Yippee!
May. 23rd, 2026 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetThis evening, I was finally walked through (most of) the process of registering a new sit-supported mood theme in Dreamwidth proper.
Which is to say: Cloudy Daze mood theme, coming in the next code push!
Which is to say: Cloudy Daze mood theme, coming in the next code push!
Affordable Housing
May. 23rd, 2026 08:41 pmysabetwordsmithA friend tipped me to this:
THE PLOTLAND HOUSES OF BRITAIN: HOW A 20TH CENTURY WORKING-CLASS HOUSING MOVEMENT WAS STIFLED
His piece of land cost him £10 in 1934. It is 40 ft wide by 100 ft deep. First, he put up a tent which his family used at weekends, and he gradually accumulated tools, timber and glass which he brought to the site strapped to his back as he cycled down from London. – Dennis Hardy & Colin Ward, Arcadia for All, 1984, p. 200
In the first half of the twentieth century, and particularly in the inter-war period, up to the 1947 Planning Act, the appearance throughout Britain of thousands of self-built shacks, chalets, recycled buses and railway carriages was considered by the powers-that-be as a terrible eyesore. Middle-class planners like Clough Williams-Ellis, architect of Portmeirion, the set of The Prisoner, considered them a ‘blot on the landscape’ that needed to be eradicated. But from another viewpoint, 80 years on, they look like the beginning of a postmodern urban vernacular. They were a new working-class architecture in the process of being evolved, that was brought to a halt through ignorance and class prejudice.
( Read more... )
THE PLOTLAND HOUSES OF BRITAIN: HOW A 20TH CENTURY WORKING-CLASS HOUSING MOVEMENT WAS STIFLED
His piece of land cost him £10 in 1934. It is 40 ft wide by 100 ft deep. First, he put up a tent which his family used at weekends, and he gradually accumulated tools, timber and glass which he brought to the site strapped to his back as he cycled down from London. – Dennis Hardy & Colin Ward, Arcadia for All, 1984, p. 200
In the first half of the twentieth century, and particularly in the inter-war period, up to the 1947 Planning Act, the appearance throughout Britain of thousands of self-built shacks, chalets, recycled buses and railway carriages was considered by the powers-that-be as a terrible eyesore. Middle-class planners like Clough Williams-Ellis, architect of Portmeirion, the set of The Prisoner, considered them a ‘blot on the landscape’ that needed to be eradicated. But from another viewpoint, 80 years on, they look like the beginning of a postmodern urban vernacular. They were a new working-class architecture in the process of being evolved, that was brought to a halt through ignorance and class prejudice.
( Read more... )
fic: words i cannot say (shane/ilya)
May. 23rd, 2026 05:57 pmsvgurlThis is what I wrote for the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
unsent_letters_exchange. :)
Title: words i cannot say
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Pairing/Characters: Shane/Ilya
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3122
Summary: Irina loved to write letters. Ilya followed in her footsteps. It was easier, after all, to write than telling Shane Hollander how he felt.
unsent_letters_exchange. :)Title: words i cannot say
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Pairing/Characters: Shane/Ilya
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 3122
Summary: Irina loved to write letters. Ilya followed in her footsteps. It was easier, after all, to write than telling Shane Hollander how he felt.
tea review: 2015 guan yang gong mei "wild white"
May. 23rd, 2026 04:26 pmspiraliciousTea Month 2026: Tea 13
Tea Review
Name: 2015 Guan Yang Gong Mei "Wild White" Tea
Brand: unsure, vendor: Yunnan Sourcing
Type: white
Loose leaf
Notes:
This tea is one of the two that I had at both the tea tasting in March and the one earlier this month. It is another tea imported from China. "White Wild" usually means that the tea comes from older trees. This is an aged tea. The 2015 in the name is when the tea was originally harvested. It is also minimally processed. At the first tasting, we tried six different infusions of the tea, and at the second tasting we did two. At both tastings, I noted the color changing from a golden yellow at the first infusion and getting a deeper, more amber, like a light black tea color with further infusions. I also noted at both tastings the strong smell of the leaves and how the flavor of the tea is sort of thick and fills your mouth, kinda of like thinned down honey. It was also the second tea at both tastings. Here is where things differ. At the tasting in March, I describe the flavor as starting off like a mellow, light black tea, getting more of a bite as the infusions when on, with the sixth infusion being described as having a "nutty" flavor. At the more recent tea tasting, I described the taste of the first infusion as "almost like a light black tea with a lingering not quite honey after taste" and the second infusion as more "grassy/dry hay." Did they taste different because we had different teas before them on the different days or was it that on the second tasting day, Tea Guy did shorter infusions/brewings, or both? I do not know.
