Black Cherries by W. S. Merwin
Apr. 27th, 2025 04:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conulyLate in May as the light lengthens
toward summer the young goldfinches
flutter down through the day for the first time
to find themselves among fallen petals
cradling their day's colors in the day's shadows
of the garden beside the old house
after a cold spring with no rain
not a sound comes from the empty village
as I stand eating the black cherries
from the loaded branches above me
saying to myself Remember this
*******
Link
toward summer the young goldfinches
flutter down through the day for the first time
to find themselves among fallen petals
cradling their day's colors in the day's shadows
of the garden beside the old house
after a cold spring with no rain
not a sound comes from the empty village
as I stand eating the black cherries
from the loaded branches above me
saying to myself Remember this
Link
World Book Day
Apr. 23rd, 2025 12:10 amysabetwordsmithThe official theme for World Book Day 2025 is:
"Read Your Way: Diverse Books for Every Mind"
This theme emphasizes the importance of inclusion and diversity in reading. It encourages readers to explore different voices, perspectives, and cultures through literature, promoting empathy and global understanding.
( Read more... )
"Read Your Way: Diverse Books for Every Mind"
This theme emphasizes the importance of inclusion and diversity in reading. It encourages readers to explore different voices, perspectives, and cultures through literature, promoting empathy and global understanding.
( Read more... )
Good News
Apr. 23rd, 2025 12:09 amysabetwordsmithGood 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?
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?
[Books] Conclave - Richard Harris
Apr. 22nd, 2025 11:00 pmyuuagoAs mentioned previously, after watching the film, I decided to check out Conclave by Robert Harris.
There are a few differences between the novel and the film, but mostly they're minor changes (Lawrence = Lomeli in the novel, Benitez is Filipino in the novel rather than Mexican, etc). I do seem to recall that the turtle scene wasn't in the book; I'm kind of surprised that they added that for the movie, but it was a lovely character moment and Benitez looks kind of like a romance film protagonist in that scene, so I'm certainly not complaining.
Some of the scenes were more effective in the movie than the novel, I think. But that could be due to acting and directorial choices and so on. The one that comes to mind is the saying grace scene after Benitez is introduced to everyone - in the novel, Benitez just says the whole thing, and that's that. But in the film, he pauses after saying the usual spiel, and everyone thinks he's finished and starts to sit down - but then he continues, thanking the Sisters and reminding the others of the impoverished etc, and the effect is very striking.
There are some differences between the novel and the film that I did find interesting, even if the change doesn't affect the overall plot.
( Continued, spoilers )
Overall, I wouldn't say that the novel is a must-read if you liked the film, but I enjoyed it a lot and I think that if you wanted more after watching the movie, it's a good direction to go. Plus you get more into Lomeli's (Lawrence)'s head, etc. On the reverse, I don't think I would actually recommend it without seeing the film first, because the film really is rather good and there are a few things that I thought it did better. (Though I might be biased.)
There are a few differences between the novel and the film, but mostly they're minor changes (Lawrence = Lomeli in the novel, Benitez is Filipino in the novel rather than Mexican, etc). I do seem to recall that the turtle scene wasn't in the book; I'm kind of surprised that they added that for the movie, but it was a lovely character moment and Benitez looks kind of like a romance film protagonist in that scene, so I'm certainly not complaining.
Some of the scenes were more effective in the movie than the novel, I think. But that could be due to acting and directorial choices and so on. The one that comes to mind is the saying grace scene after Benitez is introduced to everyone - in the novel, Benitez just says the whole thing, and that's that. But in the film, he pauses after saying the usual spiel, and everyone thinks he's finished and starts to sit down - but then he continues, thanking the Sisters and reminding the others of the impoverished etc, and the effect is very striking.
There are some differences between the novel and the film that I did find interesting, even if the change doesn't affect the overall plot.
( Continued, spoilers )
Overall, I wouldn't say that the novel is a must-read if you liked the film, but I enjoyed it a lot and I think that if you wanted more after watching the movie, it's a good direction to go. Plus you get more into Lomeli's (Lawrence)'s head, etc. On the reverse, I don't think I would actually recommend it without seeing the film first, because the film really is rather good and there are a few things that I thought it did better. (Though I might be biased.)
