Belgium is known mainly for its waffles, fries and praline chocolate. While it is hard to pinpoint an exact origin for the first two, one can in fact still buy the original pralines at the shop where they were first sold in 1912.
The Neuhaus chocolate shop started its life in 1857 when Jean Neuhaus moved from Switzerland to Brussels. He initially stared an apothecary where he was selling medicine wrapped in chocolate to make it more palatable to take. While this was a lucrative business, he soon found that people were keen on eating his chocolate shells even without the medicine, and thus under the guidance of his son they also started selling chocolates and licorice for general consumption.
When Jean's son Frédéric took over the shop it completely slipped selling medicine and focussed on sweets, slowly innovating the products. Their most famous product came many years later when Frédéric's son Jean II invented the praline. This chocolate filled with soft chocolate filling was an instant success which helped the company expand. Especially after the wife of Jean II invented and patented the chocolate box, catapulting the brand and products to a luxury status.
These days Neuhaus has over 1500 shops in over 50 countries, but all of their products are still made in a single factory in brussels and shipped out. The original shop is still open for business and sells the original pralines in small bags and luxury boxes.
This afternoon, my phone got stuck in a boot loop. It was bad enough when I was looking at it with utter confusion, but when D finished work and I could ask him to have a look at it, he looked just as baffled. Uh-oh!
I missed it immediately: my day is so much easier to get through with podcasts or audiobooks to keep me company. I struggled more to eat lunch (leftover balsamic mushrooms, on toast) without the distraction. There was a nice "like in the old days" element of having to read my library book and being left to just Wonder if an email I was waiting for had arrived or not, but it was difficult when I didn't have anything to drown out ambient noise when I was trying to relax. I do understand why separate mp3 players are having a resurgence (though I'd want a podcast player as well as an audiobook player and that sounds Complicated).
When D and I went to walk Teddy, V was upstairs so I wanted to lock the door. I grabbed their keys instead of mine, probably because I'd done that yesterday when they and I had been the ones going out and D had been upstairs working. But this time, by the time we got back to our street, the Tesco van was in our driveway, earlier than the time slot we'd been given. Poor V had had to scramble and move stuff to open the kitchen door and the side gate, and pile all the groceries on the dining table. We got back in time to put everything away but they were clearly exhausted and I felt absolutely awful at having inadvertently locked them in the house (my keys were right near the door but they didn't know that so it didn't actually help) and made them deal with an extra hurdle because Tesco was so early and with no earning.
I slept very badly last night and had an early start, going with D to his latest dental hospital appointment, so by the time I finished work I was feeling really gross and thought I'd lie down for a bit. I ended up falling asleep and waking up only when D told me dinner was ready and he'd sent our apologies for queer club which had already begun by that point. Oops. But it was kind of a relief, not to have to go anywhere else today; I was feeling gross even despite rhe nap and being around people felt difficult.
After we ate, D said he suddenly had a craving for a root beer float, and I said that thinking about ice cream made me want ice cream all of a sudden. We couldn't get root beer on such short notice but we did drive to the Co-op and get Ben & Jerry's cookie dough ice cream. D had had a big day with another minor oral surgery so early in the morning, we'd been good and a treat seemed like a good idea. It'd been a while since we'd done something silly just because we can.
Good grief, it feels like a Friday already, doesn’t it?
We’re continuing to see a lot of churn and tumult. Some of it, at least, seems to be moving the conversation in our favor. Since I last wrote we’ve seen Greg Bovino kicked out of Minnesota and Noem seemingly sidelined—although Trump still maintains that she’s not stepping down. Multiple Republican officials are now urging investigations, possible pauses to ICE operations, and congressional hearings over concerns about current immigration enforcement policies and their consequences. 1
Even Uber-right Barstool Sports called this a “watershed moment.”
Y’all, we’re still in the thick of it, and at any moment another unspeakable atrocity could occur (in fact it just did, in Arizona). But I believe we are witnessing a sea change in public opinion and I want to celebrate that. Regular Americans who were unengaged are becoming engaged. People are realizing that “I don’t talk about politics” doesn’t work when “politics” can shoot you dead in the street for no reason.
