World Book Day
Apr. 23rd, 2025 12:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThe 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.
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"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?
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.
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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... )
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.
Daughter-in-law bristles when asked for flight info
Apr. 22nd, 2025 07:41 amambyr posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
agonyauntDear Carolyn: When I asked my daughter-in-law about their vacation destination and flight information, she asked why I wanted to know. I said if there was a crash, I would want to know that it wasn’t their flight. She asked why I was wishing their plane to crash. She also said this type of question takes away her agency.
Sharing flight information is common among my mom friends, so I was surprised. She suggested therapy to handle my anxiety.
I am now feeling very unsure about how to relate to her. She seems to make up a version of me that isn’t accurate and then respond as if that was who I am. I want to avoid conflict with her because this relationship is important to my son. How to proceed?
( Easiest: Stop asking for flight info )
Sharing flight information is common among my mom friends, so I was surprised. She suggested therapy to handle my anxiety.
I am now feeling very unsure about how to relate to her. She seems to make up a version of me that isn’t accurate and then respond as if that was who I am. I want to avoid conflict with her because this relationship is important to my son. How to proceed?
( Easiest: Stop asking for flight info )
Palestinian Speculative Fiction Reading List
Apr. 22nd, 2025 12:49 amysabetwordsmithThe following is a growing reading list for the ReadPalestinianSpecFic challenge. This is a work in progress to create a list of all available Palestinian speculative fiction.
Photos: Cookie Jar Terrarium Part 1: Setup
Apr. 21st, 2025 10:35 pmysabetwordsmithRecently I bought a little fern, so I'm making a new terrarium. You can also see the previous Antique Jar Terrarium.
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(no subject)
Apr. 21st, 2025 06:48 pmconuly posting in agonyauntDear Care and Feeding,
My family and I live down the block from my sister and her family. They went away for spring break to visit her in-laws and tasked my 12-year-old daughter “Blair” with feeding their tropical fish while they were gone.
The day before they were due back, Blair went over in the morning to feed the fish and discovered they were all dead. It turned out that the tank heater had failed at some point during the previous day after Blair took care of them. The problem is that my sister is blaming Blair for “killing” her fish and demanding that we pay for new ones. Blair feels terrible about what happened, but she did a temperature check of the water before she left on the last day they were alive, and the temperature was where it was supposed to be (she had been writing it down on the daily temperature log, so we know for sure), so there was no negligence on her part. I explained this to my sister, but she won’t budge. Now she says Blair and her cousins (with whom she is very close) can’t play together until we pay for new fish. My husband thinks this is outrageous, and I agree. Even so, would buying some new fish be worth it so we can put this in the rearview mirror for Blair’s sake?
—Fish Fallout
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My family and I live down the block from my sister and her family. They went away for spring break to visit her in-laws and tasked my 12-year-old daughter “Blair” with feeding their tropical fish while they were gone.
The day before they were due back, Blair went over in the morning to feed the fish and discovered they were all dead. It turned out that the tank heater had failed at some point during the previous day after Blair took care of them. The problem is that my sister is blaming Blair for “killing” her fish and demanding that we pay for new ones. Blair feels terrible about what happened, but she did a temperature check of the water before she left on the last day they were alive, and the temperature was where it was supposed to be (she had been writing it down on the daily temperature log, so we know for sure), so there was no negligence on her part. I explained this to my sister, but she won’t budge. Now she says Blair and her cousins (with whom she is very close) can’t play together until we pay for new fish. My husband thinks this is outrageous, and I agree. Even so, would buying some new fish be worth it so we can put this in the rearview mirror for Blair’s sake?
—Fish Fallout
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Apr. 21st, 2025 05:25 pmconuly posting in agonyauntDear Care and Feeding,
My sister had her first child when I was 18 and her second when I was 20. (She’s eight years older than I am.) She lives a little over an hour from me, and we’ve always had a good relationship. I watched the kids regularly when I was in college, working around my class schedule, and I continued to do so for many years since, during the summer and on days off from school (I am a teacher). The kids are now 16 and 18, and I have a solid relationship with both of them. I also got married and had two kids of my own.
My sister-in-law is pregnant with her first baby. When I mentioned, at a gathering of my family, the Easter-themed pajamas I had bought for the baby (in what I hope will be the right size for next year), my sister got upset.
She pointed out that I’m “already hosting her [my SIL’s] baby shower,” and complained that I was now “also buying stuff for her baby for a holiday that isn’t even a gift-giving one.” I was surprised. I told her the pajamas were on clearance and I’d picked them up on impulse because they were cute. She responded that I had never bought anything for her kids for Easter when they were young. I said that was true, I hadn’t: I had been a broke college student at the time and also not a parent myself, so my awareness of things like that was much lower. She asked if I was going to continue buying things for that child on every other non-gift holiday—“Saint Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving?” I told her I might if I happened to see something I thought was cute; I jokingly asked if she’d like me to buy matching pajamas for her kids for Halloween this year if I found them.
