Self-Awareness

I had a young companion today. OJ said he needed a Meemaw day so I picked him up. We went to lunch, dropped some donations off at Goodwill, and popped into Michaels for some stamp carving supplies. I had a box of pink pearl erasers and that's what he started with. His first one says "Certified Smart Aleck." I asked him who told him that and he said he did. I was very impressed that he knew to carve the letters backwards so they'd come out right, but he'd already carved a lino cut at Grandparent University in Madison with Doc and Nana this summer so this was not a new art for him. He said he made a monkey face at GPU.

 

My stamp carving wasn't quite as successful. I tried to carve a scallop shell, but didn't do a very good job at the curving tops. Since it was my first time, I don't feel bad. I'll practice. Then I gouged a crater in another eraser trying out a cutting tip and didn't know what to do with it so I carved some lines and turned it into a flower with stems--sorta.

 

We watched this squirrel nibbling on the suet nuggets. I thought it would leap over onto the new feeder and try to get at the seed but it didn't. The Red-bellied Woodpecker landed on the suet nuggets and on the side too, so I could see it all, but it flew away before I got the camera off the table, dang it.

 

Before picking up OJ, I drew yesterday's gratitude journal page. I had a lovely walk, but was most grateful for getting all of my audiobook files onto Gumroad with barely a hitch.

 

While OJ read a little and then played with the blocks, I drew today's art. It's listed as a Robin but it doesn't look like an American Robin. Obviously it's a British or European Robin and mine is not as rounded as the picture, but the coloring pretty much matches the one in the book.

 

When he and I got tired of reading, we played dominoes. He won both games, but it was close, not a runaway. After I dropped him off this afternoon, I listened to a cozy mystery hoping to pick up tips, but it's narrated by a synthesized voice. There's very little expression and "she" pauses in odd places. I'm distracted by the poor narration so I'm not getting much out of the construction of the story.

On my way home I ran out to GBB's house where I picked up a few more homegrown tomatoes. They're so much better than the ones I got at the farmstand last week. Although the peaches I got there are pretty darned tasty AND they're freestone so I don't have to wrestle the fruit from the pit. Every time I eat a ripe peach I think of the peach ice cream Mom and Dad made once when we still lived in Evansville. It was the best ice cream I've ever eaten. Do you remember that, Aunt B? It was so good.

I think I have the manuscript of Sailing the Seas all formatted, so as soon as I get the final cover design I can publish it and order copies. I don't think it'll happen by the dates of my shows in September but hopefully it'll be ready by the first week in October when I go to The Clearing and then come home for a show the very next day. Fingers crossed.

One ultra-cool thing, I posted on Facebook yesterday that I finally figured out how to upload my ebooks to Gumroad and there were a few comments on the post. One of them was from a woman I went to high school with who said she plans to pick one of my books for her book club next year because they're reading Wisconsin authors. I'm tickled pink! 

-- Barbara

Hitting The End

During this afternoon's zoom call with cda, I hit The End of Sailing the Seas. That means now I can upload the final, edited manuscript to Atticus, then make sure it's formatted correctly. Upload that to Kindle Create, and once the cover design is finalized, publish it. I should have started contacting Getcovers a few weeks ago so the cover would be ready when the manuscript was ready, but evidently I'm not that smart.

 

I used quite a bit of the day to upload all of my audiobook files to Gumroad so that when I find an audiobook sales promo on BookFunnel I'll be ready on a site where I can lower the price to make my titles more attractive. One thing that Past Me did that made Present Me happy was I put all of the audiobook mp3 files into a folder on the hard drive so I didn't have to download them from ACX all over again, I just had to point and click. So much less work even though I had to upload each file/chapter separately. I'm in an eBook sales promo right now, so I lowered the price of the two books in the promo this morning. Probably too late to have much effect because the promo only runs for another week, but even if I sell a book or two it'll be worth it. Anything is better than nothing.

 

A House Finch visited the orange half today and I was lucky enough to see it and take its picture. I took two pictures, one blurry and one in focus. You get to see the in focus one.

