk.

I spent the rest of the day on the ghostwriting, and got the 20K out the door around 4:30. I was wiped out by then. Got it in a day early, though, which made me feel like I accomplished something.

I heated up some dinner. I should have worked on the next book for review, but I was too tired, and read the Agatha Christie book club pick for the month instead. I didn’t finish it – again, too tired. But it was fun.

I actually slept through the night until 4 AM this morning. Not sure if Legs Up the Wall is finally kicking in, or I was just so exhausted from the ghostwriting. I got up around 5 and got moving, since we have to be out the door by 8 AM.

Once we get back from the doctor, I will work on the Llewellyn article and the play. I’ll pick up the CSA box this afternoon. I’m hoping that the three short assignments I sent to another client will hurry up and clear so I’m paid for them and the previous one I sent in last week by this Friday (since they only pay out on Fridays now, per batch). I don’t think I can get this next one in today, so I may leave it for the weekend, which starts another batch. Even if I got it in today, I don’t know if it would clear by Friday. I wanted to have everything wound up, since the assignments have been so erratic these past few months, but my sense is they are intentionally manipulating the timing and stringing out payments. I can no longer count on them as steady fill-in work, and I can’t wind up my slate so I can give notice. It’s very frustrating.

One step at a time, right?

I have to cook breakfast, do the dishes, clean the litterboxes, and get us out the door on time, so I better hop to it.

#SchlePaZ - Die schlechtesten Projektanfragen aller Zeiten

"Freelancer:in für ISO 27001 Zertifizierung gesucht (...) Wir würden uns über eine pro bono Unterstützung freuen."

Geiz ist geil. Dreistigkeit auch?

https://www.alles-bekloppte.de/freelancer-in-fur-iso-27001-zertifizierung-gesucht-wir-wurden-uns-uber-eine-pro-bono-unterstutzung-freuen/

#job #jobs #jobsearch #jobsuche #freelance #freelancer #it #fail

If you could go back in time, what would you do differently? That’s the question Kurt and Toby tackle on this episode of The WP Minute’s Agency Action podcast. The guys recall services they shouldn’t have sold and the boundaries they didn’t create. The good news is that these lessons are learned through experience, and your agency has the power to evolve. It’s all about knowing when […]

Internal and External Fog: https://devonellington.wordpress.com/2026/08/18/tues-aug-18-2026-internal-and-external-fog/

#Writing #WritingCommunity #Freelance #Theatre

Tues. Aug. 18, 2026: Internal and External Fog

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Foggy, warm, humid

I hope your week started well!

You can read the Community Tarot Reading for the Week here.

Friday, I walked down to City Hall to put our primary ballots in the ballot box. On impulse, on the way back, I stopped at the patio of Door Prize to have an iced coffee and muffin from the Rainy Day Coffee pop-up and chat with the owner, which was tons of fun. I highly recommend both voting and treats!

Came home to work on the collage. The washi tape was a disaster (putting it mildly), because it doesn’t actually stick to anything. What is the use of decorative tape if it doesn’t stick?

I decided to use novelty pushpins, but couldn’t get the ones I wanted in time, so I sent off the submission with the photograph of the piece (sans pushpins, but telling them about the upcoming embellishment), dimensions, and statement. We will see. If it fits her vision for the show, great. If not, that’s fine, too. I won’t be offended. I’m pleased I was invited to submit! I got to work on something fun, and if it’s not part of the show, I will keep working on it until it’s right for something else.

A friend’s play was chosen for a short play festival in Vermont later this fall – during the time I’m in studio, so I won’t be able to trot up to see it, unfortunately. But I’m excited for her.

I customized this week’s CSA box, which I will pick up tomorrow. Many yummy things. I look forward to it.

I re-read Joan Anderson’s A YEAR BY THE SEA. My copy is in storage, so I got it out of the library again. I re-read it because I’d picked up a copy of A WEEKEND TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE on the free cart, and have been reading it, and wanted to start at the beginning again. I first read it either just before I moved to the Cape, or when I’d just arrived. I know the places she mentions now much better than I did when I first read it, and see her experiences through the way my own filters have changed, which is interesting.

I had to put a pain patch on the bad hip, because it was grumbling so badly I had trouble concentrating on anything.

I did a solid work session on the ghostwriting and got close to where I hoped to be by end of day. I considered working after dinner, but I was out of steam, and the pain patch was starting to fade.