Support
Apr. 22nd, 2025 11:12 pmapachefirecatTitle: Support
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters/Pairings: Spike/Buffy
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: Her Spike is supportive, as always.
( Read more... )
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters/Pairings: Spike/Buffy
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG-13/T
Summary: Her Spike is supportive, as always.
( Read more... )
Insect Apocalypse
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:29 pmysabetwordsmithInsects are disappearing due to agriculture -- and many other drivers, new research reveals
New paper highlights 500+ interconnected drivers behind global insect decline.
Insects are disappearing at an alarming rate worldwide, but why? Agricultural intensification tops the list of proposed reasons, but there are many other, interconnected drivers that have an impact, according to new research.
( Read more... )
New paper highlights 500+ interconnected drivers behind global insect decline.
Insects are disappearing at an alarming rate worldwide, but why? Agricultural intensification tops the list of proposed reasons, but there are many other, interconnected drivers that have an impact, according to new research.
( Read more... )
Happy Earth Day!
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:13 pmwyld_dandelyonI've been under the weather. This time I managed to get Bronchitis just from the end of the winter heating season (unless a friend with a congestive heart condition was actually sick, and not just coughing because of the heart condition). But I think this was coming on earlier, and the med regime my former allergist suggested was keeping my lungs and sinuses a lot clearer than in the past, but not enough for my body to clear out the infection.
Well, I came to this conclusion Friday, with (among other things) singing at the Eurofilk showing me I was unusually short of breath for singing; I already had an appointment with my newish primary doc who I really like on Monday, and when I tried to call the allergist last month to set up an appointment, there was no answer or answering machine on his number, or on the alternate number I found on Google. I did find an article about him listing him as 81 years old, and I'm not sure how long ago that was written, so I'm assuming he died or retired. So, I waited out the weekend and got tireder and tireder, and shorter and shorter of breath.
Happily, she was willing to prescribe antibiotics and steroids (if I'd gotten antibiotics on Friday, that might have been enough), unhappily, when they figured out that the only way they could give me the meds the doc thought most appropriate that didn't have corn in it (kids' liquid, again), it turned out that the pharmacy couldn't fill it until today. It was too late to try to talk the doc into prescribing something different, as the clinic was closed.
So today I woke up way too early, and was NOT falling asleep again (my body does insist on waking when I really need meds, which freaked out my RN mother when I was first sick enough to always be awake when she came in to wake me up to take them). This was handy in that I was able to deal with a bank overdraft for my grown-up kid (she's still using the account I got her when she went to Denmark in 4th grade so I could easily transfer money to her if there was an unexpected need, so, being awake I saw the text notification) (Her birthday is later this month, so an early birthday gift was perfectly reasonable).
And then I had food and called the pharmacy, because I WANTED those meds before the rest of the day's errands, which included getting My Angel to her PT appointment, mailing a thing (in a post office, since there seems to be no more drop-off boxes outside our regular post office any more--WTF, government?--and going to pick up meds at a different pharmacy too.
The strip mall the post office was in had one of the closing JoAnne Fabrics, which had almost no fabric left, and not much of anything else either. I did find some things to buy, including two substantially marked down big bags designed to hold a sewing machine and sewing stuff, but which I plan to use one of for author stuff (books, display, etc.) on the assumption that I'll do signings at cons again, and the other for acrylic paints, brushes, and the like since my current bag and plastic bin plan isn't working out as well as I'd like, and because having that stuff on wheels will be very convenient.
I also got some beads, wire, a thimble and multitool, sewing machine needles, an ironing pad to put on a table, some tape, a couple of pillow forms for planned gifting, and, surprisingly, a basket of tumbled stones to put in the fishtank. Sadly, the heavy-duty dolly they had pictured in the front as available had already been sold. I looked at the jewelry making stuff, thought about the heavy duty crimper and some of those beads, but I haven't been making jewelry lately and can use the hemostats I use for holding autoharp strings to crimp things, so I left those behind. I did also get some very discounted project boards, so if we decide to go to one or more protests, we can take signs.
And I took photos of our daffodils in the middle of all that.
I am cheered by all the photos of protests I'm seeing, and by how badly Elon's car company is doing. It gives me hope. Keep contacting your elected officials, we've got to wear them down until they stand up to our very cruel and foolish leader.
