A Good Day to Stay Home

I've been going to Starbucks pretty consistently this week to get words in on A Barrel of Vintner. I love our local Starbucks because people leave each other alone to work. Oh, there's a nod and smile of acknowledgment, but otherwise we focus on our own tasks.

I find this rather pleasant. Nothing against DH or the pups, but I can concentrate for a solid two to two and half hours. Whatever wip I'm working on receives my sole attention, and I can type a solid 1K to 1.5K in that time.

Yes, I'm a slow writer by most author's standards.

However, we had a snow storm this morning. Mother Nature added another two inches to the foot of snow we've received over the past two weekends. DH is out with the snowblower clearing the driveway and sidewalks even as I type this.

There's something calming about fresh powder. A blank tapestry over sleeping nature. It's a good day to knit with a cup of hot tea and puppy on your lap.

For those who love yarnwork and hate ICE, Needle & Skein in Minneapolis, MN, is offering a hat pattern for a donation. Employee Paul Neary designed the hat based on the red resistance cap worn by Norwegians during the Nazi occupation of the country during World War II.

Here's the thing--the  state of Minnesota was settled by a lot of Scandinavians, including Norwegians, in the 1800s. Scandinavians are the descendants of Vikings. These aren't people who will roll over and show their bellies to a bunch of gun-toting bullies. If you don't believe me, read up on these countries' histories.

Which makes Tribblehead's efforts to bully Denmark into giving up Greenland and their refusal even more significant.

Want a personal tidbit about me? My middle name is Scandinavian and means "hope" or "luck" depending on the country.

Anyway, Needle & Skein donates all the proceed from their "Melt the ICE" pattern to the immigrant. They've received nearly $500K and donated to organizations that assist immigrants. (Note: This article is a week old. The current number I stated in from this morning's post on their FaceBook page.)

With the cold and snow here in Ohio, I need something to keep my head warm!Fu

Tax Time!

Yep, it's that time of year. All of the 1099s and W-2s have arrived. I've run the necessary reports from our accounting software. Now, it's time to wade through the paperwork and double-check everything is correctly categorized before we meet with our CPA Monday night.

I know tax prep is the last thing most people want to do. However, I like getting it out of the way as soon as possible. Now that I'm doing minimal elder care (Both DH's parents and mine have passed to the next realm. I just check on a particular cousin once in a while.), I can knock this crap out in a few.

Especially since we'll probably be snowed in again through the weekend. Various meteorologists have predicted a dusting to two and a half inches more of the white stuff. I don't blame the poor people doing the predictions. Climate change has thrown the weather modeling developed over the last 50+ years out the window.

And the weather is the very reason I want to have taxes done. The weather has been too dangerously cold for the Grandpuppy and the Princess Pup to stay outside longer than absolutely necessary to do their business, even though they both love playing in the snow. That means a distinct lack of walks to burn off excess energy and weight gain for them both. I want to be free to take the pups outside as soon as the weather allows.

FREEDOM! And sun! We don't care what the groundhog saw! We want spring!

So, yeah. I need to get the taxes done over the next few dys. 

More Amazon Fascism

Ohio Resistance by Bob Seay

Welp, I got hit with the Amazon identity verification bullshit yesterday morning.

I don't think I would be as peeved about it if they started this nearly twenty years ago when they launched KDP. They've let scammers get away without ID for almost two decades with little or no punishment other than a slap on the wrist. The scammers would simple set up another account and keep doing what they were doing.

Unfortunately, this ID check has nothing to do with preventing bad actors from scamming customers or stealing writers' intellectual property. Amazon will hand your information over to our fascist government to kick out anyone whose not a citizen and exile anyone whose books the fascists don't like.

Let's face it, kids. Amazon is deeply in league with the current fascist government. Why else would they pay the First Lady millions of dollars to make a film two-hour advertisement about how great she is?

But if I create a multi-cultural cast in a fake American city based on the real-life U.S. cities I've lived in, I'm a flaming SJW writing feminist propaganda?! *eyeroll*

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

A sweet little love song.

