Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Still Learning

Even at my age, (which btw is as old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth and that's all I'm saying on the subject!!), I'm still learning new things. Just this weekend I learnt some important facts. I learnt that if you are out of proper washing powder (laundry detergent) it is a good idea to go to the corner shop and buy some. I learnt that it is not a good idea to scrabble around in the cupboard under the kitchen sink until you find the bottle of Stergene liquid (which is for hand-washing silk and similar delicate fabrics) and think to yourself that'll do. I especially learnt that it is not at all a good idea to measure out a complete cap full and put it into the drawer of an automatic washing machine at 40c.

Well, not unless you plan on washing the kitchen floor and all the cupboard doors as well as doing the laundry. And you planned on using half an ocean of bubbles to do that. In case you were wondering Stergene bubbles well. Very well. Tom-and-Jerry-Cartoon sort of very well. Overflowing out of the soap-drawer and round the door-seal well. And it needs three extra rinse cycles to get it out of the clothes. Not to mention two hours of mopping to get it off the floor. But boy does it make the floor tiles clear & shiny.

Now some hype for you.

Press Release 30.06.2009

It's here!

Sweet Afters from Read These Lips is our third collection of distinctive stories from talented lesbian authors. Joan Nestle, co-founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives and iconic lesbian activist, honoured us with a fascinating story of one lesbian's joyous life celebrated by those who shared it. Janis Spehr sent in a breathtaking narrative of a housewife struggling to escape a dead-end life. J.E. Knowles, Georgia Beers, JD Glass and Amy McDonald each gave a glimpse into the complexities of significant relationships. Vicki Stevenson reminded us that happy beginnings can happen anywhere, and poet Natasha Carthew offered three short but intense poems for all who have longed and loved. For the first time, we are featuring a photographic exhibit by JRen, who also shot this issue's beautiful covers.

Sweet Afters is about the last course, the indulgent pleasure afterwards. We hope this issue of Read These Lips satisfies in the best way.

Now avail able for download from ReadTheseLips.com.
Enjoy the book.
Evecho and Linda Lorenzo
Editors.

Ze

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Ramble from phair

Phair once again shares with us.
To all the good people who sent emails of support and suggestions regarding my recent visual complication, thank you. I'm trying to get back to each of you individually but it is slow going some days. Please be patient with me, I will get to all of you – promise – but it might be 2010 at this rate.

Okay, so the latest on my eye is the exact same as it was the last time I rambled. There remains a round dot of fluid surrounding an old scratch on the retina creating a watery pool in the dead center of my right eye's view. The retina specialist said it would be anywhere from six weeks to six months for resolution. Don't you just hate it when highly educated and well-trained experts in their field are absolutely right with predictions you'd rather didn't happen. Ya, me too.

I'm determined to keep on a schedule with my updates for Empire and Bright Day. There will be postings weekly or every ten days but it will be one story or the other and not both as I originally planned. I'm aiming for both stories to be completed before Labor Day.

Completion is actually an attainable goal considering what a bust summer is turning into here in the Commonwealth. We've got rain. And, more rain. And, wind and rain. Then the sun comes out and heats up the saturated ground making it feel more like a swamp than a sea coast. This only lasts a few hours before the rain starts up again and it gets cold. Really cold! I've used the heat more in June than I did in March. Blah! The ocean isn't even good enough to photograph for the website. It's all fog baby. Blah!

At least, the Red Sox are working hard! Love those boys! I knew big Papi would pull it together...but I was worried about the man.

Again, thank you all for your kind thoughts and good wishes!
best
phair


I do hate it when the predictions that are not to my liking are right. Hence Good Luck, phair. We wish you the best.

Now back to the updates, enjoy.

Elisa

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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Hype!

Keen news from Bedazzled Ink....
Bedazzled Ink is very excited to announce the pending publication of Year's Best Lesbian Fiction 2008, the first annual collection of lesbian short stories published in 2008, selected from over eighty nominations by Fran Walker, author of Lavender Ink: Writing and Selling Lesbian Fiction and judges, Lynn Pierce, moderator of lesfic_unbound and Joan Opyr, author of Idaho Code.

