Cuddle Party
Sep. 10th, 2025 12:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithEveryone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
Today's Cooking
Sep. 9th, 2025 10:46 pmysabetwordsmithTonight I'm making the Tomato Basil Bread on page 15 of Hello! 365 Tomato Recipes. It uses dried basil flakes and sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, rather than fresh, so it can be made any time of the year. We are planning this as an accompaniment to a meatloaf later this week.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- The result is ... interesting. Way sweeter than we expected. It will probably work as an accompaniment to meatloaf, but I'm not sure it'll work as sandwich bread.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- The result is ... interesting. Way sweeter than we expected. It will probably work as an accompaniment to meatloaf, but I'm not sure it'll work as sandwich bread.
Libraries
Sep. 9th, 2025 07:55 pmysabetwordsmithLibrary Loot on chroniclesofreading
Library Loot is a weekly event that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.
See the tag feed.
chroniclesofreading Library Loot is a weekly event that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.
See the tag feed.
Still no repair response
Sep. 7th, 2025 06:05 pmconulyI sent them another voicemail and email saying that a delay in shipping or even ordering a part may be acceptable, understandable, or forgivable, but lack of communication is none of those things and if they don't get back to me with an ETA on this repair then they'll have to refund our deposit so we can call somebody else.
Either way, I know how I'm spending the next few hours (laundromat) and how I'm spending tomorrow morning (phone).
Either way, I know how I'm spending the next few hours (laundromat) and how I'm spending tomorrow morning (phone).
BATS
Sep. 9th, 2025 09:56 pmkaberettBetween one thing and another we wound up having a semi-impromptu mini-break in Chester, including a few hours at Chester Zoo.
... where we went into the bats enclosure and were transfixed for about an hour, basically from the moment we walked in until chucking-out time.
It's a big dark room, artificially crepuscular, with lots of trees (dead) for roosts, and somewhere in the vicinity of 350 bats (Seba's short-tailed and Rodrigues fruit bats). THEY WILL COME SO CLOSE TO YOU. THEY WILL COME SO CLOSE TO YOU. They were flying well within a foot of our faces. You could FEEL THE WIND FROM THEIR WINGBEATS.
And A was greatly honoured by one LANDING ON THEIR TROUSERS.
There were many other Excellent Creatures -- the Humboldt penguins in particular were very excited by the rain (so much porpoising), and the giant otters were indeed giant, and there was an enormous dragonfly, and the flamingos went from almost entirely asleep (including one baby that had not yet got the hang of the whole one-leg trick) to YELLING INCESSANTLY after being buzzed by the scarlet ibis.
Extremely good afternoon out, 13/10, would recommend.
Exoplanets
Sep. 9th, 2025 03:33 pmysabetwordsmithPlanet birth photographed for the first time
For the first time, a growing planet outside our solar system has been discovered to inhabit a gap in a disk of dust and gas.
Astronomers have directly spotted a rare young planet, WISPIT 2b, still forming within the gap of a dusty ringed disk around a star like our sun—something long theorized but never observed until now.
For the first time, a growing planet outside our solar system has been discovered to inhabit a gap in a disk of dust and gas.
Astronomers have directly spotted a rare young planet, WISPIT 2b, still forming within the gap of a dusty ringed disk around a star like our sun—something long theorized but never observed until now.
Birdfeeding
Sep. 9th, 2025 02:46 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and warm.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, plus one tiny brownish-olive bird I couldn't identify.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I bagged up 21 Ginger Gold apple seeds with damp sand to cold-stratify in the refrigerator.
I watered the telephone pole garden and some of the savanna seedlings.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did some work around the yard.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did more work around the yard.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I watered the irises.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I watered the old picnic table plants and the new picnic table plants.
I picked some groundcherries. :D
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, plus one tiny brownish-olive bird I couldn't identify.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I bagged up 21 Ginger Gold apple seeds with damp sand to cold-stratify in the refrigerator.
I watered the telephone pole garden and some of the savanna seedlings.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did some work around the yard.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I did more work around the yard.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I watered the irises.
EDIT 9/9/25 -- I watered the old picnic table plants and the new picnic table plants.
