Excuses

January 16, 2024

Excuses, I hate making excuses

No Excuses
I Hate Making Excuses

That’s right, readers, I hate making excuses. Yet, that’s all I seem to do these days. I could and would manage it if it were as simple as writer’s block. It’s not. Being a full-time caregiver is hard on me emotionally as well as physically. Can you imagine working 120 hours a week for no pay? No? I can because that is what I’ve been doing daily since June. I’m tired. I’m not making excuses, but damn, this has got to stop soon.

I have a plan, though, and it is slowly making its way through the process. Damn, is it ever so slow? At this rate, I would like to write again in February. Wish me luck, because that is my goal. I love plans that have goals; else, why have a plan to begin with?

I hope you’re staying safe, warm, and cozy while dealing with this nasty weather front covering most of the country. If you’re staying inside and bored to death, pick up any book, not just one of mine. But here is where you can learn more about my books, most of which are available on Amazon. Happy reading.

Please send me a comment. I’d love to read them. I’ll respond as I can. I hope you have a wonderful day.

2024 is a New Year

January 7, 2024
2024 is a New Year

2024 is a new year

2024 is a new year and a year in review. Despite the strife worldwide, we have more than enough right here in my home, allowing me to step aside. I have enough of my issues to deal with. And yes, the image is a blatant attempt to draw your eye and read my blog.

2023 was most likely the toughest year of my life. I retired from my career job on Feb 1. I looked forward to catching up on my sleep and writing more novels. It took the entire month of February to catch up on sleep. It took the better part of that month sleeping eleven to thirteen hours a night. I didn’t realize just how exhausted I was. I loved every minute of sleep.

March brought me to a place where I could start my retirement earnestly. I started going out more, getting a good start on emptying the proverbial ‘job jar,’ and thinking about and taking notes for my next book. Believe it or not, one doesn’t sit down at a keyboard and start writing. It would be best to have something in mind and a general direction you want to go before you put a single character or word down.

more “2024 is a New Year” …

Merry Christmas 2023

December 26, 2023

Good morning and Merry Christmas 2023. Sure, Christmas was yesterday, but the season continues. Let’s hope that we all make it last.

This time of year, a few days after the Winter Solstice gives us an opportunity to sit back and think of ways to prevent repeating our mistakes of the past. I know I have a lot to think about and figure out how to correct past mistakes. I’m human and I know I make a lot of them.

How am I going to do that, you may ask? The first thing is to take responsibility for my mistakes. Sometimes, I ignore that part of my behavior. The second is that I am going to counseling. I find it very fulfilling and worthwhile. I even get homework, if you can believe that or not. And some of this homework is harder than my college years assignments. These assignments allow me to figure out all sorts of things, especially things I have never trained on, such as social interactions and what makes people tick. I’m finding I am sorely lacking in some of these areas.

more “Merry Christmas 2023” …

Winter Solstice 2023

December 21, 2023
Winter Solstice 2023

Today is the shortest day of the natural year, Winter Solstice 2023. Starting tomorrow, the sun will rise a little earlier and set a little later in the day. It’ll be slow at first but gradually go longer and longer until Spring arrives.

To me, this pattern of Earth’s trip around the Sun represents the pattern of life. We are born and grow taller and stronger until we reach a steady balance between birth and death. That period is different for each of us, but eventually, it moves past that, and just as the days get shorter, so does our remaining life. For me, the Winter Solstice 2023 is a rebirth of sorts. I believe when we die, we do not fade into oblivion. Our consciousness rejoins the universe we are made of and reborn again. What that rebirth entails, no one knows, including me. I just know we will… I will. The cycle repeats forever.

Does this mean that the stardust we rejoin is heaven? Maybe? I won’t speculate. Does this mean everyone who dies with a stain on their soul or not returns to stardust? Yes, they do. If there is such a thing as sin in the universe, their sins are cleansed, and they, like the rest of us, return to the cycle of rebirth.

For the here and now, it’s what we do with the life we are living and what we do with it. I am trying to leave it a better place than when I was born into it. Others tend to go the other way. That’s sad, but I can do little about that. I can only do what I can, which is take care of myself and then try to care for others. If I don’t have the strength and wherewithal to care for myself, how can I possibly care for others?

Enjoy the winter solstice and the holiday that follows. And if you are looking to do something, might I suggest reading a good book? Here’s a suggestion. Read one of mine.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/Richard Verry

Happy Thanksgiving 2023

November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving 2023

Just a quick note to wish everyone here in the U.S.A. a Happy Thanksgiving 2023.

As most of you know, it has not been a good year for my partner and me. Between her disease and me, an engineer, taking on the role of a full-time home caregiver has stressed the household too many limits. But that’s alright. She’s still with us and, hopefully, will be for several years to come.

Her neurologist informed us at our last appointment that there is no way to predict how much time she has left. Unlike other fatal diseases, they can chart no metrics on a timeline to approximate how long she has left. It could be six months, six years, and anything between and even longer.

happy thanksgiving 2023

But I am thankful she’s still with us, as her family is as well.

Have a happy Thanksgiving. Just be careful not to overdo it.

And if you’re not sharing it with a loved one, friend, or even an acquaintance, find something to do. Take a walk, go to the park, ride a bicycle, read a book, or do anything that interests you. And remember, I have many good books you can read, you can find most of them on Amazon. If you haven’t read one of my books, check them out. You might be surprised.

