New Season, New Workspace (literal and metaphorical)

The mouse for the laptop where I am writing this is somewhere in the primary bedroom, but I don’t know where. If you have ever had a cat, you understand. I have reached the stage of adjusting my environment to this new shape of our family, which partly involves me turning Real Life Romance Hero’s old desk into my new analog (and Anna Log) and laptop desk, and using the accompanying bookcase into a home for journaling supplies. With the new setup, I should be able to film journal and planning content, which is both exciting and intimidating. As with anything else, I plan to make a bunch of mistakes until I figure out what I am doing in that regard.

pocket size catchall journal

The biggest surprise for me is that taking over RLRH’s old desk is that it helps me feel more connected to him. I was not expecting that but not complaining. I’ll take it. Since this is a curbside treasure (city dwellers, if you know, you know) I need to re-surface the surface. I would prefer not to know how it got to its present state. We do have a better desk in storage, but this is the one that is here now, and I am very much interested in using what is here now.

2026 is doing pretty well so far, life-wise, apart from the grief thing. I am working on a blog for the MelvaAndAnna site, about Melva’s brand new solo release, Angel Whisperer..

Angel Whisperer, by Melva Michaelian

I remember first experiencing this book as Melva was writing it, in pages submitted for our long-standing critique group. I would describe this as cozy romantic suspense, which Melva does extremely well, this time with a paranormal accent. I will gobble this published version as soon as I am done with my current Kindle read.

For those keeping track, Melva released her nonfiction book, Thanks For the Memories in the end of last year, and together, we put out Drama King, our second Love By The Book title, last month. Last night, I turned in my final-final edits on the Chasing Prince Charming reissue. All we need now is cover art, formatting and uploading. Queen of Hearts is already in the second round of edits, and later this spring, or early in summer, I will be releasing A Heart Most Errant. A Heart Most Ardent is in pre-writing, which also includes poking at A Heart Most Wicked with a stick, as the two stories have slight overlap. Writing a historical series is new to me, writing a series by myself is new to me, and writing medieval is new to me, so there is a learning curve. I have to pay attention in what I am doing with these books, since they are going to affect the fourth book, A Heart Most Wild. I know very little about A Heart Most Wild, and I am okay with that.

There is also the matter of computers. RLRH had more than one laptop. I have a desktop that I named Brick, that peaked with Windows 10, and my beloved rose gold laptop with the expanded battery, so Housemate and I are getting well acquainted with the computer fixer people. Ideally, there will be one desktop and one laptop, all done. The others, I will sell, donate, or recycle. Not top of the line machines, so we are not talking huge profits here, but I am one person, and one good machine is better than a bunch that semi-function, no matter how much I can relate to them.

As of today, I am on season eight of my new TV love, Waterloo Road. There are still about nine more seasons I haven’t seen yet, the show is contracted for two more, and news just dropped that one of my favorite students turned staff members is coming back, this time as a parent, with her mini-her daughter now a student and teenager. She was the first student to come back as staff, but not the first to come back as a parent. I have already seen beloved regulars leave, their characters off to other adventures such as young marriage, university, military service, moving to another country, and even incarceration. I know other favorites, students and teachers alike, will be leaving, some to the great staff meeting in the sky, so to speak, and I know there are a few couples I would have made canon were it in my power. I have added a series tracker to my reading journal, so I can see where I am iny viewing journey. I have also adopted their favorite insult, “you colossal muppet.” Lowercase “m.”