Now I am going to hit post and go watch Rachel show all those pictures of the signs again, and do Duolinguo, so I don't miss a day, and fall in bed. Maybe I'll manage to post Daffodil pics tomorrow.
Well, I came to this conclusion Friday, with (among other things) singing at the Eurofilk showing me I was unusually short of breath for singing; I already had an appointment with my newish primary doc who I really like on Monday, and when I tried to call the allergist last month to set up an appointment, there was no answer or answering machine on his number, or on the alternate number I found on Google. I did find an article about him listing him as 81 years old, and I'm not sure how long ago that was written, so I'm assuming he died or retired. So, I waited out the weekend and got tireder and tireder, and shorter and shorter of breath.
Happily, she was willing to prescribe antibiotics and steroids (if I'd gotten antibiotics on Friday, that might have been enough), unhappily, when they figured out that the only way they could give me the meds the doc thought most appropriate that didn't have corn in it (kids' liquid, again), it turned out that the pharmacy couldn't fill it until today. It was too late to try to talk the doc into prescribing something different, as the clinic was closed.
So today I woke up way too early, and was NOT falling asleep again (my body does insist on waking when I really need meds, which freaked out my RN mother when I was first sick enough to always be awake when she came in to wake me up to take them). This was handy in that I was able to deal with a bank overdraft for my grown-up kid (she's still using the account I got her when she went to Denmark in 4th grade so I could easily transfer money to her if there was an unexpected need, so, being awake I saw the text notification) (Her birthday is later this month, so an early birthday gift was perfectly reasonable).
And then I had food and called the pharmacy, because I WANTED those meds before the rest of the day's errands, which included getting My Angel to her PT appointment, mailing a thing (in a post office, since there seems to be no more drop-off boxes outside our regular post office any more--WTF, government?--and going to pick up meds at a different pharmacy too.
The strip mall the post office was in had one of the closing JoAnne Fabrics, which had almost no fabric left, and not much of anything else either. I did find some things to buy, including two substantially marked down big bags designed to hold a sewing machine and sewing stuff, but which I plan to use one of for author stuff (books, display, etc.) on the assumption that I'll do signings at cons again, and the other for acrylic paints, brushes, and the like since my current bag and plastic bin plan isn't working out as well as I'd like, and because having that stuff on wheels will be very convenient.
I also got some beads, wire, a thimble and multitool, sewing machine needles, an ironing pad to put on a table, some tape, a couple of pillow forms for planned gifting, and, surprisingly, a basket of tumbled stones to put in the fishtank. Sadly, the heavy-duty dolly they had pictured in the front as available had already been sold. I looked at the jewelry making stuff, thought about the heavy duty crimper and some of those beads, but I haven't been making jewelry lately and can use the hemostats I use for holding autoharp strings to crimp things, so I left those behind. I did also get some very discounted project boards, so if we decide to go to one or more protests, we can take signs.
And I took photos of our daffodils in the middle of all that.
I am cheered by all the photos of protests I'm seeing, and by how badly Elon's car company is doing. It gives me hope. Keep contacting your elected officials, we've got to wear them down until they stand up to our very cruel and foolish leader.
Now I am going to hit post and go watch Rachel show all those pictures of the signs again, and do Duolinguo, so I don't miss a day, and fall in bed. Maybe I'll manage to post Daffodil pics tomorrow.
Garden progress and other musings
Apr. 22nd, 2025 05:02 pmwinterfirelightGot outside and watered some plants just now. The self-heal and arnica are in the ground as of this weekend, but the salad burnet is still waiting to get planted, along with the chamomile and dill we picked up at the nursery last week. They'll be fine, though. I'm also still trying to figure out where to put the lemon balm where it won't take over everything. I could put it in a pot, I suppose, but last year I did that and it didn't re-seed itself at all so I had to start over again.
There's another bed I've been letting grow into a bit of a catch-all butterfly garden until I sort out what to plant there long-term, and it'll probably have some of the oregano come back that I tried to take out last year. Oregano is pernicious, but also delicious, so I don't necessarily mind, as long as I can keep it from crowding out everything else again. Maybe I'll put the lemon balm there too and let them duke it out over the season. I'm not reclaiming that bed for myself this year, anyway.
