Ink In My Coffee<p><strong>Fri. Dec. 6, 2024: Time for Cards and Baking</strong></p> <a href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/christmas-3003907_640.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><em>image courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/biljast-2868488/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=3003907" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Biljana Jovanovic</a> </em>via pixabay.com <p><strong>Friday, December 6, 2024</strong></p><p><strong>Waxing Moon</strong></p><p><strong>Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars Retrograde</strong></p><p><strong>Sunny and cold</strong></p><p>Yup, we’re up to six retrogrades, although Neptune goes direct tomorrow. I hope that means my weird dreams calm down. Mars slows down forward movement, and tends to stoke our resentments and anger. Having Mars and Mercury both retrograde in the coming week means even more room for misunderstandings and hurt, so take a breath and think before speaking. In fact, don’t just think twice – think three times! People are already stressed around the holidays, so let’s give each other some extra room.</p><p>It just kept snowing yesterday, and I was glad that I didn’t have to go anywhere.</p><p>Online meditation group was on – since we were all home anyway. Charlotte was delighted.</p><p>After breakfast, I wrote the two reviews, submitted them, and invoiced. I was paid within an hour, and even got a holiday bonus! I love this client – pays fast, and appreciates my work, even though it’s a small business, not a big corporation.</p><p>Meanwhile, my big corporate client has cut rates, promised year-end bonuses since I started with them, and NEVER delivered. Which is why I’m looking to replace them next year.</p><p>Got a play out on submission, too. Saw a call for pitches, considered pitching, but sent it to a friend who was the person I’d interview for the piece anyway – because she has the knowledge, so she should get the money! Cut out the middleman, in this case, me. Time for me to step back and urge her forward!</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/freelancechat/" target="_blank">#FreelanceChat</a> was back, this time on Bluesky. It’s been at least a year and a half, maybe two years since I was able to join the chat, since they kept going on Twitter, and I stopped participating when it was sold and began its demise into X. it was fun to catch up with people.</p><p>Took a break for lunch, then wrote my overseas cards, then attended the online training session for the Scholastic Judging. It’s the same as last year, so I didn’t really need it. That’s supposed to start next week, and I’ve blocked off time every workday to devote to it.</p><p>Dug out the back of the car, the snow that had been plowed up against the wheels, so I can actually get out today. I didn’t want to go out in the weather, but I also didn’t want that packed snow to freeze down. It wasn’t as bad as I expected, although this morning, getting it off the top of the car and scraping down the windows won’t be fun.</p><p>Took a break for dinner, then attended the <a href="https://www.librariesforthepeople.org/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">For the People</a> library cohort training session. An acquaintance on Bluesky had told me about it, and I’m so glad I signed up. I hope I can do some more work with them in the coming months. It made me feel more confident and grounded in getting involved here on a community level.</p><p>Relaxed a bit after, trying to read until bedtime. Had a bad night; woke up every few hours, feeling annoyed and/or angry (Mars retrograde energy). Deep breaths, find a way to channel it into something productive, because bitching and moaning and whining for the next two months is not useful.</p><p>Overslept and Tessa Was Not Amused that breakfast was late.</p><p>I have to finish digging out the car. Today’s errands include the post office, the big baking grocery shop, the library. I have some small coverages to turn around that are due tomorrow (another deadline passed, another round or crickets). I’d like to do some writing, but I’m not sure that will happen.</p><p>A friend mentioned going to NYC soon, so I sent a list of places she might find fun.</p><p>The weather this weekend is supposed to be mucky. I do have to run a couple of errands, even in bad weather, but they are fairly close. The one down in Pittsfield I might put off until Monday. I need to get started (and do a lot of) the baking, work on decorating, work on domestic cards, and wrap packages that will have to go out next week. I also need to market my work, and do the videos for both MURDER BELLS and the combo Nina Bell video, since MURDER BELLS releases next Tuesday.</p><p>It’s all good, happy stuff, and if I feel like there’s oh, so much to do, I have to remind myself it’s good, happy stuff.</p><p>Have a good weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side!</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/astrology/" target="_blank">#astrology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/cards/" target="_blank">#cards</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/cats/" target="_blank">#cats</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/freelance/" target="_blank">#freelance</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/freelancechat/" target="_blank">#FreelanceChat</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/mars/" target="_blank">#Mars</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/mars-retrograde/" target="_blank">#MarsRetrograde</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/mercury-retrograde/" target="_blank">#MercuryRetrograde</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/sleep/" target="_blank">#sleep</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://devonellington.wordpress.com/tag/training/" target="_blank">#training</a></p>