I am also warily eyeing the list of lovely, delightful friends I need to get back to, who sent wonderful messages after RLRH’s passing. We will hit the three-month mark on the day before St. Patrick’s Day. Right now, that feels like just a fact. Closer to the day, that may change. Being more social and active on social media feels more do-able somehow. Many thanks for all who have been patient I will post later about the planning methods that are helping me get things back in order, but this feels good for now.

as always, Anna

In Bed, Watching Waterloo Road With My Cat

My first Valentine’s Day as a widow sucked exactly as much as I expected it to, but I survived it. Mostly, that was by watching Waterloo Road in bed with Storm, on YouTube. There are, to the best of my knowledge, seventeen seasons of the show, with two more contracted. Think Degrassi, but in the North of England. Storm actually has started coming to get me and leading me to the laptop, where we watch, and looking first at the screen and then at me. This is her “my show is on” signal. I am to assume the cuddle position and best not think of getting up before a full episode has passed.

on Monday, I did go out

My plan for the day was to not leave the house, get food delivered, and be a puddle of energy, to use one of Real-Life Romance Hero’s favorite phrases. In that, the day was successful. Not going to lie, it was hard. When the whole day is about romantic love, and mine has passed, yeah, that’s not a fun time. Getting under the fuzzy blanket on top of the weighted blanket, curling up with a soft cat, and watching a British comprehensive school’s students and staff go through a wide assortment of life experiences. Safe to say I have found my newest comfort show.

Even with the real-life complications, I am still a romance author, with a new book out, at that. Which reminds me, if you’ve read and liked Drama King, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Speaking of Amazon, we are as of this writing #284 in fake dating (under “books”) — we have cracked the top 300. If that is not actually a thing, let me have this. I have had a sneak peek at Melva’s upcoming solo title cover (it is gorgeous) and we are working on the Chasing Prince Charming reissue, to have it out this spring. After that, A Heart Most Errant, which will be the first of my first ever planned historical series. Reviews can be as short as “I liked it,” or “good story” or “Clawed is an awesome cat and should be in every book.”

Writing and publishing is actually a super good thing to keep me occupied. I met with a writer friend in person on Monday, and made plans for virtual and in-person writing sprints in the near future. They invited me to an in-person group that does timed writings, and we discussed going together to a nearby drop-in improv night. I am very much looking forward to the next round of improv class.

Both friend and I had challenging years just past, and both want to socialize more and make writing a priority. This week, I am also trying something else I haven’t done in a long time. I did a little (very little) standup in college, and I loved it. Therapy Gal thinks I can definitely get a five-minute set from recent experiences, so I am now working on my first set in decades. Since I live in a city, there are open mic nights, so here is a new adventure.

Yesterday was the two-month mark exactly. I am glad I spent it chatting with friends, doing writer things. Storm is aware she owes blogs. She has been pretty busy sitting on me, fulfilling her purr-pose as a fuzzy tricolored nurse.

That’s about it for now. Tonight is trash night, and, since we are decluttering, we have a bunch. After I put the trash out, I will grab some leftovers and return, with Storm, to Waterloo Road, under the weighted blanket.

as always, Anna

Bed Basket and Beyond

Picture it, Albany, New York, 2026. The winter was b*tt cold. A romance writer, faced with her entire life turning upside down, was desperate for something to hold her focus and bring some order to aforementioned life. She watched YouTube. A lot of YouTube. Her concentration was crap. Stationery, though, that she could do. If only there were a way she could pick up her whole journaling setup and move it to whatever room she wanted to be in at a given time.

behold the bed(side) basket

Enter the basket. Technically a bin, but basket sounds better. It’s pink, obviously. Inside, she put her morning and evening journals, a Union Jack themed pen cup to hold selected pens and highlighters, a box of washi, and a box of crayons for funsies. English Ruler ruler (now out of date, as it does not include Charles III) zebra print scissors (to go with the Zebra brand pens) and a red cowboy boots phone stand (Pulling. Them. Off.) The glasses case lives in the basket because the basket lives next to the bed, and the space is for a water bottle or other beverage of choice. Also an ephemera pouch. It’s behind the journals. It’s clear but it’s there.

That basket is my basket and that romance writer is me. The journals are only my first thing in the morning and last thing at night journals. They are not planners or where I do any fiction writing work. Well, mostly. I can put whatever I want in those pages, and sometimes that is fiction.

Gold sun cover is an A5 slim, from Artfan, while silver moon cover is an A5 by Archer and Olive.

