(no subject)
Feb. 1st, 2026 02:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
majuViolet has some kind of stomach bug - she threw up yesterday evening and then again in the middle of the night. Today she is very listless and quiet, but has not thrown up again. I hope this is not something that's going to run through the whole household. Earlier Aria was playing with my phone, and unbeknownst to me and to my dismay, handed it to Violet, and now I'm afraid to touch the phone in case Violet is still contagious.
I have a sinking feeling that I need to see a dentist sooner rather than later; the back right hand part of my mouth has a vague achey feeling which has been coming and going over the last few days. It is so mild that I'm barely aware of it and it doesn't keep me awake at night, but I can tell that that side of my mouth doesn't feel quite normal. If I was still in Maryland this wouldn't be a problem; I would just make an appointment with my usual dentist and walk over there for the appointment. However, here I don't yet have a dentist, plus there are no dentists in walking distance, plus my car is still covered in frozen snow and several metres of the driveway between it and the cleared part of the driveway is also still covered in frozen snow. For now I'm taking a wait and see approach.
My parkrun in Maryland has been cancelled for the past two weeks because of the intense cold and the fact that the trail is covered in snow and ice.
I have a sinking feeling that I need to see a dentist sooner rather than later; the back right hand part of my mouth has a vague achey feeling which has been coming and going over the last few days. It is so mild that I'm barely aware of it and it doesn't keep me awake at night, but I can tell that that side of my mouth doesn't feel quite normal. If I was still in Maryland this wouldn't be a problem; I would just make an appointment with my usual dentist and walk over there for the appointment. However, here I don't yet have a dentist, plus there are no dentists in walking distance, plus my car is still covered in frozen snow and several metres of the driveway between it and the cleared part of the driveway is also still covered in frozen snow. For now I'm taking a wait and see approach.
My parkrun in Maryland has been cancelled for the past two weeks because of the intense cold and the fact that the trail is covered in snow and ice.
2025 Snowflake Wrap-up Post
Jan. 31st, 2026 12:41 pmflorianschild posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
snowflake_challengeWe've reached the closing curtain of our beautiful Snowflake Challenge 2026. It's been a whirlwind month of fun, community, and lots of creativity! One of the best parts of this challenge is that it truly lives up to its name and its original inspiration: every single year that we come together to celebrate is a unique circumstance of participants, mods, prompts, graphics, challenges, and celebrations. Every year is a unique snowflake in and of itself, never again to be replicated in the exact same pattern. I hope everyone felt some enjoyment and appreciation during the past month, and of course please continue to post your responses and fills because there is no deadline to this challenge!
Thank you so much to all the participants. Thank you especially to those who took the time to interact with fellow participants and make the community feel so alive! And of course thank you to all the mods who went above and beyond and especially totjs_whatnot, our co-admin who has worked really hard this month to keep everything running smoothly.
We do have a poll below to get your feedback on the challenge, if that's something you're interested in doing. We really appreciate it and we take all your responses into consideration when planning for next year.
Peace and happy late winter season to all!
( Poll under the cut! )
Thank you so much to all the participants. Thank you especially to those who took the time to interact with fellow participants and make the community feel so alive! And of course thank you to all the mods who went above and beyond and especially to
tjs_whatnot, our co-admin who has worked really hard this month to keep everything running smoothly.We do have a poll below to get your feedback on the challenge, if that's something you're interested in doing. We really appreciate it and we take all your responses into consideration when planning for next year.
Peace and happy late winter season to all!
( Poll under the cut! )
2026 Fandom Snowflake Challenge Friending Meme
Jan. 31st, 2026 09:01 amtjs_whatnot posting in snowflake_challengeIntroduction Post
Meet the Mods Post
Challenge #1
Challenge #2
Challenge #3
Challenge #4
Challenge #5
Challenge #6
Challenge #7
Challenge #8
Challenge #9
Challenge #10
Challenge #11
Challenge #12
Challenge #13
Challenge #14
Challenge #15
The post-Snowflake Friending Meme has been such a rousing success that we’ve made it a permanent fixture here at the Fandom Snowflake Challenge, so come and make some new friends!
