takethisforexample

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Has social media been a net positive or a net negative for our society? Why?

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Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

10 Queer Pirate Books for Talk Like a Pirate Day

Ahoy, mateys! Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we be celebratin’ with a heapin’ pile of queer piratey books we fished up outta Davy Jones’ locker. Aar, I be shuttin’ up now, so as not to be subjectin’ ye’ll to more of me aaaatrocious pirate talk. The contributors to this here list be: Nina Waters, Dei Walker, Terra P. Waters, theirprofoundbond, Rascal Hartley, Linnea Peterson, Neo Scarlett, and Sebastian Marie.

Current Mood: amused

ysabetwordsmith

Today we went to the Autumn Fest in Marshall. It was an evening event, and the day had cooled off considerably, so it was quite pleasant. We were lucky to miss the rain there -- it rained a bit at home and we drove through several showers. This event continues on Saturday and Sunday if you want to catch it, and it is well worth attending if you're in Illinois this weekend looking for something to do.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

dandylover1

Hello, Dear Readers. I have filled in several entries for this month, so please feel free to go back and read them if you'd like. They cover a variety of topics, from cooking, to technology, to opera, to a fun survey, though that one is from earlier today, so you have probably seen it already.

The weather has actually been extremely nice for this time of year. It's been in the eighties during the day several times this week, though at night, the temperatures can now drop as low as the fifties. Still, I'll take what I can get. I'm not one for winter and the cold, as my long-time readers know.

Yesterday, Joanie brought home some delicious food from a local Italian place. I love their Penne Vodka, but I wanted something different, so I chose their Vitello Marsala (veal marsala) and Vongole Oreganata (clams oreganata). I ate the first last night and loved it. The sauce was absolutely incredible. Even had the meat not been included, the mushrooms alone would have made it amazing! Next time, I will try it with chicken, just to see how the meats differ with this recipe. I love clams oreganata, but I am going to have that tomorrow for lunch. Since it's just an appetiser, I will probably need to pair it with something. I'm thinking of my Stouffer's Rigatoni with Chicken and Pesto. I haven't had that one yet, so it will be new to me. Just thinking of this is making me hungry!

I'm really upset over what is going on at the Opera subreddit. I honestly don't understand it. One of the moderators is trying to help me, but even he doesn't know what's going on, and his peers haven't responded to him. Basically, my posts and comments from the last two weeks have all been deleted, including ones that he manually restored! All are about opera and are fully on-topic. I did have a bit of a debate about the singular they (actually started by someone else over a completely innocent comment I made, in which, shock of all shocks, I used "he" instead of "they") and I will admit that it did go too far. There were no insults, threats, obscenities, etc. as i never debate like that. But it was off-topic. Yet no one messaged me to tell me to stop. I eventually did and moved on to other things. But that was awhile before this started. I fully accept my part in it and apologised to the moderator who is helping me. I can't think of anything else I could have written to deserve such treatment. I did write about how I am against dressing badly while at the opera, but we were discussing that exact topic, and again, I was respectful. I just have a very strong opinion about proper dress, which doesn't include jeans, sweats, t-shirts, shorts, flip flops, sneakers/trainers, etc. It's disrespectful to those wearing such things, to the rest of the audience, and to the performers. It's opera, not a rock concert! There. Now is that worthy of a mute or a ban?
Now this moron on Mastodon who constantly posts the same introduction over, and over, and over, and over again definitely should be banned! he is annoying, and TweeseCake will not respect my blocks, just as it doesn't respect my filters for words that I don't wish to see! Why, I don't know! TWBlue does, but sometimes, the program works and sometimes, it doesn't.

I wrote a lengthy letter to a scholar of Tito Schipa that someone in the Lecce subreddit recommended to me. Of course, I do realise that people have lives, but it has been over a week now, and he still hasn't responded. I did write in English, but this man is involved in an organisation which teaches English, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'll give it another week, and then, I'll write to the man who recommended him to me. Maybe, his friend just isn't reading things at that address, or he could be on holiday. I mostly figured out my first questions relating to how and what Schipa learned from Alceste Gerunda, but I still have a few more, and several about Gerunda himself.