Did not sleep well into Saturday, in spite of Legs Up the Wall every night. It’s not smoothing out my sleep cycles the way promised.

I was up early, did the housework, and lost most of the morning to paperwork I need to prepare to fight to keep my health insurance, thanks to this despicable administration. I have documentation up the ying yang, so that will help. It’s more of finessing the gap until I’m fully in the Medicare group by March (although, with the dirty shenanigans the administration is doing with that, too, who knows what things will be like come March).

In the afternoon, I read the next book for review, and did some reading for pleasure. I was tired, mentally as much as physically.

Leftovers for dinner, and made it an early night, yes, kept up Legs Up the Wall.

Too early a night, because I woke up at 1:30 AM on Sunday, and struggled to get back to sleep. The pose is getting me to sleep faster, and the sleep is deeper, but I’m still waking up in the middle of the night. I’ll still do it for the full 30 days and see what happens, but I’m a little frustrated.

Did the Community Tarot Reading for the Week, which you can read here. Some lovely cards came up.

My brain is whirring with the planning for this, that, other, and working backwards from dates to make sure everything gets done. I’m behind on a few things I hoped to get done last week, mostly because of the ghostwriting, but I will steady on this week. I don’t have all that much outing-and-abouting to do, which helps. I can do long days at the desk, into the night if I need to.

My mother’s primary care physician is leaving the practice in October, and she is being handed off to someone else. That’s the third doctor in five years, which is frustrating.

I got dressed and put together to leave the house, and left right after lunch to drive down to Ventfort Hall in Lenox. It was a lovely drive, although there was quite a bit of weekender traffic trying to get out. I went a slightly different way than I usually do, so I could avoid the chaos that is central Lenox on a summer weekend. I tried to backtrack the way I come out, which is different than the way I come in, and I found it. It’s actually much easier.

I parked, checked in, and had some time to chat with people and sit out back on the veranda. It was a lovely summer day.

The reading was the play GORGEOUS by Keiko Green. The literary committee read it last year and liked it, and it was great to see it on its feet for a reading. It was directed by Cat Ramirez, a director out of Philadelphia, and performed by Brenny Campbell and Annie Fang, stage managed by Sarah Keyes (who is the chair of the literary committee and just finished performing in IBOSS down at Great Barrington Public Theatre, the show I tried to see last weekend, but was sold out).

I sat with another member of the literary committee and his wife – it was the first time we’d met in person, since the meetings are on Google Meet. It was fun to chat in person.

The reading went very well – the actors and direction brought it to life in beautiful ways. Again, the trajectory from reading it in committee to seeing it on its feet is very satisfying. It’s a comedy with some very dark issues wrapped up in the humor.

There was a talkback afterwards, and Sabine Denise Jacques (part of WAM’s staff) talked about the safe container to hold different experiences and biases, and how a particular stylistic choice in this play did so when dealing with a difficult issue in it (I don’t want to give away spoilers for the play). That struck home, and made me realize, especially early in my career, how many spaces were deliberately made unsafe for both performers and audience, usually by the director, because they claimed it made the work more raw and honest. I’ve always disagreed with that, and now I wonder how different my own work and my career would have rolled out had I been enveloped in safe spaces (like my collaborator and I worked to create in MOON TRIBE TALES), rather than the unsafe spaces so often deliberately created. There’s no way to answer that, of course. There’s just a way to move forward, glad that the arena is changing, and that we all can work to make it better for the generation(s) coming up behind us instead of going, “well I had to deal with it, and turned out just fine!”

No, boo, you survived, which is to be honored, but you are not fine. There’s damage and scars, and why inflict that on others because it was inflicted on us? Make things better.

Anyway, I had a good cry about that in the car on the drive home, and then picked up my favorite Chinese comfort food at Golden Bamboo because I didn’t feel like cooking.

In the evening, I read the next book for review.

It was the 7th night of Legs Up the Wall pose, when everything was supposed to change.

Sigh.

It did not.

I woke up around midnight, and then Charlotte started fussing around 2. I managed to fall asleep after a bit, and dreamed I was visiting a long-time friend in London (we’ve been friends since we were about 13 or 14). I woke up at 5:30, to Tessa’s yelling, and started Monday. I am going to keep doing the full 30 days of L-u-the-W, but I am discouraged. I like doing it, but it’s not smoothing out the sleep issues as promised.

