susandennis: (Default)
Susan Dennis ([personal profile] susandennis) wrote2026-04-01 07:34 am

Wednesday

The cats and I are having a food fight. They do not like the latest acquisition but 1. we have 24 5 oz cans of it that we are going to eat come hell or high water and 2. it's especially formulated to relieve stress. So they do not have to like it but they are going to eat it all up. It could be a long cat food month.

Amazon is ever increasing its options for returning stuff. I remember when my nephew first moved to his teeny tiny NW Iowa town, the first thing he told me about it was that the closest Amazon return site was an hour away in Nebraska. That's living off the grid in my book. Anyway, around here, they have now added Fed Ex. Like UPS, you just take your item in with a QR code and they provide the package and the label and the shipping. It's a schosh more convenient than UPS. So I thought I'd try it. I have one item to return but I also have 30 days so I'm in no hurry.

It probably won't be today. The Mariner game is an afternoon game today. Chicken TV!

I'm now reading the second of the 5 books that the librarian offered up. Proof by Jon Cowan. It had a rough start - lazy plot development/writing but now I'm at the 50% mark and he's hit his stride. Interesting plot and I'm hooked. So far, of the 5, 1 was a huge success, 1 was a total fail and now we're on this one. I'm still on hold for the other two.

I was debating skipping the swim today but now I've changed my mind. I think I'll just suit up and head on over. Such a luxury to have such a lovely pool such an easy walk from here.
Pajiba ([syndicated profile] newpajiba_feed) wrote2026-04-01 10:00 am

The Kanye West Comeback is Officially On

Posted by Kayleigh Donaldson

Were you worried you hadn't hit your 'yikes' quota for the tax year? Well, Ye is here to remind you that there's no such thing as cancel culture, even if you literally called yourself a Nazi over and over and...

Read more...

Pajiba ([syndicated profile] newpajiba_feed) wrote2026-04-01 09:59 am

'Paradise,' 'Detective Hole,' 'Survivor,' And More On Podjiba!

Posted by Dan Hamamura

First off: apologies to Tori (and any of you who also watched), as I completely forgot to watch the new Julio Torres special, Color Theories, even after definitely making sure we said we all would! That did not, however, prevent...

Read more...

blotthis: (Default)
blotthis ([personal profile] blotthis) wrote2026-04-01 10:40 am
Entry tags:

(no subject)

I also thought I'd like Pamela Dean's Tam Lin (for several) and then felt something rather different about it. I did quite like parts of the novel, but not at all in the way I expected.

It's possible that reading several versions of the Scottish border ballad beforehand didn't set up the read fairly. I found the ballad surprisingly short and unexpectedly punchy. And Dean's novel is ... not that.

Tam Lin is set at a fictional Minnesotan liberal arts college in the 1970s. Our protagonist, Janet Margaret Carter (Dean: did you see I used both extant names used for this character in the ballads, O, the cleverness of me), is the daughter of an English professor and starting her first year of undergrad. Wow! I thought. Wow! Starting your book in September when the fairy procession happens on Halloween! Wow! What a choice! It's all going to happen in two months! Wow!

No.How the hell is this book structured. Spoilers! )

pilottttt: (Default)
pilottttt ([personal profile] pilottttt) wrote in [community profile] common_nature2026-04-01 07:31 pm
Entry tags:

Persian squirrels inhabiting the ruins of the legendary Troy

Read more... )

You can read more about how we visited Troy here (in Russian).

susandennis: (Default)
Susan Dennis ([personal profile] susandennis) wrote2026-04-01 07:05 am

Chicken details

I spent all of yesterday tending to my flock. Trying this and then trying that and then, finally, I think I have a pattern I'm happy with.

One issue was the eyes. They end up needing to go into where there is a hole in the crochet. Summersgate said she's been sewing over that hole and I tried that and it kind of works. Another issue is that there was still too many holes and the stuffing shows through. So I dropped a size in my crochet hook but then the chicken was too small. Then I added a row and then the chicken was too big.

So I had a think. And changed my granny square to a granny round square with a special corner for the eye. I like the results a lot. There will be a lot more chickens, I believe.

PXL_20260401_031837506

Here's what I'm doing.

1. 12 double crochet (12)
2. 2 DC in each stitch (24)
3. 2 DC, then 1 DC, then 2 DC, etc (36)
Then I make a square
4. 2 DC, ch 1, 2 DC in 3 corners, [2 hdc, 4 sc, 2 hdc] on 4 sides. In the 4th corner, 5 DC's.
5. 1 DC in every stitch and 2 DC, ch 1, 2 DC in 3 corners and fill in (1 or 2 DC's) in that one corner.