She got even angrier and said she hopes my SIL appreciates all that I am doing for her because not everyone gets that from their family (very clearly meaning she hadn’t gotten that from me). I told her she was right—not everyone gets $1.99 Easter pajamas for their baby. But maybe some people got years of free babysitting, often with little to no notice, instead of cheap pajamas, because that’s what I was able to give at the time. She got up and left. I tried calling and texting her; she hasn’t responded. My mother has told me that my sister has talked to her about it, that my comment had hurt her, and that I was holding the child care I had done over her head. My mother thinks I should apologize.
I have no idea where this is coming from. It’s very out-of-character for her. I can’t believe she’s jealous about a pair of pajamas (or whatever that gift represents) for another baby when I have always had/still maintain a close relationship with her children. Our brothers also have kids we are both close to, and she has never acted like this. Can I just ignore her unreasonable behavior or do I actually have to address it? I usually have a cookout and host both sides of our family around the start of summer. I’d like to be confident that my SIL won’t be the object of my sister’s wrath that day just because she has the audacity to be pregnant with my future niece or nephew. But how?
—Aunt to Others, Too
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My sister had her first child when I was 18 and her second when I was 20. (She’s eight years older than I am.) She lives a little over an hour from me, and we’ve always had a good relationship. I watched the kids regularly when I was in college, working around my class schedule, and I continued to do so for many years since, during the summer and on days off from school (I am a teacher). The kids are now 16 and 18, and I have a solid relationship with both of them. I also got married and had two kids of my own.
My sister-in-law is pregnant with her first baby. When I mentioned, at a gathering of my family, the Easter-themed pajamas I had bought for the baby (in what I hope will be the right size for next year), my sister got upset.
She pointed out that I’m “already hosting her [my SIL’s] baby shower,” and complained that I was now “also buying stuff for her baby for a holiday that isn’t even a gift-giving one.” I was surprised. I told her the pajamas were on clearance and I’d picked them up on impulse because they were cute. She responded that I had never bought anything for her kids for Easter when they were young. I said that was true, I hadn’t: I had been a broke college student at the time and also not a parent myself, so my awareness of things like that was much lower. She asked if I was going to continue buying things for that child on every other non-gift holiday—“Saint Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving?” I told her I might if I happened to see something I thought was cute; I jokingly asked if she’d like me to buy matching pajamas for her kids for Halloween this year if I found them.
She got even angrier and said she hopes my SIL appreciates all that I am doing for her because not everyone gets that from their family (very clearly meaning she hadn’t gotten that from me). I told her she was right—not everyone gets $1.99 Easter pajamas for their baby. But maybe some people got years of free babysitting, often with little to no notice, instead of cheap pajamas, because that’s what I was able to give at the time. She got up and left. I tried calling and texting her; she hasn’t responded. My mother has told me that my sister has talked to her about it, that my comment had hurt her, and that I was holding the child care I had done over her head. My mother thinks I should apologize.
I have no idea where this is coming from. It’s very out-of-character for her. I can’t believe she’s jealous about a pair of pajamas (or whatever that gift represents) for another baby when I have always had/still maintain a close relationship with her children. Our brothers also have kids we are both close to, and she has never acted like this. Can I just ignore her unreasonable behavior or do I actually have to address it? I usually have a cookout and host both sides of our family around the start of summer. I’d like to be confident that my SIL won’t be the object of my sister’s wrath that day just because she has the audacity to be pregnant with my future niece or nephew. But how?
—Aunt to Others, Too
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Monday Update 4-21-25
Apr. 21st, 2025 01:36 pmysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Birdfeeding
Spring Friending Meme
Intro to the Web Revival #1: What is the Web Revival?
Books with Queer Autistic Characters for Autism Awareness Month
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Immigrants
Creative Jam
Vocabulary: Ladramhaiola
Join the Fictionfolk Webring
Safety
Read "The Greater Good"
Birdfeeding
Safety
Food
Where are the trans people toilets?
Jug Crafts for Gardening
Frugal Friday
Never Forget
Follow Friday 4-18-25: Graphics
Reality Imitating Art
Navajo Peaches
Birdfeeding
Anosognosia
Hobbies: Creative Writing
Gilda and Meek and the Un-Iverse
Success!
Transgender
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
"Not a Destination, But a Process" has 127 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 75 comments. Joann Fabrics going out of business has 56 comments.
Watch for Three Weeks for Dreamwidth coming April 25-May 15. People will celebrate the anniversary of the platform by posting things only on Dreamwidth and doing other blog activities. Think ahead about what you'll want to post while the traffic is higher.