Monday quickly started Monday-ing, and can it just not once in a while? Sent off an email to the libraries, promising I would have some information to them by end of day (I’d hoped to get it to them early). Sent off some information answering questions someone sent a few weeks ago, which had fallen by the wayside, and I managed to get back on track.

Wrote and submitted 2 book reviews, got another book. If I can read and write the next two reviews in the next couple of days, I can batch invoice by the end of the week. The workflow has been very erratic from this job in the past few months.

Looked at a job listing that sounded good at first. Copywriter. Only under skills it listed “good at studio lighting” and “crowd interaction.” W-the-everlovin’-F? No. Your PRODUCTION TEAM is “good at studio lighting” and it’s a different job to be with crowds. Your COPYWRITER writes the damn words. Get a clue, people.

There have been multiple shootings in Pittsfield over the past few weeks, which is concerning.

I was sent an event invitation, only when I try to open it, it asks for inappropriate information. If you send me an e-vite, it’s already in my email, which is open. I should be able to click it, not have to re-sign into the email and then enter a lot of information that has nothing to do with the invitation. No. Just no. If you want to invite me to something, don’t set up barriers to the invitation and do it through a third-party platform. Give me the information I need to make a decision.

The Honor Roll playwrighting session was terrific. I got three scenes done on the play, and am galloping toward the climactic sequence. I’m fine on page count, too.

Got the promised work done on the panel for the librarians and sent it off for their review and suggestions.

Switched over to the ghostwriting, and had a solid session. I still have some character profiles to finish and a final polish, but there’s a chance I will get it out the door today, a day early. I also got some positive notes overall of the work I’ve done, which was a nice boost, given how glum I’ve felt about it lately.

Cooked catfish for dinner. Baked it in seasoned breadcrumbs. It was okay, but not something I would seek out in the future. It has been years since I ate catfish, and I guess this is why.

Read the next book for review in the evening, and will write and submit the review today. I hope to turn around one more book tonight, although it’s a big one.

I’ve noticed, since doing Legs up the Wall pose every night, that I fall asleep faster, and more deeply. Yay. But I wake up exactly 2 hours after I go to bed, thinking I’ve had a full night’s sleep. Not so yay. I mean, great I feel well-rested, but 2 hours ain’t gonna cut it, you know? I can usually fall back to sleep fairly quickly, but then the cats start fussing around 3 or 4, and it’s chaos.

It happened again last night – 2 hours good sleep, awake, went back to sleep, Charlotte started fussing around 3. I moved to the sofa, but gave up about 4:40 and just started the day.

Thanks to shrinkflation, our bread and coffee didn’t last the week, so I’m out this morning to restock, and to pick up a prescription for my mom. I will write and submit the review, then spend the rest of the day on the ghostwriting. I’d like to get that out the door today instead of tomorrow, and spend some time tomorrow on the Llewellyn article and the play.

No yoga tonight, so I can work as long as needed, provided I can keep up my energy levels.

Hope you’re having a good week! I hope the humidity breaks soon. It hasn’t been that hot, but the humidity makes everything feel heavy.

Still searching for that holy grail of ongoing design / illustration work.

I don't know why it's apparently mythical...

In nearly 20 years of working professionally in this field, and acomplishing a lot... I have yet to find it.

https://andycarolan.com

#fedihired #freelance #indie #design #illustration

Intent for the Week -- Organization: https://devonellington.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/mon-aug-17-2026-intent-for-the-week-organization/

#Writing #WritingCommunity #Freelance

I'm accepting a few new #freelance #editing 📝 clients in the coming months. If you're interested, let me know ASAP. Spots are limited :) #writers #amediting #amwriting #indiepub #indieauthors http://www.venessagiunta.com/editing-services/

Maintenant que les démarches administratives sont faites, je peux enfin l'annoncer : je suis maintenant en freelance !
Développeur spécialisé dans le Web avec PHP (vanilla & Symfony) et Python (surtout avec Flask), avec de solides connaissances en JS (vanilla & Vue.js), je réalise tous les développements en tenant compte des besoins en accessibilité, en écoconception et du RGPD dès la conception.
Réalisations entièrement faites par un cerveau biologique.

