tellshannon815: (jeanette)
Creature Of Hobbit ([personal profile] tellshannon815) wrote2025-07-10 12:30 am

(no subject)

Sunshine-Revival-Carnival-2.png

Challenge #3

Journaling prompt: What are your favorite summer-associated foods?
Creative prompt: Draw art of or make graphics of summer foods, or post your favorite summer recipes.




And yes, those who know me, that's Freddie-bulldog going after the halloumi.
tellshannon815: (jim)
Creature Of Hobbit ([personal profile] tellshannon815) wrote2025-07-08 11:55 pm

Very slowly catching up on a lot of things, starting with this

Sunshine-Revival-Carnival-4.png

Challenge #2

Tunnel of Love
Journaling: The romance of summer! What do you love? Write about anything you feel sentimental about or that gets your heart pumping.
Creative: Write a love poem to anyone or anything you like

Well, I'm an August bank holiday baby (even if Mum says I shouldn't say that since I wasn't technically born on the bank holiday, but eh, close enough), so I always had my birthday in the summer holidays rather than having to spend it at school (which I later found out I would have had to have done had I gone to school in Scotland rather than England, where the holiday dates are different).

But what I would mostly say for summer memories is spending time with family (bit of context for anyone who hasn't known me very long or doesn't know me at all, my family is pretty much scattered across the UK) so the summer holiday was always the chance to spend time with people I didn't see enough of.
tellshannon815: (toni the wilds)
Creature Of Hobbit ([personal profile] tellshannon815) wrote2025-07-08 01:18 am

(no subject)



Book in a series: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62226126-the-last-devil-to-die
Multiple POVs: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136276174-the-search-party
Female author: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210795013-here-one-moment
Friendship: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196764063-the-day-after-the-party
Name in the title: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197627190-the-reappearance-of-rachel-price
YA: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174163045-the-dare
Biography/memoir: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211163702-kingmaker
Scifi/fantasy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36630924-here-and-now-and-then
Book from TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28016509-the-girl-before
With a woman protagonist: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200638897-the-fortune-teller
Ebook/audiobook: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204587595-her-majesty-s-royal-coven
Set somewhere you've been: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13614116-natural-causes
From the library: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179312410-has-anyone-seen-charlotte-salter
Free space: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60092195-the-shadow-cabinet

Substitution list:
*Author you've never read before - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64417442-the-final-party
*Book older then you are
*Fairy Tale or Fairy Tale Retelling
*Graphic novel or Comic - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213477761-fate
*Pet or Animal Companion
*A main character over the age of 30
*Under 100 Pages - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63945326-the-gift
*Romance Plot or Sub-plot - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203416581-a-novel-love-story
*Translated https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61448964-g-kungen
*Humour
*Non- fiction
*With a Blue Cover - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62792245-five-bad-deeds
*Horror or Paranormal
*Colour in the Title
*Seasonal Read
*Book made into a film or tv series - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36306720-the-perfect-couple
*Historical (fiction or non-fiction)
*Number in title - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61653791-four-found-dead
*Female author - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35528896-the-treatment
*Three word title - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37819454-three-days-missing
*Craft, Hobby or Cookbook
*Written by an author from your state or country
*Animal on the cover
*Disability or Mental health
*Read a book from the year you were born
*Mythology
*Title begins with first letter of your name - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40770941-her-pretty-face
*Dystopian - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214471703-sunrise-on-the-reaping
*Book mentioned in another book
*Diverse reads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56425440-last-night-at-the-telegraph-club
*One word title - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218455872-sleep
*Award Winning/Bestseller
*Disabled Author
*Non-western Setting - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63247547-last-resort
*Set in your state/country
*Title is at Least Five Words Long - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203019749-things-don-t-break-on-their-own
*indigenous author
*Has illustrations (but not a comic or graphic novel) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62715477-fire-and-blood
*Set at a school/university (my old one, in fact)- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219491276-when-we-were-killers
*No sex/romance
*Re-read