 

Once again the Hummingbird was too swift for me to get a picture so I went back into the archives for a picture of one that looked similar. 

 

Here's yesterday's gratitude journal page. I guess the thing I was most grateful for was having a dishwasher to run and empty. I'm not an enthusiastic hand washer of dishes.

 

It was so nice today--sunny, less humid, and cooler--that I took a walk in my red shoes. I need to encourage myself to take a walk more often. I don't want to be huffing and puffing walking to class at The Clearing in October.

 

One thing I wasn't so good at today was art. I turned to the next page in the Watercolor The Easy Way coloring book and found a Bird of Paradise flower to paint. I was all excited. So excited that I wasn't patient enough to let the petals dry before painting the next one, so they all bled together. The orange, yellow, and red were supposed to bleed together, just not as much as they did. And I painted the narrow center one red when it was supposed to be blue. I tried lifting the red paint but didn't have much luck. Oh well. It won't go on my permanent record. 

 

I spent a little time, maybe an hour, writing a new scene in Three Cheers for Murder. (Sorry, Aunt B, the cheerleader coach isn't the bad guy.) It's an interrogation of the prime suspect and was surprisingly easy to write. Guess I watched too many cop shows in the past. 

--Barbara 

The Wisconsin Squirrel Report

That's what DS used to call Durwood's calls when DS and DIL1 were living in Montana because Durwood invariably complained about the squirrels' antics. I have two versions of the Wisconsin Squirrel Report to share tonight. First, this squirrel jumped up onto the trash can on the patio and proceeded to start ripping apart a Black Walnut. It doesn't look like it tastes good and it stains whatever it touches.

 

Another squirrel climbed up on the cob corn after I filled it this afternoon and hung there by its hind feet. It would curl up to take off a kernel and then stretch out again to nibble it. They're very good at eating upside down.

 

There was barely a single layer of suet nuggets when the Red-bellied Woodpecker landed there this morning. I took three shots and none of them were in focus. The autofocus must have chosen something closer or farther away to make sharp. Once the bird was gone, I filled up the feeder. Maybe it'll come back tomorrow, although it tends to land on the back side so it's very hard to see clearly and the camera is no help.

 

I decided in the morning to take one more stab at learning how to upload my eBooks onto Gumroad. I googled tutorials and got a string of YouTube videos that I'd looked at yesterday. All of the people spoke too fast and clicked around like I already knew what to do so they were no help. Then I went on Gumroad and asked them for a tutorial. They had one. It was three minutes long and was evidently magic because I understood it and was able to get all of my eBooks loaded up. The two spaces in the line of cover images are there because either the square image was a little too big or I don't have a square image to put on there. I contacted Getcovers to ask them to reduce one and create the other. But I did it! I'm pumped. And now I can take the time and upload my audiobooks to the site so I can sell them through BookFunnel promos too.

 

But before doing that I drew the gratitude journal page for yesterday. I realized that I always start out with a weather report, then segue into what I actually did for the day. My favorite thing was picking up the people I dropped at the airport on Monday and hearing about the fun they had in Maine.

 

Today's drawing is Herbs. In particular, Bay Leaf, Sage, and Thyme, from left to right. They all turned out okay, but I like the thyme the best, don't know why.

 

I got so caught up in uploading those eBooks to Gumroad that the clock struck noon and I realized that I was still in my PJs and hadn't taken a shower. After I took my shower and got dressed, I had lunch, then went to the grocery because I was out of milk, bananas, and grapes. Naturally I bought a bunch of other things, most of it was on my list. When I got home and had put everything away, I came back here and worked on the pesky interview section of Three Cheers for Murder. The way I initially wrote it the interviewee (the murderer) gives everything away. Can't have that. So I scaled back her answers to the questions and lowered the temperature of her remarks. Once I get what I have written gone through and edited a bit, then I have to go back and start adding red herrings and casting suspicion on other people in the neighborhood. I need to jazz up the sidekick's role too. Lots to do. I'm having fun.