I picked some groundcherries. :D
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Moment of Silence: Acelightning
Sep. 9th, 2025 01:08 pmysabetwordsmithI spotted this, for those of your interested:
Online Memorial
In case you have not signed up and would like to, a Virtual Memorial for Alice Stewart/Acelightning has been set up as a Zoom meeting starting Sept 13 2025 at 1:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada).
To sign up please send an email to MemorialForAceLightning@gmail.com to get specific details.
Thanks to all that want to come.
Online Memorial
In case you have not signed up and would like to, a Virtual Memorial for Alice Stewart/Acelightning has been set up as a Zoom meeting starting Sept 13 2025 at 1:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada).
To sign up please send an email to MemorialForAceLightning@gmail.com to get specific details.
Thanks to all that want to come.
Buddy
Sep. 9th, 2025 09:03 amrenfysThis is my new boy Buddy.
He's a stray that's been around my part of the village for some time now. We started noticing him last year, and he's been stealing food from my cats for six months so my wife started leaving food out seperate for him and we've slowly been gaining his trust. A couple of weeks ago he finally let us pet him and, well nows he's definitely our cat.
We've treated him for fleas and worms, brushed him, clipped his nails and he already has a favourite rug. My cats are still wary of him, him and Reb are in some sort of cat cold war, Stink has no idea whats going on and Kitten and Merry hate him. Kitten hates everyone who isn't her grandad Reb and Merry hates everyone except the old ladies across the road so...
I'm hoping to get him into the vet next, he's definitely comfortable with is, and getting more trusting. He still runs a mile when suprised but comes back quicker each time. mostly he chills on top of my cat house, so hopefully in the winter he will be okay seeping in the boiler shed and the utility room.
He's definitely been in a few scraps (probably with Merry and Kitten) but he's a really sweet boy. He's my bossy cat for sure. 
Magpie Monday
Sep. 9th, 2025 02:51 amysabetwordsmithdialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday with a theme of "Lost and Found." Welcome to another prompt call! This month’s theme is Lost and Found. That could mean a literal box of random things left behind in a diner just off a freeway connection, a person wandering back and forth, unable to translate what they know from the map into the correct spot to wait for an upcoming bus, or the metaphorical sense of “Well, NOW what?” after being stranded by a flat tire on the way to a Very Important job interview.
[---8<---]
For each reader who offers an idea, I’ll write at least a thousand words. That’s about four pages, but let’s be honest, I tend to lean into it, so that’s truly a minimum word count. Estimate four to five minutes of reading time, which is just about perfect for a good rest with a cup of your favorite beverage and your feet up.
[---8<---]
Readers who might want to sponsor a story, thank you. Feel free to message me as soon as an interesting summary goes up. The usual request is two cents per word, or $20 per 1k words, and that’s steep for today’s pockets. It’s perfectly fine to sponsor a story other than the one for which someone prompted; that doubles the fun for the amount spent. Sponsored stories will get another typo hunt, then be posted with either an anonymous or named sponsor (let me know if you wish to be acknowledged, but I default to anonymous sponsorships). Many thanks.
Poetry Fishbowl Report for September 2, 2025
Sep. 8th, 2025 11:35 pmysabetwordsmithThis month's theme was "Communication Styles." I wrote from 1:30 PM to 3:45 AM, so about 11 hours 45 minutes, allowing for lunch and supper breaks. I wrote 5 poems on Tuesday and actually finished everything. \o/
Participation was about the same, with 6 comments on LiveJournal and another 30 on Dreamwidth. A total of 9 people sent prompts.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the September 2, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"Bring Unique Qualities"
"For Those Who Work at It"
"The Only Thing That You Absolutely Have to Know"
"A Reader, an Interpreter, and a Creator"
"Simple and to the Point"
Buy some poetry!
The September fishbowl sold out! Wow, that hasn't happened in a while. You are all awesome.
If you've been wanting to sponsor an older poem, or commission something new, now is a good time -- I have time to post things. Ask me if you need a list of available poems in your favorite series, characters, topics, etc.
This month's donors include:janetmiles and fuzzyred. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There are 0 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl.
The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.
Participation was about the same, with 6 comments on LiveJournal and another 30 on Dreamwidth. A total of 9 people sent prompts.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the September 2, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"Bring Unique Qualities"
"For Those Who Work at It"
"The Only Thing That You Absolutely Have to Know"
"A Reader, an Interpreter, and a Creator"
"Simple and to the Point"
Buy some poetry!
