Time of the Season

August 31, 2026August 31, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Welp, today is the last day of August. Tomorrow starts the first month completely without Housemate. I got through the first Real Life Romance Hero birthday without the man himself, and I am thankful it was spent with Housemate’s family, even though A) they didn’t know it was RLRH’s birthday, and B) we were in the frenzy of paperwork that comes with what happens after a loved one passes. I am still running in circles connecting Housemate’s Family with property management. We are trying to follow the law and want to give PM money. Can we do that, please?

Right now, I am in determination mode. I am fried. I need time to grieve, not only Housemate, but I was still working through RLRH’s loss, and then all of this got dumped in my lap. There are too many things to do for me to do them all on my own, as I am one grieving, anxious, depressed, visually impaired person with PTSD and CPTSD. I am also a superfirstborn, aka only child, so I am used to the “fine, I’ll do it myself” mindset. The next big day on the calendar is my birthday in October, which has a zero in it, ad to say that I did not expect to be spending that day alone is perhaps the biggest understatement in this post. Not even going to touch the more universal holidays, because I cannot deal with that right now.

Facebook Marketplace has been a complete bust. Three inquiries, three ghosts. Once I get my new bank card (physical copy) I will shift into online selling, largely in destashing groups on FB. I want storage unit two empty by October, and hopefully carry the first one for the winter and then deal with it in spring. I need to generate income. Right now, that has to be liquidating stuff, because there is So Much Stuff that getting rid of it is a full time job. There is furniture in them thar storage units. I haven’t even had a chance to go through RLRH’s stuff. I am overwhelmed and exhausted and excited about taking care of these practicalities because I want to write fiction. I need to write fiction. With digital and indie publishing, getting my stories out in the world is both easier and harder than I could have imagined only a few years ago. I would still love to publish traditionally again, especially with one of the big publishers. I am okay if that does not happen and I am okay if it does. I am a writer either way.

I am already looking forward to the next iteration of improv class. I made it to two out of the four sessions for this round, and learning that I was not the only person in class using improv to deal with grief was actually encouraging. I am delving into a personal curriculum (yes, it involves romance novels) and have a strong desire to pick the journals and notebooks that I am actively using right now, and putting the rest of them (that I am keeping) away for when it is their turn. This is not a hoard, it is more like a wine cellar, that comes with a risk of paper cuts.

Thanks much for reading this far. If you’re so inclined, the Go Fund Me is still open and seventy percent of the way to goal. Every single donation helps. If we meet goal within two weeks, I will be doing a cover reveal for A Heart Most Errant (spoiler: it’s gorgeous) on that page before it’s available anywhere else.

Seeing as how that was my whimsical way to round out a heavy emotional dump (and yes, I was holding back) that is also my signal to bring this entry to a close. Writing is still my best thing and favorite thing, so I will be writing a lot. Stay tuned.

Embracing Challenges: Lessons from Improv and Life

August 22, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Today, I went to improv class. I was the first one there, before even the director. I had missed the first two classes of the session. When the director asked me how I was doing, I told him. He listened. When we did our red/yellow/green thing before beginning the actual class, which is when we let our fellow actors know if there is anything off-limits, be it physical work or subject matter, etc, I answered honestly. I should have been wearing my knee brace, but wasn’t, and I put a hard “no” on jokes about death, because I have had two significant losses in recent months. Since there were some new to me people, I also mentioned that I am visually impaired, and if my scene partner does something subtle with their expressions, I may not catch it. Other people had their own things to keep in mind, and we were able to proceed, knowing who can do what.

As suspected, improv class was exactly what I needed, and I told the director after class. The route there and back is very walkable with today’s weather, moderate UV exposure and temperature still August-y but bearable. When I got back home, I fell sound asleep. Storm head bonked me and wanted cuddles. I almost tapped this out on my FB page while I flopped with Storm in front of the fan, but I had to get up and feed her anyway, so to the keyboard I came.