"Babes in the Pineywoods" belongs to the Big One. It belongs to the Big One thread of Polychrome Heroics. Bo-Art and Creamjeans talk with the Black Doctor.
The weather has been variable and wet here. It rained last night Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a flock of grackles, a flock of brown-headed cowbirds, several blue jays, several starlings, two mourning doves, a male cardinal, a brown thrasher, a robin, and Nipple Squirrel. I've heard red-winged blackbirds and woodpeckers. Squills, pear, forsythia, and serviceberry are done. Currently blooming: daffodils, violets, blue grape hyacinths, tulips, dandelions, trilliums, snowbells, crabapples, lilacs, bleeding heart, redbud, columbine. Peonies have flower buds.
Birdfeeding
Spring Friending Meme
Intro to the Web Revival #1: What is the Web Revival?
Books with Queer Autistic Characters for Autism Awareness Month
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Immigrants
Creative Jam
Vocabulary: Ladramhaiola
Join the Fictionfolk Webring
Safety
Read "The Greater Good"
Birdfeeding
Safety
Food
Where are the trans people toilets?
Jug Crafts for Gardening
Frugal Friday
Never Forget
Follow Friday 4-18-25: Graphics
Reality Imitating Art
Navajo Peaches
Birdfeeding
Anosognosia
Hobbies: Creative Writing
Gilda and Meek and the Un-Iverse
Success!
Transgender
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
"Not a Destination, But a Process" has 127 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 75 comments. Joann Fabrics going out of business has 56 comments.
Watch for Three Weeks for Dreamwidth coming April 25-May 15. People will celebrate the anniversary of the platform by posting things only on Dreamwidth and doing other blog activities. Think ahead about what you'll want to post while the traffic is higher.
"Babes in the Pineywoods" belongs to the Big One. It belongs to the Big One thread of Polychrome Heroics. Bo-Art and Creamjeans talk with the Black Doctor.
The weather has been variable and wet here. It rained last night Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a flock of grackles, a flock of brown-headed cowbirds, several blue jays, several starlings, two mourning doves, a male cardinal, a brown thrasher, a robin, and Nipple Squirrel. I've heard red-winged blackbirds and woodpeckers. Squills, pear, forsythia, and serviceberry are done. Currently blooming: daffodils, violets, blue grape hyacinths, tulips, dandelions, trilliums, snowbells, crabapples, lilacs, bleeding heart, redbud, columbine. Peonies have flower buds.
Guest Post: How Illumicrate’s Platforming of "Rose in Chains" Betrays Their Values
Apr. 21st, 2025 02:24 pmhelloladies posting in ladybusinessDi talks about science fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction on her Booktube channel BookishDi and is one of the founders of the SFF book and fandom discussion show Stitch & Bitch. She can be found on BlueSky talking about books, politics, and women's sports.
On Wednesday, April 16, the UK Supreme Court issued a ruling on the legal definition of “woman” that excluded trans women. This case challenging the Equality Act was funded in large part by JK Rowling, and she celebrated the ruling with a series of disgusting, transphobic tweets. This is just her latest action to stigmatize trans women and destroy their ability to exist in public life in the UK. Coincidentally, the same day, UK based subscription box Illumicrate announced a special edition of the upcoming book, Rose in Chains by Julie Soto. This novel is based off of her hit Draco/Hermione fanfic, "The Auction", the premise of which is Voldermort winning the war and Hermione being sold into sexual slavery to Draco Malfoy. But don’t worry, he’s a good fascist and treats her well enough that she’s willing to defend the nice Nazis (I mean Death Eaters) when their actions come to trial. Plot points and names that directly identify it as HP have been changed for the trad pub release, but at its core it is still Harry Potter fanfiction.
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Birdfeeding
Apr. 21st, 2025 01:32 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, breezy, and cool. It rained for hours last night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches, plus a brown-headed cowbird.
I put out water for the birds.
The single yellow violet (which might be a hairy yellow violet) that I planted in the forest garden has seeded a whole new plant! :D 3q3q3q!!!! I am so excited.
We measured from the spigot to the old picnic table and the new picnic table. We'll need to acquire a 75-foot hose.
EDIT 4/21/25 -- The plumbers have come and gone. We have a working outside spigot! \o/ It has low water pressure for reasons that are not feasible to fix, but at least water comes out of it.
We dug up the old hoses. The yellow ones were in pieces so we threw those away. The green is still attached to a different spigot that it won't come off. But at least the yellows are gone. Progress.
I started working on a new cookie jar terrarium for the potted fern, but other things intervened so I haven't gotten very far yet.
I've seen the tufted titmouse! :D I haven't seen him in weeks, so I'm glad he's still around.
