Monday Update 2-2-26
Feb. 2nd, 2026 02:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Review: "Maple Syrup: 40 Tried & True Recipes"
Birdfeeding
Valentines Bingo Card 2-1-26
Today's Adventures
Books
Bingo
Art
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Intelligence
Recipe: "Thumbprint Cookies with Cornstarch"
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Birdfeeding
Gaming
Poetry Fishbowl Report for January 6, 2026
Follow Friday 1-30-26: Literature
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Alien Romance
Website Updates
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Hard Things
Safety has 25 comments. Food has 40 comments. Wildlife has 26 comments. Animal Communication has 49 comments. Food has 64 comments. Robotics has 134 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, February 3 with a theme of "Books and Literacy." I hope to see you then!
( Read more... )
Review: "Maple Syrup: 40 Tried & True Recipes"
Birdfeeding
Valentines Bingo Card 2-1-26
Today's Adventures
Books
Bingo
Art
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Intelligence
Recipe: "Thumbprint Cookies with Cornstarch"
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Birdfeeding
Gaming
Poetry Fishbowl Report for January 6, 2026
Follow Friday 1-30-26: Literature
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Alien Romance
Website Updates
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Hard Things
Safety has 25 comments. Food has 40 comments. Wildlife has 26 comments. Animal Communication has 49 comments. Food has 64 comments. Robotics has 134 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, February 3 with a theme of "Books and Literacy." I hope to see you then!
( Read more... )
Irregular Webcomic! #3025
Feb. 2nd, 2026 10:11 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
irregular_comic_rss3_feed
What else would Spanners be whistling while he works on the engines?
2026-02-02 Rerun commentary: I don't know about whistling, but some insects definitely hiss.
Fossils
Feb. 2nd, 2026 01:32 amysabetwordsmithOver 500 Million Years Ago, Early Vertebrates Had Four Eyes That Could See 360 Degrees
Every mammal, every fish, every vertebrate (creatures that have a spine) has two eyes. It’s been that way for millions and millions of years. But maybe it wasn’t like that forever.
During the Cambrian, when evolution was experimenting all sorts of strategies, early vertebrates may have had four eyes, and they were high-res eyes, too.
Every mammal, every fish, every vertebrate (creatures that have a spine) has two eyes. It’s been that way for millions and millions of years. But maybe it wasn’t like that forever.
During the Cambrian, when evolution was experimenting all sorts of strategies, early vertebrates may have had four eyes, and they were high-res eyes, too.
Happy Imbolc!
Feb. 1st, 2026 09:17 pmsoniaMy plan today was to get a 20 lb bag of rice from the local farmers market, and then take BART to the other side of the hills and bike "the three bears" aka Bear Creek loop. However, the rice vendor said they didn't send him any big bags of rice this week, and I saw on the BART website that they were trimming vegetation between the two BART stations I needed and single-tracking the trains, so I didn't want to do that.
Instead, I decided to bike to 99 Ranch the long way (over Grizzly Peak) and get rice there. I texted a friend who lives up that way that I would get there approx 1:30 and did he want to meet up. It was a gorgeous day for a ride, sunny and just warm enough not to need a jacket.
Biking over the hill and seeing the flowering plum and cherry and magnolia trees is a touchpoint of the year for me. I was distressed last year that I missed spring hill rides entirely because of my injured ankle, so it was a treat to see all the flowering trees today, even if February 1 seems unreasonably early.
My friend and I texted each other updates from our respective journeys and did manage to meet up. I got to 99 Ranch at 1:28 after 2 1/2 of riding, so I was pleased about estimating accurately (without a mapping app). I got a 20 lb bag of rice for $12.90 instead of $40 at the farmers market, with the cost of a long beautiful ride and hauling it home (the flat way) for 7 miles. I'll take it!
I also spotted some Sterilite ClearView plastic storage drawers on the sidewalk with a FREE sign when I was fairly near home. They were the old style ones similar to the ones I have. I had looked for more online and now they only sell stacked units, not single ones. So I stopped and picked one up and strapped it to the back rack. I'll have to scrub the top of it, but it's nice to find something that's not available in stores.
Happy Imbolc to all!
Instead, I decided to bike to 99 Ranch the long way (over Grizzly Peak) and get rice there. I texted a friend who lives up that way that I would get there approx 1:30 and did he want to meet up. It was a gorgeous day for a ride, sunny and just warm enough not to need a jacket.
