Sorry I keep worry where everyone is, Cora. A deep piece of my psychology right there, that counting heads to make sure everyone is safe. Life can get…tricky. Plus, you make great cookies!

But hey, that’s what Thanksgiving is all about: being thankful for all the good that remains at the end of the year.

Chill day here. It snowed, not a lot. We’ll make a few side dishes but mostly hang out.

Stay safe and warm everyone! I hope you troubles are feeling better and there is much to thankful towards.

Coffee and a cookie please!

Good morning all. Not a lot of traffic in the last 24 hours, huh?

Settling into Thanksgiving, Prepping food slowly today and tomorrow. Turkey is thawing in the fridge.

My fairy story got savaged by my critique group last night. Still, I think figured out a new ending (the third I’ve tried). I will work on that today.

Nothing new today. Too cold to walk, but I am getting lazy with exercising. I need to get back into the game.

Where’s Cora? Where’s everyone?

Coffee please.

Good morning everyone! Thanks for setting up Ape and Bear.

Snowed big last night, but it’s already melting. A fine slushy mess out there right now. Talia is meeting an old colleague for lunch so she has to go out in this. Me, I am not moving.

Thanksgiving shopping is done for our small tight little group. I have the turkey thing down pat, and could do with in my sleep. I am glad, Gill, that your life is returning to normal. I imagine you will sigh heavily several times this Thanksgiving - an exhalation of relief and grief combined. At least that was my experience. Not the same situation of course, but related. Hugs.

Seize the carp!

Good morning everyone.

Sorry for everyone experiencing any rough weather on the West Coast. I hope the FEMA response isn’t politicized, but it’s a brave new world. Sigh.

I slept well at least, and am experiencing that mild euphoria I get when I get an excellent night’s sleep after a poor one.

Wrote a mean little horror story yesterday, just over the length of a flash. I will fine tune it today.

Thanksgiving approaches! Coffwe would be swell.

Good morning everyone. Hope you are all well.

Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. Taking it easy today, though I should get some writing in.

Coffee please!

Elyse, Jon Bon Jovi is no Tom Petty.

It never snowed yesterday! There is a bomb cyclone, whatever the f that is, in Cali, so snow is expected to come soon.

Same old thang today. Except this: I'm doing a meet the writers thing on another site at 7 pm, Eastern. Show up and ask questions!

I hope everyone is having an excellent day. Coffee please.

Good morning all. I hope everyone is well.

Good news! I just got nominated for a Pushcart Prize for my memoir in Split Lip Magazine. It’s a small press award, and since every small press gets to nominate up to six stories, there are a lot of nominees. Still, it’s very cool - never happened to me before.

Anyway. Same old thang here. It’s snowing, though that may turn to rain. I have no reason to leave the house today, so that’s cool.

Coffee and something sweet please.

Quote by Mendalla

singing

Dance and spin and swing and twirl

Welcome to the new week, world!

stops singing

(So was that too perky or what?)

Maybe you need to cut back on the caffeine a little, Ape.

Good luck on the new writing Elyse.

Didn’t sleep well, still trying to wake up. Grrr. Hopefully coffee will help. I have a critique session tonight and am a little irritable about having to do it on so little sleep. I suspect I will skip my walk.

Haven’t seen Cora around in a few days. Hope you are well, Cora.

Coffee and, if there are any leftover cookies I would love one.

Quote by Mendalla

I am hearing more and more stories about Americans wanting to "get out". It is sad. I love your country even if I love mine more and if I ever was to live in a country other than Canada, it would be the USA*. I've come close a couple times, too, due to my wife's career.

*Well, some parts thereof. I would not, for instance, be a very good fit for the Deep South, much as I enjoy visiting parts of it.

I didn't mean to get political, I understand there are differing opinions. It just made me sad.

Be careful of that delayed grief, Gill, dear. That can fire on you with both barrels. I am glad your boys will be around, that will lift your heart.

Here’s a pro tip, if you want a quick turnaround on a story, send it to Weird Horror. I was rejected within 12 hours, and 8 of that was sleep. Yeesh.

Nothing new here. I have a good friend who is moving to Ireland. She can’t live here any more. Makes me sad.

But at least there are cookies and coffee to help us through the day! Seize the carp!

Quote by Mendalla

Pfft. Wimp. 😊 Any temp above 32 (0 in the real system) is warm.

And yet I wimped out on even that. Maybe today.

