Month: April 2022

On the first day of Easter … oh wait, wrong song and season. But … what a weekend where several of the world’s religions hosted important and transformative days in their faiths … and I was struck DOWN with one hell of a headcold.

Bleh – I’m finally feeling about 70%, but my illness replaced my mom’s Easter ham with homemade chicken noodle soup.  Add a challenging work deadline on top of that, PLUS an entire household of sick people? This week was for the birds, birds I say!

Anyway – I watched some television, I read a lot of books, I took naps, I drank a lot of tea. Speaking of tea, I enjoyed this article about how AriZona Iced Tea has stayed .99 cents for the duration of its existence. Nostalgia got me thinking about how my entry into tea drinking has always been so Midwestern … drinking the Lipton Iced Tea with Lemon mix at my old babysitter’s house when I was a kid. Then Snapple, the occasional can of AriZona tea … Tazo’s Passion tea when I was in college. (I still drink that tea, especially when I’m sick.) I may be a snob about coffee, but I’m basic as hell when it comes to tea.  And I’m OK with that.

Am Reading:

(Still) Reading:

• The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh
• Refuse to be Done by Matt Bell

Finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, When Nobody Was Watching by Carli Lloyd; and Blood In the Water by Silver Donald Cameron. One of these books was purely for enjoyment and two of the books are for my current WIP … any guesses which?

I should also make a note about my (still) reading list. I am a fast reader when I put my mind to it. The books I’ve been reading for the past few weeks are very good, but they’re also either in my dream publishing wheelhouse (McHugh) or about refining my craft (Bell). So they’re taking a little longer than the other books that I’ve been reading.

Watching:

I started watching The Great on Hulu, a dramatic comedy about the young life of Catherine the Great. I am enjoying it, but there’s a LOT of language. Like … my youngest in his headphones at his computer turning and saying “what are you WATCHING, mom?”

I also started watching The Borgias on Netflix.  I like it, but again – I tend to pick shows that are probably better to watch AFTER my kids go to bed.

Am Writing:

I am, I am, I am …

Stay well!
– Shelley

***

What is Friday Fare? As a recap, on Fridays I post link love to the various bits of arcane shiz I discover on the Interwebs.  I liken it to a glimpse into my mind, but without the 80s song lyrics or mental cobwebs.

I got the chance to catch up with one of my writer friends, a fantastic mystery and short story writer from Chicago named J. Michael Major. Do yourself a favor and pick up his book “One Man’s Castle.” It’s a great story that unwinds with a fantastic pace and has great characters. We hadn’t talked in about two years and our (almost) two hour conversation could have gone on for a few more hours.

One article that I read this week and felt compelled to share … the man, the (Danish) myth, and the (hunky) legend … Mads Mikkelsen.

Am Reading:

(Still) Reading:

• The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh
• Refuse to be Done by Matt Bell

Also reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.

Watched:

I’m still a little hungover from the awesomeness of The Gilded Age. But hey – I went to the Sonic movie with my kids. That was surprisingly fun.

Am Writing:

I’m trying to eke out words on paper. One foot in front of the other.

Spring is nearly here, even if it feels like February in Minne-snow-ta. I hope this finds you well!

– Shelley

***

What is Friday Fare? As a recap, on Fridays I post link love to the various bits of arcane shiz I discover on the Interwebs.  I liken it to a glimpse into my mind, but without the 80s song lyrics or mental cobwebs.

So, I didn’t mean to take a month’s break from blogging but things … THINGS! happened.  (And by things … my kids’ spring break, my dad’s birthday, a weekend trip to see a concert … y’know. Things.)

Alas, the past few weeks have brought some mind-boggling things:

• I saw Taylor Hawkins on the 2000 tour he referenced in this article. I honestly think that Hawkins was one of the finest drummers to come out of my generation (many tributes referred to his “ferocious joy” in drumming.) I don’t usually get on the “mourning” train for celebrities – but this is a huge loss to the musical world.
• I tire of politicians.  (OK – that sentence can just end there, full stop.) But I SINCERELY tire of politicians who constantly work to undermine voting rights and basic human rights. Oh yes, Florida – I am looking at you and your “don’t say gay” legislation. As someone who came of age when Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered, this type of legislation and political fear mongering hits way too close to those dark days.

Am Reading:

Reading:

• The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh
• Refuse to be Done by Matt Bell

FINISHED!

• The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson
• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
• MAT 111 Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1971: Stories from 33 Quebec’s Tour of Duty by Jim Roberts

Watched:

The Gilded Age on HBO Max.  Can we all just take a moment of silence to observe how freaking awesome Carrie Coon is?

Am Writing:

The last time I blogged, I said I wanted to make it to 30K on my WIP by the end of the month. I missed that mark by about 4,000.  But … I’m plugging away and I’m happy with how the characters are talking to me and what they have to say.

OK – let’s choose kind whenever we can. Let’s not slap people, even if they piss us off. Drink some water, eat some veggies, call someone you love and tell them you love them.

– Shelley

***

What is Friday Fare? As a recap, on Fridays I post link love to the various bits of arcane shiz I discover on the Interwebs.  I liken it to a glimpse into my mind, but without the 80s song lyrics or mental cobwebs.