Rate
Appearance: 8
Aroma: 9
Flavor: 7
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars
Tea Review
Name: 2015 Guan Yang Gong Mei "Wild White" Tea
Brand: unsure, vendor: Yunnan Sourcing
Type: white
Loose leaf
Notes:
This tea is one of the two that I had at both the tea tasting in March and the one earlier this month. It is another tea imported from China. "White Wild" usually means that the tea comes from older trees. This is an aged tea. The 2015 in the name is when the tea was originally harvested. It is also minimally processed. At the first tasting, we tried six different infusions of the tea, and at the second tasting we did two. At both tastings, I noted the color changing from a golden yellow at the first infusion and getting a deeper, more amber, like a light black tea color with further infusions. I also noted at both tastings the strong smell of the leaves and how the flavor of the tea is sort of thick and fills your mouth, kinda of like thinned down honey. It was also the second tea at both tastings. Here is where things differ. At the tasting in March, I describe the flavor as starting off like a mellow, light black tea, getting more of a bite as the infusions when on, with the sixth infusion being described as having a "nutty" flavor. At the more recent tea tasting, I described the taste of the first infusion as "almost like a light black tea with a lingering not quite honey after taste" and the second infusion as more "grassy/dry hay." Did they taste different because we had different teas before them on the different days or was it that on the second tasting day, Tea Guy did shorter infusions/brewings, or both? I do not know.
Rate
Appearance: 8
Aroma: 9
Flavor: 7
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars
Currently at the bakery...
May. 23rd, 2026 12:59 pmsoc_puppetThanks to everyone who expressed support on my previous post 💖 Apparently replying individually is a major mental roadblock for me right now, so I'm skipping that for the moment for the sake of actually updating for goodness' sake.
I'm still feeling emotionally better at work, and am trying to nail down what sort of accommodations I need. I worked on Sunday and Wednesday, and on Sunday I did my best to take mental note of when I started getting tired versus when I started to physically ache and so forth. On Wednesday I compared notes; I opened the day thinking to myself, "Surely my initial assessment was incorrect? I can't have been starting to flag at only four hours in and counting down the hours until I left while thinking longingly of more painkillers at six hours..." And then I hit five hours of work, and yep, that assessment held up.
That said, my mattress is also not holding up very well, which can't be helping my back recover during sleep. I don't want to rush out and get a new mattress, though, because what if that's not actually a significant part of the problem? I did work enough hours over the lead up to Mother's Day that I can afford one, but my current mattress is supposedly supposed to be viable for another four years, and it wasn't cheap. Ideally, I'd like to try out a different mattress for a night or two, but all of the spare bedrooms in my house are... kinda being used for storage 🤦♀️ One is covered in Legos and books, one in toys that my niblings play with when they visit, and one is covered in probably mostly books but honestly has been buried for over two decades at this point. IDK, I'll have to give it some more thought.
I'm still feeling emotionally better at work, and am trying to nail down what sort of accommodations I need. I worked on Sunday and Wednesday, and on Sunday I did my best to take mental note of when I started getting tired versus when I started to physically ache and so forth. On Wednesday I compared notes; I opened the day thinking to myself, "Surely my initial assessment was incorrect? I can't have been starting to flag at only four hours in and counting down the hours until I left while thinking longingly of more painkillers at six hours..." And then I hit five hours of work, and yep, that assessment held up.