Biking over the hill and seeing the flowering plum and cherry and magnolia trees is a touchpoint of the year for me. I was distressed last year that I missed spring hill rides entirely because of my injured ankle, so it was a treat to see all the flowering trees today, even if February 1 seems unreasonably early.
My friend and I texted each other updates from our respective journeys and did manage to meet up. I got to 99 Ranch at 1:28 after 2 1/2 of riding, so I was pleased about estimating accurately (without a mapping app). I got a 20 lb bag of rice for $12.90 instead of $40 at the farmers market, with the cost of a long beautiful ride and hauling it home (the flat way) for 7 miles. I'll take it!
I also spotted some Sterilite ClearView plastic storage drawers on the sidewalk with a FREE sign when I was fairly near home. They were the old style ones similar to the ones I have. I had looked for more online and now they only sell stacked units, not single ones. So I stopped and picked one up and strapped it to the back rack. I'll have to scrub the top of it, but it's nice to find something that's not available in stores.
Happy Imbolc to all!
Review: "Maple Syrup: 40 Tried & True Recipes"
Feb. 1st, 2026 09:50 pmysabetwordsmithMaple Syrup: 40 Tried & True Recipes
Paperback – Lay Flat, February 11, 2020
by Corrine Kozlak (Author), Kevin Scott Ramos (Photographer)
Today we finished reading our first cookbook of the year. \o/ We bought this just a couple weeks ago at the small farm show. Our friends at Golden Ridge Farms had their maple root beer and also these cookbooks. I had just seen a different book that was mostly history and only a few recipes, so when I spotted this one, I pounced on it. The front matter includes a table of contents, Preface, Tree to Table, Maple Syrup History, How Maple Syrup Is Made, Maple Syrup Grading, Sugar Shack Fun, Do-It-Yourself Maple Syruping or Backyard Sugaring, and Cooking and Baking with Maple Syrup. The recipe chapters are Breads and Breakfast, Entrees, Sides, Sweets and Desserts, Appetizers and Beverages. The index in the back does include both ingredients and titles, but is not greatly detailed.
( Read more... )
Paperback – Lay Flat, February 11, 2020
by Corrine Kozlak (Author), Kevin Scott Ramos (Photographer)
Today we finished reading our first cookbook of the year. \o/ We bought this just a couple weeks ago at the small farm show. Our friends at Golden Ridge Farms had their maple root beer and also these cookbooks. I had just seen a different book that was mostly history and only a few recipes, so when I spotted this one, I pounced on it. The front matter includes a table of contents, Preface, Tree to Table, Maple Syrup History, How Maple Syrup Is Made, Maple Syrup Grading, Sugar Shack Fun, Do-It-Yourself Maple Syruping or Backyard Sugaring, and Cooking and Baking with Maple Syrup. The recipe chapters are Breads and Breakfast, Entrees, Sides, Sweets and Desserts, Appetizers and Beverages. The index in the back does include both ingredients and titles, but is not greatly detailed.
( Read more... )
Groan
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:46 pmranunculusI cleaned out a whole cabinet plus another very small drawer unit and several shelves in San Francisco. I remembered my drawers as being quite a lot better organized than they were. Now I have 5 crates of stuff to sort. A couple of them won't be bad, but at least two or three need a lot of work. I'm tempted just to toss the lot, but can't quite make myself do that, there is a lot of hardware in there, much of it new.
Discovered that there were no large sized screwdrivers left down there. I'll take some back.
Dug a few iris, including a light blue one that will very much be in the way of the construction project. I really wanted that color in the mix here in Ukiah. Took a bunch of containers with fertilizers and other soil amendments that will never get used in SF but can be used one way or another in Ukiah.
It is a bit overwhelming.
Dealing with our elderly downstairs tenant was no fun. He is resisting both our project to fix the house and my attempt to get the electrical fixed, saying that it is an enormous disturbance and he will have to move everything in his flat when we do it, which is not true. Yes there will be some disturbance, but he's way out in left field. Then he started in telling me that we had told him we were starting our project "right away" when we started the planning process 3 years ago. The opposite is true. We have told him repeatedly, monthly, weekly (basically every time we talk to him) that we are NOT starting yet, and that he will have at least 2 weeks notice before we do. I know it is just him getting more frail and less able, but it really rubs me the wrong way. Sigh.
Discovered that there were no large sized screwdrivers left down there. I'll take some back.
Dug a few iris, including a light blue one that will very much be in the way of the construction project. I really wanted that color in the mix here in Ukiah. Took a bunch of containers with fertilizers and other soil amendments that will never get used in SF but can be used one way or another in Ukiah.