Lots of things are blooming. The comfrey and the borage just put out flowers, which are gorgeous as always. Though the borage somehow planted itself in a crack between the steps instead of the garden bed this year, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to move it so it doesn't get stepped on and can seed itself somewhere better next time. The calendula is going absolute gangbusters already, so that's promising for a good harvest this year. I'll have to make more salves or something to make good use of it all. Maybe an arnica-calendula blend? I'll have to think on it.
On another note, poking around on DW is reminding me just how many fandoms I haven't gotten into yet. It makes me so happy to see book reviews and the like, too! It would be a good idea for me to get back into a regular reading habit, I think. It's been hard to find the time, and when I do pick up a book, I usually feel compelled to read something that's serious non-fiction and/or somehow related to research I'm doing for my writing. It's usually depressing stuff, even if it's also very good and interesting, and I could stand to read something more light-hearted from time to time. For some reason I just have a hard time prioritizing happier things. But maybe seeing people get excited about things on DW will help me break out of those habits. If there's an incentive of getting to chat with people about it, I imagine that might make it easier.
Anyway. Blogging is a nice hobby. I'm finding it calming to reflect on the easier beats of the day. The rest we can just pretend doesn't exist, which is nice to do for a little while. I'll be off to dance class soon, attempting to go in person instead of resorting to online like I had to do last week. One of these days I'll be able to get back to dance more than once a week, but probably not yet. And then when I'm home later I might see if I can crank out another chapter, but that might be wishful thinking.
There's another bed I've been letting grow into a bit of a catch-all butterfly garden until I sort out what to plant there long-term, and it'll probably have some of the oregano come back that I tried to take out last year. Oregano is pernicious, but also delicious, so I don't necessarily mind, as long as I can keep it from crowding out everything else again. Maybe I'll put the lemon balm there too and let them duke it out over the season. I'm not reclaiming that bed for myself this year, anyway.
Lots of things are blooming. The comfrey and the borage just put out flowers, which are gorgeous as always. Though the borage somehow planted itself in a crack between the steps instead of the garden bed this year, so I'm going to have to figure out a way to move it so it doesn't get stepped on and can seed itself somewhere better next time. The calendula is going absolute gangbusters already, so that's promising for a good harvest this year. I'll have to make more salves or something to make good use of it all. Maybe an arnica-calendula blend? I'll have to think on it.
On another note, poking around on DW is reminding me just how many fandoms I haven't gotten into yet. It makes me so happy to see book reviews and the like, too! It would be a good idea for me to get back into a regular reading habit, I think. It's been hard to find the time, and when I do pick up a book, I usually feel compelled to read something that's serious non-fiction and/or somehow related to research I'm doing for my writing. It's usually depressing stuff, even if it's also very good and interesting, and I could stand to read something more light-hearted from time to time. For some reason I just have a hard time prioritizing happier things. But maybe seeing people get excited about things on DW will help me break out of those habits. If there's an incentive of getting to chat with people about it, I imagine that might make it easier.
Anyway. Blogging is a nice hobby. I'm finding it calming to reflect on the easier beats of the day. The rest we can just pretend doesn't exist, which is nice to do for a little while. I'll be off to dance class soon, attempting to go in person instead of resorting to online like I had to do last week. One of these days I'll be able to get back to dance more than once a week, but probably not yet. And then when I'm home later I might see if I can crank out another chapter, but that might be wishful thinking.
Catch up
Apr. 22nd, 2025 06:55 pmmoonhareI’m finally getting some yard work done now that the weather has been a bit better; the forsythia, roses, and blueberries got cleaned out around and then received that new mulch I had bought. I took all the leaves and other detritus from the cleaning and carted it out to my wooded side yard, being careful not to disturb the little fairy ring there. Somewhere along the way I lost a nice folding knife I had used for opening the mulch bags; it had been clipped to my overalls and may have fallen out during the emptying of the cart.
I’ve been moving out cartloads of pruned and downed branches from the backyard as well: the new gate is a boon! I purchased a nice set of Fiskars hedge shears to help with this: compound action with extendable handles. I was also considering getting a small Ryobi electric chainsaw (18V One+) but the price was prohibitive. In looking at pruning videos I realized that I already had a useful tool: a reciprocating saw (also a Ryobi One +) aka ‘Sawzall.’ I ordered the recommended blades for this and used it to prune and to cut branches and logs to fit the lawn tractor cart. More detritus for the woods!