That said, my mattress is also not holding up very well, which can't be helping my back recover during sleep. I don't want to rush out and get a new mattress, though, because what if that's not actually a significant part of the problem? I did work enough hours over the lead up to Mother's Day that I can afford one, but my current mattress is supposedly supposed to be viable for another four years, and it wasn't cheap. Ideally, I'd like to try out a different mattress for a night or two, but all of the spare bedrooms in my house are... kinda being used for storage 🤦♀️ One is covered in Legos and books, one in toys that my niblings play with when they visit, and one is covered in probably mostly books but honestly has been buried for over two decades at this point. IDK, I'll have to give it some more thought.
Birdfeeding
May. 23rd, 2026 12:01 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly cloudy and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I've seen a hummingbird flying around the forest garden. :D
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I potted up the fruit tree seedlings from the 12-flat in the house. Out of 24 sprouted seeds, 5 seedlings survived to repotting stage: 3 Pink apple (2 of those in the same cell), 1 Ginger Gold apple, and 1 Yellow Pear. All were near the center of the flat, right under the light. This suggests that the light is not strong enough to support seedlings at the edges. However, these were in the cells for about 2 1/2 months. If I'd been able to transplant them sooner, I would've gotten more. On the other hoof, the survivors are likely hardier in the face of poor conditions. As an r-strategy gardener, this has value to me. We'll see if any of these survive to get planted in the ground.
Fruit seeds are free. Potting supplies are cheap. I don't mind planting dozens of seeds if I eventually get some fruit trees from them. Because cheap fruit trees hardly worth buying are typically $25+ and the more interesting cultivars are $50-$100. Occasionally I find a better deal, but most fruit trees are now ruinously expensive. Fuck that noise. I'll just keep experimenting with different propagation methods.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I potted up the fruit tree seedlings from the water jug greenhouses. I had 4 jugs, each with 9 sprouted seeds sown in them: yellow pear, Pink apple, Ginger Gold apple, Ambrosia apple. Of these, only 2 survived to be placed in deeper pots: a yellow pear and a Pink apple. However, these are larger and more robust seedlings than the ones from the small cells. So I think this is worth repeating; the overall success rate is quite low, but the resultant seedlings are very promising.
I've seen a male cardinal at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I planted things from jugs into the prairie garden. Little bluestem, northern sea oats, and side-oats gramma each had a few seedlings; switchgrass didn't sprout at all. I thought these would form dense rootballs like they have in smaller pots, but they did not; they were barely sprouts. I'm not sure any of them will survive. It seems that native grasses do not enjoy this method. I did get three milkweed sprouts. They didn't form a dense rootball either, but at least they were a little more vigorous.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I watered the newly planted things.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I've seen a hummingbird flying around the forest garden. :D
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I potted up the fruit tree seedlings from the 12-flat in the house. Out of 24 sprouted seeds, 5 seedlings survived to repotting stage: 3 Pink apple (2 of those in the same cell), 1 Ginger Gold apple, and 1 Yellow Pear. All were near the center of the flat, right under the light. This suggests that the light is not strong enough to support seedlings at the edges. However, these were in the cells for about 2 1/2 months. If I'd been able to transplant them sooner, I would've gotten more. On the other hoof, the survivors are likely hardier in the face of poor conditions. As an r-strategy gardener, this has value to me. We'll see if any of these survive to get planted in the ground.
Fruit seeds are free. Potting supplies are cheap. I don't mind planting dozens of seeds if I eventually get some fruit trees from them. Because cheap fruit trees hardly worth buying are typically $25+ and the more interesting cultivars are $50-$100. Occasionally I find a better deal, but most fruit trees are now ruinously expensive. Fuck that noise. I'll just keep experimenting with different propagation methods.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I potted up the fruit tree seedlings from the water jug greenhouses. I had 4 jugs, each with 9 sprouted seeds sown in them: yellow pear, Pink apple, Ginger Gold apple, Ambrosia apple. Of these, only 2 survived to be placed in deeper pots: a yellow pear and a Pink apple. However, these are larger and more robust seedlings than the ones from the small cells. So I think this is worth repeating; the overall success rate is quite low, but the resultant seedlings are very promising.
I've seen a male cardinal at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I planted things from jugs into the prairie garden. Little bluestem, northern sea oats, and side-oats gramma each had a few seedlings; switchgrass didn't sprout at all. I thought these would form dense rootballs like they have in smaller pots, but they did not; they were barely sprouts. I'm not sure any of them will survive. It seems that native grasses do not enjoy this method. I did get three milkweed sprouts. They didn't form a dense rootball either, but at least they were a little more vigorous.
