awesomeers | Member Posts

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Extreme Animals
Birdfeeding
Grand Prairie Friends
Communities
Photos: Lake Charleston
Photos: Coles County Community Garden
Photos: Charleston Food Forest
Activism
Safety
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Community
Today's Smoothie
Poem: "A Clear Path of Freedom"
Climate Change
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 11-7-25: Kingdom Hearts
Climate Change
Birdfeeding
Food
Birdfeeding
Poem: "To the Rational Mind"
Early Humans
Hard Things

Trauma has 36 comments. Affordable Housing has 60 comments. Robotics has 97 comments.

Last week's Poetry Fishbowl went well. I still have at least one more poem to write.

"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $191 to be complete. Maiara and Arthur discuss taking notes.

The weather was pleasantly cool, then today the temperature suddenly plummeted and it snowed a little. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a goldfinch. A great horned owl has been hoo-hooing outside along with a shrieking owlet. :D 3q3q3q!!! Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, red salvia, sweet alyssum, blue lobelia, firecracker plant. Fields are almost all harvested.

Current Mood: busy

kaberett

Celebrating. Anniversary. <3

Reading. ( Ravindran, Link, Stocks )

I have also: been skimming a variety of pain-related academic publications, and: printed out not one but TWO translations of Treatise on Man for the coming week's work reading.

Playing. Things!

Gently pootling along in I Love Hue.
Inkulinati! Delighted by having made it along the High Combat route on the second map page of my journey with... really minimal damage sustained; also very pleased that having worked through most of the Academy and now having made Progress on my Journey I now have enough of an understanding of mechanics that Proper Shared Activity is viable. (... had a Very satisfying Pushing A Helmeted Dog Off Its Level when it had considerately broken down a neutral gate for me.)
Fluxx! A particularly ridiculous game, that spent a whole bunch of time Draw 1 Play 1 and then suddenly exploded into Draw 3, Play All, Rich Bonus, Poor Bonus, Party Bonus, and Inflation, among others.

Cooking. Um. Three things from [the Roti King cookbook]9https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/466240/roti-king-by-sugen-gopal/9781837832118)! Surprised by how Very Into the beetroot thingy I was, and the pumpkin stew Grew On Me over the several days we spent eating it.

Also a tomato salad from East, which I was meh about -- but hey, that's one more thing crossed off that particular cookbook list!

Eating. This weekend we have had Many Avocadoes (which are a Special Treat), and also A made me blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning.

OH and a variety of Things To Share from The Artful Duke in Bromley: macaroni cheese not particularly exciting but also very definitely not Cold Sad Soup, and therefore very welcome; sweetcorn "ribs"; three bean chilli nacho Situation; halloumi fries with hot honey. This occasioned the realisation on my part that "hot honey" is upselling for "sweet chilli sauce", which I find very amusing.

And a big pile of tomatoes my mother sent us home with, along with a chunk of Schwarzbrot :)

Exploring. Bromley "zoo"!

Making & mending. ... I got one of A's mildly problematic fountain pens writing earlier today and then promptly made it stop again. Gonna keep poking at the nib. (Tines were misaligned. Fixed that but/and they are now also a bit too splayed for capillary action to work properly; I think this predated my starting to mess around with it...)

Growing. The Mystery Habanero fruit are getting bigger. I am extremely impatient about how much bigger I need to wait for them to get before I can taste one to see how bad an idea eating it neat was.

All the various patio saffron are coming up, but the trough do not seem to have any interest in flowering this year, so I am going to need to Have A Think about what to do to make them happier. Honestly the answer is probably "buy another bag of bulb compost and bury 'em deeper".

ysabetwordsmith

There are currently three poems available from this week's fishbowl, and I'm working on the next. If you're still shopping, now's the time to make your choices.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Life found in a place scientists thought impossible

Life defies limits in the deep sea—microbes flourish where Earth’s chemistry seems too extreme for survival.

Deep beneath the ocean, scientists uncovered thriving microbial life in one of Earth’s harshest environments—an area with a pH of 12, where survival seems nearly impossible. Using lipid biomarkers instead of DNA, researchers revealed how these microbes persist by metabolizing methane and sulfate. The discovery not only sheds light on deep-sea carbon cycling but also suggests that life may have originated in similar extreme conditions, offering a glimpse into both Earth’s past and the limits of life itself.

Extremophiles are fascinating.

Also, I really want to play with that blue serpentine mud to see if it would stand up to pinching, coiling, slabbing, or throwing and what would happen to it in a kiln. It looks like clay. I am betting it would fire either to a soft blue-gray (nice) or a sky blue (so much wow).