Mom says that we'll be starting our family walks on Monday. We're supposed to go on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She, Joanie, I, and even Alli will all be going. Basically, it's to a park which has a fenced-in part where I can walk with my amd without worrying about bumping into things or people, since I doubt many will be there at that time. We'll see what happens. But it will be good exercise for everyone if we do go.

dandylover1

(Catchup - 19 September 2025)
Hello, Dear Readers. This is something I wrote on Mastodon and thought some of you might find interesting. Here is the original post.

https://someplace.social/@dandylover1/115212161382526083

( A Modern, Accessible DOS )

dandylover1

(Catchup - 19 September 2025)
Hello, Dear Readers. Today, we have a lovely opera review today, plus a bit of background. Unfortunately I am having a serious problem with the Opera subreddit. My posts and comments keep being deleted, even though they don't break any rules. I have been communicating with at least one moderator, but even he doesn't know what is going on, and his peers still haven't answered him. All of the other subreddits I'm in, are completely fine. Sadly, this is still true as of 19 September. What this means is that I can't post there until this is resolved, and I can't give you the links to the following posts. Regardless, here they are in their entirity.

( Read more... )

Below is the actual review.

( Rigoletto, 1954 )

scrubjayspeaks

He had seen the shape of disaster, looming like the storm clouds that no longer graced them even in what had once been the rainiest months. With little enough to offer any kind of revolution and no influence at all, he turned his mind to inventions that might serve in the coming years. If there would be no water in their collective future, he would find a way to make plants grow and mills turn using tears, one of their rare and painful abundances.

---

LL#1306

dandylover1

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly cloudy and warm.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 9/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.

I picked half a dozen groundcherries.

EDIT 9/19/25 -- I watered the irises.

EDIT 9/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

The sky has clouded over, air is cooling a little, and I heard thunder. I'm not sure it'll amount to anything, though.

EDIT 9/19/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today's theme is J-pop.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

I finished making the corncob broth. \o/ It tastes delicious -- delicate, slightly sweet, summery, sunny, with notes of corn and grass. This is sooo much better than regular vegetable broth! If you dislike vegetable broth, this is well worth a try. I now regret every corncob that I tossed straight onto the compost pile. Also I'm annoyed that I only discovered this at the end of the season.

I started with this recipe for inspiration. This time I used the 6 corncobs that I had, some dried onion chips, about 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns, and three large sprigs of flat-leaf parsley.

Anyhow, I filled a tray of large ice cubes because I want to try this in stir-fry sauce to add volume. I got three cartons that are about 1 1/2 cup each, plus a big one that is probably about 4 cups and suited for crockpot use. I expect it will work anywhere I would normally use regular vegetable broth, possibly also chicken broth.

Next time I make this, and there will be a next time, I will make it in a large crockpot as usual. I'll use a quartered onion, and I might throw in something else. I suspect that lemongrass would work great, and celery or celery leaves might. Broths are flexible; you can toss in whatever you have or like. With a large crockpot I can get a great deal of broth with minimal effort.

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

I made this tonight. It's a summer favorite, so I wanted to write up our version.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Today I made Three Sisters Succotash. I want to write up my version because it's a bit different than the Iroquois-inspired one that I started with.

Then it occurred to me that I had half a dozen fresh corncobs, so I am making corncob broth to see if that's any good.

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

An argument that large language models should be called goLLuMs.

There is so much potential for satire and mockery here. :D

Current Mood: amused

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 9/18/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 9/18/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 9/18/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 9/18/25 -- I watered the patio plants.

.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Folks have mentioned an interest in questions and conversations that make them think. So I've decided to offer more of those. This batch features hobbies.

Embroidery is a fibercraft hobby of making things from colored thread on fabric. If you feel frustrated by planned obsolescence, artificial intelligence, and other current issues then consider embroidery as a form of protest. Make something beautiful that will last.

On Dreamwidth, consider communities like

crafty,

cross_stitch,

everykindofcraft,

get_knitted,

justcreate,

sewing, and

sewing101.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Consider Hope-Scrolling

Today’s goal is to boost your mood, inspire positivity, and restore some bits of faith in humanity. Now is the time to acknowledge the importance of regularly searching for hope and applying the benefits. The hip new slogan for this process is known as hope-scrolling.

I aim to do this as a counterbalance to the often dark things I post regarding climate change, activism, etc. It's challenging because there aren't as many positive news sites as mixed or gloomy ones, and they don't update as often. Sometimes I can find good science news. I used to pull fun educational things or amusing animal videos from YouTube, but I don't really want to support a site that's mistreating its users. :/ Still, I'm always keeping my eye out for sources of upbeat news.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

U.N. Commission Finds That Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza: What Does It Mean?

On Sept. 16, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory (COI) published a report finding that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The Commission concluded that Israel has committed four of the five underlying acts of genocide listed in the 1948 Genocide Convention (killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, and imposing measures intended to prevent births), and that it has done so with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians as a group. The commission’s findings build on its earlier reports that considered crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Took them long enough. While this does not really change anything, it is a useful stick to beat people with when they claim that Israel's actions are okay and protesting them is wrong.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

The violent collisions that made Earth habitable

The violent final 1% of planetary formation may decide which worlds could host life.