--Barbara 

Upside Down

It can't be comfortable for a squirrel to hang by its hind feet and then try to eat suet nuggets through small holes in a metal cylinder. They must get enough out of it to keep coming back, though.

 

A Downy Woodpecker took a chance on the new seed feeder.  There wasn't a lot left in there but the bird gave it a try. I didn't think woodpeckers ate birdseed but evidently they like a little variety in their diet.

 

Once again I thought of five things to be grateful for yesterday. Two of them were Zoom calls, the first one with a bunch of women writer friends and the second one with women knitter friends. But the thing I'm most grateful for was that little email from Chirp telling me I was chosen for an audiobook Featured Deal in September. Woohoo!

 

Today's art is a watercolor of a flower I've never heard of--Banksia. Never heard of it, never seen it. It must be tropical or something because there's sure not a flower like it in Wisconsin. Therefore, I couldn't tell if I did a good job of painting it or not.

 

I've just spent an hour trying to figure out another website where I can offer my eBooks for sale aside from Amazon. They won't let me lower the price below $2.99 and that might not be low enough for a BookFunnel sales promo. It turns out I have an account on a site called Gumroad but for the life of me I can't figure out how to upload more products on there. I've got The Seaview eBook and audiobook on there, haven't ever sold any, but they're on there. And Open for Business is on there but listed as unpublished. Couldn't figure out what else needs to be done for that to be published. *sigh* So I emailed my assistant KM asking for help. Hopefully she can figure it out. 

And I spent a couple of hours working on Three Cheers for Murder. I'm trying to stretch out what I have already written and fix it so that it works for the genre. Then there's that scene where the murderer basically spills the beans. That has to change big time. So I started on that, saving what I could and ducking out when things got dicey. I'll tackle that another day. After all, tomorrow is another day. (You can call me Scarlet.) Sorry, I couldn't resist.

--Barbara 

 

Rainy Morning

I woke up to rain pecking at the window over my head. It rained for an hour or so before it tapered off and spent the rest of the day overcast but dry. I was just glad that the rain stopped before I had to go to my haircut across town because I drive south on Hwy. 41 and then east on Hwy. 172, both of which tend to be racecourses with crazy drivers going like bats out of hell. Better that I drive them on drier pavement than on slick rainy pavement. If it had been raining hard, I'd have taken the long way through town. (I sound like an old lady. Hmm.)

 

One squirrel has been trying to get to the seed in the new feeder. It leaps from the back of the nearest patio chair over to the feeder, setting it swinging like mad, and doing its best to get to the seed ports which close with the squirrel's weight. Sorry, you furry tree rat.

 

It amused me to see this Downy Woodpecker taking a Slinky ride this morning. It seemed to have fun on there and then flew over to the new feeder to check it out.

 

And the camera-shy Red-bellied Woodpecker visited the suet nuggets again today. I took this picture just before a Sparrow tried to share the feeder and got jabbed with the Woodpecker's beak for the effort. Feathers flew. 

 

Here's yesterday's gratitude journal page. Writing three scenes for the new manuscript wins the day. But getting a phone call inviting me to be in a craft show with my books came in a close second.

Friday Night Knitting was cut short when the California knitters left to go to bingo at Ikea, and the other Green Bay knitter was tired and conked out. But I was able to knit the crown decreases of the Dark Teal Chemo Hat so I can deliver it and the first one I knitted to KW to take along to Mayo on Sunday.

 

Just at dusk this bigger rabbit was snuffling around in the grass under the feeders checking things out. I'm surprised you can see it as well as you can because I had to turn off the flash to get the picture in the low light.

 

I didn't think I'd have time to draw today but I dashed this drawing off just before I came back here. It's a Carolina Wren and it turned out pretty darned well for as quickly as I drew it. The coloring's not bad either. Good job, me.

 

I got an email this afternoon that Horizon was accepted for a Chirp audiobook featured deal! Woohoo! I applied for it a few weeks ago and was just wondering if I'd been passed over but the email came today and I'm in. It'll be $1.99 from September 3 to October 5. Fingers crossed a lot of people want to read about Gail and her adventures with watercolor and Abel. I need to learn how to lower the ebook price when I do a BookBub sales promo so I get some traction there. I'll figure it out.

