First Published: 2026 July 4
It’s more than a little strange to me that I’m today living through what we choose to celebrate as the 250th birthday of my country of origin. I’m constantly reminded by the song that Harry Chapin wrote half a century ago to celebrate its two hundredth birthday, “There Was Only Choice”. The song is one of my favorites, and has been for ages. In part, I love that it’s practically a medley; there are completely disparate sections, many of which seem to track their own narrative lines about both loss of childhood innocence and coming to terms with life in an imperfect world.
Anyways, let’s look at the past month.
Since I am only now restarting this blog, I don’t have the goals that I would otherwise have made at the start of the month.1 Instead, I’m just going to give myself a bit of a mental “what happened?”, then look at my calendar and whatnot to see how accurate the reflection is.
The end of my 52 year college reunion. That was really great. I loved getting to see people who had helped raise and shape me. I loved getting to introduce my partner to these people as well.
Meeting my partner’s family. That went well, I think, and i feel really grateful that I was given a glimpse into the upbringing of someone I love so deeply.
a Shockinginly disabling surgery. Luckily, the arm has returned to full use now, and the scar looks cool.
Got my arm back
Read a book
Started moving in
Some future planning with my beloved.
Looking at the calendar, that’s more or less accurate to what happened! I also started the new embroidery project, but that’s so totally fine as a thing.
So, all in all I do think that this month was good for me if only because it forced me to start thinking at more than the day by day level. Whether that’s happened enough, I’m not totally sure.
So, what’s the new daily reflection going to be?
Blogging?
Progress on the embroidery?
Other creative work?
Work going well?
Workout?
Food and water?
Sleep?
Moving homes?
Other?
That’s a decent start at least! Let’s do my normal “nest everything” approach, and add the open ended questions like in the prior version.
Practical Considerations:
Gut and / or vibes check, how are the practical things going?
How goes packing old home?
How could you be working on your LDR better?
How goes setup of new home?
The work you’re being paid for?
Upon reflection, how is it going?
Creative Considerations:
Gut and / or vibes check, how is creative life going?
How goes blogging? What’s feeling like the barrier?
How goes writing poetry again?
How goes the embroidery? What’s the next hurdle?
Music
In general, how goes music?
How goes recording?
How goes writing?
How goes playing?
How goes listening?
Upon reflection, how goes? Anything missed in those four?
Outreach:
How’s it going?
How goes prep for the rest of your life?
How goes prep / submission of workshops?
Any talks coming?
Upon reflection, how goes? Anything missed in those three
Upon reflection, how is it going?
Health Considerations:
Gut and / or vibes check, how is health going?
Working out?
Food?
Water?
Sleep?
Upon reflection, how is it going?
Now I’ll add this to the bottom of the document and reorder as it feels most appropriate.5
And finally, what are the things I look forward to in the coming month?
I’m excited to visit my partner, I’m excited for the camp I have coming, and I’m excited to move!
That’s a pretty packed month, if I do say so myeslf.
Wonder
Curse of knowledge, esp re. Music Theory6.
Most of a draft done, though rambly.
Overview of a course on astrochem
I think that I have writing somewhere about it.
RebelFit
A rambly draft done, and some more work which tells me that I was not doing anything wrong in the past, approximation just takes time.
Why aspiring writers should practice typing7
At some point I’d like to reflect on my hesitance to delete email, which I think comes from a place of digital hoarding. That’s going to be a fun one for sure.
Moving
Algorithmic constraints in art I create8
Singing in a low-voice choir, especially in context of my other music
How’s things?
Decent! I’m looking forward to returning to work on Monday, but I’m nervous that I’ll have forgotten everything.
What’s a recent win?
I finished the braid design for my new embroidery project!9
You have the big tapestry embroidery project! How’s that going?
I have figured out the braid, the shape of the knot, and I have a decent idea of how many threads I want to use at a time.10
Do you feel like you’re taking good care of yourself?
Not as good as I could be. Doing ok though!
What could you be doing better?
Drink more water, eat more regularly, go to bed sooner.
Are you appropriately keeping in touch with those you love?
Decently! I have had a bit of a taper off these past few days because of the whole starting my move. Otherwise, I think so!
Big upcoming events? Preparation for them?
I have a two week camp equivalent coming up in mid July. On Monday when I have access to the intranet again, I’ll make sure I’ve followed all the procedures for that.
I’m visiting my partner in mid July. Have ticket, am ready to go
I’m moving!11 I have the keys, and I have cleaned out the old expired food from my home. Otherwise still basically need to move everything from location A to location B. Unfortunately, the world is in a heat wave this week.
Visiting partner in August.12 Need to do all planning
Visiting partner in September13 Need to do all planning
Once again, then, how’s it going?
Decent! I’m definitely going to remake this again, though. I did also write my partner a poem last night, and that felt really nice. I also read one full14 book last night, which is pretty dang cool for me.
All in all, how goes it?
Generally ok! I feel like I’ve been feeling better lately, but I also think that this may be short lived. It feels more like the manic energy that comes and goes rather than the sustained positive feelings that I have when I do well.
Creative Considerations:
Gut and / or vibes check, how is creative life going?
Decently? I think that I’m getting much more into it these past few days, and I do miss making music.
Written Word:
How’s your relationship with the written word in general?
(forgot to answer until I’d done the reflection)
How goes blogging? What’s feeling like the barrier?
Haven’t done in a hot sec. I think that I felt like I was too busy, and then I didn’t really want to, because I wanted to work on the embroidery instead. But, as I always know, reflection and writing is good for me, and I like thinking about myself as a writer. To be a writer, I must write.
How goes reading?
Decently! I’m keeping up on a smaller number of web serials15, and I don’t really feel like reading much of anything on my phone. Reading on my phone does often take the place of scrolling, so it’s definitely not the worst thing to get back into, though.
