Saturday Night Message: Week of June 29 to July 5

Days Till Novel Launch: 119

To old friends…

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BEFORE I FORGET:

I wanted to give a special shout out and welcome to the latest group of new subscribers. THANK YOU for joining in this experiment! I’m thrilled you’re here. Enjoy the show…or read, as it were…. ;-)

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Sunday, June 29, 2025
12:01 p.m.

Finished the last hour or so of Saturday cooking July’s books for Casa Burkhead. Same menu, next month.

So, while mowing the hay field (that is my front yard) not far from sunset, I was listening to Rick Steve’s radio show, specifically his current episode: “Oh Canada!”

It was a great listen, and I encourage you, Gentle Reader, to give it a listen! :-)

I was interested in this show for several reasons. I visited Quebec City a couple summers ago (loved it!!), and my daughter Eryn was there last month! Also, the next book I write will be a braided memoir on my experiences, feelings, and beliefs about the importance of being a global citizen.

Anyway, it reminded me of a book that has been on one of my shelves since the lockdown: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland, by Jim DeFede. After I finished…working out in the hayfield…I pulled the paperback off the shelf and started reading it. Great book. I’m glad I have it and glad I’m reading it.

Oh, I have a monster stack of books in my office that I may not live long enough to read. During the pandemic lockdown, I purchased gobs of books from Parnassus Books simply because I wanted that bookshop to be around after the mess was over. Now, I could not buy another book for five solid years (at my average rate of reading) and still have new material in my office. A win-win for everyone. ;-)

Okay, I’ve reached my to-do items for one day. To end the evening on a positive note, I offer the following for Eryn:

Editorial Note: Car Jinga is what we call the on-going pain-in-the-butt routine around here of constantly moving around our automobiles in the driveway, based upon work and entertainment schedules.

Same Day
Twelve Hours Later

Cooking the July Books: Part II about to start. Been around for a while, goofing and caffeinating. we are out of many food and supply items, so my better half and I have been waiting for the other one to offer to go. I cracked under the pressure, declaring I’ll go out later (much later) when the cooking lessons are over.

Out of sodas; not out of the need for caffeine. So, I made a pot of tea, which feels strange since the summer solstice is over, and we are headed deep into the heart of a humid southern summer. But the body needs what the body needs.

The Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea tastes as delicious as I remember it from the winter. A few weeks ago, I defrosted my emergency, deep-freeze stash of country ham and sausage from Rice’s Country Hams. I gobbled the last of it down this morning. Oh, the ham store reopens October 1 and closes on Christmas Eve.

Master Seth just walked in, and I heard him mention to his mom that we were “out” of cokes. Duh.

Okay, time to cook.

Same Day
11:05 p.m.

Been a good day. Books cooked within an inch of their lives. My better half and I went out for a supply and food run. Eryn thought it would be fun, so she jumped in the car. Not long after arrival at the store, she realized that it was work. So, “Careless Whisper” sort of appeared in one of the aisles. Yep: Eryn sent a sort of 9-1-1 text, requesting extraction.

In fact, they only returned to the house around an hour ago. From what I could tell from the cell phone tracking app, they were watching the submarine races at the local boat dock. Ahhh, to be 18 years old and a fresh high school graduate.

On the literary front, I’ve had a good night with the video script. Got it to the next revision.

I almost took a knee, since I was feeling the day all around me. And there’s Freckles’s pouty little guilt-ridden face to deal with.

Don’t think for a moment that she’s asleep!

Anyway, I made progress, and progress is always good. I was sort of feeling…I don’t know…I was having a moment, maybe feeling over-whelmed. Have you ever been over-whelmed by the audacity of your own ambition?

I took a deep breath and forced myself to keep pushing the keys on the keyboard, to continue to work. And I sort of worked through it, or I was able to push it aside. Either way, I survived.

Monday, June 30
Lunch Hour

Another day, another rejection.

Such is the process. Onward!

11:08 p.m.

Between an active day at the office and chores galore at the house, I was feeling bad (guilty?) about not making much forward progress today. Then, I saw the clock and realized it’s less than an hour from midnight, aka: Tuesday.

Oh, I did receive a kind text from a fellow Spalding MFAer. He received his copy of The Louisville Review, read the story, and shared with me his thoughts. :-)

Not every day can be a home run…or even a base hit. The key is to not have too many of these sorts of days. Here’s wishing for a better tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 1 (Trash Day-Part I)
9:12 p.m.

