Late Morning, Thursday, September 26, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire
I roused myself from sleep this morning to find a dreary, chilly, and rain-soaked autumn day awaiting me. The weather report from the previous night had hinted at showers and temperatures hovering in the mid- to high 50s (10s). Though forecasts aren’t infallible, they’ve certainly improved since my childhood in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Sure enough, the rain was pattering on the window when I glanced at the clock, reading 8:10 AM.
The rain continues to fall as I write this at just past 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time, with the temperature sitting at a chilly 56°F (13°C). It’s certainly not a day for outdoor adventures unless you have no other choice. I had planned to swap out the trash bag from the kitchen wastebasket on the front porch to avoid any mess indoors, but a gentle drizzle made an appearance, forcing me to handle the task inside.
Honestly, I don’t have a packed social schedule here in Madison, and even if I had more friends or a romantic partner, it’s still a workday for me, so the weather doesn’t bother me. I might miss out on my daily walk later, but that’s okay.
Mission Accomplished: My Donation is On Its Way!
If you read yesterday’s blog post, you might recall that one of my main aspirations was to donate a paperback copy of my novella Reunion: A Story to the Conway Public Library. When I spoke about this with someone in March, I had only been in New Hampshire for less than three months and was in the process of applying for Medicaid and SNAP benefits—services I had utilized in Florida before being compelled to leave my home state, ironically causing my eventual return to Miami.
My initial plan was to order a copy of Reunion: A Story, have it delivered to me for signing, and then personally take it to the Conway Library for donation. This would have allowed me to accomplish two things at once: performing a good deed for my new community and obtaining a library card, something I’ve lacked since leaving Miami in 2016.
In March, the possibility of moving back to Florida hadn’t even surfaced. It was during that month that I informed Florida’s Department of Children and Families of my relocation to New Hampshire and my intention to seek public assistance here. My goal was to establish my roots in New Hampshire despite my dislike for the cold weather—which continues to be unpleasant, though I’ve adapted—and the hurdles involved in settling down.
Unable to make it to the Conway Library, I had to rethink my donation strategy. On Tuesday, I explored their website, scrutinized the donation guidelines, and jotted down the address. Ultimately, I chose to order a copy of Reunion: A Story and arranged for it to be delivered directly to the library.
Given Amazon’s usual delivery times to my rural home (it can sometimes take a week, unlike in a city), I assumed my book would get to the library no earlier than next Monday. But to my surprise, I discovered last night that Reunion: A Story was shipped yesterday afternoon from Massachusetts and was handled by the United States Postal Service rather than UPS or FedEx.
By this morning, it was already marked as “Out for Delivery” in Conway. So, though I couldn’t donate it in person, I’ll still be able to say “Mission Accomplished” once Amazon confirms that the book has been delivered to the Conway Public Library.
Update:
Mission Accomplished!
On Writing and Storytelling: Action This Day
Whether it’s the gloomy weather, the grip of depression, or the anxiety over my upcoming return to Miami, this week has been a tough one for writing. From Monday onwards, I’ve aimed to make progress on Reunion: Coda, aware that advancing the story just enough could set up a Holiday Season 2024 release. Sadly, the words have stopped flowing. Problems at home plague my thoughts, and I can’t help but fret about what awaits me in Miami. On top of that, cold and stress tend to shut down my creative gears.
Given that today is a workday, I aim to push forward with my writing efforts, even if it means simply sketching out the opening scene of Chapter 20. Ideally, I’d love to dive into writing the scene itself, as it would speed things up; usually, crafting outlines—a task I loathe—consumes an entire day, followed by another day of fleshing them out with descriptions, actions, and dialogue. Lately, I’ve noticed that nearing the story’s end has shifted me from spontaneous bursts of creativity to careful planning.
So, wish me luck. I need all the good fortune I can get!
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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