I’ve finally settled on a title that I like and am currently doing a final reread and edit before submitting it. And the winner is…. THE WITCH AND HER WEAPONS I felt it captured some of the key elements of the plot and the structure hints at the kind of prose. Plus, it’s not the […]

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GOOD NEWS: Had a great time during our annual rental cottage vacation. Pretty sure I’ve found a title I like for The Witch Novel. BAD NEWS: My husband developed plantar fasciitis so the trip to Italy we were to leave for on Saturday is now cancelled. Ah well, Italy will still be there in 2028. […]

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Well, sort of. Though I do enjoy this YouTube channel. But I’m working on a project I’ve named for this. It might be procrastination (ok, it’s probably procrastination) and avoidance of the topic of what exactly I should do with the Witch Novel (it’s definitely that), but I figured it might as well try to […]

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It’s been a hot, unproductive summer here in Toronto but, as I remind myself daily, at least everything’s not on fire. I’ve had “write something about your vacation on the blog” for weeks now, so the time has come and I must do it. In June, my husband and I flew to Moncton, New Brunswick, […]

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I picked up my pace a bit, though I’m definitely not breaking any records this year. I had several DNF (did not get past the first page or two), which is rare for me. Those shall remain unnamed. Still, here are some of the notable things I read between April and June. FICTION Kalpa Imperial, […]

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I’m not good at titles. More precisely, I’m not good at finding them quickly and easily. I actually like the titles for all my stories and novels quite a bit, but discovering them was a struggle. I usually find my titles in songs or poems. I’ve been writing the thing I call “The Witch Novel” […]

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I felt like I started the year rather more slowly than I usually do on the reading front. Not sure why – it certainly wasn’t that I was spending the time writing. I had more DNF so far in 2026 than I do over the course of most years. Anyway, here’s the usual quick wrap-up. […]

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I made another thing. It look a long time, but I finished my first pseudo-kawandi piece created around a fish kite image from a piece of Japanese fabric. Other elements include: old table runners, several dresses, obi fabric from Japan, and an old decorative pillow case. I’ve now started on the second one, featuring a […]

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Two weeks ago, my flamenco teacher, Elena Mamais (known as Elena La Comadre) died. Last week, her family, friends, and students buried her. I think she would have appreciated the aesthetic of the scene: the white snow coating the trees at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, the black coats of the mourners, the red flowers we threw […]

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I read a total of (roughly) 136 books this year, of which 43% were non-fiction. My audiobook count went up a bit this year, driven partially by what version was available through the Toronto Public Library and partially because I went to Spain and wanted to be able to look at scenery while still reading! […]

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