A. C. U.

All Caught Up!

There were any number of tasks that probably should've been performed last week which got dropped. Yesterday and today I've been playing catch-up.

I didn't even make a checklist because I thought it would be too scary. But now that I'm finished, I can list everything I've done. Adding new recipe submissions to the cookbook and editing them before sending them on to the graphic designer. Updates to 4 websites. Completing an on-line evaluation for friend/colleague. Memorising a mandolin piece.

I also tidied the kitchen. There are plenty of other household chores yet to be done, but I've had to focus on responsibilities that involve or affect other people.

Everything's done now...and it's not even 3 p.m. I'm giving myself a day or two off from writing. I need to do some evaluation, some adjusting of my writing schedule and perhaps my daily quota for the next 6 to 8 weeks. Also, I want to delve into this cool book I picked up on Saturday:



It's psychoanalytic approach to character and it'll be both interesting and helpful. So long as I can avoid self-diagnosis, which might be cause for alarm! I tend to build my characters' personality traits and cause-effect and motivations organically, so I'm mostly seeking confirmation that I'm on the right track--but probably the book will provide food for thought.

I forgot to note that on Saturday we spotted the first purple finch--a male--at the feeder. It's our state bird. I'm not sure why we have a migratory species for a state bird rather than a year-round one...but I'm certainly not planning any legislation to alter the status quo. (There's a state dog bill headed our way, I'm so happy!)

As part of my warming-up efforts yesterday, I whipped up Rogan Josh for our supper.



Hadn't made this recipe for a very long while. For one thing, it's time-consuming. Usually when we're in the mood for Indian I cook chicken curry, and when in the mood for lamb I make a Middle Eastern shawarma. I'm wondering if the Rogan Josh is rather too exotic and foreign and highly-spiced to include in our historical association cookbook...here's the cover proof.



I'll spend the rest of the afternoon reading, not writing, a historical novel. I've got an advance copy, for the purpose of providing a pre-publication blurb.

I forgot to mention in my Musical Monday posting that the inclusion of Warren Zevon falls under the category of "artists I've seen in concert."