The lawn tractor has been doing okay, all things considered. The battery is weak, but has kept its power up after a long charge. The tires are getting on, with sidewall cracking allowing slow leakage. The mice still occasionally try to nest under the blower housing, but with frequent running, and warmer weather, the little pests are giving up. I check under the hood every use, and no chipmunk heads have reappeared, but…
Oh! A little side story. I was checking for mice Sunday, and decided to look under the seat where the battery compartment is. The lost knife (first paragraph) was there. I would have sworn I lost it out by the fairy ring… Yes, so my furry nature thinks that perhaps it was a token for avoiding the ring, and also having removed some fallen branches from it. Or maybe it unclipped from the side pocket of my overalls and went between the fender and seat of the tractor. I prefer the first thought ;o)
In any event, I reciprocated in part by leaving some shinies in the ring: some colorful antique glass marbles I had by the garden shed. After that I went for a walk through the property to see if the vultures were hanging out in our little pine grove. I came across a small herd of deer resting, and changed the direction of my walk. Stooping to pick up what appeared to be pieces of faded Easter basket cellophane from the leaves I came across the bottom of a plastic Easter egg, maybe from a hunt we did long, long ago. An Easter gift, in its own right!
Back to yard work. The deer have breached the garden fence! Well, one or more jumped into the area. The asparagus bed was full of hoofy prints, some amongst the emerging spears! So now I need to add another strand of electric fence wire above the fence, as well as repairing and critter-proofing the lower ones. That may be a separate entry as this one has gotten way past its tl;dr stage!
Easter bunnies-
Apparently The Creator did not know what “Peter Cottontail, Rankin-Bass style” was. I had just finished the cartoon and tried a few unsuccessful prompts :D
The White House Easter Bunny this year- fairly cute! Sean Spicer’s wasn’t bad, but this one looks more like the cartoon Peter Rabbit.
Hope everybunny had a wonderful Easter!
I’ve been moving out cartloads of pruned and downed branches from the backyard as well: the new gate is a boon! I purchased a nice set of Fiskars hedge shears to help with this: compound action with extendable handles. I was also considering getting a small Ryobi electric chainsaw (18V One+) but the price was prohibitive. In looking at pruning videos I realized that I already had a useful tool: a reciprocating saw (also a Ryobi One +) aka ‘Sawzall.’ I ordered the recommended blades for this and used it to prune and to cut branches and logs to fit the lawn tractor cart. More detritus for the woods!
The lawn tractor has been doing okay, all things considered. The battery is weak, but has kept its power up after a long charge. The tires are getting on, with sidewall cracking allowing slow leakage. The mice still occasionally try to nest under the blower housing, but with frequent running, and warmer weather, the little pests are giving up. I check under the hood every use, and no chipmunk heads have reappeared, but…
Oh! A little side story. I was checking for mice Sunday, and decided to look under the seat where the battery compartment is. The lost knife (first paragraph) was there. I would have sworn I lost it out by the fairy ring… Yes, so my furry nature thinks that perhaps it was a token for avoiding the ring, and also having removed some fallen branches from it. Or maybe it unclipped from the side pocket of my overalls and went between the fender and seat of the tractor. I prefer the first thought ;o)
In any event, I reciprocated in part by leaving some shinies in the ring: some colorful antique glass marbles I had by the garden shed. After that I went for a walk through the property to see if the vultures were hanging out in our little pine grove. I came across a small herd of deer resting, and changed the direction of my walk. Stooping to pick up what appeared to be pieces of faded Easter basket cellophane from the leaves I came across the bottom of a plastic Easter egg, maybe from a hunt we did long, long ago. An Easter gift, in its own right!
Back to yard work. The deer have breached the garden fence! Well, one or more jumped into the area. The asparagus bed was full of hoofy prints, some amongst the emerging spears! So now I need to add another strand of electric fence wire above the fence, as well as repairing and critter-proofing the lower ones. That may be a separate entry as this one has gotten way past its tl;dr stage!