Just copy and paste the template into a comment; include as much or as little info about yourself as you want.
After you've done that, go through and read other people's comments and either strike up a conversation here, or take your mutual interests to each other's journals and new, shiny friends.
[We’re using an updated comment template, which was originally created byrubytuesday5681 for the the_neverenders community and adapted for use here.]
Spread the word by sharing the above banner:
( alternate banner )
Meet the Mods Post
Challenge #1
Challenge #2
Challenge #3
Challenge #4
Challenge #5
Challenge #6
Challenge #7
Challenge #8
Challenge #9
Challenge #10
Challenge #11
Challenge #12
Challenge #13
Challenge #14
Challenge #15
The post-Snowflake Friending Meme has been such a rousing success that we’ve made it a permanent fixture here at the Fandom Snowflake Challenge, so come and make some new friends!
Just copy and paste the template into a comment; include as much or as little info about yourself as you want.
After you've done that, go through and read other people's comments and either strike up a conversation here, or take your mutual interests to each other's journals and new, shiny friends.
[We’re using an updated comment template, which was originally created by
rubytuesday5681 for the the_neverenders community and adapted for use here.]Spread the word by sharing the above banner:
( alternate banner )
Just One Thing (31 January 2026)
Jan. 31st, 2026 12:03 pmnanila posting in awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Events of note
Jan. 31st, 2026 11:14 amrmc28Ice hockey:
I'm trying to practice more regularly with Womens Blues on a Friday, this means I have 4 practices a week over 3 days (Friday nights are double-practice, with just over an hour between Womens Blues and Warbirds). I played for a joint Huskies-WBs game against UCL two weeks ago, and for Warbirds against Chelmsford Chargers last Saturday, immediately followed by watching Huskies play Oxford Vikings B. I had begun to fear that Huskies could only win when I wasn't physically in the building, so was very glad to be proved emphatically wrong by a 7-4 scoreline. Both Saturdays I went out with the students after the game, and ended up staying up way too late (worth it though, I love my teammates very much).
I have yet to play a winning game this season, across any of my four teams (Kodiaks, Warbirds, Huskies, Womens Blues). I'm still having fun every time I step onto the ice to play, and that's what matters. But I would really like a win any time now. This weekend for a change I have no games to play, but will be doing game ops for Tri-Base Lightning vs Peterborough Dynamo, followed by the same for Mens Blues vs Imperial Devils. Huskies are having a social watching the MBs and then going out (of course!). Next week I am driving to Sheffield with Womens Blues for a late night game Monday and taking Tuesday off work to recover.
Theatre:
I love living in the same city as the ADC Theatre, and especially getting a staff discount on the already reasonably-priced tickets. Two weeks ago I took Charles to see Hadestown: Teen Edition (that means they changed the register of some of the parts to make it easier for youth theatre to stage), along with Mick and Joye and a couple of my friends, and he loved it. This week we saw Noises Off together, which is as funny as I remembered. We've been through the rest of the current schedule and while I can't get to anything in February, we're hoping my schedule will let us get to a whole swathe of productions from March to May.
Languages:
Modern Irish classes have resumed for this term and I am still so very happy to be studying again, and also happy to have no compulsory homework or exams. Highlight of this week's classes: we were discussing plans for the weekend, and the professor gave us the Irish for "watching a hockey game", saying "as a Canadian, it's 'hockey' not 'ice hockey'".
I have both Pimsleur and Babbel apps to work on other languages (primarily French and Czech at the moment), but I'm struggling to make much time to use either of them at the moment, the university ice hockey season is so intense.
Reading: I'm continuing to make my way through the Rick Riordan backlist and enjoying the journey very much.
Box!
Jan. 31st, 2026 05:51 amkallowayA lovely Winterthing box from tainry! (A couple of days ago, actually-)
Oooh, jewelry! Lemon earrings! I don't think I've ever worn hooks like these and I had to get an old pair to put in to make sure my holes were clear. Got it figured out, though. ^^;; And the set, omg it's gorgeous. I need to spend more time being elegant. (Though when it gets warmer, I think.)
