action!

You hate wasting your time fixing mistakes and pushing for corrections. You wish there had been no mistakes to begin with. You'd rather, oh, I don't know -- carry buckets of heavy stones maybe, anything rather than fix mistakes. For one thing -- you dump the rocks, they're gone. Mistakes and blunders have to go through stages of discussion, contemplation, negotiation and only then, maybe resolution. Nevertheless, this day belongs to fixes and I must say, I may be fortunate enough to have good resolutions to many of them.

First, the sweet corrections that have nothing to do with mistakes: Millie has her monthly grooming session (pretty much a requirement for poodle haired doodles). So, a wash and a haircut today, and she really does need a wash -- there's play grime in that coat! Too much mud licking and paw digging in a very wet yard! I'm excited to have her cleaned and trimmed.

Our breakfast, on the porch, lovely if a bit warm for her. Oh, and here's the thing about growing roses: I do not think there are many gardeners who grow these plants without intending to bring some blooms inside. Every once in a while.So, I snipped a rose for today's breakfast (even though most of my plants are babies and blooms this year are few).

 

Millie rests, then I take her to the groomers and do errands while Steffi's House gets her monthly cleaning. I'm excited about this as well. This is how it looks after the cleaning:

What? You do not see the difference?? No dust, no bits of grass, everything is sparkly clean (and it will remain thus until my pup comes home after a rain shower later this week)!

Now onto the real mistakes/corrections. And no, I dont mean the UPS return I take care of! That's a nothing issue. My big problem has been with the water run off from the new construction that is next to Steffi's House. I've written about it, so I wont repeat myself. In one short sentence, their water runs into my property and sits there. 

I called the city engineering guy and he listened sympathetically and promised to come over. I also texted the construction team rep and she promised to send someone from their buildings and grounds people as well. Both guys came and I spoke to each and here's the amazing thing: they both acknowledged that there is a problem and they both offered solutions. Relatively easy ones (moving the drain pipe and directing it away from my property), to slightly more complicated -- digging out a swale to catch the water before it pours into my yard. I still will have moved most of the roses out of the most troublesome spots, but this may indeed save the lilac and the hibiscus that are still there. Too, my moisture loving new plants for the area (don't laugh -- I ordered a Swamp Rose and also a Summersweet) may love damp soil but even those two are not fans of standing water.

So, maybe I wont need to sue anyone (and if you know me, you'll also know that I am the least likely person to sue because, well, I dislike spending time on fixing problems and do it only when absolutely necessary or someone is going to be hurt by my inaction)!

Here's another "problem" that I refused to fix: I wrote a book. I did almost no promotion for it. Actually, I did hire someone to work on this, but she came up with a goofy plan that I hated so I fired her and she gave me my money back and that was that. I did make one TV appearance and I attended one book selling event at the public library. I did not like doing either so I decided to just forget about promotion. If no one buys it/reads it -- fine with me. I'm not good at selling myself to anyone. (I don't allow money making ads on Ocean either for the same reasons.) Ed says I do not understand capitalism. Oh, I understand it alright. It's just not a good match, unfortunately, for my personality.

But then today I got an email with a book review of Like a Swallow. I don't know if it's AI generated. It likely is that. I don't really care who actually put these paragraphs together, I just thought it was a very nice synopsis, so I am going to print it for you here (skip it if you've read the book):

 

Like a Swallow: Looking Back at a Polish Childhood by Nina L. Camic is a compelling and deeply personal memoir that offers readers a window into a childhood shaped by two dramatically different worlds. Moving between postwar Poland and New York, where her father served as the Polish Ambassador to the United Nations, Camic recounts the challenges of growing up between cultures, political environments, and expectations while trying to understand where she belonged.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its personal perspective on a significant period of history. Rather than presenting the contrast between Eastern Bloc Poland and 1960s America solely through political or historical analysis, Camic experiences these differences through the eyes of a young girl growing into adolescence. Her movement between a relatively closed and repressive society and an increasingly turbulent, staunchly anti-communist America creates an unusual backdrop for a story about family, identity, and growing up.