EDIT 5/23/26 -- I watered the newly planted things.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Poetry Fishbowl Update
May. 23rd, 2026 11:21 amysabetwordsmithIf you're still shopping the half-price sale in Polychrome Heroics, now is the time to make your selections.
fuzzyred has sponsored "A Proper Community Is a Commonwealth," "Your Emotional Abilities," and "Aim a Little Above It" plus put $55 towards "Let's Go on This Journey Together" so that now needs $251 to be complete.
fuzzyred has sponsored "A Proper Community Is a Commonwealth," "Your Emotional Abilities," and "Aim a Little Above It" plus put $55 towards "Let's Go on This Journey Together" so that now needs $251 to be complete.Philosophical Questions: Honor
May. 23rd, 2026 12:05 amysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
What does honor mean to you? How important is it to you? Does your culture value honor? What exemplifies honor in your culture?
"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.... The friction tends to arise when the two are not the same....There is no more hollow feeling than to stand with your honor shattered at your feet while soaring public reputation wraps you in rewards. That's soul destroying. The other way around is merely very, very irritating."
-- Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign
"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And
outlive the bastards."
― Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign
What does honor mean to you? How important is it to you? Does your culture value honor? What exemplifies honor in your culture?
"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.... The friction tends to arise when the two are not the same....There is no more hollow feeling than to stand with your honor shattered at your feet while soaring public reputation wraps you in rewards. That's soul destroying. The other way around is merely very, very irritating."
-- Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign
"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And
outlive the bastards."
― Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign
"plants will find a way" (rich)
May. 22nd, 2026 11:08 pmstarandrea♥ Okay I got two more alt brick trees, a maple and a pine, with a cherry tree on the way. Every scene needs more trees. And birds. (At least Lumibricks agrees with me about water; I appreciate that so much of their stuff includes a water feature.) I will have more nature in my plastic toy bricks.
♥ It seems I have an Easter cactus. One of my neighbors was getting rid of an unidentified succulent last year and offered it to me (somewhat apologetically, she thought it looked terrible) so I poured a bunch of water over it and left it on the back porch for a few months until winter came, then I brought it in and put it under a light. This week it started to bloom.
♥ The gardens are starting to look like something and I spent almost two hours watering today, so I definitely do not need any more plants, which is why we're only going to one plant sale this weekend. I think last year's intensive watering effort is paying off: some of the things that hadn't grown in years are bigger, and some of the things I thought were goners are cheerfully waving their hopeful little leaves in the air.
♥ Since January, I've been taking some herbal stuff for focus and cognitive function, and I feel like it's significantly improved my ability to remember, focus on, and complete tasks. A few days ago I found some detailed to-do lists from last summer that made me realize my executive function has improved much more than I realized. It was surprising to find such solid evidence of change.
♥ evildea has shared his first 50-hour update from the lingopie challenge. He started about two weeks ahead of me and he remains about two weeks ahead of me. This is very motivating to me, since I feel like we're starting with similar Chinese levels. So it's like that t-shirt one of my basketball-loving classmates used to wear in middle school:
"Somewhere someone is practicing while I'm stuck in school. One day I will meet him in head to head competition, and he will beat me."
Jia you.
♥ It seems I have an Easter cactus. One of my neighbors was getting rid of an unidentified succulent last year and offered it to me (somewhat apologetically, she thought it looked terrible) so I poured a bunch of water over it and left it on the back porch for a few months until winter came, then I brought it in and put it under a light. This week it started to bloom.
♥ The gardens are starting to look like something and I spent almost two hours watering today, so I definitely do not need any more plants, which is why we're only going to one plant sale this weekend. I think last year's intensive watering effort is paying off: some of the things that hadn't grown in years are bigger, and some of the things I thought were goners are cheerfully waving their hopeful little leaves in the air.
♥ Since January, I've been taking some herbal stuff for focus and cognitive function, and I feel like it's significantly improved my ability to remember, focus on, and complete tasks. A few days ago I found some detailed to-do lists from last summer that made me realize my executive function has improved much more than I realized. It was surprising to find such solid evidence of change.
