You Get to Shape the Future of this Blog!

Well, parts of it. Plus storm damage! And kitties!

So, last night, I really dug in to Richard Waitt’s new Mount St. Helens book:

Photo of my copy of Richard Waitt's In the Path of Destruction, which has a black and white photo of Mount St. Helens erupting.

This is like magic and I’m loving it so much! A geologist wrote about all the human drama, so my book can focus mostly on the geological drama, and I can point people to this book as a companion if they’re like, “But what about teh hoominz?!” It’s so incredibly nice to know I have a meticulously sourced, thoroughly researched, and well-written book penned by a USGS geologist who worked on Mount St. Helens during the 1980 eruptions. I’m only a few chapters in, and it’s already delish. I’ve learned things about the people involved I never knew before. The seismological drama is intense! And there’s a nice interweaving of the geological and human aspects.

So, here’s where you get to decide the future:

Do you lot want me to write a single review, or do a more in-depth review series? You’re actually choosing the direction of Rosetta Stones, because I’ll publish the reviews there, but still. Influence! Also, if you want to purchase your very own copy, buying through this link will help support my blogging career.

(Edited to add: you can hop on my Facebook to follow my stream-of-consciousness musings as I read the book.)

So that book and various intriguing internet bits kept me up until ten in the ay-em. Then I stuffed ear plugs in my ears and went soundly to sleep. Apparently I snoozed right through the tree massacre at noon.

Image shows our front yard, which is usually just tidy dead grass and a few islands of happy, healthy plants. In this photo, it is covered in downed tree limbs.
Our front yard Saturday afternoon.

This is what happens when we have a wind storm when trees are dry and brittle. Happily, none of the large ones crashed down, just branches, and the cars seem to be unscathed. The roof probably survived, but it doesn’t really matter since it’s being replaced in a few weeks anyway.

The back yard fared no better, of course:

Image is looking down the deck to the patio, which is covered with more downed limbs.
Our back patio.

And apparently there were many lots of very large trees down elsewhere. S felt a few of them fall when he was outside trying to rescue a canopy. He’s lucky he wasn’t hit. People: when branches are falling, get into shelter and don’t get out, m’kay?

It’s a calm, rainy night now. Both of the kitties are snoozing on my bed, and will hopefully not murder each other whilst I’m in the shower. Nothing is certain. This is the scene when they caught sight of each other the other time we were hanging out together:

Image shows Boo lying on my bed, ears back, staring at Misha, who is growling at her with one foot raised as if she's shaking a fist at the young whippersnapper invading her space.
Misha vs. Boo – FIGHT!

That’s the first time Boo’s ever hissed at Misha before getting smacked upside the head that I can recall. But they didn’t actually attack each other, so that’s something.

Boo’s daddy’s out of town, so she’s been spending more time with us. Here is how content she is:

Boo is asleep on my bed, half-turned on her back with her little front paws tucked under her chin.
D’aw! Sleepy kitteh.

OH FER CUTE.

Whilst I’m reading, I’ve been finishing a scarf I’ve had in my sewing bag for ages now. It’s a labor-intensive thing with many panels and stuff, and I learned that if you slip with the needle and stab yourself in the lip, you bleed a lot, and then end up with a ridiculous-looking scab:

Image is a close-up of my lips. There's a round black scab on my bottom lip.
My owie.

But in the end, all the wounds will be worth it, I hope:

Image shows a detail of the scarf, which is a wrinkly gauzy purple fabric sewn in rectangles, with purple embroidered flower trim in between each panel.
Work in progress.

I will probably be putting it up for sale when it’s done, so if you’re looking at it and drooling, now’s the time to save your pennies.

I’ve finished roughly a quarter of my planned cleaning, and will have to complete it before Tuesday, so Monday’s post may be late or sparse. Just so’s you know. I’m about to bury myself in the pages of In the Path of Destruction again, so if I don’t surface, don’t be surprised. See you soon, my darlings!

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You Get to Shape the Future of this Blog!
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5 thoughts on “You Get to Shape the Future of this Blog!

  1. 3

    For the amount of reviewing, I’d suggest doing no more than you feel necessary. That is, if you start working on it and it seems to need several postings, then spread it over as many as is convenient. But don’t feel obliged to stretch it more than needed. We’d certainly like a review, but if it’s only one post, we’ll survive. But don’t let it distract you from doing your own writing on your own topics. What we really want is your own views on stuff, not just your views on some other person’s views.
    But if you find the process helps you to spin out more content that is your views, then do that. So really, is it about him, or is it about what you think?
    Thanks.

  2. 4

    My advice, now that you ask, is to do the best kind of review that would further your own book. Would a single review leave more time for your book project, or would writing a series of reviews provide a good framework that you could flesh out with more geology and give you a good running start on a manuscript? If none of that makes sense (IANAG), I still think you should consider what approach would help move your own project forward.

  3. 5

    Hi Dana! I agree with StevoR and grendelsfather – but think that in addition you need to blog what gives you pleasure.
    Thanks for the heads up on Richard Waitt’s book! I will check it out.
    I am really looking forward to whatever you write on Mount St. Helens and geology in general.
    Your kitties are adorable!!

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