birdfeeding

What you eat could decide the planet’s future

What we put on our plates may matter more for the climate than we realize. Researchers found that most people, especially in wealthy countries, are exceeding a “food emissions budget” needed to keep global warming below 2°C. Beef alone accounts for nearly half of food-related emissions in Canada. Small changes—less waste, smaller portions, and fewer steaks—could add up to a big climate win.

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Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly 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.

EDIT 12/24/25 -- We hacked up most of the remaining brushpile in the parking lot, and some of the older one by the driveway, feeding those into the chipper.

EDIT 12/24/25 -- We moved the new mulch to the mulch pile.

EDIT 12/24/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio. As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

linky

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Want You Back Again

pensnest

My labours of yesterday—cooked a spiced apple cake, and a lemon possett flan, made several sandwiches and decorated—and today—made GF plain scones, Cherry scones, and Cheese and Chorizo scones, put cream cheese+horseradish and smoked salmon onto GF crackers—were well rewarded by a mostly-empty table and smiling (and slightly groany) people. We had Afternoon Tea for lunch, and it was very nice.

And now, my crocheted llama has mysteriously acquired a Santa hat.

badly_knitted

Title: Embers
Fandom: BtVS
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Angel, Buffy.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 481: Glow at

drabble_zone.
Spoilers/Setting: Shortly after Helpless.
Summary: The fire is dying down, but Angel can’t bring himself to move.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Embers... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Bold Choice
Fandom: FAKE
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, OFC.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Sometimes you just have to go with what you’ve got.
Written Using: The tw100 prompt ‘Tie’.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Bold Choice... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Dreary
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 897: Beach, at

torchwood100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Not all alien planets are picturesque.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble. Set in my Ghost of a Chance ‘Verse.

( Dreary... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

ysabetwordsmith

Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.

We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!

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Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the February 2025

crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from

dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Experimentation" square in my 2-1-25 card for the Valentines Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to the Big One and Kraken threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem came out of the February 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from

mama_kestrel and

see_also_friend. It also fills the "Violent Behavior" square in my 2-1-25 card for the Valentines Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Peculiar Obligations.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the July 1, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from

gothfvck and

see_also_friend. It also fills the "Resist Oppression" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Peculiar Obligations.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

pensnest

Well. Almost there. I'm not cooking Christmas dinner this year—Bun and MRBun2B have invited us there—but tomorrow I am producing Afternoon Tea for them, plus BIL, Boy, and MrBun2B's parents. The most concise way I have found of referring to this couple is "Bun's in-laws", though they are not that at present. Beast feels there should be a word for this relationship, but I don't think there is. Am I wrong?

*

Have spent an hour or so arranging holly (we have a tree with berries!), ivy, acuba japonica and white lilies (still in bud) to decorate the dining room. Very casual arrangements, but I like the effect. Also very economical, as all the greenery was culled from the garden and we only needed to buy two bunches of lilies. If any of you is worried about the cat, I can promise there will be *no* difficulty keeping her out of the dining room, when it is filled with People. She can have a nice, peaceful Christmas Day to recover.

*

Final chorus engagement for the year was at the Hamlet Centre last Friday. Now that the chorus is so much younger, a large proportion of members are working during the day )we used to have more pensioners and housewives) so there were only five of us, but we duly turned up. This particular version of the Hamlet Centre is for young adults with various disabilities. In the past we've also sung at the children's version, which is usually delightful because at least one little girl always got up and danced as we sang. I wasn't expecting a dancer this time, but I was wrong! There were a couple of kids there, and the little girl danced!

With only five of us—three Leads and two Baritones—there wasn't a lot we could do in terms of Christmas repertoire, but there was a recording of various Christmas songs which we sang along with, and we did manage to throw in Silent Night, White Christmas and the Carol of the Bells acappella. I harmonised happily as the mood took me.

It's a fairly unique experience. It's always kinda bizarre and quite joyous. I didn't take part last year, for reasons of New Hip, and remembered all over again why it is a good thing to do. I think the three newcomers among us were all hooked!

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and cool, almost warm -- too warm for a jacket even. That's warmer than even the January thaw used to get.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 12/23/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 12/23/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 12/23/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 12/23/25 -- I filled the trolley twice with twigs from the parking lot brushpile, then dumped them in the firepit in the ritual meadow.

I saw a flock of mourning doves in the trees around the ritual meadow.

EDIT 12/23/25 -- I dumped another trolley of sticks in the firepit.

EDIT 12/23/25 -- I dumped another trolley of sticks in the firepit.

I've seen a fox squirrel running through the trees. I heard a woodpecker but didn't see it.

EDIT 12/23/25 -- I dumped another trolley of sticks in the firepit. I think I've actually removed all the ones with berries that I want to burn, so the rest should be free for other uses.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

badly_knitted

Title: Please Don’t Cry
Fandom: FAKE
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: Vol. 3, Act 9.
Summary: Dee never knows what to do when someone is crying.
Written For:

jigglygrlcarrie’s prompt ‘Any, any, “Don’t cry”, at

threesentenceficathon.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Triple drabble and a half, 350 words.

( Please Don’t Cry... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Overprotective
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Fourteenth Doctor, Donna.
Rating: G
Written For: Challenge 985: ‘Fuss’ at

dw100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Donna gives the Doctor a piece of her mind.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who, or the characters.

