OceanSwell of Zenith

16 June 2025 20:19
[personal profile] ismo
Yesterday was also a great day. Very laid back. The kids made their usual breakfasts from materials provided. Tron brought us coffee. We hung out in the shady back yard and talked, read, and made some tree identifications, until it was too warm. The Lumberjack borrowed my copy of The Word for World is Forest and is reading it. We came inside and took some naps. At least, I think the other three did. I couldn't, because my brain was churning too much. We got takeout for dinner, from the local Asian place that was the Sparrowhawk's pick. Then we saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on the big screen. It was a great Father's Day movie and so much fun to see it again in the theater. I learned that Tom Stoppard had been brought in to do the dialog between Indy and Henry Sr., something I had not known before. It just goes to show that having a real writer makes a difference.

This morning the Sparrowhawk went off to his money counting job. I rode along with Tron on the coffee run. Our favorite place was closed, so we had to go to the fancy one up the street, where we observed the clientele while waiting for our rather expensive lattes. The kids packed up and departed for their next adventure, an afternoon of kayaking in Traverse City. They will come back this way and spend the night with us on Wednesday, to shorten their trip home. This is a lovely thing to look forward to. I had a scheduled Zoom with Moonmoth and the Nonesuch, ate leftover Chinese food, and did a practice packing of most of the items I've decided to take with me. The bag weighs 11 pounds as of now. There are quite a few other things that will have to be distributed between that bag and my carry-on backpack, but it's a good start. I sewed a button on one of the shirts I want to take, and contemplated my life choices as I wondered if ANY of my clothes are socially appropriate for ANY occasion. If I were going to a hermits' convention, they'd be perfect.
svgurl: (bollywood: shahrukh looking back)
[personal profile] svgurl
This is part 3 of [personal profile] maevedarcy's 72 Multifandom questions to ask a fangirl.

Experiences and Memories

1. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had related to your fandom(s)?
I feel like everything in Smallville fandom has kinda blurred together. Maybe not a specific fandom, but in recent years, the excitement of running (well, co running) my first exchange was such a good feeling, as was the unexpected enthusiasm over Comment Bingo, when I finally got it up and running.

#2-12
2. Have you ever traveled to a location specifically because it was featured or related to your fandom(s)?
No. When I went to Vancouver though, I was excited when I realized I could recognize the top of the building that they used as Oliver's penthouse/Queen Tower in Smallville. I still remember a LJ friend made a list of places that they film at, and I left it on my laptop and forgot that I wasn't planning on taking it, so I couldn't use it. IDK how much my family would be all for my Smallville related tour of Vancouver but I could've tried to see a couple of spots. Oh well.

3. Can you share about a time when fandom helped you through a difficult period?
I don't know if there's a specific time, but fandom has always felt like an escape. I'm pretty closed off/keep things to myself, for better or for worse, and sometimes, I think I have been able to express myself online in a way that is a little harder to do in person. And people have always been kind and supportive and I have appreciated that a lot. I've left fandom multiple times but it's always easy to find a home here when I return.

4. What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line for an event or release related to fandom?
Probably a couple of hours. Both when I stood in line at Barnes N Nobles for the 7th Harry Potter book (had to go twice - one to get the ticket with the Letter Group I was in earlier in the day and the second time when they were actually opening the doors) or when I went to the midnight showing of The Dark Knight and had to be there at like, 9PM. Even then, we were further back than I planned so we could've gotten there sooner but the seats we ended up with weren't so bad, iirc.

5. Have you had the chance to meet any of the actors, musicians, authors, or creators from your fandom(s)?
No, the closest I got was when I saw Shah Rukh Khan filming on my college campus and seeing Chris Evans in LA pre-Captain America. I was getting ice cream with a few friends and a premiere for Push had just let out. Dakota Fanning left fairly quickly, but I do remember he was hanging around. We recognized him but I didn't have a smart phone or anything for him to sign, so I didn't bother.

6. What’s the most treasured piece of merchandise you have that’s related to fandom?
Bollywood may not be a fandom I was ever in much, but I was obsessed with Shah Rukh Khan as a teen and I was in London a few days after his Madame Tussaud's statue was revealed, so when we went, they had a SRK doll. I bought it and brought it back with me. I still have it. Also my sister once got me a Superman keychain from Six Flags and I still keep it on my lanyard. It's held up well! :D

7. Do you remember the first item you ever collected or received related to fandom?
Not really. I had a lot of Shah Rukh Khan posters as a teen. I would assume it was something Superman related though since I've been a fan for so long.

