smallhobbit | Network

As often happens, today did not go as I had planned. I'd been thinking of going for a long walk this morning on a route that is partly new to me, but I also decided to make a loaf of bread in the food processor. Since the bread I made last week with the food processor was done two hours from the time I started mixing it, I was expecting the same result today. However, I added more whole wheat flour plus some ground flaxseed this time, and those two additions changed things dramatically. First, flaxseed in particular but also whole wheat flour both soak up more liquid than white flour and I forgot to take that into account, and second, flaxseed slows the yeast so that the bread rises more slowly and doesn't rise as much.

Plus I misinterpreted the recipe, which said to add the liquid ingredients to the flour as quickly as the flour would absorb the liquid, and I interpreted that to mean add the liquids as quickly as you can. Unfortunately, the mix of flours plus flaxseed meant the liquid did not get absorbed quickly enough and I ended up with a mess of slightly floury liquid in the middle of the bowl of the food processor, and a lot of almost completely dry flour around the outside. I panicked and added more water which was completely the wrong thing to do because then once the flour was all wet it was way too wet rather than being a nicely cohesive ball of elastic dough. I plopped it all out into a basin and mixed in quite a lot more flour until it was approximately the right consistency, but then it took about three times longer to rise than I was expecting. Therefore, instead of being baked by about 9 am, it wasn't done until about 11 am and I couldn't go out for my long walk because I was waiting around not knowing exactly when the dough was going to be ready to go in the oven.

In the end I got quite a good loaf of bread and was able to have a cheese and vegemite sandwich on fresh bread for lunch, and then I went out for my long walk after lunch. By then it was almost too warm in the sun but still nice and cool in the shade so it was mostly a very pleasant walk of just over 8 km/5 miles.

dolorosa_12

As I mentioned in my previous post, Matthias was away for the weekend (his team didn't win, but a good time was had by all), and I basically spent the past two days doing exactly what I wanted. The weather was glorious and summery, and other than two hours in fitness classes in the gym yesterday in a studio where the air conditioning was broken (one of the other women in my class dubbed it 'bikram zumba,' and she was not wrong), everything was relaxing and good.

I went to the market, and bought flowers, and loads of fresh fruit and vegetables. I feasted on cherries and strawberries and asparagus and iced coffee, and cooked Singaporean food for tonight's dinner. I pottered around in the garden, and started a reread of Isobelle Carmody's post-apocalyptic YA series, in which a bunch of teenagers with X-Men style mutant abilities take on a totalitarian regime in a world nearly destroyed by nuclear catastrophe. (This was a huge favourite of mine as a child, but I haven't picked it to reread for some time. I still like it for nostalgia's sake, but I can see the flaws more clearly now.) I started this morning with a 1km swim at 8am when the pool opened, then picked up pastries at the bakery and sat watching the wood pigeons through the kitchen window. My laundry was thoroughly air-dried in the wind.

Next week is the start of a series of visitors arriving to stay with us, and various bits of national and international travel, so it was good to have those two days of rest, free of stress and mental clutter. Now Matthias is home, and the weekend is winding down.

thisbluespirit

Two more

rainbowfic pieces, as I did let crossposting drop a way behind for a while:

Name: Hidden Lights
Story: Starfall
Colors: Beet Red #28 (Beg steal or borrow); Azul #30 (Token of strength or loyalty)
Supplies and Styles: Canvas + Pastels (also for

no_true_pair prompt March 26th - Leion & Pello at the beach) + resin (also for

allbingo May color fest square "true colors.") + Giftwrap + Triptych + Novelty Beads - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/00/09/8b/00098b9d3a37c21ed8bd3ee00da58c7c.jpg (September Secrets 2020) + "Fire Opal" (Birthday prompts 2020) + Graffiti - for the May Parents challenge.
Word Count: 1918
Rating: PG
Warnings: Brief mention of possible death, risk of drowning, abandonment.
Notes: 1297-1306, Portcallan; Pello Ahblan, Joend Ahblan, Leion Valerno, Tana Veldiner, Tam Jadinor. (Introducing a new character who we're going to see more of in time. The end scene of this takes place immediately after the recent Atino and Leion sequence.)
Summary: Pello's fascination with starstone leads to an unexpected encounter on the beach at midnight.