My Goodreads is here, feel free to follow: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/46625765?ref=nav_profile_l
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
elainegrey ([personal profile] elainegrey) wrote2025-07-07 06:50 pm
Entry tags:

Chantal (weather, f&f)

We did not wash away in the 10.35 inches of rain, but oh my was it wet yesterday. All the rivers of water up to my ankle in various places in the yard and drive -- and this morning it was all absorbed or run off.

https://vimeo.com/1099352304?share=copy#t=0

Today we went out for lunch, then into Raleigh to pick up an Edible Art fancy almond birthday cake for Christine's sister's birthday. It does not feel like it was 25 days ago that B-- died, but Christine's COVID then other infection and then my vacation certainly all created different time experiences. D--'s studio may have flooded three feet last night: hopefully a birthday party will ... be OK? Help with grief? Let her know she's loved?

Back to work and paying attention to time tomorrow. And trying to do the things that i am supposed to do instead of letting whim take the lead. Not sure i will be able to get in the yard all week except maybe sitting on the deck in the morning. Tomorrow's weather is a sauna, Wednesday is our grocery night ,and then the rest of the week is evening thunderstorms.

elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
elainegrey ([personal profile] elainegrey) wrote2025-07-06 03:47 pm

(garden, f&f, cooking, chapter 4, reading notes, games)

Things i've done with my vacation:

"Mowed" with Mary Jane, our wheeled string trimmer aka weed whacker. I've mowed the past week with the same line. I've never had it last so long. I guess i haven't gotten it tangled up in branches and grapevines and shrubs. I've done some of the meadow and some of the future shed site, a so-so job around the outside perimeter and a good bit of the mossy glade, as well as the remaining bit of my "the best grass ever"  (Dichanthelium laxiflorum) lawn.

I also mowed a tiny bit of the "orchard" this morning with our new electric mower, up until the rain started. This mower is dedicated to doing tame areas.  Our old mower, with its notched and worn blade (that i sharpen, but there are no replacement blades available) i'll keep using for less tame areas. Unfortunately i hit something metal hidden in the high grass with the new mower. I hope it wasn't too damaging.

Picked berries. Shared lots of blueberries with my sister's family. Got the tall ladder set up at the mulberry tree and ruined a pair of shorts with berry juice from a mesh bag i was wearing to collect picked berries while i was up the ladder. Dehydrated a couple trays of mulberries, and have two trays of mulberries waiting to dehydrate. They are ripening up a little more, plus we're in Chantal's rain bands today. Seems reasonable to wait a day to run the dehydrator. I've got a bag of frozen mulberries, and i am slowly collecting blueberries in the freezer.

The figs are beginning to come in and i am so pleased with my pruning job.  The tree  makes a room, with a clear area underneath, but the branches droop down like an umbrella. And the tallest still can be reached from the shorter ladder.

Egg rolls!  I made a batch of filling with carrots and mung beans i sprouted, and then have fried up a couple batches in the air fryer. Very satisfying. I also rolled up some figs with shaved Parmesan cheese. Yums!

Quick rolls - i used a Pillsbury crescent roll sheet and dabbed with cream cheese pats, blueberries, and pecans. Rolled up and cut into "twirls" and baked.  Also very yum.

There was also laundry. It's almost all caught up.

I went out with my sister on Wednesday night to a high tech restaurant (order on your phone, pull your own beer (and cider) from a wall of taps paying with a special bracelet. Karaoke was happening and was mildly entertaining.  Also went to her house to hang out on the evening of the 4th of July.