8. What’s the most exciting fan event or panel you’ve attended?
I've never attended any fan events/panels.

9. Have you participated in any challenges, collaborations, or competitions within fandom?
Yes, I've been apart of land comms, bingo events (though I'm terrible about completing them!), fests, and exchanges. They're a lot of fun and have helped me get out of my comfort zone.

10. How did you feel the first time you saw your favorite character, band, or actor in person?
I remember OneRepublic was part of this summer fest years ago and I was really excited to watch them live. I don't know how much I actually enjoy live music events/concerts, but that was a blast.

11. Have any of your family or friends become fans because of your influence? What was that like?
My sister has actually ended up getting me into shows for the most part, because I barely watch anything and she gives a lot of things a shot (she was even watching Smallville before me). My dad watched Elementary because of me, since I wanted to, and he really liked it too, so we'd watch together.

12. What’s the most emotional moment you’ve had as a fan within your community?
I remember when one of my LJ friends passed away. We weren't close, but we did work together on a fandom newsletter and I was just shocked. I'm sure many other people can relate unfortunately, but the way it all happened and escalated so quickly was a lot. I think that was the first time someone I knew online had passed away. Just so sad.
[personal profile] cosmolinguist

The way my voice now resonates in my body feels better to me than I ever thought it could.

I was thinking of this this morning because I talked with a fellow trans dude about singing over the weekend; him dealing with changes to his range made me ponder how I've been kinda avoiding trying to find what my singing might be like?

I know voice training and documenting changes, in speaking and singing, is a Thing for a lot of trans people but the notion gave me big anxiety so I've stayed away from it.

Today I am carefully singing along with the radio (in the sense that I am doing it with care, rather than just finding myself doing so while I am working or whatever) and I don't really care how I sound but I love how it feels.

I said this on fedi and was charmed to have one of my dadliest friends (who we call Other Erik because he's another Erik) say

I hope you never lose that joy! For my part, I still love the feeling and I’ve had a mature low “adult” voice for over 30 years. I find myself humming low-range tunes to myself rather frequently just for the feeling of it in my chest.

It's nice to know it can stay fun for that long!

Monday is quiet and cool

16 June 2025 16:43
walkitout: (Default)
[personal profile] walkitout
I read Foreign Correspondence by Geraldine Brooks because it is this month’s book group selection. I look forward to chatting about it. It was a highly enjoyable read and I’m a little bummed that her sister Darleen Bungey’s book about their dad isn’t available as an e-book. Maybe some day.

I went grocery shopping. I walked with M.

I think next up is making blondies, because I’m completely out, and then dinner and book group.

ETA

Blondies were good. Book group was enjoyable.

LJ Idol Prompt #1: Quality

16 June 2025 15:14
used_songs: (dog love)
[personal profile] used_songs
Yesterday I sat on the couch next to you because you were in a rare mood for cuddling. You turned your little head and looked at me with your big, blank, brown eyes. Same dark lashes. Same black mask, just shading white around your mouth. Same soft wrinkles. But your eyes. Flat and expressionless, and liquid and curved, and alive and endless.

If I stare deeply enough, I can see them. The tiny pyramids that are also on the back of the paper money. A camera lens watching me. The triangles are far back in your eyes, deep in the black pupils, shadowy like storm clouds. But they are there. I think it’s possible that is what reflects my flashlight when we go outside early in the morning.

Maybe not.

Yesterday I sat and stared into your eyes, beautiful girl, and the cameras were watching me back. Someone sitting in a room full of 90s office furniture, squeaky chair, framed certificates and ballpoint pens, heavy plastic monitor next to a landline, was staring at me. I could feel them, feel the weight of their intensity. What are they watching for? When you stare at me in order to make me give you a treat, what do they see?

I don’t care if you’re a spy. I love you.