As a result, more and more people are asking “what can I do?” My husband has gotten multiple calls from male friends who want to deliver groceries to immigrants here in L.A. A friend went to an ICE rapid response training in Pasadena yesterday. They were expecting 100 attendees. She told me there were about 1000 people in attendance! From what I’ve heard Indivisible’s ICE Observer training last night had 150,000 RSVPs!
It goes on. Of course many of us have already been here doing this work. But we’ve always known our circle would need to widen if we’re to win this fight, and right now it’s widening very rapidly. Good! While it may be tempting to say “what took these people so long?” the more productive (and generous) response, of course, is to throw our arms open, cry “welcome!’ and tell everyone joining us how they can help.
As for our calls, they remain unchanged while the Senate battle is ongoing, for while we’ve seen a coalescing determination from Democrats to hold the line (except for Fetterman, ugh) we must not relent. They must hear from us daily. As for Republicans? I’ll be damned if we’re going to let them off the hook. If there were ever a moment when we could peel some of them off this is it. They’re not blind. They read the same polls and notice the same trends we do. They know they’re on the losing side of this argument. If they were ever going to make a stand now is the time.
So let’s keep calling.
I love you guys. I am so very very proud of what we’re doing here, and what AMERICA is doing. We are collectively re-discovering our commitment to justice, democracy and freedom, and joining forces to save them. E pluribus, unum indeed!
It’s the stuff out of history books or epic films, folks. But we’re not reading or watching it. We’re living it. What an honor. What a responsibility!
We are the ones the world is rooting for. So let’s go out there and do them proud.
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I want the Senator to vote no on the DHS funding bill until several conditions are met: ICE and CBP must leave Minneapolis and stop terrorizing American cities. We need a full, independent investigation into Renee Good and Alex Pretti’s killings. There can be no more detaining and deporting of U.S. Citizens. ICE’s masks must come off. And the mass arrest quotas and warrantless arrests must end. Also? Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller must step down or be impeached, and Greg Bovino must be investigated. We’ve had enough!
[If GOP add:] Republicans need to stop blindly defending ICE and the Trump administration. The American people have had it; we will not accept being lied to. We want Congress to do its job and protect us—not a bunch of masked thugs. Please ask the Senator to join with Democrats and demand a complete overhaul of ICE before more people die. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
The Agricultural committee markup for a terrible crypto bill called The Digital Commodities Intermediaries Act (formerly the Clarity Act), is THIS WEEK. We need every Dem Senator on the Ag Committee to oppose it. This bill ignores crypto corruption in the White House and will negatively impact our economy and consumers.
Senator Booker is already opposed because it “fails to address core concerns.” We need to get the rest of the Dems on board!
We need lots and lots of calls. Please call the member below if they are your Senator.
Amy Klobachar, Minnesota 202-224-3244
Michael Bennet, Colorado, 202-224-5941
Tina Smith, Minnesota 202-224-5641
Richard Durbin, Illinois 202-224-2152
Cory Booker New Jersey 202-224-5702
Ben Ray Lujan New Mexico. 202-224-6621
Raphael Warnock Georgia 202-224-3643
Peter Welch Vermont 202-224-4242
Adam Schiff California (202) 224-3841
John Fetterman Pennsylvania 202-224-4254
Elissa Slotkin Michigan 202-224-4822
Script:
Script : My name is _____ and I’m a constituent from [zip]. I’m asking the Senator to vote no on The Digital Commodities Intermediaries Act (formerly the Clarity Act) when it comes up in the Agriculture Committee this week. Democrats shouldn’t give away the future of the American economy to crypto oligarchs who are dismantling our democracy, nor give a blank check to crypto corruption in the White House. I know Senator Booker will vote no and I am counting on you to vote no as well. Thank you!
Extra Extra Credit ✅ ✅
Free DC has made it easy to email the CEOs of Target, Hilton, and Enterprise to demand that their companies cancel their contracts with ICE (or, in Target’s case, stop allowing them to stage in their parking lots). Please do so here!
