The six-year-old has been given a choice between going to bed and cleaning their room.
They have opted for cleaning.
All night.
And have developed a detailed plan about how they’ll never sleep again, just clean all night every night.
Author: marylowd
Sandbeard the Pirate Otter
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published by Furvana, June 2019
Sandbeard the pirate otter, fiercest of the fierce, fuzziest of the fuzzy, and the best bewhiskered of all sea otters, steered her stolen space-trawler into the curving gravity well of a small oceanic moon. The lunar ocean was beautiful beneath her trawler — purple and choppy, swelling with swirling water, but toxic as a scorpionfish. Nice to look at; useless for swimming. But Sandbeard wasn’t here for a vacation; she was a pirate, and she was ready to pillage and plunder. Continue reading “Sandbeard the Pirate Otter”
Just Another Pandemic Day
Kids threatening each other in the age of quarantine:
“Maybe I’ll drink the last of the milk so we can’t bake scones or make tomato soup!!!” Continue reading “Just Another Pandemic Day”
Just a Standard Day in Quarantine
The writing, acting, and directing in Dear White People (Netflix) is incredible.
Day 13 of quarantine: the six-year-old has dressed in a lion costume and the adults are arguing deep philosophy about what science -is- as if it were 2am, although it’s noon and no one has eaten
I don’t see why I should be expected to feel more guilty about sleeping during some hours instead of other hours.
The six-year-old asked to read my book, Otters In Space, and made it through the whole first sentence before being distracted by the fact that the word “church” is almost a palindrome and then running off.
Of Cakes and Robots
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Theme of Absence, November 2016
Chirri watched the robot lumber back and forth outside her bakery window for several minutes, seeming undecided, before it came in. Once inside, the metal creature with its dome-shaped head and boxy limbs perused the displays of sugary confections, fancy layered cakes, and simple cookies. Chirri’s tufted triangular ears splayed in confusion at the sight. There were lots of robots on Crossroads Station, but none of them had ever frequented her bakery before. Robots don’t have much need for cake. Continue reading “Of Cakes and Robots”
The Ugly Sapling
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Empyreome, January 2019
Once upon a springtime in a magical garden, three saplings were planted in a row, along the bank of a sapphire lake. They were barely more than sticks, standing awkwardly in the sandy ground with their branch-arms raised toward the sky. All three looked alike, and they shivered together in their nakedness.
The Emperor’s New Bird
by Mary E. Lowd
Originally published in Daily Science Fiction, July 2019
The ruby-throated avian twirled, emerald wings beating in a blur, frothing the air with graceful gusts of wind that swept through the emperor’s branches and leaves, delighting his eye-petals with the sight of the frenzied dance. Continue reading “The Emperor’s New Bird”
Pandemic Paper Pizza
The six-year-old has opened a pizza shop. I gave them a nickel and got back a medium pizza and a dollar in change.
St. Patrick’s Eve
Less than a week home from school and the six-year-old has decided we need a new room in our house — devoted to building robots.
Today, Daniel and I have been together for 19 years. That’s more than half of my life. Continue reading “St. Patrick’s Eve”
Pie and Smoothies
Literally all I’ve eaten today (Pi Day) is pie — shepherd’s pie, apple pie, chocolate pie, and chicken pot pie.
The kids can keep themselves busy for a surprising amount of time making smoothies.
And then there are smoothies.