#freelance #WebDev #PHP #Python

Un time tracker semplice, privato e completamente self-hosted: Pocketwatch permette di registrare le ore di lavoro e creare report PDF senza affidare i propri dati a servizi cloud. #Linux #OpenSource #SelfHosted #Docker #TimeTracking #Freelance https://www.linuxeasy.org/pocketwatch-il-time-tracker-self-hosted-per-linux-e-non-solo/

[EDIT: I've edited the posting to let designers suggest a price: https://opensourcedesign.net/jobs/logo-and-basic-branding-for-floxford-oxfords-local-free-libre-and-open-source-software-group/; cut some text]

#AskFedi Should I pay £15-25, greater, or a negotiable range for a logo, wordmark, and basic branding for a volunteer community group?

I'm commissioning these for our volunteer-run free and open-source software group, and paying out of my own pocket. I set the price range to £15-£25, which is slightly above the lower end listed at https://www.fiverr.com/categories/graphics-design/creative-logo-design (though now I realise that lists only minimum prices). Perhaps unwisely I said the price range is non-negotiable to avoid upsetting people via unnecessary back-and-forth.

*Most similar commissions on #opensourcedesign don't pay anything.*

Someone on Fedi said that price range would "offend plenty" and that I may as well make it free of charge (I won't do that instantly!). I'm not going to trust them immediately because [...no longer relevant...]

#design #opensource #penpot #inkscape #freelance #commission

Annonce.

(Original: Opladener Zeitung, Nr. 113, 15. Mai 1930
https://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbbn/periodical/zoom/19687565)

#FediJob #FediJobs #FediHire #GetFediHired #Jobsuche #Freelance #Freelancer #Copywriting #Redaktion #Schreiben #Lektorat #UndVielesMehr

Keeping the Plates Spinning: https://devonellington.wordpress.com/2026/08/14/fri-aug-14-2026-keeping-the-plates-spinning/

#Writing #WritingCommunitty #Freelance #Art

Fri. Aug. 14, 2026: Keeping the Plates Spinning

Friday, August 14, 2026

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Foggy and warm

Here we are, Friday, the end of another week.

Plenty happened on the larger fronts that I haven’t discussed this week, but it doesn’t mean I’m not aware of it. I’m both angry and heartbroken about the Lindsay Clancy case. She was failed on so many levels, especially by her husband. I want Congress to stop the reckless destruction of natural resources and the monuments that belong to the people, and to step in with the issues regarding our troops. When sailors are jumping overboard because the conditions on a naval ship are so horrendous, ignoring it is not an option. Our military has a budget of over a trillion dollars. If they’re not feeding our soldiers, where’s that money going? Which contractors are lining their pockets? And now the frozen water goons get to use taser gloves on anyone they want? No. Just no.

Yesterday morning, I was out the door on time and drove up the hill past the hospital to the Clarksburg Library. I don’t know Clarksburg well. It’s very pretty. I had a great meeting with the library director there, and we sorted out details about the author panel I’m moderating, and tossed around ideas on how to build this event into a series of events.

Once the meeting was done, I headed back down the hill to the grocery store, where I did a medium-sized shop! I hadn’t really meal planned, so it was a case of what looked good and was in budget.

Went to my library to drop off and pick up books, including a huuuuuuge book about Lizzie Borden called PARALLEL LIVES, which is a social history of Fall River at the time. A social media acquaintance suggested it, and it sounds interesting. It’s a doorstop of a book. I’m looking forward to digging in. Ran a couple of other errands. Found the washi tape I needed to finish the collage.

Home, hauled everything up the stairs, put it away. Had another meeting, which meant I missed #FreelanceChat, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

After lunch, I had to turn my attention to the ghostwriting, since I didn’t have a long session for it today, because of all the other commitments. Didn’t get as much done as I hoped, and am behind where I wanted to be for today, so I hope I can make up for it in today’s session. I kept being interrupted by other things that required immediate attention, so it was a bit like lurching through the writing session.

Decided not to pitch for a scriptwriting job, because I do not like the guy for whom I’d be writing. The show is a bit too much sensationalist skeeze for me. We would not get along.

Cooked dinner, freshened up, and headed out the door for the trustee meeting. I realized halfway down the block that I put on the wrong shoes for this walk. I then had a feeling, and paused to check my phone – yup, the meeting was cancelled. So I went back home, took a shower, and put on comfy clothes. I was grateful for the gift of a couple of hours, because I felt depleted.