Late-stage planetary collisions reshaped Earth and its neighboring planets, delivering water, altering their atmospheres, and influencing their tectonics. New findings suggest these violent impacts were central to both planetary diversity and the origins of habitability.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today we went into Mattoon.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

scrubjayspeaks

One sizzling day in late summer, she came down from the tree, red from head to foot. Sunburn accounted for her nose and shoulders, throbbing and coppery, while the mulberries could be blamed for the smear of deep purple-red that tinted lips and teeth. Her hands and feet were red with something more visceral, which perhaps went some way to explaining why she had been missing up a tree for all season and had come back looking so wild.

---

LL#1305

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 9/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 9/17/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 9/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.

EDIT 9/17/25 -- I did more work around the yard.

I watered the new picnic table, old picnic table, telephone pole garden, and a few savanna plants.

Cicadas and crickets are singing.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Good news includes all the things which make us happy or otherwise feel good. It can be personal or public. We never know when something wonderful will happen, and when it does, most people want to share it with someone. It's disappointing when nobody is there to appreciate it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our joys and pat each other on the back.

What good news have you had recently? Are you anticipating any more? Have you found a cute picture or a video that makes you smile? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your life a little happier?

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

QOTD: Walter Benjamin on the relationship between photoraphs and captions

Every field has certain works that everyone working the field is expected to be familiar with. In art history, one of those is Walter Benjamin's 1935 essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction."

This seems like a useful topic to discuss in today's context.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds. The honeybees had drained the small metal birdbath again.

EDIT 9/16/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 9/16/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 9/16/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 9/16/25 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.

EDIT 9/16/25 -- I watered the patio plants and the old picnic table.

EDIT 9/16/25 -- I watered the irises, telephone pole garden, and a few of the savanna seedlings.

EDIT 9/16/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and septic garden.

Cicadas and crickets are singing.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

We went shopping in Champaign today.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

scrubjayspeaks

We have heard a rumor that a new shop is going into the rotating storefront on Chicory Lane, and this time it is soup. We plan to use the remaining un-soup-suitable weather to speculate wildly about the possible offerings of the new business, while conversion of the space takes place. We encourage everyone to report sightings of workers, chefs, food deliveries, and any other hints at the nature of the future soup, which promises both tasty food and cooler weather to come.

---

LL#1304

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Six “Weak” Fantasy Powers That Are Incredibly Strong

These are powers that are considered minor, some interesting flavor at best, but actually provide a huge advantage. The only question is whether storytellers realize it.

It's not the amount of power in an ability, but rather your creativity in using it that matters.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Photos: Fairy Garden Lantern Deconstruction
Birdfeeding
Candy Jar Terrarium Part 2: Plants
Candy Jar Terrarium Part 1: Setup
Wildlife
Birdfeeding
Safety
Philosophical Questions: Rights
Poem: "The Most Precious Heritage"
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Low-Carb Meatloaf Recipes
Follow Friday 9-12-25: Iron Man
Sustainability
Recipe: "Edwards Family Meatloaf"
Poem: "But an Empty Shell"
Birdfeeding
Hobbies: Knitting
Today's Adventures
Music
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party

Let's Boycott Mississippi has 55 comments. Affordable Housing has 46 comments. Robotics has 68 comments. Food has 37 comments.

"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $200 to be complete. Shiv attends the first session of his Worldbuilding class.

The weather is sweltering again. :P Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a fox squirrel. Lots of butterflies are out, and honeybees are draining the small metal birdbath. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, firewheel, cypress vine, sunchokes, sedum. Tomatoes, ball carrots, cucumbers, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields have started being harvested.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Someone overheard that I'm working with terraria and gave me this fairy garden lantern so I could turn it into a terrarium. :D So today I deconstructed it and cleaned the container.

The lantern part has an open top with a hanging loop and a solid base. It has a hexagonal shape with a narrow top, widest part below the middle, and slightly narrower base. The panes appear to be rigid plastic. The frame seems to be metal. There's a bit of heft to the base, even when empty.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

scrubjayspeaks

Welcome to the September edition of Pandemic Garden Club! Growing good things in strange times!

Anyone is welcome to comment with what they're growing right now, things they would like to try, problems they're encountering, and questions they have. Share resources, answer questions, shout encouragement.

As for myself...