That one corner becomes a nice, stable area for the eye.

I put an eye on each square and then put them wrong sides together and do a single crochet around the three edges leaving the one opposite the eye open.

Then I add the top comb. With the eye on the top left hand corner, I count 8 stitches over from that corner and start - 1 sc, 3 DC, 1 sc, [1 DC, 1 TR], [1 TR, 1 DC], 1 sc, 3 DC, slp the last stitch.

Then round the eye corner I skip one stitch from the comb and start the beak. 1 DC, ch 2, 1 DC in the first of those 2 chains, 1 DC and then a slip stitch to end.

Then I stuff her and close up the bottom and add the chicken feet: [ch 3, TR] 3 times in the middle of the bottom.

DONE!
Cake Wrecks ([syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed) wrote2026-04-01 01:00 pm

Err Supply

Posted by john (the hubby of Jen)

I know just how to ice it


And I know just how to sell


I know just how to read instructions


And I know just how too spell!


I know how to make a moose head

 

And I know how to make a bear


I know just how to write "Amurersary"


And I know what to do with hair!


And I know just how to stack cake...


And I know when I've gone too far!

AND I'M PROBABLY GONNA CHARGE YOU EVEN THOUGH

IT TOPPLED OVER 'CAUSE I REALLY HAVE TO

PAY FOR MY CAR!

 

 But I don't think you should judge me

Just because it's hard to read my scra-ah-awl...

 

'Cuz you know I'll always be here

Making caa-aake

Look like nothing at all

{Making cake!}

 

Look like nothing at all

{Making ca-ay-ake!}

 

Look like nothing at all

Ahhh-awwww-AH!

 Ahhhh-awwww-AH!

 AHHHHHH!!

 AHHHHHH!!!

THIS LOOKS LIKE NOTHING AT ALL!

 

Thanks to Kimberly M., Justine T., Kate L., Lauren B., Krista K., Beth W., Meghan M., Margaret, Amy C., Anony M., Fred M., Kris D., Beth, Kate H., & Chelsea V. for helping us write the longest CW post in CW history.

*****

P.S. Since this saved my butt during a long painting day recently, I have a random product recommendation:

No Buckle No-Show Stretch Belt

This is my new favorite belt, y'all. It basically turns anything with belt loops into an elastic waist. So comfy I forget it's on, slimline so it doesn't show under my t-shirts, and NO BELT BUCKLE to dig into my belly or unbuckle for bathroom breaks. Woohoo!

You know how stretch jeans are forever sliding down when you sit or bend, so you have to keep hitching them back up? No more! I wear this with all my jeans now. It's entirely elastic, so it moves and stretches with you, zero painful digging. I HIGHLY recommend for anyone well endowed with squish in the belly area.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

brumeier: AU Element of Change (AU Element)
Casually Unhinged ([personal profile] brumeier) wrote in [community profile] allbingo2026-04-01 10:03 am

WHATIF_AU BINGO IS BACK!

Hi, everyone! ::waves:: My name is [personal profile] brumeier and I’m stopping by to announce the annual [community profile] whatif_au AU Bingo!



If you like playing with AUs, this is the bingo for you! It will be running from April 1st through July 31st. You can request a 3x3 or 5x5 card at any time during this period. We’re a very chill comm, so there are no penalties if you don’t get a bingo, and you can still fill bingo cards beyond the end of July.

For the full list of rules and regs, please stop by the comm!
Snopes.com ([syndicated profile] snopes_feed) wrote2026-04-01 01:00 pm
pegkerr: (Enchanted quill 2)
pegkerr ([personal profile] pegkerr) wrote2026-04-01 08:25 am
Entry tags:

My Minicon Schedule

For those unfamiliar, Minicon is a science fiction/fantasy convention held in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, specifically) on Easter weekend every year. I've been attending since, oh, 1988 or so?

Scheduled events where you can find me:

Thursday: Maybe I'll go to Opening Ceremonies, but not likely.

Friday:

READING: Peg Kerr. I will have a half hour time slot and I'll be reading from the work in progress. Bonus: in the scene I will be reading, I'll be bringing back a character from Emerald House Rising.

7 PM – Books We Cull, Books We Keep: Curating your personal library.

8:30 PM - Research and World-Building, or "Write the Story Already !"

