This is a catch-up post, including a Link of Interest

[rolanni]

First of all, there's been a scheduling change.  Due to my protracted and debilitating bout of depression, the delivery date for First of Five has been moved to September 2014.  (I'm telling the truth, here.  If the truth makes you uncomfortable, then please replace "depression" in the foregoing sentence with "illness," and feel comfy again.  I had thought of using "illness," but then I read this article in our local paper, and I realized all over again that mental health issues are never going to be dealt with on par with other serious illnesses as long as "depressed/bipolar=crazy, scary, and completely unreliable in every aspect of life, forever and always" is a convenient equation for lawyers, and that it falls to those of us who suffer from these illnesses to be truthful about it.)

Also!  I am behind on my email.  I think at this point it's safe to say that I will never, ever in this lifetime catch up on my email.  If you have sent me something that I must deal with else Babies Will Die, please resend, and I will do my damnedest to cope.  If you have sent me something below that level of urgency, I thank you very much for your interest, and your care.

For those who have not seen the news, there is a new story up at Splinter Universe, "Roving Gambler."  Here's your link.  Also, "The Rifle's First Wife" is still up, so read it while it's free.  Here's that link.

Fans of Jasmine Sprite, Princess of the Night, sometimes called both Bubbles and Boopsie, though she answers to nothing save the moople of the Trooper and the siren hiss of The String...Sprite went to see her fan club at the vet's office yesterday.  She now weighs fifteen pounds, and enjoys robust good health.  The trip to the vet was necessitated by a drippy eye (she has had eye infections in the past, and we didn't wish to Take a Chance).  An examination revealed that someone might have clocked her one (not impossible, given her. . .enthusiastic interest. . . in the lives and doings of all of her subjects, but most especially Scrabble, who is Endlessly Fascinating), or she came up against some other irritant.  There's no scratch on the cornea, nor any infection.  She came home with Soothing Eye Drops, which she is astonishingly good about accepting, and the situation is improving already.

Fans of Mozart will wish to know that he continues to Take an Interest in the Daffodils, and will occasionally play a short game of Twizler from the comfort of his hammock, when he is awake, which isn't very often.  He continues to require a regimen of Special Gooshy Food, which he is more than willing to share with Trooper, and which is kinda not the point of the exercise.  The grandcats continue to be very respectful of grandpa, checking in several times a day, and cleaning his ears and the top of his head for him, as required.

A Reader of Liad has undertaken to read all of the Liaden stories and novels extant to date, in order, and chat about them.  (Full disclosure:  Paul told me about his intention to pursue this project before he started and I was. . .appalled probably doesn't overstate my reaction.  I have since taken a look at what he's doing, now that the project is fully underway, and have adjusted my reaction from appalled to interested.)  If you are interested in reading along, or have insights to offer, or are just curious, the project is Reading Liad.  Here's your link.

* * *

Progress on One of Five
57,004/100,000
OR
57% completed

He grinned, to show he got it, and offered a piece of street smart.
"Contracts're made to be broken."

Comments

[starrcat.livejournal.com]

Depression sucks big time. Hope yours is better. (Funny - I often use Miller/Lee to help me out of mine.)

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

Ditto the depression sucks comment. I wish I could do more than merely send you good thoughts and prescribe hugs and cat therapy, both of which are available in plenty from within your household.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Ditto to both of the above!

[patknuth.livejournal.com]

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[pedanther]

Thank you for the mention. It means a lot, especially after I made such a hash of the preliminaries.

(For anybody who remembers that earlier occasion when I came here and talked about what I was contemplating for Reading Liad, I should say that the prospective approach with which I appalled our hostess is not the one I eventually adopted, and for the record it has become apparent to me that it was indeed a Really Bad Idea. The project as it stands is, I hope, not so horrifying.)

[gingerwood.livejournal.com]

About a year ago, when Mac our 15yo, 90lb German Shepard was still with us, my sisters got GS puppies. They had no respect at all for any of the younger dogs in the extended pack, but seemed to be in awe of Mac. They'd sit at attention in front of him, hoping to be noticed, and gently bat at his face with their paw when he sniffed them. There favorite thing was when he would 'play' with them by sitting in the middle of the yard, they'd come near and he'd let out a single bark, and they'd go tearing around the yard, then come back to be barked at again. It was the cutest thing I think I've ever seen.

[nfurman.livejournal.com]

Well, after reading the linked article- Yes, it is time to stop the bashing of mental illness as permanently and always unreliable, unstable, and unfunctional. When I get excessively depressed (yes, I really DO get what you are talking about) I try reminding myself that Winston Churchill was, apparently , bi-polar, and had huge bouts of depression. The wonder is he seems to have survived them with whisky and cigars? :) I send you many good wishes, and well, prayers of a sort. And endless thanks for the delight you create. Feel weller, I hope....

[romsfuulynn.livejournal.com]

Thank you for being brave and naming this.

I hope that you are getting the help you need and taking care of yourself. The church I attend has recently started a program to try to better deal with the issue of not speaking of issues around mental health and not providing the same kind of community support.

http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/yourmentalhealth/2013/04/29/with-mental-illness-in-the-family-you-dont-get-lasagna/

Cat news and observation

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

Glad that Mozart is doing so well. thanks for all the cat news. Cats produce good dreams. I am unfortunately allergic. Dogs do physically guard the people. That's good.

I read the Roving Gambler. Thanks very much. I'll buy it and any other not published so far when they go up for sale now that I've got my snazzy e-reading going.

Hope you are feeling better. The cats will help.

[the wol (from livejournal.com)]

I appreciate your courage and frankness. Your willingness to be open about what is as real an actual medical thing as diabetes or arthritis or heart disease helps the rest of us who are also wrestling that particular octopus to stand a little taller, and fight a little harder. I suspect you are preaching to the choir more than you know. (I'm sitting in the soprano section myself.) I just tapered off bupropion which is no longer working and hopefully will be starting a trial of clomipramine this coming week.

You might appreciate this, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetics-of-depression/

Take care of yourself. You bring so much enjoyment to us with your writing, I just wish there was some way we could reflect it back to you.

[otterb.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you're wrestling with depression. Sending good vibes your way.

That snippet has, in a remarkable economy of words, set up a conflict to come for the reader with any smidgen of understanding of Liaden culture. Though I know we're some long way away from book release on this one, I may make some popcorn in anticipation anyway.

N-acetylcysteine

[the wol (from livejournal.com)]

I've been reading up on this, and there are a number of articles about it which have been appearing in reputable scientific literature. It is a nutritional supplement which helps with some forms of OCD, bipolar disorder, and depression. You can buy it over the counter. You might want to investigate this, since it is a nutritional supplement rather than a drug. Most people can take it with few, if any, side effects

Depression is never funny

[ireneha.livejournal.com]

And I do read Liaden books during my own dark days. Lately I re-read the Carosel books & the two detective books. [BARNBURNER & GUNSHY].

This is what I do when depressed.

I am glad (another thread) that you amazing new character helped you write something.
Though I'd like to you flesh out the story of Daav & the orange tinged wine.