Spatula! I love bamboo spatulas and this one is gorgeous. One day I will climb up and get the whole collection spruced up and take some photos. (They're on top of a china cabinet; I at least need to stand on a chair.)
Bag!! I actually have a bunch of Marvel reusable shopping bags from boycritter but not this one! I use these bags for everything so it will get a lot of use. (I still have some of my very original cloth bags from... almost twenty years ago now?! Quite a few have fallen apart, but some have surprisingly survived. It'd be nice if they'd catch on more here but a lot of people are still surprised and baffled by them.)
And stickers and goodies, omg. These are an absolute joy and I'm going to be pawing through them forever to pick favorites and decide what goes on my new toolbox. (And possibly my old toolbox, when it gets warmer, since that's just in the garage and will be getting use. It still has a bit of real estate here and there.)
Thank you thank you!! <3<3<3
tainry! (A couple of days ago, actually-) Oooh, jewelry! Lemon earrings! I don't think I've ever worn hooks like these and I had to get an old pair to put in to make sure my holes were clear. Got it figured out, though. ^^;; And the set, omg it's gorgeous. I need to spend more time being elegant. (Though when it gets warmer, I think.)
Spatula! I love bamboo spatulas and this one is gorgeous. One day I will climb up and get the whole collection spruced up and take some photos. (They're on top of a china cabinet; I at least need to stand on a chair.)
Bag!! I actually have a bunch of Marvel reusable shopping bags from boycritter but not this one! I use these bags for everything so it will get a lot of use. (I still have some of my very original cloth bags from... almost twenty years ago now?! Quite a few have fallen apart, but some have surprisingly survived. It'd be nice if they'd catch on more here but a lot of people are still surprised and baffled by them.)
And stickers and goodies, omg. These are an absolute joy and I'm going to be pawing through them forever to pick favorites and decide what goes on my new toolbox. (And possibly my old toolbox, when it gets warmer, since that's just in the garage and will be getting use. It still has a bit of real estate here and there.)
Thank you thank you!! <3<3<3
more spring flowers
Jan. 31st, 2026 10:39 ambookscorpion posting in common_nature
my spring flowers are in full bloom now, and there's more to come still
Weekend Cooking: Pickled Oysters
Jan. 31st, 2026 06:36 pmsnowynight To Pickle Oysters.
Take Oysters and wash them cleane in their own Liquor, and let them settle, then strain it, and put your Oysters to it with a little Mace and whole pepper, as much Salt as you please, and a little Wine-Vinegar, then set them over the fire, and let them boyle leisurely till they are pretty tender; be sure to skim them still as the skim riseth; when they are enough, take them out till the Pickle be cold, then put them into any pot that will lye close, they will keep best in Caper barrels, they will keep very well six weeks.
From The Compleat Cook by W. M. (1658 UK)
From The Compleat Cook by W. M. (1658 UK)
A Reckoning of Swords 30
Jan. 31st, 2026 12:20 amkallowayHappy Anniversary, Lemonade Cafe! I certainly did not think, 23 years ago, that I was creating anything enduring. But it is still here, and I am still here. Go figure.
I have, in fact, chosen a notebook to tackle, though it's going to share with writing a bunch of stuff (hopefully) for thesmall_fandoms Drabblethon. It has some blank pages, so I can also write drabbles in it. (Ha!) So far I've been able to tear out and pitch some pages of things already long written and posted, which feels good. Some of what's left includes notes for projects that are downright ancient. And, like, to be honest I can probably just write whatever to finish some of these up? It's been so long that I feel like any actual expectations have vanished.
I am free.
I have, in fact, chosen a notebook to tackle, though it's going to share with writing a bunch of stuff (hopefully) for the
small_fandoms Drabblethon. It has some blank pages, so I can also write drabbles in it. (Ha!) So far I've been able to tear out and pitch some pages of things already long written and posted, which feels good. Some of what's left includes notes for projects that are downright ancient. And, like, to be honest I can probably just write whatever to finish some of these up? It's been so long that I feel like any actual expectations have vanished. I am free.
