Once again the end of the month is upon us. My plan is to post monthly updates of some kind, but then I think “well I haven’t really done anything this month, have I?”

But that’s no way to run a newsletter.

I have another review in progress, this time featuring art history and Molly Tanzer’s novella And Side By Side They Wander, so we’ve all got that to look forward to. In the meantime, here’s what else I’ve been up to, from least to most relevant:

Interior decorating

Did you know you can just slap marble contact paper on any flat surface? I’m always dubious when DIYers claim contact paper looks “just like marble” (it doesn’t), but this stuff does look pretty good. I stuck it on the two doors in my office, but I have a lot left over so I’m looking around for other victims. The top half of my desk is probably up next. This is all part of a grand plan to make my office/craft room more livable.

Renfaire sewing

Earlier in the year I wanted to try sewing my own corset, but that’s going to take more effort and supplies than I have the bandwidth for right now, so instead I’m going to sew a modified 16th century shirt (linen) and some kind of overskirt (from a Target shower curtain I thrifted for $6).

Meadowcroft Rockshelter

This was incredibly cool and incredibly old. One of my friends found out about it over the winter, when it was closed for the season, and we finally made the drive out there. We had to move a tree out of the road along the way. The rockshelter itself is a preserved archaeological dig, but the site was in continuous use from possibly 19,000 years ago up until the 70’s, when the archaeology started. Everybody’s favorite campsite, apparently. They also have some reconstructed historic buildings nearby. I recommend it if you’re ever near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia/Ohio borders.

Writing

I’m working on a short story for New Edge Sword & Sorcery’s upcoming submission period, which was going pretty well until I hit a section I needed to totally rewrite. I have a few other short stories that I should take another look at and send out to various places, but I also have a novel WIP to get back to, so it depends which one I feel like procrastinating on more. I’m also revising a query package to send out to more agents, because I love suffering.

My Cat Has a House

I bought it thinking, “there’s no way this cat will use it, but it’s under $20.” Then I spent several weeks putting catnip inside it, which she tolerated, but now she goes in there of her own volition! She slept in there all night! 

Assorted

Listening: Fief, VII

Watching: Widow’s Bay

Reading: NESS vol. 1 Issue 6

That’s all for July. If you haven’t already, you can check out my last post, a double review about Gay French Werewolves in The King and His Wolf and Red Winter. Stay tuned for more reviews, Art Thoughts, and ill-advised interior design decisions.