I've been playing a little Balatro,  a game Christine's been playing for ... a year? ... mostly to delight her. Exponentile remains very diverting, like a fidget toy, although i am not playing nearly as well as my initial games. Admittedly i am listening to novels as i play. Finished a relisten of yet another of the Mary Russell novels, Locked Rooms. Next is The Language of Bees, which leads into The God of the Hive. I listened to The God of the Hiveearlier this year, randomly picking from the list, and that prompted me to begin the relistening from the beginning.   I also bought a Ilona Andrews book to finish a trilogy since the public library no longer has it, and added the list of all  the Ilona Andrews books i have binged on in the past months to Zotero. And yesterday i started the Retrieval Artist series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch at OpenLibrary, as that looks like enough to keep me busy while i am in this escapist mental place.

This morning i was pondering how i could set time aside to grieve and emotionally connect with the distress of the past months. (Really, starting with Jan 20.) I think i will try to do sun salutations in the evening, using adaptions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcJvBMYxQl0&t=294s.

crown_of_antlers: A deer from LOTRO (LOTRO Deer)
Crown of Antlers ([personal profile] crown_of_antlers) wrote2025-07-05 10:59 am
Entry tags:

Images for the Fics' Title Posts

As the title of this entry says, I've been wanting to put some sort of image in the pinned title posts of my fanfic journals. While I have not yet decided what sort of setting I want for Aeronwen's journal, it was pretty easy to decide what I wanted for Gloria's story. It was just a matter of dressing the characters appropriately. Needless to say, I do not have the No Stretch Child Can Ride Horses mod installed because I need my werewolves to use the werewolf animations.

(No, there is still no hint of a fix coming for that mod, or if a fix is even possible)

...on with the images.... )
althea_valara: An icon of the Wind-up Alphinaud minion from Final Fantasy XIV. (alphi)
Althea Valara ([personal profile] althea_valara) wrote2025-07-05 11:42 am

Sunshine Revival #2: What do you love? (it's totally the twins)

Sunshine-Revival-Carnival-4.png

Tunnel of Love
Journaling: The romance of summer! What do you love? Write about anything you feel sentimental about or that gets your heart pumping.


Creative: Write a love poem to anyone or anything you like

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.


Uh.... +shoves her "Alisaie" tag in your direction+ For those visiting my journal and going "nani?": Alisaie is a character from Final Fantasy XIV and I love her to pieces. I've written about her extensively for the [community profile] snowflake_challenge and I *could* write about her more now, too, but I think it's time to let her twin brother Alphinaud shine.

I didn't particular like Alphinaud during A Realm Reborn. I didn't *hate* him, but his voice actor at the time played him as a self-assured know-it-all brat, and did a fantastic job at it, so it was hard to feel warm and fuzzy towards him.

That changed during Heavensward, the first expansion of the game. Alphinaud had just gone through something that was very hard on him -- I'm not saying because it's a hell of a ride and I don't want to spoil it for people who might want to play in the future -- and at first he was very dejected and wallowing in misery, but soon he finds his determination to make things right and carry on. And, well, I greatly admired him for this. When the worst happens, it's hard to pick yourself up and try again, but Alphinaud had the courage to do so.

Going back to the voice actors: Now that I've played A Realm Reborn five times (...what?), I've grown very fond of Sam Riegal's interpretation of Alphinaud. I think it was the right choice for where Alphinaud was in his journey. Sam did an amazing job, especially when the shit DID hit the fan and he had to show Alphinaud's reaction to everything. Thank you, Sam, for doing a memorable job!

When Heavensward started, they changed many of the voice actors, and that was true of Alphinaud, too: he is now played by Colin Ryan. People have talked about what a jump scare it was when Alphinaud's voice suddenly changed, and it fact, here's Colin reacting to the change himself:



SO ADORABLE!!!!

Anyway! Colin has done an AMAZING job voicing Alphinaud, and his work is partially why I've come to grow so fond of the character. As Heavensward went on, I came to like Alphi more and more. Yes, he still can be a know-it-all. He's still very much a leader and into diplomacy and politics. But he reflects on the things he's done wrong in the past, and considers how to do different in the future. He doesn't let his past stop him (unlike me, who is always going "BUT THINGS ARE GOING TO TURN OUT EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN THE PAST AND THAT WAS AWFUL", sigh).