A Hell of a Week

Jessica Morrigan

Snow. Public Executions. Taxes.

There's a massive snow storm targeting the East Coast. The winds have been so blustery we got lake effect snow from Lake Michigan. Again. Plus, we're having record cold in Northwest Ohio. The kind of frigid temps that when you step outside, any exposed skin hurts!

There's too much going on in the world and at home, and I need a break. You know it's bad when I get an hour and a half, and I write to relieve the tension building inside of me.

So, I'm going to do something I haven't done in years. I'm taking the last day of January off.

Totally off. No writing. No marketing. No prep for the planned Kickstarters for 2026. Nothing.

I'm going to brew a cup of Irish Breakfast tea, curl up on the couch, and read. What will I read? I'm not sure yet. I've got several books by Jonathan Moeller and Lilith Saintcrow, two of my favorite authors, that I haven't devoured yet. The hardback of the latest Dresden Files arrived last week. And there's literally thousands of titles on my Kindle and in the boxes I've been unpacking, all waiting for me to consume them.

Oh, and the Princess Pup will probably be under the blanket with me, snoring away as she uses me as her personal heater. 

See y'all on Monday!

 

P.S. Apparently, the fascists in the country haven't realized everyone's designing these logos to resemble the Rebel Alliance symbol. You know, the movie where Antifa are fighting the Space Nazis. Seriously, that's why George Lucas called the henchmen Stormtroopers!

Don't Get Political They Said

Ohio Resistance by Bob Seay

Don't get political they said. I would lose readers.

But when ICE agents are executing American citizens in the streets, I can no longer be silent.

The Second American Civil War has started. I stand with the people who believe kindness and empathy are virtues.

I do not stand with anyone who believes the Constitution only applies to certain, privileged people. I do not stand with assholes who think it's okay for children to be kidnapped. Assholes who think it's okay for elderly people to be dragged from their homes naked in subzero weather. Assholes who think shooting unarmed people in the face or back at point blank range is acceptable.

If you have a problem with my views, then leave my website. Do not buy my books. My stories won't please you one iota.

You see, I've heard too many stories from and about my uncles who fought for the Allies during World War II. Funny how the stories are so similar. Children taken from their families. Old men forced to endure the cold in little or no clothing during the winter. Innocent people shot in the streets for whatever reason the fascist wanted. Or for no reason at all.

If it quacks like a fascist, fosters fear like a fascist, kills like a fascist, then it's a fucking fascist.

And I stand against them.

 

P.S. Author Bob Seay created resistance logos for each state based on Minnesota's resistance logo using their state bird, the loon. He gave permission for personal use of the logos. Please give him credit if you use one.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

The choreography in one take! TH is the consummate professional!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

With great acts comes great videos!

SAD, Terror, and Death

Depression sucks in the best of times. Now, this time, there's a specific trigger. The United States is a full-blown fascist nation now.

Yeah, I've heard it before. Don't talk politics. You'll lose your readers.

Frankly, if you believe the wave of recent murders by ICE is good, well, you're not going to like my books anyway.

I don't believe murdering people is a good thing. I still believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I've taken the oath to uphold them three times in my life.

But the guys on the street wearing masks (which they refused to do five years ago in the middle of a Goddess-damned pandemic) and carrying weapons (which they claimed they needed to protect themselves from the government five years ago) are gleefully killing people exercising their constitutional rights on the streets in broad daylight.

I've heard "fucking bitch" in that same tone aimed at me. The only difference is that I'm alive and Renee Good isn't.

And the worst part is if I post a picture of Renee or the man who murdered her on my blog, I'll be harassed by the same people who say Charlie Kirk didn't deserve to be shot in cold blood, but Renee Good did.

How fucked up is that?

So now, I'm struggling through depression. I'm awake all night wondering if the neighbors I've been polite to, even though they've flown Trump flags for the last 10 years, will bust into my house and kill my husband and dogs.

I'm honestly questioning if any of us will survive this decade. And I will still be questioning it even when my SAD eases up in February. 

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

I love the male appreciation!