Winter garden
Friday, 2 January 2026 12:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
puddleshark
Bought a new season ticket to Holme Gardens for 2026, and took a short wander round the winter gardens in the sunshine, just until my feet grew numb. Only the Witch Hazel and the Daphne in flower. But the garden was full of birds: Robins singing, Thrushes and Fieldfares feeding on the holly and the rowan berries, a tiny Goldcrest, rather tame, seen picking its way along a yew hedge.
( +2 )
A Little New Underwear
Friday, 2 January 2026 06:22 amatherleisureI didn't fool with putting the 1880's combinations on the dummy and just took a picture of them on the couch.
They're the same pattern as the ones I made about ten years ago, although I think this fabric might have some polyester content to it so they'll probably be the secondary ones. Even if there isn't any polyester, the lawn of the original pair is a finer weave.
I did put the 1895 divided petticoat on the dummy.
It's made of an old percale sheet and a piece of eyelet that I had in the stash. It has buttons on the sides (not sure why there are buttons on both sides since there's a really long placket) and then a drawstring to gather up the back. It turns out that the petticoat pattern is for a full-length petticoat, even though it looks short in the pattern image. In order not to be longer than my split skirt, I had to shorten it quite a bit. Since my eyelet was 6" wide and I wanted to do half-inch tucks, I cut off 12" of length. That allowed for a 1" double-turned hem and four tucks, which took me right to the crotch seam. The rise in my split skirt isn't nearly as long so I'll have to try the two together to see whether they actually work together well.
They're the same pattern as the ones I made about ten years ago, although I think this fabric might have some polyester content to it so they'll probably be the secondary ones. Even if there isn't any polyester, the lawn of the original pair is a finer weave.
I did put the 1895 divided petticoat on the dummy.
It's made of an old percale sheet and a piece of eyelet that I had in the stash. It has buttons on the sides (not sure why there are buttons on both sides since there's a really long placket) and then a drawstring to gather up the back. It turns out that the petticoat pattern is for a full-length petticoat, even though it looks short in the pattern image. In order not to be longer than my split skirt, I had to shorten it quite a bit. Since my eyelet was 6" wide and I wanted to do half-inch tucks, I cut off 12" of length. That allowed for a 1" double-turned hem and four tucks, which took me right to the crotch seam. The rise in my split skirt isn't nearly as long so I'll have to try the two together to see whether they actually work together well.
Kim Jong Un's daughter visits family mausoleum, promoting her potential status as heir in North Kore
Friday, 2 January 2026 06:48 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
cbc_topnews_feed
The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts say bolstered her status as her father's potential heir.
Trump, top Iranian officials exchange threats over protests in Iran
Friday, 2 January 2026 06:37 amcbc_topnews_feed
U.S. President Donald Trump and top Iranian officials exchanged duelling threats on Friday as widening economic protests swept across parts of the Islamic Republic, further escalating tensions between the countries.
As The New Year Gets Underway
Friday, 2 January 2026 12:26 pmpoliphilo I told myself I'd try and finish A La Recherche de Temps Perdus by the end of 2025. As it is I'm nearing the end of volume 2 with 5 more to go.....
I've thought of doing a retrospective of the past year, but I can never remember when things happened and can't be bothered to find out. I would have written that the most significant event of the year was the release of the podcast, The Telepathy Tapes- but I checked and found this actually happened in 2024.....
I have sometimes made New Year resolutions, but I never keep them so this year I shan't....
Two things I've had enough of and will do my best to avoid in future:
1. Political commentary/satire that is nothing but insults and name-calling. It's just so playground.
2. Fictions that maintain the fallacy that problems can be solved by killing people
I've thought of doing a retrospective of the past year, but I can never remember when things happened and can't be bothered to find out. I would have written that the most significant event of the year was the release of the podcast, The Telepathy Tapes- but I checked and found this actually happened in 2024.....
I have sometimes made New Year resolutions, but I never keep them so this year I shan't....
