2025 Challenges - June

 

My challenges for this month are to write every day, and to take my medication morning and evening. 

Last month I was incredibly rebellious and my medication taking was 'less than optimal', or more accurately, 'piss poor'. The only person this really hurts is me. So, this month I decide to practise a little 'self-care'. 

The goal was to take my medication properly, each and every morning, and each and every evening. After four days, I felt so much better. This has been as important as push ups, walking and cycling.

I had been writing most days, but it felt like I was trying to squeeze and already squeezed orange, and I was hoping for more juice. A drop or two might come, but it was hard and very unrewarding.

A chat with a local author has changed my mindset. There was a realisation stories morph and change over time. I finally understood the phrase, 'Don't be afraid to kill your darlings.'  My novel was born out of lockdown when I tried to find way around money laundering (intellectual exercise). Over time it has morphed into a love story, and I've been struggling to maintain the money laundering aspects.  I don't have to! I can ditch that part of the story.

Now, things are flowing again. It has become so much easier to write. It makes more sense.  And I'm writing more each day.

The Case of the Missing Maid

A LGBTQ author I follow asked his reaers to join a Pride Challenge - read a book either written by a LGBTQ author, or whose protagonist is LBGTQ. There was a list of about 30 suggestions. Figuring that people normally worked from the top down, I started at the bottom. "The Case of the Missing Maid" by Rob Osler sparked my interest.

The book was set in 1890s Chicago, USA - a time when people were careful about disclosing their sexuality if they weren't straight. In this time period, it would have been far easier for women to set up home with another woman than it would be for two men. 

It felt like the author was hitting me over the head with the protagonist's (Harriet Morrow) sexuality. At one point, I wanted to shout, "I get it. She'd a lesbian!" I understand the importance of representation... hmm, new thought coming through... The author repeated numerous times about the restrictions placed on women, and the work they were allowed to do.  Did he really 'go on' about the lesbian aspect any more than he did about the restrictions on women? Am I so used to hearing about this that it slipped in under the radar and I didn't even give it a thought?

In many ways, it felt this was the set up book. The characters in the subsequent books will already have been introduced and have a back story. 

Did I enjoy the book? Yeah, it was okay.

Will I re-listen to it? Probably.

Do I want to listen to the next one in the series? If I don't get distracted, then yes.

Butterscotch Sauce

Ingredients

50g  butter

120g brown sugar

120ml double cream

Method 

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cream. Stir until  well blended.

Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping down the sides occasionally. Boil  for 4 to 5 minutes.

When the sauce has cooled, transfer to a glass jar, and store in the fridge until needed. The sauce will keep for 3-4 weeks.