quiddity

I've just bundled up my collection of short stories in manuscript, for a fresh, new outing to the publisher. I've put flame trees on the cover. I know, you're not supposed to send covers. But I've sent flame trees for good luck.

The cat seems positive about the whole process. He brought me an extra mouse tonight to celebrate.

Checking, re-ordering and primping the collection has kept me busy for the past week. I experienced that odd feeling, when you read work you've written from a remove, so that it's as if someone else has written it. "Aah, so that's what happens to that character! Nice." That's when a story works, perhaps; when I'm not distracted by how I can change it, or make it better, but instead I'm pulled into its world.

So, the short stories are off in the morning, off to find their way in the world, and I'll get my head back into the novel.

spacies

Having given this gift to its recipient, I can now share it with the world: the spacies vest. Just Jussi's vest pattern, with spacies duplicate-stitched on from the chart for bmp socks from knitty (socks I've been planning to knit myself for more than a year). Black and green bamboo yarn - a colour combo to hide all manner of baby eruptions.

grumpy of wellington

I'm grumpy. I'm grumpy much of the time, these days. Days are getting shorter; so's my temper. I am a little ball of grumpiness, fired by the meannesses (sp?) of others. I need to open the venetian blinds of life, and smile.

Tomatoes

It's been a tomato-ripening summer here in Wellington, for a change. Actual ripe, edible tomatoes on the vines. And a huge crop of white-fleshed nectarines, too many to cope with as they all came ripe within a week. Zucchini, beans, strawberries. The odd zucchini that got away from me and grew enormous, like a joke vegetable.

Tentative steps

My first steps into the blogiverse are taken tentatively. It feels odd to be here. However...here I go, launching the good ship hissing swan. Cheers.