Two things I've had enough of and will do my best to avoid in future:
1. Political commentary/satire that is nothing but insults and name-calling. It's just so playground.
2. Fictions that maintain the fallacy that problems can be solved by killing people
Yuletide reveals!
Friday, 2 January 2026 12:17 pmphilomythaI matched one of my 'why not try this' fandoms this year in Yuletide and had a lovely request for Heyer's Cotillion. I've never written Heyer fic, or any Regency romance fic unless you count the more Heyeresque parts of Bujold, but she's a longstanding favourite author and I wanted to have a go, and Cotillion is such a fun book, one of my absolute favourites of hers. And Lord Legerwood is one of Heyer's many delightfully sardonic older men and so writing his POV was tremendous fun - I had a couple of false starts trying to write something for this request, but once I started writing Lord Legerwood it all came together very smoothly. And a comedy of misunderstandings seemed very appropriate for Heyer.
By Special Licence (Heyer - Cotillion, canon pairings, epilogue, 2000 words)
To get into the spirit of the thing, as well as reading Cotillion a couple of times through I have been slowly reading through all the Heyers, partly to get the voice and also because it's always like this when I pick up one Heyer: I have to read all the other ones immediately afterwards. I haven't reread any of the Georgian ones yet because I wanted to keep my head in the Regency voice, but now that my fic is all done I will be getting to them because what can beat These Old Shades - the first Heyer I ever read, not necessarily the best place to start except of course it is the best place to start. Anyway, I have been reading through the Regencies more or less in favourite order, so I've now reached Arabella - which has many things I do love but the 'told a silly lie and now have to stick to it' trope isn't one of them. (Top ten Heyer Regencies, not in order: Frederica, Venetia, A Civil Contract, Cotillion, Friday's Child, The Nonesuch, The Foundling, The Unknown Ajax, The Reluctant Widow, Black Sheep.) But even my least favourite Heyers are still fun to reread.
And as well as what I wrote, the authors of my gifts are revealed:
![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
morvidra wrote Happiness In Time Of Joy (Wimsey missing scenes from Busman's Honeymoon)
longwhitecoats wrote Double Exposure (long Wimsey casefic with Harriet/Peter/Bunter)
fullborn wrote Wandrers Nachtlied ('The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' Theo/Clive fic).
Thank you all very much!
By Special Licence (Heyer - Cotillion, canon pairings, epilogue, 2000 words)
To get into the spirit of the thing, as well as reading Cotillion a couple of times through I have been slowly reading through all the Heyers, partly to get the voice and also because it's always like this when I pick up one Heyer: I have to read all the other ones immediately afterwards. I haven't reread any of the Georgian ones yet because I wanted to keep my head in the Regency voice, but now that my fic is all done I will be getting to them because what can beat These Old Shades - the first Heyer I ever read, not necessarily the best place to start except of course it is the best place to start. Anyway, I have been reading through the Regencies more or less in favourite order, so I've now reached Arabella - which has many things I do love but the 'told a silly lie and now have to stick to it' trope isn't one of them. (Top ten Heyer Regencies, not in order: Frederica, Venetia, A Civil Contract, Cotillion, Friday's Child, The Nonesuch, The Foundling, The Unknown Ajax, The Reluctant Widow, Black Sheep.) But even my least favourite Heyers are still fun to reread.
And as well as what I wrote, the authors of my gifts are revealed:
Thank you all very much!
On the work of human rights work [pols, hist]
Friday, 2 January 2026 07:03 amsidereaInteresting:
2025 Dec 31: DwarkeshPatel YT fea. Sarah Paine: Human Rights Killed Communism - Sarah Paine:
BTW, that's Sarah C. M. Paine, until very recently the William S. Sims University Professor of History and Grand Strategy and the Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History, both, at the US Naval War College. She's an incredibly interesting speaker. Recommended.