♥ evildea has shared his first 50-hour update from the lingopie challenge. He started about two weeks ahead of me and he remains about two weeks ahead of me. This is very motivating to me, since I feel like we're starting with similar Chinese levels. So it's like that t-shirt one of my basketball-loving classmates used to wear in middle school:
"Somewhere someone is practicing while I'm stuck in school. One day I will meet him in head to head competition, and he will beat me."
Jia you.
why not? meme
May. 22nd, 2026 10:38 pmalthea_valarastolen from senmut:
* Final Fantasy I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII (including Remake, Rebirth, Crisis Core, Advent Children), VIII, IX, X, a bit of X-2, XI, XII, XIII, XIII-2, XIV, XV, XVI
* Kingdom Hearts - whole series except for mobile games and that rhythm game they put out
* Star Trek: TNG, DS9, VOY... though it's been forever since I've seen them.
* Star Wars: episodes I through IX, and Rogue One, but I've only seen Rogue One once and)
* Battlestar Galatica, the rebooted series
* Doctor Who (2005 onwards to Peter Capaldi's reign, then I bounced off of it)
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Angel
* FarScape (though it's been a long time)
* Highlander: the Series
* Artemis Fowl
* Lord of the Rings
* Madeleine L'Engle's books, especially A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels, but also the Arm of the Starfish and A Ring of Endless Light
* Fray (comic series, based on Buffy)
* Fullmetal Alchemist
* Read or Die, both mangas and both the anime ROD:The TV and the OAV
* Fruits Basket
Do NOT ask about Harry Potter, I am no longer a fan and want nothing to do with the series.
There's probably more fandoms I'm forgetting, but those are the main ones.
senmut:Comment with the name of a woman character (in any show, movie, book, comic, etc that you think I'm familiar with) and I'll tell you one thing I love about her. In return, you can do the same in your journal (if you like!).
some fandoms for you to choose from
video games
* Final Fantasy I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII (including Remake, Rebirth, Crisis Core, Advent Children), VIII, IX, X, a bit of X-2, XI, XII, XIII, XIII-2, XIV, XV, XVI
* Kingdom Hearts - whole series except for mobile games and that rhythm game they put out
TV series & Movies
* Star Trek: TNG, DS9, VOY... though it's been forever since I've seen them.
* Star Wars: episodes I through IX, and Rogue One, but I've only seen Rogue One once and)
* Battlestar Galatica, the rebooted series
* Doctor Who (2005 onwards to Peter Capaldi's reign, then I bounced off of it)
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer
* Angel
* FarScape (though it's been a long time)
* Highlander: the Series
Books & Comics
* Artemis Fowl
* Lord of the Rings
* Madeleine L'Engle's books, especially A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels, but also the Arm of the Starfish and A Ring of Endless Light
* Fray (comic series, based on Buffy)
* Fullmetal Alchemist
* Read or Die, both mangas and both the anime ROD:The TV and the OAV
* Fruits Basket
Do NOT ask about Harry Potter, I am no longer a fan and want nothing to do with the series.
There's probably more fandoms I'm forgetting, but those are the main ones.
Gardening
May. 22nd, 2026 10:16 pmysabetwordsmith'Roly-poly' Bugs Are Great Garden Composters
A detritivorous diet increases the speed of decomposition in dead plants, animals or poop, increasing the bioavailability of nutrients in the soil. This gives plants a higher chance of survival by providing better quality soil. It's not just what roly-poly bugs add to the soil, but what they take out too.
Turns out these guys love heavy metals. After studying the composition of their insides, scientists found that roly-poly bugs ingest a lot of heavy metal contamination from our soil. That's why they can live and thrive in areas contaminated with toxins like lead, cadmium and arsenic. Once they've ingested these toxins, they become crystallized within their guts, meaning a construction site contaminated with heavy metals could effectively be cleaned by a bunch of hungry roly-poly bugs.
Here at Fieldhaven, we have lots of pillbugs. I saw some crawling around the new picnic table garden the other day, attracted by the soil in the pots. Aside from performing useful tasks themselves, they also tend to carry other soil organisms along with them, which boosts the bioactivity and health of the soil. You can attract them by putting a handful of damp, dead leaves under a weight such as a brick or a pot.