I cannot thank everyone enough for the help with the Go Fund Me. We are over sixty percent of the way to our goal. Storm and I appreciate every single donation and share, and all of the prayers and good wishes. Before improv, I worked on something that always works for me, which is making lists. Nothing happens on the weekend, so this coming week, I get to coordinate with property management about the apartment. NY state property laws look like they may indeed be working in my favor, but don’t quote me yet. There is a displaced homemaker’s resource here in Albany, which I will be investigating, and there are a million things to do about transportation, liquidating one storage unit, taking over another, and, once I get the apartment stuff confirmed, beginning the roommate search.

There is yarn. Oh so much yarn. Stationery to de-stash as well, and then content to create with what I am keeping. I am learning many new things about all of the above, and beyond. Melva and I are now on the search for stock images for the Queen of Hearts cover artist. Finding couples where both man and woman are blond/e is harder than it looks, but we will find something and the artist will do something and we will love it. I am ever closer to launching A Heart Most Errant. That means Melva and I will need to figure out the next contemporary romance we want to write, and I need to get cracking on my second medieval, A Heart Most Ardent, which has both leads widowed when the book begins…which I had known long before Real Life Romance Hero passed.

The apartment looks very much in flux. I need to get the yarn all in one place, listings for the yarn and yarn accessories in one place. Rethink the current FB marketplace listings, because they are not hitting their targets as of yet. Maybe offering shipping is the magic key. There are donations to make, of clothing, books, other things. I am learning to ask for help, learning to say that I am learning new things. Tonight, because night is nearly here, is for dinner and Sims and maybe reading, because I haven’t read anything (other than forms and legal things and websites about forms and legal things) since Housemate passed. That has to change. Maybe just a few pages. That’s a good start.

So. How do we wind this all up? I am not sure about that, and that feels appropriate, so I will let that be that. How are you doing?

Building a New Normal After Loss

August 19, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

This is an Anna post, but this picture of Storm conveys my mood better than I ever could:

I do not count the days since Housemate passed, because there is only one, and it is a big blur. Housemate’s brother and niece have been up here from Southern State, and we have been navigating the minefield of paperwork and permissions and all that stuff together. We may be in the final stretches of what we can do for now, including finding out whether I have to move or not, and then when all of that is settled, they need to go home.

Living alone does not appeal to me. I am a big old extrovert. Having family and friends close by, as in within my living space is a need. If I am staying, I will be looking for a roommate, which is more stress that could lead to less stress, and there is the process of building a new normal. I hate building a new normal. I have done it too many times. I’m good at it. That is not the problem. Doing it is the problem. I liked the normal I had…well, without the sick family members and the clutter and the usual mental load that came hardwired in me right out of the box.

The Go Fund Me a dear friend set up is teasingly close to halfway, so if you are inclined, share and contribute if you can. Definitely take care of yourself first. There really are no words to say thank you enough, not only for monetary help but all of the kind words as well. They do more good than you will ever know.

Days right now are largely focused around paperwork and permissions and forms and numbers and authorizations and doing a lot more research into probate law than I had expected. Please, please, please, if you don’t have a will, make one. It’s a way to show love to those closest to you. I will be doing that myself when things settle. Sometimes it feels like I want to say if they settle, but they will, as they always do. I am in “in this moment” mode, which is helping. Do one thing at a time, and when 5pm hits, I have done all I can do.

Last night, after Housemate’s family left for the night, I was jumpy. I didn’t want them to go. How am I going to be alone? I grabbed my keys and walked a couple of blocks to CVS for a cold drink. I almost got a snack, but my brain was fried, and picking out snacks was not something for which I had any reserves. Baby steps, at this point. I came home. I sketched out how I wanted to clear off the kitchen table, which became a dumping ground when everything was in “drop everything else, this is an emergency mode.” Some of that stuff had been from when I spent the entire day at the hospital with Rheuben.

This in between period, whatever it is, and whatever is on the other side, is going to be interesting. I have enough time to ramble here before I go off adulting for the day. I am staying hydrated. I have food. but eating is meh. I am getting some sleep. Not enough but some. Still in survival mode. That has a job to do, and I am going to let it.