Name: On the Trail
Story: Starfall
Colors: Warm Heart #7 (Calm)
Supplies and Styles: Thread
Word Count: 2692
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: Portcallan, 1313; Viyony Eseray, Nin Valerno.
Summary: Leion has vanished.

settiai

It's not a surprise, since he's had significantly health issues for quite a while, but it's still so sad to hear the news. The word has lost one of the greats.

I've loved so many of PAD's books and comics over the years. MadroX and X-Factor (v3) will forever be one of my favorite Marvel runs of all time. I read his Centauri Prime Trilogy so many times, not to mention "Soul Mates" is one of my favorite Babylon 5 episodes.

There was a period of several years where I was utterly obsessed with his Star Trek: New Frontier series. Imzadi will forever be one of the most influential Star Trek books that baby!me ever read.

He's played such a huge role in my life over the decades. He'll very much be missed.

Current Mood: sad

phantomtomato

I’m calling this month a bit early so that I enjoy the rest of my holiday reading without rushing to finish in the next week. :) I really enjoyed this month, especially the first two—and that’s another reason for this going up now! After two great books in a row, it’s a bit difficult to want to follow them with something which simply won’t be as good (to me), as much to my tastes. Do you ever feel that way after reading something? I need a sort of come-down to adjust back to books that aren’t nearly perfectly aligned with my interests.

The Temple, by Stephen Spender

This was the first great book that I’d finished in what felt like a long time. I loved it. It also felt like I was completing part of my literary collection in reading it, as I’ve read Auden and Isherwood before, and now I have Spender as well.

The Temple is a thinly-fictionalized account of Stephen Spender’s youth spent living abroad in Hamburg, Germany. It opens on him as Paul (all real figures have been given aliases), badly managing an early infatuation with a fellow university student. His poems about this crush lead to friendships with Auden and Isherwood expies as well as a man named Ernst Stockmann, who is a friend of one of the college deans and soon becomes an admirer (romantic, artistic) of Paul. Ernst invites Paul to spend the summer of 1929 with his family in Hamburg. Germany was then an escape from censorship and the anti-homosexuality laws of Britain, and both Auden and Isherwood were already making use of this. Paul, their disciple, seizes on the invitation to launch himself there.

( Read more... )

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Auden or Isherwood, who is interested in queer or Jewish experiences during the Interwar period, or who enjoys autofiction. It’s one of those rare books in which a queer author, late in life, has outlived the profanity laws which stifled their younger writing and can finally see it published. That alone makes it a story worth reading.

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

Where does one begin when a novel occupies so much space in the modern imagination? It is night-impossible to escape some peripheral awareness of The Secret History as a reader of campus novels. The book’s fame and accolades have only been augmented by the past decade’s creation of Dark Academia—literary trend, clothing style, digital aesthetic. In such a context, a book cannot only be a book.

Despite all of the forces against it, The Secret History is a very good book. It tells the tale of a group of college students studying Classics at a small liberal arts college in Vermont, modeled very much on Tartt’s own undergraduate experience at Bennington College. (This is, by the by, how I first encountered the novel: the Esquire piece from 2019 got shared around to me as a liberal arts grad. I read and enjoyed it at the time, but wasn’t moved to read any of the novels mentioned.)

( Read more... )

The Bacchae, by Euripedes

When embarking on a new genre, I never know how to write about the first work I encounter. That’s a bit of a lie—I think that I read Oedipus Rex and Lysistrata in high school. I certainly don’t remember particulars. The sum total is that, in reading The Bacchae, I am both unsurprised by and unfamiliar with its conventions. I’ve seen the form, but I have no meaningful context for it. I’ve spent years circling around the classics by reading those old Victorians and Edwardians, and so I’ve grown a sense of their consequence, a certain era of their cultural cachet and meaning, and read my share of one-off poems. But to sit with a long piece, one of the great tragedies, is a different task.

( Read more... )

cosmolinguist

Today I had to ask the other two for help about something that's been making me shut down.

It went well and needed to happen so I'm glad I did it!

But even talking around it gave me a little panic attack.

Soon after, a combination of a crumb at the back of my throat and putting my mask on to go into Aldi, left me coughing and hyperventilating. The panic came right back. I had to stand in the aisle and wheeze for a bit

It has left my throat feeling sore and raw...and my brain is of course too.

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

I set out the flats of pots and watered them.

EDIT 5/25/25 -- I spread the last of the fresh soil over the middle wedge of the septic garden. There I planted the last few 'Autumn Beauty' and 'Arikara' sunflowers, along with a lot of saved seed from my zinnias.

