Yes, it’s a rainy day here. The all-day-long, maybe all-week-long kind of dreary gray that sometimes launches into sudden downpours that take those without umbrellas unawares and soak walkers to the skin. It’s chilly, too; only 52F (11C). With the rain’s thick damp, that chill really settles into the body’s core, creeping in from the corners of the house, and inclines me towards dreams of napping, although that remains but a dream.
Instead, I’ve made a warming cup of chai, lit a candle–my current favorite, which smells like honey and therefore wraps me in a scent-cloud of warmth like a beam of sunlight–and here I am, at my keyboard, getting on with words. Oh, and tonight’s dinner plan has changed to a warming roasted tomato-leek soup with grilled cheese sandwich. Mmmm, comfort in a bowl.
Last week Friday our back yard was finally fenced, and now Gem can run freely. She’s been going outside every day and just running loops of zoomies for the sheer joy of it. I cannot describe how happy it makes me–doubly so when I think how much pain I’m saving my arm and back now that she’s not constrained to leash-walks only!
Yesterday the neighborhood deer discovered the fence. They were…not pleased, to say the least. Two came up cautiously and sniffed at it, wondering what the heck?!? The third, a pregnant doe, just stood there, one ear flicking irritably. As if by staring at the offending fencing long and hard enough she could make it disappear. Unfortunately for her, the fence remains. A long while after the others made their peace by either walking away or leaping it, she turned, stared through the window accusingly at me, swished her tail, and trudged to the front yard. Where honestly, there is plenty for her to eat! And I’m hoping that without as many deer, we’ll get fewer ticks on the dog, and on us.
Later, I plan on reading a bit. But let me tell you about a book I just finished. Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz, is a cozy fantasy romance that is, as the title suggests, about the difficult task of reinventing yourself. Specifically, of changing your behavior and actions, and trying hard–your very hardest, because it is unimaginably difficult to change who you are–to be a good person after having been raised to be an evil villain. Honestly, the first chapter didn’t win me over, but it was there to set the stage for the change to come and I recognized that and stuck with it. And I’m glad I did. The book was funny, a bit witty, and oh-so-relevant as folks realize they’ve perhaps been less than kind to others. And while the resolution might be a wee bit too hopeful, I still loved it. Because who doesn’t want to be seen as flawed, but changed for the better, after having undergone a major mindset shift and behavioral change? We’re all allowed to change, right? Let’s remember that, and grant one another a bit of grace if one seems to be trying, is what this book is saying. And I’m on board with that. The book will be available in November 2025.
Everyday Magic | M. E. Garber
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