I have given you salmon oil in your high quality kibble, boiled chicken and white rice, pumpkin puree, an assortment of healthy fruits and vegetables, washed your feet, wiped your face with coconut oil, loved every one of your rolls, kissed your soft head, dusted beige probiotic powders over your food, bought you a thousand dollars worth of toys to destroy, comforted you over every trimmed nail. I don’t care who you work for. I don’t care if you are real.

I don’t care if you are spying on me. You have brought 346 sticks into the house that I have had to take away before you chew them up and eat them. I have pulled threads of grass out of your butt when you panicked and ran, tucked up like a round ball. I pick up your shit.

Yesterday you turned your little head and you looked at me and you yawned, white teeth, pink tongue, the elegant ruga along the sides of your lips, the black spot across the ridges of your hard palate, the dark tube of your throat. You leaned in and I could feel your breath against my face. I leaned in. Your fur is soft, you smell like sunshine and sticks and dried mud. You have tiny brown hairs, the most perfect brown that has ever been.

Yesterday I thought about the other dogs, the ones who already lived and are sealed in caskets upstairs, always with me. Did they have spy cameras, robotic intelligences like you? Were they cameras? Did they each have their own bureaucrat, sitting in an uncomfortable chair and watching? Or are you special?

Am I the eyes looking back at me, looking up while looking down? Are you me? I wait impatiently, as you refill the blue bowl with clean water from the tap. But I prefer the hose outside and maybe I will tell you I need to go out just to drink that water. Press my nose to the door until you open it and then make an immediate right to the spigot. I wait impatiently by my yellow bowl, as you use the big spoon to measure out chicken, to mix in the powder, to add chicken broth. You set it down. I am excited. You set it down. I dance. You set it down. I am so hungry!

Yesterday I looked through the eyes and I saw a cascade of water, the smallest insects, the fallen sticks, the edges of the cut grass, the metal strip at the bottom of the door. But, of course, the equipment isn’t built to transmit the smells and tastes or even how it feels to be alive. I can see and I can hear, but that’s all. I lean back in my chair and it squeaks.

I lean down, smiling, “That’s all, mama. That’s all.” Straighten. “Go take a nap while I wash your bowl, sweet girl.” I turn back to the sink, the counter tops cool beneath bent fingers.

You know there are robotic dogs, now, that have simple AI, that can make a few decisions, that can rebalance themselves like animals that are kicked, that can trot and climb and accompany people. Is that who is in the pyramids, not an outside watcher, but an inside one? Who is inside you? When I touch the little remolino on your hip, you feel warm and real. When I look across the table and you pick up your head from your loose sprawl in the exact center of the kitchen floor, in the way of everyone and every cabinet door and the oven and the refrigerator.

Yesterday on the hammock you rolled over and covered my feet, but you were watching the squirrels and maybe you didn’t notice. I’m shredding your chicken and you are drooling on the floor. The mockingbirds are eating the chiltepins off that bush that sprang up in the yard, the one you chewed up last winter and I thought you had killed it but I didn’t care.

Yesterday the squirrels climbed the greased pole to get to the bird feeder. Their flicking tails made you angry. You told them. You ate a fly.

Pyramids are where queens lie, that’s where the treasure is. If it comes to it, if I have to entomb you in the dark box, think of me like a sacrifice, a portrait painted on the walls to accompany you.

Beautiful dog, beautiful girl, the most perfect brown dog ever, your beautiful eyes, your dark lashes, your soft face, the dark bars across your toes, your wrinkles, your beautiful rolls, perfect, perfect, perfect. Watch me like I watch you. Wonder about me like I wonder about you. The mystery of a person who is not human, who looks at me and wonders. I know your dark eyes are wondering. The little alien on four legs that is sitting on my couch as I type this. The little alien who dozes when Alexa plays Philip Glass, the person who plays with her sweet potatoes and her plushes, who is not allowed upstairs but sometimes goes there.

It’s stupid to talk about yesterday and tomorrow when we live in the infinite now. I sit on the couch next to you because you are in a mood for cuddling. You turn your little head and look at me with your big, blank, brown eyes, alive and endless. You turn your big head toward me and look with brown eyes, too.

Chat corner: Free-for-all

16 June 2025 21:33
annathecrow: screenshot from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. A detail of the racing pod engines. (sw: pods)
[personal profile] annathecrow posting in [community profile] dreamwars

Welcome to your weekly free-for-all chat post. Anything SW-related is fair game.