I didn’t plan for the sun and moon thing, but since I am focusing on using what I already have whenever possible, there they were, and it made sense. Pens in the pen cup are all from Zebra. All pens but two, which are Blen, are Sarasa Clip. Highlighters are all Mildliner, some chisel tip, some brush, some dot. There’s also the kind that is meant to mark with two colors at once, but they’re tricky. I like it when all pens in one kit are by the same maker. It feels more harmonious.

Do I have random bunches of stuff that do not go together, that I love and use? Yes. Do I also count assembling a kit of this sort as a pleasure all on its own? Also yes. I am not a person who normally goes for trends for trend’s sake, but Sophia Petrillo was way ahead of her time on the house purse thing.

Storm is doing her smack me on the elbow thing and then very pointedly leading me to the bed, so I will wrap this here. I am planning a video walkthrough of this kit and others, but for now, I must obey my feline overlord. Cat people, you understand.

as always, Anna

Detour

Hey, all. Anna here. As Storm said earlier, we are on a life detour around here. On Thanksgiving Eve, Real Life Romance Hero fell on the stairs, which resulted in a hospital stay. I won’t go into details here, but the goal is discharge. Days now begin with a hike to the hospital (we are only a few blocks away) and then the day goes as it goes. Hike back home, chill with Housemate and Storm, then wind down for the day.

Here, I will mention that I have anxiety and PTSD in part around loved ones in hospitals, so that adds another level. RLRH is stable, and I am doing what I need to do. Part of that includes getting my planners and journals set p for 2026. Right now, I want to use what I already have. Thankfully, I have a good deal. Focusing on things like planning and writing actually helps a lot, so I am planning (hah, see what I did there?) on setting up a tentative posting schedule here and on Melvaandanna.com.

A couple of days ago, I came home from the hospital, not yet ready for bed. I set up January in a personal sized ring planner, with an undated refill that has lovely pale pink accents throughout. I like my own handwriting, so I don’t need date stickers. I’m pretty well stocked with deco stickers, washi, etc. I like to think of it as a wine cellar for stationery. Please note, I do not drink, so maybe I have the wrong idea of how to use a wine cellar.

My everyday carry (EDC) is different when my destination is the hospital, not knowing how long I will be there. I bring one bound journal, equipped with colored page flags. I call it my maid of all work journal because that is what makes most sense for me. Everything goes in there. Notes on RLRH\s progress, notes on apartment stuff, personal journaling, and writing stuff.

Melva is taking the lead on publishing Drama King in early 2026. We have a tagline now, which I will debut on our site, and I will return to editing Queen of Hearts once things calm down over here. A Heart Most Errant will also be out in 2026, and I am writing on A Heart Most Ardent. A scene between my two leads, newlywed strangers, fell out of my pen in one waiting room session. Writing felt good. Familiar. Useful, even. Not perfect, not firm, but written, and that is the most important thing.

TLDR: RLRH needs some extra care right now, planning is mental health, and 2026 will see new releases in both contemporary and historical romance. I am also making some loose plans for 2026 reading, but that’s another story. Pun intended.

as always, Anna

Welcome Back, Super Powers

Do not adjust your screen. This is really a blog post from me. There were leaves on the ground as recently as this past Saturday. I see hints of foliage in the trees around here. Our temperatures will be in the seventies or lower (Fahrenheit) for this entire week, and we are looking at sixties very soon, which will mean sending Koolio to his winter home (aka Housemate’s closet.) Our maintenance dude turned on the furnace. I had two cups of tea this morning and am currently wearing an oversized sweatshirt and leggings. The season of pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon is upon us. Store shelves have moved from back to school, to Halloween, which means time to stock up on things I will use all year long.

composition book, journalified

After watching a few (dozen) videos on turning a composition book into a more visual journal, I tried my hand at it, and it’s working extremely well. Plain pages don’t give my eyes anywhere to rest. The best stationery advice I have ever heard is that if I am stumped by a blank page, draw a box around it. There. It’s not blank now. The above is that, with decorative washi creating the box. Add some stickers, stamps, various ephemera, and pens with a bold nib — 1mm or higher– and I am off and running.

