Dear Reader,

Since I last wrote to you all, I’ve been to Alaska and back. I’ve never held Alaska in my mind as a bucket list place, but having coasted along the edges and touched down in three spots, I would be very happy to go back someday. I saw whales! And eagles! And examined a tidepool with some buried critter that spat water into the air. In Utah any human structure left unattended becomes sun weathered, dusty, and brown. In coastal Alaska anything left unattended became a huge pile of moss. (Pictures here!) It was all green and gray and chilled and beautiful. I wore sweaters and scarves, gloves and poncho. Then I returned to the last dry warmth of the Utah summer.

I’d hoped that during my trip, on the days at sea, I would be able to focus my attention and really get rolling on my revision of Structuring Life to Support Creativity. That did not happen. My creative circuits were fully occupied with emotional processing: Whales! Moss! Ship! Food is complicated! Disability is hard away from coping structures! Cool writer conversations! Teaching! Dressing up!  There was so much to process that at times I kind of short circuited. In the three days since arriving home I’ve spent a lot of time just staring at nothing. Tuesday was a three nap day. Wednesday had a long nap. Today I’m trying to not nap because I’m apparently still on Alaska time and need to recalibrate to Utah local.

I’m three days home and still trying to orient myself. I managed to get all of the suitcases unpacked and laundry washed. I picked up the prescriptions that I should actually have gotten during the week I was away. I made phone calls for follow up appointments. (Another scoping is in my future. Whee.) Howard and I have also made several outings to catch pokemon because right now Pokemon Go is a shared joyful activity. I keep trying to turn my mind forward, to plan for the coming weeks, strategize for the coming months. Brain keeps not being ready to look beyond the next few hours. So I’m shuffling forward. Taking things slow. Hopefully by the end of today I’ll have managed to send this newsletter and taken a look at the task list of things I need to get done before we launch a Kickstarter next Tuesday.

One thing that was very encouraging to me was that during my teaching this past week, I mentioned my plan to crowdfund for SLSC. Several people expressed that they want to know when the project launches. I was, of course, glad to hear that and gave them the means to sign up for my newsletter. But more important than the response, was me speaking my intention out loud. Hearing myself say that this is something I’m going to do makes it much more likely that I’ll follow through. In order to make that come to pass, I have to focus and get the revisions done.

Keeping this letter short and sweet. Hopefully for October I’ll have brain enough to share some longer and slower thoughts. I hope that you’re able to grant yourself space to rest when life gets extra busy for a while.
All the best,
Sandra
 

 
 The month just past:

The space between Gen Con and the Writing Excuses cruise was completely occupied with medical adventures, Kickstarter prep, and then trip preparations. It was the sort of month where I look back at it an wonder where the time went. Surely I did something? But I can't seem to account for all of the hours. I did manage to record and post two of my Gen Con presentations, so there is that.

The priority for improving my health got center stage in August. Financial goals are going to take a hit as a result. Attending the WXR cruise was a huge focus on strengthening core connections and building community. The priority that completely fell by the wayside was getting more books onto the table. (For folks new to my newsletter, here is where I describe my 2023 priorities)

 
 The coming month (the remains of September):

First focus is creating a strong launch for the next Schlock book Kickstarter. We plan to launch that on Tuesday. (click this link to sign up for our prelaunch) Funds from that project buy me time for all the other projects, so I need it to go well.

I need to do a big revision on Structuring Life to Support Creativity. I've gotten a pile of feedback that I haven't applied yet and I just need to get to work on it.  I've also got my monthly Patron Pick-a-Post to write. This one will be an analysis of how a hard year and a bad year aren't the same thing. I need to record and post my WXR presentations for Patreon. I also hope to launch some TikTok promo efforts, but looking at this list and the fact that September only has two weeks in it, I might need to let that go.

 
 Looking Ahead:
 
October is less scheduled than August and September were, which is good. I need to have attention for writing and house for a while. Though I expect the Kickstarter to have a pretty big footprint in the month and we'll need to devote some construction cycles to Dragonsteel planning.  
In early November my daughter is expecting a baby. This will be my first grandchild and I'll want to be available to help with that. Late November is Dragonsteel Con.
December is holidays and holiday shipping.
 
Frustrations:
I didn't want food to feel complicated. I was trying to hold myself in a mental space where I was having a food adventure eating different things. But I can feel the restrictions wearing on me. At home I can develop patterns and comfort foods, but any time I venture out, even to have lunch with a friend I have to wonder if there will be food I can eat or if I should pack it along. The extra decision load adds up and makes me weary sometimes.

I wish I had been able to arrive to my trip with more emotional reserves instead of having so much emotional baggage from home. I wish I could just roll with the medical stuff instead of being sent sideways by it.

 
 
 Triumphs:

Whales! and Moss! and sweaters! and all the other exclamation point items in my letter.

Being told by people who attended my classes that my teaching has value to them. That they really enjoy both the content and mode of my teaching.

Community building. I'm excited to see how many groups are forming up among the attendees of the WXR retreat.

There were no new holes in my house when I returned from my travels. Last year when I returned home from the cruise there had been a pipe leak that nececitated cutting a hole in the family room ceiling to fix. The hole is still there, but at least there were no crises while I was gone. Yay!

Books read:
 
A Still Life by Josie George This book is beautiful and hopeful despite centering a disabled life. I had to read in small snatches because I’m still processing all sorts of emotions about living with disability. It gave me some insights into Howard’s experience as the one with energy limits. I loved seeing an acknowledgement on the page that sometimes people don’t just get better, sometimes illness is cyclical and chronic.

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher a nice creepy read with a very believable protagonist who reacts rationally when the world is weird. 
 
 Note that those links are affiliate links to Bookshop.org. If you shop using those links, I do get a small percentage of your purchase. Also, you can support your local independent book seller.