Have fun!

Things Coming Out Next

16 June 2025 13:49
marthawells: (Witch King)
[personal profile] marthawells
Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology

Out in ebook and paperback on July 1. My story is "Data Ghost"

https://bookshop.org/p/books/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology/a74b320486117220?ean=9798992595406&next=t

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology?sId=e0bafab6-32a8-4ffb-9436-2dcda473349c

Edited by Julie C. Day, Carina Bissett, and Craig Laurance Gidney. Stories by Martha Wells, Andy Duncan, C.S.E. Cooney, Nisi Shawl, Mike Allen, Alaya Dawn Johnson, CL Hellisen, Maya Deane, Rocío Rincón Fernández, Theodora Goss, Getty Hesse, Starlene Justice, Amelia Mangan, Michael Yuya Montroy, Marisca Pichette, KT Wagner.

Sixteen new stories from some of today's most renowned authors. All inspired by the master storyteller Tanith Lee.

Drowning cities and unicorns. Burning deserts and forgotten gods. Golems, elf warriors, and inner-Earthers. Alien lifeforms and museum workers. Ancient plagues and the future of humanity. The familiar and the fantastical. Each story in this anthology is both unique and compelling: from fairy-tale retellings to romance-tinged high fantasy, from nihilistic horror to gripping science fiction. Immersive, wide-ranging, and sublime, Storyteller features worlds and characters that are sure to travel with you long after the last page has been read.



***


Short Story: "Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy" by Martha Wells

will be available on Reactor Magazine on July 10

Illustrated by Jaime Jones
Edited by Lee Harris

Perihelion and its crew embark on a dangerous new mission at a corporate-controlled station in the throes of a hostile takeover...


***


Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy: Martha Wells in conversation with Kate Elliott

https://www.clarionwest.org/event/summer-of-science-fiction-fantasy-martha-wells-in-conversation-with-kate-elliott/


July 30 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm PDT

The Clarion West Summer Reading Series will be held virtually and streamed live over Zoom during the Six-Week Workshop.

Join us for our final event, a conversation between Martha Wells and Kate Elliott!

This event will begin with a conversation between Martha and Kate. There will be time to take questions from the audience. Participants will be able to submit questions in the webinar.



***


The New Yorker announced "Platform Decay" will be the next Murderbot novella. No word on publication date yet.


***


Grimoire: A Grim Oak Press Anthology For Seattle Worldcon 2025

https://grimoakpress.com/products/grimoire-a-grim-oak-press-anthology-for-seattle-worldcon-2025

My story is a fantasy called "Birthright" which is reprint that's not currently available anywhere else.


***


Queen Demon, the sequel to Witch King, second book of the Rising World, is up for preorder and will be released in ebook, audiobook, and hardcover on October 7.

From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes the remarkable sequel to the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Witch King. A fantasy of epic scope, Queen Demon is a story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.

Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.

Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?

And can he trust his companions to do what's right?


Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/queen-demon-martha-wells/21751501?ean=9781250826916

B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-demon-martha-wells/1146167707?ean=9781250826916

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/queen-demon

Audiobook Libro.fm https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250291981-queen-demon

Bakka-Phoenix (indie bookstore in Canada): https://bakkaphoenixbooks.com/item/3Czr8TaWU9-_fwJ25ytSCw

parvenu

16 June 2025 14:20
stonepicnicking_okapi: snoopy typing (snoopy)
[personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi posting in [community profile] 1word1day
parvenu [pahr-vuh-noo, -nyoo, pahr-vuh-noo, -nyoo]

noun

one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it (derogatory)

examples

1. In 1952, backed by little more than his reputation as a war hero and a fortune staked by his parvenu father, 35-year-old John F. Kennedy swiped a Senate seat from Republican Henry Cabot Lodge, himself a wealthy combat veteran. Kevin Mahnken, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2020

2. "...All the senior authorities from the Spanish administration, soldiers laden with decorations, attorneys and magistrates, representatives of Morocco's political parties and the Jewish community, the whole diplomatic corps, the directors of banks, posh civil servants, powerful businessmen, doctors, every Spaniard, Arab, and Jew of high social standing and--naturally--the odd parvenu like you, you shameless little thing, slipping through the back door with your limping reporter on your arms." The Seamstress María Dueñas

origins

1795–1805; < French: upstart, noun use of past participle of parvenir to arrive, reach < Latin pervenīre, equivalent to per- per- + venīre to come
badly_knitted: (Get Knitted)
[personal profile] badly_knitted posting in [community profile] get_knitted

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


This Week's Question: We all probably have multiple WiPs, but which of yours has been hanging around longest, waiting to be finished?


