# General Updates

This phlog will just have some updates on life and what I have
been up to, divided by topic.


## Computing

The sleep settings change I wrote about last time has been great.
I can now close and open the laptop and have some level of sleep.
The power savings is actually much better than I thought it would
be. I can leave it unplugged all day and use it throughout with
no problems. So that is a nice surprise.

While I now have my XPS back in action, I have not been using it
very much. I tend to not be on a computer very much these days.


## Magazines

Those who read my phlog may know that I produce two short fiction
magazines:

- https://hearthstories.org
- https://astral-af.org

The former, Hearth Stories, had its second issue come out at the
Summer solstice. I continue to really love this magazine. It is a
ton of work (we get, at a minimum, ~350 submissions per issue). I
think it is worth it, though.

The laster, Astral, we just finished a reading period for. We are
doing edits soon and its second issue will be released on the 
Autumnal equinox. I enjoy astral, and think we got some wonderful
stories for this forthcoming issue. But I don't feel the same
connection to it that I feel for Hearth Stories. I plan to keep
doing it for awhile, but may eventually shutter this one. It is
less work than hearth stories (we have gotten around fifty
submissions per issue so far).

I have a cool idea for a one-off anthology that would be tied to
the Hearth Stories imprint. It would be fantasy stories featuring
crafting, traditional/folk arts, cooking, or board games (in this
instance any game that could not be considered a physical sport).
If I end up doing the anthology each story would feature one of
the above as a major theme. Each story would come with some
instructions to work on that topic at home. For example: if a
story featured knitting as a major topic in the story it would
be accompanied by a knitting pattern. If it featured cooking it
would also feature a recipe for something cooked in the story (or
an approximation of it, given these are fantasy stories and the
ingredients used in the story may not exist in life). I like the
idea of sharing knowledge and teaching things through the medium
of short fiction, but in a way that does not sacrifice a good
story. We'll see if I manage to find time to get this going.


## Family Life

My daughter started kindergarten last week. I have been on the
fence in regard to the public schools here. They are definitely
doing too much TV, computer, tablet, etc. I have been stressed
about "Google Classroom" and the 5 other apps the school wants
us to use (yes, five). We have opted out of all of them except
the one the district uses for school admissions. We have
requested that the teacher just e-mail us as needed. She has done
so and it has been working okay. Not great, but good enough.

Neither my partner nor I want to home school her, because we do
not think that is what she wants (to continue to just be around
us all the time), plus we want a little bit of space as well. I
would be the one to do the teaching (my partner works full time)
and am not really well suited to teaching (I have found this to
be the case time and again). There are private schools down the
mountain with great programs. We are fortunate enough to be able
to afford them...but they are a 1.5 hour drive each way, when
there is no snow and the roads are open. So that isn't really an
option.

We feel more stressed about her schooling than we maybe should.
I think we have landed on giving the public school here a year
and to just see how it goes. If need be we can make mid-year
adjustments, but hopefully it wont be necessary. We do think we
want to get her in some classes outside of school. She was
already reading a decent bit at home, but in school they are
currently going over the ABCs and counting to 10. She has been
able to do both for years. So I think we will try to get her a
reading tutor, as I know she really wants to be reading more and
just needs a bit more help... but doesn't like taking instruction
from us. So maybe that can keep her challenged and engaged. I
think advanced classes become available starting in 1st grade
here and maybe we can see if she will qualify for those when the
time comes, and in the meantime just try to keep her engaged and
interested in things and give her both free time and space to be
a kid and wander around outside but also some structured and
challenging things to learn.


## Other

I have been crocheting a lot. I have been working on a blanket
for awhile now and am almost done piecing the squares together. I
should finish it today! I'm very excited. It is a fairly small
blanket, but has been so so many hours of work and I think it is
quite beautiful. I will be doing a decorative border once I
finishing piecing it together today. The border will likely take
a day or two (given the time I have available for it), but then
I will have a nice blanket for winter time. I'll move back to the
scarf I started after the blanket is done. I should be able to
finish it in a few days.

I need to go cook now. I'm still getting used to our schedule now
that my child is in school. Everything has shifted and I am not
very good with change and it has thrown me quite a bit. I have
been trying to get things done around the house while she is gone
and that has been going alright, though I have yet to do any big
projects... just tidying up, reorganizing small spaces, etc. Ok,
time to go make Japanese style curry for lunch.

Be well gopherspace.