I spent a bit of time in fish pose on the yoga bolster with the eye pillow, and Tessa nestled next to me on the mat, purring.

Day 4 of Legs Up the Wall pose before bedtime. Charlotte perches on the edge of the bed watching me, wondering what the heck I’m up to. I woke up twice in the night, did not look at the clock, and went back to sleep quickly. I got up just after 5 this morning, the usual time. Maybe a slight improvement?

Morning routine was fine. This morning, I am taking our ballots down to the ballot box at City Hall, mailing some paperwork on a different issue, and then working on the collage (which has to be submitted for consideration tomorrow), and hopefully a little bit on the play.  Then, it’s all about the ghostwriting, trying to catch up to where I want to be.

Tomorrow is mostly about housework. I’ll work on the play, submit the collage, and probably not do much else. Sunday’s plan is to attend WAM’s reading of GORGEOUS down in Lenox. I also want to start reading the plays for the next literary committee session, and I have to get started on the books for the book review gig, so I can batch invoice next week and get paid by the end of it.

So off I go, to get started on the day! Have a great weekend, and we’ll catch up on the other side.

What’s a #freelance #editorial #pro to do when #work #overload happens? Don’t panic—longtime #editor Lori Paximadis has helpful advice in this post on the blog of The Quad (a mastermind group since 2015). https://quadlings.com/dealing-with-a-project-deluge/ (1/2)

Jag har startat eget! Känns fortfarande ovant att säga det men spännande och kul.

Jag vill hjälpa företag med att bygga cybersäkra produkter. Särskilt mindre företag står framför stora utmaningar, inte minst med att uppfylla EU:s Cyber Resilience Act.

Nu kör vi! 😊
https://damschen.se

#freelance #CRA #Compliance #cybersecurity

Positioning: https://devonellington.wordpress.com/2026/08/13/thurs-aug-13-2026-positioning/

#Writing #WritingCommunity #Freelance #Art #History

Any #Christchurch based photographers available for a paid project? Feel free to reach out on social or via our contact form https://spaceshipsrentals.co.nz/about/contact-us

It's not a regular road trip but a #SpaceshipsRoadTrip 🖖 Our images reflect this. We're looking for someone who can capture that vibe, for a special #freelance project.

Let's show everyone the power of the Fediverse 💪 and get this in front of the right creative person.

#photography #NewZealand

Morris Dancers in the Morning: https://devonellington.wordpress.com/2026/08/12/thurs-aug-12-2026-morris-dancers-in-the-morning/

#Writing #WritingCommunity #Freelance

Thurs. Aug. 12, 2026: Morris Dancers in the Morning!

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

New Moon

Solar Eclipse

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Sunny and warm

Well, we’ve hit the new moon/solar eclipse that’s been causing people to fuss so much. My opinion? Find time to take a nap. Seriously, the best thing you can do during an eclipse is to enjoy it if you are where you can see it, or otherwise take a nap.

Yesterday morning, shortly after breakfast/morning chores, I headed out to Red Shirt Farm in Lanesboro. It’s about a 40-minute drive, and it was really lovely to be out and about. I got there early (of course), but got a prime parking spot. Why was I there? Because the American Travelling Morrice Dancers (a Morris dancing troupe) was going to perform.

I’d seen a traditional troupe in the UK many years ago, but I’ve never seen a troupe perform in the US, and I was eager to attend.

Since I was early, I got to sit on the porch and just be for a bit, which was lovely. When the farm store opened, I went in for a wander (and some coffee). The blueberries, Hudson plums, and peaches were so gorgeous I bought some, in addition to the coffee.

Chatted with other audience members as they gathered. A lot of people brought their kids (and all the kids were well-behaved, throughout). This troupe was much more easygoing than the UK counterparts, arriving piece-meal and setting up. In the UK, the troupe followed the strict traditions of being masked and anonymous, and coming into the space at full tilt.

This troupe has members from all over, and this is the 49th year it has toured. It tours different places each year, and the Berkshires were lucky enough to be part of the tour this year. One of the members is descended from the man who gave his name to one of the dances way back when!