I've seen two mourning doves, two catbirds, a male cardinal, and a fox squirrel.

.

Current Mood: busy

sonofgodzilla

Title: Menhera
Universe: Kamen Rider Black RX
Character(s): Fumiko, Masaki
Series: The Unspeakable Oath | Between To-day and To-morrorow | Pagliacci | The Ghost of a Flea | Dangerous Days | dérive | In Accordance to Natural Law | Shadow Moon | Wake Up the Hero! | Rêve | Channelling the Power of Souls | Evanescent Quietude | Pearls Before Swine | One Day Closer to the End of the World | Lonely, Lonely Heart | Life Eternal
Rating: 15
Warnings: Discussion of mental health, suicide
Summary: Her smile faded a little, she looked away, staring down at her plate, expensive pasta, expensive bolognaise. She would regret spending so much on the night when her rent was due. It was easier when people knew about it, she thought. If she told them, then she wouldn’t have to worry about them hating her. She would know for sure.
Length: 946 words
Author's Notes: I feel like I need to start making notes about where all these kid characters, now grown up, originally appear. We first meet Fumiko in episode #18, Masaki appears in episode #11 (PSA: he's the kid that turns into a bike), Chigusa appears in episode #9, Shizuka and Yuichi are from episode #10, and Tomoka is from episode #8. also: external link.

Fumiko

( Menhera )

Current Mood: content
Current Location: somewhere
Current Music: Nicole Dollanganger - Runnin' Free

tinny

Land of Art has moved to dreamwidth!

A Landcomm for Graphic Lovers:
- Icons
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and so much more..

Apply for a team here: https://land-of-art.dreamwidth.org/453688.html

If you mention me as the referrer I'll get extra points.

badly_knitted posting in

drabble_zone

Title: Necessary
Fandom: Babylon 5
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Vir, Londo, Cartagia.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 451: Up To You at drabble_weekly drabble_zone.
Spoilers/Setting: The Long Night.
Summary: This wasn’t meant to be Vir’s responsibility.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Babylon 5, or the characters. They belong to J. Michael Straczynski.
A/N: Double drabble.

Necessary

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

shadowkat

1. Daredevil Born Again is bringing back Luke Cage, Iron Fist (who seriously needs to be recast, but whatever), and Jessica Jones to join Daredevil as the Defenders. They are all in S2 Daredevil. (Basically Daredevil is getting the Disney treatment, which works for me - since I liked The Defenders.)

2. Wheel of Time was cancelled by Amazon after the 3rd season. Cancelled due to ratings and a hefty price tag. (Amazon's head honcho got absurdly political and it has cost him.) I haven't made it past S1. I have too many television shows, and the characters didn't grab me for some reason or other. I was thinking of going back to it - but now? Probably not.

3. Finished watching:

* Etoile (on Amazon) while visiting Mother. We both enjoyed it. It's about the Paris and New National Ballet Theaters - trading lead talent in order to booster each others ticket sales. It's in French and English. And has performances by professional ballet dancers, who are also lead actors in the series. Focuses more on the running of the two theaters, and putting together the performances. It's not a relationship drama, so much as a workplace drama or dramedy? It's written by the same people who did Bunheads and Gilmore Girls - so swings towards witty comedic banter and comedic situations.

Etoile was picked up for two seasons by Amazon, so season 2 is being filmed and the entire cast is returning for it.

* The Residence (on Netflix) (finished yesterday) - it's a satirical mystery series, about an unorthodox detective, who is rather brilliant, and prefer to watch birds. ( Read more... )

Other than that - it's fun and hilarious in places, with a farcical humor, touched with light satire.

This works very well as a stand-a-lone. All the plot-threads were satisfyingly closed. I'm not sure I want a second season?

* The Four Seasons - this is a relationship comedy - it is loosely adapted from Alan Alda's 1981 film of the same name, with Tina Fey taking on the Carol Burnett role, and Colman Domingo taking on Jack Weston's role, except as a gay Black man, with his Italian husband (the original was portrayed by Rita Moreno). It's about three couples that vacation together each season. We see them only on their vacations or trips together. The first or main point of view couple is Tina Fey and Will Forte (Katie and Jack), then Danny and Claude (Colman Domingo and an Italian actor), finally Steve Carrol's Nick (and Anne (his wife) and Ginny (the girl-friend, after he divorces his wife). It reminded me vaguely of the original, but I'm not certain how close it is - because I haven't seen the original version since the 1980s. Also, now, I'm the same age as the four couples, when the last time I saw it - I was much younger.