Get Smart! 📚
In case you missed Indivisible’s training yesterday, I have two more in similar veins that sound excellent!
Join SURJ and their immigrant partner organization, Solidarity Organizing Initiative, for a training on organizing locally and being ready if ICE comes to your community. No experience is necessary—anyone who wants to take practical steps to build neighborhood-level power is welcome.
They’ll share lessons from Minneapolis, where communities organized at the neighborhood level—parents coordinating school drop-off patrols, neighbors looking out for one another, and networks ready to mobilize when ICE showed up. Minneapolis showed what’s possible when communities are organized and now we’ll explore how to start that same groundwork where you live. Step by step, they’ll explore how to get to know your neighbors, build trust, and prepare to act together if ICE comes to your town. RSVP here.
Give 💰!
I was at a gathering on Sunday and I met someone who is good friends with the folks who run 5 Calls. She informed me that the volunteers running this app are desperate for donations to keep it going!
5 Calls is an amazing resource that has enabled literally hundreds of thousands of Americans to call their reps regularly. It is invaluable to our fight. If you can possibly throw them some cash—or even become a monthly donor—please do so here.
Get in the Streets! 🪧
Indivisible is asking us to plan an ICE Out action at our senators’ home offices. Our calls and emails are critical, but it’s also very important that we turn up the pressure on senators publicly, in their home states.
Indivisible encourage us to plan creative, nonviolent, and lawful actions that honor the lives taken and highlight our demand to rein in ICE. ESPECIALLY if your Senator is a Republican!
If you want to learn what companies to boycott AND which to use in their stead I highly recommend follwing the Instagram creator Cut Off the Spigot. She is fantastic! I have learned so much from her. She dives deep into who owns what companies and where they get their funding, and always offers an ethical alternative! Sorry if you’re not on Meta—she’s apparently also on Upscroll but I’m not familiar with that platform so can’t link to it. But if you’re on instagram do check her out!
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
I am writing to urge you to oppose the SAVE Act (H.R. 22 / S. 128) and any expanded version, including a so-called “SAVE Act Plus” or “Super SAVE Act.” This legislation is not about election security. It is a coordinated effort to suppress lawful voters by turning registration into a bureaucratic obstacle course.
In your own space, create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
Trying to convince our friends and loved ones to join our fandom is a frequent activity for many of us. It's great to have someone to talk to and obsess with! This is your chance to try to entice people into your fandom or to gently introduce new fans to your favorite parts of it.
Maybe you'd like to write a manifesto on your favorite ship. Maybe you'd like to write a breakdown of the many characters that appear in a long running franchise. Maybe you'd like to rec the fics you think everyone in your fandom should read. The possibilities are endless!
If you need inspiration (or are confused about terms), check out the Fanlore pages (with definitions, examples, and links!) for Ship Manifesto, Primer, PowerPoint, Rec, Newbieguide , and Crack Van. There are also DW communities like shipmanifestos, recs, recthething, and more.
If you are looking for something to do in Charleston that you are unlikely to have done before, explore this quiet path developed in 1930 by The Garden Club of Charleston. Start by exploring gardens, architecture, and cemeteries at the St. John’s Lutheran Church and the Unitarian Church. Walk from the back right corner of the Unitarian garden and across King Street to the Charleston Library Society.
After exploring their grounds, take the path to the right of the building through the Governor Aiken gates to The Gibbes Museum of Art. A side trip to the ornate fountains at the adjacent American Garden is highly encouraged. Continue east on the path, crossing over Meeting Street in order to experience the architecture and gardens at the Circular Congressional Church.
Again continue the path to the right of the building through the block to Saint Philips graveyard and church. The path officially ends there.
At first glance, it looks like a manicured scenic park, then you notice the tombstones.
White-painted rocks border neat flowerbeds containing beautifully restored tombstones. Palm trees and shrubbery watch over the dead, while one side of the cemetery is dominated by the city wall, and the other side protected by black railings.
