Those D— Friesian Horses! cheval-de-frise (shuh-VAL duh FREEZ) noun plural chevaux-de-frise (shuh-VOH duh FREEZ) 1. An obstacle, typically made of wood, covered with barbed wire or spikes, used to block the advancing enemy. 2. A line of nails, spikes, or broken glass set on top of a wall or railing to deter intruders. [From French, […]

Assess. We finished up the first section of the game last night. Many thanks to Doyce, Jackie, and especially Justin, who’s been watching Ray and Kitten (the other little girl)–we couldn’t have done it without him, and them. And thanks also to a great group of players. I don’t think I’ve ever rolled my eyes

Creativity. I’ve been packing in too many things lately. Funny, how that stifles creativity. So the better part of this week, I’ve been crossing things off the to-do list with glee. Haven’t written, just brainstorming plot for the next big section that’s coming up–and doing most of that subconsciously. It’s been a week of vivid

Car. Nope. I didn’t mention it. We donated the old car to Big Brothers/Sisters a couple of weeks ago. They’re to send us a receipt, but haven’t yet, and haven’t contacted us. Time to start bothering the overburdened, I guess.

Revision. Synopsis of a good book, titled Revision, by David Michael Kaplan. The steps of revision: Revise before you write: make guesstimates of your plot, find out what it is that’s valuable, and try to find ways to revise your ideas of plot based on where you think you’re going to go. I.e., don’t just

Book of Shadows. I’m doing some more research for the book, which has hit a bit of the doldrums due to me not knowing how I’m going to pull off what I’m doing next. So…more witchcraft books. One on Celtic Faery magic, “Elemental Power,” by Amber Wolf, and “Witch Crafting,” by Phillis Curott. Per the

More wonder. We caught dust mites this morning.

Harmonica. The harmonica has seen much use as of late. Brenna (Ray’s bestest friend) came over, and Ray taught her how to play. They sat on the kitchen floor. Ray played the harmonica for a couple of minutes, then held it out to Brenna. Brenna picked it up and inspected it. Ray enouraged her: “Too!

Wonder. I played flute for Ray yesterday. She said, “Wow.” So when I ran across Lee’s harmonica, I just pulled it out of the case and gave it to her. When I asked him it that was all right, he said, “What’s the worst that could happen? It’s a thirty-dollar harmonica.”

Actual Quote. Phyllis Curott, author of Witch Crafting, , in an interview: “As far as being a witch and a lawyer is concerned, I like to joke that the lawyer is the dark side.”