Electric Syllables

The white rabbit leads the way.

Created by Allison C. using OpenAI’s DALL·E.

I didn’t grow up knowing the traditions of starting the month saying either “White Rabbit” or “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit” upon waking for luck. Did you? So I used AI within ChatGPT to make bring some cute, luck to this April blog. I’m aware of the controversies and concerns with using AI. But, it also provides wonderful ways to ideate and iterate.

I like to use the AI tools to create or to assist with getting projects done or putting to paper an idea I see in my head or can’t quite sketch out. Recently, I was able to use an AI tool for envisioning what a different house color and porch structure would look like. However, I’ve yet to find the right tool to envision backyard landscaping properly. (I say properly, because the tools I’ve tried can envision, but don’t do a great job.) Maybe you know of a tool I should try for AI landscape inspiration?

What else has been going on?

April Showers, Flowers, and Trees

April started off in a relatively dismal fashion. Although flowers have been popping up, the weather has been gray, bitter cold, and windy. There was still a chance of snow, but mostly it has just rained. In the last few days of the month, the weather turned and we finally got some bright, sunny, blue-sky days. Hurrah for that. Many of the trees are in bloom, but the Pink Dogwood in the front yard has just started. Last year at this time, it was in full flower. In the back yard, the Eastern Redbud is just a little behind schedule, but now has a blaze of bright lavender-pink flowers. (We call this the “Resurrection Tree” because we believe it was struck by lightning as we noticed blackening on the limbs and trunk and it nearly died, but it came back to full bloom the following year.)

Hello, Cleveland!

On my birthday, I went to Cleveland, Ohio, to see an art exhibit at the Cleveland Public Library. It was so windy and bitterly cold on the top of the parking deck across from the library. That is a funny thing; the library is free, but parking has a steep price. Maybe locals know of where to find more budget-friendly parking or who validates the ticket.

I went to see The BAND—a fuzzy (dancing! musical!) robot installation that invites you to interact and experience the fun up close, and I couldn’t resist documenting my visit. I spotted a reserved sign near the parking garage elevator with the number 73 highlighted, which felt like a little cosmic nod. (IYKYK.) From the top of the garage, I grabbed a shot of one wing of the library—such a great overview of the older section. The installation poster for The Band was up, of course, and I immediately needed to know all their names. 💜 So: meet LIX (pink), ETZ (yellow), ROC (purple), PMJ (blue), and FUR (green). All the members were present, though FUR was having a bit of a week—he didn’t move, but he still lit up. Respect.

More pix from my birthday!

A glimpse of Tommy’s menu revealed my go-to order: the Ceebee. I ordered it with fries and a hot cranberry-apple tea—more than half of the meal came home with me to enjoy over the next few days. While there, I noticed a tiny origami crane tucked into a plant, a sweet little detail that made me smile. Later, I was surprised to see garbanzo beans still in their pods at Whole Foods Market; I’d literally never seen them that way before, since they’re typically sold dried, canned, or already prepared here. I should have purchased them. I also stopped by Trader Joe’s to check out the viral pastel mini totes—an employee mentioned that they heard a set of four sold on eBay for $1,000, though now there are too many on the market to fetch that kind of profit. I wrapped up the day with a slice of orange creamsicle cake topped with unicorn candles, no specific number—just the perfect little celebration. 🦄🍊

Reading Update

I finally moved on to A Sinister Revenge (#8 in the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries) by Deanna Raybourn. Once I finish, I’ll move on to A Grave Robbery (#9).

I also started Victorian Psycho: A Novel by Virginia Feito. It immediately reminded me of the vibe of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Somehow I’ve gotten myself into two Victorian stories. One is a more adventurous and witty light gothic, while the other is a more sinister and creepy dark gothic. We’ll soon find out which I like better.