Changing Times (and Seasons), New Poems in the Fairy Tale Review, Science Fiction Libraries, and Daring to Hope

First Plum Blossoms

Changing Times (and Seasons)

Well, we’ve now had a few sunny dry days and already our late spring seems to be starting to arrive; I snapped pics of the very first cherry and plum blossoms in our neighborhood. I was out sick last week after a mammoth five-tooth-repair dental appointment (these things knock me out for about a week, typically – I blame my weak immune system) but this week I notice I am moving slower, going to sleep earlier, and craving more vegetables (especially in soups – potato and fennel, snap pea and asparagus) and our time change happens tonight at 2 AM, which can affect a lot of people different ways.

In Seattle, I’m usually happy for the extra hour of light, which is desperately needed. I purposefully took some walks around town this week, trying to get some exposure to the sun, fresh, air, birdsong, etc. This morning we picked out some herbs to start in the garden and Glenn will do the hard work of getting them in the ground. I’ve been practicing my Japanese (still very beginner level) and guitar (same, I’m afraid.) I snapped some pictures of birds as well as flowers.

Sylvia poses with Fairy Tale Review’s Gold issue

New Poems in Fairy Tale Review

I had a little good news in the mailbox this week.  The first was the Gold issue of Fairy Tale Review, a journal I have been trying to get into for years, maybe since it was first created, and this issue (yay!) has two of my poems in it. The theme of the poems was Anne Sexton’s Transformations.

I’ve included them below in case you want to take a sneak peek at them.

Two poems from the Gold issue of Fairy Tale Review

First cherry blossoms

Science Fiction Library Feature

I also received a lovely booklet from Jeremy Brett, a librarian and archivist at the Science Fiction Library at Texas A & M University. This booklet featured a bunch of books, but my book The Robot Scientist’s Daughter was featured in “When Science Goes Awry” with a nice write-up. I appreciate it, guys!

If you ever get a chance to visit Texas A & M, you should seek out the Science Fiction library, which includes wonderful archives of terrific science fiction writers (including me!) It’s on my list of trips to take!

Steller’s Jay in planter

Daring to Hope

So, are we there yet? Chronically ill and disabled people in Washington State are STILL not eligible for the vaccination yet, but I’m hoping the time is drawing closer (and I’m twittering about it to my governor as much as possible.) With the vaccine being an important step to being able to live a normal life again for both me and Glenn – we are starting to think about things we might be able to do again without worry – shopping at a grocery store or picking up flowers, browsing in a bookstore or going for my MRIs (among other doctor and dentist appointments) without fear of dying as a result. I have been in a stew of anxiety since the year began – wondering and waiting for the vaccine to be available – but now I’m starting to hope I’ll be vaccinated by my birthday at the end of April, that I’ll be able to visit Skagit Valley’s tulip gardens while they’re still in bloom, that I might be able to see my friends and family in person and even hug them (?) I’d like to visit Snoqualmie Falls in spring, too – I love the woods – and maybe even an exotic day trip out to Port Townsend.

Me with new fixed teeth

And, I have to admit, as an asthmatic, I am really hoping they do away with mask requirements for vaccinated folks (at least outdoors,) because I didn’t want to complain publicly because I know we had to wear them for safety, but I struggle to breathe in almost any kind of mask for any amount of time. But I will probably still wear one in dentist and doctor’s offices, when I have to go into the hospital, for medical testing, and certainly in any kind of mass transit, for the foreseeable future. With a primary immune deficiency, I realize there are more germs than just coronavirus out there, and I could have been doing a better job protecting myself – mask, gloves, changing shoes and clothes when I get in from a crowded setting or travel. This pandemic has made me much more aware of my vulnerabilities – and not just to coronavirus. I want to spend as little time in the hospital as possible for the rest of my life, and these new practices might help.

During this last two weeks, I also had some pretty crushing rejections – including a press that kept my book for a year (ouch) – and am hoping that a good press will give one or both of my books a chance very soon. I want to be able to focus on something positive as we wait out the rest of this painful year (plus) of plague.

So what about you? What are you most looking forward to?