‘Tween Holidays

November 15, 2023

‘Tween Holidays

It’s ‘Tween Holidays. Halloween is past, and Thanksgiving is just days away. After that, Christmas is next, assuming you follow retail holiday schedules. The retail Christmas season started this year before the U.S. Labor Day holiday in late August.

Tween the holidays with a variety of pumpkins

But I really do not want to write about that. I want to tell you, my faithful readers, that I will know when I can resume my writing soon. My lifelong domestic partner is dealing with a long-term fatal disease and has just been accepted into the Medicaid role. A nurse will be out tomorrow to open her case, set us up for any available services, and answer dozens of questions about now and the future.

I hope to get more help with supervised care while getting needed time off from my hectic life as a full-time home caregiver. There is no question I need help.

more “‘Tween Holidays” …

Halloween 2023 is over

November 8, 2023
Halloween

Halloween 2023 is over.

Halloween 2023 is over, and my decorations are all put away. 😞 This is the first time I got a little excited to celebrate the holiday in several years. Oh, it’s not like when I owned a home on a family-oriented street.

Skeleton and Girl in fire

In those days, I’d go all out, covering the front and two sides of my yard and even my back deck. I had hands sticking out of the ground as if zombies were trying to dig their way out from their graves. A plethora of tombstones would fill large spaces around the graveyard with gothic fencing. I had simulated fire, skeletons, ghouls, ghosts, and other assorted supernatural beings galore around the yards and entranceway to the house. I had skeletons fishing for mermaids, while another skeleton hung a recently caught mermaid by her tail while she flapped around, trying to free herself.

Another year, the year of cannibalism, I had a full-sized human spitted and roasting on a roterisie over a bed of hot coals and even mimicking smoke rising from fat dripping on the fire below. I had sophomoric scenes of skeletons hanging out, drinking beers, and partying around an ice chest with empties all about. In that scene, I also portrayed a girl skeleton in a red string bikini who got too much sun.

more “Halloween 2023 is over” …

Happy Halloween 2023

October 31, 2023
Witch flying on a broomstick with a full moon.

Happy Halloween 2023. For those worldwide who celebrate this holiday, from me to you, please enjoy it. It is my favorite, and I enjoy it, free from any doctrinal or contemptuous connotations.

Mermaid Witch underwater on a broomstick. Happy Halloween 2023.

I don’t know why I enjoy it so much, but I do. It stems from my childhood when I heard and read stories of the Headless Horsemen, popular in New England. Here, I can combine it with my other favorite mystical beings, mermaids. And, what is my favorite Halloween movie? 1959’s ‘The House on Haunted Hill’ starring Vincent Price. Yep? As an adult, I realized while it is a horror film, it’s also a murder mystery, where the owner of the house sets out to murder his wife by dropping her in a bath of acid.

It’s a fun holiday where one can let go and enjoy themselves in settings free from the norm and day-to-day lives. Enjoy it with your kids and even without. There is no age limit to having fun on this holiday.

And… if you’re not into Halloween, perhaps you’d like to read a book. May I suggest one of mine on Amazon? or for more information, check out my stories’ webpage.

Happy Halloween 2023

Dark, bleak graphic of goth women surrounded by dozens of crows and dead trees.

I’m sorry to say

October 28, 2023

I’m sorry to say that I have made little progress in writing my next installment of the Consortium Series, or any book. The situation at home hasn’t gotten better. My lady and partner continue’s to need full-time care to do the simplest of things. She is angry and frustrated that she is losing control of her body. Intellectually, I knew that, but emotionally, it’s not so easy to accept. I work on that every day. My goals at this moment is to keep her safe and improve the quality of life as much as possible. Everything else is secondary. Writing is way down at the bottom of the list. Besides, I don’t have the creativity I need to write books. All I can do is think about my story and come up with ideas to incorporate into it.

more “I’m sorry to say” …

A Lot Going on

August 19, 2023

A Lot Going on

That’s right, there’s a lot going on, and I know you are wondering how I’m doing and whether I’ve returned to writing. I’m sorry, the answer is no.

However, I’m feeling better emotionally. My life partner’s condition shocked me to the core. Over the last couple of months, I’ve worn many hats; full-time home caregiver, advocate, transportation driver, contractor, cook, cleaner, housekeeper, and a host of other tasks, including wiping the ass of my loved one. Sorry, honey, it’s what I do.

Mind you. I hate being a full-time home caregiver. I hate it. According to my counselor, it’s a healthy attitude. She even said, “No one likes being a home caregiver.” I smiled. Yet, there is one and only one reason I do it, which I told her out-of-town daughters. I do it because I love her. Also, there is no one else to do it.

In the months since the diagnosis, a lot has transpired. Some of it was to improve her quality of life, and some to make the house safer and more accessible. To get her the services she needs, including therapy, and signed up for Medicaid. The therapy is helping her move better and lets her feel better. All of which makes me feel better.

Who hasn’t a lot going on?

Everyone has something going on

Everyone is going through a lot. I know that. I am not alone in that. The one thing I do know is that no matter how bad it gets for me, there is always someone else worse off.

I’m starting to feel better and I’m anxious to get back to writing. This blog entry is my first attempt at writing. I can feel my creative juices starting to flow. I also started sketching. It’s nothing to sneeze at, but I’m trying. I am trusting myself to take control of my life and my creative process, preferably soon.

Hopefully, I am getting back into the swing of things. I should have published my latest book by now. I feel bad about that. All I can tell you is that I’m trying. I’m doing my best. Wish me luck.

Comments Welcome

You’ll find the comment section at the bottom of this page.

Please comment. I’m always interested in what my readers think.