I don’t know how I want to wrap this together, so I will start off with that. If all goes well, I may be able to take myself to improv class on Saturday, which would be an amazing dose of healing. One step at a time and all those good things. I am still not sure how to wrap this, so I will finish with that as well, and hop to the next obvious thing, which is see you soon.

Typing With Wet Paws: Domestic Tornado Update Edition

July 30, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Tails up, Storm Troopers. I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. If you’ve been following us here for a while, you probably noticed we haven’t been posting lately. Mama Anna is pretty busy at the moment, so she gave me the go ahead to talk about it. First of all, meet Jennifer:

Jennifer is currently chilling with Aunt Linda at the people vet, because that’s where Aunt Linda is going to be for a little while. Cats are not allowed in hospitals (rude) but plush ones are, so Jennifer is watching Aunt Linda and reporting back to me. If you’re wondering why her name is Jennifer, it’s because Mama Anna had a dream where I had kittens. One was a mini me calico girl. Mama Anna was super surprised that I had kittens, but I told her it was okay; we only had to keep Jennifer. Why Jennifer? I liked the name. So, this is Jennifer.

Mama Anna is kind of frazzled right now, because there are things to handle at the people vet and at home. Some of that involves getting things we have too much of to people who don’t have enough/any, which is kind of hard to do since Mama Anna does not drive (apparently visually impaired people should not be operating motor vehicles. Go figure.) So, she’s still here, and actually still writing, but there is a LOT going on and she is learning new things and missing Papa, and it’s kind of a lot.

We are safe and housed, and fed, so nobody worry about that. Some of our friends from the old country have already been over to help, which Mama Anna and I greatly appreciate. Aunt Mary and Uncle Brian (with Skye puppy!) were here on Sunday. Aunt Melva was here yesterday, and they talked writing stuff in between all of the practical things they did. There is a lot more room in Aunt Linda’s room, and that means I get to explore new things in the same familiar place. That’s kind of the cat dream, actually, so I am not complaining, but I will be happy when Aunt Linda comes home. The people vet is taking good care of her. Jennifer will be reporting in on a regular basis until she and Aunt Linda are home.

In the meantime, Mama Anna will be more present on social media as she can. DMs, comments and emails are always welcome. Local people, she wouldn’t hate a visit (nor would Aunt Linda) or help with local errands. Aunt Linda comes from a long line of tough old birds, so we figure this will get sorted and she’ll be back home when the people vet says okay. Mama Anna is shy about asking for help, but calico cats are not known for shyness.

We are also coming up on August. Papa’s birthday is on the fifteenth, which will be the first birthday of his since he went to Rainbow Bridge, and then the day after, the sixteenth, is eight months since he went. We will probably be in a blanket fort that weekend, which is okay. Life be like that sometime. I am reminding Mama Anna that sleep is important self care.

Okay, that’s everything that was in my notes, so I am going to go keep an eye on Mama Anna and guard the house when she visits Aunt Linda. So far, I have kept 100% of threats away, so that’s pretty good. How’s July been treating you?

illustrated image of a redheaded woman writing in a journal as her calico cat observes. — Headbonx! — *Storm*

Finding Joy in Vintage Romance: A Summer Read

June 10, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Today was one of those summer days (I know, the calendar says it’s still spring, but trust me, it’s summer) where it’s hot and humid and I am especially thankful for Koolio and the fan club, as well as access to drinking water. Storm is on self care patrol and lets me know when I need to take a break. My desk is next to the window, which is not great on summer afternoons. Now that this is my room instead of sharing it, I can move that, if I want to. We will see.

Photo by Anastasia Borozdina on Pexels.com

Originally, I had planned to take pictures of some selected art journal pages, because art journaling is getting me through a lot of the life adjustments going on lately, but this was a low energy day, and a stock image is better than an unwritten blog.

