I’m watching Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, and of course, the music is off the charts amazing. But also… my god… listening to Taylor Swift talk about being afraid the label wouldn’t want her album… being afraid other musicians wouldn’t want to work with her… Continue reading “Watching Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions”
The Deep Nature of Our Younger Bengals
What Hazel wants most in the world is to murder human hands. Unfortunately for her, she also doesn’t wish to displease her humans. She is a sweet cat.
So every day, she begs me, meowing so pretty, “Please, may today be the day? May I destroy your hand?” Continue reading “The Deep Nature of Our Younger Bengals”
Core Homework Skills
Two of the biggest skills I’ve had to work with Elder Child on for getting their homework assignments done are, “Yes, that thing you just said out loud is good enough, WRITE IT DOWN,” and “No, DO NOT DELETE that thing you just wrote down.”
This lesson also applies to writers.
Diablo and Mr. Rogers
You know how dogs just really need to be praised and told they’re good dogs? Like just for being dogs?
I think people need to be told that more too. This is why Mr. Rogers was so important. Continue reading “Diablo and Mr. Rogers”
Offbeat Ghosts and Vampires
I’ve been watching the BBC show “Ghosts,” and it’s absolutely charming. It has a kind of similar off-beat, quirky humor to “What We Do in the Shadows,” except about ghosts instead of vampires.
Highly, highly recommended. Continue reading “Offbeat Ghosts and Vampires”
Fake Christmas Trees
My mom bought a this fake tree after figuring out I was allergic to Christmas trees. (They’re filled with mold.) My dad objected strenuously to us switching to a fake tree. But I finally stopped spending the whole of December sick, turning into lingering bronchitis through the spring.
One year, we visited Jewish friends for a couple days around Christmas, and my eternal winter cold lifted. My mom put that puzzle piece together with the fact that I always perked up on Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house — which had a fake tree. Continue reading “Fake Christmas Trees”
Struggling with Burnout
I’ve been really struggling with the concept of burnout lately.
During the two years vaguely centered on the pandemic, I wrote four books, invented numerous weekend holidays to distract my kids, and burned myself out to the point of a serious health crisis.
And I still feel like writing another book is what will make me feel better, even though it is demonstrably NOT an effective way to make myself feel better.
Literary Analysis
The 14-year-old: “My English teacher said I didn’t engage enough with the story we read based on one question I answered on a quiz. I’ll never be able to do literary analysis!”
Also 14: “Rudolph is a neurodivergent found family story. Let me list all my evidence…”
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is exactly as spectacular as the rest of the show. Exactly what it should be.
I hope it gets renewed for another season, but if it doesn’t, the Christmas special gave it a much better end than it would have had without it.
Stray Parenting and Writing Thoughts
Me to my kid: “It makes sense to take a break and give yourself time to rest rather than pushing yourself to be in every play the children’s theater puts on.”
Me to myself: “Now, tell me again why you didn’t write a novel last month? ‘Cause, I really think you could have.” Continue reading “Stray Parenting and Writing Thoughts”