This year's stories originally appeared in Read These Lips: Second Helpings, Haunted Hearths and Sapphic Shades, Periphery: Erotic Lesbian Futures, Khimairal Ink, and Toe to Toe: Standing Tall and Proud. These remarkable stories are by newly-published authors through veterans such as Nebula winner Mary A. Turzillo and Campbell Award for Best New Writer winner Melissa Scott, and range from literary to dark fantasy to light-hearted contemporary fiction. A little something for everyone for the perfect summer reading.

a.. "Sweet Baby Dyke" by Renée Strider
b.. "Silent Journey" by DeJay
c.. "One Horse Town" by Melissa Scott
d.. "The Abomination of the Blue Hibiscus" by Ovidia Yu
e.. "Gay Day" by Sandra Barret
f.. "Mind Games" by Tracey Shellito
g.. "Water Rites" by Mary Douglas
h.. "Games With Chance" by Andi Marquette
i.. "Ewaipanoma" by Mary A. Turzillo
j.. "Kissing on the Ferris Wheel" by Meg White
k.. "Words Like Candy Conversation Hearts" by Kathleen Bradean
l.. "To Dance With No Music" by Lois C. Hart
m.. "The One I Left Behind" by M. Christian

For more information visit:
nuancebooks.wordpress.com/books/years-best-lesbian-fiction/.

Pre-order your copy:
bedazzledink.byethost17.com/bookpeddler/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=18.

Can't wait for the paperback edition? The ebook editions are ready for download now:
bedazzledink.byethost17.com/bookpeddler/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16


Back to thinning or, more accurately, cleaning up after the thinning...enjoy the huge update.

Tamara

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Boxes and Tape

Where the hell did I leave the Sharpie? I think once we clear away some of the thinning materials things may be found once again. The house looks thinner to me. I sure hope the real estate agent agrees.

I did spend early morning power washing out back...I do actually enjoy that part. Then after lunch we started on the evil computer room. Wow, do I ever have a lot of Gumby "stuff". I have one full size flip top bin and yet I need another to finish it up.

Where the Wild Things Are toys, Wallace and Gromit toys and many sheep have all been packed away. After I feed the cats, we'll go and get a few more small bins to put the smaller stuff into. My desk is still a wreck, but above it's mighty sparse looking. Okie did the kitchen yesterday and we made a heavy dent in the living room. My view of having the "thinning" done by the end of weekend may actually be accomplished. Hope so...my motivation is running low.

The only good part of all this is that most likely a quarter or more of the house will already be packed. That's something.

My rambling stops and I'll let you get to your update. Please enjoy!

Elisa

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Friday, June 26, 2009

Vacation

Two days of vacation under my belt and I've managed to make a dent in the kitchen and the living room. A very small dent in the living room but a dent nonetheless.

I've also taken time just to be lazy. Sleeping in until 8 is quite nice. I've read a few comics. Finished a book and am hoping to finish another before summer session starts.

This weekend I look forward to major thinning. I'm hoping we can get enough of it done that I can mainly focus on packing up the kids for their Oklahoma trip and cleaning.

Tamara

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Thinning

I have a lot of "stuff". I wonder where it all came from? Oddly enough I haven't even truly begun on the areas where most of my favorite stuff is. That is sad. This weekend will be filled with stuff thinning. Selling a house in this market means more work than I want, but hey it does give me the opportunity to eventually dust all the "stuff".

Tamara busted her butt on the kitchen today getting all the countertops and such cleared off. She also did a full clean while she was at it. See I'm too lazy and have only been boxing stuff away and skipping the cleaning part for later. Hence Tamara rocks and I'm a lazy bum.

So on that note I won't be packing anything this evening, but taking the night off. I need to live up to my character flaws fully.

I hope you all enjoy the update and may health and happiness find you.

Elisa

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Readers, Writers & Demands

Minor rants tonight. First from a reader's point of view about a small minority of fanfic writers. Don't do it. Don't hold your fic to ransom. You know the sort of thing I mean. The author's notes say something along the lines of "I need X number of reviews before I post the next part." or "If I don't get any feedback I'll stop." Not polite. Not smart. Nothing makes me hit the back button faster. Not even bad grammar or poor spelling. (And believe me, those make me click on "back" very, very swiftly).