EDIT 4/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/21/25 -- I picked up more sticks for the firepit.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches, plus a brown-headed cowbird.
I put out water for the birds.
The single yellow violet (which might be a hairy yellow violet) that I planted in the forest garden has seeded a whole new plant! :D 3q3q3q!!!! I am so excited.
We measured from the spigot to the old picnic table and the new picnic table. We'll need to acquire a 75-foot hose.
EDIT 4/21/25 -- The plumbers have come and gone. We have a working outside spigot! \o/ It has low water pressure for reasons that are not feasible to fix, but at least water comes out of it.
We dug up the old hoses. The yellow ones were in pieces so we threw those away. The green is still attached to a different spigot that it won't come off. But at least the yellows are gone. Progress.
I started working on a new cookie jar terrarium for the potted fern, but other things intervened so I haven't gotten very far yet.
I've seen the tufted titmouse! :D I haven't seen him in weeks, so I'm glad he's still around.
EDIT 4/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/21/25 -- I picked up more sticks for the firepit.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Voter Suppression
Apr. 21st, 2025 01:28 pmysabetwordsmithIndivisible reports that these Democratic senators in particular need to hear from their constituents right now to oppose HR22, a bill which would disinfranchise millions of people, mostly women, from voting.
vital functions
Apr. 20th, 2025 10:53 pmkaberettReading. I continue to make slow progress with both What An Owl Knows (Jennifer Ackerman) and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke).
Writing. Grumpy e-mails to Labour, mostly? Grumpy e-mails to Labour. Oh, and separately to the DWP courtesy of My UC Journal.
Playing. I have tripped and fallen back into 2048. I do not know why I have tripped and fallen thus. There are other things I would rather be doing. Brain whyyy.
I Love Hue current status: just started The Alchemy/Knowledge/12.
Cooking. Two new-to-us recipes from East: caramelised fennel and carrot salad with mung beans and herbs, of which I am a fan but about which A is a bit meh; and Amritsari pomegranate chickpeas, with the decaf English Breakfast I bought the other week, which I also quite liked but A was mildly dubious of.
Today has featured a different Welsh cake recipe, from one of the charity-shop books I acquired for the purposes of the special interest in EYB indexing. This one includes honey and ground mixed spice; I am decidedly disconcerted by how much they taste like Wrong Texture Mince Pies when cool.
Eating. ... yeah it's been A Migrainey Week, and has consequently contained two rounds of Wagamama. TRAGICALLY I decided on the first of these to branch out and try Not My Usual. Not My Usual turned out to contain The Dread Mayonnaise (I had been lulled into a false sense of security by the number of things called "slaw" I had recently encountered that did not contain mayo). It was mostly salvageable...
Exploring. ADVENTURES in VAN HIRE for the purposes of moving SHED. This involved heading out to Hatfield, because the one fifteen minutes up the road was already Thoroughly Booked. We got to observe MORE FLOWERS and lo they were good.
... I think that's it? I think that's it. (A also went on another adventure to acquire roof box and appropriate rack, but I stayed at home for that one.)
Making & mending. I have not, technically, actually resumed A's pair of gloves, BUT I have now got the information from A I need in order to do so! So that's a progress.
... there has also been. Event prep. So much event prep. The meal ticket booklets for crew are all done; the potions are all sliced and folded ready for laminating (except for the one that needed someone to actually finish writing what it did); ... progress?
Growing. SO MANY SQUASH. Not all of the ones I sowed, but... a lot... have come up.
Somewhat irritated that somebody found my Bravest Dwarf Pea, which had actually managed to find and attach itself to the pea sticks, and severed the stem a little below said attachment. :|
Main infrastructural progress this week was getting all the railway sleepers and shed bits up to the plot (with significant and indispensable help from A). I've not done anything with them yet but they are there, I have plans, necessary hardware is en route, etc.
What else what else? First of the beans are in the ground. I was feeling decidedly surly about my redcurrant but this turns out to have been premature and unfair -- since last weekend it's unfurled a little more and is looking much more promising in terms of potential harvest. The raspberries also seem to be very much enjoying the mulch + semi-regular watering, which is pleasing.
Observing. I totally forgot to mention in last week's section on this topic that on the ride back from Anglesey Abbey we observed Many Cowslips, including at least one that was red!
Tulips continue fantastic. Irises are getting into the swing of things at this point. The bindweed is definitely waking up...
Dreams of Dead Stars, Part III, ch. 3: Divergent Discoveries
Apr. 20th, 2025 02:01 pmelynneI'm sorry to be doing this so soon after starting part 3, but I need to take a one-week hiatus. Next chapter will be posted on May 4th, which I just realized/remembered is "Star Wars day"--which won't have any bearing on what I post, heh. Thanks again so much for reading, kudos, and commenting!
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