Anyway, it’s summer. This is the kind of day when. as a kiddo, I would have begged my mom for a few hours at the public pool. I do not know if there is a public pool near me now. I should find out about that. The next thing that comes to mind is settling into a seasonally appropriately seasonal reading nook with fan access, cold beverage of choice, and a vintage paperback. Also with a spot for feline companion. When I was a teen, that meant the brass bed in the guest bedroom, with a box fan in the window, aimed straight at me. My current bed isn’t brass, but it is metal framed, with a swoopy headboard, so I am going to call it close enough. Tomorrow is laundry day, which means fresh, flower=sprigged sheets. I am currently reading a vintage gothic romance on my Kindle app, but I also want to dig out a vintage paperback for the full experience. If anybody ever made a way to scent Kindles like vintage books, they would make a fortune.

Speaking of vintage paperbacks, if I had known, during the Bicentennial, that it was going to be this hard to find historical romance set around (as in before, during, and after) the American Revolution were going to be so scarce when it came to America 250, I would have asked my mother and aunts to stock up, for the sake of my future well-being. They were everywhere in 1976, but I was ten, so A) I was not in a place to be buying my own books, and B) I was still a year away from the fateful day I would snatch The Kadin, by Bertrice Small, from my mother’s nightstand, and fall head over heels with historical romance.

So, where is this going? I’m not sure, but written is written, and I stand by that. Fiction writing is going well, actually. I am in uncharted waters now with Her Last First Kiss, as this is one of the parts of the book that I changed, so getting all my ducks in a row is having an effect on the daily page count, but that’s okay. Weekends are for cleanup. Weekdays are for blabbering, and, so far, that seems to be working out okay. The Chasing Prince Charming reboot has now had a look-over and tweak from both Melva and myself, so now we are closer to publication. Formatting, cover art, uploading, boom. Melva is doing the first pass over Queen of Hearts, which is going to need some tweakier tweaks, but things are going well.

Next week will be six months since Real Life Romance Hero left us. I know he’d be my biggest cheerleader, though he never read my romance novels. Some days, it feels like it just happened, and some days, it’s like it’s always been that way. Weird, but apparently par for the course. I had already planned for my next new historical to go into discovery writing, to have both male and female leads widowed and finding love for a second time, but that was long before RLRH’s passing. This one is gong to be close to home, and I am actually looking forward to that.

Writing is my happy place. I would like to be doing more reading, which I have in the past done best when I have to talk about it to other people. Would you be interested in book reviews/impressions here? Possibly on TikTok or YouTube, but I don’t see a lot of representation for vintage historical romance, and I would like to chance that.

What’s up with you guys?

June Reflections: Music, Reading, and New Beginnings

June 2, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Welp, it’s June. Safe and happy Pride to all who celebrate. The start of a new month is as good a time as any to hop back on the blogging horse. Storm will be back on the weekend. Today, you’re with me. That’s good timing, because I am feeling more myself today than I have lately. One big sign of that is that I am listening to music again. Since it’s been a long time, that means I get loads of new music to discover. Reading is coming back as well, and, no surprise, vintage historical romance and gothics are indeed my way back to reading.

As thrilled as I am to find one of my top three historical romance, and one of my top two gothic romance authors in KU (and paperback, for those so inclined) I do have to give preference to the original cover:

This book is The Stuff when it comes to finding an Anna-worthy read. The setting is 1720 New England (I don’t think the colony is specified, so insert your favorite.) Our heroine, Adria, is not fitting in with her adoptive Puritan community. For people who spend that much time in church, they might try reading their Bible, because I don’t think they have. Adria gets in big trouble, right off the bat, and her only way out is the choice arguably worse than death — the big scary house on the cliff, Wyndspelle. There’s a job for her there, caring for an ailing woman…and that’s all Adria knows. Adria is a quick study, though, and she can tell that creepy and unknown is better than certain death, so off she goes.