Trafalgar Cemetery is maintained by The Gibraltar Heritage Trust, and was originally known as the Southport Ditch cemetery, as its location was used as a defensive ditch when the Spanish ruled Gibraltar. It was consecrated in 1798 and used for burials until 1814. It’s positioned just to the south of the city walls and is open every day, from dawn to dusk. Despite now being named after the Battle of Trafalgar, only two of the occupants died in the battle. These were 20-year-old Lieutenant William Foster, Royal Marines Corp of HMS Mars, and 36-year-old Lieutenant Thomas Norman of HMS Colossus. They’re buried in graves numbered 121 and 101. Other victims of the battle were either buried at sea near Trafalgar, or in other cemeteries in Gibraltar.
Many of the interred died during the Yellow Fever epidemics of 1804, 1813 and 1814. There are also tombs of service men who died during the sea battles of the French Revolutionary wars and the Napoleonic Wars. In 1932, some of the tombstones from the larger St Jago Cemetery were transferred to Trafalgar cemetery, with some from Alameda Gardens joining them over the following years.
Every Trafalgar Day, which is the nearest Sunday to the 21st October, the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, a ceremony is held to commemorate Lord Nelson’s victory.
I'm watching an old British show, The Royal, in which a song from 1964 is playing. The song is called Tobacco Road (by The Nashville Teens), and the lyrics are shown in the subtitles (which I always use). At one point, the original line is "in the middle of Tobacco Road", but the subtitle says "in the bathroom".
The sequel to The Darkness Outside of Us. I enjoyed it! It's both interestingly different from the first book and is satisfying on the level of "I want more of this," which is exactly what one wants from a sequel.
Literally everything about this book is massively spoilery for the first one, including its premise. I'll do two sets of spoiler cuts, one for the premise and one for the whole book.
snowflake_challenge would like us to recommend to others a way in to finding a place in a fandom that we're already part of.
Challenge #14
Create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom.
The two of those things are quite different, I might note. The promo is about trying to get people into a fandom based on the strength of the canonical materials (whether the smart writing, the intricate plot, or the hotness of the actors), and the rec list is about getting people into a fandom (or at least the transformative fandom part) based on the fanworks that are available to someone. Neither of these methods are inherently wrong, but depending on your approach, someone might get into the fandom with radically different ideas of what the source material or the fandom is about. (This is not necessarily a bad thing, but approaching something from the fannish side might make you suspect there's more nuance and depth to the source material than there actually is.)
Anyway, since I am both not very good at collecting new fandoms and not very good at getting and remembering works in the fandoms I have, this would normally leave me in a pickle about what to do, except I have plenty of older fandoms and recommendations for you that will make up for my utter lack of newish fandoms for you to experience.
I’m a little late to getting the newsletter out this morning so I’m sending this recording out first. If you didn’t get a chance to watch this interview yesterday I highly recommend doing so. is a super smart and compelling guy, and our conversation—which covered the current DHS bill, the history of civics education in the US, and whether our calls make a difference (spoiler alert: they do!)—was just terrific!
Enjoy, and if you learn something from this discussion please consider sharing it and, of course, subscribing to Ben’s newsletter !
Talk again soon.
Jess
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The night before last I had a very unsettling incident in the middle of the night when I got up to use the bathroom. My basement room is fairly long, with the bed at one end with a chest of drawers next to it acting as a nightstand, then an L-shaped couch along the wall next to that, then behind the shorter side of the couch a short hall leading to the stairs up to the main floors of the house. On one side of the hallway is a bathroom/laundry, and on the other is the girls' art room. Some light comes through the two small basement windows so it's not completely dark in the part of the room where the bed is during the night, but over in the hallway there is hardly any light. So I came out of the bathroom at 2 am or whatever time it was and somehow veered into the open doorway of the art room instead of going straight along behind the couch, and suddenly I had no idea where I was because I was feeling around for the back of the couch and only encountering empty space. I was completely disoriented. I started to step forwards into the space and my foot felt the small step down (only an inch or so) and just as suddenly I realised where I was and was easily able to make my way back to bed. (But meanwhile I had bumped my forehead against the door frame of the art room - ouch.)