Same old thang here. Write, walk (if I don’t wimp out again), play No Man’s Sky. One week left in the expedition!

Aren’t baseball winter meetings happening? I haven’t heard a peep.

Coffee and a cookie as always!

Hello all.

Same old thing here. Snow is all finally starting to melt. Finished two stories, they are going out today (including the dumb fairy story, which may have turned out better than it has any right to).

I will walk today too, even though it won’t get above 50 degrees. Time to start dressing for winter walks.

I’d love a coffee and a cinnamon donut hole thing please. But

Quote by Mendalla

So is it a story about dumb fairies (fairies who don't talk? fairies with an abysmal IQ?)? Or a dumb story about fairies? Or a dumb story told by a fairy? There's so much to unpack in these three words. Or maybe I am overthinking?

A dumb story about fairies, since I don't know crap about fairies.

Quote by gillianleeza

There is no snow here, and it has been weirdly warm and humid. I am not a fan; I am ready for cooler temperatures.

My life is a bit more settled now. We moved my Dad into memory care, and it is going about how I expected. There are good days and bad days. But I know he is safe and cared for. I almost have their apartment cleared out, but I'm still dealing with all the subsequent paperwork that comes with the death of one parent and the relocation of another parent. But I am relieved to be back full-time at my own house. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. All my kids will be here. They have all been incredibly supportive during everything. They are good sons.

I'll be around more now. I've missed everyone and catching up on everyone's news.

Have a good evening, and take care of yourselves. Cheers!

Gil, so psyched you are back in your own house, and that your boys are coming home and, most importantly, have been supportive. It'll be nice t have you around more.

Thanks for the cookies Molly! Good to have you back too! Thanks for the cookies.

Nothing new today. I'm up to Phase Three in the Beachhead Expedition (I know that means nothing to anyone here). It's hard work - I was playing for like three hours last night.

Time to drink some coffee and try to fix this dumb fairy story. Cookies to go with my coffee would be a dream come true.

I am looking forward to reading more in that B&G universe, James.

Escape-from-reality weekend. I must have played No Man’s Sky for 20 hours (there’s a beachhead expedition afoot). Talia said, not untruly, I was escaping certain political realities by playing in space all weekend. She’s not wrong.

Back to the salt mines though. Two new stories to polish and send out today. One is about fairies, and I am having a tough time finding the tone. I am really trying hard to write a hopeful story.

Snow is finally melting. Coffee would be wonderful.

Quote by JustAnotherSapphic

I'm staying over at my parents' again tonight per my boyfriend's previous suggestion so I won't be by myself while I wait for him to feel up to talking.

Hey Elyse! I didn’t know you had a boyfriend! Make sure he treats you right.

The snowstorm is not as bad as predicted. We got hit hard yesterday, but most of today’s snow outlook has been canceled. Shovel out and get back to life.

I hope everyone is well. I brought some Pez for everyone to chew on waiting for yummy baked goods. Want one?

Good morning everyone. Thank you for the yummy treats. We need them - a huge snowstorm is hitting, and it is is unlikely we’ll be able to leave the house. S’posed to quit around 5 a.m. Saturday. Yeesh!

I’m enjoying listening to everyone talking about their writing habits. I too have had a bad time of late. My bugaboo has been the worry about the election, but at least that is over with. The election, not the worry. Anyway, I’m trying to get in an anthology about fairies, and though I know almost nothing about fairies, I am giving it a shot. They are disguised as…moths! And even though real fairies (I know) are supposed to be kind of amoral and tricky, I am uncharacteristically going to write a nice story, where they save a child’s life.

James, I tried to market a series of stories called Serious Moonlight, based on some stories I wrote for another site, and had the same problem. The free giveaways were kind of exciting, because you really take off a little, but once the giveaway ends no one buys it. It was a disappointing experience for me. I hope you do better.

I am sorry your current project has stalled Ape. Maybe try finishing it, even if you feel it sucks, and then work on a second draft? Most first drafts of anything suck. It’s the second draft where the magic happens, in my experience.

Anyway I am rambling. Time to, well, drink some coffee and watch the snow come down with the woman I love. I’ll grab some of those cinnamon donut holes!

It's snowing again.

I'd be very interested in a thread where we just talk about what we're writing, on a daily basis. I've always been a bit reticent about discussing it in the coffee shop (though less lately), but I'd love to have a thread to open up and share.