I understand (only too well) having writer's block and leaving your fic unfinished. I understand the kind of writer's block that leaves you with a thousand ideas which, as soon as you turn them into beginning chapters, up and leave you. So you have a dozen starts and no finishes. That's excusable. And if I had a problem with that it would be my own fault for reading a WIP. But to deliberately not post chapters because you have an ego the size of the Atlantic that needs stroking?? It makes you look like a spoilt child. If the only reason you write is for a pat on the back maybe you should consider a different hobby.

Now a comment from a writer's perspective to readers. It's great that you read the stories. It's wonderful if you give feedback. It's beyond fantastic if you are able to give constructive criticism or an in-depth critique. Fantastic but not expected, demanded or essential. It's great to know somebody is reading and even a short "love it, please continue" is welcome and very gratefully received. And it's polite of the writer to say thank you if they can.

But apart from that the writer doesn't owe you anything. Not even if you paid for a book. But they especially don't owe you anything if you're reading it at no charge. So if you don't get chapters fast enough to suit you - sorry, can't be helped. Best thing to do is not start reading a WIP. If you really hate it - stop reading. And if you decide never to read that writer again, well, no problem. Don't read. That is your prerogative. What you don't do is berate the writer. You don't insult them and you do not do the email equivalent of flouncing into their presence, flicking your hair disdainfully and storming out. If you do then you're asking for whatever the writer throws at you. And it will make the writer think to themselves "why am I agonising over this story and then posting it for free when it gets me this." And they stop writing. It's not classy. And it will also make you look like a spoilt child.

End rant. (Which is longer than your updates today). So I'll sign off and do the tl:dr bit - be nice to your readers, be nice to writers.

Goodnight and may your God/s go with you

Ze

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Better

I'm better. Fit as a fiddle and raring to go. (Why is a fiddle fit?? Who decides a fiddle's fitness level?? How does a fiddle exercise to get fit anyway??). I've been cleared as infection free and I'm back to work tomorrow. I don't think I planned that very well. Oh I'm pleased to be back to work because I hate not being able to do things but whose daft idea was it to be sick for the fortnight before Wimbledon and then go back to work for Wimbledon fortnight?? Oh well, there's always the highlights programme.

A friend popped over to visit me today. She's been waiting until I was no longer considered infectious because she hasn't had mumps either. She brought me a bunch of flowers as a get well (or rather a you've got well already) present. (Giving somebody flowers means different things in Europe to the things it means in the USA). It was a small bunch of pinks (a mixture of really deep pink and dark crimson ones) from her garden. I don't think I've ever been given flowers before in my life. I'm usually the one giving flowers. It felt very, very weird. But I was touched. Of course I don't own a flower vase - not being the sort of cove who usually receives flowers. So I put them in a glass. They're now sitting regally in the centre of the kitchen table in a pint beer mug with the England football team Three Lions crest on it. See - you can make flowers butch!!

Ze

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Almost There

I'm in the home stretch. This is the last week of the school year. Actually it won't even be a full week. We're out of there on Wednesday. Then I get about a week and a half off before the summer session begins. The kids will be having fun in Oklahoma the month of July so it seemed like a good idea to earn a little extra money.

My three days this week consist of half days with the kids. The other half we're cleaning and sorting and organizing. It's odd for the kids to come to school and be gone before lunch. My normal routine with my student had to be changed. So far he's taken it well. Knock wood for smooth sailing the rest of the week.

Tamara

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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Sunday

Vacation ends. A good weekend is coming to a close. Final Sunday night chores to do lay ahead. Back to the fun I head Monday. Been a splendid week with my daughter and a busy weekend for all.

Tomorrow begins a new one in which I must find some serious motivation to start thinning, cleaning and packing.

Here's hoping you all have a great week!

Enjoy your updates.

Elisa

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Saturday, June 20, 2009

Stupid Head

I'm out-of-sorts today. I don't know if it's because I slept like absolute crap last night or because I'm trying to get sick. Maybe it's because today has been a day of doing nothing. Well, nothing productive anyway. In the morning we went to Carkeek Park for a Rainbow Families event. Then we came home for a few hours.