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and much colder. Bits of snow and grauppel are falling from the sky. Last night it drizzled a bit.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/9/25 -- I went out looking for more bits to use in the lantern terrarium, but didn't find much. It started snowing more briskly, enough to collect in places on the ground, which counts as First Snow.

EDIT 11/9/25 -- I went out looking for more bits to use in the lantern terrarium, and found a bit more.

I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 11/9/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/9/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

nanila

What’s harder to live without, chocolate or alcohol?

I've frequently given up alcohol for weeks. I've never dared give up chocolate. I might turn into a monster.
Does the colour yellow remind you of anything?

A few things. Drawing the Sun with crayons. The walls of the Camden flat I lived in when I first moved to London. The colour of baby poop (soooo weird).
Who most annoyed you last week?

The Andrew formerly known as Prince. Just go and fade away into obscurity already, although really you should be in prison, you entitled twerp.
Do you have a cutesy romantic nickname for your partner (or previous partners)?

Yes. I'm disinclined to expound on that.
What is your favourite Stephen King movie?

Er, none of them. I can't watch most horror films. They give me nightmares for weeks.

ysabetwordsmith

Grand Prairie Friends Acquires New Property- Warbler Bend

Grand Prairie Friends (GPF) is thrilled to announce the purchase of Warbler Bend, a meandering 110 acres along the Embarras River in Coles County (IL). This purchase expands the Conservation Land Trust’s existing Warbler Ridge Conservation Area, now totaling almost 1,400 acres. Warbler Bend is GPF’s second property north of Highway 130, joining Warbler Bluff, located on Harrison St. Rd (Charleston).

Over the last decade, GPF has restored more than 1,200 acres at their Warbler Ridge Conservation Area including the addition of 90,000 trees, nine acres of wetlands and hundreds of acres of pollinator fields.

Connected to Lake Charleston to the north, and Fox Ridge State Park to the south, Warbler Ridge Conservation Area began in 2015, to connect these three landscapes to create an over 4,000 acre contiguous corridor for wildlife, natural habitats and public natural space for the community.

I am so excited! More riverfront!

Current Mood: excited

ysabetwordsmith

displacementdiaries -- Displacement Diaries
A reflective space for journaling life abroad, family complexity, grief, and personal growth.
Displacement Diaries is a reflective space for journaling life transitions, grief, family complexity, and experiences abroad. This community is for those who write about survival, emotional upheaval, and the slow work of rebuilding one’s life. Longform personal narratives, introspective essays, and memory-based storytelling are welcome.

For my friends who are from afar, or forced away from home, or may become so.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today we visited the Charleston Food Forest, Coles County Community Garden, and Lake Charleston. These are the lake pictures, thus meeting my fall goal for birdwatching / leafpeeping. (Begin with the food forest, community garden.)

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Today we visited the Charleston Food Forest, Coles County Community Garden, and Lake Charleston. These are the community garden pictures. (Begin with the food forest. Continue with the lake.)

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today we visited the Charleston Food Forest, Coles County Community Garden, and Lake Charleston. These are the food forest pictures. What started out as a beautiful fall day, sunny and cool, clouded over by the time we got out of the house. So the lighting isn't great, but at least the pictures look okay. (Continue with the community garden and the lake.)

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Engineers built a drifting wheelchair for an injured colleague.

Given how crappy the official medical equipment is, and how expensive, I'm delighted to see people making adaptive equipment on their own.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Common pesticides may cause testicular damage and lower sperm counts

Widespread farm pesticides may be quietly undermining male reproductive health.

A decade-long review by George Mason University researchers reveals growing evidence that neonicotinoid insecticides—the world’s most widely used class of pesticides—may harm male reproductive health. The findings, based on 21 animal studies, show consistent links between exposure and reduced sperm quality, hormonal disruption, and testicular damage.

This will be useful to people seeking to ban or limit harmful pesticides. Perpetrators may not care about the environment or other humans, but they almost certainly care about their own virility. Similarly victims who are lethargic about other health threats may rally over this one.

Current Mood: busy

conuly

Except I think that my pupil distance was 56 instead of 55, and also the bridge seems a bit flimsy. That, I don't like, but it may be my amorphous anxiety talking.

In other news, Moonpie has completely scratched and licked up her nipples and now they're bleeding and infected, and apparently the vet prefers to do a blood test at this age, but as the blood test is $400 we declined. (E asked if I thought they judged us for that, lol, sweetie, I always think everybody judges me for everything, but that's not a rational mindset, so no, upon reflection I don't think that. We're hardly the only family to make petcare decisions based on affordability, and even if they do judge us, great, they can pay for this bloodwork themselves.) Also, NYC now mandates a new vaccine for cats and dogs. They can mandate what they like, but they can't make people follow that law. However, after the vet explained that this disease spreads pretty easily and now is spreading to humans, in whom it can cause kidney and/or liver failure, I decided, reluctantly, to make vaxxing the cats a priority. Which means full vet appointments for each one and new rabies shots as well. It's not going to be a quick process, is what I'm saying. (And we still need to replace those water heaters before they break!)