Three months ago I went to my Kaiser portal and changed my mailing address. At the same time I contacted the National Finance Center, the people who handle my premium payments, to let them know my new address. Three months later I discover that the Kaiser website is still showing my previous address, and also three months later I have still heard nothing from the National Finance Center about the address change and the change of health insurance planto one which operates in Connecticut, in spite of repeated emails plus sending them an actual letter in the mail three weeks ago. I am absolutely and completely fed up with the incompetence of both Kaiser and whoever is supposed to be handling my premium payments. I suspect that because the National Finance Center is part of the Federal Government, the person who was handling my case might have been fired, but Kaiser has no such excuse.
This morning I had a text from the real estate agent suggesting that I needed to buy some vacant house insurance and giving me a link to an insurance agent who works with his company. The issue of insurance had not occurred to me because I knew the existing house insurance policy had not expired, but turns out insurance companies don't like insuring empty houses. So it looks like this will be one more thing for me to have to pay for until the house sells.
So I'm trying to add the Previous/Next links to my Navlinks Module using a code that was previously posted here, but I'm having issues with the Previous link showing up regardless of whether or not there's previous entries (I'm testing on this journal with public entries for reference).
Thinking about the 'how can you do/think about normal innocuous quotidien things' while shocking horrors are going on -
(Am not actually going to invoke pet genre of 'look at all these novels being written at a time when World War 2 was just about to begin/beginning'.)
This was just a coincidental thing that occurred to me when I was talking about something tangentially related when being a Nexpert for a journalist yesterday.
Who wanted to know about a certain sex manual v popular in its day and its author -
In the course of which I mentioned that it was not prosecuted for obscenity** unlike Eustace Chesser's Love without Fear (1940). One would have thought that possibly people had other things on their mind in 1940 than maximising matrimonial happiness, particularly considering that families were being broken up by men being conscripted into service, women being evacuated with their children, etc etc, but anyway, it was published, and sold several thousand copies before, in 1942, it was prosecuted for obscenity by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Again, one would think people had other things on their mind. Anyway, Chesser and his publisher decided to take the case to court and plead not guilty before a jury, bringing three medical witnesses for the defence. The jury was out for less than an hour before returning a 'not guilty' verdict.
***
Yesterday saw snowdrops appearing in the local park.
Tucked into the scenic Ohio River waterfront of Clarksville, Indiana, this cheerful tribute to one of America’s most enduring cultural icons invites visitors to become part of the story. The vibrant, full-color statue depicts Rosie the Riveter — arm flexed, bandana tied, and ever-ready with a confident “We Can Do It!” — framed perfectly for selfies with the Louisville skyline glinting across the river.
But this Rosie is more than a replica of a World War II poster. She honors Rose Will Monroe, a real riveter whose life embodied the grit, independence, and can-do spirit that made Rosie a symbol of wartime America. A young widow with two children, Monroe left rural Kentucky to work on B-24 bombers in Michigan. There, she was filmed promoting war bonds and became one of the figures associated with the Rosie legend. After the war she made Clarksville her home — founding a construction company, earning a pilot’s license, and raising her family with the same determination she showed in the factory.
Unveiled in September 2022 after overwhelming community support and a successful crowdfunding campaign, the statue is both a selfie magnet and a quiet reminder of women’s contributions to the home front during World War II. It stands along the Ohio River Greenway at Ashland Park, where picnickers, cyclists, and history buffs alike pause to reflect on the everyday heroes who helped shape modern America.
In 1964, in Huntsville, Alabama, anything seemed possible. Just 15 years earlier, the city had been, in the words of the local paper, a “ghost town,” a community of just 16,000 people spread over about 4.5 square miles. Now, it was “Space City,” a thriving metropolis that had annexed almost 46 additional square miles of the Appalachian hills to accommodate some 123,000 residents. The population boom could be credited almost entirely to Space Race–related installations, such as NASA’s George Marshall Space Center, which had made the northern Alabama city the starting block in America’s sprint to the moon.
