A reminder came in that the annual fee for this blog was due: $171.49 CAD. Actually it wasn’t so much a reminder on what I owed but rather a notice letting me know how much had been automatically withdrawn from my chequing account.
My first thought was that I wasn’t getting my money’s worth, my last entry being in February of this year. My second thought was that my loyal subscribers are not benefitting either.
I’ve noticed that many of the bloggers I follow seem to be migrating over to Substack these days, which seems to be a platform for more serious writing, I think. I am definitely not a serious writer, nor am I a consistent one.
Last night was a bad night in terms of quality and quantity of sleep. I caught a virus five and a half weeks ago that has left me with a chronic cough and a new dependence on inhalers and cough syrup. I usually manage a couple of hours of sleep before the cough syrup wears off. At 4 am, I decided to give my poor husband a break from my hacking and headed downstairs with my book.
After taking my morning dose of inhalers and two strong coffees, I managed to read for several hours before my eyes started to droop. As a rule, I am not a napper. In fact, naps of any length during the day usually make me feel worse, but I gave in today and managed to doze for an additional hour and a half, just what I needed for a little recharge.
As for the rest of the day, I stayed in my jammies, sat in my reading chair by the front window wrapped in a fleece blanket, and watched the rain fall, my stack of books next to me, my birds and dogs for company. It is rare I get a full rest day to myself. Last weekend was spent in the emergency room of our local hospital with my mother (subject for another entry, another time).
This day was badly needed and did a world of good.



If you do move to Substack, I will follow you there. I think you are a better writer than YOU think you are! I hope you sort out the cough and sleeplessness and feel better. Books are such good company at any time, yes. I’ve never been a napper either but some days they’re realio trulio a good thing.
Love,
Rose
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Thanks for your kind words, Rose, and your encouragement. I don’t do change well and migrating from Blogger to WordPress several years ago was stressful enough! I have paid subscriptions to a few favourite Substack sites and regret that I cannot budget for more, especially for those artists and writers who eke a living through supporters. I also subscribe to several independent news sources. Books are great company, I agree. I don’t even have to be actively reading them to feel a boost in their presence. You may have noted The Odyssey in my stack, the Emily Wilson translation. I started the intro then decided I needed to do a bit of background reading before tackling it again. Anne Carson keeps popping up. Along with the two books you recommended, I also nabbed Eros, the Bittersweet. All I need is another rest day! Hugs back xo
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