Keep busy, little fuzzy buzzies, at your most important industry and know that in this garden, you are safe. Just look at the state of it – overgrown and ardently wild – a sign without a sign to say: Pollinators Welcome. (Humans, Proceed with Caution.) I always hope that one day, probably far away, I’ll become a gardener. In the meantime, then, how lovely to see that at least I’ve helped create something: This space for you to gather what you need. And how nice, indeed, to think that Nature nurtures all on her own, regardless of me.
I’ve had a lot of trouble focusing on my creative writing lately. With everything else going on, it’s just been really difficult to get my mind in that creative, imaginative space. I’m not happy about it, but I know that all things in life ebb and flow. Luckily, even though I’m struggling, I have talented friends who inspire me every day to keep trying. Case in point:
Thomas Creeper and the Purple Corpse, by J.R. Potter.
I posted about the first book in this series when it came out a couple of years ago, and just like that one, I can’t recommend this one enough. Creepy, spooky, a good mystery, an unlikely, likable hero, a vivid setting, great illustrations done by the author – just so much fun. And reading it comes with the added advantage of supporting a friend in his own creative work.
It can be easy to feel down when the words just won’t come, and easy as well to be envious when someone succeeds where you are (presently, not forever) lagging behind. But I don’t feel either of those ways. All I feel is lucky. I’m lucky to have time to write (even though I’m not great at it right now), lucky to be able to make my old house a home (even though the process is long and sometimes stressful), lucky (so, so lucky) to be pregnant, and lucky to be surrounded by cool, fun, kind, creative people.
Tomorrow is a new day, and then there’s another new day after that, and so on. For now, I’ll read (and if you’re looking for something to read this week, definitely go for Thomas Creeper!), think about backsplash tile, and try to write words that fit together. Life is good, even when it’s frustrating.
Happy creating to y’all, whatever you’re working on this week, and onward!
Well, just as I suspected we would, we went for it. We chose butcher block for the kitchen countertops. Specifically, a beautiful, oiled cherry. It just felt right. It’s going to look incredible next to the blue cabinets, and will really pop against the bright white we’re going to put on the walls.
The questions now is: What about a backsplash?
This is NOT the thing I thought we’d have the most trouble with. But here we are, and I’ve got no idea what would look best, and what would look right and not piece-y and would blend well, in our small kitchen.
A simple white subway tile? I don’t hate it, but we’re using that style in the master bathroom, and I feel like you definitely don’t want bathroom vibes in a kitchen.
Something more colorful? Great idea! But it’s going to look really busy in such a confined space.
Pressed tin? Yeah, it just doesn’t look…correct.
Just go without it? I actually would be totally fine with this, and I think it would look great, but butcher block requires some kind of backsplash, since it needs to expand and contract and can’t sit flush with the wall. Didn’t know that before. Do know that now.
We’re at a loss. And we’re up to our necks in tile samples. I know we’ll figure it out, but man, I just really wasn’t anticipating putting so much thought into this. The good news is, this is the last thing we really have to choose. I shouldn’t complain.
So, onward. Another day, another decision. What would you do?
Happy Friday! It probably goes without saying that these last several weeks have been pretty busy around here, with house things and pregnancy things. My pregnancy symptoms, at least and at last, have started to subside, and I finally feel a little more like my usual self. So, how about a post to catch up with each other today? A little bit of everything going on around here, and also a check in with all of you.
So, first: How are you doing? How’s life? What are you creating? What are you excited about? Anything making you anxious? (Everything’s making me anxious right now.)
Moving on, I’m getting pretty close to 1,000 followers – which, thank you, all of you, for reading and commenting! – and thought it would be fun to do another Q&A. I did a couple when I hit 500, and I think it’s safe to say, a lot’s changed since then. So, if you’ve got questions for me, drop a comment below!
What’s next? Oh yes. Merlin. He’s still growing and he’s a new cat every day, but the one constant, which is so very wonderful, is that he loves – and I mean absolutely adores – his Annie-dog. I’ve never had a cat so enamored of a dog. She is his best friend. I don’t think she feels the same, but I also don’t think he cares. He also firmly believes he’s one of the contractors, and loves to hang out with them (and “help”) while they’re working. Cats…
And lastly, I’m planning to post some more music soon! I’ve got lots of videos from Thanksgiving (yes, I know, that was all the way back in November…) that it’s just taken an eternity to get off of Graham’s camera and onto my computer. We had a little get together with family, and I love sharing my family music with y’all. So, expect to see those at some point in the not too very distant future.
Other than that? I expect things won’t slow down anytime soon. Lots of continuing work on the house, some fun writing ideas, a new baby on the horizon – it’s lovely chaos around here. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And before I forget, one more thing! I’ll be taking the day off on Monday, since Graham doesn’t have to work. So, no post then. But I’ll be back on Wednesday. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a good start to the week!
It looks so nice, and the floor above it feels more secure than it’s probably felt in decades, and I just couldn’t be more pleased. Also, I’ve finally found a use for a lovely vintage (maybe antique?) chandelier I bought years ago, so I’m happy as a clam.
We still need to repaint the room, and it will really brighten things up. But for now, progress is progress!
And, in even MORE good news, we got the results of Graham’s blood test, and he is NOT a carrier of the recessive genetic condition I mentioned in my previous post. This means that, even though I’m a carrier, Baby Girl is not at risk. I’m just incredibly relieved and grateful.
So, a good day all around, and lots to smile about and be thankful for.
