It's always something...

isnt't it?

For example, after weeks of error messages I can now load the new comcast home page, but now the blossombones blog is screwed up for some reason.

(An issue with Blogger, I believe, rather than with me.)

What a nuisance!

***

addendum: all seems to be working again (computer-wise), which is rather nice, really.

And a new, functional dishwasher is on the way, so I can cross dishpan hands off my list of worries :)

excuses, excuses.

I should be writing something other than a blog entry right now. A cover letter, some copy for a certain website, maybe even some poetry.

Perhaps it's some kind of compulsion to procrastinate.

I am blaming the bloody broken dishwasher for my lack of productivity.

The damned thing has been growling for months. Saturday, it leaked a big 'ol puddle of water on the floor--which of course I discovered after stepping in it.

Yeah.

I am convinced that major appliances are designed to fall apart within a certain amount of time. (In this case, eight years.) It's a conspiracy.

I think I dislike washing dishes by hand.



I try to see it as some kind of Zen thing...to approach the task mindfully, take my time, use it as a meditative moment, since I'm also working on this "slowing down" business...

But it feels like a time-waster.

How quickly we become dependent on our machines.

At the risk of sounding like somebody's grandma, talking about walking to school in the snow (uphill, both ways) I feel compelled to mention that we did not have a dishwasher in the house when I was a kid. My sister and I did the dishes by hand, taking turns with washing or drying and putting them away. It never seemed like that big of a deal.

Later on, my mom got one of those big old-fashioned dishwashers on wheels, that we stored in the corner of the kitchen, and rolled over to the sink after dinner. It had a hose that hooked up to the faucet.

I haven't thought about that in years.

Boy, that thing was ugly. And HEAVY.

And yeah, I am indeed so compulsive that all the forks and spoons must dry in a straight line, in the vicinity of like utensils.

It's a sickness.

Enough of this rambling! I've got dishes to dry.

It's a lovely October day...

and while I haven't had much of a chance to enjoy it, I thought my avatar might like to get all gussied up and take a walk among some rather stunning fall foliage.

a wee bit of Irish-Catholic guilt for a Monday morning...(a.k.a. a tour of my office)

The joy of being brought up as an Irish-Catholic gal in the Midwest is that no matter how much your life or beliefs shift dramatically over time, you still feel guilty about pretty much everything.

Heck, I think I'm feeling guilty about neglecting this blog :)

Admittedly, if I'm not blogging here, it's because I'm posting something on the blossombones blog.

And then there's MySpace, my most neglected internet baby--I'll post something there, too, if I get the chance...

Here's what else is on my mind today:



Yeah, I know. I should clean up that work space a bit. But an empty desk is a sign of a dull life, I suppose. (Or perhaps just indicative of a tidier personality than my own.) I am fascinated with what's on other people's desks. So anyway, here's a glimpse of mine...

*Lots of books...no particular genre: some poetry, fiction, non-fiction, computer manuals, etc...

*The ever-present bottle of Ice Mountain water. (And lest you think me terribly untidy, do note it's sitting on a coaster!)

*My lil' feng-shui dragon, who occupies what I think may be the NE corner of my desk. I'm not sure if that's the right place for him, though. I'll have to dig out one of my Feng Shui books and check on that. (Great. Now I've got something else to worry about!)



*A Swingline stapler (I know, I know. It's not red, like the one in Office Space. Nevertheless, an excellent device.)

*My Mac. I love my Mac.



*Other stuff: the ubiquitous paper, pens and pencils, stamps, envelopes, magazines, my journals, cell phone, tarot deck, and of course, a desk dictionary, so I do not embarrass myself by misspelling common words (not often, at least).

**Speaking of needing to reorganize, I may want to consider the current state of my bookshelves. Yikes.

comfort food

While I'm glad to see some real fall-like weather, my body is in a state of revolt. My knees have almost completely locked up to the point where it's difficult to go up and down the stairs. It's making me feel very, very old to have so much trouble getting around. So, I was kind to myself today :) I set a bunch of not-so-fun-type work aside for the afternoon, and made tomato soup and grilled cheese.



There's nothing like comfort food on a chilly fall day. It made me feel so much better! I spent this lovely Thursday in comfy sweats and fuzzy slippers, laying out some rough plans for the Fall/Winter blossombones. I was looking over the content today, and I'm really excited about it! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the submissions, too.

I have to admit, I do love a quiet afternoon at home every once in a while. As I was in domestic mode today, I also baked a little pan of gingerbread.



It was yummy.

Is it October already??

Hmmm. Haven't posted here in a while...although I've been busy, busy with writing and blossombones stuff...As I am currently trying to decide how to lay out the first issue!

I also need to finish up sending out Fall submissions...

On the upside, a few bits of good news:
My essay, "Mother of Us All" is in the current issue (Issue 73, The Mother) of SageWoman Magazine! Available now online and on the magazine rack at cool bookstores like Borders :)

And some super-exciting news about my chapbook! See the sidebar here.

I am still utterly overwhelmed, thrilled, and otherwise over-the-moon...

Today was cool and gloomy--and most decidedly fall-like. An excellent day for writing poetry and reading.