( Read more... )

dandylover1

Hello, Dear Readers. Today, I have a technology entry for you. Let me begin with a bit of background. Most of you already know this, but for our current discussion, it's worth repeating. I am totally blind and always have been, which means that, when I use a computer, I always use a screen reader. I am also, first and foremost, a Windows and DOS user. My favourite versions of Windows are XP and 7, though I also grudgingly, and with annoyance, use 11. In all, I've been using computers for over twenty-five years, about thirty if I include the first family computer, before I got my own. In the last few years, I have tried several versions of Linux, but the only ones with which I've had any real degree of success have been Sonar and Vinux (the latter I just reinstalled today as a test). Debian also worked, but it was so complicated that it gave me a headache. Mostly, it was due to the problems mentioned in the Accessible Coconut section, so it was a Linux problem, not a Debian one, though the system itself is still more complicated than I would like as a new user. When a DOS lover says she hates the Linux commandline, there's a problem! But Linux has far more issues than just that. This, in fact, is hthe post that started me on my latest adventure. It was written as a reply to someone elses' post.

This is the original link. I'm not sure how to link to just my thread, but if you search for dandylover1, you'll find it.

https://mastodon.social/@nixCraft/115195021196963096

"*sigh* I wish people would stop recommending Linux as the be all end all. It's not, especially for those of us who use screen readers. We have to learn an entirely new operating system with various interfaces (choosing a desktop is part of it)a, plus a new screen reader, plus new programs and ways of installing and updating them, and that's assuming that the distribution even has Orca enabled or that it can easily be enabled at startup without sighted assistance. Even for the sighted, many can't just install it and go, as they probably have new things to learn as well. Yes, it's a good option, but it's not the only one, and it isn't as if Windows 10 will suddenly stop working or a hacker will wipe these computers overnight. XP and 7 both still work and both have modern browsers (Supermium and Serpent UXP) to use with them, so 10 most certainly does as well."

During that conversation, someone recommended yet another version of Linux called Elementary Os. Unlike many, this is supposed to be easy to use and fully accessible. The creators are certainly kind enough, and they genuinely do seem to care about their users and immediately respond to problems. That much I will say. But sadly, I cannot recommend this system for someone new to Linux, as I will explain below. If you know what you're doing (I don't), it may be worth investigating and giving feedback from an expert's perspective. For the record, I am using a Toughpad FZ-M1 MK3 which has a Core i5-7Y57 processor and 8gb of ram. This is perfect for Windows 11 plus DOS, XP or 7, but Elementary OS requires at least 4gb of ram, more than any other version of Linux that I have used.

( Review of Elementary OS )

While testing and Reviewing Elementary OS, I decided to do the same with another Linux distribution, namely Accessible Coconut. This is actually designed for the blind, and as you will see, my experience with it couldn't be any more different. Yet even it has its problems, and mostly, they are related to Linux itself, not to this particular version.

( Review of Accessible Coconut )

ysabetwordsmith

Scientists invent 'glue gun' filled with 3D-printed materials that heal broken bones 'in minutes'

Tested on rabbits, the device was able to quickly create complex bone implants using 3D printing technology, without prefabricating a metal or donor-bone graft in advance.

Placed directly on the area of impact, the 3D-printed grafts offer flexibility while also releasing anti-inflammatory antibiotics and promoting natural bone regrowth at the site, according to the research, published in the journal “Device.”

This really is closer to handheld 3D printing than a true bone glue. The former is useful when large parts of bone are missing. The latter is what you want for attaching the ends of a bone broken in half or to piece together many fragments. And while replacing lost sections or puzzling pieces together are invasive processes, just sealing one break doesn't have to be.

Of course, that's if hospitals can be arsed to provide this type of care. They probably won't.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and sweltering. It is 90°F in mid-September. Fuck climate change. >_<

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds. The metal birdbath was empty again.

EDIT 9/14/25 -- I set up 9 crabapple seeds in a baggie of damp sand to cold-stratify in the refrigerator.

EDIT 9/14/25 -- I disassembled the fairy garden so I can use its lantern container as a terrarium.

EDIT 9/14/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 9/14/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

9/'14/25 -- I watered the irises, old picnic table, new picnic table, septic garden, telephone pole garden, and a few seedlings in the savanna. *goflopnow*

Cicadas and crickets are singing. I've seen a lot of butterflies today -- cabbage, painted ladies, and monarchs. :D

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

scrubjayspeaks

At the end of last week, we got informed that there was a major project that needed to be ready for a customer visit this coming Monday. It meant a massive project of rearranging storage and creating a new showcase production area. This was on top of the existing hard deadline for another project to be ready for outside contractors to come in and do their part.