And the scientists weren’t the only ones reaching for the stars. Huntsville’s boosters saw opportunity, too. The local Lions Club adopted the Space City moniker, as did a Huntsville auto dealership, the city’s flying club and its annual bridge competition. Huntsville’s Penney’s department store sold “Space City satellites,” stylized red, white, or blue plastic frisbees; politicians appropriated “Space City” as a rallying cry for progress, growth, and investment; and entrepreneur Hubert Mitchell started planning for a theme park that, the company boasted, “studies indicate hundreds of thousands of people a year will visit.” (Huntsville definitely did not appreciate it when Houston, “with typical Texas modesty,” the Huntsville Times wrote, began calling itself “Space City, U.S.A.” in 1962.)
Click on the image to read more.
Space City USA—the name Mitchell gave his ambitious undertaking—was just the latest in decades of get-rich ideas the serial entrepreneur had pursued in the region. He was also a restaurateur and a drive-in movie theater operator, a furniture manufacturer and an automobile maker.
This document provides facts of the Space City USA Theme Park “Project,” “Purpose,” “History & Organization,” “Financing,” “Design & Construction,” “Features,” “Rides and Attractions,” “Attendance Factors,” and “Projections.” Click on the image to read more.
Mitchell announced Space City USA in January 1964 with the fanfare befitting the $5 million undertaking (the equivalent of a $53 million project today). Two hundred acres along Highway 20 near Lady Ann Lake would be transformed into a recreation and entertainment center that would transport visitors “into the world of the past, fantasy and future,” according to documents about the project preserved by the University of Alabama in Huntsville and shared via JSTOR. “If you would like to hurtle through space in a flying saucer, stop off at Mars and have lunch on the moon, you may not have to wait much longer,” one newspaper reported after the plan was unveiled, according to archivist Drew Adan, whose research on Space City USA in Nasa and the American South draws on the collection.
A pamphlet advertising “The Skyliner” chairlift to “park and carnival owners, independent ride operators and fair management.” Click on the image to read more.
The University of Alabama collection is a tour through the theme park attractions of the era, the antique cars, chairlifts, trains and “super jets” that Mitchell and his partners planned to turn into profit. Guests would enter through a “Time Machine,” which would take them to “The Lost World,” a prehistoric landscape dominated by a seven-story walk-through plaster volcano; the fantastical Land of Oz, home to the Jack and the Beanstalk slide; the Old South, with its stern-wheeler boat ride and “Gay Nineties” saloon; and, most importantly, Moon City. Billboards across the South advertising the under-construction park featured a rocket ship and a playful cartoon astronaut. Until the park was completed—planned for spring 1965—the property would be open for fishing, camping, picnicking and skydiving.
Four photographs of the “Super Jet” ride. Click on the image to take a closer look.
But construction, which had started in early 1964, was delayed and delayed again. Just before the originally scheduled opening, a newspaper photo of the property showed only the past: a railroad track running by a few forlorn Southern-style buildings with the timber bones of a would-be volcano in the distance. There would be no future for Space City USA. In 1965, Mitchell resigned from the project and by 1966, it faced numerous lawsuits for unpaid bills.
A telegram to Hubert Mitchell discussing the park project development. Click on the image to take a closer look.
As man inched closer to the moon, the theme park Mitchell had planned to capitalize on that mission rotted away. “Only occasionally curiosity seekers are in evidence at the property plus a supply of cans and rubbish—obviously the result of more than a few beer parties,” a Huntsville Times reporter wrote just three years after the plan was announced. Today, the only evidence of Mitchell’s moonshot is a few concrete remnants incorporated into an upscale housing development on Lady Ann Lake.
Photographs of people on train rides. Click on the image to take a closer look.
In the intervening years, local historians have blamed everything from the unseasonably cold and wet winter of 1964 and the competition from NASA-sanctioned attractions to mismanagement and outright fraud for the failure, estimated to have cost $2 million. “Generally it appears as though Space City was an ill-fated venture from its conception,” the Huntsville Times opined in 1967.
