General update

[luzula]

1) I went to visit my sister and a friend down in southern Sweden this weekend; both of them have kids. Or a baby, in my sister's case. I am all proud that I managed to successfully socialize with my friend's kid, who is two. \o/ Basically he wanted me to read books to him and never stop, and he also wanted his mom to go away because she wanted to put clothes on him so we could go out, and he wanted to be naked. So it was all "just one more book before I have to put clothes on? pleeeease?". *g* I often find kids hard to interact with, but maybe it's just that I'm not used to them? Anyway, he is my godchild, so it's good to connect a bit with him.

2) I have successfully given away a fair amount of money to various organizations that I sympathize with! It felt like a good thing to do, since I have a high salary and I'm not using most of it, so it just piles up. Gah, money is weird.

3) I defaulted on fic_corner. /o\ It's the first time ever that I default in a fic exchange. I reviewed canon and all (the Earthsea books) but writing just wasn't happening, and I defaulted two weeks before the deadline because I thought it was better to give that time to a pinch-hitter. I wonder if I'll be able to do Yuletide or not. *worries*

I received a gift anyway, and it's lovely: Master Words, by Katherine. It's a Jungle Book story that feels like a little missing piece of the book. Also I recorded an Earthsea podfic for firerose, my recipient, as some sort of compensation for not being able to write anything.

Comments

[seascribble]

I wish any of the two year olds in my life had any interest in books. I love reading to little kids, but mine aren't into it. Little kids are really easy to interact with if you can take them seriously without taking yourself too seriously.

We should talk about Yuletide! I think I might want to do it for the first time? But it's intimidating.

[luzula]

Yes, I think our common interest in books was a factor here. : ) That's good, then I know what to give him for his birthday.

We can talk about Yuletide over Skype!

[espresso_addict]

I had wondered whether you'd been assigned to me, when you started rereading the series. As I wrote in my belated comment to your podfic (thank you!), I think the lack of inspiration sparked by my prompts might well be my fault -- sorry! That Thorion one has been languishing for years, and no-one wants to write it.

[luzula]

Yes, I suppose it was pretty obvious!

But no, I don't think my lack of inspiration was the fault of your prompts--I mean, you were pretty open to various kinds of stories. No, I think the problem is just my general decline in fannishness. : ( (ETA: Or maybe not fannishness as such--I'm really excited about reading in general right now--but the sort of fannishness where I have ideas and write them into stories of my own.) I really hope I can do Yuletide.

The story idea that nebulously appeared in my mind when I was rereading is about Segoy-as-Doorkeeper:

The making from the unmaking,
the ending from the beginning,
who shall know surely?
What we know is the doorway between them
that we enter departing.
Among all beings ever returning,
the eldest, the Doorkeeper, Segoy...

The Doorkeeper on Roke strikes me as mysteriously wise, and also sort of timeless, and then there's a quote somewhere about Segoy being or acting through different people at different times...though I don't know what I would've done with the idea, exactly.

[espresso_addict]

I'm relieved you weren't cursing my prompts.

Indeed, I'm an adherent of the Doorkeeper is an avatar of Segoy idea. (He appears in The Jade Dragon.)

[luzula]

Ha, is it a popular idea, then? I'd never thought of it before, but maybe it's obvious.

[espresso_addict]

I think I came up with it independently but I know a few other fans who hold it too. I don't think I've seen it written, though tryfanstone wrote me a wonderful Doorkeeper lives his life backwards story for one of the fandom auctions.

[sproid]

Haha, that two year old sounds brilliant. I like his attitude to life XD And congrats to you for successfully socialising with him! Kids can be tough sometimes.

[luzula]

Hee, yeah. I guess I, too, have moments where I would prefer to read rather than deal with clothes (or other worldly things).