(Dwarkesh Patel is this random dude who mistakenly thinks he's a podcaster and keeps trying to have other guests, but in actuality was put on Earth to bring Paine to the masses. He's got something like 14 hours of her up on his channel.)
2025 Dec 31: DwarkeshPatel YT fea. Sarah Paine: Human Rights Killed Communism - Sarah Paine:
BTW, that's Sarah C. M. Paine, until very recently the William S. Sims University Professor of History and Grand Strategy and the Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History, both, at the US Naval War College. She's an incredibly interesting speaker. Recommended.
(Dwarkesh Patel is this random dude who mistakenly thinks he's a podcaster and keeps trying to have other guests, but in actuality was put on Earth to bring Paine to the masses. He's got something like 14 hours of her up on his channel.)
Snopes never verified that shirtless Obama photo was taken at Epstein's island
Friday, 2 January 2026 11:00 amsnopes_feedThe picture in question circulated online as early as 2008.
An irksome incident, and a realization for me
Friday, 2 January 2026 05:57 ammythicmistressSo, I got rather irked last month about a "psychic damage" comment regarding a voice actress' role, and the media that role was for.
I didn't say anything against it, even though I considered a whole rant.
The reason for that is simple- I realized that fandom, as a whole, isn't a hill worth dying on. There are more important things in life.
I didn't say anything against it, even though I considered a whole rant.
The reason for that is simple- I realized that fandom, as a whole, isn't a hill worth dying on. There are more important things in life.
The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, Jan 1)
Friday, 2 January 2026 06:09 amspikedluvHow is it 2026 already?!! Happy New Year to you all. I hope it’s a safe, healthy and joyous one for all of us.
I did not go downtown today, just spent a very lazy day at home doing minimal chores. I hand-washed dishes, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered. Pip's supper was leftovers, so I didn't even have to cook!
Disappointment of the day (really, yesterday, but it carried over), was discovering that there is garlic in the dip mix I use to make the spinach dip. I never noticed before, so must be years ago it didn't bother me like it does now. It's not enough to burn my mouth like that yummy hamburger did a while back, but it is enough to make me pause when I'm going back for seconds *coff* thirds.
I tried the Green tea today. At first I was like, this is my kind of tea (very weak), but by the time I finished my first cup I thought it might be even too weak for me! o_O After the first cup (this was not a tea bag I could reuse; in fact, I left it in the cup the whole time and the tea still tasted weak to me) I went back to my favorite tea that I keep in the house, Tazo’s Zen (which is green tea, bright lemongrass & crisp peppermint).
I read more in my book and watched-watched more Secrets of the Zoo.
Temps started out at 12.2(F) and reached 19.1. It was windy again; Pip actually had to go out and blow out the trails again because they'd been blown in with snow. There was a little bit of sun, though!
Mom Update:
Mom sounded good when I talked to her. She has nothing much to report. *g* Sister A was with her when I called and my brother had called earlier, so she is receiving visitors and calls, which is nice.
I did not go downtown today, just spent a very lazy day at home doing minimal chores. I hand-washed dishes, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered. Pip's supper was leftovers, so I didn't even have to cook!
Disappointment of the day (really, yesterday, but it carried over), was discovering that there is garlic in the dip mix I use to make the spinach dip. I never noticed before, so must be years ago it didn't bother me like it does now. It's not enough to burn my mouth like that yummy hamburger did a while back, but it is enough to make me pause when I'm going back for seconds *coff* thirds.
I tried the Green tea today. At first I was like, this is my kind of tea (very weak), but by the time I finished my first cup I thought it might be even too weak for me! o_O After the first cup (this was not a tea bag I could reuse; in fact, I left it in the cup the whole time and the tea still tasted weak to me) I went back to my favorite tea that I keep in the house, Tazo’s Zen (which is green tea, bright lemongrass & crisp peppermint).
I read more in my book and watched-watched more Secrets of the Zoo.
