Tag: Life, The Universe, and Everything

Posted in Life, The Universe, and Everything, Musings

Ghosts, Folklore, and Other Meanderings

Posted on by Melissa

The curriculum idea has been working relatively well, though I haven’t so much made a whole decorative page about it. I made a small list of things I’d like to explore, and have set aside a minimum of half an hour a day each to work on them. I’m currently reading about the history of ghost lore in the US and learning video editing (properly).

Ghost lore is fascinating. I’ve always been intrigued by this particular branch of folklore, and what better time to study it then the spookiest of all months? The book I’m reading at the moment, “Ghostland: An American History In Haunted Places” by Colin Dickey, talks about how ghost stories intersect with and can tell interesting things about the history and unexamined fears, shame, etc. of a culture. The ubiquitous “haunted house built on Indian burial ground” story relating to cultural shame for the land theft and genocide of Native tribes that our history books try and gloss over, the Winchester House myth being a combination of a cash grab and a neighborhood uncomfortable with the idea of a woman alone having that kind of wealth with no man to control it (and thus, her), and so on.

Next month I’m trying to decide if I want to continue alone that vein and start on the history of Spiritualism in the US, or switch over to studying about either Transcendentalism or Romanticism. If I go for Transcendentalism, I live in an excellent area to be able to take a field trip to the Fruitlands Museum or other sites key to the movement, as this was where it originated, and where it continues to influence on the local culture. I’m interested in learning about them from a folklore perspective, instead of the usual philosophical one, as it’s an angle I don’t generally see them approached from.

As is my usual plan for this year, I’m leaning heavily on my local library for resources instead of buying a whole stack of books (unless it’s either something I need and can’t find otherwise, or have determined that it’s a book I need for my own personal reference library), which is going very well. The ILL (interlibrary loan) system is glorious and apparently far too many people still don’t know about it, despite the fact that it’s been around for decades.

I’m currently dealing with a minor cold that is annoying me. I’m taking today to just do absolutely nothing except nap and drink endless cups of hot tea, so my body can devote all of it’s resources to kicking the cold’s ass. I don’t have time to be sick for long, so hopefully this will work.

Speaking of, I think it’s time to go heat up some soup for lunch and doze off for a bit again.

Posted in Life, The Universe, and Everything

A TikTok Trend I Might Get In On

Posted on by Melissa

Apparently years of fantasy academia stories are paying off?

Recently, a couple of the YouTubers I follow talked about a trend on TikTok that they decided to check out and, honestly, I might get in on that, as well. Personal curriculum. Basically it’s making a lesson plan and giving yourself homework as a hobby, but instead of the dry horror that was school for most of us, you make it fun for yourself. It’s a way to keep your brain active and learn new things in a conscientious way.

I seriously kinda love it. (Full disclosure: I am not allowed in office supply and stationary stores unattended, or I will absolutely bankrupt myself buying pens and paper and cute paper clips and…) I love it enough that I think I’m going to give it a shot. I mean, oh no! An excuse to use my stationary supplies, learn something, and get a hit of dopamine ALL AT THE SAME TIME?

Madness.

Sometimes the TikTok girlies are okay.

Posted in Life, The Universe, and Everything

Back At The Writing Desk?

Posted on by Melissa

This past spring and summer I learned a very valuable lesson. When one is pretty much as burned out as it’s possible to get without ending up in a hospital bed, it’s probably not a good time to try and start another intensive project.

That YouTube idea didn’t get far. Mainly because I was so crispy that I wasn’t able to actually get started all that much at all. I wanted to, but every time I tried, my brain would go silent and the executives would stop functioning and nothing would happen. I still want to get back to it, because I love making videos, but I need to come up with a coherent plan for what kind of story I want to tell first. I have a few ideas, but I need to flesh them out more. I also need to figure out warmer winter clothes this year, because my current coat is not warm enough to be outside in for long.

On the other hand, I’m finally recovered enough that I’ve actually been thinking about self-employment again, and it doesn’t make me want to crawl into a cave and hiss at anyone that thinks about looking in my general direction, so I guess that’s a good sign that recovery is coming along nicely?

* * * * * * *

Back in August, I went to my 30th year class reunion. It was pretty chill and it was nice to see folks I haven’t seen since graduation. I ended up looking through our senior yearbook and was reminded that my answer to the “What do you want to do with your life?” question was “To write professionally”. It’s funny, I’ve pretty much done everything else that I wanted to do, except that. I mean, I’ve written things and people have tossed money at me, but I’ve never actually written at a pro level.

Thinking about it, I still want to do that. I think the issue I have is the same one that I’ve always had.

I do not want to write novels. I don’t have a novel in me. I don’t think I even have so much as a novella. I have anthologies, at best. Collections of short stories. There’s probably some poetry lurking in there somewhere still, as well. This makes publishing complicated. In addition to the usual kinds of complication that dealing with the publishing industry entails. I could self-publish, but gods that’s a lot of work and a helluva learning curve.

Of course, there’s the other problem. I need to actually write again. Weird, I know.

Still, it’s good to know that I do still want to write. It’s a start.

* * * * * * *

In other news, after 17 years together, Himself and I are finally making things official and getting married at the end of October. Nothing fancy, just us, a couple of friends to stand witness, a friend to officiate, and a costume party on the porch. I’m having fun collecting decorations. We haven’t made a general announcement, though we’re not keeping it secret, either. True to form, we’re just sort of moseying our way into it.