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!



365 Questions 2025

16 June 2025 14:21
maju: Clean my kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] maju
13. What do you have trouble seeing clearly in your mind? The next few months.

14. What are you looking forward to? Being settled in Connecticut with my daughter and family.

15. What is the number one thing you want to accomplish before you die? Apart from finishing a couple of quilts which are languishing unfinished in a cupboard, nothing major comes to mind.

16. When is love a weakness? I 'm not sure that real love can be a weakness.

crafting tonight

16 June 2025 12:14
unicornduke: (Default)
[personal profile] unicornduke
Hey all, if you'd like to join the crafting hangout, it is tonight from 6-8pm ET!
 
Video encouraged but not required!
 
Topic: Crafting Hangout
Time: Mondays 6:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 
Join Zoom Meeting
 
Meeting ID: 973 2674 2763

Monday

16 June 2025 07:43
susandennis: (Default)
[personal profile] susandennis
Friday night, Ethel asked me if I wanted wine or water 'or we have some tonic and lime' and pointed to glasses set up that looked delicious and refreshing so I opted for tonic and lime. And now, of course, I'm hooked. I do enjoy a good gin and tonics but I like most alcohol, while I enjoy the taste, I do not enjoy the effects. Plus who needs the extra calories anyway? For some reason it never occurred to me to just leave out the gin. So tonic and lime is my new, refreshing, Summer beverage.

I went out yesterday to buy some tonic and to make an Amazon return and then remembered, after I had left, that the UPS shop was closed for father's day. So I still have that errand to do. But, still no hurry.

There are workers out on the patio this morning but they are working very quietly :) There are several tables set up for eating so someone must be having a lunch or dinner out there today. Tis the season. My friend, Steve, gathers folks for dinners on Thursdays out there. I can watch from my table. I keep thinking I'll join them sometime but on Thursdays I usually find a million reasons why I'd rather not. Starting with... eating outside?? I've never understood the allure. It's way cooler and more pleasant in here and... no bugs.

I have nothing on the agenda today. So that's probably what I will do. More Clarksons Farm and more Pride dolls. I need to build up an inventory for when I'm not knitting next week. My New Zealand friends arrive on Sunday.

Even with nothing on the agenda, it would be good if I got dressed.
smallhobbit: (Default)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
Book Leger holiday for 2026

Daughter and I had been trying to decide on which Battlefields Tour we would do next year.  There was one destination we were looking at, but neither tour quite fitted the bill properly, so I suggested instead of making that one work, she might like to look at something different.  Normally she's been really clear on what she's selected, so the fact that we weren't certain had made me wonder.

Anyway, yesterday she messaged me, and we had a chat, with the result that this morning I booked our tour for next April.  For anyone who knows their classic WWII films, this fits perfectly, as we're off to Germany, scene of The Dambusters, Colditz and the Great Escape.  It should be very interesting, not because we're relishing triumphant films, but in looking at the history and what made people behave as they did, something which doesn't change.  Among other places, we shall be visiting Dresden, Berlin and Hannover, which will be really interesting.

Weekend, oi

16 June 2025 07:50
totchipanda: (Default)
[personal profile] totchipanda
On Friday I went directly to the mall where M works to go shoooooppppiiiiinnnngggggggg. I used my birthday coupon at Hot Topic (I got a cute dress with mushrooms and snails on it, and a Jurassic World blind box that had T-Rex!), four mini hand lotions at Bath & Body Works (they had SO MANY SOAPS and only two major displays of the summer scents and almost NO other significant collection of any scent except Gingham-everything and something with tomatoes? It was weird. It's fine, it takes me so long to use the full size ones anyway, small ones are perfect), and finally a new hockey jersey. The website said they had the player I wanted but... that was a lie. I couldn't even find someone to ask and all the jerseys were locked together except for one plain one in the size I wanted. That was sufficient, I was really waffling on a named jersey anyway.