A detritivorous diet increases the speed of decomposition in dead plants, animals or poop, increasing the bioavailability of nutrients in the soil. This gives plants a higher chance of survival by providing better quality soil. It's not just what roly-poly bugs add to the soil, but what they take out too.
Turns out these guys love heavy metals. After studying the composition of their insides, scientists found that roly-poly bugs ingest a lot of heavy metal contamination from our soil. That's why they can live and thrive in areas contaminated with toxins like lead, cadmium and arsenic. Once they've ingested these toxins, they become crystallized within their guts, meaning a construction site contaminated with heavy metals could effectively be cleaned by a bunch of hungry roly-poly bugs.
Here at Fieldhaven, we have lots of pillbugs. I saw some crawling around the new picnic table garden the other day, attracted by the soil in the pots. Aside from performing useful tasks themselves, they also tend to carry other soil organisms along with them, which boosts the bioactivity and health of the soil. You can attract them by putting a handful of damp, dead leaves under a weight such as a brick or a pot.
Science
May. 22nd, 2026 10:15 pmysabetwordsmithEinstein’s “wormhole” may actually reveal a hidden mirror of time
What if wormholes were never cosmic tunnels at all? New research suggests Einstein and Rosen’s famous “bridge” may actually reveal something even stranger: time itself could flow in two directions at once. Instead of connecting distant places in space, these bridges may connect mirror versions of time deep inside quantum physics, potentially solving the long-standing black hole information paradox and hinting that our universe existed before the Big Bang.
What if wormholes were never cosmic tunnels at all? New research suggests Einstein and Rosen’s famous “bridge” may actually reveal something even stranger: time itself could flow in two directions at once. Instead of connecting distant places in space, these bridges may connect mirror versions of time deep inside quantum physics, potentially solving the long-standing black hole information paradox and hinting that our universe existed before the Big Bang.
Wildlife
May. 22nd, 2026 08:35 pmysabetwordsmithHow Your Backyard Birds Realize You Are Trying To Help Them
This documentary explores the cutting-edge science behind the "Benefactor Shift." We examine peer-reviewed studies from the University of Vienna, Cambridge University, Oxford, and published research in Animal Behaviour, Science, and Ecology Letters to decode how wild birds read human intentions, test our cooperativeness, and use us as literal shields against the natural world.
( Read more... )
This documentary explores the cutting-edge science behind the "Benefactor Shift." We examine peer-reviewed studies from the University of Vienna, Cambridge University, Oxford, and published research in Animal Behaviour, Science, and Ecology Letters to decode how wild birds read human intentions, test our cooperativeness, and use us as literal shields against the natural world.
( Read more... )
Follow Friday 5-22-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Spring 2026 J-Z
May. 22nd, 2026 08:18 pmysabetwordsmithThese are active communities in Dreamwidth from Winter 2025-2026. They include things I've posted, but only the active ones; the thematic posts also list dormant communities of interest. This list includes some communities that I've found and saved but haven't made it into thematic posts yet. This post covers J-Z.
See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.
( Read more... )
See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
May. 22nd, 2026 01:23 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I filled in the two big pots. I added 4 assorted coleus and 1 dusty miller to the grape pot. I didn't have time to pick up a white trailing filler like sweet alyssum this time, but the pot still looks pretty good and will look better once the small coleus grow out some. I added 2 blue lobelias and 1 dusty miller to the blue pot.
This would've been a lot easier if I could've bought everything for those pots at the same time, but it was a case of one place having nice accents but no fillers vs. other places having affordable fillers but not nice accents. *sigh* The lack of widely available fillers is a serious pain in the ass. I use those to unify the diverse plantings: dusty miller, white or colored alyssum, white or blue lobelia.
