1. The latest Darkover book, Hastur Lord, is just flying along. I'm in that wonderful groove: I sit down, thinking to just noodle around with a paragraph or two, consult Marion's notes, and emerge from the resultant trance with 10 pages written and a new chapter to start. Then I go away, thinking my brain needs a break, but rush back a moment later with the next scene bursting forth. I've learned not to even put the computer on StandBy so I don't waste any of that precious inspirational time.

2. The livelongnmarry rainbowafghan projects. These were for a benefit against California initiative 8, which would legally destroy existing marriage equality rights. I volunteered to coordinate and crochet the squares together. The first one, acrylic and other synthetic yarns, is due to be delivered Sept. 15. Since I will be leaving on vacation right after Labor Day and not back until after that, I naively assumed that, with an August 15 deadline to turn in the squares, I'd have plenty of time. I was right about the time to crochet them together, but somehow far, far fewer squares have arrived than were promised. So I've dropped my other projects and am knitting squares as well. In worsted weight yarn, they go quickly, and I have a lot of that.

If any of you out there have non-wool yarn and would like to jump in, I need 6" squares asap: please wash or block them to make them easier to handle. Email me at deborahjross at sff dot net for my snail addy.

3. Garden. This is really Dave's project, not mine, but I'm responsible for dealing with what it produces. Our little freezer is filling up with crook neck and zuccini squashes and blackberry compote, and we haven't even started on the tomatoes, green beans, or tomatillos yet.

I think I'm done with blackberries. I went out the other day and picked 8 pints (3rd time); came home with the usual scratches and also a patch of poison oak, although that could have been from the dog's coat. The haul, what we don't eat fresh, is divided into frozen loose berries, frozen compote, and canned compote. It's been too hot to stand in the kitchen, canning things in boiling water, so I may have overdone the freezing portion. Or maybe the solution is to invest in a larger, upright freezer?