Upsets in life, love, & family, Gentle Reader, means that for the first time in over a decade I am about to no longer have a remote office.

Some of you were there in 2019 when I moved (and purged) the first office from its old location in a quirky Victorian with a spiral staircase and lofted reading nook:

Office Upstairs Book Nook White Decorating

To it’s new location in a 1950s cinderblock building with a more spa like feel:

Office blue purple flowers delightfully deadly divinity 36 sunroom

And now the time has come to move again, this time…

Downsizing!

Frankly, I downsize every time I move because… any excuse to get rid of stuff.

Last time I sold some costumes and large collections of first editions on eBay.

This time around, many of my costumes finally fit my friends kids (the nibblings). So they have been gifted unto the next generation of cosplayers, steampunkers, rennies, and general fabulushes. (Yes I invented the word “fabulush” and am stupid proud of myself.)

I look forward to seeing them as new exciting iterations on youngsters who richly deserve them.

And the other thing I am getting rid of?

Books.

Lots and lots of books. The local little libraries have been in receipt of things like old text books from my archaeology days (I really don’t need to keep them, no matter how useful they once were) and research books from my early writing days (most of it can be found online now).

25+ Tips for Researching a Victorian Setting (Steampunk & beyond)

And, of course, my own books.

Speaking of which, it’s a great time to be a member of the Chirrup because I’ve been selling off tons of special editions, ARCs, and other extras via my newsletter. I figure only Chirrupites really care about such things. So far we’ve done all my old ARCs and next up is foreign language editions. The Shelf of Achievement as been decimated (in the original sense of the word).

Here’s a Before & After for you:

Before After Office Shelf of Achievement

There’s still a few more super clutch or unique things that I don’t know how to value, so those will go to eBay, of course, announced via the Chirrup.

After that, there will be some truly epic Goodie Boxes through the rest of the year. The Chirrup is really making out like Bandits in 2024. My urge to purge is their gravy, so to speak. Or something. I’m losing my metaphors here.

In other news, I’ll be back at the Locus awards this year wearing the dress that I didn’t wear last year.

Other Curious Things

Several someones spotted, and then drew my attention to, this listing, for a parasol that also has a fan and mister to cool down the holder. Brilliant!