So I've got 6 dusty millers and 6 blue lobelias to mix and match with other things or find somewhere else to put. I've got 4 coleus left, which will make one or two pots depending on size. Progress! Finishing those two big pots was my top priority for today. \o/
Also I'm really loving the fan flower I tried new this year. It looks like half a flower with petals on only one side, and makes a great component in a mixed pot. It came in multiple colors; I got a white one. It's in a pot with a new spreading yellow thing that's also new, and a yellow-and-white nemesia. Nemesia is beautiful and comes in many colors, but it's a bit delicate and has died on me in the past. The ones I got this year are thriving though. These are all things I bought in individual pots. If I could get them in 4-packs, I could do more with them, but the higher price of individual pots limits what I can do.
I've seen a male cardinal at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I potted up the remaining coleus in two medium pots, each with 2 coleus and 1 dusty miller. Those look pretty good.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I planted 2 blue lobelias and 1 white impatien in the rain garden. I potted up the rest of the impatiens in two pots with a dusty miller each.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I filled a trough by the new picnic table with most of the remaining flowers: 8 vinca in the middle (various shades of pink and white), plus each end has 1 dusty miller between 2 blue lobelias. The color combination is a bit odd, but hopefully it will attract more pollinators.
Something has been eating the leaves off some of my marigolds. I have no idea what. Most insects avoid it because of the smell and taste.
Also earlier in spring, I built a large tomato cage from sticks. The tomato and peas in that one are dramatically bigger than the others. I may make more of those, although it does get in the way a lot more than the short metal cages.
It's spitting rain, but not enough to make me come in early.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
It's drizzling more steadily now.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I planted the last 3 red-and-yellow marigolds in the barrel garden.
I sowed zinnia seeds in the tulip bed, north notch of the prairie garden, and middle north-south strip. I sowed blanketflower seeds along the middle strip.
The rain seems to have let up.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I filled in the two big pots. I added 4 assorted coleus and 1 dusty miller to the grape pot. I didn't have time to pick up a white trailing filler like sweet alyssum this time, but the pot still looks pretty good and will look better once the small coleus grow out some. I added 2 blue lobelias and 1 dusty miller to the blue pot.
This would've been a lot easier if I could've bought everything for those pots at the same time, but it was a case of one place having nice accents but no fillers vs. other places having affordable fillers but not nice accents. *sigh* The lack of widely available fillers is a serious pain in the ass. I use those to unify the diverse plantings: dusty miller, white or colored alyssum, white or blue lobelia.
So I've got 6 dusty millers and 6 blue lobelias to mix and match with other things or find somewhere else to put. I've got 4 coleus left, which will make one or two pots depending on size. Progress! Finishing those two big pots was my top priority for today. \o/
Also I'm really loving the fan flower I tried new this year. It looks like half a flower with petals on only one side, and makes a great component in a mixed pot. It came in multiple colors; I got a white one. It's in a pot with a new spreading yellow thing that's also new, and a yellow-and-white nemesia. Nemesia is beautiful and comes in many colors, but it's a bit delicate and has died on me in the past. The ones I got this year are thriving though. These are all things I bought in individual pots. If I could get them in 4-packs, I could do more with them, but the higher price of individual pots limits what I can do.
I've seen a male cardinal at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I potted up the remaining coleus in two medium pots, each with 2 coleus and 1 dusty miller. Those look pretty good.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I planted 2 blue lobelias and 1 white impatien in the rain garden. I potted up the rest of the impatiens in two pots with a dusty miller each.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I filled a trough by the new picnic table with most of the remaining flowers: 8 vinca in the middle (various shades of pink and white), plus each end has 1 dusty miller between 2 blue lobelias. The color combination is a bit odd, but hopefully it will attract more pollinators.
Something has been eating the leaves off some of my marigolds. I have no idea what. Most insects avoid it because of the smell and taste.
Also earlier in spring, I built a large tomato cage from sticks. The tomato and peas in that one are dramatically bigger than the others. I may make more of those, although it does get in the way a lot more than the short metal cages.
It's spitting rain, but not enough to make me come in early.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
It's drizzling more steadily now.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 5/22/26 -- I planted the last 3 red-and-yellow marigolds in the barrel garden.
I sowed zinnia seeds in the tulip bed, north notch of the prairie garden, and middle north-south strip. I sowed blanketflower seeds along the middle strip.
The rain seems to have let up.
