Tues. March 10, 2026: A Tease of Spring
image courtesy of Leopictures from Pixabay Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Waning Moon
Jupiter goes DIRECT today
Mercury Retrograde
Clear and warmer
Happy new week!
You can read the Community Tarot Reading for the Week here, with the Mystic Storyteller Tarot.
Jupiter goes direct today, yay! Jupiter is the planet of expansion, material things, wisdom, the good life. It was the original ruler of Pisces before someone decided to put Neptune in charge of the sign. With it going direct, it supports creative and material expansion (raises, home life, new projects). I mean, Mercury’s still around to muck things up for ten more days, but Jupiter direct gives us a little more relief. I mean, I’d still prefer to stay in my pillow fort for the next ten days, but I’m happy Jupiter is ready to trot along again. Especially in Cancer, where it’s exalted.
Friday was really yucky weather, even after the plows came through. I had yet more admin to take care of (sigh), but I tackled what I could, and I made some progress on the materials for the Creative Capital grant. Since that’s due a month before the pitch for the script commission, it has to take priority. I won’t actually send it until after March 20, but I’ll work on all the different pieces and then polish it.
There’s a guy on Instagram from the UK who does hilarious riffs on grant applications in the arts. It’s a real ha-ha-ow! kind of thing.
I got out a play submission.
I switched my attention over to the ghostwriting, and got where I hoped by the end of the workday. Okay, I extended my workday a bit, but I got there. I feel good about this, and discussed with the team some directional ideas moving forward.
I wasn’t in any shape for the Glow show opening, or another friend’s opening at Eclipse Mill. I felt bad about it, but I just couldn’t physically do it.
Some gifts arrived, and I’m looking forward to opening them tomorrow.
Read a bit in the evening, although my hip and back were problematic. Slept reasonably well.
In Saturday morning’s free write, I outline the next section of BETTING MAN and made some notes that have to happen in STAGE FALL (Nina #5) to tie in some arcs.
I decided to change the title of Nina #6. I mean, I’ve thought about it for a few weeks, but I made the final decision over the past few days and it’s now official. I adore the original title I came up with, but it doesn’t fit the plan for the book. I’m going to save that title for a book further in the series where it makes more sense to the content. So I’ve changed the title, saved the other title, and my cover designer offered me a couple of options with the new title and concept, all of which are really cool, but there’s one in particular that stands out, so that’s what we will go with. I also came up with titles for Nina #7 and Nina #8 that actually fit the plans for those books, so we’re in good shape. Since, you know, I’m writing Nina #4. But stuff from this book will affect what happens in those books, and things that happen further into the series need to be planted now, so it’s all good.
I mixed bread dough and set it to rise, then headed out the door. I had to do a drop off/pick up at the library, mail some bills and cards at the post office, and run another errand. I used the rolly cart, which made it somewhat easier on the hip and back, but I was still in bad shape by the time I got to the errand after the post office, and then added another errand on the way home because I was literally right there. I’d considered going back out to the laundromat, but there were so many cars in the lot that I knew I wouldn’t get a machine. The week of a time change is always hit-and-miss at the laundromat, because it takes a few days for the electronics to catch up with the change. Especially during Mercury Retrograde.
I made it home, unloaded the cart and got everything up the stairs, but I was not in good shape. A delivery of materials I needed for a project showed up, which is a good thing. I checked the car, and it started right up. I was afraid it wouldn’t, since it had just been sitting in its spot, but it did.
I put the bread in for the second rise, and was cat furniture while reading until it was time to put the bread in the oven. It came out well. Warm bread fresh from the oven made a lovely lunch.
I was pretty immobile for the afternoon and in a good bit of pain. The weather got worse. It had been freezing rain in the morning, cleared up a bit while I clomped around, and then rained in the afternoon and evening, with high winds at night. It was warm enough for the water to shrink the snowpack, though.
I read the Agatha Christe book club pick for the month, which was MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Now, that book’s become a trope from which so many tropes have descended. I’ve read it dozens of times over the years. I remembered the overreaching arc, but had forgotten the details. I appreciated the book during this readthrough, but I can’t say I enjoyed it the way I did in some of the earlier reads. But I needed something to read that wouldn’t ask much of me. The other novel I’m reading, which I really enjoy, asks a lot, so I’m more likely to read a section, stop and think about it, and then read another section.
Had a difficult night due to pain and discomfort, and just hate “springing forward.” It makes me feel like I can’t catch up, and foggy for weeks.
In spite of that, Sunday’s morning routine was good. I did the Community Tarot Reading for the Week. You can read it here. It has some interesting ties back to the reading of September 22, 2025, the Autumn Equinox.
All day, I felt like I was running behind because of the lost hour, and it stressed me out. However, I managed to finish the book for review, wrote the reviews for the last two books, send them off, request the next. I have one more book in this batch (that I already have in my Kindle and will read in the next few days), and then I can invoice this batch.
I made my favorite black bean soup for lunch, and we have enough to last a couple more lunches, so that’s all good. Tessa insisted on supervising.