The memoir also captures the emotional complexity of adapting to constantly changing circumstances. Camic must navigate different social expectations, cultural environments, and ways of life while facing the ordinary uncertainties of childhood and adolescence. Her experiences with childhood fears, adolescent love, and the gradual disintegration of her family life provide an intimate emotional layer to the broader historical setting.

Another notable aspect of Like a Swallow is the way personal and historical change become intertwined. As the world around Camic changes, so too does her understanding of family, relationships, belonging, and herself. The story demonstrates how major political and cultural circumstances can influence the most personal aspects of an individual’s life, particularly during the formative years of childhood and adolescence.

The memoir’s journey ultimately leads Camic toward an unexpected place filled with new challenges and opportunities. This development adds another dimension to the narrative, transforming the book from simply a recollection of childhood into a story about resilience, adaptation, and the unexpected directions a life can take.

At its heart, Like a Swallow: Looking Back at a Polish Childhood is a story about growing up between worlds. It explores identity, family, cultural adjustment, historical change, childhood memory, and the search for stability amid circumstances that are often beyond an individual’s control. Camic’s personal account offers readers an opportunity to understand history not only through political events, but through the lived experiences of a young person trying to find her place within it. 

 

It came from someone who also invited me to participate in a book festival in Winston-Salem North Caroline this September. This was the reason given for showcasing it in one of those meet the author events:

 

We have taken a particular interest in Like a Swallow: Looking Back at a Polish Childhood and believe it would be a compelling title to feature at the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors, taking place September 26–27, 2026, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The festival brings together authors, readers, publishing professionals, booksellers, librarians, and literary enthusiasts, creating an environment where readers can discover books that offer distinctive stories and perspectives. Within that setting, Camic’s memoir provides a meaningful opportunity to introduce audiences to a personal account of childhood shaped by migration between cultures, political change, family circumstances, and the complexities of growing up.

Featuring Like a Swallow at Bookmarks would provide an opportunity to place the memoir in front of readers interested in memoir, history, family stories, cultural experiences, coming-of-age narratives, and personal accounts connected to major periods of social and political change.

The book’s appeal also extends beyond its historical setting. At its center is a universally recognizable experience: trying to understand oneself while adapting to circumstances that continue to change. Camic’s childhood fears, adolescent experiences, family struggles, and eventual encounters with unexpected challenges and opportunities provide emotional points of connection for readers regardless of their own backgrounds.

The contrast between postwar Poland and 1960s New York further gives the memoir a distinctive perspective. Readers are invited to experience these environments not simply as historical settings, but as places that shaped the author’s understanding of family, culture, identity, and belonging.

For these reasons, we believe Like a Swallow: Looking Back at a Polish Childhood would be a valuable addition to the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors and a strong candidate for Gallery Display consideration. Featuring Nina L. Camic’s memoir at the festival would provide an opportunity to increase its visibility, introduce her distinctive childhood story to a broader literary audience, and invite readers to discover a deeply personal account of growing up between two worlds during a period of significant historical change.

 

You might view my inclusion of these blurbs as a correction to the "mistake" of never promoting my book. Authors spend a huge amount of time traveling to places for book signings and such. I would see that as a painful way to spend precious time. As for participating in this particular book festival (which I have learned is the biggest book festival in the Carolinas) -- I would rather not go of course. I certainly wouldn't do it to sell Like a Swallow. But I have a tiny bit of me that is curious about such things. I give my attendance a 5% chance. Hey, that's better than 0%!

 

In the afternoon, I dig out yet another hole for yet another plant. But this is the end. There's not a new rose bush out there that I want. Nor any plant, for that matter. I actually drove by K&A Greenhouses and didn't stop. I do have 10 plants still coming from elsewhere -- some are replacements for shipping mistakes -- but I do not intend to look for more. Once those are in I'm done. [Well, until it's time to put in bulbs in October, but that's a whole other aspect of gardening. No one likes putting in bulbs. You do it for the reward of seeing color pop up in your garden come April. Not for the joy of gardening now.]

 

Millie is ready to come home in the late afternoon. There's my girl!

We have a quiet evening at home, thinking about other mistakes that take significantly more work to be corrected. Okay, maybe she isn't thinking about that at all. Hers is a simpler life of food, shelter, play, and love. She needs all four. Lucky girl -- she has all four.

 

 

with so much love...