There is definitely a spot on the moon.

 

It’s been a day of small wrongs for me. Oh, it started out well enough, if a dental visit can ever be called well enough. As I said to the hygienist today, I like her a lot but I just don’t like what she does. She said I was a much better-behaved patient today, and we got through the session just fine. Trouble is when I’m nervous or uncomfortable, I like to chatter—in fact, I probably run my mouth way too much. But with someone working inside your mouth, you can’t do that. So I grin and bear it.

But when I got home and back to my desk, the day started to unravel. I was adding some recipes to the back of the book of the forthcoming Irene Deep in Texas Trouble. One of the recipes I wanted was already on my computer in the draft of the Helen Corbitt manuscript—the original Texas Caviar, with all its simplicity and not a marinated bean salad disguised. So I thought I’d just copy and paste from there. In the process I managed to erase the Texas caviar recipe and insert into the Corbitt draft not once but three times the recipes for Lobster Newburg and Gougeres, which belong in the Irene manuscript. Fortunately, I had the cloud backup for Texas caviar—and of course all would not have been lost, because it’s all over the internet—but still it was comforting to be able to replace it. I pulled all the intruders out of Corbitt and decided it was time for a nap.

Late this afternoon I tried to pay some bills. The landscape company that does our yard sends out a bill that shows the amount for the year—it’s hefty, but there is a way to pay just the monthly fee. In trying to do that, I clicked on the wrong button and paid for the entire year, which would be a blow to my monthly budget. They’re fast, those people at Discover—I called right away, was told there was no payment in the pipeline, got disconnected, called back, and it was in pending and beyond cancellation. They recommended I call the payee, which I did. He’s a friend and easy to work with—said in eighteen years he’s had to do one refund but he will research it and do it tomorrow.

I was still steaming over that when Jordan and a friend arrived with my Central Market order. First thing I unpacked was bananas, which I had not ordered. My thought was “How did Jordan add to my order?” But as I unpacked I realized I had gotten someone else’s groceries—a summer squash and a zucchini, a generous lemon-marinated salmon filet, some blackberries, a hefty bunch of boneless chicken breasts, Brussel sprouts, apples. A gift from the gods. I called Central Market, and they will deliver my groceries tomorrow. Meantime they told me to keep what I had—they would just throw it out if it came back to them. So I will send some into the house, keep the salmon filet for a guest tomorrow night and also make a casserole with the squash. Split the bananas between Jordan and me, and I had scrambled eggs, a banana, and a chocolate chip cookie for supper. Not too shabby.

Tonight I watched a Zoom panel on working with book bloggers—very informative and gave me some things to do tomorrow to get the new Irene on calendars. These panels are sponsored by various chapters of Sister in Crime and are a great, free gift to the mystery community. But they inevitably begin with way too much introduction, chapter business, etc. It was thirty minutes tonight. I cancelled the video so they wouldn’t know I wasn’t sitting spellbound at my desk and went off to make my supper. You’d think writers would know about capturing and holding people’s attention.

Which brings me to the book I’m reading—a cozy mystery by one of the leading names in the cozy community. In the past I have loved this series, eagerly read each new book. Now I’m finding the book overloaded with literary allusions and way too much description all of which slow down the action. I will read on because I’m told it’s one of that author’s best—but I am doubtful. Recently my mentor seemed to imply that my writing has matured. Do you suppose my reading taste has also matured? I think that would make me a really late bloomer.

Stay safe everyone. In North Texas, severe storms are predicted for tonight, but so far nothing. I hope there’s no tornado when I’m sound asleep.