It's okay. I found the other two television series funnier. Wales liked it better than I did. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of relationship comedy.

4. Buffy Reboot

I could be wrong about this? But I'm becoming increasingly convinced that James Marsters is involved in the Reboot, not sure how big his role will be or how he'll be involved. ( Read more... )

Yes, I'm still a fan of Buffy. It was that rare television series which had perfect casting, good writing, and blending of collaborative creative talent in various sections (makeup, stunt craft, writing, directing, production, casting, acting) that just worked and got better as it went. The first season is okay, but the second season ...was leaps and bounds better in all areas. There's a handful of television series that I've been a fan of, and 98% of them are fantasy and science fiction series.
What this says about me, I do not know.

[ETA:
Slayers, Every One of Us: How One Girl in All the World Showed Us How to Hold On by Kristin Russo (Author), Jenny Owen Youngs (Author) -

"Read by the authors and hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, this memoir reflects on heartbreak, perseverance, building community, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This audiobook features bonus songs, jingles, and clips from the podcast and live shows, and contributions from fans/committed Scoobies.

Kristin and Jenny’s marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted listenership of “Scoobies,” unexpected success, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds."

Sigh, I feel old. Buffering the Vampire Slayer - was a podcast they did to rewatch the show in 2016. I watched the show live between 1997 - 2004, and was on the internet with people discussing as far back as the 1990s. The podcasts I listened to - you can't find now. Nor the sites for that matter. Even my own web site is long gone - although all my essays and fanfic can be found on Ao3, but I didn't write much in the way of fanfic. ]

5. Also saw two filmed theater performances on PBS (Great Performances). PBS is kind of the US equivalent of the BBC, except it doesn't have quite as much money, and is mostly locally supported by subscribers.

* Next to Normal - I saw the original on Broadway ages ago. This is the West End Revival - in London. Apparently it hadn't made it to the UK, so they revived it. What's remarkable is the entire cast is speaking with an American accent, even though they are all British. I'm surprised they didn't make it British - they could. It's a musical/rock opera about mental illness, grief, and it's devastating effects on the family dynamic- I call it a rock opera, because there's no dancing, and most of the lines are sung, and the band is on stage. It has some truly beautiful music and excellent performances.

* YellowFace - the semi-autobiographical satirical play by David
Henry Kwang about racism in the US. It's hilarious in places and overall rather well done. Danial Dae Kim (Angel, LOST, Hawaii 5-0) portrays Kwang, and Ryan Eggold (Blacklist and New Amsterdam) portrays a Russian actor who can pass as Asian. (Actually I think it's a call out to Yul Brunner and they even reference the King and I.) A lot of the play is actors talking to the audience, and sometimes to each other. It breaks the fourth wall a lot -- in that the actors are directly speaking to the audience or step outside the framework of the play - to do so in monologues. ( Read more... )

james

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

inkcharm posting in

inkonic

PING LIST

What is the Ping List?
As I'm currently opening Commissions 10 Slots at a time and Requests irregularly when the fancy strikes, people have asked to be pinged on Plurk. This post exists to make managing that a little easier for me.

I will ping people on the list in announcements regarding Commissions/Requests opening, as well as when they actually do open.

Get Added to the Ping List
Use the following form and comment on this post to be added to the Ping List. All comments are screened for privacy.

CONTACT

ICON MAKER

inkcharm

COMM PLURK

inkonic

RP/PRIVATE PLURK

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MESSAGE

PM @ Inkcharm

badly_knitted posting in

torchwood100

Title: Confusing Situation
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 866: Who.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto is feeling very confused.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

smallhobbit posting in

intoabar

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

delphi posting in

ourflagmeansgay

Izzy Hands Bingo is running again!

You can find out more about the event at the Izzy Hands Bingo account on Bluesky, and you can request a bingo card through the Izzy Hands Bingo Sign-ups 2025 Google form. When filling out the form, you'll also be provided with an optional link to the event's Discord server.