Alphinaud goes through some character growth during the game. There's a scene where he greets Estinien warmly, and Alisaie remarks on that--in a nutshell, she implies that Alphinaud didn't really have friends when they were younger but now has people he looks up to and admires, like Estinien. It's heartwarming to see him, well, warm up to others and consider their advice and counsel.

I have said many times that I need to get my own place again so I can have cats, and I intend to adopt a brother/sister pair and name them Alphinaud and Alisaie, because I do adore the twins so much. They are incredible characters! And I'm thankful to their VAs for doing such an amazing job.
tcpip: (Default)
Diary of a B+ Grade Polymath ([personal profile] tcpip) wrote2025-07-05 11:46 pm

Aphelion, Academia, Aesthetics, and Athletics

Yesterday was the aphelion when the Earth reached the furthest distance from the sun at 157 million km (the closest distance, the perihelion, is 146 million km). It seemed appropriate on that day to describe the relatively flat shape of the solar system and how "flat earthers" need to think bigger. Interestingly, the aphelion and perihelion change with some regularity measured as Milankovitch cycles, which is a driver of long-term climate change. On that topic, I had an interview this week concerning my doctoral progress and grades to date ("mention très bien", to use the Université de Paris system). The next part of my studies is "Climate Change Denialism", which I am sure will be absolutely fascinating, having missed out on doing climate change psychology at the University of Wellington. Speaking of which, I attended a University of Wellingto alumni event on during the week with a Professor of Statistics, Peter Smith, talking on "Fluids in your phones?", about the development of liquid antenna for the next generation of mobile devices. And, to continue the theme, I have been recently offered the role to coordinate alumni events for Murdoch University here in Melbourne.

The week has also witnessed some activities in the aesthetic dimension as well. With an early submission made for Midsumma Festival, I have officially become a producer with my inaugural effort being for Liza Dezfouli's comedy-cabaret "Binosaur". Also, I have ventured out locally with Kate R., twice with aesthetics in mind, once was for Lightscape at the Botanic Gardens, which was beautiful, but rather low numbers due to drizzle, and today for a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria. This evening, I attended the awards ceremony for the Melbourne Poet's Union International Poetry Competition, which featured a marvellous and insightful speech by the well-known anarchist poet, Pi O. Finally, last night I visited ACMI for millihertz producing a rather raw and politically challenging audio-visual production with the descriptive title "Cruise Missile Intersectionality".

To finish the alliterative headings, I will conclude with some reflections on "athletics". Last week, I posted an announcement and a couple of photos of my significant weight loss over the past year (117 to 82 kgs), along with a descriptive essay on how I achieved it. I will point out that I'm not planning to lose anymore, although body composition still has room to change. I've had to hunt through my high school records - four decades in the past - to find when I had a similar weight and, in the process, have discovered my athletic records of the time, which were "quite good". I was among the best in the school for medium and long-distance running, plus I played cricket, rugby, football, and volleyball at an interschool level. But ultimately, I couldn't stand the aggressive competitiveness and the yobbish fans, and dropped out of all those activities. I hope that I can avoid all that in this rejuvenated period of my life.
archersangel: (NCIS: NOLA)
archersangel ([personal profile] archersangel) wrote2025-07-05 12:11 am

what is time anyway?

i was looking at posts i had made about ncis: new orleans to torture myself for no good reason & realized that the final episode was in 2021. four freakin' years ago!

if it was not canceled this year would have been season number 11 for them. but despite my disappointment, 7 seasons is pretty good for a tv show. especially one staring scott bakula.

confession time; since the show filmed in new orleans* whenever there was a national weather report during the filming season (july to march, i think) i would look at the new orleans area to see what the weather was like. yes, i realize that i most likely do need professional help.


*other ncis shows filmed in a studio in los angeles & just did outdoor shots on location.