winter, we has it

 Sad! Here is our Christmas tree, stripped of its ornaments and fallen in the back yard, decorated only with fresh-fallen snow.
The cat is afraid to go past it, because she would be outmatched and outwitted by a small dead tree.

Early morning snow yesterday. I took this photo, then went out to sweep the walk and sidewalk. Today more snow, alternating flurries so thick it was difficult to see, with bright clear skies reflecting dazzlingly from the fresh falls of snow.

Arthritis, possibly... In the mornings, if I stand for a while, to do dishes, or fold clothes or mix up scones, my hips / lower back hurt quite a bit. Sitting down for a while sometimes helps, or a cold-pack. Exercise doesn't seem to prevent it.
So I'm going back to 10 methotrexate on Happy Methotrexate Day, and see whether that makes a difference, though it will probably take about a month to tell.

Writing... Argh. Stupid history, all happening at the wrong time to fit my story. Why can you not be coordinated?
At the WFC 2011 autograph session I spoke briefly with Marie Brennan, who has had her own struggles with the ECW timeline and trying to work Cromwell into her plot when he's nowhere near the area for the first part, and dead for the second part.
On the one hand, there's the argument that one is writing fiction, not history, and should be able to change things to fit plot. On the other hand, if one is going to change anything major (a sliding scale, of course) why bother writing historical fiction at all? Why not go the Guy Gavriel Kay route and just write fantasy closely based on history?
Or, like a certain popular writer whom I shall not name, just mess around the facts in perfect confidence that my readers either don't know or don't care.

But I would care. Even though I'm working vampires and witches into the mix, I want to stick to the recipe for the rest of it.


Other stuff: on the weekend we drove out to Sea Cider for Wassailing, and saw Morris dancers and a Mummers Play. Pics next post, promise!