I’ve been more than remiss in communication.
As you may know I had round #2 with cancer–breast cancer—which I got out of with a lumpectomy and no complications, but — radiation, etc. and as many as 8 doctor visits a month….which kind of takes the starch out of you. Just not enough energy to get to things….
And ‘things’ have sadly included WWAS….FB’s been a little easier, because there I just react.
But WWAS has been, well, — I haven’t had the energy to spare. I was going great guns on the next book until the second cancer round, and I’m ABOUT getting enough energy to take it up again—but—
Anyway, still love you all. It’s just been weird. I’ve always had energy to spare, and it’s hard to pace myself when I don’t.
Not for want of caring.
Best to all of you. Profound apologies for those who’ve tried to get onto this page that I haven’t had the strength to go through (literally: I’m not kidding: 14,000 emails (most from Russia and Albania) to try to sort out legitimate new members. I hate loose bots! Anyway, I’m doing all right, trying to bounce back from the second bout and the radiation, just not as much spring in the bounce as I used to have; and hoping that I won’t have a third. Genetics says I have a proclivity to this kind of problem—but I think I’ve had my statistical share now, if you please!
Love you all.
—CJ
No apologies needed. Life has this nasty habit of getting in the way of……our lives. It seems like you and Jane have had a lot going on, a new sunroom and kitteh adventures, to say nothing of the writing. I am so looking forward to your latest.
Meanwhile, I seem to be echoing your many problems, small breast cancer scare late spring, biopsied, marked, and okay. Finally decided to go for hip replacement. Final straw was realizing that I couldn’t manage needed colonoscopy F/U from surgery four years ago. TNR on Aug 7, with absolutely fantastic surgeon and med/PT team. Still doing PT and learning to walk without a limp.
Whoever said that aging is not for the faint of heart sure got it right!
Please take care of you, and remember to be kind to you. In terms of bots, there’s a WordPress plugin called Word Fence. The free version is very good at stopping known bots. The paid version is even better. It isn’t overly technical; mostly it’s a matter of reading the screen.
Yes — put your energies into writing and being happy; we can amuse ourselves for a while (although the occasional brief checkin in much appreciated!)
Things have been running amok here for a while. I am going through the third (or 4th? I’ve lost count) iteration of seeking a youth services librarian; either previous applicants were unable to move here because the housing situation here and frankly economics in general is dire, interviewed very poorly, or were simply applying for a lark and ghosted me after I asked for an interview. The process is painfully slow because it’s government. We’ll see if this next applicant gets past the hurdles and actually finishes.
The last couple of months has seen an influx of strays. The clowder that lives in the vacant lot 3 blocks over has overflowed here; one morning I found 3 extra cats in addition to our 2 outside ones demanding breakfast. The next day it was 6. We can’t take care of that many cats, so I have been catching them and turning them into our local no-kill shelter. We would consider taking care of 1 or 2, especially since one of our cats seems to have disappeared, probably due to old age, but this is too much.
Breast cancer – full sympathy, as I’ve been there and done that. Six chemo sessions, then surgery, them more (lower level) chemo AND 20 sessions of radiation. But cancer-free for more than 6 years now!
And Alliance Unbound has dropped into my library!
Also my “mild degenerative spinal enthesopathy” has been trying to kill me since Saturday morning. When it takes more than three minutes to straighten up… !
No need to apologise. Big sympathies to you and Jane. And sometimes the easiest way to catch up on email is cntrl-a, delete.
Big E hugs and all the good vibes I can muster, sending to you.
I’ve changed oncologists to one who specializes in blood cancers (leukemia). Only one hospitalization this year (went in for profound dehydration, and barely escaped with my life — gave me unnecessary antibiotic and I had a life-threatening reaction to it!) Coming up on 8 years and my lymphoma still has not converted, touch wood! On a new regimen with renewed hopes for normalcy, if not remission.
I recently finished a Foreigner reread and am hoping there will be more. Just got my copy of AU and am “reading up onto it” starting with Merchanter’s Luck.
I’m where I need to be, living situation wise, in a senior facility called Carillon. Coming up onto a year since mom passed.
I’ve been knitting on another Foreigner shawl, “Najidama Bay” and have two more in the works, “Ilisidi” in progress, and “Damiri” in design phase.
Hope you and Jane are coming into a long stretch of “happily ever after” where Life and the world will back off and give you some peace and quiet for a change.
Glad to have our “Tusitala” back.
I think we’re all afloat. My “medical dashboard” now lists me with CLL, no longer MBL, though truth be told I never looked at that page back then. (Just got reschediled from this afternoon to Nov 5–is that an omen?)
It’s sp nice to hear from CJ… and everybody. I’m doing fine overall here on the outskirts of Boston (ok, ignoring somewhat bum knee that I’m doing temp exercises for on Dr’s advise while awaiting —7 weeks— for actual physical therapy appt). We just got our COVID/flu booster shots this morning, and then I put in a full days work. I’m suddenly knackered now that I’m home & relaxing. We’re going to bed by 10:00.