After doing this update we're off to a Summer Solstice party. I should mention during the few hours we were home I tried to nap...and had a helluva time shutting my brain off. Napping in the middle of the day is hard for me unless I'm sick. Just as I was really getting into my nap, the phone rang. Good. Groggy and out-of-sorts.

Fortunately a piece of fudge, some goldfish and doing this update have cleared my head. Tonight I'm going to do my darndest to get good sleep.

Tamara

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Friday, June 19, 2009

Motivation

I need to find some. We officially have a timeline to put the house on the market. Between now and than we need to do some "thinning" as our real estate agent called it. Hence pack some of our stuff away. She was fearing the poor kids would be upset. I let her know no worries as all the toys in the rooms on the shelves she was looking at were mine. Boxes are in hand, now I need the motivation to actually fill them up. The fun begins.

On another note. Today the finalists for the 2009 Goldies from the Golden Crown Literary Society were announced. Take the time to check them out here. (http://www.gclscon.com/2009Finalists.htm)

Now back to the udpate, enjoy!

Elisa

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Pooped

Too tired to even write my usual boring words. Have at it!

Tamara

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Feeling better, reading worse

I'm feeling a lot better in case anybody wondered. The swelling round my neck is starting to shrink, my throat isn't as sore. I actually ate solid food tonight. Thanks for the get well messages. Much appreciated. Of course I'm still not allowed back to work. Or out to the shops because I'm still infectious. (I can hear supermarket managers the length and breadth of the country sighing in relief). It's a shame because Focus has a sale on. I know because a leaflet dropped through the door. It's worth having a look solely because of the bad puns. The leaflet said "Bargains to diy for".

Mind you, as my neck gets better I think my eyes are getting worse. I just read a headline on the BBC website about racist attacks on some Romanian people of Roma (Romany gypsy) extraction. It said "Fleeing Romanians are rehoused". It must have taken me a full two minutes staring at the headline before I realised what it actually said. I'd been wondering when we'd allowed the Romulans to settle here.

Maybe I just need more sleep. On that note, I'm for bed. See you next week. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze


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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Cos It Matters

At least it does to me. So I'm linking to this livejournal entry. It's a personal blog but the blogger welcomes linking to it. As I said, it matters. It's important. I'm linking to it because I'd like to see it spread. It deserves to be spread far & wide. Every bit as far and as fast as all those totally ridiculous, untrue emails that you get from well-meaning folks who are innocent of the ways of the web. The folks who've never heard of Snopes and who don't know to check there before forwarding rubbish about bonsai kittens or live dogs used as shark-bait or bras from Africa that give you bug infestation etc.

Unlike those things this is truth and it needs to be spread. Because as long as there's a man who isn't That Guy we need to shout about it. Women can begin the education by teaching their sons but there gets to be a point where what Mam says is the right thing but what another male, a peer or an adult, says is the cool thing. And cool wins. And until adult men say that being That Guy is the cool thing... well. When ten-tear-old boys on my estate (in my neighbourhood) can call ten-year-old girls "Ho" because they heard it on some American TV show and they don't see anything wrong with that - because it must be ok if it's on the TV. And when they do find out what it means as they grow up then it's with no respect for women, And they won't be That Guy.

It shouldn't be up to women to educate men but it is far more frequently than you would think.And because it is we need to make sure that our brothers, our uncles, our cousins and our fathers learn that being That Guy is important. So that they will teach our sons that real men don't do things like that. Real men respect women. Real men are That Guy.

It's important, both the post and the comments, so I'm linking to it again. livejournal entry. Let's go viral. And if you're a man reading this - for the love of God be That Guy. Always

Ze

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Summer

Feels like it to me. My daughter's school is officially out for the year, which is a week earlier than all the public schools. As a result there weren't a lot of camps and such to get her into. So I forced myself to take the whole week off to hang out with her.

It was terribly hard today to lay around in our pj's until 10 reading books than slowly get up and hit the store for goods for dinner tonight. Came home did some prep work and then headed off to the beach. Rough day all around.

May tomorrow be as bad.

Enjoy your updates!