I had a quiet night, and slept reasonably well. I woke up at the normal time. Moonlight came in through the window during the morning meditation, which was lovely. It was Day 200 of the morning writing sessions. It feels good to be consistent, and it’s getting me back on track after last year being far too often off-track.
A freelance “opportunity” landed in my inbox, to write catalogue copy. They offered me a “day rate” at what I charge per hour. I asked if they only expected a single hour’s work per day, and no, they expect 8 hours, but only for specific weeks in the year. In other words, I’m supposed to do 40 hours/week without benefits for 5 hours’ worth of pay whenever they want me to do so. Nope. Get serious, people.
At first the name of the company didn’t ring a bell. After a little bit, I remembered it. I used to get their catalogues, and no longer do because I don’t like what they sell.
I came across another listing for a company with whom I’m familiar (and who pays very well), but I’m not sure I could engage their target audience. I use some of their products, but I am definitely not their target audience, and I don’t have much patience for what that audience is. I will think about that one for a bit, but probably not pitch. There was also an intriguing local job opening, but it is onsite and wouldn’t give me any flexibility, and I’m not sure that’s an option, between elder care and other responsibilities. It’s intriguing enough and pays enough to make it worth considering, though, and I may send a resume, at the very least. A copywriting temp agency with whom I’m signed sent me a listing for a part-time, 6-month remote copywriting, which sounded good until the bit about using AI. Nope.
I’m also steering clear of more and more listings that call for “content” rather than “copy.” I’m happy to write the words and research and handle interviews. Not doing graphics and making videos, especially for a low rate. And anything with “content” in the description pays much less than it should, because one is doing at least two jobs, often more, but they pay less than for one.
Scraped down the car and drove to the mechanic, where we went over the car. Getting the needed part is turning out to be more complicated than we hoped, but at least I have an appointment for the 18th, and hopefully, we can get it done.
On the way home, I stopped to pick up my birthday cake (so I wouldn’t have to go on foot today) and a couple of other things. I was so happy to be in the grocery store my damn self.
Got home, unloaded. It was sunny. Hopefully the rest of the snowpack, at least in the parking lot, will melt.
The Chalamet dude dissing ballet and opera is just eye rolling. Just because HE doesn’t care about those two forms doesn’t mean other people don’t. The fact that he grew up in a family of professional ballet dancers and lived for a time in Manhattan Plaza (special housing just for artists, about a block away from where I used to live), makes it even more eye rolling. I’ve always been kind of “meh” about him and his work, in spite of the fuss around him, and now I just don’t care to seek it out.
By the way, if you want to learn more about Manhattan Plaza, you can do so here. One of the characters in THE VICIOUS CRITIC lives there, and a friend of mine has lived there since it opened.
The Mayor of NYC (who’s doing a kick-ass job, by the way), was targeted by white supremacist violence over the weekend. He’s fine, but the fact that those who are actually making life better for people are targeted instead of the insane, drug-addicted pedophile posse is off the rails.
This government really thinks they’re playing a video game and nobody they’re killing is real. It is absolutely disgusting.
And Congress continues to do nothing. Schumer and Jeffries have to got to be removed. They sell us out daily.
I got some work done on BETTING MAN. Not as much as I hoped, but something. Every page is a page more than I had previously. It’s starting to show me what it really is, down in the core of the book, and that’s important. That will help me shape it into its best self.
In the afternoon, I revised a little over 15K of the ghostwriting assignment. I came up with a solution for some of the notes that meant I had to rearrange a few things. I still have some work to do today, and it will take most of the day, but I will have it in by deadline.
For once, I’m not stressed about it. It feels good.
Tracking notes as I work make such a huge difference, tracking plot points that have to be pulled through, details that are planted for a specific reason, etc. Whether it’s my own work or the ghostwriting, they are so valuable. And they help with the Series Bible, too.
Read in the evening, staying up a little later than usual because I enjoyed the quiet.
Slept reasonably well, up at the normal time. I’m still a little foggy from the time change, but this year, it’s not kicking me in the ass as much as in some previous years. I’m grateful for that.
I did both the yoga and morning meditation sessions by moonlight, pulling back the curtains to just have the moon light up the room. It was lovely.
On today’s agenda: take out the garbage, run an errand to Cumberland, ghostwrite and get that out the door, work on BETTING MAN.
We had frost this morning coating things, but it’s supposed to get up into the low 60’s later. Time to open the windows. Maybe I’ll sit out on the porch later (or take the laptop out and work there), or go across to the quad at the college and sit out there, if it’s nice enough. (I have a community card for the place, so I’m allowed). We’re supposed to have snow again by the end of the week, so I want to enjoy Fake Spring while I can, before we’re hit with Third Winter and then Mud Season.
Have a good one!
#ButIsSheABettingMan #bookReview #books #congress #freelance #NinaBellMysteries #reading #weather #writing
Devon Ellington
Ink In My Coffee