So I spent the week moving heavy equipment, collaborating on design choices that should have been made months ago when the project was picked up, moving more heavy equipment, fixing shit that got damaged and disrupted due to the lack of planning, and moving the heavy equipment again because the original layout plan was silly and needed to be redone.

Oh, and then Saturday I helped with tear down after a wedding in E’s family as a favor.

When I said that the middle of September would hit me like a ton of bricks, I only knew about half of that shit. So yeah. Consider me hammered into the ground.

Today is one year since my dad died. Too tired to process emotions about that.

Lewisia: 3 new pieces written

Day job: 44.25 hours, many overtime, so heavy lifting, wow

Cleaning: finally found what was wrong with the electric fence and fixed it

Reading: What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher (man, I love the Sworn Soldier series, very upsetting, thank you)

Listening: Parts of Speech by Dessa (I really like Dessa’s music, though it somehow took me ages to realize that “Sound the Bells” is hers, which I have long loved because of

chaila ’s masterpiece Pacific Rim vid)

Clock Mouse: 1198 words--a slow week, but I am impressed I got any words at all with the everything

ysabetwordsmith

This post covers planting the candy jar terrarium. Begin with Part 1: Setup.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Today I assembled the large candy jar terrarium. Continue with Part 2: Plants.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

No one knows what these strange larvae grow into

Constructing the tree of life for parasitic barnacles and their relatives.
Not all barnacles just sit on rocks and ships. Some invade crabs, growing like a parasitic root system that hijacks their bodies. A mysterious group called y-larvae has baffled scientists for over a century, with no known adult stage. Genetic evidence now reveals they’re related to barnacles and may also be parasites — lurking unseen inside other creatures.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds. The honeybees had drained the metal birdbath again.

9/13/25 -- I assembled the large terrarium with a polka dot plant and a fern.

9/13/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

9/13/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

9/13/25 -- I watered the patio plants.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

I’m exhausted but am surviving. How can I heal from burnout without expensive time off?

You can't. Burnout comes from exceeding your capacity over the long term, doing more than your body and mind can handle sustainably. It can permanently injure you. It can kill you. As long as you continue overworking yourself, burnout will get worse. Before you can heal a knife wound, you must first remove the knife.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

What is the most important right our government allows for?

Liberty. With that, you can get most of the others; without it, you're screwed.

Life is also important, but America has ample evidence of people valuing freedom over mere survival.

Though I should point out that the government is terrible at supporting rights. Most things have devolved in to paid privileges or prizes for winning the crotch lottery.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the content notes for "The Most Precious Heritage."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are the location notes for "The Most Precious Heritage."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the character and location notes for "The Most Precious Heritage."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the August 5, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from

librarygeek,

chanter1944, and

see_also_friend. It also fills the Deep Waters square in my 8-1-25 card for the Crime Classics Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Warning: This poem is mostly fluff about a language nest, but it contains a few intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes refugees, a grandmother raising two grandchildren as the last survivors of their extended family, impact of war on childhood development, family adoption due to child marriage and a deadbeat father, children playacting graphic scenes of war and death, reference to parental death in a car crash, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today we went up to Amish territory.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: happy

ysabetwordsmith

I got to talking about low-carb meatloaf ideas with a friend. There are plenty of options. I'll sort out some ingredient lists and include some recipes. If I were starting from scratch, though, I'd probably go with meat, onions, and mushrooms at 1:1:1 because that is delicious, moist, meaty in texture, low in carbs, and lower in calories than pure meat. Sage, juniper, and sea salt is a traditional seasoning but you can use others. Then just think what binder to add, probably egg.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

scrubjayspeaks

She hunted in stillness most of all, the long wait in her webbed funnel taking up far more of her time and attention than the final lunge for some small insect morsel whose footsteps danced and chimed along the silk strings of her home and trap. But that day, the plink-plink against the web was water droplets, sent by the rain god who watched over her hunting ground of aloes and aeoniums, who called out an “Oops, sorry,” and directed the hose spray a little to the left. She did not pray to this or any other god, but she sometimes wove messages into her web when it needed rebuilding, on the off chance that gods were interesting or tasty or useful when they weren’t bringing unexpected rain.

---

LL#1303

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and hot. It's 89°F in mid-September. :P

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I saw a fox squirrel running through the trees along the east edge of the yard.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 9/12/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 9/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 9/12/25 -- I watered the new picnic table, telephone pole garden, and a few of the savanna seedlings.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

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October 2022

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