M and I took the bus home, where I ordered food from Skip the Dishes, which took SO LONG to "confirm" the order that it arrived before ever doing so. I got the "your courier is about to arrive" and I worried bc without the confirmation, I couldn't track the driver. Did he go to the wrong building? I messaged him on the app at the 8 minute mark, and then he showed up at 9. Typically the text arrives and within 5 mins the courier is there so... you can understand my concern, I'm sure.

I ate and loafed on the couch, and just as I was thinking that I should go to the other room and watch Drag Race, my brain said no! No TV, only sewing! So... 9:30 pm and I am stitching on the last bit of rickrack (I got the bodice edges done, centered the rest on the midriff and that covered the front plus 4 or 5 peaks on the back on either side. Good enough!) and then making the straps, attaching them, and then the lining. "I guess I need to grade these seams now" I thought and immediately decided to put it down. No cutting after 10pm!

In the morning, it was gloomy and raining. It was Knit In Public day but I was hesitant to go due to said rain. Friend who'd invited me said they had a tent set up, but later said they had moved inside the outdoor venue's cafe. But she wasn't feeling well and would let me know if she made it, since she also had to set up for a game viewing party at her community league and wouldn't be staying until it ended at 4 anyway.

So, after a cup of coffee, I did the bodice things I needed to do (trimming, understitching, pressing), I put the gathering stitches into the skirt tops, drew them up and pinned them to the bodice. I'd run out of the matching thread colour the previous night so now it was go-out o'clock to do those errands. I put on my neeewwwwwww hockey jersey and a rain coat (bc it was raining) and headed out. First stop: bottle depot. Second stop: creative re-use focused on sewing, where I made out like an absolute bandit. A couple patterns, some notions (2 rolls of narrow interfacing, 132" of a pretty lace, suspender clips, 6 pairs of snips, three of which have curved tips, two mismatched but similar kilt buckles), a 3m length of knit fabric with safety pins on it, a meter of cutesy narwhals in double knit, and 2 meters of absolutely *delicious* red wool. I absolutely plan to make a short coat out of it, it'll be a squeeze but I should be able to do it.

Third stop: Marshalls fabric store, where I got thread. I did take a scrap of my rickrack with me, and absolutely NOTHING matched. The navys were far too deep and rich, the royal blues were too bright, etc. Guess I'm stuck with a partial band! Fourth stop: Lunch at Chipotle. It was OK, I've only had it once before about 10 years ago. BarBurrito is better.

Then I decided to get some groceries and call it a day. By the time I left the store, I was rather peopled out so... probably the right decision. I was home by 2, and finished sewing my dress before the hockey game started, including hand sewing. Hockey game was terrible, but at least it wasn't a shut out. We are back in Florida tomorrow night, possibly for the end of the series.

Saturday evening I was watching Drag Race at last when all the shenanigans happened in the alley. Stolen vehicle, I heard that the owner was rather nearby and had been threatened with hatchet when it was stolen. No one was hurt (that I know of), the building was not damaged beyond a small chip on the corner, but the car was totally wrecked. The thieves abandoned it bc the front bumper had been torn off and become stuck underneath it. Back was all bumped around too, and scratches on the side. Tow truck showed up around 11 to load it up and take it away.

Yesterday I really didn't do much. I cut down the patterns for a pair of pants but again waffled on my fabric decision. Mostly I watched true crime documentaries and played phone games. For dinner I made chili with ground beef and all of my remaining peppers and I even purchased a can of mushrooms for it. It was yummy, but I was too hungry to let it simmer for all that long.

Could NOT sleep last night but any time I tried to read or play a game or whatever, my eyes insisted they were too tired!! I did finally get to sleep at some point and of course morning came so early. I am le tired.

Today I have a dental appointment, and I plan to hit up Walmart on my way home for more groceries (staple items, mostly; Safeway was very lacking). I will also get something to eat while I'm out, the last thing I will want to do by the time I get home is cook.

In the meantime, on to look for coat patterns!

birl

16 June 2025 07:32
prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (Default)
[personal profile] prettygoodword
birl (BURL) - (UK) v., to rapidly spin or make spin; (northern NA) to cause (a floating log) to rotate rapidly by treading on it.