The book above is my landing pad, which means it gets everything that pops into my head, much of it to be transferred to its proper place at another time. I am one hundred percent more comfortable composing anything in longhand first. Once the whatever is on a page, I can move it to the dedicated one later. I work out a lot of stuff in this book, though I do have a separate place for mental health/therapy things. I grabbed a bunch of these books when they were on sale for under fifty cents a pop and know I am well supplied for the year to come.

planner shift

Another thing that comes to mind this time of year is planners. I haven’t been clicking as well as I would like with my Happy Planners, though I will see out the year in the two I am using. For 2026, though, the above is what feels most natural. I eyeballed the layout of the Archer and Olive planner, available in dated or undated, and gave recreating it in a dot grid journal (also A&O) a whirl. It makes sense. It’s fun to decorate. The biggest change I made was splitting the section the printed planner calls “notes” into Saturday and Sunday, then using the bottom two sections, which the printed planner has labeled for the weekend, and making those my note section. I am equally comfortable with customizing the dated version or dating an undated one myself.

Since I am well stocked with journals (but never averse to adding to the family) I am leaning toward using what I have. This fits well with wanting to have separate home bases as it were for each individual project. I love what I am working on this autumn. I am currently reading a wonderful medieval romance ARC, and just finished listening to a medieval romance from a favorite author in audio, which added a whole other level to the experience. Reading is getting better, which I welcome. I have a contemporary Christmas romance novella on the front burner, the second novella in my medieval romance series queued after that, and then it’s back to my standalone Georgian romance, which has been waiting for far too long.

This week is our move-in-iversary, which I celebrate. Real Life Romance Hero and I are making plans to make the kitchen more usable, and more aesthetic. Housemate is working on her room, and I am fine tuning not one but two desks, one for my desktop and one for laptop and longhand. Fairy lights are involved in both, and milk crates are my friends. Other bits are slipping into my daily routines. Wax melts in autumnal scents, sweaters and blankets coming into play, and a tea cabinet well stocked for the season.

How is autumn finding you this year?

as always, Anna

Writing Planner Setup: Organizing for Fall

Yesterday, a worker at Wal-Mart told me I looked “very gentlewomanly.” I will absolutely take that. For those who wonder, my outfit of the day was a baseball t-shirt, leggings, and hot pink Croc style shoes. The reason for my visit to that emporium was, of course, office supplies/back to school. Now that we are in September, back to school will be giving way to Halloween, so pouncing on the back to school deals is of the hour.

I have recently bought into the hype on composition notebooks, which are a lot more versatile than I originally thought. My preference is heavyweight paper, wide ruled, but I am flexible. I have also discovered that there are a lot more bold ballpoint pens than I thought. The Paper Mate Profiles above have a 1.4 mm point, which my strained eyes greatly appreciate. The Bic Cristal and Glide pens are my favorites when it comes to ballpoints, with 1.6 mm points, but I needed a pack of different colors, to live in the book sleeve with my landing pad notebook.

I have also found that there are more sizes than the standard (B5) composition size. The Staples notebook, above (black) is a B6 size, about the same as a Happy Planner Mini. I normally prefer gel or fountain pens, but for composition book paper, ballpoints are working well. I have seen the Pen + Gear notebook above used with fountain pens before, so I will probably try that.

My contemporary co-writer, Melva J. Michaelian, has her latest nonfiction book out now, available in both e-book and paperback. Thanks For The Memories chronicles Melva’s journey through the changes her husband, Jerry’s, Alzheimer’s diagnosis affected him, her, them, and their family. They found a place called The Memory Cafe, where other families dealing with memory issues gather for activities and community. Many of the events Melva describes, I have seen play out in real time. I said more on that on our blog together, at Melvaandanna.com.