It is a bit overwhelming.
Dealing with our elderly downstairs tenant was no fun. He is resisting both our project to fix the house and my attempt to get the electrical fixed, saying that it is an enormous disturbance and he will have to move everything in his flat when we do it, which is not true. Yes there will be some disturbance, but he's way out in left field. Then he started in telling me that we had told him we were starting our project "right away" when we started the planning process 3 years ago. The opposite is true. We have told him repeatedly, monthly, weekly (basically every time we talk to him) that we are NOT starting yet, and that he will have at least 2 weeks notice before we do. I know it is just him getting more frail and less able, but it really rubs me the wrong way. Sigh.
So, if you're even tangentially interested in blogs or people who spend a lot of time
Feb. 4th, 2026 10:18 pmconulycorrecting things people think they know about history, you'll soon learn that a perennial topic is "Yes, people drank water in Medieval Europe", followed closely by "They took baths too!" And yeah, they drank a lot of ale and wine... but people today drink a lot of alcohol too, and for much the same reason - we like it! Or if we don't like alcohol we like soda, or coffee, or tea.
People in the middle ages did understand that some water was safe to drink and some wasn't, and they went through considerable lengths to bring clean, potable water to their towns. Not that most of them lived in towns, but in this case, living further from town is a bonus. Less people = less poop.
(Also, while there are other waterborne illnesses, cholera in particular didn't leave India until the 1800s, well into the modern period. I'm not sure it even existed prior to 1817. Please stop telling me earnestly about Snow and cholera in London. Totally different time period, totally different situation, totally irrelevant.)
Anyway, this just popped up on my feed yet again today, and it suddenly sparked a question in my head:
If people supposedly didn't drink water because they didn't want to get sick, what did their animals drink? Surely nobody thinks that medieval peasants were giving their cows and pigs ale? Or do they think that non-human animals are so hardy that they aren't at risk of waterborne illness? Or maybe that people just didn't care if their animals died, like every sheep isn't wealth, or at least a source of food and wool?
(I'm willing to bet that nobody has an answer to this question, but that if I ever ask them, should it come up in the wild, they'll be annoyed at me!)
People in the middle ages did understand that some water was safe to drink and some wasn't, and they went through considerable lengths to bring clean, potable water to their towns. Not that most of them lived in towns, but in this case, living further from town is a bonus. Less people = less poop.
(Also, while there are other waterborne illnesses, cholera in particular didn't leave India until the 1800s, well into the modern period. I'm not sure it even existed prior to 1817. Please stop telling me earnestly about Snow and cholera in London. Totally different time period, totally different situation, totally irrelevant.)
Anyway, this just popped up on my feed yet again today, and it suddenly sparked a question in my head:
If people supposedly didn't drink water because they didn't want to get sick, what did their animals drink? Surely nobody thinks that medieval peasants were giving their cows and pigs ale? Or do they think that non-human animals are so hardy that they aren't at risk of waterborne illness? Or maybe that people just didn't care if their animals died, like every sheep isn't wealth, or at least a source of food and wool?
(I'm willing to bet that nobody has an answer to this question, but that if I ever ask them, should it come up in the wild, they'll be annoyed at me!)
Links List: Total Mixed Bag!
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:12 pmmuccamukkMisc PSA from various BlueSky users: If you see the research study conducted by Ayagdos, don't participate in it. It's run by transphobes.
More details in the thread.
Fandom Stuff!
fiachairecht's annual Dark Femslash Comment fest!
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
halfamoon is currently running with daily prompts for fanworks about female characters. (I'm not even trying to participate this year, but I love that it's still going.)
dreamersdare: Stuff I Love: Top Ten Edition (February Challenge)
Fandom Stuff: The Hockey Gays Edition
![[youtube.com profile]](https://youtube.com/favicon.ico)
CBCArts: Heated Rivalry's Harrison Browne is fighting the good fight for trans hockey players | Here & Queer (Video: 11 minutes).
There is zero mention of HR in this video, but Browne's current project sounds cool!
Province of Canada: Sign Up for Fleece Updates
I guess fans lost the push to make that fleece official merch for the Canadian Olympic team in like two weeks, but you will be able to buy it at some point.
Out Sports: Empty Netters host privately called Heated Rivalry ‘trash,’ show creators ‘losers’ and ‘cowards’
Ah, there's the hockey culture I know.
ETA: The guys have apologised, and there are misrepresentations in the article I linked (because the reporter is shitty). However, I think the underlying homophobia stands.