That last is lumberjack jargon, and honestly given the UK connection I'd expect it to be used in Canada as well as the US, but I'm not seeing mention of it -- if anyone can confirm a Canuck sighting, I'd appreciate it. (ETA: confirmed, see comments) I first met the term as an event in lumberjack competitions (I was channel surfing), in which two people stand at the ends of a floating log and try to get the other to fall off by birling it. The spin sense dates to around 1720, and is speculated to be a blend of birr, the onomatopoeia for a whirling sound, and whirl.

---L.

Another Murderbot interview

16 June 2025 08:42
marthawells: Murderbot with helmet (Default)
[personal profile] marthawells
In ‘Murderbot,’ an anxious scientist and an autonomous robot develop a workplace-trauma bond

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2025-06-13/murderbot-episode-6-alexander-skarsgard-noma-dumezweni


Leading a TV series is a first for Dumezweni, who has previously been cast in smaller roles. She wasn’t convinced by the initial pitch at first because sci-fi hasn’t traditionally had a lot of major roles for actors of color.

“Usually I’d come in and play the receptionist,” she says. “I love to watch sci-fi. But I wondered: Who am I going to be in this sci-fi world?”

However, once she learned more about the world and the character, the actor changed her mind.

“It was an absolute joy to discover that there was nothing that Chris and Paul had to change to make it representational,” Dumezweni says. “It’s lovely not to have to fight for people’s positions in the world based on their skin color.”




ETA: Wanted to add this one real quick from BlueSky:

Vestal Magazine: Noma Dumezweni -- Off Canvas

https://www.vestalmag.com/noma-dumezweni


Set in a near future where the line between machine and human is increasingly blurred, Murderbot explores themes of identity, autonomy, and what it truly means to be alive through the eyes of a self-aware security android. Adapted from Martha Wells’s beloved The Murderbot Diaries novels, the series blends gripping sci-fi action with sharp, witty humor. At the heart of the story is Noma Dumezweni’s portrayal of Dr. Ayda Mensah, the thoughtful leader of a pacifist civilization struggling to uphold her community’s ideals amid a universe dominated by corporate greed and political tensions. Noma brings to the role a grounded strength, embodying the delicate balance between idealism and pragmatism as her character wrestles with the burdens of leadership and moral compromise. The parallels between Noma and Ayda run deep: both choose to lead with heart, courage, and conviction. “Your head will try to talk you out of that feeling of expansion. It will tell you, ‘You can’t do this,’” Noma says. “Trust your body, trust your instinct. Your body knows the truth.” That instinct and bravery have guided her career, from becoming the first Black actress to portray Hermione Granger on stage, a landmark moment for representation in theater, to winning two Laurence Olivier Awards and becoming a beacon of inspiration for a new generation of actors. Like Ayda, Noma has forged a path not only of leadership, but of quiet, transformative power.

Lovely photos in this!

Feeling a bit better

16 June 2025 08:24
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[personal profile] unicornduke
Both my mom and I concluded that this cold was way worse than COVID. Yuck. I've spent most of the last three days in bed, napping on and off between trying to do the bare minimum to stay open for strawberries. My mom was nice enough to take over the register a bunch since she was already feeling better so that helped a lot. I was on register yesterday morning and by noon I was feeling like hell. Turns out, I was also having a period start which super didn't help. 

I also switched to using old tshirts as handkerchiefs because the quantity of tissues was too much. Just so gross. My urge to vaguely cough has turned into productive coughing this morning, I'm starting to bring stuff up which is super gross. 

I'm definitely still tired but way better than I was yesterday. I decided not to make a run to town since both of my parents need to run to town anyway and I don't wanna go. Today's my day off. I can send my town errands with one of them. Running an ebay thing to the post office and picking up two new eyebolts for my loom. Easy enough for someone else to do. I need to meal plan, but I think this week will actually just be rice and veg. Easy. 

I'm hoping to start winding a warp for the loom, I found some decent yarns last week on the crafting call. I'll need to do some math. I think if I rest decently today, I will be back up and running full speed tomorrow on register and tractor tasks which aren't too bad. 

