june 2026 capsule
So, where have I been?
Two of my poems were published in Mouthful of Salt's Spring 2026: Savory issue. These are my first publications since getting back into writing and I am hoping to continue revising my other drafts to shop around for the latter half of the year. The rest of the issue is also fantastic. I'm delighted by the company of writers and artists.
My cat, Pumpkin, has had some ongoing medical problems that I might write about in more detail in a separate post. She's doing much better now, but that's one of the biggest reasons why I disappeared into the ether. Then I sustained a minor back injury and have been recovering for a couple weeks.
There's nothing like being temporarily bed bound and unable to get up and move or engage in most of your favorite hobbies to realize how much you want to get up, move, create. It was a wake up call that I needed, but in such an unfortunate way.
Blog Updates
I'm still writing and revising my music posts. It's been slow-going with life hitting me all at once, but I am still very attached to these pieces and hope to get them ready for publication soon. I recently read and revised the first two-thirds of the Bright Eyes essay and that made me really excited to finally push through the last stretch.
There are quite a few books that I need to log from the first half of the year, including a lot of texts that I ended up DNF-ing for one reason or another. I was in a fairly substantive reading slump for a while, but I think I am finally finding my way back to what I am in the mood to read.
Other Progressions
Offline, I have been getting back into my sketchbook mainly drawing birds in colored pencil. It's been soothing to just play with color and shape and I can see fragments of a personal style slowly surface. After the holiday weekend, I'm hoping to pack a kit of supplies and do some outdoor practice with references around my neighborhood.
There is so much paperwork involved in divorce, but that's been progressing steadily. I'm almost at the the next step in the process, which should be one of the last waves of paperwork that I need to supply before the long waiting game.
Little Things to Look Forward To:
My niece is turning one next month! I'm very excited to attend her first birthday party and take a lot pictures. It's been a tremendous joy to watch her grow up and it's incredible how many strides little ones make in such a short amount of time.
Since it is also my birthday next month, I am hoping to spoil myself within reason. I'd love to go to an indie bookstore and treat myself to some favorite pieces I have read over the past couple years and some art reference books. I'm also going to buy at least one dress from a slow fashion brand (my eye is on Valkyrie Collection's hand-dyed Diana dress.) And I might indulge in some indie makeup, but that's a little lower on my priority list. Aside from treats, I have a couple plans with my best friend and would also love to travel to the aquarium. My lungs are craving salt air and I think it would be fun to sit and draw sea otters, jellyfish, and rays.
Last time, I mentioned I was looking forward to new Dimension 20 episodes and I think we are now wrapping up the next season since I posted. I loved Gladlands and I am equally loving City Council of Darkness. Game Changer and Smarty Pants have also been a lot of fun. Just generally vibing with Dropout content still as well as other projects by many of their regulars.
I've decided that I am going to replay Deltarune from the beginning before starting Chapter 5. There are some sections I am dreading returning to because they were very hard the first time around, but I think it will be worth the memory refresh (and to be better equipped heading into a certain Chapter 4 boss battle...)
My hope is that my hiatus won't be quite as long as the last one. I have some email to catch up on as well (sorry for the delay!)