While I’m here, a quick bit of housekeeping. I don’t have Facebook on my writing computer (can’t fall down a FB rabbit hole if I can’t get onto it in the first place) so subscribing here on the site is the best way to make sure you don’t miss any entries. Storm will be posting more regularly now that summer is but a memory. Until then, here is a taste to hold her fans over.

Storm has a box. There is catnip in it.

After I post this blog today, I get to spend the rest of the afternoon putting away spring and summer planner/journal things and getting out the fall team. There is indeed a separate winter team, which comes out the day after Thanksgiving. Right now, I am all browns and yellows and reds and oranges, in anticipation of the foliage soon to come. Here’s a peek at my writing planner, before the pen:

Happy Planner Classic, Dashboard Layout

With my vision, I need high contrast, and clearly defined sections. Using washi and water based markers helps my eyes know where to rest. It’s also pretty, and who doesn’t want to look at a pretty page? Setting up the pages gets me in the right mindset to get the right information down. I like to use the section covered by the sticky note for a bit of art. Maybe ephemera, maybe a doodle, maybe something else, but purely decorative all the same.

I also finished reading a wonderful historical romance, A Lover For Lady Jane, by Virginie Marconato. It’s book number five in her Welsh Rebels series, though never fear if this is where you jump on board; I had read only the first book, A Husband For Esyllt, before this one, and I only found my appetite whetted to get current on the others.

All in all, it’s been a decent week. Writing is happening, and we draw ever closer to a release date for A Heart Most Errant. I can’t wait to share Aline and John with all of you.

illustrated image of a redheaded woman writing in a journal as her calico cat observes.
as always, Anna

Intentional Writing: Writing a Holiday Romance

Finally, it is August, and I am doing what many of my romance writer comrades are doing- writing a holiday romance novella. This one will center around Christmas, for a planned collection my contemporary cohort, Melva Michaelian, and I have in the works for 2026. While we have written a novel with holidays in it (Queen of Hearts gets three holidays plus a wedding) this is the first time I have set out to write a story where the holiday is the whole point. Never mind that it’s technically a few days before the holiday story and most of it takes place in a car. (forced proximity, yep, plus second chance at love)

and we have binder

This time, I am being very intentional in my pre-writing, and paying attention to what works for me now. For new people, hi. I’ve been through some stuff and it kind of affects this writing thing. Anyway, this time around, I am leaning into the way that makes the most sense for me. This also plays into my desire and intention to use the good stuff because I am worth it, dangitall.

Part of that is setting up the sections I can envision myself reaching for/turning to, which I figure out by putting the blank dividers in, with filler paper that has nothing on it, and then see what I would like to have there. If that doesn’t make sense, that’s fine. It only has to make sense for me. Results may vary with others. Right now, I am working on my character lore.

Normally, when I am the only person writing the story, A) I am writing historical, and B ) I stare at the screen, making noises like “huh” when I run into something I don’t know. This time, I am going at the character lore (or backstory; I will use the terms interchangeably.) in a different way. Part of that is influenced by the improv class I started taking this past week (awesome, loved it, will probably blog about it more later) — think of the next obvious thing.

If my classmates noticed the lightbulb that popped up over my head when the teacher mentioned that, well, they rolled with it because that’s what one does in improv. When researching a historical romance, for instance, I have a framework of where I need to look for what I need to know about the people, places and things in my story. Contemporary, though, has always been different. It’s now. I live now. Shouldn’t I know about now?

Well, yes, but I am me. I was born where I was born, brought up the way I was brought up, and my characters are different people. The hero (I am Gen X; I’m going to say hero and heroine) has a different career than he did when the heroine knew him. Okay. How did he get to be a Career One Guy? What degree did he need? Where could someone who grew up where he grew up get one of those? When he changes to a Career Two Guy, not only why, but how? What does he need to do to get to do that? Commence searching. In most cases, a few clicks gives me what I need, because this story is about a couple (re)connecting and not their professional CVs.