I discovered today that my good, nearly-lifelong friend Bob passed away on Sunday night. He was in his home, asleep.

Bob was my high school teacher for French I, II, & III, as well as English. (1980-1984) And he was the faculty in charge of the school newspaper, at which I did my version of writing.

This photo was taken about a year before the pandemic lockdown. Bob and I stayed in touch throughout the years. In fact, when I was stationed in London, England in the late 1980s, Bob flew over and slept on my couch for a week while doing the tourist thing.

We spoke about a week ago. We’d talk two or three times a month and write (i.e.: type to each other) regularly.

I’ll write a special post devoted to Bob in a couple weeks when I’m able to get it together. In the meantime, my friend is gone; long live my friend.

Thinking of something else, at least for the moment…

The Authors Guild is a great org, and they put on these events all the time. I sign up for them, knowing I can’t attend in real time. But there is always a video of the event on YouTube. This one came available today. It’s an offering for you aspiring writers out there.

And it’s Tuesday, which means The Laydown Diaries. :)

Okay, I’m gonna work on my video script and read for a couple hours. Until next time…

11:21 p.m.

And I do believe that the script is ready. I can record the audio, collect items for B Roll, and get this thing…D.O.N.E. Who knows, maybe Bob was around to help me this evening. (I’d like to think so.) Night…Bob.

Thursday, July 3
5:00 p.m.

Okay, I’m starting to understand why people who deal with video and sound and these things get paid what they get paid. This was last night’s handy work.

And I think this is just the first 45 seconds of the video. Spent part of the night brushing up on some things that I once knew but let slip out of my mind. Oh, and I actually started working on it.

I ran today’s errands during my lunch hour, so I’m able to jump back into it now.

9:30 p.m.

My family “busted me” and my spare time, so they took me with them to steal a sign off the side of the road.

My better half is hiding behind the sign. Eryn is on the other side, and the dude with the power tool is “Careless Whisper.”

Leslie’s dad, “Tooter/Too,” made this sign for a subdivision about FORTY years ago. The person who owns the land it is on…is selling the land, and Leslie was told she could take the sign. So, we removed it. The thing weighs a TON.

Editorial Note: For family following this substack, the sign is in granny’s shed…if you wanna see it the next time you’re over to see her.

Driving through the neighborhood today, I saw this truck…poisoning the ground.

They turn the earth into a golf course. Our yard, it has wild aspects. It’s where the rabbits and bees and birds roam…oh, and turtles!

And you can’t forget about Baby Bigfoot! Who is Baby Bigfoot? Well, you’ll have to wait for that story in a separate post, but it’s worth the wait. ;-)

10:55 p.m.

A good night with the video, even though I hate the sound of my voice. Again, I’d rather be reading and writing! Oh, I am having loads of respect for actors. Forcing your words to come out in the appropriate way, making the best sounds…well, it’s sort of a struggle, esp if you grew up in rural Kentucky and have spent the last three decades in Tennessee. :-)

Friday, The Fourth of July, 2025
3 p.m.

Last night’s progress was encouraging, and I hope to repeat it this evening. Lazy start to the day, but since it’s a holiday weekend I feel justified. I mean, it is sort of like Saturday, Part I. Late breakfast, followed by a tiny bit of housecleaning. And I slipped my trusty steed a little ice cream, so don’t tell on me. Master Seth is here, but the girls have been out all day…estate sale-ing.

I need to drive across town to pick up some pool chemicals, but the place closes in an hour, and that’s not gonna happen. It’s a solid Saturday, Part II event. ;-)

On, the latest issue of Well Read came out this week. Click here to launch the issue!

Saturday, July 5
5:18 p.m.

As I suspected, going to the pool place for water poison was a multi-hour event. Pooped. And I had to take Master Seth to the auto dealership. He’s driving one of our old cars, and it has been slowing falling apart. So, repairs were in order. I got elected to take him over there to drop off the car.

Home, followed by a few chores, and here I am.

I put in a couple hours this morning working on the video, but I sort of hate what I created, so I’m gonna start over tonight.

I would complain about the heat, but I suspect everyone reading this is suffering, as well. As a result, I will remain silent and hit SEND on another week’s Saturday Night Message. Until next time, Gentle Reader!

As always, Freckles sends her regards!

Freckles, in her Fourth of July fireworks position: under my desk chair. She’s not a fan of the holiday.