Weekly chat reminder
Jan. 30th, 2026 11:45 pmsnycock posting in ts_bluejunglePlease join us for the TS chat on Saturday, January 31st, at 7 pm Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)/19:00 UTC. That could be as early as 11 am if you’re on the west coast of North America, or 2 pm if you’re on the east coast, or 7 pm in the UK, or Sunday morning in Australia or New Zealand.
We’re in the usual place: http://us25.chatzy.com/81935648447483. There’s nothing to download or install, just choose a name and a color and click on “join chat.”
It’s the fifth Saturday of the month, which means it’s time for Pimp Your Fandom! What have you been reading or watching lately (other than TS, of course) that you love, and why would TS fans love it, too?
See you there!
short shrift
Jan. 31st, 2026 12:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
merriamwebster_feedMerriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2026 is:
short shrift • \SHORT-SHRIFT\ • noun
Short shrift means “little or no attention or thought” or “quick work.” In religious use it refers to barely adequate time for confession before execution.
// Certain neighborhoods have received short shrift from the city government.
Examples:
“[Charlie] Caplinger echoed the concerns of many speakers at the meeting, with charter captains saying the recreational fishing industry’s economic contributions were being given short shrift.” — Mike Smith, NOLA.com (New Orleans, Louisiana), 6 Nov. 2025
Did you know?
We’ve got a confession to make, but we’ll keep it brief: while it’s technically possible to make “long shrift” of something, you’re unlikely to find long shrift in our dictionary anytime soon. Short shrift, on the other hand, has been keeping it real—real terse, that is—for centuries. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare’s time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.
Iron Lung
Jan. 30th, 2026 08:27 pmolivermossI enjoyed it!
Before I talk about the movie I want to be meta about the whole hype going on right now. The original game it's based on is low poly, low resolution, almost no dialogue, extremely basic controls and only a few interactions. Extremely few assets at all. There is not one pixel more than is needed. It is the epitome of 'minimum viable product'
This is all you see for most of the game:
The game barely even exists even by indie horror standards. This should be a case study in 'finish your projects'.
How long it took the guy to make it, we don't know. AFAIK he's never talked about it. Was this the result of years of thought on minimalism or a weekend fever dream?
Anyway, I enjoyed the film but I don't know how it will hit with people unfamiliar with indie horror games or
I don't think this was a project designed to escape containment.
Basically, I expect wont hit with most mainstream reviewers and people outside the scene coming to check it out due to buzz, but the large group of teens in the theater with me gathered in the hallway after to start breaking down all the details.
Before I talk about the movie I want to be meta about the whole hype going on right now. The original game it's based on is low poly, low resolution, almost no dialogue, extremely basic controls and only a few interactions. Extremely few assets at all. There is not one pixel more than is needed. It is the epitome of 'minimum viable product'
This is all you see for most of the game:
The game barely even exists even by indie horror standards. This should be a case study in 'finish your projects'.
How long it took the guy to make it, we don't know. AFAIK he's never talked about it. Was this the result of years of thought on minimalism or a weekend fever dream?
Anyway, I enjoyed the film but I don't know how it will hit with people unfamiliar with indie horror games or
IYKYK
SCP Foundation.Basically, I expect wont hit with most mainstream reviewers and people outside the scene coming to check it out due to buzz, but the large group of teens in the theater with me gathered in the hallway after to start breaking down all the details.
Meeting cancelled
Jan. 30th, 2026 10:38 pmsilver_chipmunkWoke up with the alarm at 10:00, hit the snooze until I got a phone call from my therapist asking if it was OK to have our appointment then. I said give me five minutes, and in a hurry got ready.
The appointment was good. After that I had a bowl of Cheerios, and went back to bed. I didn't mean to sleep as long as I did but I didn't get up til after 3:00.
After that I had coffee and then puttered online. I got texts that my meeting tonight was cancelled due to the cold and people's lack of parking, which I think was the wrong decision, but not up to me.
At 7:00 I Teamed the FWiB. We talked for almost two hours which was super-nice.
After that I had dinner, and then went to the bedroom and played solitaire until pet feeding time.
For those who don't know, today was the General Strike nationwide in support of Minneapolis, I did my bit by staying in and not buying anything. Last night the Kid called me and made me promise if I went to my meeting today I wouldn't buy my usual pizza first.