They performed about 6 dances over a half hour, chatted with the audience and passed the hat. They are doing about 5-6 shows/day during their tour. Later shows yesterday were actually going to be at Windsor Lake and at Freight Yard Brewing here in North Adams. But I was glad I went down to Lanesboro and saw them there.

Stopped to pick up fixings for lunch on the way back, and we had a nice summer lunch (using up some more of the basil cream – we have a lot of basil cream; fortunately, it keeps well). And we had two of those luscious plums for dessert!

I’m really glad I went. It was a lovely experience.

After lunch, it was time to turn my attention back to the ghostwriting. I didn’t get as much done as I wanted, because of the time it took to research certain things, but the work I did was solid.

I managed to haul my posterior out the door on time and go to yoga. I was really glad I did. We had a good session of a little stretching, a lot of resting.

Home, heated up dinner, read and rested in the evening. Day 2 of Legs Up the Wall before bed. It’s supposed to realign sleep by Day 7, so we will see. I slept reasonably well, until Charlotte started fussing at me at 4, which is not something a yoga pose can fix.

Morning routine was fine. I need to send out some emails this morning, and put together some paperwork on various issues. The MA AG’s office sent me an acknowledgement of one of the complaints sent on behalf of my mother, where the company is trying to cheat her out of an account because it is small. They have given me next steps, so there’s that paperwork and some other paperwork on a different issue.

After breakfast, I will take out the garbage and do the household chores, then work on the collage and the play before switching over to the ghostwriting. This evening, I’m going to a friend’s talk up in Pownal, VT.

Bea has a new trick. Sometimes, when I’m scrolling on my phone (which I try not to do too much), she comes down for a cuddle, and I pet her with one hand and scroll with the other. She has started knocking the phone out of my hand and demanding my full attention, which makes sense. Not a problem. However, now, when I pick up the phone, she races over and knock it out of my hand, demanding attention. So, basically, if I want to do anything on my phone, I have to hide from the cat! Which is pretty funny, and a reminder not to spend too much time on the phone.

Have a good one!

A Colorful, Creative Weekend: https://devonellington.wordpress.com/2026/08/11/tues-aug-11-2026-a-colorful-creative-weekend/

#Writing #WritingCommunity #Freelance #Theatre #Art

Are you tired of long, unproductive meetings that feel like a waste of time? Things don’t have to be this way! On this episode of The WP Minute’s Agency Action podcast, Kurt and Toby explore tips and techniques for making meetings that work for everyone. It’s not as hard as you may think.

Preparation is the key to success. For example, setting a clear agenda with achievable goals will […]

Tues. Aug. 11, 2026: A Colorful, Creative Weekend

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Dark Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Cloudy, warm, humid

I hope you had a lovely weekend. You can read the Community Tarot Reading for the Week here.

It was hot and humid on Friday. I kept waiting for the promised storms. I got the ghostwriting assignment off my desk and onto theirs. I wrote and submitted a book review (there’s been hardly any work from that client lately). I approved the final proofs for “Gorgeous Mess” in the MIDNIGHT MOUSERS anthology, and finished the rest of the admin paperwork they needed.

I doubt I can get copies in time for the author fest in September, but I can probably have copies for the Boiler House reading in October.

It was hot and humid, and I was grateful for fans and coolers.

I cooked tuna steaks for dinner, and made basil cream to go with it (a recipe from Anna Pump’s cookbook SUMMER ON A PLATE). It was so good, and I can use the rest of the basil cream on sandwiches, in salads, and on other things. I used more basil than the recipe called for, but it was great. I used the whole bunch of regular basil from the CSA in the recipe.

I got my act after dinner, got dressed, slapped on some makeup, and trotted down to FutureLabs Gallery for the opening. Of course, it started raining as soon as I left the house, but I’d brought an umbrella for insurance. It was only sprinkling.

I ran into Andrew Fitch on the corner of Main & Eagle, where he was meeting potential voters. We had a good catch-up, and I assured him both my mom and I planned to vote for him. Because I do think he is the best person for this particular job at this particular moment.

The opening at FutureLabs was a lot of fun. I had some good conversations with people, and conversations for future shows. The co-founder is excited by two pieces we discussed, so I am shuffling what I place where, and work on when. The co-founder wants a controversial piece I want to create for the January show, so that will be my focus for that show.

Came home to discover our mail-in ballots. Yay!