For anyone who's never taken part in a bingo event before, here's how it works in broad strokes:

• Request a 5x5 Bingo Card through the sign-up form. Everyone will get a slightly different card filled out with 25 different prompts that are pulled from a larger bank of tropes, characters, kinks, and other concepts.
• Aim to create five Izzy-centric fanworks for five prompts that are all in a straight line on your card (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines all count). The minimum length for these fanworks is described on the sign-up form, as well as instructions for if you want to incorporate multiple squares into a single fanwork.
• Share your fanworks wherever you like. At the end of the event period, email the mods with a list of what you've created and receive a digital badge if you've hit achievements like completing one square, completing a full line, or completing three full lines. There is a special opt-in prize of a gift fic if you complete a blackout (i.e. create something for every square on your card).

You can also check out some of last year's works at the Izzy Hands Bingo 2024 collection on AO3.

goddess47 posting in

sweetandshort

Title: Eating the Local Food
Author:

goddess47
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Challenge: DoMAYstic 2025 - day 25
Length: 185
Warnings: none

Notes:

For DoMAYstic 2025 day 25 - picky eater

For

sweetandshort May 2025 prompt - freedom

Summary:

"Jack! Don't offend the people with the poisonous blow darts!" Sam hissed.

Eating the Local Food on AO3

petra

Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably Priced Love, and a Hard-Boiled Egg!

My Tumblr dash runneth over with Terry Pratchett memes, as is only right and proper.

I know where my towel is, and I am thinking of the friends I have lost along the way, as is traditional on this day.

Current Mood: elegiac
Current Music: They rise knees up

modrat posting in

smutwars

Nominations for Smut Wars are open!

They will remain open until June 8. Please familiarize yourself with our rules and nominations guidelines, available here. Nominations that do not follow the guidelines will not be accepted.

Link to Tagset

Are you new to AO3 exchanges? We’ve compiled a step-by-step tutorial for newcomers, from nominations all the way to posting to the collection: click here.

muscle_wizard

List is over here o/

I saw Delphi post theirs awhile back and it stayed on my mind. I ended up with 25 because while I read quite a bit, I went back and forth on what I considered was formative to me. I read a lot of fiction and poetry as a child that I enjoyed but wouldn't go back to. A lot of the literature I was given in school was for the most part fun or challenging reading, but I hadn't retained many solid opinions on it. Or I just didn't feel like my feelings were strong enough?? My brain made it difficult for me so I went with gut feelings over all lol.

For books that are apart of series, it's safe to assume the whole series counts <3

It was fun strolling down memory lane and counting how many of these I still own today (14!)

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smallhobbit

May 2025

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Page Summary

maju - (no subject)
dolorosa_12 - We know everything about us
thisbluespirit - Starfall Stories 46
settiai - RIP, Peter David
phantomtomato - Reading Roundup, May 2025
cosmolinguist - (no subject)
ysabetwordsmith - Birdfeeding
sonofgodzilla - FIC: Kamen Rider Black RX - Menhera
tinny - Graphics landcomm promo
badly_knitted in drabble_zone - Babylon 5: Necessary [Challenge 451: Up To You]
shadowkat - The television report...
james - Sometimes
inkcharm in inkonic - Commission and Request Ping List
badly_knitted in torchwood100 - Confusing Situation [866: Who]
smallhobbit in intoabar - Fic: An Encounter in a Tea Shop (Miss Marple/Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty)
delphi in ourflagmeansgay - EVENT: Izzy Hands Bingo (May 25th to August 31st)
goddess47 in sweetandshort - (10 out of 20) Eating the Local Food - Stargate SG-1 (PG)
petra - The Glorious 25th of May & Towel Day
modrat in smutwars - Nominations for Smut Wars 2025 are open!
muscle_wizard - Toki's Formative 25 (Books)

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Page generated May. 25th, 2025 08:26 pm

Various ramblings by the small hobbit

Five times a fortnight (or thereabouts)

Network

(no subject)

We know everything about us

Starfall Stories 46

RIP, Peter David

Reading Roundup, May 2025

(no subject)

Birdfeeding

FIC: Kamen Rider Black RX - Menhera

Graphics landcomm promo

Babylon 5: Necessary [Challenge 451: Up To You]

The television report...

Sometimes

Commission and Request Ping List

Confusing Situation [866: Who]

Fic: An Encounter in a Tea Shop (Miss Marple/Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty)

EVENT: Izzy Hands Bingo (May 25th to August 31st)

(10 out of 20) Eating the Local Food - Stargate SG-1 (PG)

The Glorious 25th of May & Towel Day

Nominations for Smut Wars 2025 are open!

Toki's Formative 25 (Books)

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May 2025

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