I said on Friday that I’d focus on happier content this week. Hopefully this delivers. 😊 I’ve gone back and forth about whether now is the right time to share, but when I started posting on this blog again back in 2020, I promised to be honest with my readers and unafraid to put myself out there.
See, I’ve been keeping a secret. It’s a pretty big one. Or, a very small one, depending on how you look at it.
Baby Girl Campbell. Due December 8, 2023.
Graham and I are elated, and so excited, and so grateful for the outpouring of love we’ve already received from so many people. At the beginning of this year – after a miscarriage that took months to resolve, scary health news in the family, and the loss of our beloved Gatsby-cat – I declared that 2023 would be the year of joy and abundance, and I can’t think of a more joyful thing than welcoming this little girl home. She will be the best early Christmas present ever.
It’s been an interesting time, though, for the last few months.
The Good:
I mean, is there anything sweeter than hearing a little baby’s heartbeat for the first time? Or seeing your tiny daughter squirm around on an ultrasound? It was fascinating seeing her but not feeling her yet. I’m excited for the moment I finally will. And I’m so impressed by and grateful for my body and its ability to do this. It took a little while for everything to feel real, and I’m still so anxious that something might go wrong. But I’m just trying to stay positive and think happy thoughts about the future. I had no idea you could love someone so much before you’ve even met them.
The Not-So-Good:
I’m learning lots of new things, really, such as the maximum distance one can stumble to a trash can before…well, we’ll just leave it there, how to fumble to the toilet six times per night in the dark without waking one’s partner, and how quickly Doordash can deliver a dozen iced donuts with rainbow sprinkles on an average Sunday. And while the vast majority of our prenatal testing has come back looking totally normal and very good, I did test positive as a carrier for one rare, recessive genetic condition. I was shocked, as there isn’t any history in my family. I didn’t know that most everyone is a carrier of at least one genetic condition. What a terrible time to learn, right? But Graham would have to be a carrier, as well, for Baby Girl to be at risk. His test results aren’t back yet, and we’ve learned that the chance of his being a carrier of the same condition is very, very low. And though the prognosis for this condition even two years ago would have been dire, new treatments are available today that are, frankly, miraculous. But it’s scary in the meantime. And I hate waiting.
The Big Picture:
I didn’t want to be a mom growing up. I didn’t want to be a mom even three years ago. I don’t know what changed, but something did, and now here we are. Being pregnant is strange and fascinating. It’s humbling and empowering all at the same time. I can’t wait to meet our daughter. I can’t wait to get to know her. I haven’t loved everything about pregnancy so far. I haven’t loved a lot of it, to be honest. But I do already love this little girl.
So, onward. I’ll be at fifteen weeks on Friday. I don’t know whether I want time to speed up or slow down, but I do know that come December, life will look very different indeed. I know you can never really be ready, but I’m ready. So I say, bring it on!
How are all my followers on the U.S. east coast and in Canada doing? Because around here, it’s a haze of smoke.
I don’t know if you can really tell from this picture. It honestly almost looks like fog on the mountainside. Everything looks just a little soft around the edges. And it’s been like this for days.
I’m writing this on Thursday. My nose is killing me. My eyes are burning. I’ve got an air purifier running. I’m NOT going outside, and we’re limiting Annie-dog’s time out there, too. I did pop out on Wednesday for an appointment and evening trivia, and I gotta tell you, I came back in smelling like wood smoke. It’s supposed to rain here tomorrow, and I hope it helps. I can’t imagine what it’s like being closer to the wildfires.
I sound like I’m complaining, and I really don’t mean to. I’m lucky. I know other people are dealing with this on a much bigger scale. It’s affecting lives and livelihoods and homes and wildlife and it’s terrible. And I’m worried for those living in places more impacted than my little corner of Virginia. I’m worried for what’s happening to the planet.
Not a positive post for a Friday, is this? I do have some happier content planned for next week, I promise. But for now, this is what’s on my mind. I’m sure it’s on a lot of minds.
Another day, another old house update. (Are you bored with these? You can tell me. I won’t be mad. And you can tell me if you’re interested and want to read more of them. I also won’t be mad.)
At any rate, work continues at ye olde Tail Feathers (our house’s name, for those who haven’t seen it in previous posts), and it’s going pretty well! We’ve got a plan for the main bathroom, the ceiling is looking much more secure and will be finished soon, and I think we’ve fixed the leak in the shower. And by “we,” I mean our contractors. Because Graham and I certainly couldn’t figure it out, despite years of trying.
Next on our list: the kitchen.
I like my small kitchen. I have no plans to expand it, but I would like to brighten it up and make it feel a little more like Graham and me. I think we’ve decided to paint the cabinets a very pretty blue, and the walls a nice, bright white. Not sure about a backsplash, as we’ve not decided on a countertop yet. I HATE the tile that’s currently there, and anything would be better. But we’re trying to decide between quartz…
And butcher block.
I love butcher block. As you can see, we used it for our small wet bar in the basement. I think it’s lovely and warm and makes a space feel cozy and homey. It’s also, unfortunately, pretty high maintenance, and when we’ve mentioned to friends that it’s what we’re thinking about, they’ve been…less than enthusiastic. But you guys, it just feels right for the space! And I don’t mind wear and dings and water spots and such. I mean, a house should feel lived in, right?
But as we think about it, we both realize that quartz, which basically requires no upkeep at all, is probably the wiser choice. It’s also more expensive, though, by a lot. So that’s the question at the end of the day: Is quartz a few thousand dollars (or more) more convenient than butcher block? I don’t know.
A Virginia Writer's Diary 