dear reader July 2026 I’m preparing for four months of being indoors because it’s too hot outside to do anything. I won’t be doing any jigsaw puzzles this year but will probably work on knitting. Did I mention that I taught myself knitting in March? Knowing how to crochet made it easier, though it was still daunting. I also approached it a little resentfully, but I wanted socks without plastic! I’m determined/stubborn if nothing else. And so I have socks! I’m working on my third pair. With...

dear reader June 2026 I have pulled myself out of my little well of feeling sorry for myself and am halfway through another round of edits on my current manuscript. Even if it goes nowhere, I sure have learned a lot from it! 😂 My first book came through me, like I was only a conduit for the story. This work-in-progress hasn’t been like that at all. I hope I’m not forcing the plot (or maybe I am, but a story must be created to exist… right??) This current version is so vastly different from...

dear reader may 2026 Currently, I’m reading Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World by Suzy Hansen. I have such little knowledge of the U.S. empire's machinations in Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Iran, and it seemed high time to correct that. I’ve learned a lot in the past six years, yet I still have so much more to learn. Image courtesy of Unsplash by Chloe Forder This notion of learning, uncovering, and baring truths…that feeling of discomfort and...