The September fishbowl sold out! Wow, that hasn't happened in a while. You are all awesome.
If you've been wanting to sponsor an older poem, or commission something new, now is a good time -- I have time to post things. Ask me if you need a list of available poems in your favorite series, characters, topics, etc.
This month's donors include:
janetmiles and fuzzyred. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There are 0 tallies toward a bonus fishbowl.The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.
Walkability
Sep. 8th, 2025 09:55 pmysabetwordsmithCan we imagine life without cars?
The builders of a car-free community in Arizona want to find out.
( Read more... )
The builders of a car-free community in Arizona want to find out.
( Read more... )
Poem: "Bring Unique Qualities"
Sep. 8th, 2025 08:19 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the September 2, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from chanter1944, see_also_friend, and wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "affiliate" square in my 9-1-25 card for the Piracy Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Daughters of the Apocalypse.
( Read more... )
chanter1944, see_also_friend, and wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "affiliate" square in my 9-1-25 card for the Piracy Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Daughters of the Apocalypse.( Read more... )
Poem: "A Reader, an Interpreter, and a Creator"
Sep. 8th, 2025 07:31 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the September 2, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from mama_kestrel and librarygeek. It also fills the "patch" square in my 9-1-25 card for the Piracy Bingo Fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
( Read more... )
mama_kestrel and librarygeek. It also fills the "patch" square in my 9-1-25 card for the Piracy Bingo Fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.( Read more... )
(no subject)
Sep. 8th, 2025 05:06 pmtwistedchickIs it possible for FB to choose specific accounts and slooooooooooow them down? If so, I'm a target. My FB constantly reloads, eats posts, and runs slower than when I used a 300-baud modem, back in the 90s.
sigh
... back to working on my list of nominations for Yuletide.
sigh
... back to working on my list of nominations for Yuletide.
Birdfeeding
Sep. 8th, 2025 12:37 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/8/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
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.
EDIT 9/8/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Monday Update 9-8-25
Sep. 8th, 2025 12:59 amysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Mantra
Today's Cooking
Poem
Green Energy
Birdfeeding
Crafts
Birdfeeding
Artificial Intelligence
Philosophical Questions: Economy
Climate Change
Neighborly Request
Today's Adventures
Friday Five
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 9-5-25: Internet
Food
Affordable Housing
Birdfeeding
Bad Advice
Hobbies: Sewing
Wildlife
Education
Hard Things
Let's Boycott Mississippi has 54 comments. Affordable Housing has 41 comments. Robotics has 68 comments. Food has 37 comments. "Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 53 comments.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
summerofthe69 has concluded. See Closing Ceremonies for a list of all works. The Amnesty post is also up.
"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 still mild to warm and quite dry. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a gray catbird, a male rose-breasted grosbeak, and a gray squirrel. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, 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.
Mantra
Today's Cooking
Poem
Green Energy
Birdfeeding
Crafts
Birdfeeding
Artificial Intelligence
Philosophical Questions: Economy
Climate Change
Neighborly Request
Today's Adventures
Friday Five
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 9-5-25: Internet
Food
Affordable Housing
Birdfeeding
Bad Advice
Hobbies: Sewing
Wildlife
Education
Hard Things
Let's Boycott Mississippi has 54 comments. Affordable Housing has 41 comments. Robotics has 68 comments. Food has 37 comments. "Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 53 comments.
summerofthe69 has concluded. See Closing Ceremonies for a list of all works. The Amnesty post is also up."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 still mild to warm and quite dry. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a gray catbird, a male rose-breasted grosbeak, and a gray squirrel. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, 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.
Physics
Sep. 8th, 2025 12:55 amysabetwordsmithThis video demonstrates how the location of mass affects travel downhill.
If you want to build a wheel, put as much of the mass as close to the hub as possible for more efficient travel. Here is an old wagonwheel. See how the center is built up? That's not just to strengthen the area around the axle, it makes the wheel work better.
If you want to build a wheel, put as much of the mass as close to the hub as possible for more efficient travel. Here is an old wagonwheel. See how the center is built up? That's not just to strengthen the area around the axle, it makes the wheel work better.