And I will mention that Bruce Springsteen's new song The Streets of Minneapolis, is number one on iTunes in at least 19 countries according to Snopes. For those who haven't heard it, it's also on YouTube. It's here If the link works right...
Anyway, that was the day.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. My therapy and therapist.
3. My meetings and the people there, even when they're cancelled.
4. Bruce Springsteen, a national treasure.
5. Warm apartment.
6. People standing together against oppression.
The appointment was good. After that I had a bowl of Cheerios, and went back to bed. I didn't mean to sleep as long as I did but I didn't get up til after 3:00.
After that I had coffee and then puttered online. I got texts that my meeting tonight was cancelled due to the cold and people's lack of parking, which I think was the wrong decision, but not up to me.
At 7:00 I Teamed the FWiB. We talked for almost two hours which was super-nice.
After that I had dinner, and then went to the bedroom and played solitaire until pet feeding time.
For those who don't know, today was the General Strike nationwide in support of Minneapolis, I did my bit by staying in and not buying anything. Last night the Kid called me and made me promise if I went to my meeting today I wouldn't buy my usual pizza first.
And I will mention that Bruce Springsteen's new song The Streets of Minneapolis, is number one on iTunes in at least 19 countries according to Snopes. For those who haven't heard it, it's also on YouTube. It's here If the link works right...
Anyway, that was the day.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. My therapy and therapist.
3. My meetings and the people there, even when they're cancelled.
4. Bruce Springsteen, a national treasure.
5. Warm apartment.
6. People standing together against oppression.
Wrap up.
Jan. 30th, 2026 10:24 pmhannahChallenge #15
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go? Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Also, feel free to entice engagement by giving us a preview of what your post covers.
It got me back into the habit of daily posting, which I find comfortable and familiar, so I'd say it went well. I didn't do every day's challenge and I didn't follow along with other people much, and I still found myself trying to get a little bit of the day down and a little bit of myself outside of my head on a regular basis, both of which are genuinely helpful. Blogging's a lot like riding a bike: you don't forget how to do it, but you need to rebuilt your stamina. And, of course, you have to want to keep at it. Now that I've gotten back into it, I feel like I do.
I'm sure if I looked back at past years, I'd be saying much the same thing. That's a trick about journaling in general and blogging in particular - you can look back and see what you've put down, and even though you might not remember the choices behind those words, you remember enough to recognize the part of you that said them. Hopefully, at any rate. I don't particularly want to go back and look at this time last year, or the year before, or the one before that. I want to keep moving forward like this for a while longer before looking back. That's another trick about this kind of thing. You build your own momentum.
This year I've spent more time than usual thinking about what's come before and how long I've been doing this. I'm not against having done it for so long or to keep doing it for as long as I can manage to keep the momentum going. Just something to consider as a neutral statement and a fact of the matter. A statement I can look forward to making this time next year, to be around to keep making it.
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go? Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Also, feel free to entice engagement by giving us a preview of what your post covers.
It got me back into the habit of daily posting, which I find comfortable and familiar, so I'd say it went well. I didn't do every day's challenge and I didn't follow along with other people much, and I still found myself trying to get a little bit of the day down and a little bit of myself outside of my head on a regular basis, both of which are genuinely helpful. Blogging's a lot like riding a bike: you don't forget how to do it, but you need to rebuilt your stamina. And, of course, you have to want to keep at it. Now that I've gotten back into it, I feel like I do.
I'm sure if I looked back at past years, I'd be saying much the same thing. That's a trick about journaling in general and blogging in particular - you can look back and see what you've put down, and even though you might not remember the choices behind those words, you remember enough to recognize the part of you that said them. Hopefully, at any rate. I don't particularly want to go back and look at this time last year, or the year before, or the one before that. I want to keep moving forward like this for a while longer before looking back. That's another trick about this kind of thing. You build your own momentum.
This year I've spent more time than usual thinking about what's come before and how long I've been doing this. I'm not against having done it for so long or to keep doing it for as long as I can manage to keep the momentum going. Just something to consider as a neutral statement and a fact of the matter. A statement I can look forward to making this time next year, to be around to keep making it.