Easter bunnies-
Apparently The Creator did not know what “Peter Cottontail, Rankin-Bass style” was. I had just finished the cartoon and tried a few unsuccessful prompts :D
The White House Easter Bunny this year- fairly cute! Sean Spicer’s wasn’t bad, but this one looks more like the cartoon Peter Rabbit.
Hope everybunny had a wonderful Easter!
Another Catch Up
Apr. 22nd, 2025 09:49 pmseraphflightMy apologies if you left me a message or replied to a post here, as I've managed to commit technical mayhem again and accidentally deleted everything before I could even read them, never mind reply. Despite having been regularly online for the last 25 years, I can still mess up now and then.
So, I finished The Originals, which was okay. The series would have been much stronger if edited more tightly, which would also make the series shorter but quality beats quantity. It seemed to be hampered by a cast of thousands - I kept losing track of who was who, which was not helped by too many of the female actors looking too similar. But it was okay, though hardly original. The werewolf aspect of the series could have been explored a lot more fully, as they really didn't do much beyond exist. I still say Klaus and Elijah were just Lestat and Louis rewritten, though, or maybe I'm just hard to please. Still, the man playing Elijah was easy on the eye.
I've watched the first two seasons of The Strain, which I didn't get into at first but it's grown on me hugely. The basic plot initially relies on Stoker's story of Dracula's arrival in England, the empty ship, etc., which is a tad well-trodden, but then a whole bunch of fresh ideas and new angles unfold, supported by a great cast of actors, strong characters and believable dialogue.
I've also been watching The Shield, which is a fast-paced and gritty police drama that's entertaining, and a spy thriller series called Spooks, which is very good.
Browsing for vintage bargains is a long-time hobby of mine. Consequently my home is full of pretty treasures that I haven't enough room for, but I'll never part with! Earlier this week I came home happily clutching a glass vase hand-painted with delicate flowers. It's just so adorable, and was only £3 - far too tempting to leave behind! And then I also spotted a ceramic pot with lid, hand-painted, and fell in love with the rich blue and purple tones. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to use it for yet, but it's been washed, and now it's sitting on my fire surround till I figure out where it's going to live.
YouTube has many "thrifting" videos (as Americans call it; here we say charity shops). Other countries seem to have much better charity shops than we do - much bigger and displayed better, with more choice. I'd say 98% of stuff in British charity shops is junk. The quality isn't what it was, as the better things now get sold online, eBay usually. Car boot sales are better, if you're willing to do the footwork. I never bother looking at clothes in charity shops. They're nearly the price of new stuff in Primark or similar, so why bother buying something that's half worn out already but only a bit cheaper than new? Plus charity shop clothes pong to high heaven more often than not.
I've another holiday jaunt booked, and I am totally looking forward to that. I've not been to Edinburgh since I was a teenager, and then I was with a family group and we did stereotypical touristy things. It's a mid-week break, before the season gets going properly, to avoid crowds. All I need to do now is plan a proper itinerary, to make the most of my time there. If you've any suggests for any "must see" places, let me know.
So, I finished The Originals, which was okay. The series would have been much stronger if edited more tightly, which would also make the series shorter but quality beats quantity. It seemed to be hampered by a cast of thousands - I kept losing track of who was who, which was not helped by too many of the female actors looking too similar. But it was okay, though hardly original. The werewolf aspect of the series could have been explored a lot more fully, as they really didn't do much beyond exist. I still say Klaus and Elijah were just Lestat and Louis rewritten, though, or maybe I'm just hard to please. Still, the man playing Elijah was easy on the eye.
I've watched the first two seasons of The Strain, which I didn't get into at first but it's grown on me hugely. The basic plot initially relies on Stoker's story of Dracula's arrival in England, the empty ship, etc., which is a tad well-trodden, but then a whole bunch of fresh ideas and new angles unfold, supported by a great cast of actors, strong characters and believable dialogue.
I've also been watching The Shield, which is a fast-paced and gritty police drama that's entertaining, and a spy thriller series called Spooks, which is very good.
Browsing for vintage bargains is a long-time hobby of mine. Consequently my home is full of pretty treasures that I haven't enough room for, but I'll never part with! Earlier this week I came home happily clutching a glass vase hand-painted with delicate flowers. It's just so adorable, and was only £3 - far too tempting to leave behind! And then I also spotted a ceramic pot with lid, hand-painted, and fell in love with the rich blue and purple tones. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to use it for yet, but it's been washed, and now it's sitting on my fire surround till I figure out where it's going to live.