Temps started out at 12.2(F) and reached 19.1. It was windy again; Pip actually had to go out and blow out the trails again because they'd been blown in with snow. There was a little bit of sun, though!
Mom Update:
Mom sounded good when I talked to her. She has nothing much to report. *g* Sister A was with her when I called and my brother had called earlier, so she is receiving visitors and calls, which is nice.
Rating and ranking my 21 reads in 2025 - Overall a really great year of horror!
Friday, 2 January 2026 10:07 amhorrorlitreddit_feed2025 wasn't as big of a reading year as I would have liked, but I still managed to read 21 books which I'm quite happy about. I've shared slightly deeper thoughts for all of these books sporadically as I finished them so if you want to see more then you can check my profile. Here is how I rate/rank everything I read this year!
1) - Sphere - Michael Crichton - (5/5)
Oceanic horror / Scientific thriller
2) - Golden Blood - S.J. Patrick - (5/5)
Vampire horror
3) - Pet Sematary - Stephen King - (5/5)
Supernatural horror
4) - Rolling In The Deep - Mira Grant - (5/5)
Oceanic horror
5) - The Keep - F Paul Wilson - (4.5/5)
Vampire / historical horror
6) - Into The Drowning Deep - Mira Grant - (4.5/5)
Oceanic horror
7) - The Sentience - S.J. Patrick - (4.5/5)
Alien / supernatural horror
8) - The Wolf's Hour - Robert McCammon - (4.5/5)
Werewolf / historical horror
9) - Ancestor - Scott Sigler - (4.5/5)
Scientific thriller / creature horror
10) - Infected - Scott Sigler - (4.5/5)
Alien horror
11) - Contagious - Scott Sigler - (4.5/5)
Alien horror
12) - Pandemic - Scott Sigler - (4.5/5)
Alien horror
13) - The Running Man - Stephen King - (4/5)
Dystopian / death game horror
14) - Adrift - K.R. Griffiths - (4/5)
Vampire horror
15) - Midnight's Lair - Richard Laymon - (4/5)
Creature horror
16) - Velocity - Dean Koontz - (3.5/5)
Thriller
17) - Brother - Ania Ahlborn - (3.5/5)
Thriller
18) - Micro - Michael Crichton - (3/5)
Creature feature
19) - Timeline - Michael Crichton - (2.5/5)
Scientific thriller / historical thriller
20) - The Institute - Stephen King - (1.5/5)
Dystopian / supernatural horror
21) - Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz - (1/5)
Supernatural horror
Any other recommendations based on what I've liked?
Did you read any of these this year too?
[link] [comments]
Snowflake Challenge 2026 #1
Friday, 2 January 2026 05:49 ammythicmistressThe Icebreaker Challenge: Introduce yourself. Tell us why you're doing the challenge, and what you hope to gain from it.
I'm Mythic. I'm doing Snowflake again this year because I want to keep up with posting on DW, and like seeing what everyone else participating comes up with.
I'm Mythic. I'm doing Snowflake again this year because I want to keep up with posting on DW, and like seeing what everyone else participating comes up with.
Manip: "The Morning That Came After The Night That Was The Year Before..."
Friday, 2 January 2026 08:16 pmmagnavox_23Title: "The Morning That Came After The Night That Was The Year Before..."
Artist:magnavox_23
Character/Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: G
(Click to embiggen)
Base gratuitously pinched from Bradley Whitford's socials... *g*
Artist:
magnavox_23 Character/Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: G
(Click to embiggen)
Base gratuitously pinched from Bradley Whitford's socials... *g*
Kaijuu No. 8 fic update: Warm as life (Kafka/Reno/Narumi, Reno/Iharu, Kafka/Hoshina) - WIP 2/7
Friday, 2 January 2026 10:05 amvriddyFeeling a lot more confident and happier now that Narumi also showed up. It's surprising how much easier I find it to write such a little clown of a character.
