#juggling — Public Fediverse posts

Tues. Oct. 6, 2026: Starting Week Two

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Waning Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Venus Retrograde

Partly cloudy and cool

Welcome to a new week!

You can find the Community Tarot Reading for the Week here. We’re using the Halloween Tarot this month, for obvious reasons. It’s a delightfully whimsical deck.

Friday was a lovely, sunny day, much warmer than usual for October. After the first PT session, I went down to Bagel-ish and bought bagels for breakfast (okay, they had lox and cream cheese on them, not just bagels), and had a nice chat with the owner. I didn’t even get lost getting there or coming back. I am slowly learning my way around.

I was behind the garbage truck coming back up the hill (last night I put out the trash bins), and the driver waved me around, saying, “Don’t worry, I’m lookin’ out fer ya!” It was very funny.

We had a nice, leisurely breakfast, I did the dishes, and then it was time for more PT. I invoiced the ghostwriting client, and put in an order of something that will be delivered here, and save me time in the coming weeks.

PT sessions all day, did the household chores, got the wheelie bins back up from the curb, snuck in some admin work and some ghostwriting here and there.

My friend had cooked ahead and frozen a bunch of meals, so we had black bean and orange soup, which was wonderful, then more PT, then pie. Because we must end the day with pie.

Checked in with my mom to warn her about the packages arriving. Got the confirmation that the boxes of books shipped to the studio are on their way.

It was warm, but not too hot, and pleasant. It looked like it wanted to rain there for a few hours, but then changed its mind.

I slept through the night (how long has it been since that happened)? Got up around 5:30 on Saturday to start the morning routine. George finds yoga both fascinating and horrifying.

Made the coffee, fed the cats, and we started the PT cycle again. The cats are getting used to my rhythm, which is a little different from my friend’s. I can get the whole clowder of them fed in about 30-45 minutes. They’re starting to understand that if they cooperate, the bowls are filled faster. All but Billy, who is still confused. He’ll get there, probably the day before I leave.

More PT cycles, and I snuck in the morning chores. It was another gorgeous autumn day, not too chilly, just pleasantly cool. My friend felt well enough to cook pancakes. They are fluffy. I need to up my pancake game, my mom would love these.

Pretty much the whole day of each day is filled with PT cycles, but there’s steady improvement, which is a good thing.

My friend baked a Guiness bread with rosemary and the Vermont cheese I brought down for her, and it was delightful. We had it with beef stew she had cooked ahead. The downstairs freezer had a diva fit, and we were worried for a while, but it sorted itself out. The freezer doesn’t like it when you open the door. It considers itself a vault – put it in and leave it alone. Don’t try to retrieve anything. That freezer will be sadly disappointed in me during this stretch of time.

I’ve been sneaking in my free write sessions whenever I can. I haven’t dropped a day. I haven’t been particularly creative, but showing up consistently is part of the gig.

Slept reasonably well into Sunday. I do my yoga and 40-minute meditation before I come downstairs to start the day, and then squeeze in the free write when I can. I usually have a cat with me for at least meditation. They are very puzzled by yoga.

Morning feeding and chores went well, we cycled through the PT sessions, we enjoyed the pretty weather. I did the Community Tarot Reading for the week done, which you can read here.

I got in some reading for pleasure. I read THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS by Sousuke Natsukara, which my friend lent me, and it’s delightful. I’m now reading THE SÉANCE GARDEN by Juliet Blackwell, a library book I brought with me. I really like all of Juliet’s work, but this is especially good, in my opinion.

A next-door neighbor brought over a wonderful Tuscan white bean and kale soup with pesto bread – I need to do the pesto bread at home. It’s wonderful.

My mother is having trouble with the front door and planned to call the maintenance guy on Monday. I know exactly what she’s doing wrong – there’s nothing wrong with the door – but she is bound and determined to have him come and look at it.

My cats are doing fine, although Charlotte is depressed.

Slept well, with cat company in the night from both George and Star. Woke up at the usual time on Monday, and got the day started. The street was closed all day for milling, so the only traffic is the big machinery. The cats are not amused.

They’re paving next week, so I may have to leave a day early, on the holiday, so I don’t get trapped. I need at least a day to do changeover between this and going in-studio. We’ll see how the week plays out. I want to get a few things set up before I go to make it easier for my friend once I’m gone, and I want to make sure all the laundry is done and put away, extra cat food is stocked in the kitchen, etc.

PT cycles all day, and ghostwriting in between. Packages were delivered to the house, and my mom could get them inside. The maintenance guy came and showed her the same trick with the door I did.

Sigh.

Got the notification that one set of books was delivered to the studio. If that’s all I have, along with the first two Ninas, I’m fine. I’d like the 3rd Nina, but if it comes too late, I can always run down and pick it up and use it for December.

Good dinner, cats fed, Billy is making progress in making friends. I petted him, and he even licked my hand. And then forgot we’d ever met two hours later, because. . .Billy. I remember when he was a three-month-old kitten. He’s grown into a very large, handsome cat. With a very tiny, high-pitched meow.

We are all tired by the end of the day with the PT sessions, with barely an hour between them once we’re set up and then put away after. But my friend is improving steadily, which is the plan. She rests as much as possible between sessions (with cats), and I take one mid-afternoon break to rest, too.

I’m glad the chickens are at boarding school, because dealing with them would be a lot.

Worked steadily on the ghostwriting, and am almost where I hoped to be by the end of the day yesterday. Tomorrow night, I may have to stay up late, no matter how tired I am, and work through.

Fell into bed, read a bit.

Star was on the bed with me when I fell asleep and when I woke up on Tuesday morning. She was very sweet. I slept through the night, which is unusual and amazing. That’s twice in a week, when it’s been months since I did that.

Started the day. Slick was difficult around the breakfast shift at Feline Diner, and will be fed later. Billy is upstairs for once, but hiding. Well, he almost gets it. . .

A frost advisory popped up, so later today, between PT sessions, I have to go out in the yard and take care of a few things. I’m also putting a few loads of laundry through today. I’m in the process of restocking cases of cat food so they will be more accessible once I’m gone, so my friend doesn’t have to go down to the basement often for a couple of weeks.

VICIOUS CRITIC is shipping, so it might actually show up at the Studio before the reading. They keep messing up the label, taking “c/o The Studios at MASS MoCA” off the label. I keep asking them to put it back on. They claim they do, and then I saw the shipping label and it’s off again. Hopefully, it will be there when I get there.

That repetitive noise you hear is me banging my head against the wall.

Anyway, we are off to start the day. PT sessions are longer starting today (a week from the surgery date), but still 7X/day.

The house is a comfortable size, with enough room and nooks and crannies where we can be together for PT or to hang out, but also be on our own so she can rest and I can work, so it’s a good setup. I mean, a lot of people might think the house is small, but it’s kind of perfect. It’s a lovely old, traditional house with original features that are loved and cherished.

It’s so pretty here, sitting in the kitchen with the large windows. The windows look over the long back garden (a pollinator/habitat garden). The property backs onto a graveyard, and the mountains are just beyond. So it’s a lovely view.

Off to the races!