YouTube has many "thrifting" videos (as Americans call it; here we say charity shops). Other countries seem to have much better charity shops than we do - much bigger and displayed better, with more choice. I'd say 98% of stuff in British charity shops is junk. The quality isn't what it was, as the better things now get sold online, eBay usually. Car boot sales are better, if you're willing to do the footwork. I never bother looking at clothes in charity shops. They're nearly the price of new stuff in Primark or similar, so why bother buying something that's half worn out already but only a bit cheaper than new? Plus charity shop clothes pong to high heaven more often than not.
I've another holiday jaunt booked, and I am totally looking forward to that. I've not been to Edinburgh since I was a teenager, and then I was with a family group and we did stereotypical touristy things. It's a mid-week break, before the season gets going properly, to avoid crowds. All I need to do now is plan a proper itinerary, to make the most of my time there. If you've any suggests for any "must see" places, let me know.
Belly dance hero
Apr. 22nd, 2025 07:58 pmgaladhirI've found a lady who has the same sort of shape as me, who dances the same kind of dance that I would love to dance. She has such precision and confidence-verging-on-arrogance and strength and lyricism and sweetness. I don't know that I can get my creaky old, arthritic person to do some of the things she does (that back bend!) but I love her sense of theatre. I love how she has combined bellydance with inspiration from sci-fi and theatre to make something that is very unique.
Much though I like dancing, I haven't been able to find any genuine love in my heart for the whole 'scantily clad get in touch with your inner goddess who is also a sexy flirt' malarky, chiefly because I don't think I have an inner goddess of any kind, let alone a sexy one. But as a writer I 100% have an inner Evil Galactic Emperor, or an inner hero or villain character of a sort that I can lean into.
So I the new dance I am now wrestling with is inspired by the plot in Stargate Universe in which Chloe - experimented on by aquatic aliens - fears she is losing her humanity, even while she grows stronger and more intelligent.
My question was, why the heck wouldn't you embrace that? Super strength? The ability to do maths? Sign me up.
I've just got to find a way of expressing this in dance.
Birdfeeding
Apr. 22nd, 2025 02:17 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and warm with a light breeze, a beautiful spring day. :D
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, two brown-headed cowbirds, a mourning dove, and two fox squirrels.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/22/25 -- We went out shopping. I picked out roughly 5 flats of plants at DeBuhr's. We found a garden hose, nozzle, and reel plus a gas can at Home Depot. Also at Home Depot I spotted a modular garage storage system that looks very promising. It has mounting rails for shelves and a wide variety of hooks. That ought to combine well with a pegboard.
EDIT 4/22/25 -- I planted a 'Sugar Snack' cherry tomato and a 'Yellow Pear' tomato in the large pots by the septic garden, each with 4 marigolds around it.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, two brown-headed cowbirds, a mourning dove, and two fox squirrels.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/22/25 -- We went out shopping. I picked out roughly 5 flats of plants at DeBuhr's. We found a garden hose, nozzle, and reel plus a gas can at Home Depot. Also at Home Depot I spotted a modular garage storage system that looks very promising. It has mounting rails for shelves and a wide variety of hooks. That ought to combine well with a pegboard.
EDIT 4/22/25 -- I planted a 'Sugar Snack' cherry tomato and a 'Yellow Pear' tomato in the large pots by the septic garden, each with 4 marigolds around it.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
FAKE Quadruple Drabble: One Shot
Apr. 22nd, 2025 05:36 pmbadly_knittedTitle: One Shot
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ryo, Dee, OC.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Ryo waits for the order to fire.
Written For: Challenge 441: Amnesty 73 at
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fan_flashworks , using Challenge 152: Shot. Also for the dw100 prompt ‘Fire’.Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Quadruple drabble.
( One Shot... )
Doctor Who Drabble: Desert Nights
Apr. 22nd, 2025 05:26 pmbadly_knittedTitle: Desert Nights
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness, Ninth Doctor, OCs.
Rating: G
Written For: Challenge 916: ‘Caravan’ at
dw100.Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack, Rose, and the Doctor spend some time on a desert planet.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who, or the characters.
( Desert Nights... )