******************************

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and cool, a beautiful fall day.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- We went to the Charleston Food Forest and Coles County Community Garden, where I gathered more seeds.

We also stopped by Lake Charleston in search of migratory birds, which was largely a bust. :/

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

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

Current Mood: busy

nanila

[Breakfast terrace view. Hire cars have red number plates.]

I didn't have much of an opportunity to research Cyprus before I arrived. Nicosia, the host city of the conference I just attended, is divided between Greek and Turkish Cyprus. The hotel I booked - and all I did was select the cheapest one on the conference accommodation list because it’s close to the venue - is only a couple of blocks from the Green Zone, the UN policed buffer that separates the two halves of the island. It is clear to see as soon as you go around the side of the hotel. Many shops are boarded up (though the flats above them are still occupied), their gates rusted and facades crumbling.

[Crumbling gracefully.]

[Crumbling less gracefully.]

A few stalwart businesses keep their doors open.

[Bold claim: “Cyprus: Irresistible for 9000 years”]

Just a couple of blocks away are shiny new high rise buildings and attractive public spaces. You could, as a tourist, choose never to stray from the wide boulevards and safe pavements.

[Eleftheria Square by day.]

[Walking below Eleftheria Square at night.]

Google maps certainly didn't believe I should do that, taking me on a different path to the conference venue every day, past an entirely new set of cats.

[Noble guardian.]

There are cats *everywhere*. Food and water are left out for them on the street corners and in vacant lots. They are even more prevalent at night.

[The Gang.]

I must have spoken to 15 different people after arriving before I encountered a Nicosian Cypriot. The first Cypriot I met was giving a talk in the firzt session I attended who of course lives in London, not Cyprus. He recommended the meze restaurant (see below). The food here is incredible. I've tried something new every day.

Georgian food.

[All of these bean paste / beetroot things are nice, but the ones in the middle are fried aubergine wrapped around walnut paste and I could have eaten about thirty of those alone and been very happy.]

Meze.

[This was about a quarter of the way through the meal, and they kept bringing dishes. Far too much food for two people, although PhD student and I made a heroic effort. Those little fried courgette strips on the far right were my undoing.]

[Dessert.]

“Healthy eating” restaurant.

[This may look heavy / oily but it was not. The pastry was delicate and crisp and the feta inside was like a little fluffy cloud. Amazing.]

Even the breakfast at my otherwise average hotel was delicious.

[The little roll covered in sesame seeds has a sort of olive pate in it which is *chef's kiss*. I had one every morning.]

In summary, 10/10, would come back to Cyprus to Eat All The Things.

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Is hierarchy necessary for all successful human communities?

No. It's just easier. Humans seem inclined to prefer having leadership. Egalitarian communities exist, but they tend to take more work to create and maintain.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today we made a smoothie with:

1 cup strawberry apple cider
1 cup Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup ice

The result is bright pink and on the thin side, with a nice fruity flavor. We used strawberry apple cider from Grissom Orchard -- they have a few different flavors, all good. It's at least the second time we've made this, but I forgot to write it down earlier.

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by

librarygeek. It also fills the "I didn't want power. All I wanted was control. Over my life." square in my 11-1-25 card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo fest.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed notes, some of which are spoilers. It includes a ritual for justice with violent ends, ominous mythical figures, a bad leader, reference to sexual assault, reference to abuse under color of authority, treachery, and other challenges. If these are touchy topics for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

kaberett

( mild anaemia )

The other topic is Physio, and specifically a bunch of the stuff I've been doing courtesy of the (NHS) Lower Limbs Class I've been intermittently going to since the summer; I am finally managing to add Doing This Stuff Once A Week (Not At Class) into my routine, and in addition to just getting better at the exercises themselves I have noticed repeatedly this week that I'm finding getting up from e.g. being sat on the beanbag much easier.

( a little more on exercise )

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Own Your Awesome!

Member Posts

Monday Update 11-10-25

vital functions

Poetry Fishbowl Update

Extreme Animals

Birdfeeding

The Friday Five on a Sunday

Grand Prairie Friends

Communities

Photos: Lake Charleston

Photos: Coles County Community Garden

Photos: Charleston Food Forest

Activism

Safety

Well, I like them well enough

Birdfeeding

Photos from Cyprus

Philosophical Questions: Community

Today's Smoothie

Poem: "A Clear Path of Freedom"

[embodiment] notes various

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November 2025

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