But Mitchell’s vision was not as absurd as it now seems. At the same time that Mitchell was announcing Space City USA, another man was considering another theme park with a futuristic bent on the outskirts of another small but growing Southern city near a NASA outpost. That man was Walt Disney, the city was Orlando, and the theme park was, of course, Disney World, now the most visited on Earth.
And please do check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on. You might just find your newest obsession!
And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.
I’ve had this quote in my scratch file for a few years, waiting for me to find something to say about it. Except, I’ve got nothing that it doesn’t say itself, and better:
“Imaginative fiction trains people to be aware that there are other ways to do things, other ways to be; that there is not just one civilization, and it is good, and it is the way we have to be.” —Ursula K. Le Guin
We got around a foot of snow, no ice at all. It stayed aroudn 7F all day sunday and rose to a balmy 20F yesterday. My dad got giddy and spent a good portion of the day plowing all the snow, I think he's missed doing it since I came back and have doing it. I cleaned off all the vehicles and shoveled the sidewalk at least. It was -8F this morning somewhat unexpectedly, but I left the faucet dripping and everything was okay there.
I felt under the weather the last two days, I think I stressed myself out too much with Friday and Saturday work, especially the straw spreading so intensely. My problem elbow (right) feels weird. Not super sore, just weird. I was using it more when putting bales in the shredder to keep pressure off the wound in my left index finger and I think it's unhappy because of that. Someday I will get that checked out. But also I suspect I have a period coming up this week which is always a terrible time. I was able to get a new T prescription finally but the effects won't kick back in for a bit. I suspect my tiredness is hormonal related generally. Bleh.
Sunday, I spent a good amount of time spinning, which is something I can do so long as I remember to keep my index finger away from thr wool. Can't knit for sure.
I did remove the stitches yesterday, the skin flap finally sealed itself up solidly and the stitches touching things were hurting more than the cut, so I just got them out. Plus I think I was fussing with them in my sleep even though I had wrapped it. It still makes washing dishes extremely difficult.
Yesterday, I read fanfiction, made this cookie recipe (delicious even if it was way way way too thick to pipe even after adding a lot more milk, I wonder if the milk quantity was a typo), tried making foccacia and burned the bejeesus out of it, made risotto for dinner and crafted. I was very tired and down feeling for most of the day but I did perk up and feel better with crafting hangout time. Yay socializing! Plus I made progress on projects.
Fanfiction wise, I have started reading a few witcher fanfics. I don't even go there, but somehow ended up reading (via the author gremble rec'd below):
The Accidental Warlord and His Pack by inexplicifics - listen, I don't even go here. I know basically nothing about Witcher, but this series explains everything anyway. It's very enjoyable. Very wish fulfillment but enjoyable all the same
Then I looked at friend dragonlady7 (bomberqueen17 on Ao3 and tumblr)'s fic which I do love all the stuff she writes in other fandoms and decided to jump in and have read almost all of her witcher fics in the last three days. It's over 1 million words. It's very good. Still ongoing but she's a great writer and I do love threesomes with feelings and she likes writing those. Even her smut is usually in service of character and relationships development so I'll read it which is pretty good for my taste. Most times smut is skippable but I'll read hers mostly.
other two fanfics I've been reading lately
Bring Down Rain by gremble - ever want to think about the inherent horror of ComfortUnits in the Murderbot universe but also how they're people too???? it's so good. Still updating, but the author is pretty consistent and it's almost done
for the want of a jewel by FormLessVoidbeast - The above series reminded me of this original fic which I had read first and now that I've looked, it is inspired by it. Really fun and good, interesting worldbuilding too.
Artisanal wisdom prepared by hand in small batches from only the finest, locally sourced, organic insights. Not homogenized • Superlative clarity • Excellently thought provoking
Telling you things you didn't know you knew & pointing out things that you didn't know that you didn't know since at least 2004.
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