I won’t go into all the questions I have been asking myself and/or the interwebs, but my goal is to create a master character sheet that I can use for all my projects, historical, contemporary, or otherwise. Things like birth order (it’s more than just first, second, third, etc) and enneagram, MBTI, archetypes, etc. I have books on all of those things, as well as history, and my beloved books of names from the dark ages to today, in various specificities. I don’t want e-book copies (though I may acquire some) and I don’t want to take out library copies (though I may, if absolutely needed) and I would prefer not to buy new copies. I want my copies.

The issue with that is that they are in the back of the storage unit, where we have not been since we started the dang thing. I don’t know exactly where I drew this line in the sand, but there I am, setting up the binder for this story, and I’m working on what I need to know about my characters, and I Want My Existing Books. This is not negotiable. This will involve blocking out a day or days to haul furniture out of the unit (it’s indoors, climate controlled) locate the research books and my top tier keeper classic historical romances, and Bring Them Home. (cue Alfie Boe’s “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables)

There’s probably something symbolic about this, and I will be mentioning it to Therapy Dude at our next session. For right now, though, I will be taking it at face value, yes-and-ing the heck out of that and doing the next obvious thing. Behave as if. Tell the story I want to read. Hopefully, you’ll want to read it, too.

When do you, as a writer or reader, start thinking about holiday romances?

as always, Anna

Snoop Bloggy Blog

This is one of those days when I don’t know what I want to blog about today, so you get unhinged blabber. We are in the start of back-to-school season, the most wonderful time of the year for us stationery dragons. I have spent the morning organizing things around the home, and now come to the part of the day where I have to actually tackle the writing stuff.

current blogging notebook setup

The front pocket situation is an ever-evolving sort of thing. I’m not used to the sideways pockets (I am sure there is a name for that kind of pocket, but I don’t know it. I do know the secretarial (big vertical) pocket. That one is for sticky page tabs, which are immensely useful. This blog has a section, Storm’s blog has a section, and there are other sections. I like to keep everything I need for one project on hand, so I only have to pick up one thing. Neither the big nor small dot stickers fit my aesthetic, but they are easier to transport than a bunch of dot markers. The flowered card in the middle pocket is just pretty.

The dashboard is a clear pocket with inserts I can change at will. This one is from one of the boxes from Cora Crea. Inside the notebooks themselves are a collection of big furry messes because that’s how I think. Washi borders, stenciled phrases, homemade stickers, several different colors of ink, and wild blabber with the censor off. Lots of sticky notes

Today has been a boring day. I don’t think anybody wants to read about me organizing my sock drawer, but being excited over new sock drawer organizers actually does give me a dose of dopamine, so I will count it as a win. It also smells lovely, as I remembered the hack to stick a bar of scented soap (in this case, cedar and lavender) in the back of the drawer to act as a subtle sachet. Good-smelling drawers has always meant an elevated grown-up status.

With August approaching and me noticing that I have fallen back into not-reading and not-watching tv/movies, this is the time to haul out the neglected reading journal. I know myself well enough to know that I will be more accountable if I have to tell somebody (like the interwebs) about what I have been doing for story intake. I am watching We Were Liars on Amazon Prime, based on the book by E. Lockhart, but through my fingers, and with breaks, because the ending wrecked me. So far, it’s a good adaptation, and I like that they give the older generation a little more to do than they did in the novel, which is YA.

That’s about it for right now. This is also a reminder to myself to start writing in the blog notebook before the day the blog is due (or two days after, in this case) because I don’t like coming to the creative space and my first thought being, “uhhhhh……” Another reminder that I need to be taking in story in order to put out story. Right now, I am doing most of my writing longhand, so there will be a lot of transcription going on in my near future.

What’s on your agenda for the week?

as always, Anna

Cat Days of Summer, 2025

We are more than halfway through July, which is excellent news. We have had a couple of things with people vets this week. All should be well, but productivity for this week is…not. We are comfy and cool and have all that we need. That’s all good. Still, it’s July. Ugh. I do not like July. Maybe if I had a pool. Bonus points on indoor pool. I do not, however think we can sell our landlord on installing a pool in the apartment.