* * * * * * *

I’m going to try and start blogging regularly again, though we’ll see how that goes. My track record hasn’t been great for a long time, so I’m not expecting much. Who knows? Maybe I’ll surprise myself.

For now, though, it’s time to wrap things up and go run the day’s errands.

I hope your day goes well, dear readers.

Posted in Life, The Universe, and Everything

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Posted on by Melissa

Well, yesterday sure happened, huh?

I took the day off of life and spent the time farming through two entire seasons in Stardew Valley. I didn’t bother showering. I brushed my teeth, but that’s about the extent of things. I avoided the Internet almost entirely. I chopped wood, I carried water, I adopted a stray cat named Juno and a small flock of chickens named Nugget, Soup, and Pie. My real cats spent the day sleeping on my lap.

“But! But! You’re supposed to stand witness and not look away and and and!!!”

Fuck that shit. Me burning myself to ashes on Day One won’t help a damned thing except the hateful assholes who want us all dead. I spent my day carefully replenishing my metaphorical silverware drawer because let’s be clear, I’m going to need every spoon, fork, knife, and chopstick I can get my hands on.

Look. I am a disabled queer woman living on a very tiny monthly stipend (the last, finite, dregs of my late father’s retirement fund) in a state with a very high cost of living. I do not qualify for financial assistance. I can’t work a “normal” job anymore due to several health conditions, including Long Covid. My partner and I are not married. He’s been out of work for over a year and I just had to close my art business because it was no longer paying for itself, let alone paying me. We’re down to the last few pennies and pocket lint, and I already had to crowdfund a car repair. The mortgage is due in a couple of weeks and the only thing stopping me from selling plasma to pay the bill is the previously mentioned medical problems.

I am fucking terrified.

So no, I will not be spending any more time than I absolutely have to “witnessing” jack(booted) shit. It accomplishes nothing useful. I will look away from the horror marathon and run my little beach farm (and meadow farm, and mountain farm, and….) as often as I can. I will take my camera out on field trips to the woods and the water and the wild and look for little brown birbs and bright red and yellow mushroom rings. When it’s not subzero wind chills, I will wander and look for whimsy and weird little mysteries, and if I can’t find them, well, I guess I’ll have no choice but to make them. I will make the charms to call the willow-wrens, and play nursery rhymes in the mist, and take the residents of Auntie Yaga’s Home For Wayward Monsters on field trips. I will become a bird oracle and the Oracle of Roads and I will tell strange fortunes at the rest stops and crossroads.

I will be the whimsy and the weird that I want to see in the world.

I will do this because re-enchantment is resistance and dear, sweet fishies, we’re all gonna need it.

(Relatedly, if you want to leave a coin for your mostly friendly wordwitch to help keep a roof over my cats’ heads, the hat’s on the table over here.)

Posted in Uncategorized

Life Is Weird

Posted on by Melissa

The last few weeks have been surreal (to say the least). I’m having panic attacks about how we’re going to manage to pay the mortgage next month. I had to crowdfund the muffler repair for my truck so it could pass inspection (as of Monday, it’s road-legal again), had a friend of a friend offer to do the work for vastly less than what the garage wanted. We had solar panels installed on the house. For free.

It’s only the 8th.

The mental whiplash is strong around here.

So yeah….Talis is back on the road which means that once this cold snap (and the bitterly cold wind chill) backs off, I can get back out with the camera again. There’s still some more repairs that need taking care of, but the one that was preventing it from passing inspection is done and it’s got a nice, new sticker on it. The rest can wait a little longer.

The Solar Saga has been a whole thing. Some weeks ago, a door-to-door sales guy knocked on the door. Normally I glare at them and point at the “No Solicitors” sign on the door, but this one was my lawn guy’s brother who had also helped clear a massive amount of invasive weeds off the property the summer before last, so I let him talk. He wanted to sell us solar panels. Now, I’ve been wanting to get my house converted to solar energy since, well, before we owned a house, but when you’re not sure how you’re going to buy groceries or pay the mortgage is not the time to be thinking about the expense that is solar panels and installation.

Turns out that, due to a combination of sales options and state programs, there was no cost to us. (We went the “utility” option, instead of purchase option, which means they own the panels, we let them use our property, pay a small monthly fee, while also cutting down our electric bill. Plus, any surplus energy our panels produce goes into the local grid, meaning the whole system uses less fossil fuel sources overall. Everybody wins.) There was a brief moment of panic where the old electrical panel needed to be upgraded, which we couldn’t afford, but they waived that fee as well.

So yeah, my week has been:

Sunday I drove to Rhode Island and got the muffler replaced.

Monday I went to three different garages before I found someone who could do the inspection that day.

Monday night, Sales Guy called to let us know that everything was good to go and we were scheduled for panel installation today.

Seven o’clock this morning, the guys showed up, and by noon, they were done, cleaned up, and gone.

Now we just have to wait for the final inspection so they can be switched on and we are officially solar-powered.

I still don’t know how we’re going to pay the mortgage next month.

Life is seriously weird sometimes, and nothing makes sense, but I’ll take my wins where I can get them.

I’m taking the rest of the day to sleep, and then hoping that the wind will die down tomorrow so I can get outside again. I find that I actually really miss shooting video and want to get back up and running as soon as possible. Who knew?