I have read this book, and the whole trilogy before, and I have never read a Vandergriff I haven’t loved. It’s been a while, though, so I expect a few jump scares along the way. I have one of her other reissues, Sisters of Sorrow, a standalone gothic, preordered for the end of the month. I am pretty sure I have a paperback copy of that one in my keepers box, which is regrettably in storage. I am definitely going to need my special books around me as I embark on this new chapter of life. Real Life Romance Hero’s half-anniversary of his passing is this month.

There is also art journaling, which is a load-bearing wall in keeping me together. Some days, it’s all words. Sometimes, like above, it’s no words and an assortment of images culled from any number of sources. Right now, I am focused on using what I have more than acquiring new things. I will repurchase things that I use to completion or have passed their usefulness, but I got all of these things because I wanted to use them, so I will. Discovering things I had forgotten about or neglected feels very on brand for life in general right now, and I am very sure that some of this will spill over to fiction writing.

Right now, thanks to the critique group found through an RWA program, I need to have thirty pages of new fiction by the end of the month. That felt like a lot at first, until, surprise, I hauled out a notebook and started to break things down. If I write five days a week for the next three weeks (the last one is a cushion) that is only three blocks of ten pages. That means two pages per day, or 500 words, if you prefer. I do have a tracker in my regular calendar, so I will report on how that does when I hit my goal. Melva and I are not only proofing the Chasing Prince Charming reissue, and diving into the final-final pass of Queen of Hearts, but have been tossing about some what-ifs for a new standalone, based off a long-ago writing prompt.

That’s going to be it for today, as I need to get my pages in, so talk amongst yourselves, or better yet, say hi in the comments. What’s a vintage author you think more people should be reading?

Exploring the Decline of Historical Romance

May 9, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Today is the start of this year’s Tulip festival in the city where I live. We are across the street from the park (and down the block) so it’s not far. Housemate and I are going tomorrow. Real Life Romance Hero loved the tulip festival, so it’s going to be different going without him. It’s Housemate’s birthday tomorrow, though, so celebrating her will be fun. I will probably take pictures, and hopefully put something on Tik Tok. I am still figuring that out, but I am there, as anna_log_writes. Do I know what I am doing there? No. Am I having fun? I think so. If you’re there, I’d love to connect. Right now, I am mostly getting the lay of the land, especially as it pertains to Booktok.

One of the things I’ve noticed in my very brief time there, is that I’m not seeing very much about historical romance on Booktok. As I’m getting ready to oh so finally release A Heart Most Errant, this has become relevant to my interests. Not that there aren’t any, it’s that I would like there to be more.

Those who have been here for a while know that I am coming out of the biggest reading slump of my life. Things have of course changed since I was last able to read the way I like, and some of those changes are big. Harlequin Historicals, which I’d always appreciated offering a variety of historical settings, went first to nineteenth century only, and now are closing. Mass market paperbacks in general are a dying breed. Perusing shelves in book and mortar bookstores now show lots of contemporary, romantasy, and dark romance on the shelves, but I’m not seeing as much historical as there used to be.

Ask one hundred people why that is, and you’re likely to get a hundred different answers, at the very least. My educated guess? I’m not sure. I don’t know how history is being taught in schools/ Bridgerton is popular, sure, though not exactly my speed. The Sims 4 is even having a Bridgerton themed event starting on May twelfth. I will be playing that for sure, since Sims is my relaxing place, and it will probably also be fun.

Historicals in the here and now, however? That’s a topic I am investigating. Several of my favorite romance related YouTubers have had a lot to say, such as PeaceLoveBooks:

She’s got a lot of really good points, as usual. I wouldn’t say there’s nobody reading historical romance anymore. There are a bunch of us, reading and writing both, and that does extend beyond the nineteenth century. Medievals, ancient world, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, Edwardian, US Western, Australia, the high seas, and pretty much any place on the globe, in any time before living memory. Right now, that sits roughly around WWII, which can feel modern to those of us who had parents who served at that time. Then again, WWII is a pretty popular era in historical fiction, which may or may not have a love story, which may end any sort of way.