I am done for the night.
gift work (luke/lorelai)
May. 22nd, 2026 09:40 amsvgurlunsent_letters_exchange had its collection reveals last week and this is what I got! :)Title: Sealed with a Kiss
Author: Anonymous (for now)
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Pairing/Characters: Luke/Lorelai
Rating: G
Word Count: 2535
Summary: Luke discovers that he knew Lorelai much sooner than they thought, though they never actually met back then...
I love the idea of Luke and Lorelai communicating pre-canon and this was so cute and sweet! :D
hmm
May. 21st, 2026 11:14 pmkossaiwebsite shrines for both home safety hotline and rusted moss sound like really fun ideas , but not sure what would do for either . home safety hotline could include guide of every entry sure , but those ... already exist . at least with shezow shrine , kossai gather that information episode by episode , more comprehensively than even fandom wiki did - plus also have screenshots and fun creations to show .
can imagine home safety hotline shrine would perfectly suit some kind of self-contained ARG , but have literally no idea how to make something like that . would also need to figure out good final goalpost - should player be seen as employee go through supervisor's trial , or hacker try to bust secrets ? that take so much kind of plan which kossai do not have battery for right now - love idea , but just not able to commit .
do not really have much in mind for rusted moss . imitation of literal shrine built by humans to appease fae ? coalition logs ? pbbbt .
know purpose of shrine at core is to express love , where all of this fancy game and design stuff is not actually necessary , but really do like that style of shrine - something that is interactive , lots of things to prod at . there is so much fun to do with web design , and tend to hold back on main parts of site for accessibility reasons . do not want to compromise accessibility heavily , but feel more free to experiment and play around in shrines .
can imagine home safety hotline shrine would perfectly suit some kind of self-contained ARG , but have literally no idea how to make something like that . would also need to figure out good final goalpost - should player be seen as employee go through supervisor's trial , or hacker try to bust secrets ? that take so much kind of plan which kossai do not have battery for right now - love idea , but just not able to commit .
do not really have much in mind for rusted moss . imitation of literal shrine built by humans to appease fae ? coalition logs ? pbbbt .
know purpose of shrine at core is to express love , where all of this fancy game and design stuff is not actually necessary , but really do like that style of shrine - something that is interactive , lots of things to prod at . there is so much fun to do with web design , and tend to hold back on main parts of site for accessibility reasons . do not want to compromise accessibility heavily , but feel more free to experiment and play around in shrines .
Crafts
May. 21st, 2026 10:52 pmysabetwordsmithHow to weave an obelisk with Dave Jackson The Stick Smith
Dave Jackson a.k.a. The Stick Smith teaches how to weave a willow obelisk, for climbing plants; be they peas, sweet peas, runner beans, jasmine, etc.
This is a very sophisticated weaving method. It's not so much difficult as it is particular. Following these steps will give you a very consistent and durable structure. However, you could just as well make the basket ribs and do a simple over-and-under weave that would suffice for many garden purposes.
Weaving is a garden craft that lets you make many useful things. It also lets you obtain more yield from your permaculture or other garden. Many types of willow can give you a near-endless supply of excellent weaving materials. So will bushy dogwoods, hazels, and some types of maple. You can use these whips to make baskets, mats, obelisks, fences, and more depending on how thick you let them grow before harvest. Coppicing is the technique of cutting back a bush or tree so it sends up new shoots. You can do this for many years with the same plant.
Dave Jackson a.k.a. The Stick Smith teaches how to weave a willow obelisk, for climbing plants; be they peas, sweet peas, runner beans, jasmine, etc.
This is a very sophisticated weaving method. It's not so much difficult as it is particular. Following these steps will give you a very consistent and durable structure. However, you could just as well make the basket ribs and do a simple over-and-under weave that would suffice for many garden purposes.
Weaving is a garden craft that lets you make many useful things. It also lets you obtain more yield from your permaculture or other garden. Many types of willow can give you a near-endless supply of excellent weaving materials. So will bushy dogwoods, hazels, and some types of maple. You can use these whips to make baskets, mats, obelisks, fences, and more depending on how thick you let them grow before harvest. Coppicing is the technique of cutting back a bush or tree so it sends up new shoots. You can do this for many years with the same plant.