Canadian Politics
House of Commons: Petition e-7005 (Health)
(Open to all citizens and residents of Canada. Don't forget you need to confirm your signature via email.)
CBC: Unreserved with Rosanna Deerchild — Greenlandic Inuit and their fight for independence (Podcast: 49 minutes, no transcript.)
Parody Site: Sponsor a Separatist!
(Possibly mean spirited, but I got a laugh out of it.)
The Tyee: As Supports Dwindle, Violence Against Sex Workers Is Up
U.S. Politics ( Cut for those who need the break )
More details in the thread.
Fandom Stuff!
fiachairecht's annual Dark Femslash Comment fest!halfamoon is currently running with daily prompts for fanworks about female characters. (I'm not even trying to participate this year, but I love that it's still going.)dreamersdare: Stuff I Love: Top Ten Edition (February Challenge)Each week in February, you are challenged to write a themed top ten list, with a focus on different aspects of media.
Fandom Stuff: The Hockey Gays Edition
There is zero mention of HR in this video, but Browne's current project sounds cool!
Province of Canada: Sign Up for Fleece Updates
I guess fans lost the push to make that fleece official merch for the Canadian Olympic team in like two weeks, but you will be able to buy it at some point.
Out Sports: Empty Netters host privately called Heated Rivalry ‘trash,’ show creators ‘losers’ and ‘cowards’
Ah, there's the hockey culture I know.
ETA: The guys have apologised, and there are misrepresentations in the article I linked (because the reporter is shitty). However, I think the underlying homophobia stands.
Canadian Politics
House of Commons: Petition e-7005 (Health)
We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to ensure all eligible residents of Canada can access required healthcare, including gender affirming healthcare, as outlined in the Canada Health Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
(Open to all citizens and residents of Canada. Don't forget you need to confirm your signature via email.)
CBC: Unreserved with Rosanna Deerchild — Greenlandic Inuit and their fight for independence (Podcast: 49 minutes, no transcript.)
Parody Site: Sponsor a Separatist!
(Possibly mean spirited, but I got a laugh out of it.)
The Tyee: As Supports Dwindle, Violence Against Sex Workers Is Up
Women are worried that conditions could lead to another serial killer operating in the Lower Mainland. A Tyee deep dive.
U.S. Politics ( Cut for those who need the break )
This is a prayer for Imbolc; this is a prayer for resistance
Feb. 1st, 2026 10:04 pmtwistedchickThis is a prayer for Imbolc.
This is a prayer for when roads flood.
This is a prayer for the lingering dark.
This is a prayer for resistance.
We spark the fires to beg the light to return, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We fire up the forge to bend hard metal to our will, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We write the poem to express what’s inside, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
Brigid, the Goddess of poetry, invented keening for those times when no words were enough. Shall we now keen? Brigid, the Goddess of smith craft, invented forges for those times when small flames were not enough. What shall we now forge? Brigid, the Goddess of healing, invented beer for those times when water couldn’t cure the deep thirst. What shall we now toast? Brigid stands in the February rain, a warm flame in her hand, watching the roads flood. She will neither look away from the flood nor extinguish the flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
The shepherd goes out despite the rain. The shepherd is the resistance. Without the shepherd, the ewe will miscarry, die in the mud, bleed to death, deliver the lambkin still. The shepherd sees the rain, throws on her cloak, and cuts through the meadow. But she never really knows for sure if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. But she still wades towards the ewe. Brigid sees and holds her flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
It’s Imbolc! It’s pouring rain in the lingering dark. The roads have washed away. The ewes are miscarrying, the forge fires going out. The poets are throwing down their pens, the yeast has failed the hops. Who are you in these times? What’s Imbolc to you or you to Her? Resistance thrives in the lingering dark and flash floods bring forth new paths. Put on your cloak and wade through the mud. The Goddess Brigid is holding her flame. The Goddess watches and weighs.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
-- by Hecate Demeter.
This is a prayer for when roads flood.
This is a prayer for the lingering dark.
This is a prayer for resistance.