( Overprotective... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Beached
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, Ianto.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 897: Beach, at

torchwood100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Something weird is going on in the Hub.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Beached... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

mistressofmuses

A nice celestial sticker. Kind of leading in to the solstice, though this week ended the day before. This design is by Carly K./Mythic Management from her "Transcend" designs. My yellowish pen is definitely too orange for this color scheme, haha.

This was a very weird week. I started the week visiting Taylor and my mom, which was nice. Then we had the major wind storms, and the intentional power outages. In a way it was nice to have a couple unexpected half-days at work, but it very much threw everything for the week off. (I also did not succeed in using that extra time off to my advantage in getting other things done, heh.) I did get a few necessary things done: I wrapped gifts, mailed cards, and eventually caught most of the way up here. This time of year always somehow feels like I have way too much to do, though.

Goals for the week:

I did finish reading Mary
I started reading The Fragile Threads of Power, though have struggled to carve out enough time
I did not work on my reviews for the month
I did not work on my WIP outline
I did not make my phone call
Alex took care of taking the truck over to my coworker and his neighbor to get repair work done - huge relief!
I did get together with Taylor
I did wrap my Christmas gifts
I did finally get my cards into the mail
I was not able to attend my work webinar, because our power went out
I did attend our center meeting
I did not work on my reading page
I did figure out my list of what I'd need for baking, and more: actually got the stuff!

Tracked habits:

Work - 4/7 - I wound up with half days on both Wednesday and Friday due to power outages
Household Maintenance - 5/7
Physical Activity - 2/7
Wrote 500/1000+ Words - 0/7
Wrote on 2nd+ Draft - 0/7
Meta Work - 4/7
Personal Writing - 3/7
Other Creative Things - 1/7
Reading - 7/7 - I finished reading Mary, and started The Fragile Threads of Power, plus read a bit of my ebook sideread; Taylor and I read What Moves the Dead, and started Silver and Lead; Alex and I read some of The Sun Dog
Attention to Media - 5/7 - Sunday I did have some reviews in the background while at work; Tuesday we had some news in the background and later watched a review; Wednesday was more reviews; Thursday we watched news coverage; Saturday watched some paranormal videos ad later a review.
Video Games - 2/7 - Taylor and I did a playthrough of Slay the Princess
Social Interaction - 5/7

Total words written: 0

Current Mood: sore
Current Location: my apartment

low_delta

My mom called to say our Christmas cookies were ready, so I went over to pick them up. What kinds are there? Yes. Peanut butter balls, peanut brittle, pecan crescents, some things with lemon frosting, some amaretto somethingsorother, some with pistachio and chocolate frosting, caramels, fudge, gingersnaps, chocolatey somethings with m&m's, and a few nondescript cookies with frosting or chocolate.

When I was there eleven days ago, she was baking cookies for church. Some cookie auction or something. She hadn't started on her own cookies yet. She got those all done last night, so tonight she was packaging them for delivery. This is only a fraction of the plates she puts together. There are fourteen buckets on the table, but I'm not sure if that's all of the different kinds she made.

She gave Cindy and I each one, though mine has only peanut butter balls and pecan crescents. She named off all the neighbors she gives to. She said she was once talking to her financial guy who mentioned Christmas cookies, so she decided to take him a plate. And she still takes them to that place, even though he doesn't work there anymore. And she'll take a plate to Dan's dad (I have no idea who Dan is), but he has bad teeth so she's worried that some will be too hard for him. Of course she'll tell Dan to tell his dad that he can soften them up by putting them in the microwave (she can hardly give you food without also giving that advice). I don't know who else. She's got to have friends to give them to. And a coworker or two. My sister, and her two kids.

And Mom wonders how much money she spends on this. She used four to five pounds of butter, but she had to tell me how cheap butter is at Costco.

ysabetwordsmith

Today I'm making rosemary-lemon holiday cookies, somewhat inspired by this recipe, but I'm using lemon powder and Maine pine bitters. The dough tastes good, at least. It's currently chilling in the fridge before I attempt to roll it out and cut little evergreen trees. Cutout cookies are not what I do best, but rosemary cookies just deserve that shape.

EDIT 12/22/25 -- The cookies are done! \o/ They turned out quite delicious. The first bite just tastes like sugar cookie, but then the lemon and pine flavors bloom. Rosemary cookies are tricky to balance. Too sweet and they're just sugar cookies, not sweet enough and they taste like crackers; too little rosemary and they're sugar cookies again, too much and it tastes like you're baking with floor wash. But these are perfect.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

These are the content notes for "Along These Sympathetic Fibers."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Birdfeeding: Friends of a Feather Flock Together

Food

Exchange Excitment

he knows if you've been bad or good

BtVS Double Drabble: Embers

FAKE Double Drabble: Bold Choice

Double Drabble: Dreary

Cuddle Party

Poem: "The Right Combination of Features"

Poem: "No Matter How Morally Unworthy"

Poem: "Happy Instruments of Salvation"

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Birdfeeding

FAKE Triple Drabble: Please Don’t Cry

Doctor Who Drabble: Overprotective

Double Drabble: Beached

Habit Tracking: Week 51 (December 14 - December 20)

Christmas cookies

Today's Cooking

Content notes for "Along These Sympathetic Fibers"

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December 2025

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