I know whereof you speak. Got 3 boosters Monday; Tuesday my bod demanded “What were you thinking?!?” Took the day off, which was a mixed blessing, as I was home to let the plumbers in. The tankless hot water heater ate itself on Friday, but I was fortuitously able to schedule a replacement on Monday.
And for the love of little green fishes, if you are eligible to vote on Nov. 5, please do so!
CJ said on Facebook that she and Jane have sent in their Early Voting ballots. I’m looking forward to voting on Tuesday the 5th. However, the outcome of the federal vote here in Massachusetts is not in doubt. Our statewide referendums are a different issue. Hoping for a safe, sane election and for US voters to display wisdom.
I got mine out of my mailbox here rainyside of the PNW at 1:30 Thursday, dropped in a collection at 3:30.
California went vote-by-mail in 2020. Ballot was received 3 weeks ago, and returned on Wednesday to the local drop box (on the major-street side of the library). They’ve had it since then.
I’m glad to hear that you’re improving. Good luck to you. I loved your latest book. Can’t wait for the next installment.
I’ve been rereading “Chanur’s Homecoming”. This evening there was this passage I found prescient, and especially relevant now.
“Fools. She could have wept over the things she saw. Poor fools. My people. Do you see now? Do you see what we’ve done to ourselves, what a plagued thing we’ve let in, because we tried to keep everything the old way.”
In Ch 12.
All, all to apropos, I’m afraid. I’m horribly anxious about what we will discover of our future this Tuesday (although more likely it will be a slow, drawn-out agony). We’ll vote first thing in the morning and , after work, we’re planning to go out to watch a movie rather than fritter & fret all evening. The black & white version of Godzilla Minus One has been released in the theatres: it’s one of the best Godzilla movies there’s been, in our opinion… and addresses the responsibility of the people to rebuild society after the failure of morally bankrupt leadership, come to think of it.
One hopes that no salads are negatively impacted by the election results.
Very glad to hear from you again, and I sincerely hope you, spouse, animals and family have a joyous and healthy winter season.
I wish the same to all posters here!
I always vote, but never comment on political parties or candidates. Some of that is a result of my parents’ advice (former military and former residents of Washington D.C.). Much is a result of my own careers in the defense industry and in higher education. Most people assume I support their own political leanings.
My 21 year old cat is blind and deaf. She just smacked my husband’s 3 year old tom exactly across his nose. Like her, may we all continue to be feisty despite health issues!
Is Elon recruiting settlers for Mars yet? Well, “incompetence always outs.”
Sadly, Mars is not an environment I’d want incompetence in.
One of the first SciFi books I read as a teen was RAH’s “Red Planet”.
Happy thanksgiving to all the salads!
And may the festival days be excellent!
Very pleasant, thank you.
Hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving has had a marvelous time and meal.
We’re just back from spending one with friends only a couple blocks over from our own home. Normally we travel many towns and miles away.
I’m sitting on my sofa now back home; cat on my lap, after putting away the food (we were gifted the turkey carcass: I’ll make soup or stew tomorrow) and washing up the baking sheets, etc, that we left by the kitchen sink in the rush to get out of the house and to our friends’ on time. I’m also sipping chartreuse, the cordial is a digestif for —ah— over-stuffed stomachs.
I have found that setting a carcass to cook in a crockpot is a easy painless way to make broth, and you can let it run overnight. If I make a turkey, I often use the giblets and drippings in a crockpot to make gravy, then decant the leftover gravy and plop the carcass into the crockpot to simmer without bothering to rinse it out.
Darn, I totally forgot about my crockpot as a way of cooking down the turkey bones. I managed to wrestle apart the various parts of the turkey enough that it just barely fits in a big, Dutch oven atop the stove. (I wonder what Hanneke would think of the term/pot known as a “Dutch oven”?). The house currently smells of turkey broth.
I’m so sorry to hear this, but I’m glad you’re on the mend. I just recently realized you had a new Alliance-Union book out, and I am currently devouring the first one. It reminded me of the AU chronology I did for your OLD OLD website back in 2002, and I sort of lamented its passing.
But then I realized that thanks to modern tools, I could probably save it. After some quick finagling, I’ve got it up as a page on my site. I want to make it look nicer, but the information is all there. The chronology is just on one page now, with a link to the ship/station key. But it’s all there for the reading.
If you want me to take it down or give you the HTML so you can use it, just let me know. I’m also happy to host the page. If you want me to keep it there, I’ll try to spruce it up a bit!
It looks like it ends with the start of the Company Wars. Maybe we could extend it if there is interest?
Anyway, mostly here to say I hope you are feeling better and I’m enjoying the new book. Finding out there was another AU book was like Christmas morning for me!
And of course, I forgot to post the link. ARGH.
https://tomdellaringa.com/c-j-cherryh-alliance-union-chronology/
I have just read Alliance Unbound. It’s brilliant.
God, the tension! I couldn’t stop reading. And, what an ending.
I’ve no idea how you have written and published this fantastic book, with all the serious health issues you have been dealing with and I wanted to tell you how much you are loved and to wish you all the very best for 2025.