Recently, I’ve noticed some of the historical romance authors I have followed for years, even decades, are taking well deserved retirements from the publishing world; Pamela Clare, Shirl Henke, Marsha Canham, and others. Others are coming back in fine feather. Danelle Harmon’s meta memoir, featuring characters from her beloved historical romances, is coming out at the end of the month, and I can’t be more excited. I gulped the ARC of that one, and it has me even more pumped for the next historical romance.

So, where am I going with this? I do not know. All I know is that I wanted to get a blog out this week, and here it is. Expect babbling, because that seems to come easily even when the brain fog is fogging. If you do follow any historical romance Booktokers, drop their names or links in the comments below and I will definitely check them out.

Summer Vibes and Romantic Reads

April 14, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Today feels like summer. I did not authorize that. I do have summer dresses on hand, so there is an upside to that. Today is blog day, so I am here, blabbering on the page.

Reading is looking up, after a library run. Current read is A Lady For a Duke, by Alexis Hall. This is not my first historical romance with a trans lead. That would be Artemis, by Jessica Cale. It will likely not be my last. It will assuredly not be my last Alexis Hall novel. I am thinking possibly Glitterland or Never After. I love the rich and intricate language the author uses, and oh my stars, the emotion.

A contemporary YA romance that I loved with similar vibes would be Birthday by Meredith Russo. Two leads who grew up together, loved each other deeply, yet something wasn’t quite right. Nobody is presumed dead in Birthday, but the intimacy of emotion, the shift in the relationship when one lead figures out something very important. Birthday does have a traditional HEA, likely much easier (though not exactly easy) in our modern day. I have questions about how things will turn out for Viola and Gracewood in A Lady For A Duke, but I this is a romance, so they will be together and happy about it, and that satisfies.

Also, Meredith Russo is on my auto-read list. If her name is on the cover, that is enough for me. I have already read her debt novel, If I Was Your Girl, and it looks like I still have some anthologies to read.

Also on my TBR are

A historical romance where both leads are Jewish? Yes, please. It looks like the first scene takes place in a synagogue, and there are more books in this story world. I am going into this mostly blind, ready to discover its delights. I am always up for recommendations of books with Jewish characters and would love to see more in romance. For a historical where being Jewish has a strong influence on the romance, I recommend A Bed of Spices, by Barbara Samuel. .This is a medieval, where Christian heroine and Jewish hero bond over a passion for medicine. Yes, HEA, but realistic for the time.

Third in line is Just in Time For a Highlander, by Gwyn Cready. I have been looking forward to trying this author for a while now, and greatly appreciate that I have stumbled upon a series starter. Scottish borders always mean lots of plausible conflict, and I love the idea of a historical reenactor finding themself plopped down in the middle of the real thing. Odds are high that I will like this.

For a Scottish time travel recommendation, I will suggest:

First in Terri Brisbin’s MacKendiman series, this came out in the 90’s, when time travel was so much of a thing that it had its own line. This was also my first ever Terri Brisbin, leading me to her historical and fantasy romances as well as time travel.

This is only my physical short term TBR. I am saving the e-book and audio lists for future posts. What’s on your TBR?

How It’s Going

April 9, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Blog coming at you on Thursday instead of Tuesday because meds adjustment has me in two modes: loopy and asleep. This will only be for a few days. I am fine. Bestie and Mr. Bestie came to visit this past weekend, with my fur niece. We all wore ourselves out in the park. Having my loved ones around me when a major holiday :salute: Real Life Romance Hero loved rolled around without him helped a lot.

The more I use this pocket rings setup as my everyday carry (EDC) planner, also my main planner (I have another at my desk, for scheduling video chats/meetings) Planning and journaling is what my brain has honed in on, and I have a couple of A5 rings setups that are wholly based on vibes. Right now, British Isles and nautical/mermaids. There is indeed some overlap, and there is already some fairy overlap in the British Isles book. Are either of these going to turn into bases for future romance novels/ Probably.

A big influence in my journaling right now is the You Tube channel WordLayout. Her commonplace book videos have absolutely lit a fire under me, and that is not a complaint. This is probably going to go a long way in chucking out the old way of creating novel notebooks that I then never use. Lots of splashing about in the shallows.