We spark the fires to beg the light to return, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We fire up the forge to bend hard metal to our will, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We write the poem to express what’s inside, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
Brigid, the Goddess of poetry, invented keening for those times when no words were enough. Shall we now keen? Brigid, the Goddess of smith craft, invented forges for those times when small flames were not enough. What shall we now forge? Brigid, the Goddess of healing, invented beer for those times when water couldn’t cure the deep thirst. What shall we now toast? Brigid stands in the February rain, a warm flame in her hand, watching the roads flood. She will neither look away from the flood nor extinguish the flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
The shepherd goes out despite the rain. The shepherd is the resistance. Without the shepherd, the ewe will miscarry, die in the mud, bleed to death, deliver the lambkin still. The shepherd sees the rain, throws on her cloak, and cuts through the meadow. But she never really knows for sure if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. But she still wades towards the ewe. Brigid sees and holds her flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
It’s Imbolc! It’s pouring rain in the lingering dark. The roads have washed away. The ewes are miscarrying, the forge fires going out. The poets are throwing down their pens, the yeast has failed the hops. Who are you in these times? What’s Imbolc to you or you to Her? Resistance thrives in the lingering dark and flash floods bring forth new paths. Put on your cloak and wade through the mud. The Goddess Brigid is holding her flame. The Goddess watches and weighs.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
-- by Hecate Demeter.
Language Development
Feb. 1st, 2026 09:56 pmquestionable_content_feed
it felt weird writing Sam using swears
Voting for Rose & Bay 2026: Other Projects
Feb. 1st, 2026 08:11 pmcuriosity posting in crowdfundingVoting is now OPEN for the Other Projects category of the Rose and Bay Awards. These awards honor excellence in creative crowdfunding, and this category recognizes amazing projects that don't fit into any other area. Everyone is encouraged to vote. Please read the complete details below, and then make your vote in the following poll. For more information about these awards, visit the 2026 Rose & Bay Landing Page.
In the Other Projects category, the 2025 winner was "The Mending Circle" by Martin Nerurkarwon.
( Read more... )
In the Other Projects category, the 2025 winner was "The Mending Circle" by Martin Nerurkarwon.
( Read more... )
Poll #34169 Other Project
This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 1
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 1
Select your favorite Other Project of 2025.
View Answers
"May I Enter" by Josh Heath
1 (100.0%)
"The Far Roofs" by Jenna Katerin Moran
0 (0.0%)
"Take Us North" by Anima Interactive
0 (0.0%)
"Min-Maxed" by Clark, David, and Megan (Sellsword Arts), Jack (Jacques Ze Whipper), David (blumineck), Bensei (instructor_bensei), Tater the Bard
0 (0.0%)
Voting for 2026 Rose & Bay Awards: Webcomic
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:36 pmcuriosity posting in crowdfundingVoting is now OPEN for the Webcomic category of the Rose and Bay Awards. These awards honor excellence in creative crowdfunding, and this category recognizes outstanding webcomics. Everyone is encouraged to vote. Please read the complete details below, and then make your vote in the following poll. For more information about these awards, visit the 2026 Rose & Bay Landing Page.
In the Webcomic category, the 2025 winner was "Bronwyn: Short Story Collection" by Isaac George.
( Read more... )
In the Webcomic category, the 2025 winner was "Bronwyn: Short Story Collection" by Isaac George.
( Read more... )
Poll #34168 Webcomic
This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 1
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 1
Choose your favorite Webcomic project.
View Answers
"Alien Romance" by gs_silva
0 (0.0%)
"Cat's Cafe" by Matt Tarpley
0 (0.0%)
"ADHD Alien" by ADHD Alien
1 (100.0%)
"Quantum Vibe" by Scott Bieser w/Zeke Bieser
0 (0.0%)
"False Knees" by Joshua Barkman
0 (0.0%)
Tarot Reading for Imbolc
Feb. 1st, 2026 05:10 pmmuccamukk(Layout from ![[instagram.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/profile_icons/instagram.png)
thewitchoftheforest right here.)
1. In what areas of my life do I need a fresh start?
Ten of Pentacles
2. How can I nurture myself at this time?
Five of Cups
3. What practical ways can I do this?
Eight of Wands (Reversed)
4. What seeds of intention should I plant?
Eight of Swords
5. What must I do to nurture those intentions?
The Priestess.
Like fucking fine, I guess! It's reasonable advice. Not in love with both the Five of Cups and the Eight of Swords in one reading, but that's not out of line with how things have been going, either. I like the Priestess.
thewitchoftheforest right here.)1. In what areas of my life do I need a fresh start?
Ten of Pentacles
2. How can I nurture myself at this time?
Five of Cups
3. What practical ways can I do this?
Eight of Wands (Reversed)
4. What seeds of intention should I plant?
Eight of Swords
5. What must I do to nurture those intentions?
The Priestess.