Enough of that. These are days for slowing down, taking in, and taking time to indulge in the art and stationery supplies we’ve laid in over the months. I am doing rather a good amount of writing fiction in longhand, which is a delight for me. Less so when I have to transcribe it, but that’s a problem for Tomorrow Anna. I am already on my second Landing Pad notebook (the last one, I joined in progress, so it’s not a full notebook) and still in love with it. I have a composition notebook for general novelling stuff :salute: (IYKYK) and then another for therapy homework. I am definitely going to hit the back to school sales as soon as the big orange thing in the sky stops trying to roast us like rotisserie chickens.

A5 traveler’s notebook for blogging

Back to school truly is the most wonderful time of the year for us stationery dragons. I have learned the hard way that I cannot have enough page tabs, flags, or sticky notes, and even if I don’t like the colors of the tiny dot stickers, they are super accessible and I use them a lot. One day, I will be able to buy single open stock black or gray dot markers in multiples, but today is not that day. Le sigh. It is still a day, though, and I can think of worse places to be than in my air conditioned home with plenty of food, beverage and internet connection. Also stationery.

Storm also approves of the composition books. She makes an excellent paperweight. She usually wants to hang out in the primary bedroom/office, of her special place under Housemate’s bed, which I can only assume holds a massive hoard of earbuds and hair ties. Neither heat nor humidity affect her desire for snuggles. We are fine with this.

Today is a low-demand day, aka TV/movies, air conditioning and bottomless beverages, a journal at hand to catch stray thoughts for a brainier day. Therapy Dude is highly in favor of my landing pad notebook. I am keeping an eye on my in-box for pictures and dimensions of a design assignment. I have the laptop next to the bed now, so working from the soft office is a very real possibility. I am not going to complain.

What are you doing with your summer days/

illustrated image of a redheaded woman writing in a journal as her calico cat observes.
as always, Anna

Typing With Wet Paws: So This Is July Edition

Tails Up, Storm Troopers. I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. We have landed in July. So far, it’s shaping to be quite the month.

First of all, my human cousin was born! They were expected a little later than this, but everybody is happy and healthy and home. We have not met them, of course, but seen pictures. I am not sure how much I am allowed to say here, so we will call them Human Cousin, pronouns they/them. There is no cat at their house, but there is a dog. I am sure they will be besties.

my greatest achievement of the summer

I am very proud of myself, having managed this great feat (with my great feet) this early in the summer. I managed to get on Mama Anna’s office chair, while there was a towel on it (she says terrycloth is the best texture for both heat and anxiety) and turned it so that I was both directly in the sunbeam and directly in front of Koolio (our air conditioning unit, if you are new here. Also, for those who are new, Hi. I’m Storm. You love me. We’re friends now. What’s your name?)

again with the terrycloth

Kitty fit check. If you were wondering if I would let Mama Anna put clothes on me, the answer is yes, but ONLY Mama Anna, and we have only done hats and scarves so far. We may try dresses later, but I am already gorgeous au naturel. Mama Anna did once see a video of a calico cat wearing a clear raincoat walking through rainy Tokyo, which cemented for her that if I ever need a raincoat, it will be clear. I probably won’t need a raincoat. I am an indoor cat.

Have I shown you this picture of me in a box before? Well, it’s worth a second look. I love boxes. They are pretty great. With the way Aunt Linda likes Amazon, I am not lacking in boxes. Right now, I have an orange Ulta bag that I love super super super much. The humans have agreed that this is a special bag and they will keep it until it’s beyond use. They are smart. Mama Anna had Papa take pictures of me on the bag because he takes the best photos, and the next step is to get him to send her the pictures so we can put them here. Did I mention I really love this bag?

That’s about it for this week. Mama Anna has some TV and movie stuff to watch while rubbing my belly, so we better get to it.

What’s going on with you?