In one of the discord servers I lurk in, I have tentatively signed up for a casual Tour de Fleece, spinning everyday as is my usual goal. I have also registered for an SCA event this saturday, bit of a drive and I might only be able to get there a half day, but worth a try. I need to find the box that has my garb in it....not a clue where it ended up. Might be in the shed? I think I labeled it...it might have been one of the last packed boxes? who knows honestly. 
osprey_archer: (art)
[personal profile] osprey_archer
I wrapped up the Newbery Honor books of 2025 with Andrea L. Rogers’ Chooch Helped, which also won the Caldecott Medal this year for Rebecca Lee Kunz’s rich sunset-colored illustrations. It’s a picture book about a long-suffering older sister who watches as her two-year-old brother “helps” various family members complete their tasks, usually by accidentally making more tasks by spilling the flour, pulling up the newly planted garden vegetables, tearing out the stitches in a freshly sewn pucker-toe moccasin, etc.

The sister, standing in for older siblings everywhere, is exasperated. Although of course in the book she moves past that exasperation, once her parents point out that she’s one of her little brother’s most important teachers, I suspect that this book may not be a hit with older siblings. Why does no one ever validate their feeling that their younger siblings are so annoying!!!!

As a youngest sibling, however, I was enchanted, especially because this is exactly the stage my niece is in, although (knock on wood!) unlike Chooch, she’s usually not actively destructive when she “helps.” It just takes twice as long to get anything done when she’s “helping” water the plants or mix the pancake batter. But to an adult, it’s totally worth it to see her attempting to haul around a gallon or water or measure a teaspoon of baking soda.

(A side story: last week, as I was washing up the pancake dishes, she was trying to get a slice of orange onto her spoon. At last she announced, “I’m frustrated.” There is nothing cuter than a two-year-old using a ten-cent word, so of course I stopped to help her get that orange onto her spoon.)

The illustrations are just lovely, too. I love the sunset-hewed pallet, the way that the patterns on the characters’ clothes splash a little past their outlines, the Cherokee motifs that Kunz wove into the illustrations. There’s a particularly gorgeous illustration of Chooch gigging for crawdads with the friend of the family, both of them dark silhouettes against the orange water, and a pale gold moon with a glowing aureole of fireflies.

I Can't Do This

16 June 2025 03:12
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I bought a tent and a sleeping bag on eBay. I would like to do some camping. I bought a two-person tent, so I could take Bella camping! I looked into some HipCamp sites.

I found a campground that I like. It’s near Starved Rock, so I could take Bella hiking (although she probably wouldn’t like the metal stairs). I wouldn’t take the puppy until she gets older. Though Starved Rock is wall-to-wall people in the summer. The fall would be better. I found the one trail that doesn’t have stairs (Illinois Canyon).

Starved Rock has dog-friendly cabins, but I can’t find out how much they cost.

I should test out the tent and sleeping bag in the back yard.

Got up at 8 AM. Fed us all. Did laundry. (My white towels came out looking good!) Now it’s nap time.

Napped. Moved around some stuff that’s by the front stairs outside. Now I’m boiling. I turned the ceiling fan on in the kitchen, although Bella doesn’t like it.

I’ve been working hard on the kitchen and packing on breaks. I still need to figure out one more outfit for the trip. Hmm, if I hand wash the clothes that I’m wearing on the plane, I’ll be okay.

I kind of want it to be dinner time because I need a break. I’m soaking the dog and cat dishes and am cooling off from being outside. I’m going to take a shower (done) and see if I perk up. It’s been almost 24 hours since I had my brows done.

I have an impulse to say that I can’t go on the business trip, but I should go. Getting ready to go is a hassle.

Started more loads of laundry. Finished packing my suitcase. The linen clothes will be nice and cool. Remembered my swimsuit. (The hotel has two pools.)

Now I’m going to take a SHORT nap. Bella is zonking out.

Ugh. Bella found a dead possum and wouldn’t let it go. I finally got her to come in with a food bribe. I need to go out and get rid of it.

I’ve decided not to go. I just can’t. I’ll tell the people at work I’m sick. Not a lie because my stomach is really upset. I just canceled everything and will email them about it in a few hours.

Done Done...

15 June 2025 19:58
koshka_the_cat: Beach! (Default)
[personal profile] koshka_the_cat
I decided against shortening the straps, so the bathing suit is done. I knit about half the belt, but then decided I was happy without it. So done! Although maybe I'll change my mind for Costume College!

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