Like fucking fine, I guess! It's reasonable advice. Not in love with both the Five of Cups and the Eight of Swords in one reading, but that's not out of line with how things have been going, either. I like the Priestess.
Kill the Beast by Serra Swift
Feb. 1st, 2026 08:08 pmlightreadsKill the Beast
3/5. Standalone fantasy about a very angry young woman who gets hired to kill the dangerous beast that killed her brother.
This is just okay. Points for having the relationship that develops between protag and her employer be a friendship rather than a romance. Otherwise, this telegraphs its twists so hard that I spotted the one that drops around the 75% mark when I was only 15% in. Yikes. And it’s not just about wanting to be surprised, either – the emotional arc of this book probably only works decently well if you don’t see everything coming. Because the protag doesn’t, and she does need a few hard kicks to get her head on straight. But when you do see everything coming, it all just takes too long to play out.
Content notes: A lot of violence, references to parental death and abandonment, alcoholism.
3/5. Standalone fantasy about a very angry young woman who gets hired to kill the dangerous beast that killed her brother.
This is just okay. Points for having the relationship that develops between protag and her employer be a friendship rather than a romance. Otherwise, this telegraphs its twists so hard that I spotted the one that drops around the 75% mark when I was only 15% in. Yikes. And it’s not just about wanting to be surprised, either – the emotional arc of this book probably only works decently well if you don’t see everything coming. Because the protag doesn’t, and she does need a few hard kicks to get her head on straight. But when you do see everything coming, it all just takes too long to play out.
Content notes: A lot of violence, references to parental death and abandonment, alcoholism.
3 Good Things
Feb. 1st, 2026 06:46 pmjjhunter1.) Yesterday we hosted an playreading brunch with a fun group of friends - may it be the first of many more! This time we did Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia".
I used to host regular playreading potluck dinner parties years and years ago when I lived in a co-op, and losing access to rooms of a size where 8+ people might cheerfully cram themselves on various chairs and couches and floor nooks with cushions was one of the griefs I carried with me from that co-op's breakup. I'm glad to be restarting now.
2.) Today I had the the mindblowing joy of seeing 'Noli Timere' ('be not afraid') at ArtsEmerson.
Calling it an aerial dance doesn't quite do it justice; you can see the local trailer here or read a great WBUR feature about it here. ("In a time defined by uncertainty and distance, this piece isn’t just about resisting the gravity that weighs on us, it’s about choosing to catch each other when we fall, to carry each other through the invisible webs that bind us.")
3.) We have had an entire week+ of snow on the ground, and a foot of it is still here!
This delights me for many reasons, not least that this means another year of the invading fire ants being killed before they can establish themselves. Every winter we get at least ten days in a row of freezing weather is a winter I heave a big sign of relief.
I used to host regular playreading potluck dinner parties years and years ago when I lived in a co-op, and losing access to rooms of a size where 8+ people might cheerfully cram themselves on various chairs and couches and floor nooks with cushions was one of the griefs I carried with me from that co-op's breakup. I'm glad to be restarting now.
2.) Today I had the the mindblowing joy of seeing 'Noli Timere' ('be not afraid') at ArtsEmerson.
Calling it an aerial dance doesn't quite do it justice; you can see the local trailer here or read a great WBUR feature about it here. ("In a time defined by uncertainty and distance, this piece isn’t just about resisting the gravity that weighs on us, it’s about choosing to catch each other when we fall, to carry each other through the invisible webs that bind us.")
3.) We have had an entire week+ of snow on the ground, and a foot of it is still here!
This delights me for many reasons, not least that this means another year of the invading fire ants being killed before they can establish themselves. Every winter we get at least ten days in a row of freezing weather is a winter I heave a big sign of relief.
Voting for 2026 Rose & Bay Awards: Poetry
Feb. 1st, 2026 06:28 pmfuzzyred posting in crowdfundingVoting is now open for the Poetry category of the Rose and Bay Awards. These awards honor excellence in cyberfunded creativity (aka crowdfunding), and this category recognizes exceptional poetry. Everyone is encouraged to vote. Please read the complete details below, and then make your vote in the following poll. For more information about these awards, visit the 2025 Rose & Bay Landing Page.
In the Poetry category, the 2025 winners were a TIE between The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters - A Sci-Fi Anthology by Thinking Ink Press and The Haiku Foundation by The Haiku Foundation.
( Read more... )
In the Poetry category, the 2025 winners were a TIE between The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters - A Sci-Fi Anthology by Thinking Ink Press and The Haiku Foundation by The Haiku Foundation.
( Read more... )