Elisa

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Sunday, June 14, 2009

Reminder: IDoF 2009

E is off at a birthday party with little e so you're stuck with me again tonight. My afternoon will consist of doing this update, getting the trash out, cleaning the litter box and making dinner. Hopefully I can cram some comic reading in there too.

We're almost a month out from the International Day of Femslash 2009. Spread the word.

Tamara

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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Typical Saturday

Another day of chores for us although light ones. E's "moon cycle" (as one of the kids at school calls it) is making her feel like crud today. We did some easy yard work in the morning and now she's resting in the comfy green chair reading.

I also went to a local bookstore to pick up Mike's Father's Day gifts from the kids. I chose a book of fun things to do with kids in the Seattle area and the new David Sedaris book he's been wanting.

Our bathrooms have been cleaned and the way too ripe bananas have been turned into banana muffins. We need to take a few things to Goodwill but I may save that for Sunday. Being a slug sounds good to me right now.

Y'all enjoy the update!

Tamara

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Friday, June 12, 2009

Guest Ramble Night

Nifty, a ramble from owners of a new place for y'all to keep an eye on.
Hello everyone,

The Uber Etc ladies have kindly offered me a bit of space to ramble about a new project some friends and I have put together that will, we hope, help you in your search for good reading material. I've been reading femslash for the past few years and have searched, mostly in vain, for review sites. I know that part of the fun of reading fan fiction is the joy of finding a really good story hiding along with some not so good stories. But, sometimes, it can seem that all you find are the not so good ones. We've all been there.

Well, we're here to provide a small service for those who don't really care for the "hit or miss" method of finding good stories to read. Our site (www.fanficrev.blogspot.com) holds reviews, and links, for lesbian, straight, and bi work done in any fandom, as well as original work. Currently, we have four reviewers (two lesbian and two straight women) and will accept reviews from others to post. In order to keep the reviews honest, we won't review work of friends or writers we beta for but, since we don't really know the same writers, one of the other reviewers can take on the work.

If you have a story you'd like to have reviewed and listed, whether it's yours or someone else's, contact us at fanficrev@gmail.com. Thanks and happy reading!


There you have it, a new site to look for worthy material. I went and perused around a bit and was pleased. Take some time let them know your thoughts, because feedback is splendid.

Now back to the regularly scheduled update, enjoy!

Elisa

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Hype!

Just a reminder for all of you aspiring writers, the Academy Summer Bard Challenge (Vacation) is starting. You can go here: www.academyofbards.org/contest/challenge21/roolz.html for the rules.

Tamara

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Bleh

Not well. Thought I'd been feeling incredibly tired the past few days. And a bit bleh. And a lot grumpy, to the point of being really, really rude for absolutely no reason. (I'm often rude but usually for a reason *g*). At work today I was feeling so bad that I finally told the foreman I was sick & left at lunch-time. I rang the doc to see if I could get an appointment this side of Christmas and, surprise surprise, was told I could have one for early this evening. I walked into the consulting room and before I could even sit down she told me, "You have mumps." My reaction was "WTF. Mumps?? Are you sure??" Then I sat down and said, "Sorry, you're the doctor, of course you're sure." She did the usual "say ah" routine & confirmed it. I have mumps. Wonderful!! Kids get mumps. Teenagers get mumps. Women of my age do not get mumps!! Except that it seems they do. So I'm signed off work for the next ten days. Even more wonderful. I'm self-employed so I don't get sick-pay. No work = no pay. Just as well I've got plenty of savings from my overtime. I'll be fine. Bored but fine. Can't read because I can't concentrate. Can't watch tv the light hurts (I don't watch much usually anyway though I did manage to watch the England game against Andorra tonight). Can't even write because I feel like s*** and staring at the screen gives me a headache. So I'm just going to lie on the sofa feeling sorry for myself and being grumpy (when I'm not sleeping that is.) Mumps!! Bah!!

There wasn't an awful lot for you to read tonight. So I trotted over to a livejournal community that we don't usually report on (mainly because it's been dead for a few years). It's suddenly come to life with a new writer posting her fic. So I thought I'd link to it. It's a Babylon 5 comm. You never know, if you scroll back over the old entries you might find some stuff you haven't read.

I'm for bed now so I'll say stay infection free, see you next week, goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

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