I used the coolers overnight in my room on timers, and kept waking up to turn them back on when they timed out. At 3:30 on Saturday morning, I moved to the couch and turned on the ceiling fan and the fan my friend sent me, and Tessa rolled over like, “oh, thank goodness!”

I got up around 5 and started the morning routine. Friday was Day 350 of the morning free-write. This past week, ideas have come in batches like cookies, and it’s good to have one place to put them, so I don’t misplace my notes.

I did some housework, tended the plants, and took out the garbage. I emailed the curator and the gallery founder with vision for the piece I’m working on, and they wrote back a lovely response, and look forward to the finished piece. I worked on the photos for the piece. I had to pull some of them off my old Macbook. Other then not being able to connect to the internet, the old Macbook is better than the newer PCs. By old, I mean I got in in 2010.

I’ve narrowed it down to about 2 dozen photos, and will narrow it down further to about 7 or 8, once I figure out the background fabric. All of the photos I’m using are ones I’ve taken myself over the years. The one photo of a photo of my Playland Painters has no attribution, but the original has disappeared. I have a photo of the two photos of these women, and now Westchester Archives has copies of my photos of the photos, and I will attribute it as best I can in the label. I realized that, since the original prop pieces have also vanished, I probably have the only remaining photos of those, and I should get copies of them to the Archives in the coming weeks. Once I have the background, I will print out and arrange the photos, fasten them down, and embellish.

It has to be done and photographed by Aug. 15 for consideration in the show.

Am I feeling pressured and insecure? Why yes, I am.

I put together a pasta sauce and set it in the slow cooker to do its thing while I was out in the afternoon. That’s what I love about slow cookers. You set things up, and they safely do their thing while you are busy, and there’s good food when you return.

I showered, changed, slapped on some makeup. Of course, as soon as I headed out the door, we were under thunderstorm watch again.

I went to Theatre 62 at Williams College. We were in a different part of the dance studio this time, with a different project. This was also part of the Fertile Ground New Works Residency, but this was a workshop of Jessica Bauman’s Anyone There? Featured six performers, including one of my colleagues, Louise Heller, from WAM’s literary committee. You can learn more about it here.

The space was set up in a circle, and the actors welcomed and chatted with us as we entered and got settled. There was a really joyful energy about the space and the piece. The piece itself ran for a little over an hour, and was a mix of scripted (from interviews the creator held on the topic) and interaction with the audience. As an extreme introvert, I usually shy away from that kind of interaction, but it was set up so skillfully, it was inCLUsive rather than InTRUsive. As a member of WAM, I would have gritted my teeth and played along no matter what, but there was no need to grit my teeth, I actually enjoyed myself. The themes were about isolation and connection, and depicted beautifully. There was movement and music along with the script, along with a section embodying specific Edward Hopper paintings. I told Jess after how my eyes kept getting wider and wider, because I’ve done ekphrastic work with every single piece she chose, especially “New York Movie.” She said every time she uses Hopper’s work, that one is relevant.

We had a talkback after, which was terrific, and then a chance to chat over coffee and muffins. One of the actors from NY and I exchanged information to keep in touch (and hope to work together someday), and one of the local actors may well be my Timothy in THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE if/when I get the grant for the reading, and if he’s available.

It was a truly wonderful experience. Both Fertile Ground pieces have supported dynamic artists, and I can’t wait to see where their work goes next.

It was raining fairly hard when I left, but the drive home was easy. My parking space was open, so that’s all I really cared about.

The Chewy cat litter order had arrived while I was gone, so I hauled that up the stairs and started the pasta. The sauce was perfection. It was a hot, sticky night, but cooled down a bit.

Up early on Sunday, usual routine, worked out a couple of scenes on the play in the morning free write. I did the Community Tarot Reading for the week, which you can read here.

We headed up to Bennington, VT in the late morning. It was a lovely drive, even in the heat. We hadn’t been up there in far too long. My mom needs an oversized shoe/croc for after her surgery, so we decided to look in thrift stores first. We found a pair that should work (don’t worry, I disinfected them when we got them home).

We were early getting back to Williamstown, too early for our next stop, so we stopped at the Clark for a little while and enjoyed the peaceful, lovely grounds. Perk of being a member – one can stop in there while out and about doing other things.

