Saturday, January 18, 2025

Short Stuff!

Welcome, I’m Mary Louisa Locke, the author of the USA Today best-selling Victorian San Francisco Mystery series and the Caelestis Science Fiction series. In this daily newsletter, I reflect on my life as an indie author trying to age gracefully. Occasionally, I will also publish some of my shorter fiction in this newsletter to read for free.

Daily Diary, Day 1599:

Yesterday, it did briefly get up to 62 degrees, but when I took my short walk before lunch the clouds were thick, and I welcomed my winter jacket and wool scarf. But, nevertheless, it was great to get outside and walk, even if for only 15 minutes. Nothing hurt more afterwards than it did before the walk, so I am counting that as a win. I will try to do at least one 15-minute walk today, maybe even two!

I did have my phone call and did work some on the novel, mostly trying to track down information on the Mechanic’s Institute Fair held each year, to see if there was any information on the number of women who contributed to it in 1883.

This morning has been very busy, with ordering groceries (which took much longer than usual because the on-line ordering page was undergoing a change, and was very glitchy), having an hour zoom call, putting groceries away, and experimenting with some compression bandages and sleeves because this is what the doctor suggested I try, and because the swelling was considerably worse this morning. Hopeing the compression helps bring it down, or I may need to go see someone again on Monday. I do think I will try to do another short walk today before lunch.

We have been finishing up the last of Monk, finished this season of Shetland, and we are working through the rest of the season of Astrid, High Potential, Darby and Joan, and started the new seasons of Trent and Elspeth. All mysteries, however we are also rewatching Kaminsky Method right before bed time, so a nice dose of rather dark humor.

Finally, here is a photo of what I believe are narcissus hiding in a yard that I found on yesterday’s walk.

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