Month: June 2019

People who meet me for the first time, and then hang out with me for a bit, whether student, co-worker, new friend, find me friendly, self-effacing, generous. And then they hear that my company is named Devil’s Party Press and many of them get nervous for me and wonder why, almost like the old 1970s thing of “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” why I would associate myself with THE DEVIL!?!

Well, honestly, The Devil in the name is 100% related to the fact that I live in a little town that I love that is named after the poet John Milton, and that Mr. Milton was said to write so very well that he must be a member of the Devil’s Party, much like I am a member of the Democratic Party. And that is the sole reason I chose that name. It was suggested by a writing group member, and I loved the idea because it connected the press to the town, and it was a BADASS name, like older writers are BADASS writers.

Still, people say, I mean, the devil….

Well, you know, I just don’t believe in him, or his lighter half either actually. It’s perfectly okay if you do. I just don’t.

And, hope you don’t mind me saying so, I am 54. I don’t want to be afraid of anything anymore.

I don’t want to be afraid of death, though I fully acknowledge I’m going to die someday.

I want to find things I like to do, and I want to get myself into a habit of doing them, so that, should I ever be left alone in life, I don’t have to be afraid of being alone with myself.

I want to do the things I always wanted to do but never had the balls to do, like getting my tattoo, dying my whole head of hair purple, wearing gigantic earrings, so that when I am on the verge of dying I won’t be sad that I never overcame my fear and let myself try the things I wanted to try.

A lot of the things I wanted to/want to try I always figured, to make it easier, I’d wait to do after my parents were dead, but my mother isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and I’m glad she’s not going anywhere, so I better just do them and deal with her comments and find an adult way to keep the relationship going so that I can have both, because I want both, and as a 54 year old adult, I can have both.

This week, I bought a car, on my own.

I chose the car; I negotiated the car, and I am responsible for deciding if it was a good car, and if we could afford it, and if we would all like it. And I have no idea if it is, if we can, and if we will, ultimately,  but, I did the best I could with the information I had, and I’m not going to worry about it past there because, dammit, I only need permission from myself to buy a car that I will be the main driver of, and I am giving myself permission, and I am not thinking about it past there. Done. Great car. I love it. I already put a Tina Belcher sticker on it.

I mean, who am I? Who am I really? Isn’t it time I know me? Isn’t it time you know you?

Life, life is full of heartache, disappointing people, injuries, expensive cosmetics that melt in the car, tasteless food, empty refrigerators, empty hours, empty nests, empty beds, mosquito bites, elastic that fails during a job interview, prettier more vibrant people than you or I could ever be and…

so the fuck what?

Life… life is full of chances to

stand on the beach tossing bread to the gulls

take a flight to anywhere because even in dumb old Rochester or Savannah or… you can have an adventure

meet a cool new person who also loves Weezer

try a new recipe

try a new restaurant

help someone

kiss someone… with your tongue!

get yourself a pet

learn to drive stick

get high

plant strawberries

sing in public

dye your hair a weird color….

Really… what is on your list?

You know what the Devil is? It’s not a he, or a who, it’s a what.

It’s the thing that keeps you afraid, that keeps you from being the badass person you are; that makes your world small, that tells you you can’t when you want to.

Remember that it’s the devil who belongs in hell, not you.

Be the badass you that you want to be.

xo

 

 

Phew….

It’s been more than a little busy.

NEW JOB: Back near the tail end of March I took another job as the Executive Director of the Milton Chamber of Commerce.

It sounds more glamorous than it is. It is part time, and I am the sole employee.

But, hopefully it will pay the bills. One bill in particular: I am jumping ship from public school; well, my daughter is; my family is; we are; we want to.

NEW SCHOOL: If you read this crazy blog you’ve probably realized that I am one of “those” liberals who supports public education over “Pwutt! charter schools! pwutt pwutt!” (that’s me spitting out the words).

But we have tried and tried with our public school, and my main determination has been that our daughter needs more one-on-one to do well in school, at the same time that her school has increased class size year, after year, after year.

And she also needs the social times at school to be more supervised-   because she is a freaking awesome little kid who is very off-beat and who is not good at fitting the school-girl mold or sticking up for herself around little girl meanies

So I am hoping that the new job goes well, and that I do a very good job at the job (I am a writer, and I have superlative word usements), and that the job stays financially viable, and that my family forgives the extra hours and and and….

WHAT DOES A CHAMBER DO: Well, I just made it  through the first Chamber festival (the Chamber does festivals) and I survived that…

But I am really much more interested in the small business end of the Chamber’s mission, and would really like to feel that, in some teeny way, I am helping Milton small businesses grow. Chambers of Commerce are supposed to help small businesses survive and thrive, in my view of the world.

SWEET: We discovered a delicious old-fashioned treat, just in time for the Memorial Day BBQ (Ridley Park, PA Mayfair anyone? Circa 1971?)! I found a Philly place to order the porous sticks online!

 

ON THE JOB FROM 9-5: I am working for the summer for the Chamber, of course, teaching a class at Del Tech 2 days/week, and working at a Writing Center 3 days/week, in addition to running Devil’s Party Press. The Chamber, honestly, to be done well, really well, should be a full-time job, and I’d take it if it was, but the budget is not there for that. In fact, currently, not only am I the Chamber, my house is also the Chamber. And, working at home, well, it has its own particular challenges….

 

It’s so comfy and sleepy with kitties everywhere….

PRIDE: I’m excited that little Milton is celebrating Pride this weekend, which is also the anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

We are celebrating too!

And… our house needs power-washing. But love doesn’t care! Love is love people. “You gotta let love rule!” Is it gay? Count us in!

VROOM VROOM: If we’re going to change schools we need to finally break down and acquire a second car, with all the money and mischief that entails, so, while saving for private school tuition, we’ll also be trying to get that hooked up.

 

A MAJOR AWARD: Devil’s Party Press (Dave and I {and Sophie}) won a national award for our anthology Equinox, so we’re going to Louisiana to accept the award at the end of this month, and I have also been asked to serve as a delegate for Delaware, which is really a nice honor. I am so excited and proud. We almost never travel, so this will be a nice little getaway for the three of us. Looking forward to taking Sophie to eat beignets and see a voodoo shop! Gonna get some voodoo dolls for those mean girls at school. Look out!

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: This time last year we were saying goodbye to our beloved exchange student, Lynn. We never hear from her, and I think it is all Trump’s fault. Lynn, if you’re out there, you’re still on our minds, and we still love and miss you.

Devil’s Party Press has three books coming out this summer:

Mosquitoes and Men

What Sort of Fuckery Is This?

and

Welcome to Breezewood.

However, we had only planned on two. More on that soon… .

BLUE: Oh, and yes, I’ve been stressed and left unattended, and when I am stressed and left unattended I do crazy things to my hair. Blue things.

I like it.

Happy Summer everyone~