A contest involving other sites--one in particular--would be a good solution, but I know not everyone agrees with that.

'Dorcus Titanus Platymelus' by Fernando Falcone

Normally I listen to the news in the morning, but I can’t bring myself to do that today. So here’s my favorite bluegrass girl, bringing us Appalachia by way of China.

Colorado is closed today folks. Snowed yesterday, snowing now, and will snow most of the day. Fits my mood. At least I enjoy shoveling the drive and sidewalk, for some odd reason.

Those apple muffins looks scrumptious. I’ll have two. And some coffee.

I’m trying to write, with mixed results. I played video games for like five hours yesterday. It was fun, though. I love No Man’s Sky.

Good morning all! A coffee and one of those lovely cookies please.

I agree, Molly is an excellent Mod of the site, and the team seems strong. I didn’t know Gill was a Mod, and I am happy she will be here a little more.

Made it to Election Day. Whew! I will be glad when all this is over. Hopefully that will be in a few days, not a few weeks.

Me, I am chilling today. Follow the news, do a little cooking, play a little No Man’s Sky, hope for democracy.

A coffee and a cinnamon roll please.

I am sure things will be fine here. Traffic comes and goes. A comp involving another site might be the way to go to get more traffic, but I know that can be problematic. Anyway, thanks for all your work on this Molly.

It’s snowing here! And windy! I suspect I am not leaving the house til after (gulp!) Election Day. As long as I don’t have to go out into it, it’s pretty to look at.

Thanks for all the excellent treats Cora and Molly! And for the setup Ape and Bear. I’ll have my usual.

Sorry about your disappointment, Ape. I’ve tried to be good about commenting on stories here but have probably been lax. I will strive to do better.

Halloween was fun - we got lots of kids. Watched a couple YA scary movies that were actually pretty good, despite being for kids. Trick R Treat, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Mild recommendation.

Election Day looms. No baseball to distract me. 5 days. Sigh. I’ll feel better when it is over, regardless of who wins.

Coffee and a handful of those delish cookies please.

Quote by gillianleeza

I'm hungry now. All the cookies look amazing.

We had my mother's funeral last Friday, and on Monday, we will move my Dad into the memory care unit at their retirement community. I feel guilty about it but know it is best for him. He needs 24-hour-a-day supervision. Hopefully, he'll adjust well, but I know it will be a process.

I look forward to returning home and not having to stay with my father anymore. It's been over two months, and it has taken its toll on my mental and physical health. I can finally make plans to see my son and daughter-in-law in Germany.

I hope everyone is doing well. I'll be around more after next week. Take care of yourselves.

I am so sorry for your loss Gill. It must be a bittersweet relief to see her no longer suffering. And I know from first hand experience you are doing what you need to do with your Dad. He is safer and in a place that can meet his advanced needs. No guilt needed. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Happy Halloween everyone! That’s a nice display of cookies and sweets.

My Western horror story drops today. It’s a good anthology - the group I am in, Denver Horror Collective, put it together. It looks nice, huh?

Today, a little publicity on social media, a little relaxing, and then it is candy and scary movie time. I am a big fan of both! And tomorrow: Hallo candy sales!

Coffee and Halloween candy please!

Quote by Molly

I saw these and thought they were adorable. Just in case some of you wanted a little fruit with all the sweets.

Oooh! I love the ghosty ones!

Good morning everyone! Day before Halloween! Spooky! We will start the horror marathon early. Talia has hidden all the Halloween candy. Sigh.

Thanks for the cookies Cora, and the sweets, Molly.

Nothing new here. That's not a complaint.

Coffee and a handful of cookies and a ghosty strawberry please.

Here it is

Here is my Weird Western story, dropping in an anthology on Halloween, appropriately. There a launch party on Sunday as well, that I will be reading at. Fun! I won’t drop a link here for the event here, but ask me for it and I will happily provide the link.

Darn, I can’t upload the photo. I will try again later.

Coffee and cookies (where are the cookies? Cora? Sara?) please.

Morning all. Thanks for the coffee and treats.

Glad the book is doing well, James.

World Series is starting up again today. It’s loo kinda over already - we’ll see if the Yankees can get a toehold the next three nights.

And the election is 8 days away. Quite the rally at Madison Square Garden last night. I won’t comment, other than Wow. It’s stark rhetoric, and a stark choice.

Coffee and a cookie please.