Storm has been focusing lately on being my purr-sonal assistant, but is ready to return to blogging duties if she remembers where her treats come from. She has a bunch of new catnip toys from Bestie and Mr. Bestie, and may or may not have tried to climb into the actual gift bag to get at them before I could present them properly.

So far this week, I have been to the park twice. No, three times. The waterfowls are back and doing their thing. The big gander and his Mrs. have checked me out and determined me not to be a threat. I find this reassuring. Dogs are out in abundance, which is always fun. There is a dog park within our park, but dogs can be anywhere-anywhere. This is a good thing.

This Saturday, I will be starting back with Improv classes. I am interested to see what I have to bring back to the process now that my life is very different from where it was when I started the last iteration of the class.

Nothing up yet, as I am still observing, but I am caving and joining BookTok. Drop any favorite BookTok people, authors or readers, in the comments, and I will give them a look. Also, if there’s anything you’d like to see me make content about, drop it below. I am open to suggestions.

That’s about it for right now, as I am exiting the loopy stage and drifting to the sleepy stage. Pet your pets, read good books, indulge in a beverage of choice, and I will see youu next time.

Art Caddies Then and Now: Curated Possibilites

March 6, 2026annabowling Leave a comment

Back in the 1980s, this right here was the pinnacle of my art supply dreams:

I don’t remember if the jar pens were acrylic or tempera, but I think acrylic. Classic crayons (with sharpener) a basic set of markers, and a basic set of watercolors. I think I went through a couple of these, and am still chasing the thrill. My father was a fine and commercial artist, so I had been borrowing his supplies since I was tall enough to reach them. His father was also a fine artist (and structural engineer) and fine artists abound on his side of the family. Since I am adopted, I don’t share their DNA, but the art love came from somewhere in my genes.

Lately, I have been turning to my art supplies and journals to help me navigate the big life changes that come with a huge change in family dynamics. With all the chaos that comes with that sort of change, I crave order even more than I usually do. The caddy came to mind easily and I suspect that memory is going to stay. I don’t have one of these caddies right now, and it seems to be among the retired products, which is fine. Crayola is still The Stuff when it comes to crayons, according to me, and while my watercolor horizons have expanded, I still like the basic Crayola watercolors for casual journaling use. As soon as my great-niece is big enough, I plan to be the auntie who shows up with cool art supplies and is happy to join her in exploring them.

In the meantime, the complete overhaul of my living area includes room to spread out my art supplies and organize them in a way that makes sense. Some supplies are staying, others are going, and yet more are moving from the “maybe someday” to “burning daylight here, let’s try them.” I like working in art journals because I don’t have to show my work to anybody. There are no expectations, and if I don’t like the result, I can gesso over it, glue pages together, or collage on top. I would say tear out a page, but I don’t do that with bound books, which are normally what I use for this purpose.

What, you might ask, is this purpose? Isn’t this a writing blog? Well, yes. Writing, reading, pens and paper, journals, planning, mental health, grief, and all that stuff. It’s a multimedia experience right now. This week, I am writing scripts to relaunch my YouTube channel, where I can blabber about the things I do with ink (and other things) and paper. That about covers things.

mood tracker and mental health journal bag

Enter the modern variation. Well, one of them. These days, I like making kits for specific purposes. Above, is my mental health journal bag. The pink book is my mood tracker, with a year’s worth of inserts. The green book is therapy notes. I like being able to pick up one thing and have all I need for that purpose with me, no looking for needed supplies. Having a limited selection of supplies helps me focus not on the things, but what I can do with the things. For me, that shifts the focus from the tools to the expression, and that carries over well to writing.

For those wondering if I have considered looking for the OG Crayola Caddy on the secondary market, I have indeed, and let’s say it’s a collector’s item. That’s okay. My chosen art supplies have evolved, and so have I, so it makes sense that my storage needs will be different. What I use isn’t as important as how I use it.

Typing With Wet Nails

for the love of romance

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