...perhaps because I, too, was actually a clown all along? 😮🤡
Warm as life | Kaijuu No. 8 | Kafka/Reno/Narumi, Reno/Iharu, Kafka/Hoshina | 3.8k words (WIP, 2/7) | rated M
Summary: The new threat posed by No. 9 weighs heavily on everyone. Under these circumstances, emotions run high and what starts as a way of relieving stress can easily bloom into unexpected feelings. Some people find that easier to admit than others.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
...perhaps because I, too, was actually a clown all along? 😮🤡
Warm as life | Kaijuu No. 8 | Kafka/Reno/Narumi, Reno/Iharu, Kafka/Hoshina | 3.8k words (WIP, 2/7) | rated M
Summary: The new threat posed by No. 9 weighs heavily on everyone. Under these circumstances, emotions run high and what starts as a way of relieving stress can easily bloom into unexpected feelings. Some people find that easier to admit than others.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
Leading economists want less talk, more numbers from federal budget watchdog
Friday, 2 January 2026 04:01 am
I spent over a decade obsessed with the gym. I’ve finally let myself stop
Friday, 2 January 2026 04:00 amcbc_topnews_feed
When Zahra Khozema first started going to the gym in university, it made her feel powerful and beautiful. The guilt and stress came later.
8 things to watch for in Alberta politics in 2026
Wednesday, 31 December 2025 07:00 amcbc_topnews_feed
Duelling citizen-led petitions related to separation, multiple uses of the notwithstanding clause, a slew of recall petitions, progress on a pipeline deal and municipal elections across the province — 2025 was rife with political news. And already, the year ahead is looking to be just as consequential.
Could Torontonians soon ride self-driving taxis? That’s Waymo’s plan
Monday, 22 December 2025 04:00 amcbc_topnews_feed
Toronto could get new cars on the road whose drivers will never get frustrated by gridlock — because the cars would be driving themselves.
[Challenge #475] BtVS / Spike — Misunderstood
Friday, 2 January 2026 10:30 amveronyxk84 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
100wordsTitle: Misunderstood
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author:veronyxk84
Characters/Pairing: Spike
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: some coarse language
Word count: 100 (Google Docs)
Spoilers/Setting: Set in S5, during ep. 5x17 “Forever”.
Summary: Spike honours Joyce in his own way.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.
Challenge: #475 - Resolve
Crossposted:fan_flashworks, My journal
—
( READ: Misunderstood )
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author:
veronyxk84Characters/Pairing: Spike
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: some coarse language
Word count: 100 (Google Docs)
Spoilers/Setting: Set in S5, during ep. 5x17 “Forever”.
Summary: Spike honours Joyce in his own way.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.
Challenge: #475 - Resolve
Crossposted:
fan_flashworks, My journal—
( READ: Misunderstood )
The Friday Five for 2 January 2026
Friday, 2 January 2026 11:29 amintothisshadowMy answers to today's questions at thefridayfive@DW
1. Do you mostly drink tap, filtered, or bottled water?
Only tap water.
2. Is it safe/recommended to drink tap water where you live? If not, why?
It's safe. The quality of tap water here in such that it's a given - nobody born here even thinks about it.
3. What does the tap water taste/smell like where you live?
Nothing, IMO.
4. Do you collect rainwater? If so, what do you use it for?
Nope.
5. Do you/have you ever had restrictions on water use where you live? What did you have to change about your lifestyle?
The only times tap water isn't safe to drink is when there is a temporary, local problem with some local plumbing/water supply/water treatment plant. These happen occasionally but I've never had it happen to me in my 51 years.
People still have summer cottages that are old and basic enough that they don't get municipal running water, or the running water comes from their own well in which case bottled water is needed for drinking. My Mom and her SO had a place like that for a couple of years, spent only summers there and had to haul in water for the stays. They had their own well and running water, but it could not be used for drinking or cooking, just for showering and gardening and such.
The only thing was that when I visited that Mom's and SO's summer place, I had to remember never to drink water from any faucet. And while showering, not letting water in my mouth.