Saturday:

10 AM – The Enduring Allure of Regency Romance

7 PM - On Writing Badly [heaven knows I know a lot about this]

8:30 PM - On Writing Badly

Sunday:

11:30 AM – How to Create a Character
linaewen: Girl Writing (Girl Writing)
Linaewen ([personal profile] linaewen) wrote in [community profile] writethisfanfic2026-04-01 08:33 am
Entry tags:

WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 1 -- Wednesday

Hello on Wednesday!  How are things going in the world of fic?

Did you write?

   - Yes!
   - No!
   - Not yet!

If yes, what kind of writerly activity did you engage in?  How do you feel about it?
If no, what were the obstacles/situations that affected your writerly pursuits?  What will you do differently tomorrow to get more writing done?
If not yet, because the day hasn't gotten going yet, what kind of writing activity are you planning (or hoping) to accomplish?
siberian_angel: (Music: David Garrett)
siberian_angel ([personal profile] siberian_angel) wrote in [community profile] thestoryinside2026-04-01 03:06 pm
Entry tags:

April Buddy Assignments



The themes for April are:
THRILLER // FANTASY // CONTEMPORARY // FEMALE AUTHOR
You must choose books with these genres and themes for your buddy. If you think you might not have books in your TBR pile that fits this month's choices, please let your buddy know.

You can find your buddy's TBR lists here.

[personal profile] monkiainen & [personal profile] spaciireth

[personal profile] colls & [personal profile] royalblue31

You have until the 5th to choose your partner's books.
duckprintspress: (Default)
duckprintspress ([personal profile] duckprintspress) wrote2026-04-01 09:03 am

WWW Wednesday

1. What are you currently reading?

  • The Beauty's Blade by Feng Ren Zuo Shu: I'm pretty meh on the pacing and character development, which is making this not that enjoyable. Like I genuinely can't think of a single reason that Yu Shengyan would even tolerate Fu Wanqing, much less fall in love with her. I think it'd help if we had more about Yu Shengyan other than "quiet" and "uses an unseen flexible sword" and "leader of a demonic sect even tho she doesn't seem demonic." If she had more displayed personality her preferences would certainly make more sense.
  • Yona of the Dawn vol. 25 by Mizuho Kusanagi: the end of vol. 24 was Too Cliffhanger for me not to grab the next and read part of it, but I was too tired and it was too late for me to read it all. I'll probably finish today.
  • 盗墓笔记 vol. 2 by 南派三叔: just celebrating that I crossed 100 pages today!

2. What have you recently finished reading?

  • Yona of the Dawn vol. 24 by Mizuho Kusanagi
  • Sakamoto Days vol. 20 by Yuto Suzuki
  • Yuri Espoir vol. 2 by Mai Naoi: didn't like it as much as vol. 1 but it was fine.
  • Hello, Sunshine by Keezy Young: easily one of the best graphic novels I've read as part of my "read all the queer graphic novels I can find." Absolutely fantastic modern-fantasy-horror story about queerness, fear, intergenerational trauma, and schizophrenia.
  • sick by Tomo Kurahashi: modern BL, I didn't particularly like how passive the bottom was.
  • Motherlover by Lindsay Ishihiro: I liked the focus on women with families getting second chances and the bi4les, but I didn't like how the kids really felt like plot devices and ceased to matter the moment they weren't essential to moving events forward.
  • We're Not Cut Out to Be Lovers vol. 1 and 2 by Kou Hirokawa: cute duology about a mechanic and his livestreamer neighbor. Modern m/m. Fairly porny.
  • Just Like Mona Lisa vol. 2 by Tsumuji Yoshimura: I think the uncomfortable gender stuff is on purpose. But it's still uncomfortable gender stuff.

3. What will you read next?

Novel: Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell is next on my novel tbr.

Physical Graphic Novels (from the Library): Daybreak vol. 2 by Moosopp is next on my pile.

Digital Graphic Novels (on Libby):  idk nothing is due in under 7 days so I'll just pick based on mood and ~vibes~. Maybe Dinosaur Sanctuary vol. 7?


senmut: Ramoth and Mnementh's mating flight (Pern: Dragons Mating)
Asp ([personal profile] senmut) wrote in [community profile] all_worlds_of_mccaffrey2026-04-01 07:28 am
Entry tags:

April 1, 1926 - April 1, 2026: 100 years of McCaffrey

Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.

In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007. - her wikipedia article


What legacy of McCaffrey positively impacted you? What series did you first encounter? Which characters moved into your head and make commentary on your life? Did you ever meet her?

If you have new works to share, please do so with new posts to the comm in honor of the Dragonlady. Recs are quite welcome for any fanworks. Please attribute art and other works to the original creator so we can maybe find new creators to follow.