I read a full book last night, which was great, and I’m planning to do the same this evening/tonight.
How goes writing poetry again?
I wrote a poem last night which had a really cool conceit. The first word of each line started with the next letter of my partner’s name, and the second word started with the letter before it. Repeat partner’s name between each line, and end the final line with an acrostic line. E.g. if the name were “Odysseus”16, a quick and dirty17 one could go:
Odysseus
Do ocean tides still fill your heart with fear?
Odysseus
You dealt in trickery, and in deceit you were repaid
Odysseus
Some youth will follow in your path, defy the ocean god.
Odysseus
Siren song you followed, and nearly crashed the ship
Odysseus
Each song that’s song about your name distorts it slightly more.
Odysseus
Under each verse there lives a lie, a truth of who you were.
Odysseus
So utter not false words of praise.
Odysseus
Of Damned Yet Stoic Seeker Escaping Unknown Straits
So... all in all poetry is good. I want to get back into villanelle. I do think that I’ve been too rigid in the past, trying to not alter the line at all. It seems like the best approach is to intentionally make small changes to the line. In general, though, we all know I’m one who loves repetition and forced action in my creative endeavor.18
We’re counting audio book here, anything good?
Been relistening to Dungeon Crawler Carl to get into the new book. I don’t know that I listened to it at all in June, but I did listen to a full six hours while working on the embroidery design yesterday. I’ve almost finished Bedlam Bride.
Upon reflection, how’s the written word? Anything missing in the five questions?
I think good! All in all pretty happy with how I relate to it. Don’t think that there’s anything missing!
Music
In general, how goes music?
Eh! I listened through about half of the album for album club this morning, and I forgot how much I enjoy The Who.19 My fingers have lost guitar dexterity, and I miss music all in all.
How goes recording?
Haven’t done, but have spent some time considering where and how there’s space in my new home for a studio. Quiet hours exist in the new place, so that’s going to be a consideration for sure.
How goes writing?
Haven’t written anything, but last night had an idea for a song for the (formerly) men’s chorus I sing in.20
How goes playing?
Not great as well! I’ve got a jam coming up on Monday, so that’s going to be nice. Otherwise, planning to move the guitar and accordion21 soon so that I can play them.
How goes listening?
Listened to half of album club for the week! These past few weeks have been in a bit of a music slump. Not much has seemed nice lately. Still need to listen to the mix tape and the playlist my partner made me.22
Upon reflection, how goes music? Anything missed in those four questions?
Could be much better, but now that I’m aware of it I can do better.
Embroidery Project?
In general, what’s the vibe of the project right now?
Vibe is good! I realized it’ll be about 250 stitches wide, which is much smaller than I expected.
How goes progress on the design? What’s in the way?
I think that at this point I need to really get a handle on the background ombre and exactly how many thread colors I want. What’s in the way is that I don’t have the knot fully fleshed out, and that’s technically more important. Also haven’t figured out the weave.
How goes progress on the stitching? What’s in the way?
Just decided I’m going for four threads, two doubled ideally.
Upon reflection, how goes embroidery? Anything missed in those two questions?
Generally decent! Excited to finish the knot and decide on the total number of threads
N.B. I took a break here to go play games with my brother and friends
Outreach:
How’s outreach going?
Nonexistent
How goes prep for the rest of your life?
Nonexistent
How goes prep / submission of workshops?
I learned I can!
Any talks coming?
Nonexistent
Upon reflection, how goes outreach? Anything missed in those three questions?
Nonexistant
Upon reflection, how is creation going?
Generally well!
Health Considerations:
Gut and / or vibes check, how is health going?
Decent!
Working out?
Not since Tuesday :/
Food?
Not as much as I should
Water?
See above
Sleep?
See above
Upon reflection, how is it going?
See above
Practical Considerations:
Gut and / or vibes check, how are the practical things going?
Generally decently! I could be doing better about packing the home!
How goes packing old home?
Could be better, not going to lie.
How could you be working on your LDR better?
How goes setup of new home?
The work you’re being paid for?
Upon reflection, how go practical matters
Decent!
Upon total reflection, how goes it?
Decent
also, for some reason my typing accuracy is way down today. Not sure what that’s about↩
ish↩
which reminded me that I needed to clean my email, so have done some of that now! Woo, go me! Added to list of future musings↩
ope! Just realized I didn’t do daily reflection yet!↩
e.g. I think that I’ll put practical considerations last↩
stolen from a prior list↩
and this should also like tie in the thing that a lot of writers are told to do which is directly write good poetry or prose down to get it in the hand. This also has the effect of practicing hand writing. I think that there’s also the whole like “when we want to be better at running, we also stretch”↩
see footnote in this post’s second daily reflection about written word, poetry↩
Other than corners, which ummmm hmm I’ll figure out eventually↩
six just feels inconvenient these days. Four glides through the fabric in a way that six doesn’t. Also, my partner’s aunt uses four for 14 Aida, which is what I’m using, so I’m following the expert in this↩
added today↩
added today↩
added today↩
admittedly, YA↩
which probably means that I should unfollow the remainder↩
just watched a beautiful video about the Odyssey, and it stuck with me↩
read, not edited, unlike the version I sent my beloved↩
forced is the wrong word, but algorithmic? almost. Let’s add that to the future musings↩
should that be capitalized?↩
It’s still a low voice choir, but now it’s open to anyone. Adding to the upcoming posts.↩
the old and broken one. I’m trying to take better care of the newer one, so it’s currently back at Home Base (from here on how I’ll refer to childhood home), which has a better set of climate control.↩
keep wanting to write beloved, but iirc that name has been taken in this blog↩