 --Barbara

Wrestlemania

Or something like that has been happening the last few days on my patio. Two juvenile squirrels chase and wrestle all over. Usually they're too fast and moving all over for me to take their picture but today they were wrestling on the patio chair seat so I snapped them.

 

The lawn mowers came today. It surprises me that they're here so frequently. I asked if they could come every 10 days or so and the owner said sure. But still they come every week. They do a good job and I don't want to discourage them because in the fall they hoover up all of the fallen leaves and I love that about them.

 

There was a Flicker hopping around on the lawn this morning. I keep hoping one will come closer so I can show you the black patch on its breast or the red on back of its head. Or if it flew away, the white patch at the base of its tail. But all I get is the gray brown speckled bird with the long beak that probes the grass looking for... bugs maybe? I don't know what they eat but they're diligent about looking for whatever it is.

 

Here's yesterday's gratitude journal page. I was impressed with myself for thinking of five things instead of my usual four or even three. I like the little clothesline I drew for doing the laundry the best.

 

Today's flower is a Dandelion. It was fun to draw. I didn't add as many of the fluffy things as it showed in the book but I really like the way it turned out.

 

I spent most of the afternoon writing three small scenes to slot into Three Cheers for Murder. In them my sleuth is moving around the downtown neighborhood visiting other stores, which is introducing people I can make suspects in the murder. I have to give each person or couple a reason to want the victim dead. I'm working on it. It's kind of fun. In a creepy kind of way.

I met with a few other local writers tonight on Zoom to brainstorm marketing ideas. We each talked about what we're trying, what's working, and what isn't. Unfortunately, the "isn't"s are leading. But we're not giving up.

--Barbara 

Birds Big & Small

I'll start with the biggest, the Turkey. I was eating breakfast and this huge dark shape stalked into view. It's so big, it's no wonder they can barely fly. Although once on the highway I saw one fly out of the weeds on the side of the road and fly smack dab into the side of a semi trailer. It did not end well for the bird.

 

Next smallest was the camera-shy Red-bellied Woodpecker. I waited and waited hoping it would shift positions so I could see more than the top of its head but it stubbornly stayed on the back side of the suet nuggets feeder.

 

Then there was a juvenile Cardinal that hopped across the patio and just when I thought I'd missed it, it flew up to land on the edge of the patio table so I got this blurry shot of it. I haven't seen a Cardinal in along time.

 

A Downy Woodpecker flew to land on the birdbath for a nice drink. I was afraid that the Sparrow on there would scare it away but it stood its ground and stayed.

 

Twice today I saw a Hummingbird, and twice today it flew away long before I had the camera up and ready, so this is a picture from the  archives representing the birds that I saw.

 

Here's yesterday's gratitude journal page. I was mostly grateful that the rain held off until almost bedtime because it would have been a real difficult job for N and F to install the new air conditioner next door in the rain. Also I was grateful that my cleaning lady came.

 

In the afternoon, I worked on formatting Sailing the Seas on Atticus for uploading to Kindle Create. I also formatted it on  Kindle Create to see which one I like better. I think Atticus wins. It's more user-friendly and it doesn't scare me by pausing with the message "not responding" every once in a while.

 

The drawing today is Juniper. When I turned the page I thought it was blueberries but they don't have needle-like leaves, and then it said juniper on top of the page. Usually I don't like fussy things to draw like those needles but this evening I liked drawing them. Go figure. The camera didn't flash so the picture is dull and yellowish. In person it's bright white paper and colorful berries and leaves.

 

I added two rounds to Scrap Hat #8 tonight. Two more even rounds and then it's on to the crown decreases. I was happy to see a bit of orange show up to liven up the neutrals I've got going on.

 

I broke down and did laundry today. Three loads--darks, lights, and the bleach load of towels, undies, and socks. Lots of undies and socks. I even carried up the basket of clean laundry. It'll sit around for a while waiting to get folded. Don't want to rush into anything. 

--Barbara