Dyeing: 273
exercise: not

Rejection today from Elysian Fiction for “The Queen’s Gardener”. They’ve had it since April 2002, and it made it to the second cut before he passed on it. There were many apologies for his unprofessionalness, but I’m still not mollified.

I’m having trouble getting started today. Phooey. A little tired, a little unfocused.

Hey, we just had an earthquake! Actually, it was up in San Simeon (near Hearst Castle), but it was a 6.5 and I definitely felt it. My chair wobbled. I heard the in-house windchimes chime. I saw the water in the pool drop and rise. Then Cat called to confirm (she’s up in Ventura today), and I did a little online research.

The cats napped through the whole thing. Useless creatures.

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This weekend’s Forgotten Word was a great one: momblishness. Who even needs a definition for something that wonderful? (Okay, it’s “Talk, muttering; of Teutonic mummelen. Old Word.” 1749)

And, recently, Maryland end (the hock end of the ham, as opposed to the thick end or Virginia end) and bloody-hand (“One of the four kinds of offences in the king’s forest, by which the offender is supposed to have killed a deer. In Scotland, in such like crimes they say, ‘Take in the fact, or with the _red_ hand.’” 1717).

There is a misconception that in medieval times, there were laws about what type of raptor you could fly. While it’s true that a golden eagle was more expensive than, say, a gyrfalcon, in fact the laws were about what you could _hunt_. If only the king (or his royal huntsmen) could hunt deer, then it would be silly (and stupid) for someone lower to fly an eagle, because an eagle’s going to take out a deer.

That’s your tidbit of trivia for the day.

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The Solstice was officially early this morning, although I don’t think it necessary to figure out if the longest night was last night or tonight.

Last night, I lay in the dark snuggled with my beloved, with one cat at my hip, another at my feet, and a third guarding the living room. If I had to spend the longest night anywhere, it would be there, safe and warm and loved. I thought of friends and loved ones, and sent love and well-wishes into the darkness. I knew that love, and even simple kindness, are the types of things that truly bring light into the world.

As the days grow stronger, I hope everyone finds the light they need and gives the light they can. Blessed Solstice to you all.