We then headed to Karen’s Quilting Corner (once it opened). I needed the background fabric for the collage. I’d hoped to find something with a Ferris wheel or carousel horse pattern, which I knew was a long shot. I’d sourced some of that print online from another store, but there was no way I could get it shipped in time to build the piece by the Aug. 15 deadline. So I went to Karen’s to see what I could find.

I found oh so many things I will use for various projects. But I didn’t need all of it right this second. I found an art deco small fan print in the colors that the buildings in the park are painted and trimmed, which will work. It will pick up some of the colors in the photographs.

They are so delightful at Karen’s that I should always just go there first.

We had what we needed, so we didn’t go to Old Stone Mill (I plan to go there in autumn and see what’s what)

Next stop was Ocean State, looking for kiddie pools. I hoped to find a 36”, but they only had the 42” and they only had three left, at an excellent price, so I grabbed one. I figured I could always return it if I found the smaller one, but looking at it, I think I might actually need this size. And it’s the exact shade of blue I wanted (for thematic meaning).

This is for the piece in January’s show, the controversial piece. I wouldn’t be able to find the kiddie pool in late fall/early winter, so I grabbed it now. I’ll paint/distress it in late October/early November out back when it’s cool enough to dry quickly, but not cold enough to crack.

However, that means storing it. So what did I do? Right now, it’s living on the bed in the sewing room, with a fleece blanket in it, because you KNOW the cats will want to explore. They’ve sniffed the perimeter, but haven’t hopped in yet. My bet is on Willa being the first to try it.

On a whim, we stopped at another thrift store, where I grabbed a small globe. I’ve always wanted a globe. This was inexpensive, and makes my map-loving heart happy.

The clerk at the store showed me on the globe where he grew up in Russia, and all the places he’s visited in the world over the years, including 49 states (he’s never been to Hawaii). He used to be a hockey player – started as D, then moved up to L wing, and travelled a lot. So we got to talking about hockey, since I used to cover it. So that was an interesting side aspect to the day.

It reminded me of the connection themes in Saturday’s workshop.

Home, hauled everything up the stairs. My neighbors are very curious as to the wide variety of objects that go in and out of this house. Nothing wrong with being an enigma, right?  😉

It was hot and sticky in the apartment, so we got the fans and the coolers going again and had some white cranberry-peach juice. Cleaned and/or disinfected things as appropriate and put them away.

Heated up leftovers for dinner and had a quiet evening, pondering various projects.

It cooled down enough to be decent sleeping weather. I was up at the usual time on Monday. Morning routine was fine. I did some planning on a project I’d talked about with a cohort friend a few weeks back. I need to do a little more research before I can put together a viable proposal, and I have to figure out when I can fit it into the schedule, because it would be a long-term project. I also got an email from another friend about our collaboration (on a different project).

I like having different facets in my working life. They feed each other, when I balance them properly, rather than draining each other.

I had a lot of admin to take care of when I hit the desk on Monday morning. It always stacks up over the weekend. I worked on some scenes for the play, but I have to rearrange a few things, so I didn’t get as far as I hoped. I dashed up to the library when it opened because I had to send a fax. I picked up some books while I was there. I finally got the new vacuum put together and used it. It’s fantastic! And I realized that part of the problem with the last one may have been there were bits missing (and no instruction manual). The replacement has all the bits, and, so far, it works really well. Maybe it will last for more than six months?

After lunch, I switched over to the ghostwriting, and had a solid session on it. I went a little farther than the minimum I wanted to hit today.

I was very tired, but I did a few end-of-day relaxing yoga poses before I started dinner, and that helped. I read a bit at night.

For the next 30 days, I’m trying to do 10 minutes/night of Legs-Up-the-Wall pose. On the back of my bedroom door, because we don’t have free wall space here, just lots of bookcases. I read an article describing the positive aspects of doing it nightly before bed. According to that study, after Day 7, one stops waking up at 3 AM, which is something that appeals to me. So I began last night (Charlotte supervised), and we will see what happens.

I woke up at 2:30, rather than 3, which was not in the plan!

Morning routine was fine. The air is very heavy and humid today. I’m out the door shortly to attend a performance at a farm (I’ll fill you in tomorrow). When I return, it’s the play, the collage, the ghostwriting for the rest of the day. I hope to make it to yoga tonight, but we will see how the day goes. I have a feeling the LOIs won’t go out until tomorrow.

Hope you had a great weekend, and are having a good start to your week!

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