Writing, writing, writing

Books and stories on the boil 📚 A sci-fi romance novelette 📕 A mystery-romance novel 📕 A cosy mystery 📕 A paranormal romance novella 🚀

I’m also getting ready to run a market stall a book fair in November. Want details? Email me and I’ll tell ya.

Arting and farting 💨

I’ve been slow sketching in a pocket-sized Moleskine Cahier notebook. It’s a little tandem challenge with a friend, simply to fill a notebook with idle doodles. They’re doing a lot better than I am, especially in the last couple of weeks, as all my free time has gone to other things. But I’m really pleased to have this waiting in the wings. And by “in the wings” I mean within reach pretty much all the time ✍🏼

Getting used to Xero

Now that my filing and admin is done, I’m getting used to using Xero for work. It does a lot of stuff, but not all of it is obvious, especially for someone new to double-entry accounting. Let’s say I have enough grasp to make the numbers balance out, but the whys and contexts are still lost to me. It kinda makes sense, I think? Maybe the next step is to go read the fundamentals so I don’t feel like I’m winging it the whole time.

Staying active

Pole, pilates and walking are my jam right now. Now that the weather is sort of warming up again (except for the big cold and dumpy rain day that was today)

Maintenance and care

My lovely knitwear is full of holes 😭 There will be more Knitpatch in my future.

Recycling tip: A good way to recycle holey old socks is to dab essential oils on them and stick them on your clothes hangers as moth repellents. Good essential oils, according to possibly non-fact-checked articles online, are:

• cedar
• bergamot
• clove
• lavender
• lemon
• rosemary
• thyme

(This tip will remain here until I remember to create a proper note for it.)

Terra serenus

Have planted some Mr. Fothergills Edible Flowers from a shaker box. Am keeping an eye on the WA Bird Flu situation. And cuddling our old, arthritic cat a lot.

Recent readings/watchings/playings

• The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges
• Fitcher’s Bird by A.G. Slatter
• Salt City Runaway by Gillian O’Shaughnessy
• Godzilla Minus One (2023)
• Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
• Metropolis (1927)
• Necesse
• Rusty’s Retirement

Misc learnings

The Brain Cliff. Technofeudalism. Ancient Rome (again). Cinematic technique. Octopus anatomy. History of modern work. Crime on the high seas. Literary techniques. Cosmology & Big History. Maintenance mindset. Linguistics.

Current obsessions

Sewing & crochet (again). Old movies. Essentialism. Handmaking gifts. Ships & shipping. Vampire lore. Slow productivity.

Pls no

Bombings. The genocide in Palestine. Technopoly. Culture of uncare. Hyperactive Hive Mind. Hyperconsumption. Bullshit jobs.

This "Now" update was inspired by Derek Sivers’ Now page movement and Kohan Ikin’s Now page.